2015 May Issue of The Courier

The

COURIER

The Blessed Virgin Mary

May 2015

www.dowcourier.org

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, MN

Seven

lessons our Blessed Mother teaches us about Motherhood

As we spend time this month reflecting on the Queen of heaven and earth, we beg her for her intercession and assistance in being the children of God that we were made to be.

She is a model for all women, and reflects the beauty of God through her life. Since this is the month to also honor our earthly mothers, what can we learn from Mary, from her humble and passionate life, about motherhood? Women, especially mothers, are one of the most self-critical groups of people. If we only knew the true standard by which to measure ourselves, our lives would be more peaceful, more hopeful, more full of grace and love. by: Theresa Martin, Associate Editor

1.

You will make mistakes and it’s okay.

Mary was without sin, and on the way back from the Temple for Passover, she could not find Jesus, not for a few minutes but for a few days!

She and St. Joseph did find him eventually and all ended well.

How often do mothers beat themselves up with every little mistake they make? One forgetful moment or miscommunication and they

take themselves into an internal mental lashing at how awful they are at this mothering thing.

Yet, through Mary’s example, we can see that it is okay. No, you are not perfect. God did not make you perfect; however, He did give you everything you need to be the best mom for your children! We must learn to love ourselves and be at peace even with our mistakes, having faith that God made you a mother and He does not make mistakes!

2.

Motherhood is risky; mothers are courageous.

When Mary said “yes!” to God, she took a great risk. She didn’t know what her own mother would say, what Joseph would think or how the people in her town might react. God asked her to accept new life and she said “yes!” She knew the risks and yet trusted in our Lord.

When a woman is open to life, she says yes to our Lord. Pregnancy is not easy. For some women, it is even quite risky. Also, raising a new child takes a risk. You do not know what will happen in this child’s life or if illness will come or if tragedy will strike. Yet, God asks a woman to be open to life. It’s okay to have a little fear; you are not alone. You show great courage just by accepting motherhood! Yet, when we trust God, He always provides for us.

Seven lessons, cont'd on pg. 16

Bishop Quinn and Msgr. Melvin present George Weigel with the Immaculate Heart of Mary Award.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary hosts annual Bishops and Rector's Dinner Author George Weigel was the recipient of the 2015 Immaculate Heart of Mary Award at the 12th Annual Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary Bishops and Rector's Dinner April 24. More than 250 people attended the dinner, including 20 priests, 60 seminarians, and Bishop John M. Quinn (Diocese of Winona), Bishop Donald J. Kettler (Diocese of St. Cloud), and Bishop John M. LeVoir (Diocese of New Ulm).

“The Immaculate Heart of Mary Award recognizes and honors a priest, religious or lay person's significant effort in assisting diocesan seminarians in the discernment and formation of their vocation as Diocesan Priests. Bishop Quinn chose George Weigel, because he is a person of faith and prayer that has contributed to the discernment and Bishops and Rector's Dinner, cont'd on pg. 16

INSIDE this issue

Women's Lenten Retreat Read more about the retreat's theme of the Redemptive Power of Suffering on page 14

Way of the Cross Procession Rochester's 16th annual Way of the Cross Procession information is on page 12

Touch and be Healed, Pope says Read about Pope Francis' Divine Mercy homily on page 2

Pope Francis Watch

The Courier Insider

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Touch and be healed by the merciful wounds of Christ, Pope says

Pope Francis greets Supreme Armenian Catholicos Karekin II on Divine Mercy Sunday April 12. (Bohumil Petrik/CNA)

(CNA/EWTN News).- In his homily on Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis said that Jesus’ scars are full of mercy, and encouraged attendees to imitate the apostle Thomas in touching them and allowing their hearts to be converted.

“The Lord shows us, through the Gospel, his wounds. They are wounds of mercy. It is true: the wounds of Jesus are wounds of mercy,” the Pope told attendees of his April 12 Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday.

Jesus, he said, “invites us to behold these wounds, to touch them as Thomas did, to heal our lack of belief. Above all, he invites us to enter into the mystery of these wounds, which is the mystery of his merciful love.”

Pope Francis celebrated his Divine Mercy liturgy – which is a feast instituted by St. John Paul II and is celebrated on the Second Sunday of the Church’s liturgical Easter season – for faithful of the Armenian rite in honor of the centenary of the Armenian genocide.

Also referred to as the Armenian Holocaust, the mass killings took place in 1915 when the Ottoman Empire systematically exterminated its historic minority Armenian population who called Turkey their homeland, most of whom were Christians. Roughly 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives.

Many faithful and bishops of the Armenian rite were present for Sunday’s Mass, including Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II. During the Mass, Francis also proclaimed Armenian-rite Saint Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Church, making the 10th century priest, monk, mystic, and poet the first Armenian to receive the title.

In his homily, during which he referred to the 1915 systematic killing of Armenians as “the first genocide of the 20th century,” Francis said that it is through Jesus’ wounds that we can see the entire mystery of Christ’s incarnation, life and death.

From the first prophecies of the Lord to the liberation from Egypt, from the first Passover and the blood of the slaughtered lambs to Abraham and Abel, “all of this we can see in the wounds of Jesus, crucified and risen,” he said.

In the face of human history’s tragic events, “we can feel crushed at times, asking ourselves, ‘Why?’” the Pope noted.

“Humanity’s evil can appear in the world like an abyss, a great void: empty of love, empty of goodness, empty of life,” he continued, explaining that only God is capable of filling the emptiness that evil brings to both human history and our own personal hearts.

Francis encouraged attendees to follow the path that leads from slavery and death to a land full of life and peace, saying that “Jesus, crucified and risen, is the way and his wounds are especially full of mercy.”

Touch and be healed, cont'd on pg. 12 The Courier is the Official Publication of the Diocese of Winona 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Vol 106 - 05

Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher Joel Hennessy, Editor Theresa Martin, Associate Editor Telephone: 507-454-4643 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: courier@dow.org Subscription Rates: $5 per year in the U.S. Parishioners in the Winona Diocese subscribe through their parish.

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May, 2015 w The Courier

Articles of Interest

Pope Francis encourages prayer for the Synod on the Family

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Seeds of Wisdom in South Sudan SMU presents honorary doctorate to Cardinal Dolan

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Christ is the glue that binds everything together

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Parishes and Clusters begin work on VISION 2016 Pastoral Plans

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Diocesan Curriculum Writing

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Characteristics for Diocesan Priesthood Obituaries Cinderella—Why I Love this Movie

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The 16th Annual Way of the Cross Procession

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Reflections on the Life of Prayer Women's Lenten Retreat and the Redemptive Power of Suffering

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THAT MAN IS YOU comes to Wabasha-Kellogg

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Religious Life: Communion in Community

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Looking Through Each Other's Eyes

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The Face of the Diaconate Ordained to Service

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A Historic American Icon Visits Crucifixion

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Child Abuse Policy Information Diocese of Winona - Child Sexual Abuse Policy Information The Diocese of Winona will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 507454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her name and telephone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. The Diocese of Winona is committed to protecting children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and ministries. The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web site at www.dow. org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any questions about the Diocese of Winona’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Peter Martin, at 507-858-1264, or pmartin@dow.org.

Jesus Christ is Present Dear Friends in Christ,

Bishop John M. Quinn

Celebrating Our Blessed Mother Mary and all Mothers May is the month that is dedicated to our Blessed Mother. On the second Sunday of May, the nation observes Mother’s Day, on which we remember our mothers, both living and dead. I am sure that many of us learned about the Blessed Virgin from our mothers.

What a wonderful gift from the woman who gave us life!

Catholic Charities Annual Appeal Every year on Mother’s Day, we are invited to support Catholic Charities and its ministry in our diocese. I encourage you to consider a gift to Catholic Charities in the special collection that will be taken up on Mother’s Day. The theme of this year’s Catholic Charities Annual Appeal focuses on the ability to Replace Heartache with Hope by Looking Through Each Other’s Eyes. Catholic Charities reminds us, “The virtue of empathy; our ability to see other’s pain

From the Bishop

Rejoice in Hope

May the grace and peace of the risen Lord continue to be with you during this Easter season.

Throughout the Easter season, the readings from Scripture testify that the Risen Christ is the crucified one, who is transformed and can appear to his disciples. Christ is no ghost or projection of the disciple’s imagination. Jesus Christ is real and living and is present, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist. What a gift to us and what an expression of divine love and hope, that Jesus Christ is present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist and wishes to enter into our lives and be the food to nourish us to eternal life.

and react with compassion is how heartache is replaced with God’s redeeming power of hope.” That is the hope Catholic Charities brings to our children in need, our brothers and sisters in crisis, vulnerable adults, unmarried mothers and the unborn, refugees, immigrants, and the poor and marginalized of our diocese. This help and hope is for all, regardless of race, age, gender, faith tradition or ability to pay.

Last year your generosity and support of Catholic Charities transformed the lives of over 4,000 people in our diocese. With offices in Worthington, Mankato, Rochester, Winona, Austin, Albert Lea, and Owatonna, your financial support remains in our diocese to help those in need in our diocese. Every county is home to someone who has been served by Catholic Charities. On May 9 and 10 please join me in supporting the good work of Catholic Charities. Please give generously to the Catholic Charities Annual Appeal!

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Priest Art Show A few weeks ago, Fr. Paul Breza organized “The Priests' Art Show” and featured the talents and gifts of many of our priests and seminarians at the Polish Cultural Center and Museum in Winona.

It was a special joy to learn about the talents our priests possess from making beautiful art works, paintings, sculptures, vestments, cooking, authoring books and even how to improve at fly fishing!

There was singing by the “Men in Black” and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminarians sang as the “Boys in Black.” It was a special joy to have the Incarnate Word seminarians from Mankato perform with their musical instruments as an orchestra.

It took Fr. Breza two years of planning to make all this happen on one weekend. While the priests are very dedicated to their priestly ministry and are holy men serving God’s people, I was overjoyed to see the many talents, skills and hobbies of my brother priests. It is a privilege for me to be the Bishop of the Diocese of Winona and to work in the Lord’s vineyard with my brother priests, who are gifted and talented.

Bishops’ and Rector’s Dinner On Friday, April 24, I was honored to co-host the Annual Bishops and Rector’s Dinner for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary,

Bishop Quinn, cont'd on pg. 11

Bishop's Calendar May 1, Friday 6:30 a.m. – Lauds and Mass – Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Winona 7 p.m. – Confirmation for St. Ann, Janesville; St. Joseph, Waldorf; Immaculate Conception, St. Clair; and All Saints, Madison Lake – held at St. Ann Church, Janesville May 2, Saturday 11 a.m. – Confirmation for St. Francis of Assisi, Rochester, and St. Pius X, Rochester – held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Rochester 4:30 p.m. – Holy Hour, Vespers, Senior Dinner and Skits – Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Winona May 3, Sunday 12 p.m. – Mass and blessing of chapel at St. Mary of Carmel Hermitage – Houston 4 p.m. – Final Exams for

Saint Mary University students – Winona May 4, Monday 12 p.m. – Final Exams for Saint Mary University students – Winona 7 p.m. – Confirmation for Crucifixion, La Crescent, and Holy Cross, Dakota – held at Crucifixion Church, La Crescent May 5, Tuesday 11 a.m. – Holy Hour 12 p.m. – Deans Meeting – Albert Lea May 6, Wednesday 7 p.m. – Confirmation for St. Mary, Caledonia, and St. Patrick, Brownsville – held at St. Mary Church, Caledonia May 7, Thursday 10 a.m. – Holy Hour 11 a.m. – Catholic Foundation

of Southern Minnesota Foundation Board Meeting – Winona 1:30 p.m. – Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary Finance Council Meeting – Winona 6 p.m. – Saint Mary University end of year dinner – Winona

held at Holy Family Church, Kasson

May 8, Friday 6 p.m. – Reception and Dinner honoring Sister Generose Gervais, OSF – Rochester

May 13, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. – Mass and Formation Workshop – Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Winona 7 p.m. – Confirmation for St. Joachim, Plainview, and Immaculate Conception, Kellogg – held at St. Joachim Church, Plainview

May 9, Saturday 8 a.m. – Baccalaureate Mass – Saint Mary University, Winona 11 a.m. – Graduation and luncheon – Saint Mary University, Winona May 10, Sunday 8:30 a.m. – Confirmation for Holy Family, Kasson, and Christ the King, Byron –

May 12, Tuesday 11 a.m. – Holy Hour 12 p.m. – Presbyteral Council Meeting – Albert Lea 6 p.m. – Mankato Serra Burse Social and Dinner – St. Peter

May 14, Thursday 10 a.m. – Holy Hour 11 a.m. – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting – Winona

May 15, Friday 7 p.m. – Confirmation for St. Joseph, Owatonna; Christ the King, Medford; and Corpus Christi, Deerfield – held at St. Joseph Church, Owatonna May 16, Saturday 1:30 p.m. – Confirmation for Ss. Peter and Paul, Blue Earth; St. John Vianney, Fairmont; St. Mary, Winnebago; Holy Family, East Chain – held at Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Blue Earth 7 p.m. – Matthew Kelly Revival – St. Bernard Church, Stewartville May 17, Sunday 9:30 a.m. – Mass and Social with St. Isidore School – Holy Trinity Church, Litomysl 7 p.m. – Loyola High School Graduation – Mankato Bishop's Calendar, cont'd on pg. 9 May, 2015 w The Courier

Life, Marriage & Family

During the Wednesday audience on the solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis offered a special catechesis, a pause for prayer during his ongoing reflections on the family: “On March 25th, the Church solemnly celebrates the Annunciation, the beginning of the mystery of the Incarnation. The Archangel Gabriel visits the humble girl from Nazareth and announces that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God. By this announcement the Lord illuminates and strengthens Mary's faith, as He will also do for her spouse Joseph, so that Jesus may be born in a human family. This is beautiful: it shows us how deeply the mystery of the Incarnation, as God wished it to be, includes not only conception in the womb of the mother, but also the fact of being welcomed into a true family.

Today I would like to contemplate with you the beauty of this bond, of this, God's condescension,

Peter Martin, STL Director pmartin@dow.org

and we can do so reciting together the Hail Mary, which in its first part includes the words the Angel addressed to the Virgin.”

After praying the Hail Mary with all those present, Francis commented that March 25 in many countries is the Day for Life, and that twenty years ago on this date, St. John Paul II signed his encyclical “Evangelium Vitae,” in which the family “occupies a central role, inasmuch as it is the womb of human life.”

“The word of my venerated predecessor reminds us that the human couple has been blessed by God since the beginning to form a community of love and life, to whom the mission of procreation has been entrusted. Christian couples, by celebrating the sacrament of Marriage, indicate they are willing to honor this blessing, with the grace of Christ, for all their life.

The Church, for her part, solemnly commits to caring for the family that is thus born, as a gift from God for her own life, in good times and bad: the bond between the Church and the family is sacred and inviolable. The Church, as a mother, never abandons her family, even when it is debased, hurt and humiliated in many ways.

Not even when it gives in to sin or drifts away from the Church; she will always do everything to seek to cure and heal it, to invite it to convert and be reconciled with the Lord.”

If this is her task, the Pontiff observed, then it appears clear how much prayer the Church needs in order to be able to carry out this mission.

Thank you to all who answered the questions for the Synod of the Families!

Your responses were greatly appreciated and will be very helpful for the Bishops and their discussions at the Synod in October!

RE TI

GI

ST E E RT RU O OU NN DAY T! IN !

G

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“A prayer full of love for the family and for life. A prayer that knows how to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to suffer with those who suffer.” The Holy Father explained that he and his collaborators decided to propose a renewal of the prayer for the Synod of Bishops on the family, and asked all present to continue to recite it until October, when the Synod assembly dedicated to the family will take place.

“I would like this prayer, like the entire Synod path, to be inspired by the Good Shepherd's compassion for his flock, especially for those people and families who for various reasons are 'harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.' In this way, supported and inspired by the grace of God, the Church will be able to be even more committed, and even more united, in her witness of the truth of God's love and His mercy for the world's families, without exception, both inside and outside the fold.”

“I ask you, please, to ensure that your prayer is not lacking. All of us—the Pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, men and women religious—we must all pray for the Synod. We need this, not chatter!

I encourage even those who feel distant to pray too, and those who are not used to doing so. This prayer for the Synod on the family is for the good of all of us. I know that this morning an image has been given to you, which you now hold in your hands. I invite you to keep it and carry it with you always, so that over the coming months you can recite the prayer often, with holy insistence, as Jesus asked us. Now, let us pray together:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love, we turn to you with confidence.

Holy Family of Nazareth, make our families, also, places of communion and cenacles of prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel, and little domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth may our families never more experience violence, isolation, and division: may anyone who was wounded or scandalized rapidly experience consolation and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth, may the upcoming Synod of Bishops re-awaken in all an awareness of the sacred character and inviolability of the family, its beauty in the project of God. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, hear and answer our prayer. Amen.”

$

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Pope Francis encourages prayer for the Synod on the Family

Seeds of Wisdom in South Sudan

SMU

May 17 is the second annual Benefit Dinner. Funds raised will support the construction of living quarters for the teachers and visiting volunteers, student scholarships, playground equipment and other resources to support the educational experience. During the dinner, participants will see and hear about the progress of the school through pictures and video taken by the Deick family (St. John’s parishioners who have been living in Yei as school missionaries since February). Join us in celebration on May 17, from 5–8 p.m. at St. John’s School gymnasium. Tickets are available at St. John’s Parish Center and St. James Coffee in Rochester.

For more information about Seeds of Wisdom, visit www.sowsouthsudan.org.

presents honorary doctorate to

Saint Mary’s presented an honorary doctorate in pastoral ministry to His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan at its Founders’ Day celebration March 24.

Cardinal Dolan has, since his ordination 40 years ago, exemplified a life of service to the Catholic Church as priest, pastor, educator, and shepherd.

Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, has previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis and Archbishop of Milwaukee. He has—as a university professor, vice-rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary,

and rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome— impacted and influenced the lives of countless students and seminarians. Cardinal Dolan has also served the Church as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., chairman of Catholic Relief Services, a member of the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and as a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Two other distinguished awards were presented to a College faculty and a staff member during the celebration.

Dr. Paul Cardinal Dolan at Saint Mary's University's Weiner, professor Founders' Day celebration. of mathematics,

5 In the Diocese

Have you ever felt so strongly about something that, when acted upon, not only changed your life, but also changed the lives of countless others? It is an aweinspiring experience when an idea, motivated by a community of believers, evolves into a world-changing event. In this case, the idea was to build a Catholic school in Yei, South Sudan, hometown of Fr. John Lasuba, Parochial Vicar at St. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester. The world-changing event: Phase 1 of the school will be completed in the near future!

It has been an exciting journey for those who have supported the school. Since the initial discussion in October 2010, through the establishment of a nonprofit organization, Seeds of Wisdom in South Sudan (SOW), hundreds of people have prayed, volunteered and contributed to this mission of the heart. A great moment in this effort occurred this past March when Fr. Jerry Mahon traveled to Yei and dedicated the school campus amongst many of the families who will benefit from this school.

The premise for this project is that education is a fundamental right for everyone—the catalyst for dignity and independence. Over 80 percent of the South Sudanese population is illiterate; approximately 50 percent of primary schoolage children are currently not in school. The supporters of SOW believe it is our Christian responsibility to share God-given talents and resources in support of our brothers and sisters who lack the resources to initiate such a life-changing event on their own. Once the seed is sown, the people in the Pukuka area of Yei will continue to plant and harvest Catholic-educated students who will then go forward to share their faith, talents and resources within their community and beyond.

Last May, SOW held its first Benefit Dinner for the school.

The seed that falls on good Those funds, along with sigground will yield a fruitful harvest. nificant contributions from loyal donors have helped reach the Matthew 13:8 significant milestone of Phase 1.

This phase encompasses a fully equipped campus including K–8 classrooms, a chapel, kitchen, boys & girls latrines, two wells (one serving the campus and one serving the community), and a soccer field. A full-time Head Teacher and a Site Administrator have been hired and interviews for the teaching staff are in the final stages.

computer science, and statistics at Saint Mary’s, received the 2015 Brother Charles H. Severin, FSC, College Faculty Award.

This award is bestowed semiannually on a College faculty member who demonstrates sustained excellence in teaching, contributes to the university outside of the classroom, builds community by serving as a model of the Lasallian spirit, and is a creative, passionate, and inspiring teacher.

Sarah Wanger (who received her undergraduate degree from Saint Mary’s in 2004 and her master’s in 2011) received the 2015 Distinguished Lasallian Educator award.

These awards are given by Lasallian institutions in the North American-Toronto Region of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education. Wanger serves as the director of outreach for the School of Education at the Schools of Graduate and

Cardinal Dolan

Professional Programs. This award recognizes Wanger for a life of faith and service that

exemplifies the ideals of Saint John Baptist de La Salle.

ED N! OO LIMIT S A ER IST FOR LY! G E D R RE E ON E OFF TIM

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Christ is the glue which binds everything together

Mission Advancement

My pastor recently shared in his weekly Pastor’s Column, a story which struck me profoundly. In the current times, Christians and people of all faiths are facing challenges and persecutions from every direction. Our faith is being put to the test and we are under a full frontal attack. From the atrocities we read about in the news and witness with our own eyes on television, it is easy to begin to doubt our faith and even worse—to lose hope. The following narrative put it back into perspective for me, I hope you find comfort and confidence in it as well: “Some time ago, a doctor recounts how he was running on his treadmill, watching a video sermon by Louie Giglio (www.youtube. com/watch?v=F0-NPPIeeRk). What he heard completely changed his world. Louie was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is and how He brought the universe into being. Then he went on to speak of how this God who created the universe also knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder.

At this point, the doctor was loving it—fascinated from a medical standpoint. He also remembered how he was constantly amazed during medical

May, 2015 w The Courier

school as he learned more and more about God's handiwork.

I remembered so many times thinking 'how can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this?' Louie then went on to talk about how we can trust that Laminin the God who created all this molecule also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart: how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

At this point the doctor lost his breath. It was because Louie started talking about laminin.

The doctor knew about laminin.

Wikipedia describes laminin as a family of proteins that are 'an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' Laminins are what hold us together, LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules.

They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without laminins, we would fall apart.

What the doctor didn’t know is what laminin looked like. And now you do. This is not a ‘Christian portrayal’ of laminin, it is the real thing. The same wondrous God who created the universe at the beginning of time knits everything together.”

(Fr. Glenn Frerichs, St. Rose of Lima, Immaculate Conception, and St. Anthony.)

In our own diocese, we are faced with challenges like never before; the redefinition of marriage, challenges to our religious liberty, and issues of clergy abuse from the past We are in the process of making serious and painful decisions about the number of parishes we can serve with fewer priests and fewer parishioners that come with changing demographics and parishioners’ Mass attendance habits in our diocese. We remember and trust what Saint Paul wrote about Jesus in Colossians 1: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he Christ is the glue, cont'd on page 11

Joel Hennessy Director jhennessy@dow.org

Parishes and Clusters begin work on Vision 2016 Pastoral Plans new, unified parish community should be created which honors the talents, history, and voices of all parishes involved. One of the goals of the cluster planning meetings is for the parish leadership groups to understand each others' situations and challenges, so they can support each other as they merge and/or re-cluster their communities.

In the first several of our facilitated cluster meetings, the main participants have been the pastor(s) and Parish Cluster Pastoral Planning Team, along with a handful of people from each parish.

Attendance has been excellent and I thank all who are taking the time to help us at this point of our pastoral planning. Please know that the cluster meetings are open to all. While only the leadership team will be actively developing the Plan, the public is welcome to come and observe. As observers, parishioners are invited to share their input with the Parish Cluster Leadership in discussion during the sessions. The meetings give an overview of the process of putting together the Pastoral Plan, provide details as to the work parishes will need to do this summer before the next cluster meeting, and help the parishes in the newly defined clusters start working together as a cluster.

Although each meeting has a facilitator from TeamWorks International, Inc. and myself or David Fricke from the Diocese, the majority of the work is completed by the pastors and parish leaders. The facilitators are simply there to help guide parish leaders through the process and discussions, as well as offer guidance as appropriate. The meetings will help the Parish Cluster Pastoral Planning Team come together and develop goals of how their new cluster can be a stronger Catholic community, and come up with practical steps of how they can reach those goals. While some goals and guidelines have already been established for all parishes in the Diocese (as listed in the VISION 2016 Guidebook), each cluster will come up with individual goals for their clusters. As we continue this part of the Diocesan Pastoral Planning with cluster meetings, please keep our planning process in your prayers.

Vision 2016

Peace be with you! I echo these words of Jesus by: Msgr. Richard M. Colletti, Vicar from our gospel readings General/Chancellor for Mass during this Easter season. Throughout the past month of April, the Vision 2016 Pastoral Planning facilitated cluster meetings have begun. These are the first of four meetings scheduled for the clusters undergoing major change. In addition, listening sessions have taken place in some parishes that are recommended for oratory status and for merging with another parish.

From the meetings that I have attended, it is clear that people love the Church, their church building, and their church community.

The parish leaders in attendance know of the importance of the parish church in their own faith journeys, and the gift their parish adds to their local community.

The format of the cluster meetings is similar to the recent deanery meetings. We begin with half an hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

During the cluster meeting, the facilitator works with the pastors and parish leaders to develop a Vision 2016 Parish Cluster Pastoral Plan. The dates of upcoming cluster meetings will be posted on the DOW website.

Even though we have had parish clusters in our diocese for more than 30 years, we often do not think or act as a parish cluster, but as three or four individual parishes served by one priest. That is the challenge of developing our new cluster plans. When we think as individual, isolated parishes, we may approach meetings with the viewpoint of, “this is mine and you are not going to take it from me, and if you do, I am going to leave.� I have witnessed this talk at some of the cluster meetings, and I am aware that this comes from dealing with loss, anger, resentment, and hurt. It is important to voice those feelings and concerns. I want you to know that I am listening and that I bring these important feelings and concerns to our Diocesan Planning Team.

Merging parishes does not mean that one parish is expected to adapt to the culture of another. Rather, a

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Prayer for Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Winona Almighty God, we the people of the Diocese of Winona prayerfully look to the future. During this time of pastoral planning, we implore the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us the gifts of wisdom, courage and hope.

May we exercise the virtue of prudence by opening our hearts and minds to be good stewards of the legacy of faith inherited from those who built the Church on the prairie, the hills, and in the valleys.

May we exercise the virtue of justice by opening our hearts and minds to assure that the voices of people from all generations, all vocations and all areas of the Diocese are welcomed and respected.

May we exercise the virtue of fortitude by opening our hearts and minds to understand and acknowledge the spiritual and practical realities of our day and prepare for the days to come; and May we exercise the virtue of temperance by opening our hearts and minds to accept the changes in diocesan, parish and personal life that the Holy Spirit, through this planning process, is guiding us to make.

Under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Mother, may we discern and implement what is best for the diocesan Church and all the faithful of southern Minnesota.

We pray this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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8

Diocesan Curriculum Writing

Catholic Schools

Several years ago, I read an written. The structure of the new standards article in the local hometown simplified the collaboration among the teams paper reporting a fairly new home (K–2, 3–6, 7–8, and 9–12). During last year’s that was literally sliding down summer workshop, teachers and administrathe embankment upon which the tors developed and posted an on-line draft of home was built. The home was the Social Studies curriculum. During this past well-designed but built on land academic year, workshops were used to share that was eroding. each draft element among Because this home colleagues, and all teachers was not built on and administrators were a solid foundation, invited to contribute to onthe home was renline discussions to develop dered useless. The the final Diocesan curricuhomeowner had lum for Social Studies. to move his family Year 2 training for Social and abandon the Studies will begin August home. Building a 3–6. Teachers and adminhome that stands the test of istrators will build teachtime requires a solid foundaer capacity to create unit tion and a sound design plan. concepts/goals into lesson It is not one or the other. This plan objectives and create same scenario holds true for performance assessments –Mike Schmoker to guide instructional praccurriculum and instruction in our Catholic schools. tices. Data-based decisionResearched-based strategies without sig- making will also be introduced to create a nificant content create a struggle for the class- unit improvement plan which includes shared room teacher. Effective instructional practice instructional leadership. This type of leaderisn’t effective if the curriculum isn’t strong ship promotes academic excellence and conenough. High academic standards aren’t tinuous improvement. enough if the instructional method is not strong and meaningful. Therefore, it is essential that classroom instruction must change with new and improved standards.

The reasons above explain the groundwork for the University of Notre Dame (UND) ACE Collaborative curriculum writing. We are learning through the professional development provided by the University of Notre Dame and embedding that knowledge into the curriculum.

In our first initiative, Social Studies, teachers and administrators have worked together Dr. Doyle, curriculum facilitator at UND, to define what instructs the group on Bloom's taxonomy. students need to know and do, and proYear 1 training for Math curriculum vide practices writing standards will begin June 8–10. that will work The ACE Collaborative professional develwithin the opment team trained a Diocesan team last specific con- March to continue the curriculum process. tent area.

We have completed writing the Year 1 indepth curriculum standards for Social Studies. Team/ St. Theodore Catholic department School kindergarten and first outcomes, subgrade students lead their faith Diocesan Curriculum Team ject/course trained at the University of Notre community in the Stations of outcomes, Dame. From left to right: Sr. Paul unit concepts, Mary Rittgers, Emily Pearson, Kari the Cross.

Smith and Marsha Stenzel. and unit goals Absent is Sandra Allaire. have all been

Curriculum . . . may be the single largest school factor that affects learning, intellectual development, and college and career readiness.

Stations of the Cross

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Marsha Stenzel Superintendent mstenzel@dow.org

Kari Smith, Administrator of St. Mary’s School, Worthington; Emily Pearson, Director of Curriculum, Rochester Catholic Schools; Sr. Paul Mary Rittgers, Diocesan Director of Faith Formation; Sandra Allaire, retired Administrator of Sacred Heart School, Waseca; and Marsha Stenzel, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Winona Diocese, comprise the curriculum training team.

The overview of ACE Collaborative includes

Catholic School administrators meet with Marsha Stenzel, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, to finalize curriculum standards.

a sustained professional development approach that seeks to strengthen curriculum, instruction and assessment by promoting collaboration among teachers (PLCs), providing a common language and structure, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The benefits to this approach include renewing the tradition of Catholic education by building on our Catholic schools' strengths, addressing accreditation standards, and consistency with current research.

Mike Schmoker, an author, journalist, and educational consultant, recently stated, “Curriculum­ —what we actually teach—may be the single largest school factor that affects learning, intellectual development, and college and career readiness. If we are serious about improving schools, this is the place to start.

Until we have built a clear, coherent curriculum for every course, we’ll only have a superficial impact on learning or achievement.”

Characteristics for Diocesan Priesthood 1. “A good candidate for the diocesan priesthood should know and love Jesus Christ and have a thirst to bring Jesus and his teachings to the world.”

The priesthood is an evangelical service. What I mean is that if priests are not about bringing the love of God to others by proclaiming salvation in Jesus Christ, then our priesthood is not being fulfilled.

In order to do this, however, we must first be loved by God. It is not enough to know about Jesus, but we need to know him personally to such depth that we want nothing less than to share Jesus Rev. Will Thompson with others. I know Director that this characteriswthompson@dow.org tic has developed a great deal through my time in seminary and now as a priest, but the beginnings of this desire were present at an early age when I was active in youth group and the church choir. Knowing and loving Jesus are integral to the life of the priest.

would have to wait two years before entering the seminary so that they can learn how to live as a Catholic.

This characteristic is not to say that you have to know everything that is contained in the Catechism, but you do have to profess the Catholic faith and do your best to live it.

9 Vocations

In Fr. Brett Brannen’s book To Save a Thousand Souls, he provides a list of twenty characteristics of a good candidate for the priesthood.

He says that a candidate doesn’t need to have all of these before entering the seminary, but should have a majority of them. Over the next few months I will describe each of these characteristics.

4. “A good candidate for diocesan priesthood should be a Christian gentleman.”

Building on the previous characteristics, being a Christian gentleman presents a positive expression of an interior reality. When I consider what it takes to be a Christian gentleman, I often think of the Boy Scout Law, which says that a Scout is: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, brave and reverent.

5. “A good candidate for diocesan priesthood should be striving to live a life of prayer.”

To be an effective priest, a person needs to have an effective relationship with God in prayer. The candidate does not need to be praying for an hour every day, plus a rosary, plus novenas, etc.

What is important is that he is seeking a life of prayer. This means that prayer is becoming a necessary part of his life, just as eating and sleeping might be. Prayer is becoming a source of life and light in the young man’s life in which he is able to share himself with God.

2. “A good candidate for diocesan priesthood is striving to live a life of virtue.”

In particular, this candidate should be growing in the cardinal virtues of justice, fortitude, prudence and temperance as well as the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. In a way, this person could be described as someone who is consistently living as a good person who is a role model to others.

3. “A good candidate for diocesan priesthood should be a believing, practicing Catholic.”

This may sound obvious, but it is an important point to make. To be a priest, you have to be Catholic! Anyone who becomes Catholic Bishop's Calendar, cont'd

Obituaries

Sr. Mariana Boltz

Sister Mariana Boltz, 97, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, Minnesota, who served as educator and librarian, died at Assisi Heights on Thursday, April 2, 2015.

Eulalia Magdalen Boltz was born on November 4, 1917, in New Albin, Iowa, to Eugene and Anna (Hoffman)

Boltz. Eulalia entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1937 from St. Peter’s Parish in Caledonia. In community she received the name Sister Mariana and professed vows in 1940.

For thirty-one years, Sister Mariana taught elementary students in Wausau, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and several schools in southern Minnesota: St. Paul, Fairmont; Queen of Angels, Austin; St. Peter, Rose Creek; Cathedral, Winona; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Easton; and Sacred Heart, Adams.

In 1971, Sister Mariana began her ministry as librarian and for sixteen years served as school librarian in various locales: St. Margaret Mary School, Golden Valley, MN; St. Pius X School, Rochester, MN; St. Andrew the Apostle School, Silver Spring, MD; and Highland Catholic School, St. Paul,

MN. From 1971–1976 she served as President of the North Central Catholic Library Association. On retiring from full-time library work in 1987, she continued to serve, volunteering at the Rochester Public Library, at Saint Marys Hospital In-Patient Library and as a Hospital volunteer until her retirement to Assisi Heights in 2004.

Sister Mariana is survived by nieces and nephews and her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared life for seventy-seven years. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Leland Boltz and Margaret Boltz Doyle.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

May 19, Tuesday 11 a.m. – Mass and Lunch with Catholic High School Senior Classes (Cotter High School, Lourdes High School, Pacelli High School, and Loyola High School) – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona

May 28, Thursday 9:30 a.m. – Holy Hour 10:30 a.m. – Diocese of Winona Priest Pension Plan Board Meeting – Winona 1 p.m. – Holy Hour 2 p.m. – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting – Winona

May 20, Wednesday 1 p.m. – Mass and Social for St. Casimir School 100th Anniversary – Wells 7 p.m. – Confirmation for All Saints, New Richland; St. Aidan, Ellendale; and St. Mary, Geneva – held at All Saints Church, New Richland

May 29, Friday 6 p.m. – Baccalaureate Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Academy – Wixom, Michigan

May 27, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. – Holy Hour 12 p.m. – Diocese of Winona Finance Council Meeting – Winona 2:30 p.m. – Holy Hour 3 p.m. – Diocese of Winona Deposit and Loan Board Meeting – Winona

June 3, Wednesday 8 a.m. – Minnesota Catholic Conference – St. Paul Chancery 6 p.m. – Dinner with Twin Cities area Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – St. Paul June 5, Friday 6 p.m. – Catholic Schools Foundation Dinner – Winona

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Cinderella—Why I Love this Movie

Youth & Young Adults

I start this article with a confession. I did not want to go to the new Cinderella movie! I am not always excited by the opportunity to watch what I see as “Kid Flicks.” However, like many parents out there, we make sacrifices for our children, and my kiddos really wanted to see this new movie. Thus, our family trekked to the movie theater on a rainy weekend afternoon.

What unfolded before my eyes completely took me off guard.

I was not prepared for how much I loved this movie. In fact, I went through a little bit of denial before I would publicly admit my admiration for it! I know this will not sound very “manly” but the new Cinderella might be in my top ten movie list of all time. Here is why (unashamedly): While the movie is not intentionally Christian, there are a ton of Christian themes. This is something I look for in a lot of movies. Truth, goodness and honor are all central to the Christian faith, but a movie does not have to be labeled “Christian” to include them. While many directors have no intention of lacing Christian themes, some accidentally do anyway. I think this may have been the case with Cinderella.

First, begin by looking at the relationship that Cinderella and the Prince have with their families. The movie portrays honor and respect for their parents which penetrates the fabric of their world view.

Cinderella’s dying parents instill truth and kindness in her and she adheres to those virtues the rest of her life. The prince has deep respect for his father and wants to honor him. Thus, the fourth commandment was definitely upheld in the movie.

Second, the love story is innocent and authentic. I am not a fan of cheesy love-at-first-sight romance movies. And while there is still an element of love at first sight, there is a gradual affection that grows through the film. The prince treats the young maiden with chivalry, respect and purity. There is a beautiful scene in the movie where the two are in a private garden and he gently pushes her on a swing and converses with her. For me this was like a parallel to Adam pursuing his beloved Eve in the garden of Eden before the fall. He cherished this beautiful young lady and desired to know her more. I

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firmly believe we must instill this nobility in our sons and teach them to properly see a woman. It is absolutely necessary that our daughters know that their beauty is worth protecting and cherishing. I also appreciated that the first kiss was at their wedding. Love is worth waiting for!

Third, the film has something every child needs to witness and that is selflessness. Cinderella faces many hardships in her life, many unfair. But throughout it all, she is selfless and kind in her interactions with all her family members and friends. St. Thomas Aquinas said the true meaning of love is “Willing the good of the other.” I believe Cinderella’s love in the film reveals some of what St. Thomas Aquinas spoke of. Even in hardship, she had the capacity to put others before herself. This is a great lesson for our Ben Frost children. The more a Director child becomes selfless, bfrost@dow.org the more they become like Christ. In the midst of incredible darkness and suffering, Jesus “willed our good” and carried the cross to Calvary which was the greatest act of love ever.

Finally, there is the great mercy of Cinderella. While she had every reason to be bitter with her stepmother and sisters, she courageously shows them mercy and forgiveness. This was not the case in some of the previous attempts at cinematic portrayals of Cinderella. Take “Ever After” as an example. Drew Barrymore’s Cinderella character quickly banishes part of her stepfamily at the end of the film as a means of revenge for the hurt they caused her. However, the scene at the end of the new Cinderella literally made me tear up.

Only a godly person formed by the Lord’s mercy and love would have the will and capacity to love and forgive so profoundly!

Is the new Cinderella movie a perfect Christian allegory? Probably not.

Does it reveal a life of mystery, love, fidelity and integrity which points to Godly love? I would argue it does! Am I happy that my children dragged me to this movie...YES!

Bishop Quinn,

cont'd from page 3

Vocations I want to conclude by writing about vocations in a very special way. I want to take this opportunity to thank the priests of our diocese for their devotion and their hard work. At the Chrism Mass, the priests renewed their commitment to ministry in the diocese. For me, it is always a very touching moment to see all of our priests rededicating themselves to their priestly vocation by accepting once again the call of Jesus to be one of His priests. I am very proud of our priests. They do great work, and I have the greatest respect for them. If you know a man who you think would be a good priest, encourage him to consider a vocation to the priesthood. During his studies in the seminary, he can test his vocation to see if Jesus truly is calling him to priestly ministry. You would be amazed to hear how many priests first began to think of a vocation because someone suggested it to them. Maybe it was a pastor, priest, teacher, a family member, or maybe just a friend who first opened their hearts and

Christ is the glue, cont'd from page 6 himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for himself, making peace by the blood of his cross [through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven. And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.”

Col 1:15-23 Jesus Christ is the glue which binds everything together. During these challenging times, may he grant us the grace to “persevere in the faith” and never lose sight of our baptismal call to holiness.

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minds to priesthood. Pray for vocations. Ask the Master of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest for, indeed, there is a very rich harvest to be gained for our Lord.

The Lord is also calling women and men to the consecrated life and to enrich the mission of the Church by their talents and gifts.

From the beginning of the Diocese of Winona, religious have helped to build up Catholic life through their selfless dedication. Health care, Catholic schools, social services and pastoral care are some of the major areas that continue to flourish because of the witness of religious women and men. The vows of chastity, obedience and poverty define the life of those called to religious life. At the heart, however, of every vocation is Jesus Christ, who invites men and women to “come and see.” Please pray for vocations and for a generous response to His call to “come and follow me.”

11 In the Diocese

held at the Rochester International Event Center in Rochester.

This year, the dinner honored Mr. George Weigel with the 2015 Immaculate Heart of Mary Award.

The event was open to the public and is a great source of support for the seminary. I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who participated in making this event such a success from the organizers to the supporters who attended. What a blessing you are to these men who are pursuing the vocation God has placed on their hearts!

May Christ fill your heart with peace and give you a joy that no one can take from you. I ask again for your prayers. I wish all of you a blessed feast of Pentecost on May 24 and for a renewed desire to bring the Gospel in fresh ways to the ends of the earth!

Sincerely in Christ, Most Rev. John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona

Masses of Reparation for Sins in the Diocese Many parishes throughout the diocese are committed to offer consolation to the Heart of Christ through a Mass of Reparation.

Please go online to visit dowcourier.org to see the complete Mass list.

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Touch and be healed by the merciful wounds of Christ, cont'd from page 2

In the Diocese

He pointed to the saints as examples that teach us how the world can be changed beginning with the conversion of one’s own heart. This conversion, he said, only happens through the mercy of God. “What sin is there so deadly that it cannot be pardoned by the death of Christ?” he asked.

After his Mass, Pope Francis greeted pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to recite the Regina Coeli—a traditional Marian prayer given special emphasis during the liturgical Easter season.

In his address, the Pope noted how Jesus’ encounter with Thomas in the upper room marked the first time the Lord showed the disciples the wounds on his body.

Thomas, who was not there the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples, was not satisfied with the testimony of the others and wanted to see for himself, Francis said, noting that Jesus waited patiently and offered himself to Thomas’ disbelief.

“Upon the salvific contact with the wounds of the Risen Lord, Thomas manifests his own wounds, lacerations, humiliations,” the Pope said,

explaining that in the mark of the nails, the apostle found “sweetness, mercy and decisive proof that he was loved, awaited and understood.”

“He finds himself in front of the Messiah full of sweetness, mercy and tenderness,” the Pope observed, saying that it was this personal contact with the “kindness and patient mercy” of Jesus that made Thomas realize the true meaning of the Resurrection.

Just like Thomas was transformed by the love of God who is rich in mercy, we are also called to contemplate the Divine Mercy of Jesus that is found in his wounds.

Mercy “overcomes every human limit and shines on the darkness of evil and sin,” Francis said, and pointed to the upcoming Extraordinary Jubilee for Mercy as an intense time to welcome and deepen in the love of God. He referred to the papal Bull of Indiction he released at the Vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday, which also served as the official announcement of the upcoming Jubilee for Mercy, and pointed to the bull’s title “Misericordiae Vultus,” or “The face of Mercy.”

“The face of mercy is Jesus Christ. Let us keep our gaze upon him,” he prayed, and led pilgrims in the Regina Coeli prayer.

Photo used courtesy of Rochester Post Bulletin.

The 16th Annual Way of the Cross Procession On Good Friday, over 100 people gathered to participate in the Way of the Cross Procession through the city streets of downtown Rochester. This tradition of a public witness of following the cross of Christ, a gesture born from the historical Church, was brought together in this particular way from the ecclesiastical movement inspired

by Fr. Luigi Giussani, the founder of the Communion and Liberation movement. Along with Lenten songs and readings of the passion and death of Christ from the Gospel of Luke, insights from Fr. Giussani and poet Charles Péguy were read. These readings reflect on what that event meant for Christ’s closest friends and followers, and, more importantly, what it means for us today.

Péguy puts us in the place of a witness, a participant, through the eyes of Mary: She wept, she looked so strange, so dreadful…that you would certainly have laughed. And you would have made fun of her. Certainly. Had she not been the mother of the condemned.

How often do we find humor in the pain and suffering of another? And then Fr. Giussani reminds us of what it all means: We cannot forget the price of our salvation, every day.

The sacrifice is not an objection and neither are human failures, but they are the root of the resurrection, they are the possibility of a real life.

The procession stopped at four stations: The Government Center, the downtown Peace Plaza, Mayo Statuary Park garden, and St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Monsignor Gerald Mahon, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, led the procession and concluded it with a reflection on a conversation he had with a dying priest friend who asked him how he should face his pending death. Fr. Mahon said the Spirit graced him with the answer that his friend’s prayer should be “Into your hands, I commend my Spirit.” His friend told him that this should also be his prayer, and Fr. Mahon reminded us that it should be our prayer every day, as well. This event in Rochester is one of many that take place in 47 countries throughout the world and calls us to walk with Christ in his suffering so that we can be made whole in our suffering.

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Reflections

on the

Life

of

Prayer

(Pope Benedict XVI) With the love and support of my wonderful wife and children, I went away for three days to be part of a Holy Week men’s retreat at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota (www.kingshouse.com). In this and other ways of late, the topic and experience of prayer have touched my life, and I would like to reflect a bit on what I’ve (re)learned about the practice and experience of prayer.

The best part of the retreat for me was the opportunity to step away from the ordinary tasks and routines of my life in order to be with God in a more intimate and intentional way. Outside of the talks and prayer times, we were asked to give “the gift of silence” to ourselves and to one another during the retreat. This silence was indeed a most precious “gift” for me.

Two lessons for me about prayer, then, are that: 1) we need to “step away” from our busy lives for prayer; and, 2) similarly, our prayer needs to be rooted in the experience of silence so as to create a space for God to speak to our hearts. While going away on retreat is a particularly privileged time for prayer, we should find some “sacred space” each day to go for For me, prayer prayer—whether a church or chapel, a is a surge of the particular room of our homes, a quiet spot in a park, or wherever. heart; it is a simWhile on retreat, we heard a talk on “The Prayer of Jesus,” by Fr. ple look turned James Deegan, OMI, director of the toward heaven, it retreat center. In his talk, he offered corollaries” concerning prayer. is a cry of recog- “nine Of these, I would offer a few for your nition and of love, reflection.

All prayer is about relationships. embracing both Prayer is fundamentally about putting us in communion with God, who is our trial and joy.

Creator and Father, our Savior and –Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Redeemer, and the One who Sanctifies us and makes us holy. God desires to be in communion with us, his beloved children, and prayer draws us into this bond of love and friendship.

And, from this bond of communion with the Source of our Life, we can enter more deeply into friendship and loving relationships with one another.

Jesus put it simply: Love God with all of your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Prayer makes this possible for us.

In prayer, being is more important than doing. To illustrate this point, Fr. Deegan shared a story of Saint John Vianney, the Curé d’Ars: There was a certain peasant of Ars, where St. John Vianney was pastor, who came to the village church often and simply sat in silence while staring at the tabernacle. Saint John Vianney asked him what he was doing during these times of prayer with the Lord, and the man explained, “I look at him and he looks at me.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, “Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus” (#2715). As with any treasured relationship, we can simply enjoy being in the presence of the one we love. And, this leads to a related corollary….

Lay Formation

“Praying actualizes and deepens our communion with God. Our prayer can and should arise above all from our heart, from our needs, our hopes, our joys, our sufferings, from our shame over sin, and from our gratitude from the good. It can and should be a wholly personal prayer.”

13

Silence is God’s first language. God asks for our attention, before our words. In our silence, God is able to “speak” to the very depths of our being, to the place where we know his presence most truly. Silence is the discipline that allows us to listen to God—to “listen with the ear of our heart,” as Saint Benedict expressed it.

Pray the way you can. There are many ways to pray, and Todd Graff many styles of prayer.

Director We can pray with fortgraff@dow.org mal prayers and devotions such as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Memorare, the Rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet, etc. We can pray with the Church in the Liturgy of the Hours. We can pray with the Scriptures, using lectio divina. We can learn more contemplative styles of prayer. We can offer spontaneous prayers of intercession as the needs and challenges of each day come before us.

All of these are valuable ways for us to grow closer in our communion with God, and each can have a place in our life of prayer. But, we don’t have to spend time worrying about mastering all of them, or evaluating how well we are doing in our prayer. God desires our love and friendship in prayer, not our skillfulness and knowledge as pray-ers. We can rest and rejoice in the ways that allow us to know and experience God most intimately in our particular path of discipleship.

Our greatest prayer is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is at the heart of our prayer lives as Catholics and the primary way in which we “encounter” and experience the presence of the living Christ. We do not pray or live the life of faith in solitude. We are saved in the community of faith, the Church, and we become this community (the “Body of Christ”) through the sacraments and, most essentially, through our celebration of the Eucharist. To keep my personal prayer life rooted in and joined to the prayer of the Church is vital.

In these Easter days, may we come to know the Risen Christ ever more deeply in our lives through our daily practice of prayer and our celebration of the Eucharist.

Deo Gratias! _______________________________ “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

(Saint Thérèse of Lisieux)

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In the Diocese

14

Women’s Lenten Retreat and the Redemptive Power of Suffering

At the end of March, over 90 women from the Diocese joined together to recollect, be refreshed and renewed, and strengthen their relationship with the Lord at the Women’s Lenten Retreat led by Sister Edith Mary Hart, R.S.M. The focus of the retreat was on the Cross of Christ and its meaning for each of us. “How can the Cross be a place of refreshment?” you may ask. As one woman remarked, “I thought the Cross would be a tough topic, but your interpretation encourages me to see it as an act of love for me to others. The Holy Spirit truly used Sister Edith Mary as an instrument today.”

In addition to the reflections from Sister Edith Mary, the women spent time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and experiencing healing from the Sacrament of Reconciliation. One of the most treasured parts of the day was having the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass celebrated by Bishop Quinn, who afterwards joined us for lunch. One retreatant described the day as “a total gift! So many graces were given to me during this retreat. My soul is light and renewed—the Sacraments have been a treasure at this retreat. Thank you!”

The theme of the redemptive power of suffering—where newness of life is brought after sorrow—is familiar to women in a unique way. The Lord uses the example of a woman suffering during childbirth but, afterwards, forgetting the pain when her baby is brought into the world (Jn 16:21) to console His disciples when they were distraught about His departure in the Paschal mystery.

Motherhood carries with it a particular participation in suffering from the time of giving birth through accompanying children on their journey to heaven. As Sister Edith Mary noted at the retreat: “I am not suggesting that our life suddenly becomes carefree or easy when we embrace whatever suffering might come into our lives, but it becomes enlightened and filled with meaning when we realize we are not alone and that this suffering —and not necessarily only in great things we may suffer, but even in the mundane,

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the irritations, the frustrations, by: Sr. Paul Mary, R.S.M., Director of the and the normalness of life—in Office of Faith Formation these things we can participate in the redemption of the world. Seemingly meaningless, ordinary suffering—if made with intention—unites whatever that suffering may be to the work of the Cross and to the redemption of the world. Our Mother Foundress (of the Religious Sisters of Mercy), Mother Catherine McAuley, emphasized the perfection of the ordinary act. One of the biggest ways to perfect the ordinary is to ask, ‘What is the intention I bring to this?’ and to remember ‘My intention in this act, Lord, is to give You glory.’”

Mary, the Lord’s mother and ours, is a model for bearing suffering in a way that is fruitful for the salvation of the world. All Christians, and especially women, are invited to look to Our Lady as a model for entering into the redemptive power of suffering.

The month of May is dedicated to our Lady and, fittingly, this is when we celebrate Mother’s Day. As Mother’s Day approaches, remember to take some time to retreat into the arms of the Lord. Allow His Blessed Mother to hold you close and tenderly show you how to unite your sufferings to those of her Son. Here you will discover that while, “you will grieve, your grief will be turned into joy… and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16:20, 22).

THAT MAN IS YOU Comes to Wabasha-Kellogg

Each week, the men watched a video on various topics; after the half-hour video, the men met in small groups and discussed the material. The 2014 fall program helped the men to learn more about their Catholic faith and challenged them to Christ-like servant leadership. In the winter/spring 2015 series,

TMIY focused on “becoming a man after God’s own heart,” with a particular emphasis on making a good confession and experiencing the Lord’s unconditional Mercy in the Sacrament of Penance.

Why did these men sacrifice an hour every Saturday morning? They were hungry for a deeper understanding of their role as fathers and wanted to discover new ways to help their children. As Deacon John Hust says, “I have never experienced 35 Catholic men meeting weekly at 6:30 a.m., but as a husband, father, and grandfather, this program challenged me to look at my life as a leader in my family, parish, and community. TMIY gives me hope for the Church and our world!”

TMIY started approximately 10 years ago in Texas and focuses on developing Catholic men in the modern world. TMIY is now in over 475 parishes nationwide and combines the best research from science with the teachings of the Catholic faith and the wisdom of the saints to inspire men to become the fathers, husbands, and leaders that Christ is calling them to be. One of the men said of the program,

“Many things in this world don’t live up to their advertisements, but this program does! The weekly program content is professional, and the information is factual. After just a few sessions, it wasn’t a gathering of random men, it was a gathering of friends.”

If you are interested in starting a TMIY group in your own parish, visit www.thatmanisyou.org or call their office at (281) 974-3541. If you have questions about the TMIY group in Wabasha-Kellogg or would like to join, please call Tom Bouquet at (651) 565-4727 or Dan Schaefer at (608) 780-8183.

15 Faith Formation

During the summer of 2014, men from St. Agnes Parish, Kellogg, and St. Felix Parish, Wabasha, began organizing a men’s program called That Man Is You (TMIY). Although the core group from the two parishes prayerfully wondered if anyone would show up for the first Saturday session in September, the Holy Spirit inspired over 30 men to attend the weekly programs at the St. Agnes Parish Hall at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings.

Sr. Paul Mary Rittgers, R.S.M. Director faithformation@dow.org

Religious Life: Communion in Community By: Sister Mary Raphael Paradis, R.S.M.

Religious consecration establishes a particular communion between religious and God and, in him, between the members of the same institute. This is the basic element in the unity of an institute. A shared tradition, common works, well-considered structures, pooled resources, common constitutions, and a single spirit can all help to build up and strengthen unity. The foundation of unity, however, is the communion in Christ established by the one founding gift. This communion is rooted in religious consecration itself. It is animated by the Gospel spirit, nourished by prayer, distinguished by generous mortification, and characterized by the joy and hope which spring from the fruitfulness of the cross. For religious, communion in Christ is expressed in a stable and visible way through community life. So important is community living to religious consecration that every religious, whatever his or her apostolic work, is bound to it by the fact of profession and must normally live under the authority of a local superior in a community of the institute to which he or she belongs. Normally, too, community living entails a daily sharing of life according to specific structures and provisions established in the constitutions. Sharing of prayer, work, meals, leisure, common spirit, “relationships of friendship, cooperation in the same apostolate, and mutual support in community of life chosen for a better following of Christ, are so many valuable factors in daily progress” (ET 39). A community gathered as a true family in the Lord’s name enjoys his presence (cf. Mt 18:25) through the love of God which is poured out by the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5). Its unity is a symbol of the coming of Christ and is a source of apostolic energy and power (cf. PC 15).

This very rich passage from “Essential Elements” (Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, Essential Elements in the Church's Teaching on Religious Life as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate, 1983) beautifully summarizes the great importance of community life as a feature of religious life and consecration.

When a young person enters a religious institute, he or she generally views this at first as a blossoming of his or her soul’s very personal relationship with Our Lord—and, of course, it is! The Lord has called, and after a period of often very intense reflection, prayer and discernment, the person has answered, and, in itself, this is a beautiful reality. However, as is the case when a young man and woman marry—they are marrying that other individual person, but they are also marrying into a family! The man and woman will now need to live in the context of a family tradition of some sort, and decisions will need to be made based on many factors! Which family will they spend Christmas Eve with? How about Christmas Day? And the list will go on. Marriage and raising a family is an essential element of the ongoing nature of life—of society, and for a Christian couple, of the Church, and, as such, is not only a private matter between the young man and woman.

In a very similar way, entering a religious institute of any kind is an entrance into a religious family. The individual, personal consecration of each member to God includes communion with the other members of the institute. This is a gift from God­—the “founding gift,” which will always be rooted in Our Lord Jesus Christ. This gift will be lived out in different ways by different religious families but will always be rooted in the love of Jesus who expressed so many times to the apostles His unity with His Father, with His apostles and all who would ever follow Him. Each religious institute and tradition will make communion among its members a matter of prime importance. It will be the role of the superior of religious communities to facilitate communion by ensuring the stability of the “horarium” or schedule of prayer, meals, work and recreation—all of which take on a transcendent significance since each member is specially consecrated to Our Lord. Community life provides the rich soil in which each member may grow both humanly and spiritually. As in Christian marriage, community life means living love in a concrete way with real people—and this means sacrifice, at times, of one’s own preferences—for the good of the common life. And as the passage initially quoted states, this is part of the “fruitfulness of the Cross.” The joy and hope of a religious grow out of this fruitfulness!

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16

Seven

3.

lessons our

It’s healthy to let go.

In the Diocese

After reading this passage in scripture, “And it was reported to Him, 'Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.' But He answered and said to them, 'My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.'" (Luke 8:20-21), one might think Jesus was very rude to His mother. Mary would have every right to feel slighted or annoyed at how He seemed to dismiss her without even a second thought. She was His mother after all! Yet, Mary knew that she had to let Him go.

As a man, His life extended beyond her.

We raise our children to be strong, confident, independent adults. There might be a temptation to create an environment where that grown child will always need you, but this only makes them weak.

Allowing them to grow up, may be one of the most difficult elements of motherhood, and can even be quite an emotionally painful transition. Yet, as a well-adjusted woman

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cont'd from page

1

It’s not about what you can of God, your child will have more respect and love for you. The more you empty yourself do, but how deeply you love. in love at every stage of motherhood, the more God can fill you!

Our society speaks often of “having it all.”

A woman, they say, can “have it all!” She can be a mom, have a career and do whatever her heart desires. She just has to work a little harder and put on that SuperMom cape. Yet, this creates a different focus of motherhood than Mary teaches. The SuperMom cape mentality focuses only on the mother and all she can do.

A holy motherhood focuses on both mother and child and their relationship. It is not bound to what she can accomplish, but is rooted in how deeply she loves her child. This love is a gift of self to her child. In the Gospels, Mary doesn’t draw attention to herself, but through her love, her life points always to her Son. This is not a false humility of lowering oneself, but an honest, simple humility of immense love.

The joy that rises from such love shines so much brighter than any SuperMom cape we could create.

4.

Blessed Mother,

5.

It’s okay to admit that you can’t do this alone.

6.

Mothers give life and love, but they must first receive it.

7.

Motherhood is not limited to physical children; it is the vocation of every woman!

You need God; you need your husband; you need others. Again, our society is extremely autonomously focused. You can do it! You can achieve it! Yet, real love is the giving of self; it involves a communion of persons. Mary didn’t receive her orders from God and ride alone into the sunset to bring the Savior to the world. She depended on her mother, St. Anne; on St. Joseph; and she raised Jesus in her Jewish community.

Mothers (indeed all people) need to learn again how to ask for help and how to accept it. You don’t need to take on every challenge alone! Holy motherhood is not isolated but connected. God has placed people in our lives who are willing to help us on this journey, if we but let them!

In his encyclical On the Dignity and Vocation of Women, Pope St. John Paul II explains that women must strive to imitate Mary in every way, especially in being “full of grace.” John Paul II said that Mary literally embodied that statement as grace is the life of God in our soul and she held the life of God physically in her womb. She then gave Him to the world.

John Paul II encourages women to receive the gift of God’s life and love within them and then give that life and love to their children and to the world. In a mystical way, he explains, women have a natural receptivity to God’s love. Women are made to be better receivers of God’s love. If women can embrace their womanly gifts and be open to His love, they can bring God’s love to the people around us in a profound way.

At the foot of the cross, Jesus gave his mother to the world and entrusted all of God’s people to her. Here Mary teaches us that motherhood is not limited to our physical children.

Every woman is called to motherhood. John Paul II said that a woman’s womanhood is who she is but her motherhood is her mode of being in the world. As women live out their authentic womanhood in the world, they are living out their vocation of motherhood.

Let every woman rejoice and celebrate her motherhood in following the example of our Blessed Mother during this beautiful month of May!

Bishops and Rector's Dinner, cont'd from page 1 formation of candidates to the diocesan priesthood through the gift of his talents,” said Rebecca Peters, IHM Director of Institutional Advancement who coordinated the event.

The evening was held at the Rochester International Event Center with a social hour which was followed by dinner. After dinner, a short program was given by honoree Weigel on the "Image of the Priest in the Life and Thoughts of St. John Paul II." Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, is a Catholic theologian and one of America’s leading public intellectuals. He holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.

From 1989 through June 1996, Weigel was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he led a wide-ranging, ecumenical and inter-religious program of research and publication on foreign and domestic policy issues. Beginning in June 1996, as a Senior Fellow, Weigel prepared a major study of the life, thought, and action of Pope John Paul II. Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II was published in the fall of 1999, and has since been translated into twelve languages, with a Chinese edition currently in progress.

Weigel was presented with a statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a tribute to him and his support of the seminary.

George Weigel, esteemed author, spoke The proceeds of the dinner benefitted the at the Bishops and Rector's Dinner.

Human Formation Program at IHM Seminary.

Looking Through Each Other's Eyes Catholic Charities' 2015 Annual Appeal theme this Mother’s Day, May 9 and 10, calls for you and me to replace heartache with hope by looking through each other’s eyes.

Pope Francis reminded us recently that we have in many ways created a “throw away” culture. It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression. Those excluded are now seen as “leftovers.” He asked us to open our eyes to those who are suffering: the heartbroken, the marginalized, the poor, and those excluded who feel like outcasts. When we look through each other’s eyes and respond with compassion, miracles happen. You become the instrument of God’s grace and healing transformation. At Catholic Charities we replace heartache with hope by looking through each other’s eyes. We see the “image of God” in the eyes of each person we serve. No one should feel like a “leftover” or be “excluded” from God’s love. Your support of our efforts affirms to those on the margins that they are valued.

It is your compassion and generosity that allow us to replace heartache with hope for: • The expectant teen mother feeling like an outcast and having nowhere to turn who tearfully called our 24/7/365 hotline to confide her feelings of despair to a caseworker. She was provided with

tions. He now has a full-time job that supports his family and his children are thriving in school.

• The widowed senior woman who could no longer afford her medication and turned to our MediAppS caseworker. She now has her prescription and the hope that comes with restored health.

17

What we accomplish is really what you accomplish through us.

You are the instrument of God’s grace and healing transformation.

Your generous support of Catholic Charities' Annual Appeal on Mother’s Day weekend, May 9 and 10, helps children in need, families in crisis, vulnerable adults and seniors, refugees and immigrants, unmarried mothers and their unborn children reach their full potential, regardless of race, faith tradition or ability to pay.

Replace heartache with hope this Mother’s Day weekend by looking through each other’s eyes.

A miracle of transformation is created for both the giver and the receiver when we open our eyes to those who are suffering and respond compassionately. Henry David Thoreau’s thoughtprovoking quote inspires you and me, “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”

Your generosity and committed support of our mission is life-changing for the poor and marginalized in our diocese. We are ever mindful that lives are transformed and hope renewed because of you! God bless you for your compassion and kindness on behalf of those we serve.

Catholic Charities

by: Mary Alessio, Director of Advancement, Catholic Charities

compassionate support and hope for her future and the future of her unborn child.

• The refugee father who arrived after suffering the devastation of war, longing for his children to grow up in a peaceful environment. Hope was provided with stable housing, medical access, English classes, financial literacy training, and bus orienta-

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In the Diocese

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The Face of the Diaconate Ordained to Service This month's guest author is Deacon Pat Fagan of St. Joseph's Parish, Owatonna

As a deacon, I am called, I am asked, I am driven to do many things, which before my full conversion and my ordination I don’t believe I was open to doing. As one ordained to the ministry of service, to be as Christ the Servant, I am called to be attentive to the needs of those around me and to serve those needs to the best of my ability, even if all I can do is hold one's hand or pray for one.

In the beginning, for me, visiting the homebound, those in hospitals, the dying, was a fairly hard thing to do. Personally, I am not the touchy-feely type of person who easily goes out and meets people or one who can “press-the-flesh” as a politician. I am more like the first of the two sons in Matthew’s gospel (MT 21:28-32) whom the father tells to go out into the vineyard to work. The first son tells his father “I will not,” yet goes out, while the second tells his father “Yes, sir,” but does not. I have come to understand that it is not my will, but the will of the One who called me to serve as His Son served, to whom I am accountable.

You see, as a deacon you don’t only do what you’re comfortable doing—sometimes, nearly always, we are called to step out of our comfort zones and try something new. I go and make visits, not because there is a need within me to do it, but because someone else has a need. For those whom I visit, to whom I bring the Precious Body of Christ, whom I sit with for just a few minutes or even an hour or more, their life is made better because they are the ones who needed the connection with another, with God, to feel at ease in their situations. And yet I feel an uplifting of my own spirits as though the time I shared with another swells up in me even more than before. I think that’s what’s meant by receiving “grace upon grace.” The more you give of yourself, the more you receive in return.

One of the last meetings I had with my bishop, Bishop Cupich of the Diocese of Rapid City (now Archbishop of Chicago), before his decision concerning the possibility of my ordination, he posed to me what turned out to be a very difficult question: “What can you do for the people of God?” At that time, I felt very intimidated by what should have been a simple question, but I had to think about my answer. I told him how I was not a doctor, or a lawyer, or have any particular “professional” status, but that I was a person who could be present to someone in need, that I could listen to and do for others.

The bishop already knew my background and who I was, and he must have accepted my answer as he ordained me on May 28, 2003. I would not have been MY first choice to ordain as a deacon as there are

Deacon Bob Yerhot from the Office of the Diaconate For information, email Director, Msgr. Thomas Cook, tcook@dow.org

many others more qualified in many different professional fields. I did not choose me, however. I was called and said “Yes,” and I cannot dwell on what may be perceived as lacking in my professional acumen. God is not calling professionals exclusively to service, he is calling “reputable men, filled with the spirit and wisdom.” (Acts 6:3) To be a deacon, one needs to be open to the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, allowing His graces to flow through you to others, emptying oneself for others, that you may be continuously refilled by that Spirit. To be a deacon is to be uplifted, even in those times when you’d just like to be left alone. At those most unexpected times is when God places someone in front of you who needs more than you do. To be a deacon is not to be expectant of anything, but to simply serve humbly as Jesus did. Service is the deacon’s reward.

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Madelia, St. Mary, Spanish Mass, 10 a.m., every Sunday.

Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul, Spanish Mass, 1 p.m., every Sunday.

Owatonna, Sacred Heart, Spanish Mass, 1 p.m. every Sunday.

Pipestone, St. Leo, Spanish Mass, 2:30 p.m., every Sunday Rochester, St. Francis of Assisi, Spanish Mass, 12 noon, every Sunday.

Ruby Nell Bridges Hall is an American activist known for being the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South. She visited Crucifixion School in January and the students wrote about her visit. We are sharing Emma Fortsch's essay about the experience as she was the first place winner.

On Tuesday, January 20, excitement arose at Crucifixion School in La Crescent, MN. Several Catholic schools from Wisconsin gathered in the Crucifixion School gymnasium to see the famous, one and only, Ruby Nell Bridges! Most kids weren't aware that she'd be coming to visit; it was a wonderful surprise.

While Ruby was visiting, she talked about her life and how she got into the all-white school. She also explained how she and a lot of other six-year-olds had to take a test to get into the school! It turned out all of the kids had flunked the test because of the Governor!

Ruby told us all a message. The message was to be kind to all, especially if they have a different skin tone or the way they dress. Carter Wieser, age 8, a second-grader at Crucifixion School said, "I learned from Ruby to never be mean to black people."

U.S. Marshals would take Ruby to and from school every single day. The Marshals had to take her to school because there was a huge crowd of whites in front of the school. They heard a black girl was going there. They were shouting hurtful and dirty words. Every single time she got out of the car, they'd be yelling "Two, four, six, eight, we don't want to integrate." Brinlee Sprehn, age 7, said, "I'd be sad, would kind of cry if I was Ruby because the people were yelling at me." One of the parents out in the crowd was threatening to poison her.

Ruby's mother made a lunch for her every day. But, Ruby started putting her sandwiches in a cabinet in the back of the classroom. She was afraid to eat the food her mom made for her, even at home! She'd only eat potato chips! There was another parent out in the crowd, and she had a white casket with a black doll inside of it. That night, Ruby started having nightmares almost every night.

Ruby Nell Bridges taught everyone so much. We thank her for coming and talking. I think she made everybody better people!

Hispanic Priests/Sacerdotes Hispanos:

Spanish Mass Schedule Albert Lea, St. Theodore, Spanish Mass, 11 a.m., every Sunday.

Austin, Queen of Angels, Spanish Mass at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. every Sunday.

Dodge Center, St. John Baptist de La Salle, Spanish Mass, 11 a.m., every Sunday.

Lake City, St. Mary, Spanish Mass, 6:30 p.m., every third Saturday.

A Historic American Icon Visits Crucifixion

St. Charles, St. Charles Borromeo, Spanish Mass, 11:30 a.m., every Sunday.

St. James, St. James, Spanish Mass, 12 p.m., every Sunday.

Waseca, Sacred Heart, Spanish Mass, 11:30 a.m., every Sunday.

Windom, St. Francis Xavier, Spanish Mass, 12 p.m., every Sunday Worthington, St. Mary, Spanish Mass, Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.

Padre Luis Alfonso Vargas: Capellán del Decanato de Worthington. lukiponcho@ yahoo.es Tel. 507-341-0403 Padre José Morales: Capellán del Decanato de Rochester. jloralesr2008@ yahoo.es Tel. 507-329-2931 Padre Mariano Varela IVE: Párroco de “SS. Peter and

Paul” en Mankato. mvarela@ hickorytech.net Tel. 507-3882995 ext 103 Padre Octavio Cortez IVE: Vicario Parroquial de “Ss. Peter and Paul” en Mankato Tel. 507-388-2995 Padre Raul Silva: Pastor de “All Saints” en New Richland, “St. Aidan” en Ellendale, “St. Mary” en Geneva. padreraulsilva@gmail.com

Action with Prayer St. Mary’s Church, Winona offers a Mass for Life and Marriage on the first Thursday of the month, at 5:15 p.m.

Prayer Vigil and Public Witness against Abortion Semcac Clinic is a delegate of Planned Parenthood —the nation's leading abortion provider. Please consider joining a local group from 3-4 p.m. each Tuesday in front of Semcac at 62 E 3rd Street in Winona for an hour of prayer. Contact: Will Goodman 608-698-7443.

Parish Events St. Charles Borromeo Church, St. Charles will host its 25th Annual Springfest celebration Sunday, May 17. Join us at St. Charles Borromeo Church for our Mass at 10:30 a.m., featuring music by our St. Charles Borromeo Choir.

After Mass, the family fun continues with a choice of a shredded pork dinner, an authentic Mexican taco dinner or concessions to eat. A Live Auction of new and used items, Bake Sale, Bottle Bonanza, Tootsie Roll Candy Chance, and Children’s Inflatables (including the Jump-aRama and Obstacle Course). Kids will also enjoy games & activities with Nichole. The big ticket drawing will take place at 4 p.m. To purchase a raffle ticket, please contact the parish office.

For more information, please contact the parish office at 507-932-3294 or borromeo@hbcsc.net.

Duo Concert at St. John the Evangelist, Rochester The acclaimed duo of Marissa Brengman Hansen and Nora O'Sullivan will present a variety of first-heard and long-time favorites on Saturday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m.

The St. Felix Church Ladies and St. Mary's Court #208, National Catholic Society of Foresters will co-host their annual Salad Luncheon, Monday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in St. Felix Auditorium. The theme for this year is "Spring Has Sprung." Tables will be decorated in this theme. Tickets are $7.00 in advance and $8.00 at the door. National Catholic Society of Foresters will match funds raised up to $500.

Job Openings Parish Administrator for Pax Christi Catholic Church Pax Christi Catholic Church has an opening for a full time Parish Administrator. The Administrator works closely with the Pastor to manage the business of the parish including the areas of finance, human resources, facility management, staff management, strategic planning, and communication. The Administrator reports to the Pastor and is an active participant in Parish leadership councils as well as community and Diocesan forums. Requirements would include experience and education in management and is a practicing Roman Catholic. Interested parties can apply to Fr. Joe Fogal, Pastor of Pax Christi Catholic Church, Rochester, MN 55901, email: father.fogal@paxchristichurch.org, or call 507.282.8542 x101.

Senior Financial Analyst Diocese of Winona The Diocese of Winona currently has an opening for a Senior Financial Analyst who will provide accounting and financial analysis support. Reporting to the Chief Finance and Administration Officer, this senior-level position will have experience managing financialrelated projects and providing recommendations on various accounting, financial and/ or technical concepts to internal customers.

The ideal candidate will be an effective communicator, collaborative, proactive, adaptable to change and capable of assuming a higher level leadership role in the diocese within 1–2 years. The successful candidate will have a Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance or related with 5–10 years of experience in a related financial role. Demonstrated experience in a not-for-profit organization along with MBA, CPA and/or CMA designation is desirable. The selected individual will have experience supervising staff from a variety of finance and administrative disciplines and be a practicing Roman Catholic.

The Diocese of Winona encompasses the 20 southernmost counties of the state of Minnesota and covers 12,282 square miles —bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and South Dakota to the west. It is home to 114 parishes, four high schools, 30 junior high, elementary or preschools, and one seminary. The diocese has approximately 2,000 full- and part-time employees working within its parishes, schools and institutions.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to view our website at www.dow.org. Résumé, along with cover letter, references and salary requirements will be accepted to either address below until May 7, 2015.

Senior Financial Analyst Search Diocese of Winona 55 W. Sanborn Street P.O. Box 588 Winona, MN 55987 or e-mail to: hr@dow.org Third Grade Teacher, Physical Education Teacher at Sacred Heart School, Waseca Sacred Heart School is taking applications for a full-time third grade teacher and a part-time physical education teacher for the 2015–2016 school year. Applicants may send a letter of interest, résumé, transcripts, and references to LeAnn Dahle, Principal at Sacred Heart School, 308 West Elm Avenue, Waseca, MN 56093 or to dahle@sacredheartschoolwaseca.com.

Job Openings cont'd Faith Formation Director St. Augustine/St. Edward, Austin St. Augustine/St. Edward parish cluster in Austin is seeking a full-time Faith Formation Director for K – 10 (12) grade. In addition, the Director will facilitate/coordinate Adult Education opportunities for the parishes and assist with other ministries. BA in Theology or Pastoral Ministry preferred. Sound knowledge of the Catholic faith and an active, practicing member of the Catholic Church required. Send application and résumé to Fr. Jim Steffes at: fathersteffes.ae@gmail.com or 405 4th St. NW, Austin, MN 55912 by May 12, 2012.

SUBMISSIONS for the calendar Please note: submission deadline is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. All submissions must be sent electronically on our website:

www.dowcourier.org or by emailing:

Courier@dow.org

and by the deadline in order to assure receipt and possible inclusion in the Events Calendar.

We thank you for understanding that due to space limitations, not all events nor story submissions will fit; however, we strive to include as many as possible. Thank you! Courier Staff

19 Events in the Diocese

Holy Hour of Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty The monthly Holy Hour of Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty will be held the first Saturday of the month so those who take part in the Saturday Devotions can join us for the Holy Hour. Upcoming Holy Hours include May 2 and June 6 at 8:30 a.m. (after the 8 a.m. Mass) at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 360 Main Street, Winona. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed and a beautiful rosary will be offered, along with prayer and reflection. Gather in the Adoration Chapel. Everyone is welcome.

Job Openings cont'd

Traditional Latin Mass Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul, first Saturday month, 9 a.m.

Rochester (Simpson), St. Bridget, first & third Sundays of the month, 1 p.m.

Wabasha, St. Felix, weekly. Saturday 8 a.m.

Chatfield, St. Mary's, Saturday morning, please check with the parish for the time.

The Televised Mass Offered as a service for the homebound and elderly. Every Sunday on the following stations: KTTC-TV, Channel 10, Rochester at 9 a.m. KEYC-TV, Channel 12, Mankato at 7:30 a.m. Donations for the continuation of this program may be sent to: TV Mass, PO Box 588, Winona MN 55987.

Thank you for your donations to the TV Mass

Teaching Positions at Pacelli Catholic Schools, Austin Pacelli Catholic Schools is currently hiring for the following positions: Full Time Music Teacher Full Time Social Studies Teacher Full Time Science Teacher If you are interested in any of these positions please visit the school website at www.pacellischools.org or call 507-437-3278 for more details.

For events at Assisi Heights: www.rochesterfranciscan.org and click on “What’s Happening/ Events.” For more info, call Angie Grimm at 507280-2195 or: ahsc@rochesterfranciscan.org.

May, 2015 w The Courier