Give Thanks to the Lord Dear Friends in Christ,
Rejoice in Hope Bishop John M. Quinn of the most humbling yet joyful experiences I have is witnessing your response to God’s call to help with the needs of each other and the needs of the Church. So many of you place your
faith. Death will claim every living person and thing. Jesus Christ is our hope and His victory over sin and death reminds us that life does not end in death. In the first preface for the dead in the new missal are the beautiful words, “Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended, and when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.” Be sure to pray for our beloved dead in purgatory during this month of the Holy Souls. I am greatly comforted that if I am not ready to be in God’s presence after death, there is time for purification so that divine love can break fully into my life and Christ can be the center of all my relationships. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Synod on the Family The Ordinary Synod on the Family 2015 has now concluded. The final document of the Synod was a beautiful affirmation of marriage and family and a need for sensitive pastoral care. Please read an explanation of this document on page 7 of this issue of The Courier. Let us continue to pray for the Holy Father as he takes
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this document and through prayer will discern what the next steps should be. During his visit to the United States, Pope Francis was always asking people to pray for him. Let us honor that request daily. Gratitude As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to share just a few of the many reasons my heart is so grateful. First, I am grateful for God’s indomitable love in Christ, which called me to priesthood. I am grateful to every single person that has supported me along my spiritual journey, especially to all of you who pray for me and support my ministry as your bishop. I am grateful for our priests, deacons, and religious brothers and sisters of the past and present. Without their ‘yes,’ without their total commitment to Jesus, the Church could not continue its public ministry. Thank you for offering your lives. I am grateful for our seminarians, the young men discerning a call to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. They are true hope and a bright light to all. Life November is National Adoption Month. I am thankful for the gift of life we each have received
from God. What a beautiful gift of family life a couple can give to an orphaned or abandoned child when they open their hearts to adoption! We want women in crisis pregnancies to know there are other options. I want to thank Catholic Charities especially for all their efforts in helping generous couples and these wonderful children find each other. This is a great service in living out our prolife belief, that we are not merely against abortion but we are for life! I am so grateful to all who are involved in the adoption ministry; may God bless your work as you continue to be a light of hope to those in need. Vocations Awareness Week, Nov. 1-7 National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. We continue to pray for vocations in our diocese and we extend our most sincere “Welcome!” to the new seminarians at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, whom you will be introduced to over the next few issues of the Courier. I also extend congratulations to the young women in our diocese who have entered consecrated religious life or taken vows this
From the Bishop
November is the time that our nation has chosen to ‘give thanks’ for our countless blessings from God. Please allow me to let you know how grateful I am for all of you, the faithful of the Diocese of Winona. One
gifts, your resources, your time – yourselves – at God’s service in and through the Church. For this, I am truly grateful. All Saints Day The Feast of All Saints reminds us that our lives are destined for union with God in heaven. On November 1, the Church celebrates the countless numbers of men and women who behold the mystery and beauty of the Trinity in heaven. Saints are ordinary people who loved God and loved people in an extraordinary way and desired holiness more than anything in this world. I know I have lived with saints, worked with them and learned from them. A priest friend often preached that Saints are sinners who kept trying. So, don’t give up! Jesus Christ gave us the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Penance and the other Sacraments to transform our hearts so that we can become servants of God in this world and, one day in heaven, behold the beauty, the glory and the love of the Triune God so we can one day take our place in the communion of Saints. Month of the Holy Souls On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls’ Day and prays for those who have gone before us marked with the sign of
year in their orders. The spiritual life of the
Bishop, cont'd on pg. 15
Bishop's Calendar November 3, Tuesday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU – Winona 11 a.m. – Mass – DOW Priest Retreat - Winona November 4, Wednesday 2 p.m. – Mass of Installation of Most Rev. James Johnston Jr. as Bishop of Kansas City, Missouri November 5, Thursday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU – Winona 7 p.m. – Seminar on the Council of Trent at SMU - Winona November 6, Friday 6:30 a.m. – Lauds and Mass - IHM Seminary - Winona November 8, Sunday 2 p.m. – Confirmation with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Easton; St. Casimir, Wells; St. John the Baptist, Minnesota Lake; St. Teresa, Mapleton; St. Joseph, Good Thunder; St. Matthew, Vernon Center – to be held in Easton at
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. 7 p.m. – Mass – Newman Center - Mankato November 10, Tuesday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU – Winona 7 p.m. – Ecumenical Prayer Service on Encyclical “Laudato Si” – St. John the Evangelist Church – Rochester November 11, Wednesday 1 p.m. – Holy Hour 2 p.m. – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting 5 p.m. – Mass and Dinner with SMU Christian Brothers of the Midwest – Winona November 12, Thursday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU – Winona 12:10 p.m. – Mass for Deceased Clergy – St. John the Evangelist Church – Rochester November 13, Friday USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis –
Baltimore, Maryland November 15, Sunday USCCB Committee on Education – Baltimore, Maryland November 16, Monday November 18, Wednesday USCCB General Meeting Baltimore, Maryland
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November 19, Thursday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU – Winona November 22, Sunday 5:30 p.m. – Vespers and Thanksgiving Dinner at IHM Seminary - Winona
December 1, Tuesday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU 11 a.m. – Presbyteral Council – Albert Lea December 2, Wednesday 11 a.m. – Minnesota Catholic Conference – St. Paul 7 p.m. – Nostra Aetate Celebration – Minneapolis December 3, Thursday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU 1 p.m. – Holy Hour 2 p.m. – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting
November 23, Monday 4 p.m. – Sacred Heart Major Seminary Board Meeting via telephone conference
December 4, Friday 6:30 a.m. – Lauds and Mass at IHM Seminary – Winona 12:10 p.m. – Mass for intention of “Reparation for a Culture of Violence and Disrespect for Human Life” – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish –Winona
November 24, Tuesday 7:45 a.m. – Teach at SMU – Winona
December 5, Saturday 5:15 p.m. – Confirmation – St. John the Baptist Parish – Mankato November, 2015 w The Courier