OND January A 2015 Vol. 69, No. 1

VOL. 69, NO. 1

WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG

JANUARY 14, 2015

Holding out the light of faith

Sacred Heart School experiences growth and burns brightly

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND EAST GRAND FORKS, MINN. —

“Catholic schools hold out the light of faith,” said Bishop Hoeppner while discussing the importance of Catholic education in the Diocese of Crookston.

“They allow the light of faith to shine brightly in our young people. … The atmosphere that is breathed each moment of the school day is the atmosphere of faith and the lifestyle that is experienced every day and every moment is a lifestyle that embodies gospel values mirroring the life that Jesus lived and taught.”

Sacred Heart School in East Grand Forks is in the midst of an intense campaign for growth to keep the light of faith strong and bright. In May 2013, Sacred Heart School administration invited people from across the country, many with connections to the parish and school, to participate in a National Advisory Council. The purpose of this gathering was to take stock of the current situation of the school and recommend ideas for growth in four areas: Catholic identity, academics, finances and marketing.

Msgr. Mike Foltz became pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in July 2013. The council took place before he was assigned to Sacred Heart. “When I came, I had those recommendations on my desk,” he said.

The ideas that poured forth from this council were further developed by a task force consisting of faculty, staff and board members who met at 6 a.m. every Thursday during the late summer and fall months of 2013. The task force was split into subcommittees, and each looked more precisely at the four

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VOL. 69, NO. 1:

main areas the National Advisory Council had examined. The subcommittees then brought their ideas to the greater task force where further discernment took place and goals were set for the future. This entire process led to the current campaign entitled, “A New Day”.

A New Day is focused on growth and sustainability for Sacred Heart School. The National Advisory Council Task Force identified the funding needed to jumpstart and continue the good work already occurring at the school. The fundraising goal of the capital campaign is $6 million. According to Msgr. Foltz, the dollars generated by the campaign will help Sacred Heart School double the high school’s enrollment, build the scholarship endowment, create a building endowment, and provide pay raises for teachers.

“We’re working on creating a culture that permeates the faculty, staff and students so that when you walk through the doors, it is palatable … and seen in the atmosphere; so you know you’re somewhere special,” said Msgr. Foltz.

A group of 65 families contributed more than $3.3 million during the silent phase of the capital campaign from January 2014 through August. Twothirds of the money raised was local, but one-third came from people outside the community, said Msgr. Foltz.

“What amazes me is the generosity of some of the alumni who have not had much of a connection,” Msgr. Foltz said.

He added that their donations acknowledge the role Sacred Heart School has played in their lives.

As of Dec. 5, Sacred Heart has raised $4.3 million for the capital

Msgr. Mike Foltz, Pastor and Superintendent of Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks, discusses vocations with fifth graders in their classroom. (Photo credit: Ms. Jen MacLeod/Sacred Heart School)

campaign.

The Holy Spirit has led Sacred Heart School to make many changes through this process and the A New Day campaign.

“One of the biggest recommendations from the National Advisory Council and the task force was a change in the leadership structure,” said Msgr. Foltz.

“For the first time, Sacred Heart School has a president and one principal … It’s about bringing the school together and uniting in a common vision and focus.”

In July of 2014, David Andrys transitioned from the role of principal for the elementary grades, to principal for all students in preschool through high SACRED HEART: Continued on Page 3

Members of the National Advisory Council discuss ideas for growth and sustainability at Sacred Heart School. The council, made up of people from across the country, met in East Grand Forks in May of 2013. The work of the Council led to the “A New Day” campaign.

(Photo credit: Sacred Heart School)

Pg. 5 - Catechetical Sunday Confession Series Pg. 10 - Year of Consecrated Life Coverage Pg. 7 - Obituaries Pg. 14 - 2014 DAA Year-End Report Pg. 8 - Bishop Hoeppner Visits St. Joseph’s School Pg. 15 - Word to Life Faith Sharing Commentary

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January 14, 2015

A

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

I hope that everyone had amost wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Thank you to all who sent me cards, prayers and gifts.

There were so many and I thank you all. I prayed for each and every member of this local church during the Cathedral’s Christmas Night Mass. I offered that Mass for us all, especially asking that our loving God bless our new year.

A NEW YEAR OF GRACE This year, the Christmas Season officially ends on Saturday, Jan. 10. On Sunday, Jan. 11, we celebrate The Baptism of the Lord and on Monday, Jan. 12, what we call “Ordinary Time” begins. The Advent and Christmas Seasons have their own distinctive character, they draw our attention to one aspect of the life of Jesus, i.e. his long awaited birth in Bethlehem. “Besides the times of the year that have their own distinctive character, there remains in the yearly cycle thirty-three or thirty-four weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness, especially on Sundays. This period is known as Ordinary Time.”

(Universal Norms, 43) Ordinary Time is centered around our every-seven-day celebration of Sunday. Ordinary Time is built on Sunday. We need to build our journey through the weeks of Ordinary Time around Sunday, remembering with all believers

that it was on the first day of the week that Our Blessed Lord rose from the dead and all creation was made new. To do so is to keep Sunday holy, to keep Sunday as it is meant to be: the Lord’s Day. Faithfully, keeping Sunday holy, as the Lord’s Day, keeps Jesus at the center of our lives.

God the Son became man to make his home with us. Receiving him joyfully each Sunday is to give him a home in our hearts.

Once we’ve done that on Sunday, then we can carry him with us all week, into all our usual places to meet our usual friends.

And when we do that, the places and people suddenly become new and wonderful. It all becomes more fascinating. Why? Because Jesus enables us to see things from God’s perspective.

Because Jesus shows it to us from his point of view, from his delight and his joy and his love.

For example, we see our human love for what it really is: a seed of our love for the infinite and the instrument for God, who is love. We see the things of this world as good things given to us by a God who wants our pilgrim path to be strewn with beauty – sights, sounds and smells that delight – so that we might be happy on the way from here to eternity. We can even come to see our death as just a door that we must pass through to reach the land of eternal joy, a land where we will be with our loved ones, divine and human, forever.

If we use the Sunday celebration to keep Jesus at the center of our lives, giving him his home in our hearts, and if we continue to show him our world and show him off to others in our world, then we’ll know the peace and joy that Jesus came to bring. It will be just as Pope Francis described: “Far from divorcing us from reality, our faith in the Son of God made man in Jesus of Nazareth [will enable] us to grasp reality’s deepest meaning and to see how much God loves this world and is constantly guiding it towards himself. This [will lead] us, as Christians, to live our lives in this world with ever greater commitment and intensity.” (Lumen Fidei, 18) “What happens in our churches every Sunday is the fruit of our week. What happens as the fruit of the week past is the beginning of the week to come.”

(St. Andrew Bible Missal) This becomes the cycle of our lives as we pass through the seasons of our lives. With the Sunday celebration of the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus and the new life he brings at the center of our weeks, our days will be filled with grace and blessing and will bear good fruit indeed.

I pray that this new season of Ordinary Time will be full of graces and blessings for you.

“Grant, O Lord of life, that we may savor every season of our lives as a gift filled with promise for the future … And when the moment of our definitive ‘passage’ comes, grant that we may

BISHOP’S CALENDAR January 15 January 18 January 18 January 20 January 20

5:00 p.m. DAA Kickoff Banquet, St. Mary’s, Fosston 8:00 a.m. Mass, St. Joseph’s, Moorhead 10:00 a.m. Mass, St. Joseph’s, Moorhead 7:45 a.m. Mass, Cathedral, Crookston 12:00 p.m.

Dean’s Meeting, Chancery, Crookston

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 218281-7895 (24-hour confidential number) or Lmcglynn@crookston.org.

Bishop Michael Hoeppner and Father Xavier Ilango, Assistant Director of Vocations, visit with Matt Schmitz during the annual seminarian Christmas gathering at the Chancery in Crookston. (Photo credit: Reathel Giannonatti)

face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have

known here on earth, in the company of all who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope.” (Prayer of the Elderly, Pope St. John Paul II, 1999)

(USPS 414-940)

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

Subscriptions: $13.65 per year in the diocese, $14.90 per year outside the diocese.

Publisher:

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

Editor:

Rev. Robert Schreiner Office of the New Evangelization, Director

Associate Editor:

Mrs. Janelle C. Gergen jgergen@crookston.org

Editorial Assistant: Mrs. Katrina Genereux

kgenereux@crookston.org Proofreader:

Deacon Dan Hannig

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

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

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

AROUND THE DIOCESE

January 14, 2015

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Pastors from Grand Forks and East Grand Forks — Father Gerard Braun of St. Michael’s, Father Daniel Mrnarevic of St. Mary’s, Msgr. Mike Foltz of Sacred Heart and Msgr. Brian Donahue of Holy Family — sign joint letters for their parishioners expressing a united vison for Catholic education in the Greater Grand Forks area. (Photo credit: Ms. Jen MacLeod/ Sacred Heart School)

SACRED HEART: Continued from Page 1 school. Carl Adolphson moved into the role of president after serving as high school principal during the 2013-2014 school year. Adolphson was hired following the retirement of Phil Meyer, Sacred Heart School’s high school principal for 27 years.

Adolphson said, “I take on what in public schools a superintendent would do. I take a load off of Monsignor so that he can focus more on the parish. I oversee the school curriculum and marketing. Dave deals more with the staff, with discipline, and communicating with parents. I ensure that we have a common vision and everyone is moving in the same direction. It’s all connected; we work together as administrators and prioritize.”

“I think the new structure gives us the opportunity to focus on recruiting, marketing and the fundraising aspect. It’s just keeping more things moving,” added Adolphson. “I think we’ve been able to do that so far.”

Another first for Sacred Heart School is the addition of a Dean of Academics and Student Life.

Joanne Wilson filled this position. She joined the administration team after teaching sixth grade at the school for 14 years.

Wilson helps create and maintain personalized education plans for each student. The students and their parents meet with the Dean, the school counselor, and a teacher in sixth, eighth and tenth grades to set goals for the classroom, as well as career development goals. The individualized plans are intended to incorporate the interests, skills, and needs of the students while preparing them for postsecond-

ary education or various career paths.

One benefit of having a small school, according to Adolphson, is the individual attention given to each student. “We know each student pretty well, and in turn can foster an environment which leads to optimal growth for each student both academically and spiritually,” he said.

In addition to administrative changes, Sacred Heart School has increased options for classes and extracurricular activities.

The school has added Latin for

6-12th graders, Spanish for kindergarten through 12th grade students, a robotics team, archery club, homework club, time for silent sustained reading and faith family prayer groups. Faith family prayer groups are made of home rooms containing a mix of students in seventh through 12th grade. Student leaders selected from the upperclassmen lead prayer for each group.

The changes at Sacred Heart School also extend to the teachSACRED HEART: Continued on Page 6

Above: Bishop Michael Hoeppner leads high school students in praying the Liturgy of the Hours during his visit to Sacred Heart School on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8.

(Photo credit: Janelle C. Gergen, OND) Right: A Sacred Heart first grader manipulates a piece of clay while creating a ceramic nativity scene during art class. (Photo credit: Ms. Jen MacLeod/Sacred Heart School)

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January 14, 2015

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

From Haiti to the world: an apostolic reboot As this article is published, I’ll be on mission in Haiti.

Not a typical trip for me. And, frankly, in these days leading up to it I’m nervous … anxious even. This isn’t simply pushing my comfort zone. This is smashing through it and looking in the rear view mirror and sneering at it. But, in spite of myself, I have to go as an act of obedience and love. I go under obedience because I know in my bones God wants me to do this. And I go because of my deep love for the vision of St. John Paul the Great, for the New Evangelization. So, why Haiti?

Shortly after the devastating earthquake of 2010, which all but destroyed the already destitute country of Haiti, Pope Benedict XVI called Bishop Pierre-André Dumas to Rome to meet. Bishop Dumas is bishop of a rural, “poorer” (if you can imagine) Haitian Diocese of Anse-a-Veaux and Miragoane. In that meeting, the Holy Father, along with the newly appointed President of the Council of the New Evangelization, proposed to Bishop Dumas that his diocese was a perfect place to begin the New Evangelization – as it were – from scratch. To build a Church as

CREDO

A NEW EVANGELIZATION WITNESS

By Father Robert Schreiner, S.T.L. Director of the Office of the New Evangelization

the apostles did – with nothing but the sandals on their feet and the conviction of Christ in their hearts. This was a chance to (re)build the Church by living the Gospel from the ground up, again.

To do that in the vision of John Paul, they said, the youth must play a central role in this renewed apostolic mission. In that meeting, a group was suggested by name to Bishop Dumas whom he could call upon to help him evangelize the young people in the Love of Christ, His Mother and His Church.

Bishop Dumas accepted the vision and mission to rebuild his diocese according to the vision of the New Evangelization and in the spirit of Pope John Paul the Great. When he got home to Haiti he wrote a letter to that group which had been suggested to help him. Here’s the opening paragraph of that

letter from Bishop Dumas to Randy Raus, the President of Life Teen: “It is with great apostolic zeal that I write you this letter after our meeting to invite you to come to Haiti and help me spread the New Evangelization in my diocese ... It is right here in Haiti in the Cathedral at Port-au-Prince that the Blessed John Paul the II first made the call to the New Evangelization on March 9, 1983! I am calling Life Teen to come and be a part of this exciting venture to make this call a reality! More specifically, I wish to start the Center of the New Evangelization that will be a nucleus of faith, formation and evangelization for my diocese! This center will be a place where the different missionaries of the New Evangelization (including Life Teen) would live a vibrant life of faith in the Spirit centered on the

Eucharist and the other Sacraments in union with the Blessed Mother modeled after the first community of Christians in the Acts of the Apostles! Through the love and faith that is shared among the missionaries others will come to believe in the one who sent them: Jesus Christ!”

I consider it one of my greatest joys and privileges in ministry to have been invited to serve on the National Board of Directors for Life Teen International for the past six years.

I was on the Board when we voted in favor of responding to the call of a Successor to the Apostles and to “put out into the deep” with Bishop Dumas.

And so, at the start of the Year of Faith in October of 2012, we sent a team of Life Teen missionaries to establish the John Paul II Center of the New Evangelization. Each January, members of the Board are invited to join the Life Teen President, Randy Raus, in making an on-site visit to the Center and experience the missionary work being done there. This year, I know God wants me to go and to witness the vision of my hero, St. John Paul the Great, being lived out in such a truly apostolic manner.

On behalf of Bishop Dumas

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Patroness of Haiti, pray for us.

and the Life Teen Missionaries at our Haiti Mission Base – I welcome your prayers for them and for the families and teens of the Diocese of Anse-aVeaux and Miragoane. If you’re interested in learning more about the Life Teen Haiti Mission base, you can go to: www. lifeteenmissions.com/haiti .

May all of us never tire of responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to “put out into the deep,” for love of Christ and for the loving renewal of his Church.

A person can’t make this stuff up!

This is astounding.

New York has passed a law banning tattoos and piercings on pets. Yup, read that line again and if you have been a regular reader of this column you know exactly where I am going!

A month ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo proudly signed into law a victory for animal rights activists. At the signing he said, “This is animal abuse, pure and simple. I am proud to sign this common-sense legislation and end these cruel and unacceptable practices in New York once and for all!”

At first I thought the whole story and the signing event were a comedy sketch on "Saturday Night Live". But it was real. Real people actually gathered around a real table watching a real person signing legislation which gives dogs and cats more basic rights than a human child in the womb. Really?

People actually cheered when Governor Cuomo (a leading

LIFE FIRST

By Father Don Braukmann Parochial Vicar - St. Philip’s Parish, Bemidji and St. Charles Parish, Pennington

“We don’t have ‘wolves at the door’ in America; we have termites eating at the foundation.”

– Unknown

pro-abortion governor in the United States who has sat at the same desk on more than one occasion signing bills which meant children must die) said with all seriousness how he was “proud to sign this commonsense legislation and end these cruel and unacceptable prac-

tices.”

Tattoos and piercings on pets are “cruel and unacceptable” while the scalping and piercing of a human child piece by piece from the womb is not? Really?

Common-sense legislation?

When a teenager can have an abortion without parental con-

sent but must have that consent to take an aspirin in school? As the title of this column states, a person can’t make this stuff up!

But, wait, it gets better!

Watching television over the holidays meant enduring the commercials sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Right smack in the middle of my favorite holiday show, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, came a commercial with “Silent Night” as background music. Next came pictures of dogs that were abused and abandoned. For under $20 a month my donation could save them.

In my opinion, dogs are one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. Just the thought of a dog or another animal being abused turns my stomach. Yet, the truth is very simple, dogs are dogs and human beings are human beings. I wonder if the television networks would permit the same Christian music to

be played in the background as pictures of aborted babies are shown. Would they let an appeal for money to be made to help stop the killing? We all know the answer. The children must pay the ultimate price while a dog can live as they choose.

I went to the ASPCA website and read how the group is rejoicing now that 28 states have made it illegal for the use of tax dollars to slaughter horses.

So, no tax dollars to slaughter horses but tax dollars to do the same to a little girl in the womb is perfectly fine.

Oh America, we have truly lost our way. What is even sadder is how ignorant and numb we have become to the fact that we are lost!

All of this reminds me of some very wise words from an unknown author speaking about America: “We don’t have ‘wolves at the door’ in America; we have termites eating at the foundation.”

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

January 14, 2015

5

The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Forgiveness in four easy steps

by Rev. Msgr. Richard B. Hilgartner, Executive Director, Secretariat of Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

In every relationship, there comes a time when something goes wrong and one person or one group hurts or offends the other, and the relationship is damaged. Whether it is a personal relationship between family members or friends, or a more structured relationship between an individual and a group or organization, some process of healing or repair is required to restore the relationship. Sometimes it takes as little as an apology — “I’m sorry”— but in some cases, a more significant act or gesture to demonstrate good will or an attempt to make up for the harmful action is required.

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (as it is called in the Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC]) is one of the means by which our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church is healed, restored, and ultimately strengthened. The sacrament is known by several names: the liturgical book that contains the rite is called the Rite of Penance, but it is commonly referred to as “confession,” “Penance,” or “Reconciliation.” Those different names focus attention on the various elements of the sacrament: confessing sin, doing penance, reconciling the sinner. Some of those elements require the work and effort of the penitent (the one confessing), but the principal act of forgiving and reconciling belongs to God alone.

There are four primary actions in the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, all of which contribute in some way to the healing that takes place: confession of sin; expression of contrition or sorrow for sin; doing penance (“satisfaction”), which expresses a desire to avoid sin; and absolutionfrom sin. Essentially there are two “movements” in the sacrament: our movement toward God and God’s toward us.

To understand the working of forgiveness, one must also understand the work of sin.

St. Augustine describes sin as “an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law” (Contra Faustum manichaeum, PL 42, 428; see also CCC, no. 1849). Sin offends God and harms relationships with others. Sin is a choice to do

the wrong or avoid the good.

We actively cooperate in the act of sinning (because it is a conscious decision), and so we must actively participate in the process of being forgiven from sin.

When one speaks of reconciliation, referring either to the theological concept or to Catholic sacramental practice, one must begin with the primacy of God’s work and free gift flowing from his love for his people. It is God who forgives, and it is Jesus who embodies that forgiveness in his ministry and preaching, and in his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

From him flows the gift of forgiveness for those who believe.

This “first” act of reconciliation is referred to as justification. Human forgiveness (i.e., as we forgive one another) is the response to what is already accomplished in Christ.

If the working of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is understood incorrectly, it could lead to a false sense of “controlling” the grace of forgiveness in one’s life simply by confessing and receiving absolution, or of earning the grace of forgiveness by acts of satisfaction. The Rite of Penance emphasizes that justification is the action of God in Christ Jesus. The sacrament is one locus where that justification is made manifest for the believer in a particular way.

Only within this proper context of the primacy of God’s work in Jesus Christ is it then possible to see the way in which the Rite of Penance outlines the four steps—and our work—in the “process of forgiveness”: confession, contrition, satisfaction, and absolution.

CONFESSION Confession entails admitting and naming one’s sin. It is in this act that the penitent names his or her sins, acknowledging the judgment of God over his or her actions. For some, especially those who are celebrating the sacrament for the first time or after a long time, this might seem awkward, for it is difficult to admit one’s faults. The Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, however, that even on a strictly human level, confessing one’s sins can be a freeing experience (CCC, no.

1455) as a means of unburdening oneself of those burdens.

Generally there is an expectation that confession of sin be integral and thorough, and the priest can be of assistance in

guiding the penitent through such a process. He can also offer counsel regarding the process of conversion from sin.

CONTRITION Contrition is one’s expression of sorrow for sin. Simply approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation can at some level be an expression of contrition.

The Council of Trent defined contrition as “heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed along with the intention of sinning no more” (Council of Trent, Session XIV, De Sacramento Paenitentiae, Chapter 3: Denz., 1673-1675). The sinner expresses the desire for a right relationship with God, which entails doing God’s will. Contrition comes about through understanding the nature of one’s relationship with God as an invitation and a call to discipleship, and an awareness of the ways in which one has not lived up to that call. The sinner who desires God’s forgiveness seeks the Lord, because he or she recognizes that overcoming sin and resisting temptation come not from one’s own abilities but with God’s help.

SATISFACTION Satisfaction for sin is the way in which the sinner shows his or her “firm purpose of amendment,” which means that the sinner demonstrates by action the intention to heal the harm done by sin. When someone harms another, the process of reconciliation in that relationship entails making restitution, and that gesture in itself is a healing remedy. In the celebration of the sacrament, the penitent is offered a suggested act of penance as a means of making satisfaction. Sometimes the suggested penance is a concrete gesture to make amends for a particular sin, but at other times the penance can be something broader, such as a particular act of charity. Even a penance involving prayer or devotion can be offered, because such prayer helps the sinner to reorient his or her life to the presence of Jesus Christ and his love for the sinner, which flows from his Cross. The sinner’s expression of contrition and demonstration of firm purpose of amendment together manifest such integration in his or her life.

ABSOLUTION Absolution from sin is offered by the priest acting in persona Christi, “in the person of Christ.” The real power of

the sacrament is this incarnational moment, as the healing power of Christ in his forgiveness is given a real face and a real voice in the person of the priest. One can pray to God to ask forgiveness anytime, and all are encouraged to do so as a means of seeking and finding forgiveness for minor everyday faults (i.e., venial sins), but only in the sacramental celebration is that gift of forgiveness offered in such concrete form.

The priest’s prayer of absolution states, “Through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This makes clear the prayer for God’s gifts (“of pardon and peace”), but the declaration, “I absolve you,” is far more powerful than an invocation or request for forgiveness. The power to offer absolution has its roots in Jesus’ giving the authority to forgive to the Apostles (see Mt 16:19; Jn 20:23).

The process of seeking, receiving, and celebrating God’s mercy and forgiveness is meant to be source of joy. It is difficult to admit one’s faults, and sometimes even more difficult to ask forgiveness. Pope Francis, however, reminds us that it need not be something to fear, because the Lord is always ready and eager to bestow his

healing love: Whenever we take a step toward Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace.” How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, no.

3) Pastors, catechists, and parents must never tire of extending this invitation with love and genuine joy!

Copyright © 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for noncommercial use.

Scripture excerpts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, rev. ed.© 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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January 14, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

SACRED HEART: Continued from Page 3 ers through increased opportunities for professional and staff development at all levels in the school.

“Last year, in the high school, they had a collaboration period – that has now been added for elementary teachers as well,” said Adolphson. “Collaboration period is a time for staff discussion, technology lessons for teachers and time for teachers to work on their curriculum.”

Sacred Heart School is also working on developing and strengthening relationships with Grand Forks area Catholic schools. Msgr. Foltz joined the pastors from three Grand Forks parishes ­— St. Michael’s, Holy Family and St. Mary’s — to write and send out a letter to area Catholic families in an effort to encourage partnerships among the parishes.

“This year we established a committee representing all of the schools and members of the school boards,” said Msgr.

Foltz. It is called the Grand Cities Catholic Schools Committee.

There are representatives from each of the area parishes that have Catholic schools.

One plan that came out of the first meeting of the committee is to put up three billboards in the Greater Grand Forks area to raise awareness of the availability of Catholic schools in the area.

They are also collaborating on a joint website with information about each of the schools. The website is http://www.grandcitiescatholicschools.com/.

“It’s very important that we all work together even though we’re in different dioceses. It benefits us all; we all grow together,” said Adolphson.

Sacred Heart is working to encourage all families to send their students to Sacred Heart School for sixth grade and beyond, said Msgr. Foltz. Currently there are 60 students from Grand Forks parishes enrolled in grades six through 12 at Sacred Heart School.

A total of 299 children are currently attending Sacred Heart School which is an 11.6 percent increase in enrollment from last year. “That is an additional 30 students in the K-12 grades,” said Adolphson. “We want to keep that going and add another 30 students next year.”

Sacred Heart School is seeking to double high school enrollment over the next five years.

According to A New Day promotional material, “Doubling high school enrollment is a key

driver of both quality and sustainability. A larger student body has a positive impact on academic quality, because it makes possible more course options and greater flexibility in scheduling. As for sustainability, tuition and enrollment represent the revenue stream with the greatest long-term potential. Thus, enrollment growth is at the center of the Strategic Plan.”

According to the goals outlined by the National Advisory Council, a key component to keeping Sacred Heart School strong is continuing the strong Catholic identity of the school.

“Everything we do is for God,” said Adolphson. “That’s our number one focus. We have to make sure we maintain that focus.”

The school makes sure each student has daily prayer opportunities. They pray in many different forms, including: Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, Lectio Divina, Rosary, and weekly Mass, in addition to required theology classes.

“Not only do we provide top notch education … we form the whole kid,” said Adolphson.

“When kids leave here, they’ve experienced and had the opportunity to develop a deep and personal relationship with Christ.”

Adolphson attended the parish school at St. Rose of Lima, Argyle. “I think back and I remember praying before going to eat, gathering around the Advent wreath, and going to Mass,” he said. “That was huge. I want that for my kids.” He has three daughters currently enrolled at Sacred Heart. Adolphson’s youngest, a son, will be a member of the Sacred Heart School kindergarten class in the fall of 2018.

“Body, mind and soul; you teach and form the whole person,” said Msgr. Foltz. “Spirituality and religion are a big part of our day. In a public school, you can’t get that.”

The faith-based curriculum at Sacred Heart is not the only thing that sets the school apart.

Msgr. Foltz spoke about the motivation for the faculty and those in leadership positions at the school, saying, “They want to have an eternal influence on the students.”

“Preschool through high school are formative years for young people. It’s wonderful to have a Catholic education for pre-K through high school students,” said Bishop Hoeppner.

“Having the opportunity to be

A student dressed as St. Nicholas fields questions from elementary students of Holy Family-St. Mary’s School in Grand Forks on Dec. 6. The senior class of Sacred Heart School visits all classrooms of the Greater Grand Forks Catholic schools each year on the bishop’s feast day. (Photo credit: Ms. Jen MacLeod/Sacred Heart School)

“It’s very important that we all work together even though we’re in different dioceses. It benefits us all; we all grow together.”

-- Carl Adolphson, President, Sacred Heart School educated in Catholic school through high school provides an advantage to young people when they leave home to go to college. So many young people discontinue their involvement in the Church in their later teen and early young adult lives as they experience living apart from home for the first time. Having Catholic education through high school hopefully, we trust, will help these students in their young adult lives stay more connected to Jesus, who has wedded Himself to the Church.”

“Not everybody has the opportunity to attend Sacred Heart School, but everyone has the opportunity to support the school,” said Msgr. Foltz.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the campaign for growth at Sacred Heart School can contact Michelle Kraft, Development Director, at 218-773-0877 or mkraft@sacredheartegf.net.

Four seniors pose for a photo while donning spirit wear outside of St. Michael’s Catholic School in Grand Forks in September. During Homecoming Week 2014, students from Sacred Heart School visited the Catholic elementary schools in Grand Forks. (Photo credit: Ms. Jen MacLeod/Sacred Heart School)

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

January 14, 2015

Deacon Ole “Red” Elton dies at 81

Deacon Ole “Red” Elton, 81, Rochert, Minn., died Monday, Dec. 22, at Essentia-St. Mary’s Health in Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Ole LaVerne Elton, known as “Red” was born Aug. 13, 1933, near Carrington, N.D. to Carl and Ethel (Hightower) Elton.

He completed his first five years of education in Carrington and moved with his family to West Fargo, N.D. where he graduated from high school in 1950.

He served with the U. S. Air Force from 1950 to 1954. Following his discharge, he attended North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., earning a degree in electrical engineering.

On December 26, 1952, Red entered into a life of marriage,

Deacon Ole “Red” Elton

love and friendship with Mary Cavegn in West Fargo.

Following graduation, they moved to Anaheim and then Placentia, Calif., where Red enjoyed a 30-year career with North American Aviation which became

Rockwell International. Eight of those years were spent on assignment in the Washington, D.C. area. He often remarked that every job and every home were wonderful experiences.

Following his retirement in 1989, Red began a new vocation as a student of religious education, which culminated in his becoming an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church on June 21, 2003. He served in this capacity at the Catholic communities in Detroit Lakes, Hawley, and Lake Park, Minn., until the time of his death.

Red and Mary moved from California to rural Rochert, Minn. where they built their home on Cotton Lake. Survivors include

his wife of 61 years, Mary, of Rochert, a son, Michael (Lorna “Charlie”) of Rochert, four daughters: Mary (Bobby) Wilkerson of Springfield, Ore.; Lynn (Rhett) Watson of Camano Island, Wash.; Kimberly (Ron) Alexander of Corona, Calif.; Sandie (Joe) Boyer of Rochert; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren and two sisters: Dee (Morris) Sousa of Phelan, Calif. and Connie (Bill) Brummet of Corona, Calif.

Visitation was held Dec. 28 from 4 to 7 p.m. with a Rosay led by the Knights of Columbus at 6:30 p.m. and a Vigil at 7 p.m.

The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 29 at 11 a.m. at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes.

DeCrans, 93, father of two diocesan priests dies Alfonse Peter DeCrans, 93, Fargo, N.D., went to be with Jesus on Saturday, January 3, 2015, at the Fargo VA Hospital.

DeCrans was born on Aug. 13, 1921, to Gustave A. DeCrans and Marie (DeCruyenaere) DeCrans in a farm house in Carlisle Township, N.D. He graduated from Pembina High School, Pembina, N.D. in 1939 and attended North Dakota Agricultural College until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Al was a Forward Observer in the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. On Oct. 2, 1945, Al Married Helen Lukach in Noonan, N.D. They farmed together in Pembina for nine years before moving to New Rockford, N.D. In 1965 they moved to Park Rapids, Minn. and then to Fargo

Alfonse Peter DeCrans

in 2004.

Al participated in the Cursillo Movement and was an influential leader in North Dakota and Minnesota for many years. He was also actively involved with the Knights of Columbus in North Dakota, Arizona and Minnesota

for more than 50 years.

Al was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle. He was known for his sense of humor, smile, fruitcake and famous chocolate chip cookies.

Al is survived by his children Sister Maura DeCrans, Fargo, N.D.; Father Joe DeCrans, Ada, Minn.; Jack (Mayren) DeCrans, Fridley, Minn.; Robert (Mary) DeCrans, Park Rapids, Minn.; Father Bill DeCrans, Red Lake Falls, Minn.; Jim (Marilyn) DeCrans, Park Rapids, Minn.; Tom DeCrans, Cottage Grove, Minn.; Dan (Michelle) DeCrans, Nevis, Minn.; Carol (Dave) Becker, Park Rapids, Minn.; Jeanne (Jeff) Garber, Billings, Mont.; Bernadette (Dan) Stephenson, St. Cloud,

Minn.; Rose (Dana) Wolf, Fargo, N.D.; Teresa (Dave) Vaske, Parkers Prairie, Minn.; 35 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife Helen, his parents, a granddaughter Helen Lauria DeCrans, daughterin-law Kathryn DeCrans and sisters Anna VerDouw, Antoinette Ives, and Margaret Sazak.

On Jan. 8, a wake was held from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by a prayer service at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Moorhead. The funeral was held at 11 a.m. Jan. 9, also at St. Francis de Sales. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Moorhead, Minn.

Sister Marie Schwan, CSJ, former teacher at Crookston, dies Sister Marie Schwan (formerly known as Sister Jerome Marie) passed away Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, in Cleveland, Ohio.

She was born in St. Paul, Minn. in 1933 and baptized Darlyne Marie, the daughter of Jerome J. and Amanda Martell Schwan.

She is survived by a niece, Rita Schwan Zeier, of Madison, Wis., and was preceded in death by her brother, John J. Schwan.

Sister Marie entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in Crookston, Minn. in 1949, professing final vows in 1955. She held a B.A. in English from Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wis., an M.A. in Education from Marquette University and an M.A. in Theology from the University Of Notre Dame.

Sister Marie began her min-

Sister Marie Schwan, CSJ

istry career as a teacher for five years in Catholic elementary schools, then served as Dean of St. Joseph College in Crookston, Minn., for seven

years. She spent 21 years bearing various responsibilities for her religious community. These included serving as a delegate to the General Chapter in France in 1968, Renewal Coordinator, Provincial Councilor and Provincial Coordinator in Crookston.

From 1988 to 2002 she was Associate Director of the Jesuit Retreat Center in Oshkosh, Wis. She then moved to Louisiana to minister as formation director.

Her final service was as Assistant to Ministry Formation Program in the Diocese of Rapid City, S.D. Serious illness brought her to live with the Sisters of St. Joseph in Cleveland and to seek treatment at the Cleveland Clinic.

Sister Marie was an accomplished writer who, along with Jacqueline S. Bergan, published a four-volume series on prayer that flowed from her extensive familiarity with Ignatian Spirituality, a skill that made her a valuable and treasured spiritual director at the Jesuit Retreat Center In Oshkosh and at each of her varied ministries.

A prayer service was held on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 4 p.m. in the chapel of the Congregation of St. Joseph Center in Cleveland, Ohio. It was followed by a mass of Christian burial at 7 pm. Interment is in Somerset, Wis. Memorial donations may be made to the CSJ Mission Advancement Office at 3430 Rocky River Drive, Cleveland, OH 44111.

PLEASE

pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life

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January 14, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Bishop Hoeppner visits students at St. Joseph’s

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND MOORHEAD, MINN. — On Dec. 18, Bishop Michael Hoeppner visited St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Moorhead. He started the morning by celebrating Mass with the students. He then spent time visiting with each class throughout the morning.

Bishop Hoeppner quizzed all of the students about the symbols of a bishop and the Seven Sacraments. He also talked to the kids about the upcoming Christmas Gospel reading. He blessed the children before leaving each classroom.

That afternoon, the students performed their Advent Program. Bishop Hoeppner shared a few words and offered a blessing at the beginning of the program.

The program told the story of a missing shepherd at the time of Christ’s birth. It was fashioned as a courtroom style drama, complete with sheep and rap star wisemen. The children sang and danced throughout the play and it concluded with the appearance of the missing shepherd, sharing the news of Christ’s birth.

Above: Bishop Hoeppner speaks to the third grade class about the signs of a bishop.

Right: Three students talk with BIshop Hoeppner about their favorite words. They spoke with him while waiting for the rest of the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to join them in the library at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux, OND)

Above: Bishop Hoeppner quizzes second grade students and they raise their hands to name the seven Sacraments.

Bishop Hoeppner speaks to the crowd gathered for the Advent Program in the transformed gym.

The three wisemen perform a spirited rap-styled song explaining their presence in Bethlehem.

Left: The kindergarten students make the Sign of the Cross as they receive a blessing from Bishop Hoeppner.

Students from St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Moorhead, perform their Advent Program for guests on Dec. 18.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

AROUND THE DIOCESE

2015 March for Life in Bemidji Jan. 17 The Bemidji area pro-life committee has announced the details for the 2015 March for Life. The annual March for Life marks the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions that have resulted in the deaths of more than 600,000 unborn Minnesota children (Minnesota Department of Health), and more than 56 million unborn babies nationwide.

The march will take place at noon on Jan. 17. The day’s events will begin with a gathering at the Beltrami County Courthouse in Bemidji, followed by a march down Beltrami Avenue finishing at St. Philip’s Catholic Church. Last year, more than 100 people attended the March for Life drawing attention to the atrocities of abortion and the

pain it causes mothers and fathers. A short program will take place after the march, followed by a soup and sandwich luncheon served by the Knights of Columbus. Speakers at the event include Minnesota State Representative David Hancock.

Some abortion facts from the Minnesota Dept. of Health: • More than one-third of all abortions in Minnesota are paid for with our tax dollars.

• 9,903 abortions were performed in 2013, an average of more than 27 every single day.

• 44 percent of abortions in Minnesota were performed by Planned Parenthood.

• 27 percent of the abortions used the dangerous and sometimes lethal RU486 abortion drug.

Some reasons given for abortions: • 28 percent of the women reported “Economic reasons.”

• 69 percent of the women reported “Does not want children at this time.”

• Less than 1 percent of the women reported that the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.

St. Patrick’s celebrates Confirmation

St. Patrick’s, Hallock. (Photo credit: Megan Sugden Photography)

January 14, 2015

9

MCCL hosts March for Life at state capitol Catholics who would like to help save the lives of unborn children and to protect their mothers from the devastation of abortion can make a real difference on Jan. 22. Following the 10:30 a.m. Prayer Service for Life with Bishop Lee Piché at the Saint Paul Cathedral in downtown St. Paul, the annual MCCL March for Life will be held at noon on the State Capitol grounds.

The 2015 March for Life, sponsored

by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, commemorates the 41st anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton U.S. Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

“Abortion is the greatest human rights issue of our time,” said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach.

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

Each year on Jan. 22, citizens march and call on lawmakers to enact protective legislation. The Legislature began its 2015 session Jan. 5, and legislators will be at the Capitol on Jan. 22. Citizens can encourage their lawmakers to attend the MCCL March for Life.

Prominent pro-life state and national officials are expected to attend the MCCL March for Life.

Every pro-life voice is needed to demonstrate that the pro-life movement is as strong as ever. Help make this the largest, most effective MCCL March for Life by attending this onehour event with your family and friends. Marchers will be provided with pro-life signs on the Capitol Mall. In case of severe weather, check our website and Twin Cities news outlets or contact MCCL at mccl@mccl.org or 612-825-6831.

10 January 14, 2015

YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE

Defining religious vocations

by Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

WHAT IS A RELIGIOUS VOCATION?

A religious vocation is a special grace that God gives to certain persons, calling them to a life of the evangelical counsels.

There is more than passing value in stressing the fact that a religious vocation is a grace. It is, therefore, a gift and an opportunity that must be freely responded to if the grace is not to remain sterile and ineffective. We used to speak, and perhaps still do, of promoting religious vocations. Actually, we cannot promote vocations.

Either God gives them or they don’t exist. We can only discover what God has given and then foster a vocation that is presumably there.

But how do you discover a true vocation?

The expression “true vocation” is not casual. It is critically important in an age when so many once-promising vocations seem to have been lost.

What are some typical features of a true vocation to the religious life? I would emphasize especially three: First, a strong faith in the Catholic Church and her teaching, shown by a firm loyalty to the Vicar of Christ; second, a love of prayer, at least the capacity for developing a desire for prayer; and third, a readiness to give oneself to a life of sacrifice in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

The practical question arises of how to recognize a true vocation to the religious life. The need for recognizing a vocation is so important that everything else is secondary. I believe that if every prospective candidate were to make a private retreat, even for a few days, under a competent priest, it would help immensely. Then, during the retreat, in an atmosphere of silence and prayer, ask God to enlighten one’s mind as to whether or not He is calling the person to a life of Christian perfection. This, in fact, is one of the original purposes of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: to discover and decide on one’s state of life.

The future of religious life is very promising, but the promise depends on certain premises, of which the first and most important is that God has given not just the initial call but the assurance of a lifetime of His supernatural grace to those who want to serve Him in the religious life.

Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., founded the Institute on Religious Life in 1974. These meditations written by him were taken from the Institute on Religious Life at http://irl.solutciosoftware.com.

POPE FRANCIS’ EVANGELIZATION INTENTION FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY: That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.

wants your newsand advertisements!

Find 2015 publishing dates and submission deadlines on the web: http://www.crookston.org/ond/ The next OND submission deadline is: Wednesday, January 21 by 12:00 p.m.

Email: Katrina Genereux, Editorial Assistant kgenereux@crookston.org

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

NATIONAL

January 14, 2015

11

Poet seeks healing from clergy sexual abuse through his works

By Natalie Hoefer Catholic News Service INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — Norbert Krapf, 71, still loves the wooded hills of his southern Indiana boyhood home near Jasper and the Catholic faith that formed his beliefs from infancy.

Such feelings are remarkable not for their longevity, but that they exist despite Krapf being the victim of clergy sexual abuse six decades ago at his small hometown parish tucked away in the Jasper hills.

In recent years, Krapf — a poet, author and one-time Indiana Poet Laureate now living in Indianapolis — identified his abuser to the bishop of the Diocese of Evansville in which Jasper is located, leading to the removal of the deceased priest’s many accolades and honors.

But Krapf then took a much bigger, public step. Using his gift for poetic expression, he published “Catholic Boy Blues,” a book of poems dealing with the abuse through the voices of the suffering boy, the coping adult, the wise Mr. Blues and the abusive priest.

The book, along with Krapf ’s other works, helped earn him the 2014 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Regional Author Award.

More importantly, it has been instrumental in Krapf ’s own healing and, he hopes, the healing of other sexual abuse victims.

Of Krapf ’s 26 published books, 11 are works of poetry.

Many of the poems revolve around his southern Indiana roots, his love for the wooded hills he explored as a child and his German heritage.

He and his family were members of Holy Family Parish in Jasper, with Msgr. Othmar Schroeder serving as pastor. The priest, who died in 1988, was a family friend, spiritual director of Krapf ’s father, trusted role model in the parish — and a sexual predator of boys.

On weeknights before an early morning Mass, Krapf told The Criterion, newspaper of the Indianapolis Archdiocese, “(Msgr.

Schroeder) would have us (altar servers) stay over, and that’s when the abuse took place.

There probably were as many as 50 victims in my parish.”

Krapf learned to keep silent about the abuse. Msgr. Schroeder was respected in the community, a theme repeated in many of the poems in “Catholic Boy Blues.” In one poem, “Once Upon a Time a Boy,” Krapf de-

Above: In his Indianapolis home, Norbert Krapf displays the various hats he wears when giving readings from “Catholic Boy Blues,” a book of poems he wrote to help himself and others heal from clergy sexual abuse. The poems are written through four voices, the suffering boy, the coping adult, the wise Mr. Blues and the abusive priest.

When giving readings, Krapf dons different hats to represent the various voices, the baseball cap for the boy, the fedora for the man, the flat cap for Mr. Blues and the camoflage hat for the priest.

Right: For the cover of his book, Krapf chose a photo of himself taken by the priest who sexually abused him as a youth. (CNS photos/ Natalie Hoefer, The Criterion)

scribes the beating a friend received when the boy told his father about the abuse.

“It’s a survival mechanism,” he says of the silence. “If you focused on that (abuse) as a child, you wouldn’t be able to function.

You would just go to pieces, do some damage to yourself. I did some heavy drinking in the summers when I came home from college and worked across the street from where the abuse took place.”

So Krapf remained silent and went on with life. He considered becoming a mechanical engineer until he “fell in love with poetry” during his senior year in high school. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselear, Indiana, and his master’s in English and doctorate in English and American literature from the University of Notre Dame.

At the university, he met his wife, Katherine, who had left the Carmelite order and was completing graduate studies.

It was also at Notre Dame that Krapf developed a love for blues music. That musical expression would later help shape some of the poetry that led to his healing in “Catholic Boy Blues.”

Krapf and Katherine moved to New York City in 1970, where he taught at Long Island University and directed the C.W. Post

Poetry Center, and Katherine taught middle school English.

Meanwhile, except for confiding in Katherine, his silence continued.

“I just had to be ready for (facing) it, and I wasn’t,” Krapf says. “Part of it was teaching full time” and raising the two children he and Katherine adopted from Colombia.

It was the children who helped bring Krapf back to the Catholic faith he had distanced himself from as an adult.

“Katherine said she wanted to give them a good religious background and tradition, and it seemed like a good idea,” he says. “But it was very difficult for me.”

The couple retired from teaching and moved to Indianapolis in 2004. They settled into a townhome a few blocks from St. Mary's Parish, where they have been members for 10 years.

In 2006, the incidents of Krapf ’s past began to haunt him.

“There was a priest ... I read about who had been moved from one parish to another, three different parishes, abusing boys,” Krapf recalls.

One parish to where the priest was relocated was not far from where Krapf grew up. He told himself, “I have an obligation to do something about this.”

He wrote a letter to Bishop

Gerald A. Gettlefinger, thenbishop of Evansville. The bishop called just two days after the letter was mailed.

Krapf met with the bishop and in 2007, Bishop Gettlefinger had made the priest’s abuse public. Honorary photos of Msgr.

Schroeder were removed from Jasper churches, and a Knights of Columbus council named in his honor was asked to change its name. The diocese offered to pay for counseling for victims of priest abuse.

Krapf was pleased by the moves but was far from healed.

The case of the priest who was moved around several Indiana parishes continued to bother him so he turned to Father Michael O’Mara, St. Mary’s pastor at the time.

“He said, ‘You know, Norbert, I’m a victim of this, too. Whenever we have family gatherings, and parents have their young boys with them, they kind of look at me funny, like they wonder, “Is he ... ? Does he ...?” ’ “He was enormously sympathetic,” Krapf says.

The last poem in “Catholic Boy Blues,” “Epilog: Words of a Good Priest,” is dedicated to Father O’Mara.

Krapf also discussed the abuse with a spiritual director, who prompted him to address his past through poetry. So Krapf

began to write — and write, and write.

“I wrote 325 poems in just one year,” he says. “And then I wrote another 50 after that.”

Krapf gave himself several years to edit the poems and develop the book, which he described as “a calling.”

Before the publication of “Catholic Boy Blues” in April, Krapf notified Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin.

“I offered to send him a proof of the book in case he wanted to be prepared,” Krapf says. “He wrote a very warm, gracious reply.”

Archbishop Tobin’s support went beyond words. He offered an opening prayer at Krapf ’s first book signing, and he sent a copy of the book to Pope Francis.

“A reading of ‘Catholic Boy Blues’ permits one to glimpse the incredible pain of victims of sexual abuse,” Archbishop Tobin told The Criterion. “The fact that such abuse occurred during the victim’s childhood and was inflicted by a priest, that is, a person whom a child would instinctively trust, makes the pain even more hideous.

“Yet the spirit of Norbert Krapf emerges from this terrible crucible to offer a testimony to the power of God to bring light out of darkness and, finally, life from death.

“I thank God that Norbert and Katherine have found healing and are willing to serve as instruments of healing for others.”

That healing can be quantified.

“That night of the book launch ... I don’t even remember how many people thanked me because either they were a survivor, or someone in their family or a friend (was a survivor),” Krapf recalls. “There’s been a strong outpouring of support.”

Krapf is exploring ways to bring the message of hope and healing in “Catholic Boy Blues” to groups through poetry readings and collaborative presentations.

A recurring question Krapf says he receives at book signings and poetry readings is how he can stay in a church that caused him so much pain.

“I tell them that I don’t feel that way,” he says. “I recognize that a big part of me is Catholic. I have a sense that this is my church, and I’m not going to let it be taken away from me, and I’m going to help improve it.

“That might seem like a delusion of grandeur, but I believe it.”

12 January 14, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Slow but noticeable progress made in Haiti five years after earthquake

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — Nearly five years after one of the most devastating earthquakes ever to rock the Western Hemisphere, more than 85,000 people still live in dozens of tent camps across Haiti’s expansive earthquake zone.

While significant, the number is small compared with the original 1.5 million people who were left homeless and dependent on international agencies for food and shelter in the weeks after the magnitude 7.0 temblor leveled much of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

The number of people who remain homeless years after the disaster points to the continuing challenges facing the hemisphere’s poorest nation.

The Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, which the Haitian government maintains claimed 316,000 lives, served to raise the profile of Haiti around the world and prompted governments and aid agencies to work with Haitians in slowly building a nation from the rubble of destruction.

Even the Vatican is paying attention. The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and the Haitian bishops scheduled a Jan. 10 conference to revive interest and commitment to reconstruction. Participants will include Catholic and international agencies, as well as representatives from embassies to the Holy See. “Is Haiti getting better?” asked Darren Hercyk, country director for Catholic Relief Services. “I can say yes, but it really depends on how people measure that.”

Hercyk, who has been in Haiti for two-and-a-half years, cites new housing, an enhanced police presence, improved roads and better access to health care as signs that Haiti is overcoming the challenges that have plagued its 210-year history. For that, he credits the Haitians working through numerous international partnerships.

“Haitians are not just at the center of these projects, but they are leading these projects,” he said.

The rebuilding of St. Francis de Sales Hospital is one of the

A woman prays inside the rebuilt cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in late November during its inaugural Mass. Church and school reconstruction in Haiti has moved ahead with nearly $20 million allocated through the church-led PROCHE effort. (CNS photo/Marie Arago, Reuters)

most visible projects in the capital. During the weeks after the quake, physicians, nurses and volunteers treated hundreds of injured people in field tents set up in the hospital courtyard because much of the facility had been destroyed. Planning began in 2011 and has involved CRS, Catholic Health Association of the United States and the Portau-Prince Archdiocese. The new hospital will be dedicated Jan. 15.

A delegation of American church leaders are travelling in Haiti Jan. 13-19 to attend the dedication and visit several projects. They include: Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity and CHA’s president and CEO; Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, CRS chairman; and Carolyn Woo, CRS president.

“In the end it’s the archdiocese’s hospital. The archdiocese really sees this as a hospital that continues the tradition of a hospital for the people of Haiti,” Bruce Compton, senior director international outreach at CHA,

said of the $22.7 million project.

The process of rebuilding the hospital, first opened in 1881, was long, but allowed for closer relationships to develop between U.S. and Haitian leaders, Compton said.

Beyond the hospital, there has been the tedious task of rebuilding Catholic churches, schools and convents under the Partnership for Church Reconstruction in Haiti, or PROCHE. Trinitarian Father Juan Molina, director of the U.S. bishops’ office on Latin America, said PROCHE has distributed nearly $20 million for reconstruction projects through October 2014.

Again, Father Molina explained, the emphasis has been on sharing responsibility between Haitian church leaders and U.S., German, Canadian and French church partners for the dozens of projects completed or underway.

“We’re walking together,” he said. “We need their prayers.

They need ours. We need their witness. They need ours. So whichever way we express that, we are people of the same faith.

We are children of the same fa-

ther in that sense.”

Haiti’s Catholic school network also has received muchneeded attention since the earthquake. The University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, supported by CRS, developed a plan to address the needs of students, teachers and local communities.

The Haitian Catholic Education Initiative has evolved in the dioceses of Fort-Liberte, Hinche and Les Cayes and has led to opportunities for teacher training, improved school governance and greater involvement of parents, said T.J. D’Agostino, alliance associate director.

Although the alliance was working in Haiti prior to the earthquake, the disaster exposed the difficulties facing Catholic schools, D’Agostino explained.

With the encouragement of Haiti’s bishops, the alliance and CRS surveyed schools across the country starting in November 2011 to identify their greatest needs, he said.

D’Agostino said the effort’s initial success allowed expansion into the dioceses of Jacmel, Jeremie and Anse-a-Veau and Mira-

goane.

Despite progress on multiple fronts, more than 85,000 earthquake-displaced people remained in 123 camps around Port-au-Prince as of Oct. 7, according to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee emergency shelter cluster.

Ted and Katharine Oswald, a husband-wife team who share the position of policy analyst and policy coordinator for the Mennonite Central Committee in Haiti, told CNS that safe, affordable housing is one of Haiti’s greatest needs. They expressed concern about the ongoing forced evictions from tent camps as property owners seek to reclaim vacant land.

“Saying 90 percent of people have vacated the camps is not a great representation of the true picture,” Ted Oswald said.

The couple pointed to Canaan, a community of an estimated 50,000 to 200,000 people on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, where there are no roads, sanitary services or dependable water supply. Thousands of people have relocated to Canaan after leaving some of the tent camps and are no longer counted among those displaced by the earthquake, Ted Oswald said.

Meanwhile, Haiti’s still-young democracy is fragile. Protests in late 2014 resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, and President Michel Martelly was addressing recommendations from a special commission he appointed to end an impasse over elections. Clashes have erupted in Port-au-Prince between pro-government and anti-government demonstrators; the national police have responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Martelly was supposed to schedule municipal elections for 2011, but they were delayed as Haiti struggled to recover from the earthquake. Elections for a third of the Senate’s seats and the Chamber of Deputies were to have been set in 2012.

Under Haiti’s constitution, if elections are not held by Jan. 12, parliament will be dissolved, allowing Martelly to rule by decree.

The protests have gotten the attention of aid agencies, including CRS. Hercyk said the protests are “something we’re watching.”

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Panel advising Vatican declares Archbishop Romero a martyr

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — A panel of theologians advising the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes voted unanimously to recognize the late Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero as a martyr, according to the newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference.

The panel declared Jan. 8 that the archbishop had been killed “in hatred for the faith,” Avvenire reported Jan. 9.

The decision is a key step in the archbishop’s cause, following an extended debate over

whether he was killed for political reasons or for his faith.

The next step in the process lies with the cardinals and bishops who sit on the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, who will vote on whether to advise the pope to issue a decree of beatification.

A miracle is not needed for beatification of a martyr, though a miracle is ordinarily needed for his or her canonization as saint.

Archbishop Romero, an outspoken advocate for the poor, was shot and killed March 24, 1980, as he celebrated Mass in a hospital in San Salvador during his country’s civil war. His saint-

hood cause was opened at the Vatican in 1993.

Pope Benedict XVI told reporters in 2007 that the archbishop was “certainly a great witness of the faith” who “merits beatification, I do not doubt.”

But he said some groups had complicated the sainthood cause by trying to co-opt the archbishop as a political figure.

In March 2013, Pope Francis reportedly told El Salvador’s ambassador to the Holy See: “’I hope that under this pontificate we can beatify (Archbishop Romero).”

Pope Francis told reporters

in August 2014 that “For me, Romero is a man of God.” “But the process must go ahead, and God must give his sign. If he wants to do so, he will,” Pope Francis said.

During his general audience Jan. 7, Pope Francis quoted words that Archbishop Romero had spoken at the funeral Mass of a priest assassinated by Salvadoran death squads: “We must all be willing to die for our faith even if the Lord does not grant us this honor.”

Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero is pictured in a 1979 photo in San Salvador. (CNS photo/Octavio Duran)

Pope names 15 new cardinal electors from 14 countries

By Simone Orendain Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Underscoring the geographical diversity of his selections, Pope Francis named 15 cardinal electors “from 14 nations of every continent, showing the inseparable link between the church of Rome and the particular churches present in the world.”

In addition to 15 new electors, Pope Francis named five new cardinals who are over the age of 80 and, therefore, ineligible to vote in a conclave. Popes have used such nominations to honor churchmen for their scholarship or other contributions.

The pope announced the names Jan. 4, after praying the Angelus with a crowd in St. Peter’s Square, and said he would formally induct the men into the College of Cardinals Feb. 14.

With the list, the pope continues a movement he started with his first batch of appointments a year ago, giving gradually more representation at the highest levels of the church to poorer countries in the global South. According to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the new cardinals will include the first in history from Cape Verde, Tonga and Myanmar.

The Feb. 14 consistory will bring the total number of cardinals under the age of 80 to 125.

Until they reach their 80th birthdays, cardinals are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Blessed Paul VI limited the number of electors to 120, but later popes have occasionally exceeded that limit.

Three of the new cardinal electors hail from Asia, three from Latin America, two from

Africa and two from Oceania.

Of the five Europeans on the list, three lead dioceses in Italy and Spain that have not traditionally had cardinals as bishops — another sign of Pope Francis’ willingness to break precedent. While giving red hats to the archbishops of AnconaOsimo and Agrigento, Italy, the pope will once again pass over the leaders of Venice and Turin, both historically more prestigious dioceses.

None of the new cardinals hails from the U.S. or Canada.

Father Lombardi noted that the numbers of cardinals from those countries have remained stable since February 2014, when Pope

Francis elevated the archbishop of Quebec. The U.S. currently has 11 cardinal electors and Canada 3.

The continuing geographic shift is incremental in nature.

With the new appointments, cardinals from Europe and North America will make up 56.8 percent of those eligible to elect the next pope, down from 60 percent on Jan. 4.

The shift reflects the pope’s emphasis on Africa and Asia, where the church is growing fastest, and on his native region of Latin America, home to about 40 percent of the world’s Catholics.

A number of the selections

also reflect Pope Francis’ emphasis on social justice. The new Mexican cardinal leads a diocese that has been hard hit by the current wave of drug-related violence in his country.

And one of the Italian cardinals-designate, the archbishop of Agrigento in Sicily, leads the Italian bishops’ commission on migration, an issue on which Pope Francis has placed particular importance. In July 2013, the pope visited the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a major entry point for undocumented immigrants to Europe, and mourned the many who had died attempting to cross the sea.

Only one of the new cardinals, the head of the Vatican’s highest court, is a member of the church’s central administration, the Roman Curia, which currently accounts for about a quarter of all cardinal electors.

Announcing the appointments, Pope Francis noted that the ceremony to induct the new cardinals will follow a two-day meeting of the entire college, Feb. 12 and 13, “to reflect on guidelines and proposals for reform of the Roman Curia.”

Pope Francis said he had chosen to honor five retired bishops “distinguished for their pastoral charity in service to the Holy See and the church,” representing “so many bishops who, with the same pastoral solicitude, have given testimony of love for Christ and the people of God, whether in particular churches, the Roman Curia or the diplomatic service of the Holy See.” Here is the list of the new cardinals: French Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Apostolic Signature, 62.

Portuguese Patriarch Manuel

Jose Macario do Nascimento Clemente of Lisbon, 66.

Ethiopian Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, 66.

New Zealand Archbishop John Dew of Wellington, 66.

Italian Archbishop Edoardo Menichelli of Ancona-Osimo, 75.

Vietnamese Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon of Hanoi, 76.

Mexican Archbishop Alberto Suarez Inda of Morelia, who turns 76 Jan. 30.

Myanmar Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon, 66.

Thai Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok, 65.

Italian Archbishop Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento, 68.

Uruguayan Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet of Montevideo, 55.

Spanish Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez Perez of Valladolid, 72.

Spanish-born Panamanian Bishop Jose Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan of David, 70.

Cape Verdean Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado of Santiago de Cabo Verde, 65.

Tongan Bishop Soane Mafi, 53.

Colombian Archbishop Jose de Jesus Pimiento Rodriguez, retired, of Manizales, who turns 96 Feb. 18.

Italian Archbishop Luigi De Magistris, 88, retired pro-major penitentiary at the Vatican.

German Archbishop Karl-Joseph Rauber, 80, a former nuncio.

Argentine Archbishop Luis Hector Villalba, retired, of Tucuman, 80.

Mozambican Bishop Julio Duarte Langa, retired, of Xai-Xai, 87.

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COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE January 18

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Gospel: John 1:35-42

Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10;

1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20

By Catholic News Service Caller ID ruined a great analogy for hearing the voice of God. It used to be that you did not know who was calling until you answered the telephone.

If it were someone you spoke with all the time you would recognize his or her voice. But if you had never spoken on the phone before with the person you might not know who it was at first.

The same is true with our relationship with God: The more we talk and listen to him, the more likely we are to recognize the voice when we hear it.

This analogy came to mind when I was reading this week’s Scriptures. God calls Samuel while he is sleeping in the temple. Samuel doesn’t recognize God’s voice because “at that time Samuel was not familiar with the Lord, because the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet.” So he thinks it is the priest Eli who is calling him. This happens a couple times and Eli realizes that it is God calling Samuel. So he tells Samuel next time to just say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

The Gospel has another story of God calling, but this time it is the first disciples of Jesus. John the Baptist sees Jesus walk by and lets his disciples know that this is the Lamb of God, the Messiah for whom they have been waiting. They quickly begin to follow Jesus.

In both of these Scripture passages there is a trusted person who points people to God. It is so much easier to follow when we are pointed in the right direction. Each of us, at one time or another, is called to be the trusted person pointing the way, and, at other times, we

January 14, 2015

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FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

January 25

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

Psalm 25:4-9;

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

By Catholic News Service

are the person in need of direction from someone we trust.

The ability to hear the voice of God in our lives boils down to a few basic things. Read the Scriptures to get to know how God talks. Take time regularly to sit quietly and listen to God. Find faith-filled people you trust -- your priest or others in your church community -and talk with them about Jesus. God is calling out to us. The question is, are we listening?

Questions: Who is a person that has pointed you toward God? How do you usually hear the voice of God in your life?

“SPEAK, FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING.” — 1 SAMUEL 3:10

In my line of work, I send lots of emails and I receive quite a few of them as well. There are times when it's simply impossible to read them all promptly, and I'm forced to leave most of them unopened until a more opportune time.

But when I'm the sender, I often wonder whether the recipients use the same stalling tactics as I do. How do I ensure that my messages, urgent but still competing for attention, are opened quickly and responded to right away?

Whether it's a postal envelope or an urgent email request, the little tag or subject heading "TIME SENSITIVE" usually does the trick. It tells the recipient that his or her response is critical because it's tied to a particular event.

It also sets up the emotional tug that says that if the response is delayed, they might miss out on something important.

I know that it works because it certainly motivates me when I'm the recipient!

Today's readings are the kinds of messages that would have "TIME SENSITIVE" stamped all over them. Nineveh, a city so huge that it took a three-day walk to cross it, responded to Jonah's call for repentance after only the first day. Its destruction wasn't forecast for 40 more days, but the people obviously weren't taking any chances.

Likewise, the epistle carries the pressing message that "time is running out," the world is "passing away" and business as usual is no longer an option.

Jesus' proclamation in Galilee is also an urgent call to repentance -- but it's not meant as a forecast of doom and gloom.

The word "gospel" literally means "good

news," and the really good news is that God's loving promises are fulfilled and extended to each of us on this very day.

Jesus isn't manipulating our fears but inviting us to something so good that we would be foolish to miss out on even one more minute! The power of that proclamation certainly motivated Simon, Andrew, James and John to leave their trade and follow him immediately.

In our lives, we are inundated with messages clamoring for our attention.

Some are more consequential than others and weighing their relative importance is tricky. But there's one "TIME SENSITIVE" message that outweighs them all, and Jesus is waiting for a response.

Questions: What is Jesus' "time sensitive" message to you personally?

How can you respond to him, not out of fear, but motivated by hope and joy?

“THIS IS THE TIME OF FULFILLMENT. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND.” — MARK 1:15

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