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by Monsignor Douglas Grams Diocesan Administrator
I am reminded of the creation story of Genesis, in which God created every temporal good in the Garden and then entrusted them to Adam to cultivate and nurture. Adam was the caretaker of the Garden, receiving God’s gifts gratefully, entrusted with cultivating them responsibly. As the diocesan administrator for the past nineteen months, as we await the appointment of our fifth bishop, I also serve as caretaker of the temporal goods given to the Diocese of New Ulm for the Lord’s work.
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In fact, as Christian stewards, we all receive God’s gifts gratefully,
PTHE RA RIE CATHOLIC
The Prairie Catholic, the official newspaper for the Diocese of New Ulm since May 1972, is published every six weeks, Sept.-June. Publisher: Msgr. Douglas Grams Editor: Christine E. Clancy Submission deadline is the 1st of each month prior to publication. Publication office: Diocesan Pastoral Center, 1421 6th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073; phone: 507-359-2966, Email: dnu@dnu.org Website: www.dnu.org Postmaster: Send notice on Form 3579, “The Prairie Catholic,” 1421 6th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073-2071. Periodical postage paid at New Ulm and additional mailing offices. USPS 926-760.
The Prairie Catholic is available online at www.dnu.org
diocesan church On good ground
cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and trust not spoken with our lips but lived through the work of our hands.
This month we present our annual diocesan financial report (see page 3 in this issue), for the year ended June 30, 2021, in the spirit of transparency and thanksgiving for God’s blessings and the selfless support of our benefactors. The finances of the diocese are under the oversight of Deacon Rick Christiansen, interim director of Finance, the College of Consultors, and the Diocesan Finance Council. Independent auditors have issued an opinion that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Diocese of New Ulm and the results of its operations and cash flows.
We are pleased to report that the Statement of Activities for the year reflects a strong financial position, with net assets on June 30, 2021, of $17,992,000. Our net assets grew $3,307,000 year-overyear.
We see God’s blessings through the strong investment climate this past year and the government programs which supported us during the pandemic. Gains in the value of endowments and other invested funds accounted for $2,216,000 of that increase. The vast majority of parishes, schools, and the Diocesan Pastoral Center received SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans which were forgiven during the 202021 fiscal year. The Statement of Activities includes $248,000 PPP loan forgiveness income received directly by the diocese.
The diocese was also blessed through the generosity of our benefactors. Parishes directly supported the work of the diocese through $1,573,000 contributions to the Diocesan United Fund (DUF). The Diocesan Ministries Appeal (DMA) applied $785,000 of donor gifts to support the work of several outreach ministries. DMA donations remain restricted by donors only to be used for those purposes. The diocese also received generous gifts from estates during the year.
The diocese strives to be a good steward of these gifts through its ministries. Administration of the diocese accounts for 37% of its total expenses. Evangelization and Catechesis ministries used $448,000, Worship and Spiritual Life ministries used $81,000, Social Ministries used $567,000, and formation and care of clergy used $569,000.
The diocese has emerged from bankruptcy on strong financial footing. We have been very prudent in controlling costs during that time, and we now look forward to expanding ministries that build up the Body of Christ when our new bishop is appointed as shepherd of the faithful in the Diocese of New Ulm.
May God richly bless the work of our hands, and may he pour his Spirit upon us as stewards and caretakers of the temporal goods he has entrusted to us for his glory. It is his promise that the Lord will not be outdone in generosity.
Prayer for a new bishop
Almighty God, Who by the Holy Spirit moves the hearts of Your people,
Direct the counsels of those who are appointed to choose a bishop for the Diocese of New Ulm, that we may be given a pastor who in faithfulness and wisdom shall lead Your people in the way of holiness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us
Eucharistic Procession - “A time to boldly proclaim our faith and love for Christ in the Eucharist”
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According to the USCCB website for this initiative, “The bishops of the United States are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.” The website states that “the bishops believe that God wants to see a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist - and sent out in mission ‘for the life of the world’”
The Church teaches that the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives as Catholics. The Eucharist is central. It is the great gift of His Presence given to us by Christ, who desires to remain with us always and encourages us to remain with him and receive and be nourished by him. This great gift at the heart of the Church is the source of all true renewal. A revival in Eucharistic faith and devotion will bring about healing and a great renewal in the Church! The Eucharistic Procession on June 19 will begin the diocesan Year of Eucharistic Revival here in the Diocese of New Ulm.
Following the procession there will be prayers and Benediction at the Cathedral followed by a barbecue in Washington Park, across the street from the Cathedral. Parking will be at the Cathedral. Bus transportation from the Cathedral to the Pastoral Central will be provided from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m.
Come early to pray the 14 devotions at the beautiful Diocese of New Ulm’s Way of the Cross located behind the New Ulm Medical Center which leads up the hill to the Diocesan Pastoral Center in New Ulm. This historic shrine has been part of diocesan history for 118 years. Its 14 stations, with statues imported from Bavaria depicting the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus, provide a quiet, reflective walk up a 700-foot brick path to a chapel dedicated to the Mother of Sorrows.
The Diocese of New Ulm Eucharistic Procession is meant to be a celebration! Consider making it into a parish or area faith community pilgrimage.
Let’s get a huge crowd together from all over the diocese to inaugurate this great revival in the diocese and boldly proclaim our faith and love for Christ in the Eucharist by taking Him to the streets!
For further details and updates regarding the Diocese of New Ulm Eucharistic Procession on June 19 (Corpus Christi), visit the diocesan website, www.dnu.org.
Watch a free online course
A free course instructed by Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, Minn., and head of the USCCB Committee for Evangelization and Catechesis, will help you unpack the USCCB document on the Eucharist.
Visit eucharisticrevival.org for more resources on the revival, including a document entitled “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.”
Diocese of New Ulm Statement of Activities
(July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021)
2020-2021 Revenues $5.7 Million 2020-2021 expenses $2.6 Million
Grants and Other Income 58% Diocesan United Fund 28% Personnel 22% Administration 37%
Diocesan Ministries Appeal 14%
Social Ministries 21%
