OND Jan. A 2017 Vol. 71 No. 1

VOL. 71, NO. 1

WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG

JANUARY 11, 2017

Abortion impacts everyone THE OFFICE OF MARRIAGE, FAMILY & LIFE IS HOSTING AN AFTERNOON OF REMEMBRANCE AND INTERCESSION ON SUNDAY, JAN. 22. ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS PRAYER SERVICE. TURN TO PAGE 3 FOR MORE DETAILS.

INSIDE VOL. 71. NO. 1:

Pg. 3 - Bishop Hoeppner visits Sacred Heart School Pg. 6 - St. John Paul II Camp Registration Available Pg. 6 - Final Diaconate Formation ‘Come and See’

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January 11, 2017

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COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

PEACE IN THE NEW YEAR I hope each and every one of you enjoyed a very blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Thank you to the many who remembered me at Christmas with a card or note. I attended Christmas Eve Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and then returned to celebrate Christmas Mass During the Night and at both Masses, I prayed for you all, as well as your families and loved ones.

We begin each new calendar year by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Jan. 1 is also the Church’s World Day of Prayer for Peace.

In paragraph 2305, the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that, “earthly peace is the image of the peace of

Christ; earthly peace is the fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic ‘Prince of Peace.’”

The peace of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is the peace we heard the angels proclaim in Luke’s Gospel at Christmas: “And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” (Lk. 2:14) Peace ... the word stirs thoughts of harmony, security, calm, right-order and right-relationship. In Hebrew, the word for peace is Shalom. It connotes completeness, wholeness, a state in which all is perfect, all is right and nothing needed is lacking. This is the peace shared

by God and by the three divine persons themselves. And now,

at the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, God shares this peace with us in a most marvelous way.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor afraid.” (Jn. 14:27) Christ is the Prince of Peace and the peace he brings us, the world does not and cannot give.

This peace comes as a result of Christ’s dying and rising to new life, a new life the Risen Lord shares with us. This peace is nothing less than the abiding presence of the loving Jesus within us through the Holy Spirit.

Announced by the angels at his birth, this peace is proVOICE/VALLEY: Continued on Page 7

BISHOP’S CALENDAR January 14

5:00 p.m.

Mass, St. Patrick’s, Hallock

January 15

8:30 a.m.

Mass, St. Patrick’s, Hallock

January 15

10:30 a.m.

January 15

6:00 p.m.

Rite of Confirmation, St. Mary’s, Warroad

January 17

7:45 a.m.

Mass, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston

January 19

8:00 a.m.

Mass and Classroom Visits, St. Joseph’s School, Moorhead

January 19

3:30 p.m.

Diocesan Annual Appeal Kickoff Event, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston

January 20

8:35 a.m.

Mass and Classroom Visits, St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls

January 22

9:00 a.m.

Mass, St. Elizabeth’s, Dilworth

January 22

10:30 a.m.

January 24

7:45 a.m.

Mass, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston

January 25

8:45 a.m.

Mass and Classroom Visits, Cathedral School, Crookston

Mass, Holy Rosary, Lancaster

Mass, St. Andrew’s, Hawley

NATIONAL COLLECTION UPDATE The faithful of the Diocese of Crookston generously supported the USCCB emergency collection to assist victims of the flooding in Louisiana, contributing $310 to an initial donation of $26,741.11.

The faithful of the Diocese of Crookston generously supported the USCCB emergency collection to assist victims of Hurricane Matthew, with a donation of $16,683.86.

VICTIM ASSISTANCE STATEMENT

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner and Vicar General Msgr. Mike Foltz gather with diocesan seminarians and Office of Vocations staff for a Christmas celebration on Dec. 22. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/ OND)

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.

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

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

Publisher:

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

Editor:

Dr. Mark Krejci

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: 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

LOCAL

January 11, 2017

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Seeking grace through healing wounds Prayer service to honor Day of Prayer for Legal Protection of Unborn Children

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

Nearly 44 years ago, on Jan. 22, the Supreme Court handed down its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, making abortion legal nationwide.

“The impact of abortion on our country has, it could be argued, impacted all of our lives,” said Dr. Mark Krejci, Director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life. “The wounds of abortion go beyond those who have been directly involved with an abortion itself.”

Each year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops encourages Catholics throughout our nation to join in the observance of the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. The faithful are encouraged to do so through penitential practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

This day of penance is usually held on Jan. 22.

The Diocese of Crookston’s Office of Marriage, Family and Life is planning a Sunday afternoon prayer service and Mass to remember children lost to abortion, seek healing and pray for an end to abortion. Everyone is invited to gather at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston, on Jan. 22 from 12:30-3:30 p.m., for prayer. The event is called: An Afternoon of Prayerful Remembrance and Intercession.

The program for this prayer service was developed by The-

resa Bonopartis and The Sisters of Life and has been used in churches around the country.

According to her website, www. postabortionhelp.org, Bonopartis was inspired to create the prayer service so that everyone could participate whether or not they have been directly involved in an abortion.

“Everyone whose life has been impacted by abortion – which really means everyone – is invited to come to this event.

We want to gather the diocese in an afternoon of prayer for healing as we pray for the end of abortion,” Krejci said.

Julie Krejci, Mark’s wife, will be a volunteer reader at the prayer service. She describes the coming event as a wonderful opportunity for prayer.

“Anyone interested in praying for all who have been affected by abortion can join in this prayerful event,” she said.

“I want people to know that this prayer event is important for us all to attend, whether we are directly affected or not. The healing power of prayer is remarkable.”

The time of prayer will begin with volunteers reading testimonies written by people whose lives have been effected by abortion. Each testimony will be followed by intercessory prayer. Some of the perspectives shared in the testimonies include that of grandparents, father, mother and sibling of an aborted child, a counselor and a priest.

A PRAYER FOR HEALING Creator God, you create all human life in your image and likeness.

Intercede with the people of this nation so that all may recognize the beauty of each human life.

Our country has been plagued by abortion for too many years: unborn children have been killed, post-abortive women and men have been scarred, our society has been sucked into a culture of death, all lives in our nation have been touched by abortion.

Have mercy on us and redeem our nation from the sins of abortion.

Grant all your healing and forgiveness, we ask, through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

This will be followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

During exposition, a rosary will be prayed and the Sacrament of Confession will be available.

The afternoon will conclude with Holy Mass.

“I hope the power of prayer will lead to greater compassion as well as healing for all involved in abortion,” Julie said.

Father Vincent Miller, Rector of Cathedral, and the Krejcis are working together to further this mission of healing through the development of Project Rachel in the Diocese of Crookston.

Project Rachel is the Catholic Church’s ministry to those who

have been involved in abortion.

“Certainly on this anniversary of Roe v. Wade we call to mind all of God’s children that we’ve lost, and we pray for healing,” Father Miller said.

“Because we’re so interrelated, what happens to one person has an effect on the whole family,” he added. “An individual’s own healing can help facilitate a lot of healing for others in generations behind them and ahead of them. That’s probably one of my greatest hopes, that by healing some of our current woundedness, we can offer that grace to future generations.”

Father Miller said he is always

Bishop Hoeppner visits Sacred Heart School, East Grand Forks On Jan. 6, Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner celebrated Mass with the students of Sacred Heart School, East Grand Forks, and visited their classrooms.

“Like” OND on Facebook! Check out www.facebook.com/ournorthlanddiocese for additional school visit photos.

honored if someone brings up a wound caused by abortion.

“I try to offer an understanding, open door so that folks don’t hesitate to ask for healing or assistance with healing.

It’s a deeply private experience and oftentimes because of that nature of things, it’s a pain that people carry around longer than they need to,” he said.

Father Miller hopes this event will serve as a good first step towards healing.

“It’s an encouragement not to hold these hurts as your own, but to have the courage to share and talk about them so that God can bring healing to these experiences,” he said.

“It’s so personal, and this decision is not shared; that’s a lot to go through on your own. Whatever people can do to pray for the grace to be open to having a conversation will help.”

Mark echoed Father Miller, saying, “One of the most important things to do is to pray for those people who have been directly or indirectly impacted by abortion. When they want to talk, it is important to listen, to invite them to prayer and perhaps to invite them to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”

He said people are often unsure of what to do in the face of a culture that has grown to accept abortion.

“Our Church is comprised of people who have been impacted by abortion in many ways,” said Mark. “One thing we can do is pray; pray for healing in ourselves, in our loved ones and in our country to the impact of the culture.”

Editor’s Note: An advertisement from the Office of Marriage, Family and Life published in the Dec. 16 issue of OND listed the wrong day of the week for this event. As this article notes, the prayer service will be Sunday, Jan. 22.

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January 11, 2017

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

The call to discipleship extends to everyone When Christians hear the word “Discipleship” there is an immediate association that every person makes with the word. Most often we think of Jesus’ disciples, the first Christians, which is a good initial association to make with “Discipleship.” What does the word mean for us as Catholics in 2017? This is the question that I look forward to pondering with you in this new column, Everyday Discipleship.

Before we begin pondering, I’d like to reintroduce myself and explain my role in the Diocese of Crookston. Since August, I have been serving as the Director of the Office of New Evangelization and Justice. I continue to grow more and more fond of the combination of new evangelization and justice. This office exists to support parish efforts in providing the faithful with an informative and active formation in Catholic evangelization and social doctrine.

I hope that you and I will become disciples inspired by prayer, demonstrating a charity fueled by faith to evangelize while recognizing the inherent dignity of each human being. I

EVERYDAY

DISCIPLESHIP

By AJ Garcia

Director of the Office of New Evangelization and Justice

Share ideas and ask questions If you would like more information about Catholics at the Capitol, or have ideas or questions about missionary discipleship in the Diocese of Crookston, please send an email to agarcia@crookston.org, or call at 218-281-4533, ext. 439. pray that we will love and serve others while seeking truth and the common good, and above all, proclaim the Gospel with our lives!

There are many opportunities and different avenues we are given each day to live as Jesus’ disciples. Often, the sense

is that holiness, discipleship, and mission are something for priests, nuns and Church staff members to be concerned with. That is a lie that we can no longer believe. We all have a role and a duty to proclaim the Gospel! Did you know that Blessed Pope Paul VI said that

the Church in her deepest identity exists to evangelize?! And that Pope Francis said that by virtue of our baptism, we have become missionary disciples?!

In his Apostolic Exhortation “Joy of the Gospel”, Pope Francis says, “each baptized person, whatever his function in the Church and the educational level of his faith, is an active subject of evangelization”.

He also said, “the new evangelization must imply a new leading role for each of the baptized.”

We can no longer look to someone else to take action.

We all are called to participate in the mission of the Church, to evangelize, to encounter and to love. Will you join me in striving to be the missionary disciples we were created to be by virtue of our baptism?

With the help of the great history of our Church, the words of Jesus, and the words of our popes, I look forward to encountering Jesus with you. I hope to join you and encourage you as a missionary disciple in the Diocese of Crookston!

One particular way that I would like to invite you to live out discipleship together is to join me for an event in St.

Paul on March 9, called Catholics at the Capitol. Catholics at the Capitol is an event that the bishops of Minnesota and the staff of the Minnesota Catholic Conference have organized.

It is a day to be inspired, informed, and equipped!

We will be inspired by the bishops of Minnesota and also Bishop James Conley from the Diocese of Lincoln. We will be informed on the key issues that our state and its residents are facing. Finally, we will be equipped to engage in discussion with state lawmakers. This is a great and practical opportunity to love our neighbors and step into the public square to express our commitment to missionary discipleship through faithful citizenship.

Our voices are ones that need to be heard in a time when there is growing doubt that voices of faith have a place in public conversation. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to show our love for those who are without a voice, to love our neighbor, to grow closer to Jesus and live out our role as missionary disciples!

A New Year’s Resolution: Get into better spiritual shape as a family I wish I had a dollar for every commercial I will have seen between Christmas and New Year’s Day for either diet programs or exercise machines.

Companies who make these products advertise during this time of year because they know that the most common New Year’s resolution is “to lose weight.” The diet companies that give you a guide for what and how much to eat have the right idea because most of us need a plan to follow or we just keep eating the same amount of the same food and wonder why we do not lose weight.

Sure, we skip a cookie or only eat three rather than five pieces of pizza, but most people will drift back into their previous eating habits after a little bit of time. They end up eating the cookie and think that the fifth piece of pizza is “not that big” and so they “sneak” one more piece. Research has found that for a diet to be successful you not only have to change your behaviors (eating and exercise) but you also have to change your attitude (i.e. the way you think about food).

PRAYING WITH THE FAMILY

By Dr. Mark Krejci

Director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life

The top 10 New Year’s resolutions last year, in this order, were: diet, get organized, spend less money, enjoy life, stay fit, learn something exciting, quit smoking, help others, fall in love and spend more time with family (too bad this one is not higher!). I would like to suggest one that is not on the list.

Wouldn’t it be great if every Catholic made a New Year’s resolution to get into better spiritual shape this year? This could be a common resolution between a married couple or across an entire family. Now if you have made a resolution to lose some weight and you have paid for a certain diet plan

and bought the latest exercise machine (many of which were designed by medieval torture professionals no doubt!) this is great and I am not saying abandon this resolution. But add getting into better spiritual shape to your New Year’s resolution list, and maybe the only thing you have to buy is a Bible or a rosary.

To “get in shape” you have to follow a plan and so let me suggest a plan for your marriage and/or your family for getting into better spiritual shape. A key to getting into “spiritual shape” is to strengthen your relationship with God through prayer. I suspect that some

readers are already doing this on a regular basis while others may not be as much. Let me address the “beginning level” for the couple or family who are not praying together at all.

Here is your plan for the week: Sunday – the Sunday Mass is a great time of prayer. Monday – Prayerfully read four or five verses from one of the Gospels.

Tuesday – Pray the Hail Mary together. Wednesday – Pray the Our Father together. Thursday – Prayerfully read another four or five verses from the Gospels.

Friday – say a prayer for marriage and family life (you can find some at www.crookston. org/offices/marriagefamily/ prayer). Saturday – Recite the Act of Contrition as a common prayer.

If you look at this plan and think “When will we have time for this?” remember that each of these prayers, except for Sunday Mass, only takes two or three minutes. On the other hand, if you are looking at this list and think “I/we already do much more than that,” then God bless you but remember, those starting an exercise pro-

gram do not begin by running for an hour straight! Rather, people should gradually work themselves into an exercise plan which may begin with 10 minutes of walking. So, committing to a daily prayer is a big step for the beginner. If you are already praying more than this plan suggests, continue your prayer exercise, perhaps add more time in prayer, try different forms of prayer, or more fully open yourself to God during your already set time of prayer. Unlike physical exercise, “more” does not always mean “better” when it comes to prayer.

Prayer brings us into contact with the living God who yearns to touch our hearts and be present in our lives. If every Catholic family would follow this or any plan for daily prayer it would transform our families and transform the entire Diocese of Crookston. So do your part, and get yourself and your family into better spiritual shape, and follow this or any prayer plan as part of your New Year’s resolution.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

January 11, 2017

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The nature of the vocation of public servants The 90th session of the Minnesota Legislature began on Jan. 3. Dozens of first-term lawmakers are included among its 201 members.

Most come excited with some key priorities based on the issues they believe got them elected. But apart from those two or three main issues, much of the legislative terrain and the substance of many issues will be unfamiliar to new lawmakers, as it continues to be for some veterans.

The breadth of legislation is as vast as it is complex. Legislators looking for a way forward can too easily get sidetracked by the “herd mentality” of partisanship and the pull of special interests. Catholics should not leave it to lobbyists and others to educate lawmakers about what is truly important, and should instead remind their elected officials about the nature of their calling as a public servant.

OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE But what are the primary responsibilities of lawmakers?

And what guiding lights can politicians look toward to know with confidence that they are following a prudent course?

Pope Francis provided one such indicator in an interview following the U.S. elections on November 8. The Holy Father

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA

By Jason Adkins

Executive Director Minnesota Catholic Conference

ACTION ALERT Stay Informed: Follow the Catholic Advocacy Network’s Bill Tracker Thousands of new bills will be introduced in our State Legislature during the legislative session. MCC’s Catholic Advocacy Network will track the legislation that most clearly impacts life and human dignity in Minnesota. The Bill Tracker groups legislation by area of Catholic social teaching, provides a link to the text of the bill and includes MCC’s position on the legislation with references to applicable Catholic doctrine.

View the Bill Tracker online by visiting the Catholic Advocacy Network Action Center at www.mncatholic.org/actioncenter and selecting “Bills.” You can also receive updates from the Capitol by joining the Catholic Advocacy Network: www.mncatholic.org/signup. This is a great way to stay informed, so that you can be part of the public conversation and protect life and human dignity!

said, “I do not judge [specific] people or politicians,” when asked about the election results.

“I only want to understand what suffering their behavior causes to the poor and the ex-

cluded.”

Consistent with long-standing Catholic teaching and Gospel values, Pope Francis highlights that a key measure of one’s term in public office

is how his or her policies and actions affect the poor and vulnerable. “[T]hose who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church.” (CCC, No. 2448) In their 1986 pastoral letter “Economic Justice for All,” the U.S. bishops fleshed out further this “preferential love,” stating that “[t]he primary purpose of this special commitment to the poor is to enable them to become active participants in the life of society. It is to enable all persons to share in and contribute to the common good. The ‘option for the poor,’ therefore, is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community.” (No. 88) The preferential option for the poor and vulnerable does not operate to the exclusion of other people or concerns. Nor should the terms “poor” and “vulnerable” be too narrowly construed to exclude children (born and, especially, unborn), the disabled, the migrant, and the elderly, as well as those suffering from increasing food and economic insecurity.

Rather, the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable requires that in legislative and budgetary priorities, the needs of the poor and vulner-

able “have the single most urgent claim” on our conscience, before other concerns and special interests. (Economic Justice for All, No. 86.)

JUSTICE AND CHARITY Some Catholics are skeptical of Catholic social teaching, wrongly believing that the richness of the social tradition with its preferential option for the poor and vulnerable is driven by class-hatred, envy, and egalitarianism.

Fortunately, a new selection of writings from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, back in print for the first time since their publication in 1940, offers a fresh reintroduction to the topic by one whose piety and orthodoxy (as well as staunch anti-communism) are unquestioned.

Entitled “Justice and Charity” (ACS Books), Bishop Sheen explores how a capitalism that fails to submit to the demands of social and distributive justice can be corrected only by a revolution in the heart through the encounter with the person of Jesus Christ.

As Catholics prepare to work with legislators to uphold the common good, Bishop Sheen’s book is a helpful volume to identify first principles and the demands of justice, so that legislators may respond to their true calling as public servants.

Original sin: How do we justify putting our children on ice?

We just celebrated the end of demanding Nick turn over the moral code. Children are a gift.

LIFE FIRST an unplanned pregnancy (unnames of two women who Ask a couple who is unable to planned in the eyes of Mary and Joseph) that has saved us all. Jesus Christ is born. God is with us ... Emmanuel.

As we opened Christmas cards from family and friends and gazed at our nativity scenes showing only the peaceful side of Christmas, there is a chaotic side as well. Not just frantic gift shopping, but sickening stuff that should make us blush with shame.

This past fall you may have heard of the continuing battle between Sofia Vergara, a TV star, and her ex husband, Nick Loeb, a wealthy celebrity born into money.

Three years ago while they thought they were in love they created two embryos (babies like the one in Bethlehem) and froze them for future “use,” as if children were a commodity to sell and trade. They are still in the freezer and, believe it or

By Father Don Braukmann

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

not, they have names! “Emma” and “Isabella” are frozen in time while their parents fight over the girl’s future.

Sofia wants the babies thawed out and destroyed. Nick wants to find a surrogate and then raise Emma and Isabella himself.

Around Thanksgiving Sofia received notice she was being sued by Emma and Isabella, her children in a freezer, because Emma and Isabella have a trust

fund set up for them in Louisiana and that by not being born they are being deprived of the inheritance Nick, their dad, set up for them.

Emma and Isabella have been in the freezer since 2013 and now are suing their “mother” because they can’t get their money unless they are born!

Of course, Nick, the “father” is behind the whole thing.

In revenge, Sofia went to court just before Christmas

aborted his children a few years ago. A judge upheld that request.

Here is the kicker: Sofia explained why she wants her frozen babies thawed out and destroyed.

A child needs a mother and a loving relationship with parents who don’t hate each other.

I wouldn’t want to bring kids into the world where it’s already set against them. It would be so selfish.

Get that? She wants to be unselfish by letting her children die!

Jesus Christ weeps.

The whole situation is testimony to what happens when humanity follows the lead of Adam and Eve and wants to play God ... to the point of freezing the little ones until they are (if ever) convenient.

Having a child is not a “right” written into any constitution or

have children and you will see that truth in their eyes.

Children are not pieces of real estate to be bargained for or discarded.

In many ways, I do not blame Sofia and Nick for the choices they have made. It seems obvious they never heard the truth about the dignity of every human life ... theirs included. I pray for them and for our nation which seems to be in a decadent free fall. Human life is now at the mercy of polls whether it be a national poll on abortion, the death penalty, or the poll of a mom and dad who fell for the lies of the Evil One. There is a great deal of talk in the air about change coming to our nation as a new president steps into the Oval Office. The only change needed is for us to ask ourselves one question: Does this please Christ or does this please the world?

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January 11, 2017

LOCAL

St. John Paul II Camp registration available The St. John Paul II Middle School Camp is designed to empower young people entering grades seven through nine to become disciples of Jesus Christ by engaging them in prayer, worship, and learning through serving. Taking place at Northern Pines in Park Rapids, this camp is designed for youth who have a desire to grow in their faith and share that faith back home in parish and family life. Due to high demand, this year the diocese is hosting two camps! Middle School students can choose between camp dates of July 9-13 or July 16-20. The cost is $310 per camper or $275 per camper for two or more members of the same family. These camps are expected to fill up quickly, so don’t delay signing up!

We are also looking for committed and energetic adults and college students to serve as Camp Staff; leading small groups and helping our youth grow closer to Christ. In addition, a number of interested High School upperclassmen are invited to develop their leadership skills as members of Service Team. There will be a fee of $50 per Staff or Service Team member with applications due on March 10th. Talk to your Youth Minister if you are interested in applying.

Hard copy and digital forms are available online at www.crookston.org/offices/ymcatechesis/events/stjpiicamp. If you have any questions, please call or email Anthony Lavorata: (218) 2814533 x435 or alavorata@crookston.org.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Diocesan staff volunteers at Crookston food bank

Faith for Tomorrow grants awarded

Father Robert Schreiner, Director of Diaconate Formation, and a panel answer questions during the Oct. 16 diaconate “Come and See” at St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls. Deacon Gary Hager and his wife, Mary, of Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes; and Mark Krejci, a diaconate candidate from St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, and his wife, Julie, formed the panel. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

at St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls.

The second and final session will be Jan. 22, from 2 – 5 p.m. at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes.

No registration is required to attend this session. Attendance is not required to apply to the diaconate program.

To apply for the program, contact your pastor or Father Robert Schreiner, the Director

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner and diocesan staff members volunteered at North Country Food Bank in Crookston on Dec. 20. 240 boxes were filled with grocery items that will be delivered to households in northwest Minnesota at the end of the month.

(Photo credit: Janelle C. Gergen/OND)

Diaconate formation ‘Come and See’ With the current class of deacons preparing for ordination in June, plans are underway for the start of a new deacon formation class.

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner has authorized the aspirancy year for the new class to begin on Dec. 9, 2017. The ordination will take place in the fall of 2022.

The first year of diaconate formation is called the aspirancy period. It is a time of prayer and reflection for a candidate to discern his personal call and the Church to discern his vocation.

Some topics that are reflected upon during this time include: the qualities of the diaconal ministry, personal discernment, the dimensions of formation, the elements of being chosen, and the theology of the diaconate. The following four years are devoted to theological formation. This period addresses the intellectual, pastoral, spiritual and human dimensions of growth.

“Come and See” events are being held for those with interest in becoming a deacon who would like to learn more before applying. The first informational session was held Oct. 16,

of Diaconate Formation for the Diocese of Crookston. Applications will be accepted until August 15.

For more information about the permanent diaconate, visit w w w. c r o o k s t o n . o r g / vo c a tions/per manant-diaconate, or contact Father Schreiner at 218-253-2188 or rschreiner@ crookston.org.

The Catholic Community Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded 76 Faith for Tomorrow Grants to parishes in the Diocese of Crookston.

According to Joe Noel, Director of the Catholic Community Foundation, applications were submitted by 30 parishes and totaled $183,460.

The largest request was for $18,600, the smallest was $200.

The Faith for Tomorrow grant cycle closed on Nov. 5. $50,000 was available for distribution. The grant committee met on Nov. 15 to review applications and make recommendations.

Noel said money was granted to help Newman ministries on college campuses take students to a Fellowship of Catholic University Students SEEK Conference. Funds were also awarded to parishes for religious education materi-

als, adult education programs, parish missions, youth retreats, catechist training and marriage enrichment.

The largest grant awarded in this cycle was $4,000. Noel added that the board also approved several $200 grants for parishes to help pay St. John Paul II camp fees for volunteer leaders serving at this summer’s camps.

As in past years, the Catholic Community Foundation board divided $40,000 from the General Endowment and Catholic Education Endowment among the eight Catholic schools in the diocese. Each school received $5,000 to be used for a variety of education -related needs.

Noel expects the next Faith for Tomorrow grant cycle to begin in the fall of 2017. Visit www.crookston.org/ccf for more information.

Local pro-life walk to be held in Bemidji A march for life will be held in Bemidji on Jan. 21. St. Philip’s Knights of Columbus are hosting the event.

People of all ages are invited to gather at noon outside the Beltrami County Courthouse located at 600 Minnesota Avenue NW. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own pro-life signs, however some signs will be provided.

The march will begin with

an invocation and speakers and afterwards, soup and sandwiches will be served in the social hall at St. Philip’s, which is located at 702 Beltrami Ave NW, Bemidji.

Father Don Braukmann, Parochial Vicar of St. Philip’s, will be the featured speaker.

This march marks the 44th anniversary of the 1973 Roe v.

Wade decision which legalized abortion in our nation.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

VOICE/VALLEY: Continued from Page 2 claimed by the Risen Lord to the fearful disciples gathered in the upper room on Easter morning as Jesus greets them, saying, “Peace be with you.”

This year, may each of us know and hold fast to Christ’s peace in our hearts. Holding to this peace, may we be good peacemakers. Let earthly peace begin with each of us, in our hearts and thoughts, and then in the everyday lives of each of us, in our families and our workplaces, in neighborhoods and in our encounters with one another. From there, let peace stream out into the larger world – the world of politics and international relations.

In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis asks “God to help all of us to cultivate nonviolence in our most personal thoughts and values.

May charity and nonviolence govern how we treat each other as individuals, within society and in international life.”

The Holy Father notes, “it is fundamental that nonviolence be practiced above all else within families. … The family is the indispensable crucible in which spouses, parents and children, brothers and sisters, learn to communicate and to show generous concern for one another and in which frictions and even conflicts have to be resolved not by force but by dialogue, respect, concern for the good of the other, mercy and forgiveness. From within the families, the joy of love spills out into the world and radiates to the whole of society.”

Although Jesus lived on earth in violent times, he marked out and travelled the path of non-

Music and Liturgy Coordinator Needed The Church of St. Henry in Perham, Minnesota, located in the Diocese of St. Cloud, is seeking a part-time music/liturgy coordinator to plan and organize all music associated with worship for the parish.

The music/liturgy coordinator will be responsible for planning music for Masses, funerals and weddings, scheduling accompanists and choirs, and preparing music for the accompanists and singers.

A job description and employment application are available upon request.

For further information, please contact Deacon Randy at (218) 346-4240 or (218) 457-0925.

Position will be open until filled.

violence. “He walked that path to the very end, to the cross, whereby he became our peace and put an end to hostility (cf.

Eph. 2:14-16) Whoever accepts the good news of Jesus is able to acknowledge the violence within and be healed by God’s mercy, becoming in turn an instrument of reconciliation.”

As we begin a new year of God’s grace, we join with Pope Francis and one another in asking the intercession and guidance of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, for Christ’s peace in our hearts, and its image and fruit in our world.

In his message for the World

Day of Peace, Pope Francis reminds us, “All of us want peace.

Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers.

In 2017, may we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace.”

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January 11, 2017

LOCAL

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Holy Rosary faith formation students deliver Christmas cheer to seniors

Frazee Knights receive top international award

The first and second grade students in faith formation classes at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, take photos with residents of the Winchester Senior Apartments in Detroit Lakes. As part of their classes, the students delivered handmade ornaments to residents. During the visit, the seniors served cookies and the students sang Christmas carols.

There was evidence of sure delight from both generations.

(Submitted photo)

Knights of Columbus Council #12581 of Sacred Heart, Frazee, has earned the distinction of Star Council, one of the organization’s top awards, for the 2015-2016 fraternal year.

The organization’s headquarters, located in New Haven, Conn., made the announcement. The award recognizes overall excellence in the areas of membership recruitment and retention, promotion of the fraternal insurance program and sponsorship of service-oriented activities. The award was presented to the membership

by State Warden Dan DeCrans at a special ceremony held on Dec. 4.

In announcing the local winner of the Star Council Award, Carl A. Anderson, chief executive officer of the organization, said, “Please accept my sincere congratulations upon attaining this prestigious award. Your dedication to the order is seen in the high standard of excellence you have achieved. At the same time, I encourage you to carry

forward this enthusiasm to meet the challenges that will face the Knights of Columbus in the years ahead. May this award be a reminder and an inspiration to the members of your council to continue to promote the ideals of Columbianism for the good of the Church, your community, and the order.”

“Receiving the Star Council Award is quite an honor for us. We’re extremely proud of this accomplishment,” said Tim Stenger, head of the local council.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic lay organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Church, their communities, families and young people. With more than 1.9 million members in over 15,000 councils around the world, the Knights of Columbus annually donates more than $175 million and 73 million hours of service to charitable causes. Visit www. kofc.org for more information.

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, January 18 by 12:00 p.m.

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

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Pallium ‘a reminder of the call to be shepherd,’ says Archbishop Hebda

By Maria Wiering Catholic News Service ST. PAUL, MINN. – In front of hundreds of Catholics who braved frigid cold to witness the moment, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda received his pallium at a special Mass Dec. 18 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

Among them were bishops from dioceses in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as Archbishop Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States. After the opening prayer, Archbishop Hebda, who heads the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, knelt before the altar as Archbishop Pierre conferred the pallium with a short prayer, placing the small white stole over his shoulders.

Once wearing the pallium, Archbishop Hebda stood and embraced Archbishop Pierre as the congregation applauded.

The pallium signifies a special relationship between an archbishop and bishops of nearby dioceses. The archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis is metropolitan archbishop of a province that includes the dioceses in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. As metropolitan archbishop, Archbishop Hebda offers fraternal support to the other bishops.

The pallium also symbolizes an archbishop’s relationship to the pope, who also wears one.

In June, Pope Francis blessed Archbishop Hebda’s pallium at a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., places a pallium on Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis during Mass Dec. 18 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. (Photo credit: CNS/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit)

Archbishop Hebda received the stole then but could not wear it until its conferral.

In remarks near the end of the afternoon Mass, Archbishop Hebda said he was honored to receive the pallium and to serve as metropolitan archbishop.

His pallium’s six crosses and three “nails” – pins given to him by friends from Pittsburgh – “will remind me that I am obligated to unite myself always to the cross as I follow Christ,” he said.

“I am well aware that the pallium is by no means a sign of honor, but a reminder of the call to be a shepherd who is called to seek out and carry

the lost sheep, and who serves in harmony with our universal shepherd, Pope Francis,” he said.

The circular stole is made of lamb’s wool to evoke the idea of archbishop as shepherd.

“The Holy Father sets the bar high for all of us, but by his own example gives us the hope that we can indeed be those joyful instruments of mercy that our God desires us to be,” he said.

“I am committed ... to leading this church to be the field hospital that Pope Francis describes, going out to the peripheries to bring the salve of Christ’s love to those who feel abandoned, those who are alone, and sadly

those who have been hurt in the past by some who have the privilege of ministering in the person of Christ, or in the name of the church.”

Archbishop Pierre preached the homily. He spoke of the various roles of a bishop, including following Christ’s model of being the good shepherd.

“It is simple, yet (it) has great and important meaning,” he said of the pallium. “It is a reminder to the metropolitan archbishop and all the faithful that the particular vocation and mission of every bishop is none other than to be a good shepherd – a shepherd who places his sheep, whether sick or weak, upon his shoulders and guides him, cares for him, and leads him to the source of the living water.”

Tying a bishop’s role to symbols of Advent and Christmas, Archbishop Pierre noted that sheep and shepherds were among the first to see Jesus after his birth. He also tied the shepherd symbolism to Calvary.

“In Jesus, God comes to save his people, and Jesus saves by giving his life for his sheep when, in obedience, he offered himself freely and fully as an acceptable sacrifice upon the cross,” he said. “This is what it means to be a Good Shepherd: to give life, to offer one’s life in sacrifice for everyone.”

Among the concelebrating bishops were Auxiliary Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis and retired Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, who led the archdiocese from 1995

to 2008. He received his pallium from St. John Paul II in 1996.

Also in attendance were: Minnesota Bishops Michael J. Hoeppner of Crookston, Paul D. Sirba of Duluth, John M. LeVoir of New Ulm, Donald J. Kettler of St. Cloud and John M. Quinn of Winona; North Dakota Bishop John T. Folda of Fargo; and South Dakota Bishop Robert D. Gruss of Rapid City. Bishop David D. Kagan of Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bishop Paul J. Swain of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, were unable to attend.

Representatives from each of the province’s 10 dioceses participated in the procession at the beginning of Mass, accompanying 5-foot-tall silk banners with their diocese’s name and crest. More than 75 priests and 35 deacons also vested for the Mass.

Before the final blessing, Archbishop Hebda thanked Archbishop Pierre for traveling to Minnesota for the Mass.

“I hope that you have felt welcomed in the Province of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and have experienced the warmth of our faithful in spite of the chill outside these walls,” he said, referring to the weekend’s subzero temperatures.

“In the seven months that I have been here as archbishop, I have been inspired by the resilience of the Catholic faithful in this part of the Lord’s vineyard and their great love for Christ’s church,” said the archbishop, who was installed May 13.

Sainthood cause formally opened for former slave who served Denver’s poor

By Catholic News Service DENVER – Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila Dec. 18 formally opened the sainthood cause of Julia Greeley, a former slave who spent her days caring for the poor, during a Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver.

Born into slavery in Missouri in the 1840s, Julia Greeley gained her freedom after the Civil War and worked as a nanny. She moved to Denver, where she was employed to care for the children of William Gilpin, the first territorial governor of Colorado.

Known for her love of children and the poor, Greeley also was a known for her piety, often passing out prayer card devotions to the Sacred Heart. She

was a convert to Catholicism.

Despite working long hours taking care of children, cooking and cleaning, she would often be seen walking at night through the streets of Denver pulling a small wagon of food and supplies, which she would deliver to poor families. She was known as Denver’s “Angel of Charity.”

In November, Archbishop Aquila presented the case for Greeley’s potential sainthood at the annual fall general assembly of the U.S. bishops in Baltimore.

As part of the episcopal consultation in the Catholic Church’s process for causes, the bishops Nov. 15 approved by voice vote that her sainthood cause should go forward.

Once a cause has officially begun, the candidate is declared a servant of God and a postulator

is named. The next step is a diocesan inquiry on the life of the person. The Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes then reviews the gathered information, and if he or she is found to have led a heroic life of Christian virtues, the church bestows the title “Venerable.”

The next steps would be beatification and canonization.

In general, two miracles determined to have occurred through the candidate’s intercession are needed for sainthood – one for beatification and the second for canonization.

Greeley’s ministry to the poor on the streets of Denver and her piety is all “evidence of a beautiful life ... of a saintly life,” said Martha Reichert, who is president of Endow, an apostolate dedicated to educating Catholic women and girls.

Reichert said Greeley’s life shared “a striking connection” with the Year of Mercy because it was an example of the “enduring power of mercy.” Despite her sufferings at the hands of white people, Greeley held no grudge, Reichert said, and she went out of her way to help all poor people, no matter what their race.

The Julia Greeley Guild, headed by Mary Leisring, has been spreading awareness of Greeley since 2011. As the director of black Catholic ministry for the Denver Archdiocese, Leisring said she is thrilled at the possibility of Greeley’s canonization.

“She’s a model for me,” Leisring said in a statement.

“We’re all called to be saints, and it just goes to show that an ordinary person can become extraordinary.”

This image of Julia Greeley, a former slave who lived in Colorado, was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Denver by iconographer Vivian Imbruglia.

(Image credit: CNS/Vivian Imbruglia, courtesy Archdiocese of Denver)

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OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

USCCB forms working group to monitor needs of migrants, refugees

By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is establishing a working group charged with developing spiritual, pastoral and policy advocacy support for immigrants and refugees.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB president, has named members of the working group, with the mandate of closely following developments related to immigrants and refugees in the United States. The USCCB Public Affairs Office announced formation of the group Dec. 16.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB vice president, will chair the group.

Members include the chairmen

of USCCB committees and subcommittees involved in immigration concerns: Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, Committee on Migration; Auxiliary Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Rockville Centre, New York, Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs; Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Committee on Domestic Social Development; Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima, Washington, Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants; and Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Committee on International Justice and Peace.

The groundwork for the working group was set during the bishops’ annual fall general assembly in Baltimore when several bishops suggested the

conference closely monitor actions by the federal government that affect immigrants and refugees. In announcing the working group, the Public Affairs Office said the bishops and USCCB staff will be ready to respond to any executive orders and legislation that the new Congress and President-elect Donald J. Trump may introduce.

The working group will inform the efforts of individual bishops in their pastoral responses to immigrants and refugees and recommend appropriate additional efforts as needed, such as the recent day of prayer on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago outlined some of the responsibilities

of the working group in a column in the Dec. 11 issue of the Catholic New World, Chicago’s archdiocesan newspaper.

He said the group will look at what is being done pastorally in U.S. dioceses and will share best practices with bishops.

“Particular attention will be given to addressing the economic struggles, alienation, fear and exclusion many feel, along with the resistance to the church’s message regarding migrants and refugees,” Cardinal Cupich wrote. “Emphasis will be given to ways we can build bridges between various segments of society.”

The working group also will spearhead advocacy, building on existing USCCB efforts, and engage constructively with the

incoming administration and Congress, the cardinal said.

The formation of the new entity, which Archbishop Gomez planned to convene weekly, “will send a message to those who live in fear that the Catholic bishops of the United States stand with them, pray with them, offer pastoral support and speak prophetically in defense of their human dignity,” Cardinal Cupich wrote.

He added that the Chicago Archdiocese will continue to “walk with all who, given our broken immigration system, live in the shadows. We will advocate for them as well as for refugees seeking a better life for their families.”

National Migration Week is Jan. 8-14.

Benefits association, diocese file suit over HHS transgender regulation

By Catholic News Service FARGO, N.D. – The Catholic Benefits Association, the Diocese of Fargo and Catholic Charities North Dakota filed a lawsuit Dec. 28 in U.S. District Court in North Dakota against a federal regulation scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 that redefines “sex” for anti-discrimination purposes to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The regulation from the Department of Health and Human Services requires that Catholic hospitals and health care providers perform or provide gender transition services, hormonal treatments and counseling as well as a host of surgeries that would remove or transform the sexual organs of men or women transitioning to the other gender. The HHS regulation requires group health plans to cover these procedures and services.

“We ask only for the freedom to serve consistent with our conscience and our Catholic faith,” Bishop John T. Folda of Fargo said in a statement, released by the Catholic Benefits Association. “While we do not discriminate against individuals because of their orientation, our Catholic values will not permit us to pay for or facilitate actions that are contrary to our faith.”

The Catholic Benefits Association is made up of Catholic dioceses, hospitals, school systems, religious orders and other entities that offer their employees insurance and benefit programs that adhere to Catholic teaching.

Opponents of North Carolina’s law limiting bathroom access for transgender people protest above the state’s House of Representatives chamber in Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 21. (Photo credit: CNS/Jonathan Drake, Reuters)

The regulation, which also mandates abortions be performed, affects health insurers, hospitals and health plans administered by or receiving federal funds from HHS. There is no religious exemption.

The final HHS regulation was published in May. It applies to implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which provides that individuals cannot be subject to discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

It cites Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national ori-

gin, and religion. Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Title IX does have an exemption for religious organizations, but the HHS regulation does not include that language.

“For decades, Congress and the courts have understood the term ‘sex’ in federal law to mean biological sex – male and female,” Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Catholic Benefits Association, said in a statement.

“By redefining ‘sex’ to mean both ‘gender identity’ and ‘ter-

mination of pregnancy,’ the Obama administration is not only trying to sidestep Congress and impose radical new health care mandates on hospitals and employers, it is creating a moral problem for Catholic employers that must be addressed,” he added.

In their lawsuit the plaintiffs argue that among other federal laws, the new regulation violates: – The Administrative Procedure Act, a federal statute that governs the way administrative agencies of the U.S. government may propose and establish regulations.

– The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, prohibits the federal government from substantially restricting a person’s

religious freedom, except when it can demonstrate “a compelling government interest” and that the government’s action is “the least restrictive means” of furthering that interest.

– The religious freedom protections of the First Amendment.

Two other lawsuits have been filed. The Washington-based Becket Fund filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Wichita Falls on behalf of Franciscan Alliance, a religious hospital network sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, defending them from the new government regulation. The states of Texas, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska and Wisconsin also joined in the suit.

The District Court heard arguments in the case Dec. 20.

The plaintiffs’ motion is for partial summary judgment to dispose of the case without a trial. The lawsuit was first filed Aug. 23; three other states – Louisiana, Arizona and Mississippi – later joined as plaintiffs in the case.

The Becket Fund filed another lawsuit Nov. 7 in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota on behalf of the Sisters of Mercy; the University of Mary, a Catholic university near Bismarck, North Dakota; and SMP Health System. The state of North Dakota has since joined the suit. In this case, the plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the mandate from going into effect.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

NATIONAL

US Catholics donate over $7 million to natural disaster collections in 2016 Throughout 2016, dioceses across the country participated in three emergency appeals, donating over $7 million for support in response to natural dis In January 2016, the 20152016 Calamities Collection was created in response to storms that hit the south and mid-west regions of our country during Advent 2015 and in anticipation of additional natural disasters in 2016. To date, this collection has raised $3.2 million from dioceses across the United States. Funds are being allocated as follows: 75 percent distributed to Catholic Charities USA to cover emergency assistance such as food, water, shelter, medical care and long-term recovery efforts. 25 percent to the USSCB to support affected dioceses with rebuilding and reconstruction needs. The National Collections’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions has been tasked with administering the USCCB share of this collection.

In August 2016, the 2016 Louisiana Floods Collection was created in response to the extraordinary flooding occurring in southern Louisiana. To date, this collection has raised $3.8 million from U.S. dioceses.

Funds from this special collection are being allocated as fol-

lows: 80 percent to Catholic Charities USA for immediate emergency needs and humanitarian relief. 20 percent to the USCCB to support the rebuilding and reconstruction needs of affected dioceses. The National Collections’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions has been tasked with administering the USCCB share of this collection.

In October 2016, the Hurricane Matthew Collection was created in response to the disastrous category 4 hurricane that struck large portions of the Southeastern coast of the United States and countries in the Caribbean, especially Haiti. To date, approximately $326,000 has been raised from U.S. dioceses with more funds anticipated soon. Hurricane Matthew Collection funds are being allocated as follows: 30 percent to Catholic Relief Services for humanitarian efforts in the Ca-

ribbean in the form of water, food, shelter, and medical care, and to restore communities after widespread destruction. 25 percent to Catholic Charities USA for immediate humanitarian efforts in the United States as well as for long-term recovery efforts. 30 percent to the USCCB for pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church in the Caribbean. The National Collections’ Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America will administer the USCCB collection portion designated for church rebuilding in this region.

15 percent to the USCCB for church reconstruction needs in the United States. The National Collections’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions will administer the USCCB collection portion designated for church rebuilding here at home.

Emergency collection appeals are called for by the president of the USCCB, fund allocation decisions are made by the USCCB Executive or Administrative Committee and collection funds are administered by the USCCB Committee on National Collections. For more information on these emergency appeals or any of the other national collections, visit www.usccb.org/ nationalcollections or call 202541-3400.

Cardinal Dolan to participate in Trump inauguration

By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service WASHINGTON – New York’s Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan will take part in the upcoming presidential inauguration of Republican Donald Trump.

Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Jan. 20.

According to the president-elect’s inaugural committee, other faith leaders who are scheduled to be present include the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Paula White of New Destiny Christian Center; Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; the Rev. Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International. The Washington Post reported in a Dec. 21 story that Trump is scheduled to attend “a private family church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House,” where many previous presidents have worshipped just before being sworn-in.

A day after the inauguration, Trump is expected to attend the 58th Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, an interfaith service at Washington’s National Cathedral.

In October, Cardinal Dolan hosted Trump and his then-rival for the presidency, Democratic

Donald Trump, then the Republicans’ nominee for U.S. president, smiles as he sits between New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and wife Melania during the 71st annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City Oct. 20. The cardinal is among religious leaders who will read from Scripture at the presidential inauguration Jan. 20. (Photo credit: CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz)

nominee Hillary Clinton, at the 71st annual dinner of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation.

The charitable gala, which drew 1,500 people, is named for a former governor of New York who was raised in poverty and who ran for president in 1928. Smith was the first Catholic nominated by a major political party to run for the nation’s highest office.

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USCCB task force releases report, recommendations for peaceful communities The USCCB Special Task Force to Promote Peace in Our Communities has released a written version of the report today. The report includes findings and recommendations for bishops to continue the vital work of fostering healing and lasting peace in communities across the U.S. through concrete action, ongoing dialogue and opportunities for encounter. The USCCB Special Task Force to Promote Peace in our Communities can be found at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/ racism/upload/racism-taskforce-report-20161110-peacein-our-communities.pdf As part of its convening, the special Task Force conducted an in-person listening session in October 2016, involving bishops from communities hit hard by violence and unrest. Participants in the listening session highlighted the strong need for candid conversations about the nature of challenges facing communities, while stressing the need for sustained work in order to move toward lasting solutions and healing on matters of race. Beyond the initial listening session, additional interviews were conducted with key individuals including law enforcement officials and a student who demonstrated at Ferguson and North Charleston. A central component of the Task Force’s findings also stresses the significance of prayer as well as ecumenical and interfaith collaborations, along with building solid and unique models of engagement, particularly for at-risk young people. The important role of bishops in helping to convene these conversations is also emphasized in the report.

General recommendations from the report to help promote peace in our communities include prayer, encountering others through local dialogues, parish-based and internal diocesan conversation and training, and fostering opportunities of encounter toward empowering communities to identify and begin to address challenges as a way to begin community healing.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic

Bishops, appointed the Special Task Force in July, 2016 after incidents of violence and racial tension spread throughout communities across the United States.

As part of the convening of the group, a national Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities took place on September 9, 2016. The day of prayer was celebrated on the feast day of St. Peter Claver (1580-1654), a Spanish Jesuit priest who worked tirelessly to care spiritually and materially for Africans who were being sold as slaves.

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta and Chair of the special Task Force, initially presented a summary of the findings of the task force at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Fall General Assembly in November, 2016 in Baltimore.

Additional bishop members of the special Task Force included: Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Social Development; Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for African American Affairs; Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, Bishop Emeritus of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, former chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Church in Africa, member of the USCCB Subcommittee for African American Affairs, and member of the board of the National Black Catholic Congress; and Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).

The Task Force also included numerous bishop consultants whose jurisdictions have experienced extreme violence, or who otherwise bring special insight or experience to bear on related questions. A number of lay consultants with relevant expertise also participated in the work of the Task Force. The Task Force has provided additional resources and support at www.usccb. org/racism.

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OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Reform is more than just a face-lift, pope tells Curia

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – The reform of the Roman Curia is not a mere face-lift to rejuvenate an aging body but a process of deep, personal conversion, Pope Francis said.

Meeting with cardinals and the heads of Vatican offices for his annual Christmas greeting, the pope warned that “it is not wrinkles the church should fear” but rather the stains that impede its growth and relevance in the world.

“The reform does not have an aesthetical end to make the Curia more beautiful; it cannot be understood as a sort of face-lift or applying makeup to beautify the elderly curial body, nor plastic surgery to remove wrinkles,” the pope said Dec. 22.

While his addresses in previous years focused on curial ills and medicinal virtues, this year’s speech laid out a 12-step program of guiding principles geared toward an appropriate and long-lasting recovery.

“It was necessary to speak of illnesses and cures so that every operation – to achieve success – be preceded by an in-depth diagnosis, by accurate analyses and must be accompanied and followed through with precise prescriptions,” the pope said.

Although certain forms of resistance to reform may come from a sense of goodwill or fear, there are others that are based on malevolent intentions dressed like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he said.

“This last type of resistance hides behind justifying words and, in many cases, accusatory; finding refuge in traditions, in appearances, in formality, in what is known, or in wanting to

Pope Francis speaks during an audience to exchange Christmas greetings with members of the Roman Curia in Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Dec. 22. (Photo credit: CNS/Paul Haring)

bring everything on a personal level without distinguishing between the act, the actor and the action,” the pope said.

However, no matter whether the intentions are good or bad, resistance is necessary and they “deserve to be heard, received and encouraged because it is a sign that the body is alive.”

“The absence of reaction is a sign of death!” he exclaimed.

Curial reform, however, must be viewed as a slow and delicate process that must be followed through with continuous discernment, wisdom and action but above all, “with many prayers.”

Listing 12 criteria, the pope explained that the reform is at its heart a sign of the church’s liveliness and a “process of growth and above all, conversion.”

The guiding principles of the reform of the Roman Curia are: • Individuality (Personal conversion): A person’s spiritual wellbeing can either strengthen the body of the Curia or damage it and make it sick.

• Pastoral conversion: The workplace must have a pastoral spirit where “no one feels neglected and mistreated” and everyone can experience the care of the Good Shepherd.

• Missionary spirit (Christ-centric): Without an authentic evangelical spirit and faithfulness of the church to its own vocation, “any new structure will corrupt in short time.”

• Rationality: No Vatican office is greater than another and the responsibilities of each office must be clearly distinguished.

• Functionality: The merging of offices, demotions and promo-

tions must always be done to streamline and hone in a dicastery’s specific mission.

• Up-to-date (“Aggiornamento”): Vatican offices must read “the signs of times” and adapt to the needs of the universal church.

• Sobriety: The Roman Curia must be willing to simplify and slim down, especially when it comes to “offices that are no longer responsive to contingent needs.”

• Subsidiarity: Reorganize priorities within the offices and, if necessary, shifting responsibilities to another dicastery while working in sync with the Secretariat of State.

•Synodality: Reducing or merging Vatican offices avoids fragmentation and allows for more frequent meetings between the pope and the heads of those offices.

• Catholicity: The Curia should mirror the universality and multicultural nature of the church and hire personnel from around the world while emphasizing the important role of permanent deacons and the laity – especially women – in the life and mission of the church.

• Professionalism: Every office must adopt a policy of personal formation to avoid the “rust” and routine of functionalism, as well as putting a definitive end to the practice of “promoveatur ut amoveatur” (“removal by promotion”). “This is a cancer!” the pope exclaimed.

• Graduality (Discernment): Taking time by verifying, correcting and discerning methods and policies that can “allow the necessary flexibility to achieve a true reform.”

He also highlighted the various steps, structural changes and continuing processes of the reform throughout his pontificate, all of which are meant to stress that “the heart and center of the reform is Christ.”

Reciting a Christmas prayer written by the late Coptic Orthodox monk, Father Matta El Meskeen, the pope said the birth of Christ is a “celebration of the loving humility of God,” which stands in stark contrast to the logic of ambitions, power, phariseeism, and domination.

Before greeting those present individually, Pope Francis said he had a gift for each one of them: a copy of Jesuit Father Claudio Acquaviva’s 14th-century book, “Curing the Illnesses of the Soul,” a guide for spiritual directors that emphasized expressing views gently without compromising in substance.

“It’s a beautiful translation, it’s well-made and I think it can help,” the pope said.

Pope advances sainthood causes of Spanish martyrs

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis furthered the sainthood causes of seven men and women and recognized more than 100 martyrs killed during the Spanish civil war. At a meeting Dec. 21 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, the pope signed the decrees, which included recognizing a miracle needed for the canonization of Blessed Faustino Miguez.

The Spanish priest, born in

1831, was a member of the Piarist Fathers. He started an advanced school for girls at a time when such education was limited almost exclusively to boys.

He taught a variety of subjects and wrote numerous textbooks.

He also honed an interest in botany, which led him to find a cure for a professor so ill that he was thought to be beyond hope.

People then came from all parts of the country seeking relief from their sicknesses through the then-Father Miguez.

The pope also recognized the miracle needed for the be-

atification of Sister Leopoldina Naudet, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Verona.

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1773, she dedicated herself to the education of women and included religious and moral values in school curricula. She died in 1834 and was declared venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

In other decrees signed at the Vatican Dec. 21, the pope: • Recognized the martyrdom of Claretian Father Mateu Casals Mas, Claretian scholastic Teofilo Casajus Alduan, Clar-

etian Brother Ferran Saperas Aluja and 106 companions killed “in hatred of the faith” between 1936 and 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. • Recognized the heroic virtues of Isidoro Zorzano Ledesma, a lay member of Opus Dei born in Argentina in 1902. He died in Madrid in 1943.

• Recognized the heroic virtues of Father Jean Baptiste Fouque, a French priest who founded St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marseille to care for anyone in need, without discrimination.

• Recognized the heroic vir-

tues of Passionist Brother Lorenzo of the Holy Spirit, who served as a missionary in Brazil before returning to Italy, where he died in 1953.

• Recognized the heroic virtues of Spanish Sister Maria Rafaela of the Sacred Heart, foundress of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary.

• Recognized the heroic virtues of Sister Clelia Merloni, foundress of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She died in Rome in 1943.

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Even complaining to God is a form of prayer, pope says

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – To complain to God in moments of doubt and fear like Abraham did is not something bad but rather is a form of prayer that requires the courage to hope beyond all hope, Pope Francis said.

While in life there may be times of frustration and darkness, “hope is still there and it moves us forward,” the pope said Dec. 28 during his weekly general audience.

“I won’t say that Abraham loses patience, but he complains to the Lord. This is what we learn from our father Abraham: complaining to the Lord is a form of prayer. Sometimes I hear confessions where people say, ‘I complained to the Lord.’

But no. (Continue) to complain; he is a father and this is a form of prayer. Complain to the Lord, this is good,” he said.

Entering the Paul VI Audience Hall, the pope greeted thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. Among those present was a group of performers from Italy’s Golden Circus, who performed at the end of the general audience.

During the audience, the pope continued his series of talks on Christian hope and re-

flected on the life of Abraham who, along with his wife, Sarah, left his homeland with hope in God’s promise of a son.

This hope, he said, gave Abraham the ability to “go beyond human reason, and worldly wisdom and prudence” to believe in the impossible.

However, this path is not without its difficulties, even for Abraham, who, after months of travel, began to doubt God’s promise of a son borne by his wife, Sarah.

It is in this moment, the pope said, that Abraham prays to God in the dark of night, a darkness that mirrored his “disappointment, discouragement and the difficulty of continuing to hope in something impossible.”

Faith is not just silent acceptance or a “certainty that secures us from doubt and perplexity,” but it also means “to argue with God and show him our bitterness without ‘pious pretenses.’” “‘He is a father and he understands you; go in peace. You must have this courage. This is hope,” the pope said.

It is in the darkness of night and in the darkness of his own doubts that Abraham once again receives, believes and hopes in God’s promise of descendants as numerous as the stars, Pope Francis said.

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When a mother loses a child, reach out with tears, not words, pope says

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – In the depths of despair, when no words or gestures will help, then cry with those who suffer, because tears are the seeds of hope, Pope Francis said.

When people are hurting, “it is necessary to share in their desperation. In order to dry the tears from the face of those who suffer, we must join our weeping with theirs. This is the only way our words may truly be able to offer a bit of hope,” he said Jan. 4 during his weekly general audience.

“And if I can’t offer words like this, with tears, with sorrow, then silence is better, a caress, a gesture and no words,” he said.

In his first general audience of the new year, the pope continued his series of talks on Christian hope by reflecting on Rachel’s inconsolable sorrow and mourning for her children who “are no more,” as written by the prophet Jeremiah.

Rachel’s refusal to be consoled “expresses the depth of her pain and the bitterness of her weeping,” the pope told those gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

“Facing the tragedy of the loss of her children, a mother

Pope Francis greets young people during his weekly audience Jan. 4 in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. (Photo credit: CNS/Tony Gentile, Reuters)

cannot bear words or gestures of consolation, which are always inadequate, always unable to alleviate the pain of a wound that cannot and doesn’t want to heal,” he said. The amount of pain, he said, is proportional to the amount of love in her heart.

Rachel and her weeping, he said, represent every mother and every person throughout history who cries over an “irreparable loss.”

Jeremiah shows how God responded to Rachel in a loving and gentle way, with words that are “genuine, not fake.”

The pope said God answers with a promise that her tears

are not in vain and her children shall return from exile and there will be new life and hope.

“So often in our life, tears sow hope, they are seeds of hope,” he said, emphasizing how Mary’s tears at the foot of the cross generated new life and hope for those who, through their faith, became her children in the body of Christ, the church.

The pope said when people ask him why such suffering happens, he said he has no answer. “I just say, ‘Look at the crucifix. God gave us his son, he suffered, and perhaps there you will find an answer.’”

Pope to bishops: Defend children from abuse, protect their dignity, joy

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – Stand up and protect children from exploitation, slaughter and abuse, which includes committing to a policy of “zero tolerance” of sexual abuse by clergy, Pope Francis told the world’s bishops.

Wake up to what is happening to so many of today’s innocents and be moved by their plight and the cries of their mothers to do everything to protect life, helping it “be born and grow,” he said in a letter sent to bishops commemorating the feast of the Holy Innocents, Dec. 28.

The Vatican press office published the letter and translations from the original Italian Jan. 2.

Just as King Herod’s men slaughtered young children of Bethlehem in his “unbridled thirst for power,” there are plenty of new Herods today – gang members, criminal networks and “merchants of death” –

“who devour the innocence of our children” through slave labor, prostitution and exploitation, he said. Wars and forced immigration also strip children of their innocence, joy and dignity, he added.

The prophet Jeremiah was aware of this “sobbing and loud lamentation” and knew that Rachel was “weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled since they were no more.”

“Today too, we hear this heart-rending cry of pain, which we neither desire nor are able to ignore or to silence,” Pope Francis said. “Christmas is also accompanied, whether we like it or not, by tears,” and the Gospel writers “did not disguise reality to make it more credible or attractive.”

Christmas and the birth of the son of God aren’t about escaping reality, but are a way to help “contemplate this cry of pain, to open our eyes and ears to what is going on around us,

and to let our hearts be attentive and open to the pain of our neighbors, especially where children are involved. It also means realizing that that sad chapter in history is still being written today.”

Given such challenges, Pope Francis told the world’s bishops to look to St. Joseph as a role model.

This obedient and loyal man was capable of recognizing and listening to God’s voice, which meant St. Joseph could let himself be guided by his will and be moved by “what was going on around him and was able to interpret these events realistically.”

“The same thing is asked of us pastors today: to be men attentive, and not deaf, to the voice of God, and hence more sensitive to what is happening all around us,” he said.

Like St. Joseph, “we are asked not to let ourselves be robbed of joy. We are asked to protect

this joy from the Herods of our own time. Like Joseph, we need the courage to respond to this reality, to arise and take it firmly in hand.”

The church weeps not only for children suffering the pain of poverty, malnutrition, lack of education, forced displacement, slavery and sexual exploitation, the pope said, she weeps “because she recognizes the sins of some of her members: the sufferings, the experiences and the pain of minors who were abused sexually by priests.”

“It is a sin that shames us,” he said, that people who were responsible for caring for children, “destroyed their dignity.”

Deploring “the sin of what happened, the sin of failing to help, the sin of covering up and denial, the sin of the abuse of power,” the church also begs for forgiveness, he said.

“Today, as we commemorate the feast of the Holy Innocents, I would like us to renew

our complete commitment to ensuring that these atrocities will no longer take place in our midst. Let us find the courage needed to take all necessary measures and to protect in every way the lives of our children, so that such crimes may never be repeated. In this area, let us adhere, clearly and faithfully, to ‘zero tolerance,’” he said.

The pope urged the bishops to remember that Christian joy doesn’t ignore or sugarcoat reality, but “is born from a call” to embrace and protect life, “especially that of the holy innocents.”

He asked they renew their commitment to be shepherds with the courage to acknowledge what so many children are experiencing today and to work to guarantee the kind of conditions needed so their dignity will be respected and defended.

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Pope: New Year calls for courage, hope; no more hatred, selfishness

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – Whether the new year will be good or not depends on us choosing to do good each day, Pope Francis said.

“That is how one builds peace, saying ‘no’ to hatred and violence – with action – and ‘yes’ to fraternity and reconciliation,” he said Jan. 1, which the church marks as the feast of Mary, Mother of God and as World Peace Day. Speaking to the some 50,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the first noon Angelus of 2017, the pope referred to his peace day message in which he asked people to adopt the “style” of nonviolence for building a politics for peace.

Lamenting the brutal act of terrorism that struck during a night of “well-wishes and hope” in Istanbul, the pope offered his prayers for the entire nation of Turkey as well as those hurt and killed. A gunman opened fire during a New Year’s Eve celebration at a popular nightclub early Jan. 1, killing at least 39 people and wounding at least 70 more.

“I ask the Lord to support all people of good will who courageously roll up their sleeves in order to confront the scourge of terrorism and this bloodstain that is enveloping the world with the shadow of fear and confusion,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the pope spoke of how maternal tenderness, hope and self-sacrifice were the “strongest antidote” to the selfishness, indifference and “lack of openness” in the world today.

Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, which was decorated with bright red anthuriums, evergreen boughs, white flowers and pinecones brushed with gold paint, the pope said that a community without mothers would be cold and heartless with “room only for calculation and speculation.”

The pope said he learned so much about unconditional love, hope and belonging from seeing mothers who never stop embracing, supporting and fighting for what is best for their children incarcerated in prisons, ill in hospitals, enslaved by drugs or suffering from war.

“Where there is a mother, there is unity, there is belonging, belonging as children,” he said.

Just like all mothers of the

Pope Francis greets a family as they present offertory gifts during a Mass marking the feast of Mary, Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 1. (Photo credit: CNS/Paul Haring)

world, Mary, Mother of God, “protects us from the corrosive disease of being ‘spiritual orphans,’” that is when the soul feels “motherless and lacking the tenderness of God, when the sense of belonging to a family, a people, a land, to our God, grows dim.”

“This attitude of spiritual orphanhood is a cancer that silently eats away at and debases the soul,” which soon “forgets that life is a gift we have received – and owe to others – a gift we are called to share in this common home,” he said.

A “fragmented and divided culture” makes things worse, he said, leading to feelings of emptiness and loneliness.

“The lack of physical and not virtual contact is cauterizing our hearts and making us lose the capacity for tenderness and wonder, for pity and compassion,” he said, as well as making us “forget the importance of playing, of singing, of a smile, of rest, of gratitude.”

Remembering that Jesus handed his mother over to us “makes us smile once more as we realize that we are a people, that we belong” and can grow, that we are not just mere objects to “consume and be consumed,” that we are not “merchandise” to be exchanged or

inert receptacles for information. “We are children, we are family, we are God’s people.”

Mary shows that humility and tenderness aren’t virtues of the weak, but of the strong, and that we don’t have to mistreat others in order to feel important, he said.

The pope also presided over an evening prayer service with eucharistic adoration and the singing of a special hymn of thanksgiving to God Dec. 31 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

As the year ends, he said in his homily, he asked people to reflect on how God has been present in their lives and to thank the Lord for all signs of his generosity, “seen in countless way through the witness of those people who quietly took a risk.”

Gazing upon the manger, we remember how Jesus “wanted to be close to all those who felt lost, demeaned, hurt, discouraged, inconsolable and frightened. Close to all those who in their bodies carry the burden of separation and loneliness, so that sin, shame, hurt, despair and exclusion would not have the final word in the lives of his sons and daughters.”

His sacrifice and love challenges people “not to give up on anything or anyone,” and to

find the strength to forge ahead “without complaining or being resentful, without closing in on ourselves or seeking a means of escape, looking for shortcuts in our own interest.”

“Looking at the manger means recognizing that the times ahead call for bold and hope-filled initiatives, as well as the renunciation of vain selfpromotion and endless concern with appearances.”

He urged everyone to help “make room” for young people, who are often marginalized and forced to migrate or beg for undignified jobs. Everyone has a duty to help them grow and fulfill “the dreams of their ancestors” in their own nation and community.

After the prayer service, the pope walked into St. Peter’s Square instead of using the popemobile. He walked the entire periphery of the square, stopping to shake hands, receive cards and notes, offer happy New Year’s greetings, bless babies and chat with people lining the barricades.

In the center of the square, the pope prayed silently before the Vatican Nativity scene, which was created by a Maltese artist. He also stood before the twisted and crumbled spire from the St. Benedict Basilica in Norcia, which like dozens of villages and towns, was damaged in a series of earthquakes in central Italy.

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COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE January 15

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Gospel: John 1:29-34

Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10;

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

By Jean Denton Catholic News Service I went to the sacrament of reconciliation for the first time at age 33 and, as a convert to Catholicism, I was surprised by a palpable sense of relief and gratitude for God’s forgiveness.

Years later, I’m finally coming to the deeper understanding that reconciliation through Christ means he has paid the ransom to free me from my sinfulness.

But how does that work exactly, I’ve wondered.

In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist calls us to take a hard look when he says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

Jesus’ sacrifice was for all humanity. I can see how it plays out in real life, at least symbolically. Our sinful acts are wiped away by Christ living in innocent victims of violence, oppression or discrimination when they suffer quietly and, whether through purity or willful love, harbor no resentment or desire for retribution or reparation.

But Jesus’ sacrifice is personal, too.

In college, one of my journalism classmates had cerebral palsy. I admired Rich’s perseverance and abilities particularly as a reporter for our campus newspaper. He was amazingly good at it despite his disability and never seeking special accommodations. As a fellow staffer, I occasionally advocated for him especially when he needed to interview people who were uncomfortable with his speech impediment.

But sometimes when Rich wasn’t around, I would joke with other reporters about some of his behaviors and

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FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

January 22

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 8:23-9:3; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

By Jeff Hedglen Catholic News Service

difficulties caused by his condition. He likely sensed it all around him, but Rich never let on that he was aware of our thoughtless, shameful attitude.

To a fault, he was thoughtful and kind to me. He was an innocent, loving young man who chose to see only friendship.

In Rich, I now realize, I “behold” the Lamb of God, Christ suffering as a ransom for my sin. The person of Christ within him replaced the burden of my sin with his gifts of love and friendship.

It’s futile to try to repay such a sacrifice. I have nothing to offer that is equal to Christ. Besides, according to Psalm 40, the Lord doesn’t desire “sin-offerings.”

Instead, John suggests, he wants me to accept his gift and live through the Spirit of Jesus that I’ve received.

Questions: In your personal experience, who has paid a ransom for your sin?

How has that given you new life?

"BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD." – JOHN 1:29

In my work as the Catholic campus minister at a large state school, I spend a lot of time commiserating with college students about their futures. Some come to the university with a definite plan.

They know their major, the list and order of classes needed for their degree and what internships will best put them on track to reach their goals. But alas, such college students are the exception, not the rule.

According to National Center for Education Statistics, about 80 percent of students in the U.S. end up changing their major at least once and, on average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career. Yet even among students who are certain about their choice of major, many often do not know what kind of career they want to pursue after college.

These major-changing nomads of the halls of higher education are very much like the people described in today’s Scriptures: a people walking in darkness, longing for the light, any light!

While dark and directionless times are hard and often longer than four years of college, there is nothing like the look on a student’s face when he or she finally has some peace regarding the direction for his or her life. It’s as though this big, lifedefining decision they have been waiting for, seemingly forever, has finally come and made a home within them.

I imagine it is this exact experience, taken to a transcendent level, that the first disciples felt when Jesus asked them

to follow him. They had been waiting, not just for their whole lives, but with the entire nation of Israel, they had been waiting for centuries. They had wandered in spiritual darkness all this time and finally the Light had come.

When the darkness is so deep and has lasted for so long, the light is especially bright. It is this circumstance that fueled the scene in Matthew’s Gospel: “(Jesus) called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.”

Whether we are seeking direction in this life or directions to the next life, we all experience times of darkness, but as the psalmist says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?”

Questions: When was a time of darkness that you have come through?

What is something you have left behind to follow Jesus?

"HE CALLED THEM, AND IMMEDIATELY THEY LEFT THEIR BOAT AND THEIR FATHER AND FOLLOWED HIM." – MATTHEW 4:21-22

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