The
COURIER
Pentecost May 23
May 2021
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
'Don't Pretend You Didn't Hear' USCCB Bishop Quinn Encourages Class of 2021 to Listen for the Lord's Voice ROCHESTER - On Wednesday, April 28, at Lourdes High School in Rochester, Bishop John M. Quinn celebrated the 2021 Baccalaureate Mass honoring seniors from the Diocese of Winona-Rochester's four Catholic high schools: Cotter in Winona, Lourdes in Rochester, Pacelli in Austin, and Loyola in Mankato. Concelebrating were several pastors from the students' home parishes. Due to precautions taken in response to the COVID19 pandemic, only administrators and Lourdes students attended the Mass in person. However, students from the other three schools were able to watch online via livestream. The Mass had been scheduled for St. Augustine Church in Austin, but was relocated to Lourdes after pandemic-related circumstances forced Pacelli students to return to distance learning for two weeks. Lourdes students stepped up to fill the liturgical roles with two days' notice. In his homily, Bishop Quinn recalled the way he and his siblings sometimes pretended not to hear their father's voice calling them home as children, in order to continue playing. He urged the Class of 2021 not to respond in such a way to the voice of Christ in their lives after graduation: I want to encourage our seniors - our Class of 2021: be sure and follow the voice of the Shepherd. You’ll hear it. Don’t deny it’s there. And as you leave us and go on to college or university, as you go into the military or other work ... you will hear the Lord calling you with love. On weekends, those of you who are Catholic, the Lord is calling you to the Eucharist. Don’t deny He wants to nourish you with His body and blood.
Welcomes Commitments at Climate Summit from usccb.org
Screenshot from Lourdes High School's livestream
Also, He wants you in a relationship of love and is calling you because you are His beloved son, you are His beloved daughter. He wants to lead you. He wants to be part of your life. In every experience, whether it’s a joyful one or a challenging one, or one when we experience our limitedness, perhaps failure, the voice of the Shepherd is there, still leading and guiding. You hear that voice every day, the Lord calling you and me to prayer, to acknowledge His goodness. Take time to respond to that voice, so that you hear Him and you allow Him to touch your heart. As you respond, you’ll find in prayer that you’re following Him, because there are lots of other voices in
Baccalaureate, cont'd on pg. 9
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden convened the Leaders Summit on Climate on April 22-23, which included a video message by Pope Francis. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, respective chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development and International Justice and Peace, have released the following statement in support of the Holy Father: Pope Francis addressed a virtual gathering of over 40 leaders from the highest levels of world government at the White House’s Leaders Summit on Climate, saying, "our concern is to see that the environment is cleaner, healthier and conserved, and to take care of nature so that it takes care of us."
Summit, cont'd on pg. 4
INSIDE this issue
Creating a Parish Culture for Mission page 5
Warmest Welcome!
New Principal Mary Spring pages 6-7
page 9
