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SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Beutler enters Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus Moorhead woman grateful for God’s providence during discernment

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

On August 30, Ashley Beutler took a big step in her journey toward consecrated life.

She, and three others, entered as postulants with the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota.

“I am pretty convinced that the reason there are so many women entering in my class is because of the graces of this Year of Consecrated Life,” Beutler said during an interview a few months before entering the religious order. “I’m very grateful that I just happen to be entering in this Year of Consecrated Life.”

Beutler is the youngest child of Deacon Bill and Sandy Beutler of St. Joseph’s, Moorhead.

Ashley and her two siblings grew up in the parish. Faith had a central role in their family. For excample, Beutler played soccer and hockey and remembers be-

ing late to the locker room for some weekend games because attending Mass was their priority.

“I probably didn’t at that point fully understand the significance of the Eucharist in my life,” Beutler said. “But … I see how I was fed and how my parents made that a priority.”

She also attributes her closeness to the Catholic Church to her grandmother who lived with the family from the time Ashley was three years old.

“Looking back, I realize the role my grandma played in my life,” Beutler said. Her grandma prayed the rosary with her and HANDMAIDS: Continued on Page 7

Ashley Beutler (front row, third from the left) entered the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, a religious order in the Diocese of New Ulm, as a postulant on August 30. The sisters and postulants took a photo that day with Bishop John M. Levoir outside Holy Trinity Convent in New Ulm, Minn. (Submitted photo)

Former Vikings player helps kick off first day of school DAY-ONE program seeks to inspire Sacred Heart School students through Catholic speakers

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND E. GRAND FORKS, MINN. — On Sept. 8, Sacred Heart School began the year by inaugurating the DAY-ONE program.

The school intends to continue bringing in a Catholic speaker on the first day of school to inspire and encourage the students to set goals and make the most of their opportunity for Catholic education.

At the DAY-ONE assembly, students in fifth through 12th grade learned about a side of professional football not often seen on sports channels. Matt Birk, a Harvard graduate, for-

INSIDE

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mer Minnesota Vikings player, and Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion spoke about his journey of faith before, during and after his football career.

He shared his experiences with the students and their parents and grandparents in the Msgr. A.I. Merth Gymnasium.

Birk talked about his youth, growing up in a Catholic family, attending Mass every weekend and going to Catholic school.

Things changed when he went to college; he stopped going to Mass.

“It became very easy for me, very routine for me not to go to DAY-ONE: Continued on Page 6

Matt Birk spoke with fifth through 12th grade students on Sept. 8, the first day of school, in the Msgr. A.I. Merth Gymnasium at Sacred Heart School. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Pg. 9 - 25th Anniversary of Cathedral Dedication Pg. 10 - Fall Dinner Listing Pg. 12 - Schedule for Pope Francis’ Visit to U.S.

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September 23, 2015

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COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF CATHEDRAL DEDICATION On Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

It was on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 1990, that Archbishop John R. Roach, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, presided at the Dedication Mass of our Cathedral. He was joined by Bishop Balke, the sixth bishop of Crookston, Bishop Kenneth Povish, the fifth bishop of Crookston, 18 other bishops from the United States and Canada, priests of the Diocese of Crookston, visiting priests, religious and lay faithful from each of the parishes of the diocese.

Some of you may remember this beautiful, significant day in the life of this local church.

In his homily that day, Bishop Balke used descriptive words and phrases he picked up in conversation about the new church building to speak about his dream “for ourselves as God’s Church.” They were: beautiful, open and spacious, a prayerful place, hospitable, inviting and warm, centering on the word and the Eucharist and a place Mary must be proud

Turn to Page 9 for photos from the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception held Sept. 20.

of. Acknowledging that these words were “very nice and affirming,” and, saying, “this is also very challenging,” Bishop Balke asked: “If all those words aptly describe this Cathedral, the question is: Do these same words aptly describe us, who, in an even deeper and truer sense, are the diocesan church?” It was his dream that they would.

Now, 25 years later, we too hope these words still describe us as God’s family here.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dedication of our Cathedral, let us rededicate ourselves to be the Church Christ has made us to be. As St. Paul reminded the Colossians, Christ loved us and gave himself for us to make us holy and to present us to himself as a glorious Church, holy and immaculate, without stain or wrinkle or anything of that sort (Col 1:22). And, as Bishop Balke noted in his dedication homily: “It is by the power of this Spirit dwelling within us that we can

Bishop Victor Balke is pictured above receiving the key and other documents pertaining to the new Cathedral during a vigil service held on the evening of Sept. 24, 1990. (Photo credit: OND archives)

accomplish the dream. So it’s up to all of us to allow the Spirit, gently like a dove and powerful like a fire, to work freely within us.” We pray: Come, Holy Spirit come! And from your heavenly home shed rays of light divine.

May Mary Immaculate intercede for us always.

‘LAUDATO SI’ We have reached Chapter 4 in our examination of the encyclical “Laudato Si.” In this chapter, Pope Francis speaks of our need for an integrated ecology.

He says, “Ecology studies the relationship between living organisms and the environment.”

He goes on to describe the environment as a relationship

“between nature and the society which lives in it.” Because everything shares connections, he says, solutions to the present ecological and environmental crisis must be comprehensive.

This integrated ecology will be an economic ecology with a wide vision of reality. Pope Francis says any analysis of environmental problems today must not be “separated from the analysis of human, family,

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BISHOP’S CALENDAR September 29

work-related and urban contexts, nor from how individuals relate to themselves, which leads, in turn, to how they relate to others and to the environment.” He says our integrated ecology must also be a social ecology which looks to the health of society’s institutions as well as effects on the environment and quality of human life. For example, Pope Francis notes that the growing disrespect for the law has disastrous consequences. He asks: “When countries have clear legislation about the protection of forests but keep silent as they watch the laws repeatedly being broken, can we hope that the legislation will be effective? And drug use in affluent societies creates a continual and growing demand for products imported from poorer regions, where behavior is corrupted, lives are destroyed, and the environment continues to deteriorate.”

An integrated ecology, Pope

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VICTIM ASSISTANCE STATEMENT

Deans’ Meeting, Chancery, Crookston

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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.

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DIOCESAN

Youth ministers meet to encourage each other, share ideas

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND CROOKSTON, MINN. — On August 27, youth ministers and directors of religious education gathered at the Chancery in Crookston. The meeting was hosted by Mark Hollcraft, the Associate Director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Coordinator of Catechesis and Youth Ministry.

Hollcraft plans to continue holding the meetings once per month during the school year, as has been done for the last few years.

Hollcraft said it is important for those serving the youth of the diocese and their families to be fed spiritually, and to take time to share ideas and encourage each other.

Each meeting begins with Mass, followed by fellowship

and a chance to share about what is going on in their parishes. “Networking is one of the most looked forward to aspects, since it allows for a sharing of what has worked in parishes and what has not worked,” said Hollcraft.

Some form of diocese-wide youth minister gatherings have been occurring for years. The monthly meetings are open to all youth ministers and directors of religious education in the diocese, but Hollcraft said because of busy schedules and the travel involved, he expects 10 to 20 to attend each meeting.

“When ... evangelists are brought together to share ideas, a lot of good things come forth,” said Hollcraft. “I think one would be amazed by how many years of experience come together. ... We are blessed indeed!”

entails considering the setting in which people live their lives, that influence the way we think, feel and act.”

An authentic human ecology provides proper living environments. It is difficult for human beings to be happy and live well in an environment that is disorderly, chaotic or filled with noise and ugliness. The Holy Father commends efforts that alleviate the adverse effects of unhealthy surroundings and points out that “the extreme poverty experienced in areas lacking harmony, open spaces or potential for integration, can lead to incidents of brutality and to exploitation by criminal organizations.” He says, “Love always proves more powerful.”

A major issue for human ecology is the lack of proper housing. So too is the matter of transportation. Pope Francis says, “Public transportation systems in many cities force people to put up with undignified conditions due to crowding, inconvenience, infrequent service and lack of safety.”

Those who design buildings, neighborhoods, public spaces and cities, need to practice good human ecology, to design well, understanding people’s thought processes, symbolic language and ways of acting, and human needs.

Human ecology provides essential services to people in rural areas, where because of a lack of these services, the Holy Father says, some “workers are reduced to conditions of servi-

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MAIL BAG Submitted by Father John Kleinwachter

Msgr. Michael Foltz speaks to youth ministers and directors of religious education from around the Diocese of Crookston at the beginning of their August 27 meeting at the Chancery in Crookston.

The meetings serve as a chance for sharing, support and fellowship, said Mark Hollcraft, Associate Director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Coordinator of Catechesis and Youth Ministry.

(Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

FROM THE VALLEY: Continued from Page 2 Francis says, must also be a cultural ecology, writing, “Together with the patrimony of nature, there is also an historic, artistic and cultural patrimony which is likewise under threat. … When taking care of the environment, it is not a matter of tearing down and building new cities but there is a need to incorporate the history, culture and architecture of each place thus preserving its original identity.” Acting in this way, we will protect the cultural treasures of humanity.

Pope Francis says, “The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious, or even more serious, than the disappearance of a species or plant or animal.

The imposition of a dominant lifestyle linked to a single form of production can be just as harmful as the altering of ecosystems.” In considering cultural ecology, the Holy Father reminds us, it is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions, especially when large projects affecting their land are proposed, or when people are pressured to abandon their homelands and cultural treasures to make room for agricultural or mining projects lacking regard for the degradation of nature and culture.

The Holy Father speaks of an ecology of daily life, what he calls human ecology. He says, “Authentic development includes efforts to bring about an integral improvement in the quality of human life, and this

September 23, 2015

tude, without rights or even the hope of a more dignified life.”

Finally, Pope Francis notes, learning to accept our body, in its unique aspects as male and female, learning to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning is an essential element of any genuine human ecology.

The common good must also be considered. Human ecology is inseparable from the notion of the common good which is “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfilment” (Gaudium et spes, 26).

Underlying the principle of the common good is respect for the human person and development of the family, the basic cell of society.

Society as a whole, and the state in particular, is obliged to defend and promote the common good. The Holy Father says: “In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes logically and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters.”

Today, he says, this is an ethical imperative, essential for effectively attaining the common good.

In the final section of Chap-

ter 4, Pope Francis asks: “What kind of world do we want to leave those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?”

Will we leave debris, desolation and filth, caused by the pace of our consumption, waste and environmental change which has stretched the planet’s capacity so that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes?

An integrated ecology does not forget those who will come after us and works for “justice between the generations,” says Pope Francis.

Today, we find it difficult to look beyond ourselves and Pope Francis says, our difficulty “has much to do with an ethical and cultural decline which has accompanied the deterioration of the environment. Many problems of today are caused by rampant individualism and a self-centered culture of instant gratification. We see this in the crisis of the family and social ties and the difficulties of recognizing the other.”

The question of what we want to leave to those who come after us leads us to ask: What is the purpose of our life in this world? What is the goal of our work and efforts? Religion and faith must help answer these questions for they deal with the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn.

STOP REFERRING TO SAMESEX UNIONS AS MARRIAGES One simple way for Catholics and other Christians to counter the insane effort of politicians and judges to change and destroy the meaning of gender and marriage in our culture is to stop speaking of same-sex unions as marriages. People have a right to form friendships and unions with whomever they wish and may have rights to other benefits, but no one has the right to change science and natural law. If not God, then certainly science and natural law are the foundation of all laws and logic.

Judges and politicians who are unable to understand this should certainly be quickly removed from their offices.

Without science and natural law, no laws have any meaning. That is the chaos that our country and world are falling into. Again, it is critical that we remove judges and politicians who are unable to understand this or are unwilling to make the struggle to come to terms with this truth.

Meanwhile, Catholics and all Christians need to be a counter-culture of light and salt against the culture of relativism and chaos. Yes, we need to be more compassionate toward those who are confused about or struggling in the development of their sexual identity, but we cannot set aside science and biology as some are attempting to do in their misguided efforts to be caring.

We can make laws that help protect the life and dignity of all persons, but political laws cannot change science and biology. Therefore, stop speaking of same-sex unions as marriage or using genderless language. Even though some do struggle with the development of their sexual identity, the truth is that we are created either male or female and, most importantly, are all beloved children of God. Finally, do not forget that you belong to the community of the Risen Christ, and that his light and love is always greater than the darkness and confusion that sin has brought into this world.

Father John Kleinwachter is pastor of Sacred Heart, Roseau; St. Mary’s, Badger and St. Philip’s, Falun.

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September 23, 2015

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Culture of relativism harming families, persons, society As people from around the world gather in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families, it is important to take stock of one of the deepest challenges to the family today: moral relativism. Relativism is a powerful challenge to nurturing healthy families because it harms the moral ecology of society. It is hard for family life to flourish in a toxic moral, cultural, and political ecosystem.

AGNOSTICISM ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD Under the practical relativism of today, Pope Francis says, “everything is irrelevant unless it serves one’s own immediate interests” (“Laudato Si”).

Therefore, because we cannot know what is good or true for anyone else, people must have broad latitude to choose their own particular, subjective truths and goods. Hence, we often hear today statements such as “My truth is ...”

Relativism has become, in some ways, one of the defining features of our political discourse, and people on all sides of the political spectrum are beholden to it. People on the political right tend to embrace

FAITH

IN THE PUBLIC ARENA

By Mr. Jason Adkins

Executive Director Minnesota Catholic Conference

relativism in economic matters, allowing supposedly scientific principles, empirical considerations, and market ideology to guide economic relationships.

Similarly, those on the political left often embrace relativism in our relationships with our bodies and sexuality, and in our family life.

Each form of relativism is deeply harmful to building a healthy culture in which the fragile life of families can flourish. In other words, relativism hinders the advancement of the common good – the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfilment.

RELATIVISM AND THE THROWAWAY CULTURE In his recent encyclical “Lau-

dato Si”, Pope Francis connects moral relativism to a throwaway culture.

He states: “The culture of relativism is the same disorder which drives one person to take advantage of another, to treat others as mere objects, imposing forced labor on them or enslaving them to pay their debts. The same kind of thinking leads to the sexual exploitation of children and abandonment of the elderly who no longer serve our interests. It is also the mindset of those who say: ‘Let us allow the invisible forces of the market to regulate the economy, and consider their impact on society and nature as collateral damage’ ... We should not think that political efforts or the force of law will be sufficient to prevent actions which affect the environment because, when the culture itself

is corrupt and objective truth and universally valid principles are no longer upheld, then laws can only be seen as arbitrary impositions or obstacles to be avoided.”

RENEWING THE HOUSEHOLD THROUGH INTEGRAL ECOLOGY Pope Francis calls us to reject relativism and instead embrace an ethic of “integral ecology,” which seeks the objective good of both persons and the environment, and does justice to both.

Notably, the term ecology, like the word economics, comes from the Greek word “oikos,” meaning “household.” Though a dictatorship of relativism may rule our culture, we all know intuitively that such a regime is impractical and harmful to the members of the household, both individually and collectively.

In a household, we understand that we are all inter-dependent. The same is true in families and society. Sin has a communal dimension, and the harmful acts of one can have great effects on others. As Martin Luther King, Jr. liked to say, we all do better when we all do

better.

Though every family and society is unique, there are, as Pope Francis explains, some universally valid principles and truths that must guide our actions for us to flourish. For example, in a household, founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, we prioritize our spending; we keep our house clean and don’t soil our nest; we provide for the weakest and most vulnerable first; we celebrate new life, protect it, nurture it, and care for our loved ones when they are ill; and we respect each other’s individuality, but recognize that with rights come responsibilities.

The list of tips for good living at home are, generally speaking, the same rules for a good society – the family writ large.

What Popes Francis and Benedict called “integral ecology” is simply a new way of describing Catholic Social Doctrine. Rediscover Catholic Social Doctrine to combat the dictatorship of relativism.

Start with “Laudato Si” and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Abortion supporters: Keep your rosaries out of my ovaries The title of this column is the words boldly printed on placards held by some at pro-abortion rallies. This is especially sad because of the fact that the rosary has a mystery called, “The Visitation,” reminding us how one baby in the womb greeted another baby in the womb and the whole world rejoiced. Now they are using the rosary to promote abortion.

When the abortion issue comes up in discussion at the Newman Center I serve, I am more than a little surprised by how few students understand the pro-life message. Their generation has been so inundated with pro-abortion rhetoric and one-sided media coverage for so long, I can hear Jesus saying as he hangs upon the cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Their attitudes change, however, when the pro-life message is made clear.

First of all, when I discuss abortion, I do not come at it from the position of my Christian faith.

Not easy to do when I am standing there in my collar!

Yet a pro-abortion Christian

LIFE FIRST

By Father Don Braukmann

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

isn’t possible. The most important question we ask, as Christians, when facing a dilemma is “What would Jesus do?” Is there a Christian out there who can honestly (note the word honestly) say Jesus would support the killing of a child in the womb?

So, the discussion is not about Christianity or the teaching of the Catholic Church.

That much is crystal clear.

What I am about to write will be nothing new to the “choir” who reads my column. Yet, believe me; it is new to the younger generation.

Let’s start with, “When does life begin?” The scientists have answered it. Life begins at conception. I have never heard a contemporary scientist argue differently given the evidence science has mounted on the subject.

The life in the womb is human life, not animal or vegetable or mineral or democrat or republican. Everything that makes a person a person is present at conception. For the most part, mom just adds water!

There are those who say, “Once the fetus is viable, abortion should not be allowed.”

The definition of “viable” has changed dramatically in recent years with medical advances.

Does viable mean the baby can live on its own without help?

No baby can do that! (Nor most adults I know!) Does our technology determine if someone is viable? Really? We want technology to decide who is worthy of living and who is not? Who has dignity and who does not?

Some state laws say after the firsts three months in the womb, abortion is prohibited.

Let’s get that straight: If con-

ception took place on July 1st does that mean on September 30th at 11:59 p.m. the baby has no rights but at the stroke of 12 on the morning of October 1st the “glob of tissue” becomes a baby? What changed?

When we hear how Planned Parenthood is all about “women’s health” and then discover the truth over the past few months, the younger generation seems to have taken notice. However, the truth simply disappears into the constant drumbeat background noise of Planned Parenthood lies and the political spin of politicians.

America, look at who we have become when truth cannot find its way to the surface in our culture. It is ignored and the poorest of the poor, the child in the womb, pays the ultimate price.

A picture has made the rounds in pro-life circles over the past few years which also causes pause in the minds of young people. It is the picture of a doctor doing surgery in the womb while the occupant of that womb is holding the finger of the doctor. The picture isn’t shown on the networks nor in brochures from Planned Par-

enthood.

And then the toughest question of all when it comes to abortion, what about cases of rape and incest? If a baby is a baby why should the baby be condemned to death when she and the mother did nothing wrong? Of course, I am not a woman and cannot begin to comprehend the violence and humiliation of such acts. Yet, must the baby die? I have spoken to men and women who were conceived through those acts. They are wonderful people who stand as a bold witness to their mothers who, in their own words, saw their pregnancy (and the child born from it) as a victory over the evil done to them. There is another way, America. Even in such cases of rape and incest, there is another way to replace the violence with love, compassion, peace … and abortion offers none of those options.

As old-timers in the prolife cause, continue to speak the truth about the dignity of each human life. The truth only fades when those who know it say nothing.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

September 23, 2015

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3-D glasses, Heisman Trophy, New Evangelization, youth ministry – they’re connected Hello again! In the previous issue I introduced myself and made known that my story mattered because it has its place in God’s story. Another way to put it is it has a place in his-story, which we come to know as history. Not just history, but history in the proper and ultimate context of God’s creation of time. Time is God’s creation, thus God’s creature.

So, for us to understand history in its proper setting, it must be placed in the lens of its creator.

This in turn, helps us to know our place in his-story, also known as God’s plan of salvation.

An analogy: A few years ago my wife Meredith and I took our boys to a 3-D movie at an Imax mega-screen theater. The screen filled the theater. As we walked in with our four boys, who were, at the time, ages 9, 7, 4 and 3, we were given 3-D glasses. Those of us that have been to a 3-D movie know what to do with them, but this was the first such experience for our boys. So, as the movie began, they did not know they were supposed to put on their glasses to get the full and intended effect hoped for by the movie maker. As we watched very large images of whales, dolphins and sea life on the screen, I realized the boys had not put their 3-D glasses on.

When they placed the glasses on their faces, their reactions

CREDO A NEW EVANGELIZATION WITNESS

By Mr. Mark Hollcraft

Associate Director and Coordinator of Youth Ministry and Catechesis Office of the New Evangelization

changed to what they viewed.

Our 9- and 7-year-olds went to the edges of their seats in excitement and renewed wonder. Our 4-year-old screamed, “I can touch the whale!” as he reached out in front of himself with his hand. Our 3-year-old ducked and cried; he curled up in my lap, scared of how close the images seemed to be. This is synonymous to our experience of the Catholic faith when our vision is made clear to see as our maker intended. When we place our teaching points and encounters with God within the primary proclamation of the faith, thus enabling a clearer understanding and deeper conversion, we live in essence what we are made for, which is truth and beauty.

We respond in a variety of ways. Some of us are more ready, willing and open than others, but ultimately the intention of the Father is unchanged. Sometimes we are in need of renewed vision to see that unchangeable love of God. This is where the New Evangelization comes in and directly

impacts each of us, because God’s story (history) impacts all of us. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, says, “The fact that we call it ‘new’ is not intended to qualify the content of evangelization, but the condition and the way in which it is made.” How does this affect us and youth ministry in our time and culture? Thus enters the image of the Heisman Trophy.

If you look at the picture with this article, you can see a depiction of the Heisman trophy, college football’s most cherished award aside from the national championship ring.

Today, I invite you to look at the Heisman in a new light.

Put on your 3-D glasses. The football is the heart of the Gospel message. Take notice, the Heisman figure looks like he is running sideways. He is not; he is running forward but is pushing the distractions of his goal aside. His goal is a touchdown!

Our goal is heaven! Notice, he holds the Gospel (football) tightly and will not let go of it

easily; he keeps it near his heart.

He is protected from the elements of danger and injury with his pads, helmet and the rules of the game not visible in the image. We, too, are protected with the armor of God and the rules of life (See: Eph 6:10-17, Ex 20:1-17, Mt 5:312). These rules are not meant to restrict, but to give freedom, joy and success in our endeavors, just like the Heisman. Who knew we had so much in common with football, let alone the Heisman trophy?

So, what does this mean for youth ministry in western civilization, America, Minnesota and the Diocese of Crookston?

I believe it means we try creating a place and space for young people to encounter the love of Jesus Christ, even if it looks like a football field. We go to them, engage their world view and then proclaim the answer to

that world view. We then walk with them, like Christ walked with the two believers on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13–35); or with the woman at the well (Jn 4:4-26). He met them where they were at, listened to them, and revealed himself for who he was – and is – to them.

We hope to create these opportunities using tools like our Diocesan Senior High Youth Rally. This year’s rally, entitled, “Spark a Reaction,” focuses on serving the least of these. We will explore themes that relate to our service flowing from our identity as men and women, sons and daughters, created by God, and for God. The youth rally will be Oct. 15, at Bemidji Middle School in Bemidji, Minn. Nearly 500 youth and adults from around the diocese are expected to gather. Rally highlights include: passionate keynote speaker Matt Fradd; a worship band, Sonar; Mass with Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner and an interactive theme park, including a dance, inflatable games, 3 x 3 basketball tourney and coffee shop.

For more information about attending the youth rally, contact your parish youth minister.

Editor’s note: The Heisman® logo included in this column is the official registered trademark of the Heisman Trophy Trust, the organization responsible for awarding the annual trophy.

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Find 2015-16 publishing dates and submission deadlines on the web: www.crookston.org/ond The next OND submission deadline is: Wednesday, September 30 by 12:00 p.m.

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September 23, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

KC’s fund month’s supply of food for Iraqi Christians Knights of Columbus National Office NEW HAVEN, CONN. – As September begins, the Knights of Columbus is unveiling a new television commercial and will finance this month’s delivery of food supplies to more than 13,500 displaced families from Mosul and Nineveh who fled to the Erbil area in Kurdistan.

The food assistance is part of the organization’s multi-million dollar initiative to aid displaced Christian families and those from other persecuted religious communities in the Middle East. This donation for food will bring the Knights of Columbus assistance in the Middle East to more than $4 million overall.

Each one-month food package typically contains 10 kg of rice, 5 kg of sugar, 4 liters of cooking oil, 1200 g of tomato sauce, 4 kg of beans, 10 kg of wheat, 1 kg of pasta, 6 packets of cheese, 5 tins of fish, 5 tins of meat, and 1 kg of tea.

The cost of $60 per package includes transportation and packaging for a total cost of $810,000.

At the same time, the Knights of Columbus will also begin airing a TV commercial that features an Iraqi Catholic priest who now runs a refugee camp near Erbil, and who previously was kidnapped and tortured by

Hundreds of refugees line up to catch a train near Gevgelija, Macedonia, Sept. 7. (Photo credit: Stoyan Nenov, Reuters/CNS) one who taught us to love one Archbishop Jean Clement Jeanextremists.

In the commercial, Father another,” said Supreme Knight bart of Aleppo, Syria. AnderDouglas Bazi begs viewers to Carl Anderson. “Despite the son announced at the conven“pray for my people, help my genocidal persecution against tion that the Knights would people, and save my people,” them, they have continued to redouble its efforts on behalf and adds “I believe you can.” be an inspiration to the power of Middle Eastern Christians.

Those wishing to assist with He also notes that “genocide of their faith, and to the love of is the easy word for what is God and neighbor. They need the relief efforts can donate happening to my people.” The our solidarity and support, and by visiting www.christiansacommercial will air nation- we are pleased to help provide ally this month and can be it.”

Chaldean Archbishop Bashar viewed at www.youtube.com/ Warda of Erbil attended the watch?v=YHegSk2omdE “Christians in the Middle East Knights of Columbus internaface persecution and extinction tional convention in Philadelsimply for their belief in the phia in August, as did Melkite

DAY-ONE: Continued from Page 1 church,” Birk said. His mentality was that focusing on school and football was more important. He thought maybe after he accomplished his goals in those areas, he would have time to go back to church.

Birk was drafted by the Vikings after graduating with a degree in economics in 1998.

He said he found worldly success but still felt an emptiness inside.

“I really couldn’t ask for anything more, but I knew deep down, something was missing,” Birk said. “There was like a hole in my heart that I couldn’t satisfy.”

Things began to change when he met his wife. “I had a drug problem,” he said. “She drug me to church every Sunday.”

Getting married and having children made him re-evaluate the focus of his life.

“The NFL, in the locker room, is a very spiritual place,” he said. “Football is hard, it’s a hard game to play.” He talked

about the physicality of the game and the pressure to win.

The highs and lows were extreme; things were really good when the team was winning or really bad when they were not.

He needed his faith to deal with these challenges. Three of the four coaches Birk played for during his football career were Catholic. “We had Catholic Mass either Saturday night or Sunday morning in the hotel.” He was also part of team Bible studies individually and with his wife.

Birk shared some pointers with the assembly about success in a life of faith.

“Start with your faith. Start with recognizing that you above all else, no matter what, are a child of God,” he said.

“And then know why God put you here. He put you here to know, to love and to serve him. You might not know what that means today, you might not know how you’re going to do that, but that’s why you are

here.”

He talked about the hype leading up to his team’s Super Bowl victory, and how now, most people don’t even remember that the Ravens won three years ago. He emphasized that earthly success is fleeting and does not matter compared to the eternal reality of our souls.

“What matters is that you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, that you’re the person you’re supposed to be,” Birk said. “If our identity is secure in our faith, we can be confident, we don’t have to worry at all about the future.”

“We were all put here for a reason, for a purpose. Don’t be like me, don’t waste seven or eight years of your life not making progress,” he said to close out his presentation.

Following the presentation, he spent some time taking questions from the audience and when the assembly was released, he took photos with students and signed autographs.

trisk.org or by sending checks or money orders payable to Knights of Columbus Charities at P.O. Box 1966, New Haven, CT 06509-1966. The memo portion should indicate that the check is for Christian Refugee Relief.

One hundred percent of all donations directly support humanitarian assistance and raising awareness for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities, especially in the Middle East. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., is recognized by the IRS as a charitable organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization with nearly 1.9 million members worldwide. One of the most active charitable organizations in the United States, the Knights of Columbus donated more than $173.5 million and 71.5 million hours of service in 2014.

For more information visit www.christiansatrisk.org

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE

September 23, 2015

7

HANDMAIDS: Continued from Page 1

taught her how to pray. Beutler said the life her grandmother received from attending Mass was visible.

This strong base was helpful throughout the discernment process. Beutler went back and forth many times trying to figure out whether she was called to marriage or religious life.

Beutler recalls feeling torn as she chose St. Monica for Confirmation. “There was this little part of me that thought if I chose a saint that was a mother … I would also get to be a mom,” she said. “I had this little desire for religious life, but I was afraid of it.”

She said sometimes discernment felt like a big, scary question with a lot of pressure behind it. “We talk about it in such ways that if you don’t get all these pieces into this puzzle, somehow you’re going to mess up the Lord’s will,” she said. “I knew I was wrong about my vocation at some point because, at one point, I was convinced I was called to religious life and another I was convinced I was called to marriage. … It’s just good to see that the Lord is bigger than any mistakes you can make or fears you have.”

She said staying close to Christ in the sacraments, daily prayer, and spiritual direction were key in her discernment.

“Do not be afraid to say yes to the Lord, when he offers you himself,” she said.

THE CHARISM OF THE HANDMAIDS OF THE HEART OF JESUS The Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus have a four-part charism.

According to the community’s website, their charism is: EUCHARISTIC: In the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus we find the reason for our vocation and the strength for our mission. A deep relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist enables us to proclaim “what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and touched with our hands” (1 Jn 1:1).

MARIAN: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord! Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

Echoing Mary’s fiat, we wish to bring her presence to the local Church by imitating her as handmaid, virgin, and mother.

EVANGELISTIC: “In order to bring to all people the Good News of Jesus, as required by a New Evangelization, all the parishes and their small communities should be living cells, places to promote the personal and communitarian encounter with Christ, experience the richness of liturgy, to give initial and permanent Christian formation, and to educate all the faithful in fraternity and charity especially towards the poor.” – Synod of Bishops 2012 DIOCESAN: As diocesan sisters, we bring a feminine consecrated presence to the parish family complementing the diocesan priesthood. Alongside the priests and the lay faithful, we seek to build the Kingdom of God in our local diocese.

CONTACT INFO FOR THE HANDMAIDS: Holy Trinity Convent, 515 N State St, New Ulm, MN 56073 507-276-9128 · www.handmaidsoftheheartofjesus.com

Beutler served with National Evangelization Teams (NET) and began more deeply exploring her vocation. “I served with NET for a couple years and just encountered a lot of really joyful sisters in that time,” Beutler said.

When she started college, Beutler lived with the Handmaids in a discernment house, joining in their life of prayer. “I was trying to live religious life, but I wasn’t called to it at that point,” Beutler said.

After realizing she was not supposed to join the Handmaids just then, she dated throughout college. She said

she dated good men and at times thought she would get married, but felt lack of peace.

Beutler clearly remembers the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, 2014. She attended a Mass in Wisconsin for the founding of the Missionaries of the Word. The sisters of that order came into the church wearing regular clothing, received their habits and their leader professed her final vows.

“Seeing the yes, her yes, stirred something in my heart,” said Beutler. “There was just a beauty that for a number of years I was almost afraid to look at in my life.”

At Mass the following day, she was asked to read Psalm 27. She felt the Lord speaking to her directly, especially in verse 4, which says: “One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, to gaze on the Lord’s beauty, to visit his temple.”

“That longing to dwell in the house of the Lord was this overwhelming desire of my heart,” she said. The experiences of those two days softened Beutler’s heart to the idea of

religious life. She moved home to Moorhead and took a job as a receptionist at a construction company.

“I had more order to my day and more consistent prayer working at the construction company,” she said. “[I] used this past year to just kind of confirm what the Lord had been putting on my heart.”

She also spent some time with the Handmaids. “I went and just had a really beautiful, healing conversation ... and it became clear,” said Beutler. She attended a Come and See weekend with the sisters and felt a lot of peace, so came back for a longer visit and filled out an application.

During her discernment, Beutler met a number of religious communities around the country, but she did not feel drawn to them in the same way as the Handmaids.

“There is such beauty in the church and all of these communities, and I could see the good and the need for all of them,” said Beutler. “With the Handmaids … I feel at home here,” she said. “These are my sisters.”

During this time of waiting,

Beutler said the providence of God was present and helped confirm her call. She needed to take care of her student loans before she could enter the religious order, and received a grant from the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations. “That was huge,” Beutler said, adding it would have taken her at least another year to pay off her loans. “I was so overwhelmed with joy.”

Beutler has had many opportunities to talk about entering religious life with people over the last few months. “As I’ve had to explain it to them, it’s helped me realize more and more that the reality is I actually get to be formed in the heart of Christ, that’s what the years of novitiate are for,” she said. “It’s set aside as sacred time.”

She entered as a postulant and after some time, will become a novice. “I will receive the habit at that point and will continue in that formation and more focused time with the community,” she said.

According to Beutler, from the time a young woman enters the order to the time she takes final vows is approximately seven years.

Beutler is grateful for her family’s support of her vocation. “I’m actually convinced the Lord knows how weak I am and how I need that kind of support,” she said. She has tried to savor this last year spent freely with them.

“I think they actually understand the reality [of separation] as much as they can at this point … but also within that, the connection that we will still have,” Beutler said. “I am very, very grateful that my family is so close to the Lord, and thirsts for the Eucharist too, because there is such consolation in knowing that they get that we’re still connected even if we’re not face-to-face.”

Although this choice means making certain sacrifices during earthly life, the rewards will be eternal.

“When I’ve encountered sisters, I can’t encounter them and not think of heaven. Even the white in their veil is supposed to represent that,” Beutler said.

“There’s such beauty and such peace and such joy in living that life. We’re all created for heaven and I am so grateful to be able to live that here on this earth.”

At the end of the interview, Beutler said, “Ask people to pray for me and the sisters and for consecrated life as a whole.”

8

September 23, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

St. Charles, Pennington, celebrates 75 years On August 1 Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner joined the parish of St. Charles, Pennington, to celebrate their 75th anniversary.

Completing a triangle with the towns of Blackduck and Bemidji, a handful of Catholic families found the 25 miles between their nearest diocesan neighbors to be a challenging distance back in 1940. Their petition to build a church closer to home was heard and St. Charles Church was built.

For the past several years, St. Charles has been open from Mother’s Day to Labor day with an average attendance of 80 people each weekend.

A group of women from the parish who call themselves “Charlie’s Angels” continue to maintain the church by cleaning and coordinating liturgical ministers.

The men in the parish see to the maintenance of the building and grounds. The parish is served by priests from Bemidji.

The families of the founding fathers of St. Charles, Pennington, take a photo with Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner during the parish’s 75th anniversary celebration. From left to right: Wayne and Rose Malechek, Bishop Hoeppner, Harriet Kasprick, Father Chuck Huck, Beve and Pearly Bliss, Goldie Dunn and Walt and Colleen Broden. (Submitted photo)

Confraternity honors 25- and 60-year members, welcomes three new women

St. Joseph’s Christian Mothers, Moorhead held their regular meeting on Sept. 13. Shawn Erickson led them in a rosary. After prayer, Father Larry Delaney initiated Barb DeConcini, Jessica Rustebakke, and Evonne Barnum into the Confraternity. Five members were honored for 25 years, namely Mary Kollitz, Sue Jordahl, Darlene Bellmore, Bonnie Mackowick, and Mary Smith. Rosanna Holler was honored for 60 years. Each lady received a certificate and magnetic prayer card. (Submitted photo)

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Speaker to share story, lead retreat St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Thief River Falls, Minn. is sponsoring author and speaker Moira Noonan to share her testimony of the dangers of the “new age” movement and how it is effecting our lives and society.

She will be the guest speaker at Family Faith Night at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4. She will also be facilitating a retreat from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 7.

All are welcome to attend these free events and a freewill offering will be taken for her ministry. Please contact St. Bernard’s Parish at 218-681-3571 to register for the retreat as lunch will be included. No registration is needed to attend the Family Faith Night.

All encouraged to pray, fast, go to prayer sites in Walker, Bemidji to end abortion The 40 Days for Life campaign in Walker, Minn. will be tent-less this year. The hours of the campaign are: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. People will gather to pray on the courthouse lawn on main street in Walker.

To register with 40 Days for Life and to sign up for hours: www.40daysforlife.com/walker Bemidji will not be holding a registered 40 Days for Life campaign this fall; however, anyone is allowed to pray and witness at Planned Parenthood, 2504 Hannah Ave. NW, Bemidji, on any day and at any time.

Individuals and groups should use the public boule-

vard, the grass area in front of Planned Parenthood, and refrain from parking in the Simonson Center parking lot.

Any one with questions about praying at the site may call 218-444-9686.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

AROUND THE DIOCESE

September 23, 2015

9

Cathedral celebrates 25th anniversary of dedication

On Sept. 20, Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner gives the homily during the Mass celebrating the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception In his homily, he spoke about the Dedication Mass held Sept. 25, 1990. Archbishop John R. Roach, Bishop Victor H. Balke, Bishop Kenneth J. Povish and 18 other bishops concelebrated the Dedication Mass with priests from inside and outside the Diocese of Crookston. (Photos credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Video from the Dedication Mass 25 years ago, including Bishop Victor H. Balke’s homily, played as people came in for Mass.

Archbishop Roach’s welcoming remarks were also highlighted.

Bishop Hoeppner and Deacon Dan Hannig hold up the Body and Blood of Christ during the Eucharistic prayer. Father Vincent Miller, Msgr. Michael Foltz, Msgr. Roger Grundhaus and Msgr. Gerald Noesen concelebrated. Deacon Dan James and Deacon Denny Bivens also assisted.

Sacred Heart School unveils, blesses new mural honoring their Benedictine heritage

Benedictine Sisters Evelyn Strei, Anita Whalen, Lorraine Kraft, Norma Jean Edie, Eulalia Brophy, Karen Violette and Marmion Karels, from Mount St. Benedict sit with artist Karen Bakke in front of the newly unveiled mural at Sacred Heart School. The mural, which hangs in the High School Commons area, was dedicated and blessed on Sept. 9. A video of the unveiling, featuring comments from Sister Anita and a short explanation from the artist about her work, is available on Sacred Heart School’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/sacredheartegf. (Submitted photo)

Parishioners pass banners commemorating the anniversary as they leave Mass. The banners will hang on both sides of the doorway for the entire year.

Those in attendance at the celebration line up for brunch and fellowship following Mass.

Cathedral third grade cleans CSJ grave sites

On Sept. 11, the third grade class from Cathedral School, Crookston, cleans off the headstones of the Sisters of St. Joseph buried in the cemetery in Crookston. Their teacher, Ms. Colleen Thompson, trimmed the grass around the grave markers while first grade teacher, Mrs. Laurie Erickson, scraped the headstones and students picked up the clippings and wiped off the markers.

(Photo credit: Janelle C. Gergen/OND)

10

September 23, 2015

DIOCESAN

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Applications for 2015 CCHD grant due Nov. 2 Submitted by Ms. Amanda Zurface, JCL Director of CCHD & CRS for the Diocese of Crookston

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston’s process for the local Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grant opened on June 24, and will close on Nov. 2. Applications for grant amounts from $500 to $3,000 for parish, school and non-profit organization projects in the Diocese of Crookston will be considered.

CCHD is the United States Conference of Catholic Bish-

op’s (USCCB) anti-poverty campaign. Since CCHD’s foundation in 1969, the Diocese of Crookston has proactively sought to support its mission.

CCHD works to break the cycle of poverty by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities. CCHD has a complementary mission of educating on poverty and its causes through educational opportunities and grant programs.

The organization’s strategy of education for justice and helping people who are poor speak

and act themselves reflects the mandate of the scriptures and the principles of Catholic social teaching.

Each year on the weekend before Thanksgiving, Catholic parishes across the United States take up a second collection for CCHD. Of the funds collected in the Diocese of Crookston, 25 percent become available for distribution to projects within the diocese by way of the CCHD Local Grant process. The other 75 percent are forwarded to the national CCHD office for investment in projects around the country, in-

cluding projects in the Diocese of Crookston.

In 2013 and 2014 the total amount collected in the Diocese of Crookston for the CCHD National Collection was $40,364.27: of the 25 percent retained, $13,287.48 is available to be dispersed in the 2015 CCHD Local Grant process.

The Diocese of Crookston’s CCHD and CRS Diocesan Committee will review applications for grant amounts from $500 to $3,000.

The following categories are being considered for funding in this grant cycle: parish project,

school project and non-profit organization project.

To learn more regarding the guidelines and criteria, visit: www.crookston.org/JUSTICE or contact Amanda Zurface, JCL, Diocesan Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in the Office of the New Evangelization.

Decisions on the applications for the 2015 CCHD Local Grant will be made by Jan. 28, 2016.

Catholic Daughters prepare for WRAP campaign

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

Pornography is a plague. The national White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) campaign seeks to bring awareness of pornography and its related issues to the forefront.

According to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCSE), the awareness week has been bringing together hundreds of national, state and local groups and citizens in a coordinated effort to expose the harmful effects of pornography since 1987. They also seek to spread awareness about resources for those suffering directly or indirectly from exposure to or involvement with pornography.

National WRAP week begins with the last Sunday in October.

Courts of Catholic Daughters of America in the Diocese of Crookston join in this nation-wide effort. They pass out white ribbons to parishioners as they come to Mass on a weekend in October to raise awareness of these issues and share facts to spread awareness in parish bulletins.

According to Margee Keller,

10 REASONS TO QUIT PORN Because I want my love life to be beautiful.

Because I don’t want to contribute to an industry that inspires and is associated with sex slavery.

Because porn is addictive.

Because it contributes to erectile dysfunction.

(Image credit: National Center on Sexual Exploitation)

State Regent for the Minnesota Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Catholic Daughters Courts in the Diocese of Crookston have been participating in this effort for 26 years. “It is something we feel strongly about as Catholic women,” Keller said.

Aside from being the state regent, Keller is a part of Court Bishop Schenk, made up of Cathedral, Crookston; St. Peter’s, Gentilly and St. Mary’s, Euclid.

She expects that hundreds of white ribbons will be distributed in the three parishes. She said members keep an eye out for ribbon sales throughout the year.

White ribbon is used to symbolize a commitment to purity and to show protest against

2015 Fall Dinners For an up-to-date listing for the rest of the season visit: www.crookston.org/parishevents SUNDAY, SEPT. 27: ST. MARY'S, FOSSTON Turkey Dinner, Festival 11:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. SUNDAY, SEPT. 27: ST. WILLIAM'S, TWIN VALLEY Grilled Turkey and Ham 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 4: ST. PATRICK'S, KELLIHER Mass, Chicken Dinner 10:15 – 1:00 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 4: ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, MOORHEAD Roast Beef Dinner, Festival 11:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 4: ST. ANN'S, WAUBUN Ham at Community Ctr. 11:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

increased obscenity in modern culture.

In addition to Crookston, there are Catholic Daughters Courts based in the following parishes in the Diocese of Crookston: St. Rose of Lima, Argyle; St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls; St. Joseph’s, Moorhead; Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes and St. Michael’s, Mahnomen.

According to the Minnesota Catholic Daughter’s Website, there are currently 29 courts in the state with an estimated membership of 2,300.

Aside from the Catholic Daughters, other groups around the country have worn or displayed ribbons, organized protests, contacted government officials, held group discussions, handed out fliers, and many

SUNDAY, OCT. 4: ST. JOSEPH’S, FERTILE Turkey Dinner 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. SATURDAY, OCT. 10: ST. MARY'S, TWO INLETS American Legion, Park Rapids 4:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 18: ST. ANDREW'S, HAWLEY Turkey, Salads, Desserts 11:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 18: ST. BERNARD’S, TRF Pork Loin Dinner 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 25: CATHEDRAL, CROOKSTON KC Fish Fry 11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 25: ST. ELIZABETH’S, DILWORTH Spaghetti Dinner 11:30 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. SUNDAY, OCT. 25: ST. ROSE OF LIMA, ARGYLE Turkey and Ham Dinner 12:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. SUNDAY, NOV. 1: ST. JOSEPH’S, MOORHEAD Turkey Dinner and Bazaar 11:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. SATURDAY, NOV. 7: ST. JOSEPH'S, MIDDLE RIVER Supper at American Legion 4:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.

Because I have better things to do with my time.

Because “mental polygamy” is lame.

Because I want to have a healthy marriage.

Because I respect the women in porn, even if they don’t respect themselves.

Because taking in industrialized, commodified sexuality isn’t how I want to be remembered.

Because the pornography industry is built on the premise that women are meant to be used for male pleasure.

This text is from an article on www.theporneffect.com, a website founded by Matt Fradd, to help men and women break free from pornography. Fradd will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Diocesan High School Youth Rally on Oct. 15 at Bemidji Middle School. For more information, read the CREDO column on Page 5.

other things to raise awareness and encourage change. According to the NCSE, in 2011 more than 20 groups held online events about the harms of pornography and ways to overcome its consequences.

For more information about the WRAP campaign, visit www.endsexualexploitation. org/wrap. Contact your local Catholic Daughter’s Court for more information about their WRAP activities.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

NATIONAL

September 23, 2015

11

Philadelphia family surprised at Mass with news they’ll meet pope

By Lou Baldwin Catholic News Service

Please pray for the individuals of the Diocese of Crookston on pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families through Sept. 28.

World Meeting of Families Prayer God and Father of us all, in Jesus, your Son and our Savior, you have made us your sons and daughters in the family of the Church.

May your grace and love help our families in every part of the world be united to one another in fidelity to the Gospel.

May the example of the Holy Family, with the aid of your Holy Spirit, guide all families, especially those most troubled, to be homes of communion and prayer and to always seek your truth and live in your love.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!

PHILADELPHIA – Rick and Bernadette Bowes and their children – Matthew, Riley and Gabrielle – got quite the surprise Sept. 13 at their parish church: They learned they’ll get to meet Pope Francis.

When he alights from his plane in Philadelphia Sept. 26, the family will be right there to officially greet him.

Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director for the World Meeting of Families, announced the family had been chosen at the conclusion of the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Christopher Church in the Somerset section of the city.

The instant applause of parishioners clearly came from the heart.

Rick and Bernadette and their children typify a solid Catholic family, and family is the focus of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

The international gathering was the initial impetus for the pope to visit the U.S. He will attend the closing events, including the celebration of Mass Sept.

26 on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Seven years ago Rick, who was a police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department’s highway patrol division, was seriously wounded by a felon who had just killed another officer. It was only recently that he was sufficiently healed to take a new position with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

It is not, however, because of heroics in the line of duty that Rick and his family were chosen.

“They are an exceptional Catholic family, active in the parish and the community,” said St. Christopher’s pastor, Msgr. Joseph Garvin, who nominated them for the honor.

“We do have many exceptional families in the parish, but they are the ideal Christian family.”

Their faith goes way back.

Rick is a graduate of Ascension of Our Lord School and Northeast Catholic High, both now closed, while Bernadette graduated from St. Martha School and Archbishop Ryan High. The kids are in the sev-

Donna Crilley Farrell of the World Meeting of Families shakes hands with Riley Bowes Sept. 13 after announcing that the young girl’s family will greet Pope Francis upon his arrival in Philadelphia Sept.

26. (Photo credit: Sarah Webb, CatholicPhilly.com/CNS)

enth, sixth and third grades at St. Christopher.

Msgr. Gavin recalls that after Rick’s literal brush with death, the parish sent a check to assist with the bills for his lengthy recovery. Bernadette sent it back to Msgr. Garvin with the family’s gratitude and thanks, saying there must be people in the parish who needed it more than they did.

For the announcement of the Bowes family’s selection to greet the pope, Rick had been given a heads-up by Msgr.

Garvin just to make certain they would all attend that particular Mass. Bernadette, who thought maybe the family was going to be asked to bring up the offertory gifts, burst into tears at the announcement. She really was in need of a bit of happy news because she had just buried her mother, Joan McLaughlin. It was expected but still a major sorrow.

Rick still can’t quite get his head around his family getting to greet Pope Francis.

“For my part, I think he is going to be a saint in the future and we are meeting him,” Rick told CatholicPhilly.com, the news website of the Archdio-

cese of Philadelphia. “He is so forward thinking, bringing the church up to modern times.”

Family is all important to Rick and Bernadette.

“We lean on each other and we come together as a unit,” Rick said. “We always try to pull each other up and be the best person we can be. That’s what we try to teach to our children. Even in our darkest times, faith was there for us; we prayed when things didn’t look good.”

Rick’s recovery took five years and included seven surgeries and three hospital stays and he was not really able to do much to help Bernadette with their three young children.

Now he looks on the bright side. His police work was mostly on the 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift with lots of weekend work.

Now he works 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., no weekends.

“To me everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Now I’m home every day for the kids. I have a normal life.”

Bernadette prayed throughout Rick’s long recovery. When she dropped the kids off to school, she would stop in at the church. Her prayer was not so

much supplication as thanksgiving for the miracle her husband was still alive.

“I look back and am in awe that we got through,” she said.

“I really believe that God gave me the strength to do what I had to do. Your religion is the basis for your morality and your values. That is what is taught at St. Christopher’s. That is what I want my kids to learn and grow up with.”

Bernadette and Rick think there are many others more deserving of the honor to greet Pope Francis, and it is humbling.

Their kids of course are excited. Speaking for the three, Gabrielle, the youngest, said: “I’m so happy I couldn’t believe it.”

As for her message to Pope Francis, it is one universally shared in the Philadelphia Archdiocese: “Welcome to Philadelphia. I hope you enjoy it.”

Baldwin writes for CatholicPhilly.com, the news website of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Editor’s Note: A related video can be viewed at youtu.be/tQGJOfjNvqs.

12

September 23, 2015

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

POPE FRANCIS' VISIT TO THE U.S. TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 – WASHINGTON D.C. 4:00 p.m. Arrival from Cuba at Joint Base Andrews

Check out the Oct. 7 issue of OND for coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S. The U.S. flag flies in front of a mural of Pope Francis in New York City, August 28. (Photo credit: CNS/ Brendan McDermid, Reuters)

‘Complex’ trip to Cuba, U.S. will be pope’s longest, spokesman says

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis’ 10th foreign trip will be the longest of his pontificate and, with stops in Cuba, three U.S. cities and the United Nations, it also will be a “very complex trip,” the papal spokesman said.

Briefing reporters about the trip, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the plans were “enriched” after Pope Francis agreed to go to the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia and, particularly, after the United States and Cuba announced they were moving toward normalizing diplomatic relations.

The pope will be away from the Vatican Sept. 19-28 and is scheduled to give 26 formal speeches – only four of them entirely in English, Father Lombardi said. The all-English texts are prepared for Pope Francis’ visit to the White House Sept.

23, his address to a joint meeting of Congress Sept. 24, his meeting with U.N. staff members Sept. 25 and his thank you to trip organizers in Philadelphia Sept. 27.

His address to the U.N. General Assembly will be entirely in Spanish, Father Lombardi said.

Other speeches in the United States either will be in Spanish or a mixture of Spanish and English, but translations will be provided.

The spokesman noted that

not only will Pope Francis be the first pope to visit the U.S. Congress, but papal speeches to parliaments of any single nation are extremely rare. The Polish Pope St. John Paul II addressed the Polish and Italian parliaments; German Pope Benedict XVI addressed the German and Italian parliaments.

Responding to rumors and questions that have arisen surrounding the trip. Father Lombardi said: · Pope Francis has never been to Cuba, except for a one-hour, unscheduled stopover on a flight from Mexico City to Buenos Aires. · Pope Francis and Fidel Castro both have expressed an interest in meeting each other, but the date and time have not been finalized. Pope Francis will be in Havana, Cuba’s capital, from the evening of Sept. 19 until early morning Sept. 21. · The pope is scheduled to meet the president of the U.N. Security Council when he visits Sept. 25. Russia currently holds the presidency, Father Lombardi said. The pope will meet with the Russian ambassador to the United Nations. · The Vatican, Father Lombardi said, has never announced in advance a papal meeting with survivors of clerical sexual abuse. If such a meeting takes place in the United States, the Vatican will inform the media afterward, he said. When

pushed on the likelihood of such a meeting, he said, “You can’t exclude anything with this pope.” · Pope Francis will canonize the 18th-century Franciscan missionary Blessed Junipero Serra in Washington Sept. 23.

Asked if the pope knew of the controversy surrounding Blessed Serra and his treatment of the native peoples of California, Father Lombardi said the pope is very familiar with debates over “evangelization and colonization,” debates which are similar in areas settled by the Spanish. However, the spokesman said, there is “great consensus” about Blessed Serra’s importance as a missionary and in the history of California.

The pope has made it a custom on foreign trips to invite into his entourage a lay Vatican employee – besides members of his security, the leaders of the Swiss Guard and employees of the Vatican newspaper, radio and television center. This time, Father Lombardi said, the pope invited Valentina Ambrosi, an artist from the Vatican mosaic studio.

The Vatican secretary of state, currently Cardinal Pietro Parolin, usually accompanies a pope on foreign trips. Because of the visits to Cuba, the U.S. and the U.N., the spokesman said, the pope also asked Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister, to join him.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 – WASHINGTON D.C. 9:15 a.m. Welcome ceremony and meeting with President Obama at the White House 11:00 a.m. Papal Parade along the Ellipse and the

National Mall 11:30 a.m. Midday Prayer with the bishops of the United States, St. Matthew's Cathedral 4:15 p.m. Mass of Canonization of Junipero Serra,

Basilica of the National Shrine of the

Immaculate Conception THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 – WASHINGTON D.C., NEW YORK CITY 9:20 a.m. Address to Joint Meeting of the United States Congress 11:15 a.m. Visit to St. Patrick in the City and Catholic

Charities of the Archdiocese of

Washington 4:00 p.m. Depart from Joint Base Andrews 5:00 p.m. Arrival at John F. Kennedy International

Airport 6:45 p.m. Evening Prayer (Vespers) at St. Patrick's

Cathedral FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – NEW YORK CITY 8:30 a.m. Visit to the United Nations and Address to the United Nations General Assembly 11:30 a.m. Multi-religious service at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center 4:00 p.m. Visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School,

East Harlem 6:00 p.m. Mass at Madison Square Garden SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 – NEW YORK CITY, PHILADELPHIA 8:40 a.m. Departure from John F. Kennedy

International Airport 9:30 a.m. Arrival at Atlantic Aviation, Philadelphia 10:30 a.m. Mass at Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter

and Paul, Philadelphia 4:45 p.m. Visit to Independence Mall 7:30 p.m. Visit to the Festival of Families Benjamin

Franklin Parkway SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 – PHILADELPHIA 9:15 a.m. Meeting with bishops at St. Martin's

Chapel, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary 11:00 a.m. Visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional

Facility 4:00 p.m. Mass for the conclusion of the World

Meeting of Families, Benjamin Franklin

Parkway 7:00 p.m. Visit with organizers, volunteers and

benefactors of the World Meeting of

Families, Atlantic Aviation 8:00 p.m. Departure for Rome This schedule, provided by USCCB, is listed in Eastern Daylight Time. For the most up-to-date version, visit: www.usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/francis/ papal-visit-2015/2015-papal-visit-schedule.cfm

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

INTERNATIONAL

September 23, 2015

13

Pope Francis appoints 18 couples to attend Synod of Bishops on the Family

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – More than 360 participants, including 18 married couples from around the world, were expected to attend October’s Synod of Bishops on the family.

In addition to the 166 synod members elected by their national bishops’ conferences, 22 heads of Eastern Catholic churches, 25 heads of Vatican congregations and councils and 10 heads of men’s religious orders, the pope appointed an additional 45 synod fathers to take part in the Oct. 4-25 gathering.

The complete list of synod participants and papal appointees was released Sept. 15 by the Vatican.

The ordinary synod will include many more people than last year’s extraordinary synod, which met over the course of 15 days. The ordinary synod will bring together nine additional leaders of Eastern Catholic churches and six more “fraternal delegates” from the Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant communities. The pope also named 45 voting members of the synod – up from 26 last year – and he appointed 51 observers and 23 experts, including a total of 18 married couples. At the extraordinary synod, there were 38 observers and 16 experts, which included a total of 14 couples.

Almost half of the 45 papally appointed voting members are from Europe with another 15 from the Americas, three from Africa, two from Oceania and one from Asia. At the extraordinary synod, almost all appointees were from Europe, and none of the papal appointees was from North America or other English-speaking countries.

Pope Francis ensured that all the members of the synod’s general council would be present at the October meeting by appointing U.S. Cardinals Donald W. Wuerl of Washington and Timothy M. Dolan of New York as voting members.

In addition, he named U.S. Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; U.S. Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio; Canadian Cardinal Gerald C. Lacroix of Quebec; and New Zealand Cardinal John A. Dew of Wellington as members.

Some of the other papal appointees include German Cardinal Walter Kasper, Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Mechelen-Brussels, and Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, as well as Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, director of La Civilta Cattolica journal, and Msgr.

Pio Pinto, dean of the Roman Rota, a Vatican-based tribunal that deals mainly with marriage cases.

Among 51 observers and 23

experts appointed by the pope, the majority are laymen and laywomen, including 18 married couples. The 42 men and 32 women, who will not have voting rights, represent a more geographically diverse mix with fairly equal representation for Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East, and a slightly higher number from Europe.

The synod’s voting members include officials from the Roman Curia, heads of the Eastern churches, and archbishops of smaller Eastern Catholic churches, including Byzantine Archbishop William C. Skurla of Pittsburgh.

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and Australian Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, were to attend as officials of the Roman Curia.

Pope Francis will serve as president of the synod and will be assisted by Cardinals Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris; Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila; Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil; and Wilfrid F. Napier of Durban, South Africa.

As he did at last year’s extraordinary synod, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest will serve as relator with the duty of introducing the discussion and synthesizing its results, and Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto will serve again as special secre-

tary.

Among those elected to attend by their country’s bishops’ conferences:

· Canadian Cardinal Thomas C. Collins of Toronto; Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau, Quebec, conference president; Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Edmonton, Alberta; and Bishop Noel Simard of Valleyfield, Quebec. · U.S. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston; Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, conference president; Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, host of the World Meeting of Families in September; and Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles. · Puerto Rican Cardinal Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan. · English Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster and Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton. · Scottish Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow. · Irish Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, president of the Irish bishops’ conference. · Australian Bishop Daniel Hurley of Darwin and Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane; and Bishop Charles Drennan of Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Many of the papally appointed observers and experts are active in family ministries and pastoral care, canon law and moral theology, and did not attend last year’s extraordinary synod.

Among the nonvoting members invited to attend are: · U.S. Sister Maureen Kelleher, a member of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary and an attorney who provides legal assistance and attention to immigrants in Florida. · U.S. couple Catherine Witczak and Anthony Witczak of Philadelphia, former leaders of the International Ecclesial Team of Worldwide Marriage Encounter. · John Grabowski, professor of moral theology at The Catholic University of America, Washington. · Moira McQueen, director of the Canadian Catholic Bioeth-

ics Institute at the University of Toronto, moral theologian and lawyer who specialized in family law and juvenile court. · Pia Matthews, professor of health care ethics at St. Mary’s University in London. · Maria Harries, research fellow in social work and policy at the University of Western Australia, expert on mental health, child protection, child migrants and social services, and member of the “Truth, Justice, Healing Council” assisting the Australian bishops’ response to abuse. · John Kleinsman, director of the Nathaniel Centre, the New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre. · Nathalie and Christian Mignonat, national coordinators of “Les Equipes Reliance” in France and cofounding members of SEDIRE; both associations work with accompanying divorced and remarried Catholics. · A Chaldean Catholic couple from Baghdad, Suhaila Salim Toma and Wisam Marqus Odeesho. · A Hindu-Christian couple from Mumbai, India, Penny and Ishwar Bajaj. · Father Garas Boulos Garas Bishay, a parish priest in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and Maria Gomes, director of the family and life program at St. Mary’s parish in Dubai, which helps tens of thousands of foreign Catholics there.

Fourteen “fraternal delegates” will represent other Christian communities, such as the Lutheran, Anglican and Baptist communities. Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, director of foreign relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, also is expected to attend.

The ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops is focusing on “The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and the Contemporary World.” It will draw up pastoral guidelines responding to previous discussions looking at the challenges facing today’s families. It is expected the pope will then write a postsynodal apostolic exhortation that takes up the themes of the synod and develops them further.

14

September 23, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Pope Francis’ visit to Cuba Vatican welcomes

first refugee family after pope’s appeal

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

Pope Francis waves to people as he walks to the cathedral in Havana for vespers Sept. 20. Alongside him is Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana. (Photo credit: CNS/Alexandre Meneghini, Reuters)

Church called to be tender mother, not rigid association, pope says

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – If the church loses touch with its maternal side, the only thing that remains is “rigidity and discipline,” Pope Francis said at an early morning Mass with members of the international Council of Cardinals advising him on the reform of the Roman Curia.

Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Sept. 15 with the nine cardinals and other guests, Pope Francis focused on Jesus’ words from the cross entrusting Mary to his beloved disciple as mother.

As Jesus was dying, the pope said, Mary “becomes a mother another time,” and her mater-

nity expands to embrace the disciple and all those who will come to follow Jesus throughout history.

Jesus had told his disciples, “I will not leave you orphans,” the pope said, and he kept his promise by giving Mary to be their mother.

“We have a mother who is with us, protects us, accompanies us and helps us even in difficult times and at terrible moments,” the pope said.

The church, too, is called to be a mother to all Jesus’ followers, he said. “Our ‘holy mother church’” is what Christians are born into at baptism and is the community that helps them grow.

“Mother Mary and mother

church know how to caress their children and give them tenderness,” Pope Francis said.

Referring several times to the writings of the 12th-century, England-born Abbot Isaac of Stella, France, the pope said that while it could shock people, he believes the abbot was correct in teaching that “our soul is mother as well,” and that is seen in both men and women when they demonstrate “humility, welcome, understanding, goodness, forgiveness and tenderness.”

Where there is a sense of the maternal, he said, “there is life, there is joy, there is peace,” but when that maternal instinct is missing, there is just “rigidity and discipline.”

VATICAN CITY – Embracing Pope Francis’ request to sponsor a refugee family, the Vatican’s St. Anne parish has welcomed a family of four from Damascus, Syria.

In an appeal Sept. 6, the pope called on every parish, religious community, monastery and shrine in Europe to take in a family of refugees, given the ongoing crisis of people fleeing from war and poverty.

He said being Christian means giving a concrete sign of hope and God’s mercy to those in need.

The papal Almoner’s Office, which responds to individual requests for assistance and helps coordinate Pope Francis’ direct requests for assisting the homeless in Rome, announced Sept.

18 that a refugee family was being cared for by St. Anne’s parish inside Vatican City.

The family – a mother, father and two children – belong to the Melkite Catholic Church, one of the Byzantine-rite churches in full union with Rome.

The family arrived in Italy Sept.

6, the day the pope made his appeal, the Vatican said; they have been offered a Vatican apartment near St. Peter’s Square, as requested by Pope Francis.

Their request for asylum had been filed with Italian authorities, the Vatican said, and in accordance with Italian law, family members are not allowed to seek employment for the next six months. St. Anne’s parish will provide all needed assistance and care in the meantime.

The Vatican said St. Peter’s Basilica was still in the process finalizing details for taking in a

refugee family.

The Almoner’s Office said that for years it has made financial contributions to Jesuit Refugee Service’s Astalli Center in Rome to help cover the costs of permits that allow refugees to stay in Italy. The office also provides funding and aid in the pope’s name for many refugees who receive services at a variety of other centers in Rome.

In addition, Pope Francis recently made a mobile medical unit for refugees available in Rome. The medical unit had been donated to the pope a few years ago, the Almoner’s Office said, and had been used only during papal events.

The mobile unit is staffed by volunteers, who are doctors, nurses, Swiss guards, Vatican City State employees, staff at a Rome university and members of an Italian association of volunteer medics, the office said.

At an address on Sept. 17, Pope Francis said millions of Iraqis and Syrians are facing poverty and even death, neighboring countries are bearing more than their fair share of the burden of helping refugees, arms dealers are getting richer and the international community seems helpless.

The “atrocities and unspeakable human rights violations, which characterize these conflicts, are transmitted live by the media,” the pope said. “No one can pretend not to know!”

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE September 27

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Numbers 11:25-29 Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-14 Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

James 5:1-6

By Sharon K. Perkins Catholic News Service If you have any exposure at all to social or news media, you cannot escape the relentless public discourse about sin – even if the “s” word isn’t used.

Behaviors that used to be whispered about in private, especially if committed by public figures, are now analyzed, condemned, applauded and endlessly commented upon for all to see. Following scandals through the news cycle has become a popular pastime.

This Sunday’s readings are all about public sin and hidden sin, how condemnation of the former can serve as a smokescreen to conceal the latter, and what “scandal” really means.

Joshua, Moses’ longtime aide and a God-fearing man, responded with the best of intentions when he learned about Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp in the same fashion as the 70 elders of Israel who had received the Lord’s spirit. Scandalized, he protested to Moses – who saw through Joshua’s public complaint to the jealousy hidden beneath.

The apostle John had a similar grievance when he observed someone outside Jesus’ inner circle driving out demons in Jesus’ name. John’s well-meaning objection concealed a deeper prejudice that led him to try to prevent the outsider from doing good. Jesus exposed John’s hidden sin and corrected his faulty perspective in short order.

James’ epistle makes the claim that even the well-concealed injustices committed by rich and influential people will eventually see the light of day – the cries

September 23, 2015

15

FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

October 4

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Genesis 2:18-24 Psalm 128:1-6 Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 or Mark 10:2-12

Hebrews 2:9-11

By Jeff Hensley Catholic News Service

of their victims will reach “the ears of the Lord of hosts,” ensuring that hidden sin will one day be seen for the public scandal that it is.

These days, Christians can point to many public policies, cultural shifts and immoral behaviors that are objectionable to people of faith, and they can quite reasonably claim to be scandalized.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.”

Those who have power to influence have a particular responsibility to avoid causing scandal, it says. That certainly applies to those of us within the church who can find it much too easy to conceal our own faults behind our public comments on the sins of others.

Questions: From what “hidden faults” have you blinded yourself or others?

How has the desire to protect your own ego caused hurt or scandal?

"CLEANSE ME FROM MY UNKNOWN FAULTS! FROM WANTON SIN ESPECIALLY, RESTRAIN YOUR SERVANT." – PSALM 19:13B-14A

How many of us have watched, in our own families or the families of those close to us, as husbands and wives have endured rough patches -- some short, others stretching over decades. At times, it may have seemed easier, we might have observed, to dissolve a marriage and give both parties the chance to begin anew.

My father, as much as I loved him, didn’t become a particularly easy fellow to live with until many years into his retirement. But a bit before my mother was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, he changed. His compassion became more pronounced, and his concern for my mother began to develop a nurturing side that had not surfaced since his children were small.

His was a long, steep upward climb to maturity. Had my mother not held on during those more difficult times in their marriage, he would not have been there as her close emotional and physical support during her last years.

Today’s Genesis scripture speaks of God’s creation of marriage, of the physical unity of husband and wife. The familiar passage that sums up that unity ends with the words, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”

In the passage from Mark, Jesus quotes this scripture when he answers the Pharisees’ questions about divorce.

It is “the hardness of your hearts” he says, that caused Moses to provide a means under the law for men to divorce

their wives.

These are interesting Scriptures to consider at an interesting time in the life of the world and the church, especially in light of the beautiful theology on marriage and the family to be taught and discussed at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

Perhaps even more pertinent is the end of this passage in Mark, in which Jesus, on allowing small children to approach him over the objections of his disciples, says, “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”

Questions: Do you find it easy or hard to respond to the “difficult” teachings of Jesus with a childlike willingness to obey?

"AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." – MARK 10:8A

Fall Dinners are now listed online!

- VISIT THE DIOCESE OF CROOKSTON’S PARISH EVENTS PAGE -

www.crookston.org/parishevents

16

September 23, 2015

PRAYER CALENDAR

OCTOBER 2015

OCTOBER 1 ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, VIRGIN, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. John Cox, OMI OCTOBER 2 THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS Fr. Bill DeCrans OCTOBER 3 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Joe DeCrans OCTOBER 4 TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Larry Delaney OCTOBER 5 WEEKDAY Fr. Antony Fernando OCTOBER 6 ST. BRUNO, PRIEST; BLESSED MARIE-ROSE DUROCHER, VIRGIN Msgr. Mike Foltz OCTOBER 7 OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY Fr. Tom Friedl OCTOBER 8 WEEKDAY Fr. Augie Gothman OCTOBER 9 ST. DENIS, BISHOP, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS; ST. JOHN LEONARDI, PRIEST Msgr. Roger Grundhaus (retired) OCTOBER 10 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Adam Hamness OCTOBER 11 TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Joseph Hitpas, OMI OCTOBER 12 WEEKDAY Fr. Chuck Huck OCTOBER 13 WEEKDAY Fr. Xavier Ilango OCTOBER 14 WEEKDAY Fr. Joe Kieselbach (retired) OCTOBER 15 ST. TERESA OF JESUS, VIRGIN, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. John Kleinwachter OCTOBER 16 ST. HEDWIG, RELIGIOUS; ST. MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE, VIRGIN Msgr. Donald Krebs (retired)

OCTOBER 17 ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, BISHOP, MARTYR Fr. Bryan Kujawa OCTOBER 18 TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Rick Lambert OCTOBER 19 STS. JOHN DE BREBEUF AND ISAAC JOGUES, PRIESTS, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS Fr. Gary LaMoine OCTOBER 20 ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS, PRIEST Fr. Bob LaPlante OCTOBER 21 WEEKDAY Msgr. Tim McGee OCTOBER 22 ST. JOHN PAUL II, POPE Msgr. William Mehrkens (retired) OCTOBER 23 ST. JOHN OF CAPISTRANO, PRIEST Fr. Vincent Miller OCTOBER 24 ST. ANTHONY MARY CLARET Fr. George Noel OCTOBER 25 THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Msgr. Jerry Noesen (retired) OCTOBER 26 WEEKDAY Fr. Ray Palcisko (retired) OCTOBER 27 WEEKDAY Msgr. Mike Patnode OCTOBER 28 STS. SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES Fr. Raul Perez-Cobo OCTOBER 29 WEEKDAY Fr. Mario Prada (retired) OCTOBER 30 WEEKDAY Fr. Duane Pribula (retired) OCTOBER 31 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Bob Pryor

VOCATION PRAYER OF POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II: Lord Jesus, as you

once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come follow me! Give young men and women the grace of responding quickly to your voice. Support our bishops, priests, and consecrated people in their apostolic labor. Grant perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are carrying out the ideal of a life totally consecrated to your service.

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

DIOCESAN

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTIONS

OCTOBER 2015

UNIVERSAL INTENTION: HUMAN TRAFFICKING

That human trafficking, the modern form of slavery, may be eradicated.

EVANGELIZATION INTENTION: MISSION IN ASIA

(Photo credit: CNS)

That with a missionary spirit, the Christian communities of Asia may announce the Gospel to those who are still awaiting it.

DAILY SCRIPTURE OCTOBER 1 - Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12; Ps 19:8-11; Lk 10:1-12 OCTOBER 2 - Bar 1:15-22; Ps 79:1b-5, 8-9; Mt 18:1-5, 10 OCTOBER 3 - Bar 4:5-12, 27-29; Ps 69:33-37; Lk 10:17-24 OCTOBER 4 - Gn 2:18-24; Ps 128:1-6; Heb 2:9-11; Mk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12 OCTOBER 5 - Jon 1:1–2:1, 11; (Ps) Jon 2:3-5, 8; Lk 10:25-37 OCTOBER 6 - Jon 3:1-10; Ps 130:1b-4b, 7-8; Lk 10:38-42 OCTOBER 7 - Jon 4:1-11; Ps 86:3-6, 9-10; Lk 11:1-4 OCTOBER 8 - Mal 3:13-20b; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 11:5-13 OCTOBER 9 - Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2; Ps 9:2-3, 6, 8-9, 16; Lk 11:15-26 OCTOBER 10 - Jl 4:12-21; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; Lk 11:27-28 OCTOBER 11 - Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90:12-17; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 OCTOBER 12 - Rom 1:1-7; Ps 98:1bcde, 2-4; Lk 11:29-32 OCTOBER 13 - Rom 1:16-25; Ps 19:2-5; Lk 11:37-41 OCTOBER 14 - Rom 2:1-11; Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 9; Lk 11:42-46 OCTOBER 15 - Rom 3:21-30; Ps 130:1b6b; Lk 11:47-54 OCTOBER 16 - Rom 4:1-8; Ps 32:1b-2, 5, 11; Lk 12:1-7

OCTOBER 2015 OCTOBER 17 - Rom 4:13, 16-18; Ps 105:6-9, 42-43; Lk 12:8-12 OCTOBER 18 - Is 53:10-11; Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45 OCTOBER 19 - Rom 4:20-25; (Ps) Lk 1:69-75; Lk 12:13-21 OCTOBER 20 - Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21; Ps 40:7-10, 17; Lk 12:35-38 OCTOBER 21 - Rom 6:12-18; Ps 124:1b8; Lk 12:39-48 OCTOBER 22 - Rom 6:19-23; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 12:49-53 OCTOBER 23 - Rom 7:18-25a; Ps 119:66, 68, 76-77, 93-94; Lk 12:54-59 OCTOBER 24 - Rom 8:1-11; Ps 24:1b-4b, 5-6; Lk 13:1-9 OCTOBER 25 - Jer 31:7-9; Ps 126:1-6; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52 OCTOBER 26 - Rom 8:12-17; Ps 68:2, 4, 6-7b, 20-21; Lk 13:10-17 OCTOBER 27 - Rom 8:18-25; Ps 126:1b6; Lk 13:18-21 OCTOBER 28 - Eph 2:19-22; Ps 19:2-5; Lk 6:12-16 OCTOBER 29 - Rom 8:31b-39; Ps 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31; Lk 13:31-35 OCTOBER 30 - Rom 9:1-5; Ps 147:12-15, 19-20; Lk 14:1-6 OCTOBER 31 - Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 2529; Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18; Lk 14:1, 7-11