OND Dec. AB 2016, Vol. 70, No. 22

VOL. 70, NO. 22

WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG

DECEMBER 14, 2016

O Come Let Us Adore Him! “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”

– John 1:14 –

The adoration of the Magi is depicted in a 14th-century painting by Giotto di Bondone. The feast of the Nativity of Christ, a holy day of obligation, is celebrated Dec. 25. (Image credit: CNS/Bridgeman Images)

INSIDE

VOL. 70, NO. 22:

Pg. 3 - Youth and the Body of Christ Presentation Pg. 6 - 2016 Fall Confirmation Photos Pg. 8 - Year in Review: Looking back at 2016

THE STAFF OF OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE WISHES YOU A BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON!

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December 14, 2016

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COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS 2016 One of the hymns I love to sing during Advent is entitled: “My Soul In Stillness Waits.”

(Gather, Marty Haugen, GIA Publications, 1982) The refrain is set to a simple, quiet musical sentence: “For you O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you.” Some of the six verses are adapted from the traditional “O Antiphons” of Advent and others are taken from Psalm 95. My favorite verse is #2: “O Spring of Joy, rain down upon our spirits; our thirsty hearts are yearning for your Word, come, make us whole, be comfort to our hearts.”

The word “advent,” as you know, is from a Latin word, “adventus,” which means “the coming.” During the short liturgical season of Advent we await the celebration of the first coming of Jesus, the Christ, even as we look toward and await his coming at the end to time.

As the birth of Jesus approached, Scripture shows us how the principle characters

entered into silence and stillness. For example, after Gabriel announces to Zechariah that Elizabeth will give birth to a son, Zechariah could not speak.

He was made to be silent. Elizabeth, St. Luke tells us, “for five months kept to herself.” Mary too was a young woman who quieted herself and listened within her heart. When Gabriel brought God’s word to her, the soil of her heart was well tilled and ready to receive God’s word and give her faith-filled response: “yes.”

And so, in Advent we sing: “For you O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you.” Jesus is our hope for, as Preface I of Advent reads: “He assumed at his first coming the lowliness of human flesh, and so fulfilled the design you [God the Father] formed long ago, and opened for us the way to eternal salvation, that, when he comes again in glory and majesty and all is at last made manifest, we who watch for that day may inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope.”

Because of Mary’s stillness and listening, she was able to welcome God’s word and

give her “yes”. Because of her stillness and her listening, the whole world rejoices to hear again this Christmas how, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us …” (Jn 1:1, 14) I wish each and every one of you a truly blessed and joyous Christmas. Jesus Christ is our hope for true peace in our lives and in our world. That peace becomes reality when we, like Mary, till the soil of our heart in quiet and stillness and let God’s word take root there. In each day of the new year, amidst the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the day, let us remember to quiet ourselves, to go within ourselves to our hearts, to our souls, where God speaks his word softly, tenderly and with much love. Then, each and every day, like our Mother Mary, we will sing with joy, magnifying the greatness of our God who never ceases doing great things for us.

IMMIGRATION SUNDAY This year, Immigration Sun-

day is January 8. Since 2009, the bishops of Minnesota have designated the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord as Immigration Sunday Minnesota.

Immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed in our country and in our world. Celebrating Immigration Sunday gives us the opportunity to highlight the issues involved in immigration through prayer, education, and action. Sometimes people tell me that “when it comes to immigration, you bishops want nothing less than open borders.” Well, that’s not true.

As the bishops of Minnesota said in our 2012 statement on immigration, certainly our nation has the duty and the right to regulate our borders ensuring the safety of our people.

Yet reform of our lawful immigration system is desperately needed. A reasonable and humane pathway to citizenship for immigrants needs to be developed. What happens now often is often an abuse of the human dignity of the individual immigrant and an abuse of the dignity of the family.

Entire groups of human be-

ings are disparaged by the use of such terms as “wetbacks,” “aliens” and “illegals.” And millions of people live their days in fear of deportation and separation from their families and loved ones. These are our brothers and sisters. Jesus loves them and has commanded us to love them too.

And so we, the Church, must continue to work for immigration reform, all the while providing for those in need, treating immigrant men, women, and children as Christ among us, offering them help, food and housing, our compassion and love. I invite you to take the opportunity of Immigration Sunday Minnesota this year to study the issues surrounding immigration. Take a look at the study materials available at mncatholic.org/advocacyarea/ immigration-sunday-mn.

Let us make Immigration Sunday an opportunity to grow in understanding and love, and let us pray for the millions of migrants and immigrants in our world today, asking God’s mercy and help for them all.

BISHOP’S CALENDAR December 15

10:00 a.m.

Priest Retirement Trust, Chancery, Crookston

December 15

12:00 p.m.

Presbyterate Council, Chancery, Crookston

December 18

2:30 p.m.

Pallium Mass for Archbishop Hebda, St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Paul, Minn.

December 20

7:45 a.m.

Mass, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston

December 22

5:00 p.m.

Seminarian Gathering, Chancery, Crookston

December 24

10:00 p.m.

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

Christmas Mass in the Night, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston

January 3

7:45 a.m.

Mass, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston

January 6

8:30 a.m.

Mass and Classroom Visits, Sacred Heart School, East Grand Forks

January 7-13

(USPS 414-940)

Bishop’s Retreat

January 14

5:00 p.m.

Mass, St. Patrick’s, Hallock

January 15

8:30 a.m.

Mass, St. Patrick’s, Hallock

January 15

10:30 a.m.

January 15

6:00 p.m.

Mass, Holy Rosary, Lancaster Rite of Confirmation, St. Mary’s, Warroad

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

Publisher:

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

Editor:

Dr. Mark Krejci

Associate Editor: Mrs. Janelle C. Gergen

jgergen@crookston.org Editorial Assistant: Mrs. Katrina Genereux

kgenereux@crookston.org Proofreader:

NATIONAL COLLECTION UPDATE

The faithful of the Diocese of Crookston generously supported the 2016 USCCB National Collection for Peter’s Pence with a donation of: $33,046.07.

VICTIM ASSISTANCE STATEMENT

If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, your first call should be to law enforcement.

If you have been abused by a Catholic priest or another person in Church ministry, the Diocese of Crookston Victim’s Assistance Coordinator is also available to offer you help and healing.

Please contact Louann McGlynn at 218-281-7895 (24-hour confidential number) or Lmcglynn@ crookston.org.

Deacon Dan Hannig

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

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

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

LOCAL

December 14, 2016

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Diocesan staff speak at St. Bernard’s family event Krejci will offer presentations throughout diocese in coming months

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MINN. – St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls, invited Dr. Mark Krejci, Director of the diocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life, and Anthony Lavorata, Director of the Office of Youth Ministry and Catechesis to speak at their Family Faith Night event on Nov. 16.

These events are held six times a year and focus on different themes with the goal of providing a faith experience for the whole family.

During the November event, Krejci spoke to the adults about a study of Catholic youth in the Diocese of Crookston and what can be done to keep young people in the Church.

Lavorata spoke to students in grades six through 12 about the relationship between faith and reason and the Catholic Church’s contributions to western civilization.

Activities were also offered for younger children.

Krejci’s presentation is en-

Dr. Mark Krejci, Director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life, delivers his presentation “Youth and the Body of Christ: Your Role in Helping Young People Remain Connected to God and the Church”, at the Faith and Family event held Nov. 16 at St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

titled “Youth and the Body of Christ: Your Role in Helping Young People Remain Connected to God and the Church.”

He presented data from an ongoing study of young people in the Diocese of Crookston.

Nearly 300 ninth through 11th grade students in parishes

across the diocese participated in the 200 question survey. The ninth grade students will fill out a survey again in 11th grade, and all the students will receive follow-up surveys four years and nine years after graduating.

Throughout the presentation, Krejci led those attend-

ing in prayer for different intentions including: youth and young adults, Catholic parents, an increase in prayer throughout the Church and increasing vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Krejci had parents consider how they would respond to some of the questions in the survey. He then shared the data from the students’ answers to those questions.

Through the study, Krejci has identified the main predictors that indicate the likelihood that youth will stay connected to the Catholic Church. They are prayer, participation and parish engagement.

“They prayed regularly and they prayed in a variety of ways,” Krejci said describing students who have a strong connection to their faith. “They participated in religious activities in their parishes. They were engaged here and in parishes around the diocese, and they saw their parish as reflecting a Catholic identity. These kids are paying attention, they’re paying attention to all of us. Are we reflecting the Church that we profess to believe in?”

He continued, “Anyone going to church here is playing a role in these young people developing a relationship with God. What I found in the data was these young people, these high school kids, were starting to pivot away from their parents.

They knew what their parents thought about the Church and their parents have given them a foundation or not up to this point, but then they were looking at other adults and they

were really paying attention to what witness these other adults were giving them.”

Krejci offered some action points for concerned parents and parishioners. He said it is important to help young people develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and help them develop a personal prayer life by modeling it for them. He also emphasized the importance of teaching them about the Catholic faith so that they are able to respond to people’s questions about the Church.

“Something that we have to keep doing is to trust in the power of God and prayer. Let us pray for our young people, let us pray for our youth that they stay part of the Body of Christ,” Krejci said.

In addition to speaking at St. Bernard’s, Krejci has also spoken at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, and will be delivering his presentation in the following parishes beginning in January: St. Rose of Lima, Argyle; St. Philip’s, Bemidji; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston; St. Francis de Sales, Moorhead and St. Michael’s, Mahnomen.

To view the diocesan calendar of events, visit www.crookston. org/calendar.

For more information about the study or to schedule the presentation at your parish, contact Krejci at mkrejci@ crookston.org.

Lavorata is available to speak to parish or youth groups about various topics. Contact him at 218-281-4533 or alavorata@ crookston.org.

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December 14, 2016

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Because there was no room for them in the inn There are many things which have caught my ear in the month since the election. One such thing (issue) is the debate over “sanctuary cities” and what is the right thing to do or believe concerning them.

A sanctuary city is a city in the United States or Canada that has adopted a policy of protecting undocumented immigrants by not prosecuting them solely for violating federal immigration laws in the country in which they are now living illegally.

Such cities have been part of the American landscape for years but their purpose has come under fire during the recently completed election cycle.

One event which raised the temperature in the debate is the killing of a woman in California by a man from Mexico living in our country illegally. He had been previously deported only to return and, in a final act, kill an American citizen.

Our American and Canadian bishops are very concerned about immigration policies in our nations and how our governments will treat un-

LIFE

FIRST

By Father Don Braukmann

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

documented immigrants living among us. There is great fear about massive deportations and how such an event would shatter the lives of families.

Many are quick to paint with one black brush stroke all those who are here illegally. Yet the truth is 85 percent of those undocumented people have lived in the United States for more than 10 years. Also, 93 percent have a high school diploma and 40 percent have attended college. Eighty-nine percent have a job and pay taxes. It is also true our own government’s policies have permitted the problem to raise havoc in the first place under both Republicans and Democrats.

Of course our borders, and the borders of all nations, must be monitored and protected.

The Church itself calls for such law and order on the border.

Yet, we are a nation of immigrants; my family has roots in Germany, Holland and Norway.

Those seeking the “American Dream” are seeking the same dream our ancestors sought, many of whom came from communist nations that built walls to keep people in.

Some, for purely political gain, pigeonhole whole groups of people and constantly remind them how they are victims of one injustice or another. The word “united” in the United States of America is

seen as something equivalent to a plague to shun lest we actually work through our differences and get on with the worthy endeavor of changing the world for the better.

Given all of that discussion and the many views taken by well intentioned people, what I find so bizarre is how the leaders of city governments in the sanctuary communities champion the defense of the poor and the oppressed within their city limits but are the same political leaders demanding the legal right to kill a child in the womb. How can they, with a clear conscience, muzzle themselves when it comes to defending the right to life of the most innocent members of our society? We have welcomed the foreigner into our cities while, at the same time, treated our own children as foreigners in their mothers’ wombs.

What if we, as Americans, decided every human life was sacred and every policy created had as its goals defending life, improving quality of life, seeking justice for those spurned by society and echoing the si-

lent scream of the child in the womb? What if we stood up for ALL life no matter the color of the skin, the religion of the soul or all the other divisions politicians have created to separate us from one another?

Yet, should we really be surprised by humanity’s hypocrisy?

2,000 years ago a child in the womb was given no sanctuary while Herod and his minions were warm and well fed. Jesus Christ was an immigrant to this world and look what humanity did to him!

In the end, we are all still immigrants, we are all foreigners, we are all in exile on this speck of dust we call Earth. How tragic, this Christmas, that we still have not figured out how to love one another; to see Christ in one another; to respect the God-given dignity of one another and see with open eyes and hearts the image of God in each person.

Let’s start over by first seeing the beauty and dignity of the people around our tree during these holy days and worry a bit less about the things we stuff under it.

Marriage and the family: God’s gift to society and the Church Imagine the following conversation between two Catholic priests: Fr. O’Malley: I just cannot imagine how my parish would operate without such great families.

Fr. Fitzgibbon: Mine too, the way families not only come together at mass in prayer but also the way they step up and teach R.E., serve the poor and homeless …

Fr. O’Malley: … and coffee and rolls after Sunday mass! (He says with a “priestly” chuckle) Fr. Fitzgibbon: We are so blessed in my parish to have young parents who teach their children how to pray and pray with them in their homes.

Fr. O’Malley: And grandparents who pray rosaries for their grandchildren and who stay involved in the Catholic school.

Fr. Fitzgibbon: Thank God for the great gift of our Catholic families to the Church.

I hope you can imagine such a conversation between these two priests based on what you see in your own family as well as across all sorts of families involved in your parish. All types of families are called by God to share in the life of the Church – married couples, families with

PRAYING WITH THE FAMILY

By Dr. Mark Krejci

Director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life

children, empty nesters, single young adults, widows and widowers, single parents and their children and the senior members of your parish. I hope we all appreciate the many families who do so much for the Church in ways too numerous to document in this column and I pray you and your family make yourselves a gift to your parish community. Not only will your parish benefit, but you will grow closer to God in the process.

God created the family to share in the mission of the Church.

This mission is to spread the Gospel of the Lord throughout the world. Does this seem a bit intimidating? To be clear, I am not saying that every family needs to go around town being sidewalk evangelists! Just think

how wonderful it would be if every family went around town and reflected the love of Jesus Christ to everyone they met.

And now, imagine this conversation between two politicians: Senator Paine: I just cannot imagine how our country would operate without such great families.

Governor Hopper: I agree, the way the families step up to teach their children morals and values and the way they serve the poor and the homeless …

Sen. Paine: … and coffee and rolls at my campaign rallies! (He says with a “political” chuckle) Gov. Hopper: We are so blessed in our communities to have young parents teach their children what is right from

wrong so that these children become adults who appreciate the laws of our country.

Sen. Paine: No doubt, because without families our whole society would breakdown.

Gov. Hopper: This is why we have to support the family, married couples and their children, and dare I say, even emphasize the family in what we do as government officials.

Sen. Paine: Thank God for the great gift of family life that God gave to society.

I suspect you have more difficulty imagining this conversation in contrast to the earlier one between two priests. I am not attempting political commentary with this fictitious dialogue (Both sets of names are characters in famous movies), but rather highlight something that the Church teaches about marriage and the family.

God created the gift of marriage and family to be, in the words from Vatican II, the “first and vital cell of society.”

As family life goes so goes the state of society, because it is within families that we all learn the basic elements of living in a society. We learn right from wrong, how to treat others with courtesy, how to respect au-

thority – these things and others that play a part of family life are the same things that serve as a foundation of proper behavior in society. Rarely do we hear the media or politicians acknowledging the importance of the family to the stability of our democracy. But God created the gift of marriage and the family to provide for the foundation of all societies as well as to support the mission of the Church.

The people of God are preparing for Christmas Day. On this day when we celebrate the promise of our salvation found in a baby, when we marvel in the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, let us also pray in thanksgiving for another gift from God – your marriage and/or your family. And for our brothers and sisters who do not think of their particular marriage or family as a gift, a wound that hurts even more for many at this time of year, let us say another prayer for their peace and healing.

(P.S. The priestly names are from the movie “Going My Way” and the political names are from “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”)

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

December 14, 2016

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Three spiritual lessons for young Catholics Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to around 9,000 middle school and high school students from the Catholic schools of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. They were gathered in the cavernous Galen Center at the University of Southern California, and the atmosphere in the room was electric. There was a good deal of upbeat music and games, but when Archbishop Gomez processed into the arena carrying the Blessed Sacrament for Benediction, you could hear a pin drop. There is something uniquely moving about seeing 9,000 energetic kids suddenly falling to their knees in silent adoration.

At the very end of the morning, I came on stage to address the crowd. My first move was to ask all of the young people to scream as loudly as they could.

What ensued could be compared to about 10 jet airplanes taking off at the same time, or perhaps, to a Beatles concert circa 1964. When they finally settled down, I said, “I want you to remember that sound, because if we could harness that energy for the purposes of Christ, we could transform this entire city overnight.” I do indeed believe that Vatican II’s universal call to holiness is a largely unrealized dream. Most Catholics still don’t get that their vocation is to carry their

WORD ON FIRE

By Bishop Robert Barron

Founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

faith into the marketplace, into schools, into office buildings, into the corridors of government, into sports stadiums, and into the streets. I wanted those kids at USC at least to start thinking about this great mission.

I then shared three spiritual truths that I invited them to internalize. First, I said, if they want to be happy, they have to play an emptying game rather than a filling game. The secular culture, in a thousand ways, tells them that the key to happiness is filling up their lives with the goods of the world, more specifically, with money, sensual pleasure, power, and fame.

Watch, I told them, practically any movie, listen to practically any popular song, attend to practically any pop star, and you’ll hear this message over and over again, repeated ad nauseam. But precisely because

we have all been wired for God, which is to say, for an infinite happiness, none of these finite goods will ever satisfy the longing of the heart. Indeed, the more relentlessly we seek them, the less satisfying and more addictive they become. The game, instead, should be contriving a way to make your life a gift. The formula behind this resolution, I explained, is rather straightforward. Since God alone fills up the emptiness of the heart, and since God is love, then only a life of radical love will actually fulfill us and make us happy. Though it conforms to the strictest logic, this message has always been hard to take in. It has always appeared as countercultural.

The second lesson I shared was this: don’t settle for spiritual mediocrity! Quite appropriately, we strive for excellence in every arena of life: business,

sports, medicine, the arts, etc.

But somehow we think it’s alright to ignore the spiritual life or, if we think of it at all, to give it a modicum of our time and attention. But compared to worldly activities, the spiritual endeavor is infinitely more important, for it has, literally, eternal implications. When the young Fr. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) took young people on camping and kayaking excursions in the forests around Krakow in the mid-twentieth century, he was instilling in them a sense of the high adventure of life with Christ. At a time when the Communist government of Poland was endeavoring to stamp out the Catholic faith, Wojtyla was summoning his young charges to be saints.

And when those kids came of age, they were the great Catholic business leaders, great Catholic writers, great Catholic scientists and politicians who spearheaded the revolution that eventually led to the breakdown of the Soviet Empire. They weren’t satisfied being lukewarm Catholics, and neither, I told the young people at the Galen Center, should you.

The third spiritual lesson that I shared was this: be rebels! We worship the crucified Jesus, someone who stood so thoroughly athwart the religious, cultural, and political powers of his time that they saw fit to

put him to death. Every one of Jesus’ apostles, with the exception of St. John, died a martyr’s death. Every single bishop of Rome, for the first century of the Church’s life, was put to death for his faith. And if you think the age of martyrs is over, I informed the young people, think again. The twentieth century had more who witnessed to the faith with their lives than all of the previous centuries combined. We Christians are a rebellious lot – and this should appeal to the idealism and contrary spirit of the young. And don’t tell me that the rebels are singers and pop stars! Such people, obsessed with wealth, pleasure, fame, and power, are absolutely mainstream, run of the mill, ordinary as dirt. If you want to see a real rebel, I said, take a good hard look at the recently-canonized St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, the fourteenyear-old boy killed during the Cristero uprising in the early twentieth century. Tortured, mocked, forced to march on lacerated feet, shot on the edge of his own grave, he never renounced his Catholic faith.

Stand, I said, with the great rebels in the company of Christ.

What a joy it was to see so many of our young people gathered together in fellowship and enthusiasm for the Lord Jesus. May their tribe increase!

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December 14, 2016

LOCAL

Confirmation

Holy Trinity, Tabor

Our Northland Diocese is pleased to partner with parishes who submitted the following photos to honor their young people’s reception of the sacrament of Confirmation this fall.

St. Joseph’s, Oslo

Blessed Sacrament, Greenbush St. Michael’s, Mahnomen

Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

St. Andrew’s, Hawley

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

LOCAL

December 14, 2016

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Sacred Heart School Celebrates ‘A New Day’; foundation works toward sustaining growth

By Janelle C. Gergen Associate Editor, OND

E. GRAND FORKS, MINN. – On Oct. 7, Sacred Heart School parishioners, parents, alumni, and friends gathered in Klinkhammer Auditorium to celebrate the completion of the $6 million “New Day” capital campaign. A program was offered to those in attendance to recap accomplishments of the campaign and to provide insights regarding the continuing work of Sacred Heart’s Foundation.

A meal followed the program in the parish Social Hall.

In May of 2013, a National Advisory Council brought together a cross section of school alumni, business leaders and faculty to strategize ways for supporting and sustaining Sacred Heart School. A 20-person taskforce was established in the summer of 2013 to formalize recommendations in the following areas: Academic Identity, Character and Spiritual Life, Marketing and Recruitment, Finance, Tuition and Development, and Future Building Needs. The “New Day” campaign was launched on Dec. 6, 2013, to raise the capital investment needed of $6 million.

Over the two and a half year campaign, donors gave $3,497,409.62 to People and Programs, $1,932,365 to Scholarships and Endowments and $595,958.14 to a Building Endowment. Taskforce recommendations were also implemented during the campaign, including a restructuring of school administration to a President/Principal model, the hiring of a Dean of Academics as well as adding a dedicated staff person to marketing and recruitment efforts. As a result of these implementations, Sacred Heart School has seen an enrollment increase of 25 per-

Heather Odden of St. Joseph’s, Ada, speaks with two Soup and Pie Day attendees as they choose their desserts. The parish has hosted this charity fundraiser for 30 years. (Photos credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Denny DeMers, Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Foundation, shares his future vision for Sacred Heart School at the New Day Celebration on Oct. 7. Mark Brickson, Donor Relations Specialist for the foundation, and Carl Adolphson, Sacred Heart School President, stand behind him. (Submitted photo)

cent.

SACRED HEART FOUNDATION The Sacred Heart Foundation, established in 2014, is tasked with highlighting opportunities for giving at Sacred Heart in order to provide a sustainable financial base for generations to come.

Foundation board members include Gerard Neil, John Jeffrey, Joe Martin, Dan Zavoral, School President Carl Adolphson and Superintendent Msgr.

Mike Foltz.

The Sacred Heart Foundation is staffed by two part-time employees, Executive Director Denny DeMers who recently retired from his role as CEO of the Tri-Valley Opportunity Council; and Donor Relations Specialist Mark Brickson, also a recent retiree, who served as Director of Development for the School of Law at the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation.

The Foundation is currently focusing on three initiatives: to expand the donor base, raise

funds to help solve the problem of space issues created as a result of the school’s increased enrollment, and to establish on-going programs for giving including Giving Hearts Day and the ND Endowment Tax Credit.

DeMers is busy with “Class Connections,” a systematic means to identify, inform and connect alumni, families, friends and benefactors around Sacred Heart School. President Adolphson has taken the lead on working to solve what has been labeled the “good problem” of needing additional instructional space to accommodate a growing student population. Brickson has been tasked with the development and implementation of on-going giving programs.

If you are interested in learning more about the Sacred Heart Foundation, you may contact Mark Brickson at mbrickson@ sacredheartegf.net or Denny DeMers at ddemers@sacredheartegf.net.

Agassiz Valley TEC celebrating 40 years The 40th Anniversary of TEC in the Diocese of Crookston Celebration will be held Jan. 15, at St. Michael’s, Mahnomen. It will begin with a gathering at 3 p.m. followed by Mass at 4 p.m.

Dinner and a program will begin at 5 p.m. The celebration will close with XLT at 7 p.m.

The TEC board hopes people

who have been involved in TEC from the first retreat 40 years ago, until the most recent will attend. Everyone who has attended a TEC retreat is invited to come.

If you are able to attend please send a message to avteccrookston@gmail.com or call Terry Steen at 218-784-4131 to

help the TEC Board plan for dinner.

If you are unable to attend and would like to share a memory of TEC, please send it to: Agassiz Valley TEC Manager: Terry Steen, 405 E. Thorpe Ave, Ada, MN 56510; 218-784-4131, or avteccrookston@gmail.com

St. Joseph’s, Ada, holds 30th annual soup and pie charity fundraiser

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

ADA, MINN. – For 30 years, St. Joseph’s, Ada, has been serving soup and pie on the first Thursday of Advent to raise money to help people in need in the surrounding area.

Kay Marcussen of St. Joseph’s, Ada, helped organize the first event in 1986.

She said some of the women at the parish desired to support people in the community who were unable to afford things like Christmas trees, presents for their children, rent and utilities.

The menu of soup, pie and bread has remained unchanged, and approximately 300 people come to eat and bid on silent auction items.

“When we started, we probably didn’t have visions that we were going to do this for 30 years, but it grew every year,” Marcussen said. “It’s been a community effort.

People from every denomination support us as well as the businesses and for that we’re very grateful.”

She still comes to volunteer for the event, but Terry Steen of St. Joseph’s, Ada, has been leading it for the last 17 years.

Steen said everything for the meal and auction is donated or provided by the parish, so every dollar collected goes directly toward helping people.

This year, the Dec. 1 event raised $3,423.74. Steen said the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. William’s, Twin Valley and the Norman County Food Shelf will each receive $500. St. Joseph’s will place $500 into their fund to help

Kay Marcussen and Terry Steen of St. Joseph’s, Ada, pause their work to take a photo together during the parish’s 30th annual Soup and Pie Day. Marcussen helped start the charity fundraiser in 1986, and Steen took over coordinating the event 17 years ago.

people in need, and the remaining monies will be divided and distributed to churches in the community for the same purpose.

“It’s nice because it gets the whole parish involved,” Steen said.

Parishioners volunteer their time and donate goods for the auction, and Confirmation students spend the evening before helping prepare the food and setting up the dining area.

Marcussen is glad the event brings so many people together to give in so many ways.

“I think people in general really want to do things, sometimes it just takes an event for them to get involved,” she said. “The more people we invite to be part of it, the better it is for our faith community.”

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December 14, 2016

SPECIAL SECTION: YEAR IN REVIEW

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Looking back at 2016 in the Diocese of Crookston March

May

July

October

The Office of Vocations announced personnel changes on March 1. Father Xavier Ilango was appointed Director of the office and Father Craig Vasek was named Associate Director.

The annual Chrism Mass was March 21.

On March 31, Catholic and Lutheran leaders from northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota gathered at Sts. Anne and Joachim Church, Fargo, for an ecumenical day of prayer and reflection on Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si.”

In May, OND honored the conclusion of Dave Andrys’ 37 years as principal at Sacred Heart School, East Grand Forks, with a feature story.

The 2016 Rosary Convocation was held at St. Peter’s, Gentilly, on May 13. Its focus was the anticipation of the centenary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.

Twenty-four students graduated from Sacred Heart School, East Grand Forks, on May 29.

St. Joseph’s School, Moorhead, participated in the Butterfly Effect Project. A donor provided each classroom with $100 to positively impact the surrounding communities.

On July 1, the Office of the New Evangelization was restructured and split into three offices: Marriage, Family and Life; New Evangelization and Justice and Youth Ministry and Catechesis. Dr. Mark Krejci began working for the Diocese of Crookston as the Director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life on the same day.

Marriage Celebration Day was held at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, on Oct. 2. Leo and Dianne Wald were the honorary senior couple. Newlyweds Caleb and Michaela Wavra were honored as well.

The first of two diaconate formation “Come and See” events was held Oct. 16 at St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls. Another session will take place Jan. 22 at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, from 2-5 p.m.

On Oct. 19, the Diocese of Crookston announced a fundraising initiative entitled “Strengthening our Future, Honoring our Past.”

The purpose of the initiative is to support seminarians and retired priests.

The 2016 High School Youth Rally was held Oct. 20 at Ada-Borup High School in Ada. The theme was Rooted in Christ. (Photo)

January On Jan. 13, Sister Shawn Carruth, OSB, was installed as the 12th prioress of Mount St. Benedict.

The former Office of the New Evangelization hosted a Holy Hour for reparation and healing on Jan. 22, the date of the Roe V. Wade ruling 43 years ago.

Walks for life were held in Bemidji and Park Rapids on Jan 23. (Photo)

For more photos and news from 2016, view archived editons of OND at www.crookston.org/ond.

April During the weekend of April 8, a number of parishes combined forces to host Called and Gifted workshops with the Siena Institute.

They were held in Moorhead and Karlstad.

The Sisters of Mount St. Benedict held an open house that included tours of their newly finished monastery on April 24.

Deacon Matt Schmitz was ordained at St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls, on April 30. (Photo)

February On Feb. 14, Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner celebrated Mass at St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls, and blessed their newly renovated building.

The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion was celebrated at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston, on Feb 14.

Retired Msgr. William Mehrkens died on Feb. 26.

June Msgr. Grundhaus celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination with Mass and a reception at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on June 4.

Starting June 10, Holy Rosary School, Detroit Lakes, hosted a weekend-long celebration of their centennial.

Nine teams competed in the Bishop’s Cup Fishing Tournament at Maple Lake on June 11.

Retired Father James Bernauer died on June 19.

On June 27, the Strength of the Saints Tour stopped at St. Philip’s, Bemidji. Attendees had the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher and learn more about these saints during the USCCB’sFortnight for Freedom. (Photo)

August The sixth annual Esto Vir Vocations Camp was held at St. Mary’s, Two Inlets, from August 2-4. Young men from around the diocese spent the days in prayer and fellowship while learning about priesthood. (Photo) AJ Garcia began as Director of the Office of New Evangelization and Justice on August 2.

Ashley Beutler, formerly of St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, received her habit and the name Sister Maria Benedicta of the Holy Name of Jesus on August 6 as she transitioned from a postulant to a novice with the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in New Ulm, Minn.

Father Joe DeCrans celebrated his retirement at a party hosted by St. Joseph’s, Ada, on August 11.

The first of six Good Leaders Good Shepherds sessions began August 30. Many priests of the diocese are participating in this leadership development program.

Celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy in the Diocese of Crookston

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Highlights of 2016 in the worldwide Church Pope Francis releases ‘Amoris Laetitia’ On April 8, Pope Francis released his postsynodal apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love)”. In the exhortation, the pope reflected on the discussion, debate and suggestions coming out of the 2014 and 2015 meetings of the synod of bishops on the family.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda installed

September Beginning in September, Cathedral School fifth and sixth grades began a “Fridays with the Father” program. Each Friday morning, they spend time learning about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Bishop Emeritus Victor H. Balke celebrated the 40th anniversary of his episcopal ordination on Sept. 2, and his 85th birthday on Sept. 29.

On Sept. 6, Anthony Lavorata began working for the Diocese of Crookston as the Director of the Office of Youth Ministry and Catechesis.

Bishop Hoeppner celebrated Mass at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, on Sept. 18 and dedicated and blessed their new organ and music space.

The parish sponsored a dedicatory concert that afternoon featuring organist Christopher Stroh from the Basilica of St. Mary in St. Paul. (Photo) The annual Bishop’s Guild Gathering was held at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Sept. 25.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda was installed in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on May 13. (CNS Photo)

World Youth Day 2016 held in Krakow

The Holy Year began on Dec. 8, 2015 and continued through Nov. 20, 2016. The Jubilee was honored in many different ways throughout the Diocese of Crookston.

Pope Francis greets pilgrims July 28 at World Youth Day 2016. The gathering was held in Krakow from July 25-31. (CNS Photo)

St. Teresa of Kolkata is canonized

Opening the Door

MS Youth Rally

Beginning Again

Pilgrimage

Summer Camp

Jail Ministry

Deanery Talks

Closing the door

The Holy Door of Mercy was opened at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston, on Dec. 13, 2015.

The 2016 Middle School Youth Rally focused on the theme “Make Way for Mercy”. Students learned about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Father Sean Kilcawley of the Diocese of Lincoln gave a presentation entitled “Beginning Again from Christ’s Mercy” at St. Joseph’s, Moorhead on April 27. He spoke at St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls the next day.

Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks, ended a 12-mile pilgrimage by passing through the Holy Door at the Cathedral.

Other Northwest Deanery parishes also came for a presentaiton by Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner.

Campers at the 2016 St. John Paul II Middle School Camp focused on mercy through prayer and service from July 10-14.

Works of mercy performed by jail ministries throughout the Diocese of Crookston were highlighted in the July 13 edition of OND.

Bishop Hoeppner spoke about God’s mercy at a handful of deanery talks during the Jubilee Year.

He visited Assumption, Callaway, on Oct. 8.

Bishop Hoeppner led a final procession through the Holy Door on Nov. 12, at the end of 5 p.m.

Mass, concluding the local jubilee celebration.

St. Teresa of Kolkata was canonized on Sept. 4. (CNS Photo)

Pope names 17 new cardinals, 3 from U.S. On Oct. 9, Pope Francis announced the names of 17 new cardinals who were inducted into the College of Cardinals on Nov. 19. Three of them are from the United States: Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the new Vatican Office for Laity, Family and Life; and Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin of Indianapolis.

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December 14, 2016

COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE December 18 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Isaiah 7:10-14; Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

Psalm 24:1-6;

Romans 1:1-7;

By Sharon K. Perkins Catholic News Service On more than one occasion, I’ve heard the Holy Spirit described as the “forgotten” member of the Trinity – and I can understand why. As a cradle Catholic, I think the only time I heard anyone preach or teach about the Holy Spirit was on Pentecost Sunday and at my confirmation, although in every sign of the cross the Holy Spirit is certainly mentioned. But in today’s readings, the Spirit of God is front and center.

Reminiscent of the Genesis account of creation and the Spirit “sweeping over the waters,” today’s responsorial psalm describes the earth and its fullness as being “founded ... upon the seas.” In the great tradition of the prophets of Israel, Isaiah prophesies in the power of the Spirit that a “virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.”

But most striking is the role of the Holy Spirit in the pivotal event of human history: the incarnation of the Son of God in the womb of Mary. Twice, Matthew’s Gospel states that this happened “through the Holy Spirit,” and this claim is borne out in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel and also professed in the Nicene Creed.

We’re not talking about some anonymous, shadowy “force” that is the stuff of science fiction. In fact, Scripture describes a divine being so intensely personal that Mary has been identified as the “spouse” of the Holy Spirit in an ongoing, eternal relationship. In other words, it is the unique union of Mary and the Holy Spirit that made Jesus’ incarnation and birth possible – not only as a past historical event but continually and eternally (wrap your mind around that one!).

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FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

December 25 THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1-6; Gospel: John 1:1-18 or John 1:1-5, 9-14

Hebrews 1:1-6;

By Deacon Mike Ellerbrock Catholic News Service

When we’re not overwhelmed with holiday hype, we Catholics tend to think of Advent as simply a religious preparation for Christmas, a one-time occurrence until Dec. 25 rolls around again.

In truth, Advent is an anticipatory celebration of the unceasing entry of Emmanuel, “God ... with us,” into our hearts and lives. It’s the Holy Spirit that accomplishes this, and when it occurs – if we’re awake and alert – it’s unforgettable.

Questions: What is your relationship with the Holy Spirit?

How does Mary’s title, “Spouse of the Holy Spirit,” give you new insight about the mother of Jesus?

“FOR IT IS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT THIS CHILD HAS BEEN CONCEIVED IN HER.” – MATTHEW 1:20

Why does Christmas bring out the best message. Soul mates and literary colin us? Powerful enough to induce a 24- leagues, they inspired each other for dehour cease-fire with music among com- cades to put their faith in print to explore batants in World War I, the image of an the essential goodness of humanity reinnocent infant in a barnyard manger of- deemed by God’s grace. Using mytholfering peace and hope to a broken world ogy to spark the Christian imagination causes hearts to pause and consider the of generations, their legacy includes possibility.

“The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings,” Beginning at home, could we be so “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The moved as to rewrite the rules of life?

Screwtape Letters.”

Who was this special child born to a Similarly, John’s Gospel invites us into virgin? If he was indeed the long-awaited the Holy Family’s sacred home “full Messiah (“Anointed One”) revealed by of grace and truth” where light dispels angels, a star and a dove, what was his darkness and believers become children mission? of God. Giving is receiving. Unmerited When the guns of war fell quiet that gifts call forth our best instincts. Salvasilent night along a 460-mile front in tion arrives in a lowly infant under our Belgium and France, Allied and German care and trust. Goodwill and joy beckon troops spontaneously broke into a vol- all nations. Alleluia! ley of Christmas carols. Reverberating voices displaced the deafening roar of artillery fire. For a glorious moment, peace reigned instead of terror.

World War I altered history by unleashing dramatic advancements in the technology of warfare that killed 17 million and wounded another 20 million in only four years. Evil was raw. The human toll and utter devastation of the land drove many survivors into deep pessimism about the human condition.

Two young British soldiers who experienced that war in the brutal, filthy trenches – J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis – later bonded into lifelong friends. Despite the devastation of World War I, Tolkien held onto his Catholic faith, and he played a large role in Lewis converting from atheQuestions: ism to Christianity.

Leaping the existential abyss, Tolkien How does the Incarnation bring us “grace in and Lewis chose Christ and his Gospel place of grace”?

“FROM HIS FULLNESS WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED, GRACE IN PLACE OF GRACE.” – JOHN 1:16

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LOCAL

December 14, 2016

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Local St. Vincent de Paul Society members help hundreds in need Submitted by Marge Klinger of St. Joseph’s, Moorhead

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is the oldest most successful charitable organization in the world with nearly 1 million men and women throughout the world who volunteer to seek out and provide personto-person aid to the poor and needy in 150 countries on five continents and in the Diocese of Crookston. They have been helping people worldwide since 1833. The society began in Paris, France, with a young layman and student, Frederic Ozanam. The first Conference was formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 1845.

Society members in the Diocese of Crookston have completed 180 home visits through the parishes of St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, and St. Phillip’s, Bemidji, and served 134 families at St. William’s food pantry in Twin Valley. From Oct. 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2016, over 400 men, women and children received assistance of some kind amounting to $32,000.

The society’s personalized involvement makes the work of

“You are the servant of the poor … They are your masters, and the more difficult they will be, the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you will give them.”

– St. Vincent de Paul

the organization unique. This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation, or direct dollar or in-kind services. An essential precept of the society’s work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are served.

Members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul see the face of Christ in those they serve. Families, single parents, elderly and single individuals who are having problems paying for rent, water, medications, or electricity call on the society for help. They often do not have enough money to buy food for their families. A family was about to be evicted from their home because they had to choose between paying rent and buying a child’s medicine.

When money was short, one parent had to choose between purchasing food and purchasing diapers. Homeless persons were brought to area shelters by society members so they could have a good meal and a bed. Bus passes were provided to individuals so they could get to work or health care facilities. A homeless person suffering from various illnesses asked to receive the Anointing of the Sick, to attend Mass and to receive Holy Communion.

Society members have visited homes that have no beds or other furnishings or the lights and water have been turned off because they can’t pay the bill, or need gas so they can get to work. Many calls for assistance are for rent or utilities that are overdue and the person is one

paycheck away from being homeless.

The society helps in many ways. The home visit is an essential part of giving assistance to friends in need. First and foremost for those that seek assistance from the society is to take care of their material needs. These must be met before one can focus on their spiritual needs. Financial need for housing and utilities is most often requested. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s finances are provided through donations, grants and fundraisers.

When funds run short the society members appeal to other St. Vincent de Paul conferences in the region or collaborate with other agencies in the community. One hundred percent of donations are used for direct service for friends in need.

Thousands of volunteer hours go into this program.

As Disciples of Christ, Vincentians go on home visits two by two, just as Jesus sent out his disciples two by two. A home visit consists of prayer by the Vincentians before entering the home, and during the visit, the needs of the family are dis-

cussed as well as how to best serve the individual. The Vincentians are invite the people in the home to pray before the visit ends. Those visited are open to prayer even if they do not know how to pray.

The goal of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to invite caring people to give hope to those living in despair. It is a Catholic lay organization that leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering. It is not a social service agency. The society is concerned not only with alleviating need but also with identifying those structures, societal and legislative, that cause and perpetuate poverty. The society welcomes all who wish to live their faith by loving and serving their neighbors. The home visit is frequently a wonderful faith builder for all parties involved.

It brings hope to families to know that someone really cares by visiting them in their homes.

To learn more about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, please contact Marge Klinger at 701-212-0392.

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December 14, 2016

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston addresses a news conference Nov. 15 at the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. The cardinal was elected USCCB president that morning. Seated to his left is Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who was elected USCCB vice president. (CNS/ Bob Roller)

USCCB president, vice president elected BALTIMORE (CNS) – Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston was elected president of the U.S. bishops’ conference Nov. 15 for a three-year term to begin at the conclusion of the bishops’ annual fall general assembly in Baltimore.

Cardinal DiNardo collected a majority of votes on the first ballot of voting during the second day of the bishops’ public session. Based on the number of bishops voting, 104 votes were needed for election, and Cardinal DiNardo – the current vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – received 113. He will succeed Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, whose three-year term as president concludes at the end of the meeting. Elected vice president was Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles. He was elected on the third ballot by 131-84 in a run-off against Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond

of New Orleans. Under rules established by the USCCB, the names of 10 bishops who are willing to be nominated for the USCCB presidency are presented for voting. After a president is elected, the remaining nine are then considered for the vice presidency. If no candidate of the nine has received a simple majority after two ballots, the third ballot features only the two top vote-getters in the second round.

Report commissioned by bishops finds abundance of diversity BALTIMORE (CNS) – The Catholic Church is one of the most culturally diverse institutions in the United States and Catholic institutions and ministries need to adapt and prepare for growing diversity, said a report presented to the country’s bishops Nov. 15. The report, by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, was commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church in 2013 to help identify the size and distribution of ethnic communities in the country. Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, chairman of the committee, called the study “groundbreaking” because he said it combined, for the first time, all available data from Catholic and non-Catholic sources and mapped the multicultural and ethnic diversity of the church nationwide. Of the world’s estimated 1.3 billion Catholics, the study found, less than 6 percent live in the United States. Of the U.S. Catholic population: 42,512,591, are white (non-His-

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panic); 29,731,302 are Hispanic or Latino; 2,905,935 are Asian, Native Hawaiian; 2,091,925 are black, African-American, African, Afro-Caribbean; and 536,601 are American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Cardinal Dolan urges stronger effort to stop physician-assisted suicide WASHINGTON (CNS) – The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities has called for increased efforts and “renewed vigor” to stop legalized physicianassisted suicide after the practice was approved by voters in Colorado and the District of Columbia City Council. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York urged Catholics to join medical professionals, disability rights groups and others “in fighting for the authentic care” of people facing terminal illness in a statement released Nov. 21. “The act of prescribing a fatal, poisonous dose, moreover, undermines the very heart of medicine,” Cardinal Dolan said. “Doctors vow to

do no harm, and yet assisted suicide is the ultimate abandonment of their patients.” He said physician-assisted suicide creates two classes of people including one whose suicides are to be prevented at any cost, and those whose suicides are deemed a positive good. “We remove weapons and drugs that can cause harm to one group, while handing deadly drugs to the other, setting up yet another kind of life-threatening discrimination,” he said.

“Doctors vow to do no harm, and yet assisted suicide is the ultimate abandonment of their patients.”

- Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Hopes for Sheen transfer still high despite granting of emergency stay PEORIA, ILL. (CNS) – Hopes buoyed in the Diocese of Peo-

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ria by a Nov. 17 court ruling allowing Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s family to transfer the sainthood candidate’s remains from New York to Peoria were tempered by an emergency stay being granted to the Archdiocese of New York, which planned to appeal the ruling. In a 10-page decision, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arlene Bluth had granted the request of Archbishop Sheen’s niece, Joan Sheen Cunningham, to have the remains of the famed orator and media pioneer removed from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and transferred to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria, where a crypt is being prepared for his re-interment.

However, five days later, lawyers representing the Archdiocese of New York and the trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral – who oppose the relocation of the remains – announced their intention to appeal Bluth’s ruling. They also sought and were granted the stay. The transfer is seen as a key factor in allowing Archbishop Sheen’s sainthood cause to move forward.

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Pope Francis places a red biretta on new Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago during a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 19. The pope created 17 new cardinals. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope calls new cardinals to be agents of unity in divided world VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Catholic Church’s 17 new cardinals must dedicate their lives to being ministers of forgiveness and reconciliation in a world – and sometimes a church – often marked by hostility and division, Pope Francis said. Even Catholics are not immune from “the virus of polarization and animosity,” the pope told the new cardinals, and “we need to take care lest such attitudes find a place in our hearts.” Creating 17 new cardinals from 14 nations Nov. 19, the pope said the College of Cardinals – and the Catholic Church itself – must be a sign for the world that differences of nationality, skin color, language and social class do not make people enemies, but brothers and sisters with different gifts to offer. Three of the new cardinals created during the prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica were from the United States: Cardinals Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the new Vatican office for laity, family and life; and Joseph W. Tobin, whom the pope asked to move

from being archbishop of Indianapolis to archbishop of Newark, New Jersey. Only 16 of the new cardinals were present for the ceremony. The Vatican said 87-year-old Cardinal Sebastian Koto Khoarai, the retired bishop of Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho, was created a cardinal although he was unable to travel to Rome.

Proclaim Christ the king of mercy, pope says at end of Holy Year VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Following Christ the King, whose regal power is love and mercy, means the whole church and each Christian must “follow his way of tangible love,” Pope Francis said. Celebrating the feast of Christ the King Nov. 20 and officially closing the extraordinary jubilee celebration of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis insisted, “we have received mercy in order to be merciful.” On a warm, late fall morning, St. Peter’s Square was filled with an estimated 70,000 people for the Mass, which was concelebrated by the new cardinals Pope Francis had created the previous day. The pope and the new cardinals first went to the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica and gave thanks for “the gifts of grace received” during the Holy Year. Pope Francis then went to the threshold of the Holy Door and pulled each side shut. The door will be sealed until the next Holy Year, which is likely to be 2025. In his homily, Pope Francis said that even if the Holy Door is closed, “the true door of mercy, which is the heart of Christ, always remains open wide for us.” The power of Christ the King, he said, “is not power as defined

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by this world, but the love of God, a love capable of encountering and healing all things.”

Like the “good thief ” who turned to Jesus on the cross and was assured a place in heaven, anyone who turns to God with trust can be forgiven, the pope said. “He is ready to completely and forever cancel our sin, because his memory – unlike our own – does not record evil that has been done or keep score of injustices experienced.”

Pope extends special Year of Mercy provisions on confession VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Acknowledging and sharing God’s mercy is a permanent part of the Christian life, so initiatives undertaken during the special Year of Mercy must continue, Pope Francis said. “Mercy cannot become a mere parenthesis in the life of the church,” the pope wrote in an apostolic letter, “Misericordia et Misera,” (“Mercy and Misery”), which he signed Nov. 20 at the end of the Year of Mercy. The Vatican released the text the next day.

The Catholic Church’s focus on God’s mercy must continue with individual acts of kindness, assistance to the poor and, particularly, with encouraging Catholics to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation and making it easier for them to do so, the pope wrote. In his letter, Pope Francis said he formally was giving all priests permanent permission to grant absolution to those who confess to having procured an abortion.

While many bishops around the world, and almost all bishops in the United States, routinely grant that faculty to all their priests, Pope Francis had made

it universal during the Holy Year. According to canon law, procuring an abortion brings automatic excommunication to those who know of the penalty, but procure the abortion anyway. Without formal permission, priests had been required to refer the case to their bishops before the excommunication could be lifted and sacramental absolution could be granted to a woman who had an abortion or those directly involved in the procedure. “I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life,” the pope wrote. “In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”

Pope chooses focus on Mary for upcoming WYD celebrations

December 14, 2016

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faith, charity and hope.” World Youth Day is celebrated annually on a local level, and every two or three years with an international gathering with the pope. At the end of the World Youth Day celebration in July in Krakow, Poland, Pope Francis announced the next international gathering would be held in Panama in 2019.

Pope: When God calls, he always inspires, walks with his disciples VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Through individual vocations, God calls men and women to be touched and transformed by his love, not use his gift for personal comfort, pursuing business opportunities or self-promotion, Pope Francis said. “All Christians are called to be missionaries of the Gospel,” the pope said in his message for the 2017 World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The message was released at the Vatican Nov. 30.

As disciples, “we do not receive the gift of God’s love for our personal consolation, nor are we called to promote ourselves, or a business concern.

We are simply men and women touched and transformed by the joy of God’s love, who cannot keep this experience just to ourselves.” The day of prayer will be celebrated May 7 at the Vatican and in many dioceses around the world; the theme for 2017 is: “Led by the Spirit for Mission.” In his message, the pope said commitment to mission is essential to the faith.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has chosen a focus on Mary for the next World Youth Day celebrations, which will be held in dioceses in 2017 and 2018 and with an international gathering in Panama in 2019.

The pope has highlighted the way the Mother of Jesus was always open to the Lord’s will and has described her “as a role model to be imitated,” said the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life in a press release Nov. 22. The themes “are intended to give a clear Marian tone to the spiritual journey” of the next three World Youth Days as well as to “give a picture of young people on a journey between Pope recognizes the past (2017), present (2018) martyrdom of Oklahoma and future (2019), inspired by priest killed in Guatemala the three theological virtues of VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, making him the first martyr born in the United States. The Vatican made the announcement Dec. 2. The recognition of his martyrdom clears the way for his beatification. Father Rother, born March 27, 1935, on his family’s farm near Okarche, Oklahoma, was brutally murdered July 28, 1981, in a Guatemalan village where he ministered to the poor. He went to Santiago Atitlan in 1968 on assignment from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. He helped the people there build a small hospital, school and its first Catholic radio station. He was beloved by

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December 14, 2016

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the locals, who called him “Padre Francisco.” Many priests and religious in Guatemala became targets during the country’s 1960-1996 civil war as government forces cracked down on leftist rebels supported by the rural poor.

Vatican commission launches child protection website VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has launched a beta version of its website in English and has included its template for local guidelines on preventing sexual abuse, resources for a day of prayer for the victims and survivors as well as a mailing address to contact commission members.

The website – www.protectionofminors.va – eventually will include versions in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French, the commission said in a statement Dec. 6. Pope Francis’ international Council of Cardinals identified the protection of children and young adults as one of the Church’s priority needs and suggested in December 2013 that he create a commission to advise him and assist dioceses and religious orders around the world in drawing up guidelines, handling accusations and ministering to victims and survivors. Pope Francis named the first members three months later and appointed as president

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston.

At Christmas, recognize your sin and let God caress you, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) – At Christmas, God reveals his full power, which is the power of relentlessly seeking his lost sheep and, when he finds them, giving them a caress, Pope Francis said. “One who does not know the caresses of the Lord does not know Christian doctrine.

One who does not let himself be caressed by the Lord is lost,” the pope said Dec. 6 during his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where he lives. Pope Francis said that when he reads the Gospel story of the lost sheep, he always thinks of Judas, “the most perfect lost sheep in the Gospels.”

In the Bible, he said, Judas seems always to have had “bitterness in his heart,” something critical to say about others and a standoffish attitude.

Vatican updates priest education guidelines VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Catholic Church needs holy, healthy and humble priests and that requires prayers for vocations and the careful selection and training of candidates, said the Congregation for Clergy.

Updating 1985 guidelines for preparing men for the Latin-rite priesthood and ensuring their

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continuing education, training and support, the Congregation for Clergy Dec. 7 released “The Gift of the Priestly Vocation,” a detailed set of guidelines and norms for priestly formation. The updated document draws heavily on St. John Paul II’s 1992 apostolic exhortation on priestly formation, as well as on the teaching of and norms issued by now-retired Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and by Vatican offices over the past three decades. It reaffirms an instruction approved by Pope Benedict in 2005, which said, “the church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deepseated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’” The document insists that through courses in pastoral theology, the example of priests and practical experience, candidates for the priesthood learn that priestly ministry involves – as Pope Francis says – being “shepherds ‘with the smell of the sheep,’ who live in their midst to bring the mercy of God to them.”

Pope says ‘Amoris Laetitia’ is result of listening, discernment VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Everything in “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis’ exhortation on the family, sprang from consultations with Catholics around

the world and was thoroughly discussed by the bishops at the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family, Pope Francis said.

“Either you have a pyramidal church where everything Peter says is done or you have a synodal church where Peter is Peter, but he accompanies the church, lets it grow, listens.

What is more, he learns from this reality and sees how to harmonize it,” the pope told the Belgian Catholic weekly newspaper Tertio. Pope Francis said the “richest experience” of the church operating in a way that is not strictly “top down” came from the two meetings of the Synod of Bishops on the family. In preparation for the meetings, every bishop in the world, every diocese and Catholic organizations were asked for their input. The process highlighted the richness of the variety found in the church and was a sign of its “unity in diversity,” the pope said.

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Francis prayed Dec. 8 as he recited the Angelus prayer with visitors in St. Peter’s Square on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Even when they do not say “no” to God, human beings can be experts in saying, “yes, but ...” to God, the pope said. “To avoid saying ‘no’ outright to God, we say, ‘Sorry, but I can’t,’ ‘Not today, but maybe tomorrow,’ ‘Tomorrow I will be better, tomorrow I will pray, I’ll do good tomorrow,’” he said.

But in responding that way, “we close the door to what is good and evil profits.” Nevertheless, Pope Francis said, God keeps trying to reach out and save us.

And through the “yes” of Mary, he became human, “exactly like us except for one thing, that ‘no,’ that sin. This is why he chose Mary, the only creature without sin, immaculate.”

Mary shows what good comes from wholehearted ‘yes’ to God, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Although she was just a humble young woman from a small town, Mary’s total “yes” to God was “the most important ‘yes’ of history” and overturned Adam and Eve’s prideful “no,” which unleashed sin into the world, Pope Francis said. “With generosity and trust like Mary, may each of us say this personal ‘yes’ to God today,” Pope

A firefighter salutes after placing a wreath on a statue of Mary overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Rome’s firefighters have observed the tradition every year since 1857.

(CNS photo/Paul Haring)

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PRAYER CALENDAR

JANUARY 2017

JANUARY 1 SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER Bishop Victor H. Balke (retired) JANUARY 2 STS. BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN, BISHOPS Fr. Todd Arends JANUARY 3 THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS Msgr. David Baumgartner JANUARY 4 ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, RELIGIOUS Fr. Don Braukmann JANUARY 5 ST. JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP Fr. Luis Buitron JANUARY 6 ST. ANDRÉ BESSETTE, RELIGIOUS Fr. Tim Bushy JANUARY 7 ST. RAYMOND OF PENYAFORT, PRIEST Fr. John Christianson JANUARY 8 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Fr. John Cox, OMI JANUARY 9 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Fr. Bill DeCrans JANUARY 10 WEEKDAY Fr. Joe DeCrans (retired) JANUARY 11 WEEKDAY Fr. Larry Delaney JANUARY 12 WEEKDAY Fr. Antony Fernando JANUARY 13 ST. HILARY, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Msgr. Mike Foltz JANUARY 14 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Tom Friedl JANUARY 15 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Augie Gothman JANUARY 16 WEEKDAY Msgr. Roger Grundhaus (retired)

JANUARY 17 ST. ANTHONY, ABBOT Fr. Adam Hamness JANUARY 18 WEEKDAY Fr. Joseph Hitpas, OMI JANUARY 19 WEEKDAY Fr. Chuck Huck JANUARY 20 ST. FABIAN, POPE, MARTYR; ST. SEBASTIAN, MARTYR Fr. Xavier Ilango JANUARY 21 ST. AGNES, VIRGIN, MARTYR Fr. Joe Kieselbach (retired) JANUARY 22 THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. John Kleinwachter JANUARY 23 DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN; ST. VINCENT, DEACON, MARTYR; ST. MARIANNE COPE, VIRGIN Msgr. Donald Krebs (retired) JANUARY 24 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. Bryan Kujawa JANUARY 25 THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE Fr. Rick Lambert JANUARY 26 STS. TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS Fr. Gary LaMoine JANUARY 27 ST. ANGELA MERICI, VIRGIN Fr. Bob LaPlante JANUARY 28 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Msgr. Tim McGee JANUARY 29 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Vincent Miller JANUARY 30 WEEKDAY Fr. Daniel Nassaney, OMI JANUARY 31 ST. JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST Fr. George Noel

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

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POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTION

JANUARY 2017

(Photo credit: CNS)

CHRISTIAN UNITY That all Christians may be faithful to the Lord’s teaching by striving with prayer and fraternal charity to restore ecclesial communion and by collaborating to meet the challenges facing humanity.

DAILY SCRIPTURE JANUARY 1 - Nm 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21 JANUARY 2 - 1 Jn 2:22-28; Ps 98:14; Jn 1:19-28 JANUARY 3 - 1 Jn 2:29-3:6; Ps 98:1, 3c-4, 5-6; Jn 1:29-34 JANUARY 4 - 1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98:1, 7-9; Jn 1:35-42 JANUARY 5 - 1 Jn 3:11-21; Ps 100:1b5; Jn 1:43-51 JANUARY 6 - 1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147: 1215, 19-20; Mk 1:7-11 or Lk 3:23-28 or Lk 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38 JANUARY 7 - 1 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149:16a, 9b; Jn 2:1-11 JANUARY 8 - Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12 JANUARY 9 - Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Acts 10:34-38; Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 9-10; Mt 3:13-17 JANUARY 10 - Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2ab, 5-9; Mk 1:21-28 or Heb 1:1-6; Mk 1:1420 JANUARY 11 - Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Mk 1:29-39 JANUARY 12 - Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95:67c, 8-11; Mk 1:40-45 JANUARY 13 - Heb 4:1-5, 11; Ps 78:3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2:1-12 JANUARY 14 - Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:810, 15; Mk 2:13-17 JANUARY 15 - Is 49:3, 5-6; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34

JANUARY 2017 JANUARY 16 - Heb 5:1-10; Ps 110:14; Mk 2:18-22 JANUARY 17 - Heb 6:10-20; Ps 111:1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c; Mk 2:23-28 JANUARY 18 - Heb 7:1-3, 15-17; PS 110:1-4; Mk 2:1-6 JANUARY 19 - Heb 7:25-8:6; Ps 40:7-10, 17; Mk 3:7-12 JANUARY 20 - Heb 8:6-13; Ps 85:8, 10-14; Mk 3:13-19 JANUARY 21 - Heb 9:2-3, 11-14; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Mk 3:20-21 JANUARY 22 - Is 8:23-9:3; Ps 271, 4, 13-14; 1 Cor 1;10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17 JANUARY 23 - Heb 9:15, 24-28; Ps 98:1-6; Mk 3:22-30 JANUARY 24 - Heb 10:1-10; Ps 40:2, 4ab, 7-8a, 10-11; Mk 3:31-35 JANUARY 25 - Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Ps 117:1-2; Mk 16:15-18 JANUARY 26 - 2 Tim 1:1-8 or Ti 1:15; Ps 96:1-3, 7-8, 10; Mk 4:21-25 JANUARY 27 - Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40; Mk 4:26-34 JANUARY 28 - Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; (Ps) Lk 1:69-75; Mk 4:35-41 JANUARY 29 - Zep 2:3, 3:12-13; Ps 146:6-10; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12a JANUARY 30 - Heb 11:32-40; Ps 31:20-24; Mk 5:1-20 JANUARY 31 - Heb 12:1-4; Ps 22:2629, 30-32; Mk 5:21-43

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