Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Marriage: Speaking the truth with love
2 August 30, 2012
The Catholic Spirit News with a Catholic heart
Sprinter leaves disability in the dust
Minnesota native aids Syrian refugees
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By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Don’t let Krista Pylkki’s beaming smile fool you. Beneath her wide grin and hearty laughter lies a fierce competitive spirit. A track coach who spent two summers working with her put it best: “She hates to lose,” said Traci Pastoors, who graduated from Totino-Grace High School in Fridley in 2008 and was a track team captain there and at the University of St. Thomas. “She has a focus unlike anyone I’ve ever coached.” Many of the great athletes in sports share this disdain for failure, which often propels them to greatness. But what happens when soaring ambitions are trapped inside a disabled body? That’s the tension that Pylkki wrestles with every day she hits the track to run her three events — the 100, 200 and 400 meters. Born with mild cerebral palsy, she started off in swimming, then made a gradual switch to track and field several years ago. Her goal was to qualify for the U.S. team at the Paralympic Games, which began in London Aug. 29 and run to Sept. 9. A 2012 graduate of TotinoGrace, she trained with Pastoors in the summer, hoping her efforts would pay off in the form of a berth on the team. Alas, Pylkki was not among
Krista Pylkki stands on the track at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, where she competed as a member of the varsity track team until her graduation this past spring. She also has trained there with T-G alum Traci Pastoors, who comes back to the school this fall as a teacher.
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Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Court reinstates original title of marriage amendment The Catholic Spirit Supporters of the proposed state constitutional marriage amendment scored a victory in the courts earlier this week. On Monday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Secretary of State Mark Ritchie “erred and exceeded his authority” in retitling ballot questions when he disagreed with how the Legislature had written them. Thus, the titles of two proposed amendments, one relating to marriage and the other to voter I.D., will remain as originally written. The two measures go to voters on Nov. 6. Some traditional marriage supporters saw Ritchie’s rewording of the marriage amendment as a way of weakening its chances for passing. His version read: “Limiting the Sta-
tus of Marriage to Opposite Sex Couples.” The original version, which has been reinstated, reads: “Recognition of Marriage as Solely Between One Man and One Woman.” “Opponents of the marriage amendment know that the majority of Minnesotans believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” said Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference. “The polls affirm this again and again. Therefore, to defeat the amendment, they must use tactics such as those employed by the secretary of state to confuse voters about what the amendment does and does
not do, as well as about the effect of a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ vote.” “Those who believe marriage is between a man and a woman and that the people should have the final say about Minnesota marriage law — not judges or politicians — should vote ‘yes’ in November,” he said. Despite the conflict over the title, the wording of the actual ballot question remains the same. It will read: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?”
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AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Marriage: Speaking the truth with love
That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
What we do and say in the coming months will matter greatly
In two months, the people of the state of Minnesota will have an opportunity to exercise their right as citizens of this great state in voting for a constitutional amendment to protect marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As you know, this issue has become a great source of controversy since the intended purpose for this amendment is so often misconstrued. Therefore, it is crucial for us to understand what sets marriage apart as a unique relationship and to appreciate the important difference that it makes for society. Marriage is a universal social institution that serves as the cornerstone of society. It is a reality that unites a man and a woman and any children born from their union. As Catholics, we recognize this reality as God’s revelation to us, something we can see clearly in nature and throughout thousands of years of human history. What God has revealed to us for all time cannot be changed unilaterally by human beings. This is the heart of the matter for us as Catholics. Our effort to support God’s unchanging plan for marriage is not a campaign against anyone, but rather a positive effort to promote the truth about marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Timeless truths In the coming months, the discussion about marriage may become increasingly difficult. While there are differing points of view on this issue, I believe that we must act with integrity in order to find the courage to speak the truth in love. As we grow closer to the day when we each will have a voice and vote on this matter, I offer the following perspective for the Catholic faithful. As archbishop, it is my solemn responsibility and duty to teach the truths of the faith. It is, as they say, my job. In fact, I cannot do anything other than pass on to the faithful these timeless truths — truths that
The Catholic Spirit The Catholic Spirit’s mission is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It seeks to inform, educate, evangelize and foster a spirit of community within the Catholic Church by disseminating news in a professional manner and serving as a forum for discussion of contemporary issues. Vol. 17 — No. 17 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT Publisher SARAH MEALEY Associate publisher
JOE TOWALSKI Editor
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by Catholic Spirit Publishing Company. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year Senior 1-year: $24.95 To subscribe: (651) 291-4444 Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444 Classified advertising: (651) 290-1631 Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Spirit Publishing Company, a non-profit Minnesota Corporation, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. www.TheCatholicSpirit.com e-mail: catholicspirit@archspm.org USPS #093-580
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It is crucial for us to understand what sets marriage apart as a unique relationship and to appreciate the important difference that it makes for society.
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ARCHBISHOP JOHN NIENSTEDT
have been revealed to us by Christ in Sacred Scripture, sacred tradition, and teachings of the Church for two millennia. As hard as these truths may be for some to hear, as surely as they occasionally stand in opposition to the ebb and flow of public opinion, they must be taught. I must continue to do so, and I promise to teach with love for one and all. My sincere longing is for the salvation of souls, as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has exhorted us to seek for ourselves and for our entire human family. So I urge all Catholic faithful to think, pray and reflect seriously on this most important issue. What we do and say in the coming months will matter greatly. I urge us all to stand up for the truth, always with love. I ask that you consider and pray about the following: First, some ask, “Why is a constitutional amendment necessary?” Well, the fact of the matter is that politicians and activists are working right now in Minnesota to redefine the institution of marriage from one that bonds a man and a woman to any PLEASE TURN TO RESPECTING ON PAGE 12
Three more parishes exceed Appeal goal Three more parishes have now exceeded their 2012 Catholic Services Appeal goal, bringing the total number of parishes over goal to 120. The three parishes are: ■ All Saints, Lakeville ■ St. Paul, Ham Lake ■ Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale Parishes that previously exceeded their goal are: St. John Vianney, South St. Paul St. Mark, St. Paul St. Thomas More, St. Paul Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul St. Ambrose, Woodbury St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka St. Michael, Prior Lake St. Mark, Shakopee St. Timothy, Blaine Our Lady of the Prairie, Belle Plaine St. Charles, Bayport St. Patrick, Faribault St. Mary, Bellechester St. Joseph, Miesville St. Dominic, Northfield Risen Savior, Burnsville Sacred Heart, Rush City St. Patrick, St. Paul Holy Spirit, St. Paul Corpus Christi, Roseville St. Pius X, White Bear Lake St. Michael, West St. Paul St. Ignatius, Annandale St. Hubert, Chanhassen St. Luke, Clearwater St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins St. John the Baptist, Jordan St. Timothy, Maple Lake Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville St. Bartholomew, Wayzata St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis Ascension, Minneapolis St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bloomington Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley Our Lady of Grace, Edina St. Patrick, Edina Immaculate Conception, Madison Lake St. Andrew, Elysian Divine Mercy, Faribault Mary, Queen of Peace, Rogers St. Cecilia, St. Paul Maternity of the Blessed Virgin, St. Paul St. Catherine, Jordan Our Lady of the Lake, Mound
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Obituary Father Jerome Janski served Minneapolis parish for 27 years Father Jerome J. Janski, who retired from active ministry in 1992, died Aug. 8. He was 87. Father Janski was born March 19, 1925 and ordained a priest June 3, 1950. Prior to his retirement, he served for 27 years at St. Philip in Minneapolis, including 15 years as pastor. (St. Philip merged in 2011 with Ascension in Minneapolis.) Among Father Janski’s other priestly assignments were St. Leo, Highland Park; St Adalbert, St. Paul; St. Michael, West St. Paul; St. Michael, Pine Island and St. Therese, Deephaven. The Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 17 at Holy Cross in Minneapolis, with interment at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minneapolis.
“Minnesotans, like all Americans, have a responsibility to comfort and welcome the stranger in their midst.” “Unlocking the Gate in Our Hearts,” 2012 immigration statement from the Minnesota Catholic bishops
Local News from around the archdiocese
AUGUST 30, 2012
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Catholic Charities helps immigrant youth legalize status By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit
Samir Barrera has always had a passion for music. He plays piano and practices every day in a studio he put together in his home. Barrera, 28, is an undocumented immigrant from Honduras living in St. Paul, and he was beginning to think he would never be able to go to college and realize his dream of becoming a professional music producer — until recently. In June, President Barack Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It will allow certain undocumented young people to be temporarily freed from the threat of being deported to homelands to which they may have few ties, and get work permits. Applications were accepted beginning Aug. 15.
Rosa Zuñiga hugs Ixia Helmueller, program manager for Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services, after a meeting with Rosa’s son and two daughters about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program Aug. 22. Zuñiga, an immigrant from Honduras, has temporary protected status, but her children are undocumented. Her son Samir is in the background.
Meeting the need Barrera is one of many young people who have come to Migration and Refugee Services of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis for help determining if they qualify for the program. According to Ixia Helmueller, program manager, there are about 9,000 young people statewide who could qualify for the program. To qualify for the program, applicants must be under age 31 and have arrived in the U.S. before their 16th birthday. They must be currently in school, have obtained a GED or been honorably discharged from the military. Catholic Charities is planning one-day workshops on dates yet to be determined to screen applicants, help them fill out and submit paperwork and answer their questions. The agency is in need of volunteers to help with the workshops, Helmueller said. Migration and Refugee Services is working with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network to train staff and volunteers. There is also a need for donations to cover the cost of submitting paperwork. The government requires a fee of $465 to process applications. Catholic Charities staff members also will be working with Holy Rosary in Minneapolis and St. John the Evangelist in Hopkins — two parishes with a large number of immigrant parishioners that have asked for assistance in helping their young people determine if they can take advantage of the program, which would give them a renewable two-year reprieve and allow them to attend college.
A new life Barrera came to the United States with his mother, Rosa Zuñiga, in 1998 after Hurricane Mitch destroyed much of their country. His two sisters, Eunice, 19, and Kayla, 18, arrived in 2009 and also are being screened for
Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
the program. Eunice wants to attend college and study to be a criminal lawyer. “I want to be somebody,” she said. Her sister Kayla is interested in medicine and wants to work as a doctor or nurse. “This is a great opportunity for everyone who doesn’t have papers,” she said. “Now that we have this opportunity, we don’t want to let it go,” Samir said. “I think this will open the doors to their dreams to become professionals and be self-sufficient,” said Samuel Felix, Hispanic outreach case manager with Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services, who has worked with the family for several years. Some undocumented immigrants are not so sure about the program. There may be some risk in coming forward. “It’s probably going to be difficult for some because their [undocumented] parents may not want to be exposed,” Helmueller said. “You have to submit information about your family, who your parents are and when they brought you here. Some might hesitate to do that,” she said. “It’s a hard decision, but you have to live, you have to do it. If you want to be somebody out there, you have to do it,” Samir said. Kayla is more cautious. “It is a little frightening,” she said. “Some are saying, ‘We’re so ready we don’t even worry about it anymore,’” Helmueller added. Helmueller and the community she works with have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. “For
St. Bonaventure 4th Annual Pro-Life 5K Run/Walk 901 East 90th St.
Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. A fun, exciting, family friendly event in Bloomington $10 per person — $20 per family. Free t-shirts to the first 100 registrants. Registration: 7:00 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. on September 15th. For more information contact Jim Koepke at 952-884-4372 or email at Jim_Koepke@yahoo.com. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Robbinsdale Women’s Center providing assistance to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies.
To volunteer or donate Call Ixia Helmueller, program manager for Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services at (651) 647-3113.
For more information ■ Visit the Minnesota Catholic Conference website at WWW.MNCC.ORG/DEFERRED-ACTION-AND-DREAM-ACTRESOURCES. ■ Visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at WWW.USCIS.GOV/CHILDHOODARRIVALS.
me to actually be able to see this come true . . . I can’t put it into words,” she said. The U.S. bishops are supportive of the program’s goals. Among those hailing the announcement in June was Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Migration Committee. Helmueller noted: “We are about helping folks develop their human potential and also be able to call for justice in their communities. “I strongly believe our involvement in this program exemplifies both,” she added. “These are our children, they have so much to offer, have showed that, and it is phenomenal that we in our agency can be a part of such an amazing country where we can correct things that have been identified as not right. To me that’s exciting.”
Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly. People who generally feel they can hear, but cannot understand words clearly are encouraged to come in for the test, which uses the latest electronic equipment. Everyone, especially those over age 55 should have an electronic hearing test once
a year. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be programmed using a computer to your particular needs — on the spot — after the tests. See (and HEAR) for yourself if newlydeveloped methods of correction will help you understand words better. Tests will be performed at one of 20 convenient Greater Twin Cities Avada Hearing Care locations.
Call 1-877-328-9161
www.avada.com ©2012 HHM, Inc. 304
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The homeless in Washington County can soon find rest By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Homelessness hits close to home for Denny Farrell, business administrator at Guardian Angels in Oakdale. “I have a brother who’s been homeless for some time,” said Farrell, 68. “When [wife] Mary and I moved back here to the Twin Cities [in 1992] — we were on the West Coast for 17 years — we found my brother and got him some housing.” That personal connection motivated him to spend 15 years working with Families Works of Moving Forward, a program in Minneapolis that provides temporary housing for the homeless. And, it caused him to respond quickly when three Guardian Angels parishioners — Marla Simmet, Sally Krupich and Karen Fitzpatrick — came to him with a way the parish could make a difference. The women proposed using the recently vacated rectory as a homeless shelter. They had heard that a local church, St. Andrew’s Lutheran, was looking for a new place to send homeless folks after a motel it had been using was being remodeled.
Denny Farrell, business administrator at Guardian Angels in Oakdale, stands in one of the bedrooms that will be used to shelter homeless families beginning Labor Day. The renovated former rectory will be called Hope for the Journey Home.
MERCY
A little ‘divine inspiration’ Farrell quickly got on board and helped get the project approved by the parish and finance councils. The passion of the three women, plus Farrell’s 15-year background, not to mention the fact that this idea fits squarely into the parish’s pillar of social justice, made the proposal impossible to deny. “It’s a little divine inspiration that I happen to be here when everything is going down,” said Farrell, who has been working at the parish for the last five years. “My background really lends itself to helping get this off the ground. I know all the pitfalls and all the rewards the volunteers will receive from taking on this outreach
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
ministry.” The nearly 7,000-square-foot building will open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, with seven bedrooms available for families to stay overnight, plus one bedroom for volunteers to spend the night. Transportation will be provided to parents from St. Andrew’s, and children will be bused to and from school each day. Two meals per day also will be served. The parish has named the shelter Hope for the Journey Home. “There’s a variety of ways that people come to be in circumstances that are really difficult, and aren’t we all called to help each other?” Simmet said. “That [house] comes out of a strong belief that we are all on the journey together.” Though Washington County is an affluent region overall, poverty still exists. Data gathered by the county in a Point in Time survey showed that there were 313 homeless persons in 2011. Hope for the
Journey Home will be able to accommodate up to six families a night. “I think this [poverty in the county] is an eye opener,” Simmet said. “You don’t have to go to the east side of St. Paul or north Minneapolis. These are our neighbors who, over the last decade, have really fallen on hard times. Homelessness is in the suburbs. I think we have to respond to what’s happening right in our own neighborhoods, in our own communities.”
Ecumenical support The good news is that the costs are minimal. The largest cash outlay has been about $80,000 to renovate the rectory, Farrell said. St. Andrew’s will be paying much of the ongoing costs to house the homeless. Money the church was spending to put homeless people up on the motel now will be diverted to Guardian Angels. In fact, one of the parish’s greatest in-
vestments will be labor. So far, more than 100 people have stepped forward to work at the home once it’s open, and more have pitched in to do prep work. Plus, people at more than 40 other local churches have signed on to help. “I think it’s really exciting; it allows different churches to get to know each other, and it brings people together in a common cause.” Simmet said. “There are just lots of wonderful reasons to do this. “It takes so many hands and feet and hearts and prayers to really make this happen,” she added. “And yet, at the end of the day, we hope that this is temporary. We hope that all of these folks find housing and that the need for shelter doesn’t continue, that people are able to find affordable housing and have good livingwage jobs and that they don’t need this shelter anymore. That would be our longterm goal.”
Talking about the marriage amendment with family, friends Amendment supporter offers best approaches to take in current debate By Barb Ernster For The Catholic Spirit
John Rogers, a lifelong Catholic and married father of two children, was on the opposite side of the church’s position on the Minnesota marriage amendment just two years ago. He was personally opposed to same-sex marriage but felt the Church had no business wading into what he felt was a political issue. After studying the issue from Christian and secular perspectives, he came to conclude that church teaching on traditional marriage is correct, and both church and state have an interest in preserving marriage between one man and one woman. He now blogs at Marriage Matters and wants to help those on the side of traditional marriage dialogue with others about their beliefs, especially when the conversation resorts to accusations of bigotry and homophobia.
Positive approach Rogers spoke at Epiphany in Coon Rapids on “How to discuss the Minnesota marriage amendment with family and friends,” a talk he has given at his own parish, St. Joseph in West St. Paul. It was the fourth in a series of bi-weekly discussion nights hosted at Epiphany (see box, right) to inform parishioners on the issues surrounding the marriage amendment on which Minnesotans will vote Nov. 6. The series has helped sign up more than 50 volunteers, according to organizers, and has attracted non-parishioners and Protestants from the area. One of the most important points to remember when talking with “on the fence” Christians, Rogers said, is that Scripture focuses much more on the good of marriage than it does on condemning homosexual acts, so discussions about Sodom and Gomorrah are not effective. Marriage forms the bookends of Scripture, beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve and ending with the Wedding Feast of the Lamb in the book
Up next ■ What: “Is Doing the Right Thing Wrong: Upholding Traditional Marriage” with Father Francis Hoffman (“Father Rocky”) of Relevant Radio FATHER HOFFMAN ■ When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 12 ■ Where: Epiphany Catholic Church, 1900 111th Ave., N.W., Coon Rapids ■ Cost: Free ■ For more information: Call (763) 755-1020
of Revelation. “The organization of Scripture tells us that marriage has an integral role in what God wants for his people. Adam and Eve are created as helpmates and partners, and God’s first command is to be fruitful and multiply. In fact, marriage is the relation-
ship that survives the fall of mankind — Adam and Eve leave paradise with marriage intact,” he told the audience. Throughout the Scriptures, strong marriages are consistently praised, and God rewards faithfulness to him and to each other with the gift of children. In the New Testament, God considers marriage to be so important that he decides to become incarnate within the context of one. Jesus did not drop from the sky as an adult male, he said. “Scripture’s consistent message is that marriage is the primary relationship of creation. It’s where man and woman become coworkers of God, they literally engage in the act of creation in marriage,” Rogers said. “We’re not here to condemn with this amendment, we’re here to protect and strengthen a good that was in place since the very beginning of time. And while I don’t doubt that charity and self-sacrifice exists in same-sex relationships, they simply aren’t marriages.” PLEASE TURN TO AMENDMENT ON PAGE 23
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Bishop offers 10 points for transmitting faith today By Joe Towalski The Catholic Spirit
Culture, family and parish life interact together in complex ways that affect the quality and depth of faith formation for children and adults, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, told Catholic educators during his keynote address Aug. 21 at the Minnesota Catholic Education Association conference in Rochester. The bishop, who is chairman-elect of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, outlined 10 points during his talk on the gathering’s second day that he said are key to nurturing faith and understanding the challenges of transmitting it in today’s world. 1. We are dealing with a complexity of cultures in the world we are living in right now. The church in the United States is comprised of Catholics from many cultural backgrounds, Bishop Flores said. The U.S. bishops have subcommittees focused on the needs of Catholic Latinos, AfricanAmericans, Native Americans, the AsianPacific community and itinerants and migrants. “There are a number of countries of origin that are affecting how the church expresses itself in the United States. All are important,” he said, adding that it is incumbent upon Catholics to be hospitable to immigrants and try to understand better the expressions of faith they bring with them. 2. Culture is also a reality in the home. “The family culture is basically how, in that particular family setting, the faith is transmitted or not,” Bishop Flores said. The wider culture can pose significant challenges to families, particularly recent immigrants who often feel they are competing with it. “Parents feel they have less and less influence over their children because of what they hear on television, what they see on the Internet, what they may or may not hear in school,” he said. Children in immigrant families quickly learn to speak English better than their parents, reversing the authority dynamic. “This affects the family dynamic profoundly,” Bishop Flores told the educators,
“Among the Christian
virtues, hospitality is the most important when it comes to evangelizing, in witnessing and in any way making church a place where people feel welcome.
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BISHOP DANIEL FLORES
Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
“and you need to be aware of that.” One suggestion the bishop offered for all teachers and parents: read what today’s young people are reading — books, for example, like the “Percy Jackson” novels and the “The Hunger Games,” which feature young people striving to be noble and heroic amid difficult or desperate realities. “I think reading children’s literature is a very important thing to do if you’re a teacher or if you’re in any way involved in education because it gives you an idea about what is out there . . . and gives us a sense into what our family culture nationally is trying to grapple with,” he said. 3. Parish life and school life are a kind of culture. “Parish life and school life is either hospitable or it is not,” Bishop Flores said. “Among the Christian virtues, hospitality is the most important when it comes to evangelizing, in witnessing and in any way making church a place where people feel welcome.” “How hospitable are we?” is a question we must ask ourselves, he said. “I always say the most important person in the
parish is the one who answers the phone, or opens the door, or greets the person at Mass on Sunday morning.” Creating a culture of hospitality, he added, is especially important in cultivating an inviting parish community for immigrants and moving beyond the fragmentation that happens in parishes among various groups. “I think we have to ask the church to be a witness to a Catholic reality, which basically says we may speak different languages, we all have different cultural experiences relating to the faith, but we are all Catholic,” he said. “We all believe in the Eucharist, we all believe in the incarnation of the Son of God, we all believe he was crucified and rose from the dead. And so there ought to be some time when we’re all there together and the language thing doesn’t matter so much…. We can all be one in faith, hope and love without losing our identity.” 4. We live in an extremely secularized culture. The secular culture “is robbing the faith of our children without us knowing it,”
Bishop Flores said. “There is a cultural dynamic — it’s kind of the air we breathe — that basically proposes to our young people and to adults that human life can be happily lived without a connection to a religious body or belief, that religion is purely a private matter, that in this culture we don’t really need God,” he said. “That’s not us” as Catholics, Bishop Flores said. “Anyone involved in the education mission of the church must ask themselves, “How necessary is Christ to me?” Christ is our savior and we must live our lives in ways that show that, he said. 5. In what sense do I think belonging to the church is necessary? “What is the urgency in belonging to the church, in announcing the Gospel?” Bishop Flores asked. “Are we just announcing something to people so they can be a little bit happier in what already is a happy life, or are we saying this is the remedy for what ails the human race?” If we believe the latter, we must live our lives accordingly, he said. 6. Without Christ, we are lost. “Pope Benedict XVI writes about why faith must be active in the culture,” Bishop Flores said. Sooner or later, in a world devoid of faith, “the powerful devour the weak, self-interest triumphs over selflessness, and it basically becomes a culture of ‘do whatever you want as long as we don’t hear the scream.’” “When John Paul II warned us about a culture of death, he was basically saying that if a culture is evacuated of the influence of the Gospel, then what’s left is a very stark reality,” he said. He challenged the educators to think about this question every day: In what sense is Christ needed in my life as Savior? “Without him,” Bishop Flores reiterated, “we are lost.” 7. A culture of believers must be sustained on something more than Sunday Mass and catechetical sessions. “I think sometimes that American Catholicism has gotten extremely cerebral,” Bishop Flores said. “We need to recover a sense of the physical contact with the Mystery — the Incarnation, the cross, PLEASE TURN TO BISHOP ON PAGE 17
Educators connect, learn from each other at statewide conference By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit
Webinars, podcasts and video conferences are among ways for educators to keep up on what’s happening in the field of education without leaving their schools. The new technology, however, doesn’t replace the value of coming together to learn from and support colleagues in ways that can’t be done online. To that end, about 800 educators from around the state gathered in Rochester Aug. 20 and 21 for the Minnesota Catholic Education Association Convention. The biennial event brings together Catholic school principals and teachers, along with directors of religious education, youth ministers and other Catholic educators for professional development, faith formation, personal enrichment and networking. “It’s the cultural experience of coming
together,” said Peter Noll, executive director of the MCEA. “We are committed to this kind of event because it’s a community-building experience, and that’s very important to us. Community is the core of who we are as Catholics. You can feel it here.”
Variety of workshops Participants heard three keynote speakers during the conference, including Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, who is chairman-elect of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church. (See story, above.) Educators had time to network and attend workshops with topics that ranged from the renaissance of classical education and the childhood obesity epidemic, to revised social studies standards and praying with multiple intelligences — an approach to prayer based on a student’s learning style. There were also a variety of vendors in
an exhibit hall, where educators could learn about everything from books for early readers to Lego activities for after-school programs. They could even sample chocolate that can be used for fundraising. Lynelle Kocher, an art teacher at St. Stephen School in Anoka, said one of the most important things she will take away from the convention is what she learned in a workshop about standards-based reporting by Mary Kane, assistant superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The workshop focused on the purpose, steps and questions for developing the new reporting system — which grades students on mastery of the topic instead of points earned on homework and tests.
“Its something I’ve been thinking about changing in my classroom for the last few years, and it would be great to implement some of her ideas,” Kocher said. She said learning more about it during the workshop was the nudge she needed to make the change. A workshop on enhancing emotional intelligence — the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions — that was presented by Craig Sundberg of St. Mary’s University resonated with Deb Jaworski, a secondgrade teacher at St. Pascal Baylon School in St. Paul. “If you’re in a negative state of mind you’re not going to focus on learning,” she said. “So I’m going to pay more attention to my students’ emotions and try to help them be positive.”
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
‘October Baby’ actress to speak at pro-life fundraiser in Lakeville
St. Olaf in Minneapolis to host conference on worship, music, homiletics
The Catholic Spirit
Sara Kovach
Actress Shari Rigby went through the script to learn her role in the film “October Baby.” “I didn’t know anything about the film at that point,” said Rigby, who will speak at a pro-life gala in the Twin Cities Sept. 20. “I didn’t know what my character was really going to be doing in this film.” Turns out, she had something significant in common with her character, RIGBY Cindy. Both the character and the actress are post-abortive. Cindy is the birth mother to Hannah, the movie’s main character who embarks on a journey to find her birth mother after learning she was the product of a failed abortion attempt. Rigby herself had an abortion 20 years ago and will speak about that experience at the Legacies for Life Gala at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20. Proceeds will benefit Pregnancy Choices LifeCare Center in Apple Valley. She believes appearing in the movie has given her the chance to speak out on the subject of abortion and what she went through. In fact, during the closing cred-
its of the movie, which was released in theaters in March and will be available on DVD beginning Sept. 11, Rigby addresses moviegoers. “It’s really what God gave me in my life, this platform,” she said, during an interview with The Catholic Spirit. “Getting the script was just pure joy all over.” In addition to joy, reading the script and playing the role also brought healing to the actress, who is married with two children. In a video interview (WWW.GOD TUBE.COM/WATCH/?V=K6G77GNX), she recounts the emotional journey she experienced during filming. “I don’t think I truly found complete peace and understanding until this process of getting the script,” she said. “It’s been over a two-year journey for me, and I don’t know that I really experienced that moment — in fact, I will tell you I didn’t know it until I got on the set and the Lord met me there.” Rigby hopes her story will both inspire and encourage the pro-life volunteers and supporters at the gala. “It [her story] really shows me as a broken person with the need of Christ,” she said. “It really encourages people that are there to understand they’re the ones making a difference and that they’re the ones that can help make a difference in so many young women’s and men’s lives.” For more information or to register, visit WWW.MYPREGNANCYCHOICES.COM and click on “Events,” or call the center at (952) 997-2229.
If you go
The Catholic Spirit
Deacon Thomas Winninger and Lynn Trapp, a musician, composer and liturgist at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis, are combining their skills and talents to welcome church musicians, clergy and artists of liturgical environment to the Upper Midwest Conference on Worship, Music and Homiletics Sept. 28-29 at the church. “Ours is a much simpler itinerary and format [than similar conferences], yet with the same quality presenters. So, anybody in 24 hours can learn, study, engage and network with other people in the same course orientations that some liturgical conferences take four to five days to do,” said Deacon Winninger. Trapp said the conference is designed to appeal to all Christian denominations, with its depth and content coming from a strong Catholic presence. “The crossover is rooted at the intersection of our faith in one Lord and our determination to offer our best quality worship to God,” he said.
Varied topics Deacon Winninger, an internationally recognized speaker and author, presents on two items during the conference. His first session on Sept. 28 focuses on engaging people in liturgical work. “How do we as worship leaders engage volunteers and people in serving in the liturgies and how do we lead them as vol-
■ What: Upper Midwest Conference on Worship, Music and Homiletics ■ When: Sept. 28 and 29 ■ Where: St. Olaf, Minneapolis ■ For more information, to register or to view a list of other presenters, visit WWW.CONFERENCEONWORSHIP.ORG.
unteers to not only participate but to grow in their own spiritual engagement?” he said. His second session on Sept. 29 focuses on convergence of homiletics, which Deacon Winninger defined as “preparing in a pattern that brings preaching to a convergence with the word and music.” Trapp will present sessions on “Principles of Keyboard Leadership” (Sept. 28) and “Organ Repertoire for the Church Year” (Sept. 29). The conference also will feature a mix of other theological and musical workshops taught by respected faculty to challenge participants’ perspectives and build techniques. Conference organizers hope that it will grow into an annual event that addresses the needs of pastoral ministers without being product- industry- or institutiondriven. Sept. 15 is the last day to register for the entire conference or individual sessions.
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“Even though we are suffering and don’t have stability, there is someone in this world who cares for us and wants us to stay here.” Marielle Boutros, a 25-year old Maronite Catholic in Lebanon, speaking about the Sept. 14-16 visit that Pope Benedict XVI will make to her country
Nation/World AUGUST 30, 2012
News from around the U.S. and the globe
Young Lebanese see papal visit as sign of hope By Doreen Abi Raad Catholic News Service
Lebanon’s younger generation of Catholics sees Pope Benedict XVI’s Sept. 14-16 visit to their country as a sign of hope in a region embroiled with violence. Marielle Boutros, a 25-year old Maronite Catholic from Jbeil who teaches science at a Catholic school, said the pope’s visit “means that even though we are suffering and don’t have stability, there is someone in this world who cares for us and wants us to stay here.” “That’s why he’s coming here, to tell us to stay here and not to quit our cause,” she said. Firas Wehbe, a 34-year old Maronite Catholic who heads up the sales unit of a bank, said the pope’s visit “is a sign of hope for the youth, a support for them to stay in their country and the Middle East, especially with the turbulent situation around us.” Wehbe said that when Pope John Paul II visited Lebanon in 1997 and the country was under Syrian occupation, it was “a bad situation.” “But now, it’s all the region,” Wehbe said. “So I think that this visit is a sign from God, a message for us to resist in a Christian way: through our beliefs, to stay here in the holy lands and to live our lives according to the Bible. Otherwise, we can go everywhere in the world. But here, we have a message to live all together with other religions, especially Muslims.” “I’m talking from personal experience, because I live in Tripoli [Lebanon], which is 90 percent Muslim,” Wehbe said. “In fact, we don’t have problems as Christians, but the city is experiencing political problems related to the situation in Syria. The conflict in Syria is affecting the city, but we hope it will end soon.”
CNS photo / Dalia Khamissy
Posters announcing a gathering with youth during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon are pictured at the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate in Bkerke, outside of Beirut, Lebanon.
Clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups in Tripoli in May and June killed up to 25 people.
Plans proceeding The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said despite instability from Syria that has spilled across Lebanese borders, preparations for the trip “are proceeding without any uncertainties on the Vatican’s part.” In fact, he said, the popemobile has already been shipped to Lebanon.
During his visit, Pope Benedict will present a major document addressing concerns expressed at the 2010 Synod of Bishops on the Middle East, but on Sept. 15 he is expected to meet with about 30,000 young people at Bkerke, the patriarchal seat of the Maronite Catholic Church, north of Beirut. Of Lebanon’s population of nearly 4 million, approximately one-third is Christian. The country’s population belongs to 18 different religions, 12 of which are Christian.
Clusters, collaboration in Milwaukee Archdiocese’s future By Brian T. Olszewski Catholic News Service
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki is preparing the archdiocese for 2020, particularly as to how the spiritual needs of the Catholic community will best be served. “Parishes and Pastoral Leadership 2020,” approved and issued by Archbishop Listecki Aug. 8, notes “three principal factors” that will have an impact on parishes during the next decade: ■ From 2010 to 2020, the number of priest retirements will exceed ordinations, resulting in a projected 40 percent reduction in the number of priests serving in parish ministry. ■ The costs of operating parishes and funding ministries are escalating rapidly and parishes can gain economies of scale by collaborating with other parishes. ■ The one mission of the church, shared
by all parishes, can be carried out more effectively by combining efforts and sharing resources. There are 203 parishes in the archdiocese. By 2020, there will be 100 parishes and clusters. “Of these, 28 are free-standing parishes and the remaining parishes will create 72 clusters,” the plan states. “The 72 clusters will be formed by bringing together approximately 175 parishes and establishing collaborative staffing, structures and ministries.”
Embracing Catholicity In an Aug. 3 interview with the Catholic Herald, the publication serving the Catholic community in southeastern Wisconsin, the archbishop said the plan “depends on us embracing our Catholicity.” “The aspect of Catholicity is the true spirit that guides us. It was that Catholicity
and that commitment that produced so many priests that we were able to have individual priests in a parish,” he said. “Now, maybe what we need to do is regroup, grab our Catholicity so it helps us to inspire those individuals to serve in various communities and that we might have more ordained personnel to serve in the future.” In a letter that accompanied the plan, the archbishop noted the need for collaboration. “Now that a long-term strategy has been determined for the archdiocese, it is extremely important for each parish and cluster to become actively involved in planning for the future,” he wrote. “Each pastor or parish director in consultation with the parish pastoral council is charged with the responsibility for these planning efforts. The full implementation of the plan will require the collaborative efforts of everyone in the archdiocese.”
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Panel OKs federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research A three-judge federal appeals panel has affirmed a lower court ruling that the U.S. government can fund embryonic stem-cell research despite a federal ban on funding research that harms or destroys human embryos. Chief Judge David Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the National Institutes of Health’s interpretation of the Dickey-Wicker amendment was “reasonable” in permitting funding of embryonic stem-cell research using cells derived using private funds. The amendment, approved annually by Congress since 1996, bars the use of federal monies for “the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes” or “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero.” “’Research’ as used in DickeyWicker may reasonably be understood to mean a ‘discrete endeavor’ that excludes the initial derivation of ESCs,” he wrote. “Under that interpretation, Dickey-Wicker permits federal funding of research projects that utilize already derived ESCs — which are not themselves embryos — because no ‘human embryo or embryos are destroyed’ in such projects.” The Catholic Church opposes any research that harms the human embryo and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops backed the goals of the lawsuit against federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.
Tests on cardinal detect cancer cells For the second time in his 75 years, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago is facing the cross of cancer. On Aug. 17, the Archdiocese of Chicago released a statement announcing that two days earlier, Cardinal George underwent a procedure at Loyola Medical Center during which doctors found cancerous cells in his kidney and on the liver. “After the cardinal meets with his doctors regarding a plan for a course of treatment, further information about his upcoming public schedule will be announced,” the archdiocese said in an Aug. 20 statement. It will provide updates about the cardinal on its website, WWW.ARCH CHICAGO.ORG. In 2006, the cardinal had an operation to remove his bladder, prostate gland and sections of his ureters — the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. — Catholic News Service
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
Nation / World
CRS says work with groups doesn’t violate Catholic teaching From staff and wire reports Catholic Relief Services is refuting accusations that its work with some international organizations violates Catholic teaching. The agency’s response follows recent charges made online by LifeSiteNews and repeated on other websites that CRS partnered with organizations that provide contraceptives and other family planning services the church deems immoral. CRS, the U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency, rebutted the allegations in a series of statements posted on its website. Among criticisms leveled by LifeSiteNews is CRS’ membership in the CORE Group, an agency founded to improve health care for women and children that also has promoted the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and supports unspecified family planning services around the globe. John Rivera, CRS director of communications, said in a statement that CRS’ membership provides a “means of demonstrating our faithfulness to church teaching.” The statement said that not all members of the networks CRS joins “uphold all
tenets of church teaching” “We acknowledge our differences, air our disagreements on these issues and contribute our Catholic voice to the conversation,” CRS said. “As an active and influential member of the CORE Group, we are able to represent the Catholic positions on health for mothers and their infants.” Rivera cited one example where CRS representatives were able to include the practice of natural family planning in discussions of the kinds of services the CORE Group can offer to poor families around the world. The CRS statement also pointed to a 2006 CORE Group document referenced by LifeSiteNews that promoted artificial birth control to prevent the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. CRS acknowledged that two of its representatives reviewed the document and offered revisions that were “more in line with our HIV prevention approaches.” “However, their comments may or may not be taken into consideration in any final documents and CRS did not endorse this document,” Rivera’s statement said. “CRS has since revised our policies to ensure that our name is not associated with
documents that are counter to church teaching.” CRS also defended $5.3 million in emergency funding that it provided to the humanitarian agency CARE in 2010 under a U.S. government grant, saying in website postings in late July that the grant did not violate church teaching. The postings came after an online report that CARE provides contraceptives to women and other family planning services. CRS said the money it provided CARE was specifically used for water and sanitation as well as food and nutrition programs for poor families in Central America and Africa and could not be transferred to other services that CARE provided. “If CRS and CARE had not received these grants, they would not have undertaken these programs,” CRS said. “Therefore, the funds can in no way be described as ‘freeing up’ money for either CRS or CARE to engage in other activities.” CRS also has been criticized for its involvement with MEDiCAM, an association of Cambodia-based humanitarian agencies that work in the health sector. LifeSiteNews said the organization also
promotes contraception and abortion. In an interview regarding CRS’ connection with the CORE Group, John-Henry Westen, editor of LifeSiteNews, said the relationship was troublesome to the prolife community despite the many good services the association provided to mothers and children. “The basis of the concern from the prolife groups is that when we go ahead and partner with these pro-abortion groups, pro-contraception groups, it sends the wrong message,” Westen told Catholic News Service Aug. 15. “They’re doing good projects. They’re getting food and water to people. But the problem is in the very area these groups work. They will establish themselves with Catholic money as doing good. Then they come back with a proabortion and pro-contraception mentality.” Michael Hill of the CRS communications department said that, like many Catholic organizations, CRS sometimes works with groups that hold some positions contrary to Catholic teaching, including the U.S. government and the United Nations. “We make sure that any funds that we spend or give to other groups are not used for anything that contradicts church teaching,” Hill told The Catholic Spirit. “We recognize that at times these partnerships are difficult and problematic and often seek advice from our board — whose members include 15 bishops and the general secretary of the USCCB — church leaders and Catholic ethical experts.” According to its website, “CRS has consulted with Dr. John Haas of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, an expert in moral theology who is a member of the bishops’ pro-life committee, to review our grants (including grants with CARE) and he found that none of them constitutes support of or involvement in immoral activities.” “We welcome input from those who question our partnerships and memberships, only asking that it be in a constructive spirit that is intended to support and further the life-saving and life-affirming work that CRS does for millions of the poor around the world,” Hill said. Catholic News Service and Catholic Spirit editor Joe Towalski contributed to this story. To read CRS’ statements, visit HTTP:// NEWSWIRE.CRS.ORG/ALL-POSTS.
Theology Day. Find out. Islamist & Liberal Islamic Perspectives on an Ideal Nation-State Thursday, September 6, Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis 6 p.m.: check-in & light meal, 6:30-9 p.m.: presentation
Join Jon Armajani in discussing the ways in which Islamist groups and liberal Muslims interpret sources related to the life of Muhammad, sacred texts, and Islamic history in constructing their visions for Islam’s future. The session will also explore the relationships between those ideas and some contemporary developments in parts of the majority-Muslim world. Jon Armajani is Associate Professor in the undergraduate Department of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. He is the author and editor of three books, most recently, Modern Islamist Movements: History, Religion, and Politics (2012).
FREE but registration is required: www.csbsju.edu/sot or 320-363-3570
CatholicHotdish.com
Nation / World
AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Minnesota native helps coordinate outreach to Syrian refugees Kevin Hartigan says Catholic Relief Services is partnering with church agencies to provide food, medical and other assistance to war victims
be open to Syrian refugee children, but the curriculum is quite different. So Caritas is trying to put together intensive preparation for a lot of the kids. Other work is focused on identifying isolated elderly people, unaccompanied children, woman-headed households, women who have been the victim of violence in the war, anyone with mental illness problems or trauma issues and then following up with them.
Kevin Hartigan is Catholic Relief Services’ regional director for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. His work includes overseeing programs to assist refugees from Syria, where a civil war that began in early 2011 has so far claimed an estimated 20,000 lives. The fighting has displaced some 1.5 million Syrians from their homes, and more than 250,000 have fled to neighboring countries, including Lebanon and Jordan, where CRS is helping to meet their needs. A native of Minneapolis, Hartigan attended Christ the King School, now Carondelet Catholic School, in MinHARTIGAN neapolis. The following is an edited interview that Catholic Spirit editor Joe Towalski conducted with Hartigan Aug. 24 while he was visiting Minnesota.
Talk about the impact this conflict is having on the children of Syria. In the life of these children and adults, Syria has, up to now, been very peaceful in general. There’s no precedent in these children’s lives for this kind of violence, loss, trauma and flight. So there’s a lot of concern on the psychosocial side and then a big concern to get them some sense of normality, not to lose a year of schooling and not to have the whole population set back in terms of their education.
We’ve been hearing about the situation in Syria for over a year. What is the refugee situation right now? The largest number of Syrian refugees up to a few weeks ago was thought to still be in Jordan, maybe 150,000, but growing quickly. The estimate in Lebanon was around 100,000. The number in Turkey was smaller but now is growing very fast because of the fighting in Aleppo, the most-populated city. CNS photo / Bill Lyons for Catholic Relief Services Some refugees have gone back to Iraq. There are be- Syrians fleeing violence in their country sit at a reception tween 1 million and 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, center in Mafraq, Jordan, in late July. which was the focus of much of the church’s and our relief work in Syria up to this crisis. The difficulty [in estimating Syrian refugee numbers] is that the majority Want to help? of the refugees are apparently not Contributions to help CRS choosing to be officially registered with its relief efforts on with the U.N. High Commissioner behalf of Syrian refugees for Refugees. Why don’t they want to be registered? It’s hard to say. [It might be] because of fears for their security, not knowing where the information might end up and not wanting to be associated with any kind of political view that might be ascribed to them based on the fact that they fled. They are being cautious. They all have family back in Syria.
can be made online at CRS.ORG. Contributions can also be made by calling (877) 435-7277 or by sending a check to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090.
Are there other challenges as well? Another population in Syria that our church partners particularly are concerned about is migrant workers. There were a lot of migrant domestic workers from Asia — from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines. The work that CRS has supported in Syria over the past few years has been focused on assisting those migrant workers, who are often mistreated, denied their rights, denied their wages and subject to abuse in other ways. They are a constituency of the Catholic agencies there, and they end up in an extremely needy position because often families who employ these domestic workers will flee and leave them there. It’s an extremely dangerous situation. When I was in Beirut [in Lebanon recently], the Catholic migrant center was working with the Filipino embassy on evacuating 5,000 Filipino maids from Damascus. What work is CRS doing with refugees right now in Lebanon and Jordan? CRS is working with our church partners in Lebanon and Jordan [Caritas Lebanon and Caritas Jordan]. In Jordan, most of the work is medical. We’re funding clinics and outreach work in the refugee communities in northern Jordan, particularly. This is an extension of work
we’ve been doing with Iraqi refugees in Jordan for many years. Much of it is focusing on women, children and the elderly. A lot of people coming across [the border] now are wounded. The church agencies there provide primary care and then provide referrals and work together with other agencies and the government to get people hospitalization, surgery and other services. It’s essentially casework with vulnerable people and refugees with acute health needs. There’s also some psychosocial work being done. Caritas has social workers and provides assistance for unaccompanied children, women who have been victims of violence — both using Catholic institutions and referrals. In both Jordan and Lebanon, our partners also are providing immediate food and non-food assistance — hygiene kits, for example, basic food packages and bedding. In Lebanon, we’re doing some medical work, but the more intense work is psychosocial and protection. [Part of the work is focused on] trying to help Syrian children get prepared to enter the Lebanese school system. The Lebanese government has announced the schools will
Do any stories from the refugees you met in Lebanon and Jordan stick in your mind? Virtually all the refugees being served by the Catholic agencies in Jordan and Lebanon right now are Sunni Muslims — there are very few Christian Syrians [among the refugees]. There’s a considerable Christian population in Syria, but very few have left as refugees up to now. The refugees are extremely forthcoming and very anxious even to share their experiences. Many spoke English. There were a bunch of young men in Jordan showing me their bullet wounds and telling me about the violence they had experienced in Homs [in Syria]. These guys are just normal guys — university students, laborers, farmers. None of them claimed to be, or seemed to be, soldiers. These people were living an extremely normal, unthreatened urban existence and then their world just very quickly changed into this open warfare. They’re still kind of in shock. They talked a lot about the destruction of their neighborhoods. The worst suffering of people in this kind of refugee situation is often the lack of information and lack of contact with family members whom they have lost touch with. It’s a situation you can easily imagine: If you suddenly fled over a border, and one of your children or your spouse or your parent had not made it, that is all you would be thinking about. One of the interesting things we see among the refugees in both countries is that all of them immediately try to get local cell phones to try to make contact with relatives. Because the fighting is still going on, that nervousness and that fear about what may have happened or what may imminently happen to their loved ones is the real anguish. The combination of the intensity of the fighting and the intensity of the telecommunications and the contact they have makes the reality of the war very vivid and alive within the refugee population. How can Minnesotans help right now? We’re asking everyone to help us support our church partners in the region by contributing to a Catholic Relief Services appeal we’ve made to assist the victims of the violence in Syria. We need that support; we are spending our money very quickly because the numbers of refugees are increasing. Our church partners are doing a lot of work, but thus far they are pretty much relying entirely on the international Catholic community to support that, and we are relying up to now completely on private donations to support this work. We know these are hard times, and we’ve had disasters in Duluth and other places here, but we think it’s an important time to be in solidarity with the people of Syria and also with our church partners who are working extremely hard there.
“The church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society.” Task Force on Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Education, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
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This Catholic Life THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Opinion, feedback and points to ponder
AUGUST 30, 2012
The great both/and of Catholic social teaching
F
or many on the left, Paul Ryan is a menace, the very embodiment of cold, indifferent Republicanism, and for many on the right, he is a knight in shining armor, a God-fearing advocate of a principled conservatism. Mitt Romney’s choice of Ryan as running mate has already triggered the worst kind of exaggerated hoohah on both sides of the political deFather bate. What is most interesting, from Robert Barron my perspective, is that Ryan, a devout Catholic, has claimed the social doctrine of the Church as the principal inspiration for his policies. Whether you stand with “First Things” and affirm that such a claim is coherent or with “Commonweal” and affirm that it is absurd, Ryan’s assertion prompts a healthy thinking-through of Catholic social teaching in the present economic and political context.
Commentary
Two principles Ryan himself has correctly identified two principles as foundational for Catholic social thought, namely subsidiarity and solidarity. The first, implied throughout the whole of Catholic social theory but given clearest expression in Pope Pius XI’s encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, is that in the adjudication of matters political and economic, a preferential option should be given to the more local level of authority. For example, when seeking to solve a traffic-flow issue in a suburb, appeal should be made to the municipal authority and not to the governor, even less to the Congress or the President. Only when a satisfactory solution is not achieved by the local government should one move to the next highest level of authority, etc. This principle by no means calls into question the legitimacy of an over-arching federal power (something you sense in the more extreme advocates of the Tea Party), but it does indeed involve a prejudice in favor of the local. The principle of subsidiarity is implied in much of the “small is beautiful” movement as well as in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, which exhibits a steady mistrust of imperial power and a steady sympathy for the local, the neighborhood, the small business. Now in Catholic social theory, subsidiarity is balanced by solidarity, which is to say, a keen sense of the common good, of the natural and supernatural connections that bind us to one another, of our responsibility for each other. I vividly remember former New York Governor Mario Cuomo’s speech before the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco in 1984, in the course of which he effectively lampooned the idea that individual self-interest set utterly free would automatically redound to the general welfare. Catholic social thought does indeed stand athwart such “invisible hand” theorizing. It also recognizes that, always in accord with subsidiarity, sometimes the federal and state governments are the legitimate vehicles by which social solidarity is achieved. Does anyone today, outside of the most extreme circles, really advocate the repeal of Social Security, unemployment compensation, medical benefits for the elderly, food stamp programs, etc.? Solidarity without subsidiarity can easily devolve into a kind of totalitarianism whereby “justice” is achieved either through outright manipulation and intimidation or through more subtle forms of social engineering. But subsidiarity without solidarity can result in a society marked by rampant individualism, a Gordon Gekko “greed is good” mentality, and an Ayn Rand/Nietzschean “objectivism” that positively celebrates the powerful person’s dominance of the weak. Catholic social theory involves the subtle balancing of
“Catholicism is marked
through and through by the great both/and principle. Jesus is both divine and human. He is not one or the other; nor is he some bland mixture of the two. . . . In a similar way, the Church is radically devoted to this world and radically devoted to the world to come.
”
FATHER ROBERT BARRON these two great principles so as to avoid these two characteristic pitfalls. It does, for example, consistently advocate the free market, entrepreneurial enterprise, profit-making; and it holds out against all forms of Marxism and extreme socialism. But it also insists that the market be circumscribed by clear moral imperatives and that the wealthy realize their sacred obligation to aid the less advantaged. This last point is worth developing. Thomas Aquinas teaches that ownership of private property is to be allowed but that the usus (the use) of that privately held wealth must be directed toward the common good. This is because all of the earth and its goods belong, finally, to God and must therefore be used according to God’s purpose. Pope Leo XIII made this principle uncomfortably concrete when he specified, in regard to wealth, that once the demands of necessity and propriety have been met, the rest of what one owns belongs to the poor. And in saying that, he was echoing an observation of John Chrysostom: “If you have two shirts in your closet, one belongs to you; the other belongs to the man who has no shirt.”
The both/and principle In his wonderful Orthodoxy, written over a hundred years ago but still remarkably relevant today, G.K. Chesterton said that Catholicism is marked through and through by the great both/and principle. Jesus is both divine and human. He is not one or the other; nor is he some bland mixture of the two; rather, he is emphatically one and emphatically the other. In a similar way, the Church is radically devoted to this world and radically devoted to the world to come. In the celibacy of its priests, it is totally against having children, and in the fruitful marriage of its lay people, it is totally for having children. In its social teaching, this same sort of “bi-polar extremism” is on display. Solidarity? The Church is all for it. Subsidiarity? The Church couldn’t be more enthusiastic about it. Not one or the other, nor some bland compromise between the two, but both, advocated with equal vigor. I think it would be wise for everyone to keep this peculiarly Catholic balance in mind as the debate over Paul Ryan’s policies unfolds. Father Robert Barron is the founder of the global ministry, Word on Fire, and the rector/president of Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
This Catholic Life / Opinion-Commentary
AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Watching for (c) The following first appeared in the Hawaii Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Diocese of Honolulu. It was written by Kathleen T. Choi.
T
here’s a story in the Acts of the Apostles that always gets me thinking. It comes in the first chapter, right between the Ascension and Pentecost. The disciples decide they need to pick someone to replace Judas. They had been 12. They need to be 12 again. They figure Judas’ replacement should be someone who was with them from the beginning. Two men fit the bill, so they cast lots, and Matthias wins. I’m sure Matthias was a fine man, but I think the apostles jumped the gun. They assumed that they knew what qualified a man for this new position of apostle. They told God, “Pick (a) or (b).” But God was working on (c). That man had never met Jesus and certainly never followed him. In fact, in the next few chapters, we’ll see him eagerly persecuting Christians. Yet Paul would undergo one of the most dramatic conversions in church history and powerfully fulfill Christ’s command to be his witness “even to the ends of the earth.” Every time I read this passage, I wonder if I’m limiting God’s options as well. Am I assuming the only answers are (a) or (b)? Am I open to receiving (c) instead? I have a friend who was suddenly stricken with a physical
“Instead of focusing on
whether we’ll get what we want, we open our eyes to what God wants to give.
”
Opinion
KATHLEEN T. CHOI
disability. We attended several healing services asking that she be made whole again. We saw it as an (a) or (b), yes or no, situation. But God did (c). The disability remained, but . . . my friend had been deeply hurt by a family member. As she prayed over and over for healing, she found her bitterness over that betrayal draining away. She was finally able to forgive. She said that being freed of that burden was a more precious gift than any physical cure. One of my favorite books is Corrie ten Boom’s “The Hiding Place.” Nazis sent Corrie and her sister to a concentration camp as punishment for helping Jews. First they prayed for freedom. Then they asked God to use them in this place. They prayed and read the Bible. More and more prisoners joined them, and the atmosphere in their barracks changed.
Corrie could give thanks for that but not for the fleas. They were a constant misery. Then her sister pointed out that gatherings as large as their prayer group were forbidden. However, guards were so reluctant to enter their infested barracks that they could worship more openly than other prisoners. God didn’t (a) rescue them or (b) abandon them. He did (c). He showed them how to be “more than conquerors.” A popular phrase among charismatic Christians is, “Pray expecting.” Too often, we pray about major problems with little hope that God will act. We ask him to find us a job, save our marriage or heal a loved one, but we don’t really expect him to answer. That would take a miracle, and miracles seldom happen. Perhaps we’d see more miracles if we included (c) in our petitions: “Lord, please act in this situation.” Maybe unemployment will continue, but we’ll find something special to do with this time. Maybe the marriage can’t be saved, but we can learn to treat each other decently. Maybe our loved one will die, but we can savor every remaining minute. Expecting (c) is an act of faith. Instead of focusing on whether we’ll get what we want, we open our eyes to what God wants to give. Faith is a conversation. We tell God what’s in our hearts. Then we stay alert. His response might not be what we had hoped for, but it will always be a blessing.
Defending marriage:
Good science can reinforce what we know by faith and reason
A
ground-breaking study was released on June 10 that provides one of the first large-scale, random-sample, independent, peer-reviewed, published and critiqued studies ever conducted on the parenting effects of eight groups or household settings with various combinations of male and/or female parents. The eight classifications were: 1) lived in intact biological family; 2) mother in a same-sex relationship; 3) father in a same-sex relationship; 4) adoptive parents (mother-father); 5) divorced or joint custody; 6) step family; 7) single parent; 8) all others, i.e., children of a deceased parent, etc. The study, published in the prestigious journal, Social Science Journal, and entitled, “New Family Structures Study,” was conducted by Mark Regnerus of the University of Texas. The Jason Adkins results were based on a comprehensive study of 2,988 randomly selected young adults between the ages of 18-39. The results were critiqued by several reviewers, representing a broad ideological spectrum, who supported the quality and integrity of the research.
Faith in the Public Arena
Findings are clear Of the 40 outcomes that the study researched, the 15 in Table 2 are the most significant. The data show that children raised in an intact, biological family with a mother and a father produced more positive results in every category. Most notably, as seen in the chart above, the study found that young-adult children of parents who have had same-sex relationships are more likely to suffer from a range of emotional and social problems. The study thus makes doubtful the assertion of those seeking to redefine marriage that there are “no differences” in outcomes between children raised by parents in same-sex relationships and those raised by a mom and dad. In fact, young adults raised by a parent in a same-sex relationship did not fare better on one single outcome measurement than those people raised by their intact, married parents. The report concludes by acknowledging that many respondents have proven to be resilient in overcoming such factors of death, divorce, diverse romantic partners or remarriage. No one is doomed to fail simply because of difficult family situations. Many people are able to
overcome these challenges and do well. But the authors can emphatically assert that this research: “. . . clearly reveals that children appear most apt to succeed well as adults — on multiple counts and across a variety of domains — when they spend their entire childhood with their married mother and father, and especially when the parents remain married to the present day. Insofar as the share of intact, biological mother and father families continues to shrink in the United States, as it has, this portends growing challenges within families, but also heightened dependence on public health organizations, federal and state public assistance, psychotherapeutic resources, substance use programs and the criminal justice system.”
Moms and dads matter This report, like all social science, is limited methodologically in its ability to describe the complexities of human life. Its data sample, while sufficient from a scientific standpoint, is still rather small. But anecdotally, and more reliably than previous studies on these matters, the study does reinforce what lived experience has taught cultures and civilizations across history and geography, namely, that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is best assured in a home with a mother and a father. Moms and dads matter and law should promote the ideal. Not every marriage pro-
duces children, but every child has a mother and father. The Marriage Protection Amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman that will appear on the November ballot is meant primarily to reaffirm the right of children to know and, to the extent possible, be cared for by the two people whose sexual union made them — a right recognized by even the United Nations. Civil marriage protects this right and is the only institution that combines the biological, social and legal aspects of parenthood into one lasting bond. The well-being of children should be one of the most important considerations in the debate on public policy about marriage and family life. And we know that, as a general matter, children flourish best in a home with a mother and a father. When we live in accordance with and are governed by what faith and reason tell us is the best for human flourishing and happiness, we prosper. When we abandon that plan, we suffer. Good science confirms this reality. We need to do all we can to assure that our laws connect children to their parents and affirm what abundant research, among other things, confirms is the best context for raising children. Jason Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
Commentary
/ This Catholic Life
A Catholic approach to untangling the international knot The following is the sixth article in the series “Catholics Care - Catholics Vote.” The series, which will run until Election Day, Nov. 6, unpacks and explores the themes addressed by the U.S. bishops in “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” their document on political responsibility. For past articles in the series, visit THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. By Don Clemmer Sometimes it’s just best to go to an expert. Whether it’s a burst water pipe, an unresponsive computer or the challenges of international peace and stability, some problems just require special expertise. For instance, that third example, as the U.S. bishops describe it, involves “war, terror and violence, which raise serious moral questions on the use of force and its human and moral costs in a dangerous world, particularly the absence of justice, security and peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.” The bishops list these concerns as one of six issue areas in “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” that Catholics should be concerned about as they prepare for political engagement. The problem with this particular area is that it’s so messy and tangled with politics, history, culture and the ever-changing realities on the 6 o’clock news that, for many Catholics, the issue is first to understand the issues before they can care about them. Fortunately for the church, it has experts who can help all Catholics engage. Stephen Colecchi, director of International Justice and Peace for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has traveled extensively, written articles and parish resources
and was recognized by Pope John Paul II for his work. Colecchi recognizes that the international concerns of the bishops are broad, but their practical focus is to take a very Catholic approach of helping “the least of these,” and advocating for life-serving, poverty-focused international assistance. “Pope Benedict said in his 2009 World Day of Peace message that to fight poverty is to build peace,” said Colecchi. “Effective international assistance not only saves and supports the lives of millions of vulnerable people around the world, it also expresses our values as a nation and is a requirement of being a global leader.”
Building peaceful societies Colecchi noted that international assistance benefits Americans, too. “It improves global security and stability and contributes to our own security,” he said. “Contrary to popular misconceptions, poverty-focused international assistance accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget, and careless cuts will cost lives and not make a significant impact on the important goal of reducing deficits. In many poor countries, the Catholic Church and faith-based organizations partner with the U.S. government to deliver assistance. The church is trusted by local people and has an extensive presence in many developing countries.” Colecchi also sees war as closely related to issues of poverty and international aid. “War and violence take innocent lives and increase poverty,” he explained. “In a sense, war is human development in reverse. It destroys lives and livelihoods and often drives people from their homes and into deeper poverty. For example, millions of persons are displaced by conflicts in Sudan, Iraq and Colombia. As Catholics, we are called to be peacemakers. We can and should urge
our government to work for peace and to assist displaced persons and refugees.” In terms of the Middle East specifically, Colecchi says the Catholic Church, under the Vatican’s leadership, has worked for decades toward peace in the Holy Land and that the bishops have urged strong U.S. leadership for a two-state solution with a secure and recognized Israel living in peace alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state. This, of course, comes with some requirements. “Peaceful societies are built on respect for human rights and religious freedom,” said Colecchi, “but in many countries, religious minorities are discriminated against and even persecuted.”
Key questions As Catholics try to incorporate all of these issues into their political engagement, Colecchi said there are a few key questions that can shed some light: “For example, does a candidate see poverty-focused international assistance as an investment in saving lives and making our world and nation safer? Does the candidate value working for peace and only using force as a last resort in keeping with just war teaching? Will he or she promote religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy? Does the candidate value partnerships with faith-based organizations, and will he or she support conscience clauses and other provisions that allow such partnerships?” In short, “Will the candidate support policies and programs that protect human life and dignity?” With these guidelines, all Catholics can be empowered to take action on international issues, at election time and all year round. Clemmer is assistant director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Respecting God’s plan for marriage is about promoting true love CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 children born from their sexual union into another that licenses the romantic preferences of same-sex adults. These same activists have promised to change the one understanding of marriage that applies to all Minnesotans at the earliest possible opportunity. In fact, a lawsuit is currently pending in Hennepin County, and legislators who have introduced legislation to redefine or eliminate marriage altogether have promised to do so again next year. But the reality is that marriage is not ours to redefine, just as another human life is not ours to take. God is both the author of life and the author of marriage. It is this most fundamental understanding of the natural order that animates who we are as Catholics. It is why we fight so ardently to defend every human life, from conception to natural death. It is why we fight for the dignity of the human person and vigorously seek preferential options for the poor and disadvantaged. It is also why we fight to defend God’s plan for marriage, because his providence is as clear for what marriage is as it is for the dignity of each human life. When society says that the unborn, the weak and poor don’t matter, we as Catholics stand up for the truth. We cannot do any different for God’s timeless plan for marriage.
Following God’s plan Second, uniting men and women in stable relationships is an important social good, as documented by abundant social science research. As Catholics, we believe in the pursuit of the common good for all of humanity. This means we actively seek what benefits all according to what brings us closer to God’s plan for our lives. The common good is truly achieved when defined by God’s laws and precepts, not by one’s personal desires. We know all too well that human desires, untethered from God’s moral law, often lead to great harm to ourselves and society, even if unintended. Many times, this harm is not clear in the moment and only comes into focus after the damage has been done. Catholics are called to love as Jesus loved, not by acquiescing to what public opinion proposes as permissible, but by living out
the truth that God has written on the human heart for the common good. Third, gender matters. Kids do need a mom and a dad. The well-being of children lies in the balance of a manmade social experiment. At the core of this latter concept is the belief that gender doesn’t really matter. On the other hand, as Catholics, we support and defend God’s design for the complementarity of men and women. For each there is a beautiful and unique purpose. We know that men and women parent differently. We know that children benefit greatly from the unique gifts that mothers and fathers brings to their child. Gender does matter, and kids do need us as a society to do everything possible to unite them to both their mom and dad. When kids do better, the whole community does better. (See page 11 for the most recent research on this topic). Fourth, the effort to respect God’s plan for marriage is about promoting true love, not preventing it. As God’s creatures, we are so much more than our sexual desires, and we should never let them define who we are. God is love, and Jesus Christ is love incarnate. With the example of Christ, we are called to love deeply, to love unselfishly — it is our highest calling. But we do need to understand love and sexuality through God’s lens and his perfect plan for us. He asks us to temper our passions, not to temper our love and to find the true path to its selfless growth. As Catholics, we see that God’s plan for marriage is the holy family — the triune model of father, mother and child — a model that creates and fosters a love that goes beyond mere sexuality.
Defending dignity of all Finally, and importantly, while no one has the right to redefine marriage for all of society, as Catholics we are committed to defending the dignity of all people, including those with same-sex attraction. We know that some who are seeking to redefine marriage experience same-sex attractions. Our brothers and sisters living with same-sex attraction are beloved children of God who must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in this regard must be avoided. People with same-sex attractions, like others in society, are productive citizens,
community servants, good friends and our beloved family members. At the same time, however, it is important to know that the effort to ensure that the definition of marriage remains as between one man and one woman does not take away anyone’s existing rights or legal protections. As Catholics, we believe that all people should be able to visit loved ones in the hospital, pass on their property to whomever they choose, and have access to employment, housing and the basic necessities of life. Saying “yes” to God’s plan for marriage will not change any of this. Since the marriage amendment was placed on the ballot, we have been working to educate Catholics about what marriage is, why it is important, and what the consequences of redefining marriage will be. We are not alone in these efforts. Tens of thousands of Minnesotans of various backgrounds and faiths have come together to form Minnesota for Marriage (MINNESOTAFORMARRIAGE.COM), which is the official campaign created to promote passage of the marriage amendment. It is encouraging to see so many people across Minnesota joining together to proclaim the truth and the beauty of marriage.
Help needed Now, Minnesota for Marriage needs your help to get the message out. We must ensure that Minnesotans know what is at stake and have the correct information about why they should vote “Yes” for the marriage amendment. (Remember that if you leave the ballot box blank, the government votes “No” for you!). I urge all Catholic faithful to stand up for the truth — always with love — especially when it may be difficult. Let us pray that our actions are guided by both the virtues of courage and charity. The Catholic bishops of Minnesota are united in their efforts to keep marriage defined as between one man and one woman, and we have been joined by many of our ecumenical brothers and sisters of other faiths. That is why I encourage you to join us in voting “YES” on Nov. 6 to keep our state strong in its defense of marriage. God bless you!
This Catholic Life / Commentary
AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Seminarian retreat features prayer, fellowship and fun on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs Ben Butler, a junior at the St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, prepares to make a cast on Lake Mille Lacs during a two-day retreat for seminarians. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
F
The Outdoors Dave Hrbacek
It was joyful to take part in faith-filled gathering of men as they talked about vocations, spent time in nature
ather Troy Przybilla should have been proud to show off his fishing boat at the dock on Lake Mille Lacs. He wasn’t. In fact, he was a bit sheepish when I stopped to admire the 18-foot Lund Pro V with a Johnson 140-horsepower outboard motor that sat gleaming in the water. In my view, it was a fitting craft on this most regal of lakes. “I feel a little self-conscious driving it as a priest,” he admitted, “especially after Father [Michael] Izen’s talk on poverty.” Yet, peel back the layers a bit and you uncover a significant reason why the vocations director for the archdiocese has ownership of such a vessel. “This boat was my dad’s [Ken Przybilla],” Father Przybilla explained. “It was his dream boat before he passed away [a year ago in May].” The helm of this fine fishing machine was fittingly passed down to the man Ken taught to fish way back in early childhood. The two spent many hours in a boat together, which had more than a little to do with discerning a priestly vocation for the younger Przybilla.
Spiritual and recreational I’m sure Ken would be proud to see how his son is using the boat today. On a beautiful, summer evening last week, the priest took turns taking out men from St. Paul Seminary and St. John Vianney College Seminary onto the lake. They caught a few fish, and even tried to get one of the seminarians up on water skis. I was there to witness the attempt and, hopefully, document Kevin Manthey slicing across the gentle
waves. But, he never was able to get up above the water. After some gentle teasing by two of the other guys in the boat, Corey Manning and Ben Butler, it was on to some fishing. The relaxing time on the water was an important part of a two-day retreat for the men before things get cranked up at both institutions when the school year begins after Labor Day. For people like Paul Shovelain, a third-year seminarian at SPS on track for ordination to the transitional diaconate at the end of this school year, switching the event to the outdoors a year ago was a welcome change. Last year, the retreat was held for one day at Father Hennepin State Park on the south shore of the lake in Isle Bay. This year, it was bumped up to two days, with the first focusing on the spiritual and the second focusing on the recreational. “It’s a heckuva lot better than it was seven years ago when I began at the [SJV] seminary,” Shovelain said. “The way we used to do it was in the basement of the Cathedral.” He went on: “We talk about how men grow together by doing things, and this is one of those things. We had guys out fishing, we had guys out tubing — some for the first time — some guys playing catch.” All in all, a fun time was had by all, with well over half of the seminarians choosing to stay for Day 2, which was optional. Fittingly, the second day was capped by a rosary around a bonfire, just a stone’s throw for the water’s edge and a beautiful sunset that seemed to say God was pleased with the gathering. How could he not be? Here are men either considering or pursuing
priesthood in a culture that says chastity is crazy and obedience to church teaching bigoted. One thing became certain in my conversations with some of these men — they know what they’re up against. “It’s difficult in these trying times and constant battle with the media,” said Manthey, also a third-year seminarian at SPS. “This calls for a constant charity and growth in virtue. We’re called to still love these people — love your enemies.”
Challenging times I, for one, do not underestimate this challenge — loving, and forgiving, those who scream at us Catholics and label us as bigoted homophobes. Yet, in the calm serenity of God’s creation, young men like Manthey and Shovelain seem as determined as they can be to walk the path to the Roman collar. “I’m pursuing this because my heart has been taken by the God who is love,” Manthey said. “I can only find my personal joy and fulfillment if I’m faithful to that love. My hope lies in the fact that the Lord, through the church, has nothing in mind but the well-being of every person.” It amazes me how guys can spend two days enjoying the outdoors and, in the midst of all the fun, remain focused on their vocation. In fact, my conversation with Shovelain lasted so long, we nearly missed dinner — grilled hamburgers, one of my all-time favorite meals. But, I was so captivated by what he had to say, even the smell of charcoal didn’t deter me from hearing his vocations story. And, what a story it is. Like many native Minnesotans, he grew up en-
joying the outdoors. When his grandfather, Elroy Shovelain, bought a house on a lake, young Paul would come over many times in the summer. The two would fish ‘til dark, go in for dinner, then go back out the next morning.
Treasured times “I treasure those times,” he said, noting that Elroy died 10 years ago.”It was good just to spend time with my grandpa.” He also enjoyed being with his grandmother, Irene, who cooked the meals at the lake home for her husband and grandson. But there’s much more to the relationship than that. “She’s wonderful,” Paul said. “She’s one of my biggest supporters. She had a heart attack three years ago when I was a senior at SJV. She said one of the reasons she wanted to live was to see me be ordained a priest.” Sure looks like she will get her wish. Her health is good, and Shovelain already is envisioning himself as a priest. If everything goes according to plan, he will be ordained a priest in May 2014. Yes, he is thinking that far ahead even now. Inspired by numerous outdoor experiences, including a trip to Alaska in 2006 with Father Michael Becker, rector of SJV, and other seminarians, he has imagined celebrating Mass in a location where the only wood is the trees surrounding him. “I’d love to [celebrate Mass] in the Boundary Waters [Canoe Area] or somewhere like that,” he said. “Or, even the North Shore [of Lake Superior]. I think the North Shore is even better. . . . The views are fantastic.” I told Paul to contact me when this happens. I want to be in the front row.
“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Matthew 5:11-12a
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The Lesson Plan THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Reflections on faith and spirituality
AUGUST 30, 2012
We must be ‘doers of the word,’ even at difficult times
N
ear the beginning of “Render Unto Caesar,” Archbishop Charles Chaput makes a claim that has remained strong in my mind in the years since I read it — a claim we hear echoed in the current teaching from the bishops of the United States, including our own faithful shepherd. “If we really believe that Jesus Christ is who he says he is, and that the Catholic Church is who she says she is, then we need to live like it,” he says. “If we really beDeacon Luke Marquard lieve that the Gospel is true, we need to embody it in our private lives and our public choices.”
Readings Sunday, Sept. 2 — 22nd Sunday in ordinary time ■ Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 ■ James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 ■ Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Reflection What are some obstacles in my life that keep me from being a “doer of the word?” How can I overcome those obstacles?
Sunday Scriptures
With these words, Archbishop Chaput reminds us that what we profess in faith we must live in fact. He reminds us that we are to be doers, and not mere hearers, of the word — an exhortation found at the center of this week’s reading from the Letter of St. James. “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” This exhortation flows directly from the teaching of our Lord: “Everyone who lis-
tens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like the wise man who built his house on rock. . . . Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7:24, 26). The doer of the word stands firm in faith while the mere hearer, deluded and deceived about the faith, faces complete ruin. To be a doer of the word can be understood as a matter of receiving and responding. The doer first receives what the Lord has revealed through Sacred Scripture and
Daily Scriptures Sunday, Sept. 2 22nd Sunday in ordinary time Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Mark 7:31-37
Monday, Sept. 3 St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the church 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Luke 4:16-30
Tuesday, Sept. 11 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Luke 6:12-19
Tuesday, Sept. 4 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16 Luke 4:31-37 Wednesday, Sept. 5 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Luke 4:38-44 Thursday, Sept. 6 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 Luke 5:1-11 Friday, Sept. 7 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Luke 5:33-39 Saturday, Sept. 8 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Micah 5:1-4a Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Sunday, Sept. 9 23rd Sunday in ordinary time Isaiah 35:4-7a James 2:1-5
Monday, Sept. 10 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 Luke 6:6-11
Wednesday, Sept. 12 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 Luke 6:20-26 Thursday, Sept. 13 St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the church 1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13 Luke 6:27-38 Friday, Sept. 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross Numbers 21:4b-9 Philippians 2:6-11 John 3:13-17 Saturday, Sept. 15 Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 John 19:25-27 Sunday, Sept. 16 24th Sunday in ordinary time Isaiah 50:5-9a James 2:14-18 Mark 8:27-35
Tradition. Then, the doer responds humbly and obediently, privately and publicly, to what the Lord has revealed. The doer embodies the revealed word, allowing it to shape the way he or she lives, the decisions he or she makes, the things he or she does.
Accepting the challenge Publicly responding to the Lord in this way is not always easy. It can prompt unkind reactions, lead to derision and cause strain in relationships. All the same, we are called to respond
even, and perhaps most especially, when doing so is difficult — when being doers of the word means certain trials and persecutions. James anticipated such difficulty and encouraged his hearers in it: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). Here again, James builds on the teaching of Jesus. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12a). Our lives are replete with opportunities for us to be doers of the word — how we spend our time, how we spend our money, the company we keep, the votes we cast. Because we believe that Jesus Christ is who he says he is, and that the Catholic Church is who she says she is, we do well to respond to both with humility, obedience and joyful hope in the promise of glory. Deacon Luke Marquard is in formation for the priesthood at St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His home parish is Divine Mercy in Faribault and his teaching parish is St. Peter in Forest Lake.
Mary, queen of heaven, watches over her children, pope says at audience Catholic News Service
God,” the pope said.
Honoring Mary as queen, Catholics see her exercising the same kind of regality that Jesus did: one of humility, service and love, Pope Benedict XVI said. Marking the feast of the Queenship of Mary Aug. 22 at his weekly general audience, the pope said just as Jesus’ kingship had nothing to do with earthly power —in fact, Christians recognize him as king when he’s on the cross — so Mary’s queenship is exercised through obedience to God and helping those who turn to her. Holding his audience in the courtyard of the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo, the pope told the crowd that the feast of Mary’s queenship was added to the liturgical calendar only in 1954, but it was the result of centuries of devotion to Mary as queen of heaven and of the universe. Mary’s queenship is a “consequence of her being united with her son, her being in heaven in communion with
From heaven, she participates in God’s love for the world, the pope said. She “watches over us, her children; children who turn to her in prayer to thank her or to ask for her maternal protection and her heavenly assistance, perhaps after losing the way, oppressed by suffering or anguish,” the pope said.
From the Vatican
“Devotion to Mary is an important element of the spiritual life,” he said. “Gazing upon her, let us imitate her faith, her full openness to God’s plan of love, her generous welcoming of Jesus. Let us learn to live from Mary.” During the audience, the pope offered special greetings to a dozen members of the Chaldean Sisters, Daughters of Mary Immaculate. He told the estimated 2,500 people at the audience that the sisters work “serving the people of Iraq.” He also had special greetings for the 25 boys and young men from Malta who were continuing the long tradition of Maltese youths who spend part of their summer assisting dozens of priests each day as altar servers in St. Peter’s Basilica.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
Smith dinner is about engaging candidates not endorsing them, Cardinal Dolan says Catholic News Service The Al Smith dinner in New York brings people of faith together for “an evening of friendship, civility and patriotism to help those in need,” not to endorse either candidate running for the U.S. presidency, said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. The purpose of the dinner is to show the nation and the Catholic Church “at our best,” he said in a mid-August posting on his blog titled CARDINAL DOLAN “The Gospel in the Digital Age.” “An invitation to the Al Smith dinner is not an award, or the provision of a platform to expound views at odds with the church,” the cardinal said. “It is an occasion of conversation; it is personal, not partisan.” President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney, his Republican opponent, have accepted the invitation to be the keynote speakers at the 67th Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner Oct. 18 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. In presidential election years, in a tradition of bipartisanship, the foundation’s board has usually invited the presidential candidates of the two major parties to speak.
Cardinal Dolan used his blog to respond to criticism of the invitation to Obama, who supports legal abortion. He said he also has received complaints that Romney was invited. The dinner “has never been without controversy. . . . This year is surely no exception: I am receiving stacks of mail protesting the invitation to President Obama — and by the way, even some objecting to the invitation to Gov. Romney,” he said. “The objections are somewhat heightened this year, since the Catholic community in the United States has rightly expressed vigorous criticism of the president’s support of the abortion license, and his approval of mandates which radically intruded upon freedom of religion,” Cardinal Dolan said. “We bishops, including yours truly, have been unrelenting in our opposition to these issues, and will continue to be,” he said. But he pointed out that those who started the Smith dinner started 67 years ago were people who “believed that you can accomplish a lot more by inviting folks of different political loyalties to an uplifting evening, rather than in closing the door to them.” The dinner is named for former New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith, who in 1928 became the first Catholic nominated by a major party as a presidential candidate. New York Cardinal Francis Spellman began the dinner in 1945 to inaugurate
Cardinal to pray at both parties’ conventions Catholic News Service
a hospital wing in honor of Smith and to raise money for health care programs in the New York Archdiocese. The annual dinner and the Smith foundation have raised millions to provide support for the sick, poor and underprivileged in the New York area.
Better to invite than ignore Cardinal Dolan said some people have called the dinner invitation to Obama “a scandal,” but he said the church’s posture “toward culture, society and government is that of engagement and dialogue.” “It’s better to invite than to ignore, more effective to talk together than to yell from a distance, more productive to open a door than to shut one,” he said, adding that recent popes have received “dozens of leaders” with whom they disagree on serious issues. Pope Benedict XVI received Obama, he noted, and “in the current climate, we bishops have maintained that we are open to dialogue with the administration to try and resolve our differences.” “What message would I send if I refused to meet with the president?” Cardinal Dolan asked. He suggested that the “vibrant solidarity of the evening” might illustrate for Obama and Romney “that America is at her finest when people, free to exercise their religion, assemble on behalf of poor women and their babies, born and unborn, in a spirit of civility and respect.”
Saturday, September 15 Sunday, September 16
St. Henry’s Catholic Church 1001 7th St. E., Monticello (Next to Home Depot)
FALL FESTIVAL
Saturday • 6-11 p.m. 5 p.m. Bilingual Mass 6 p.m. FREE Street Dance Kids’ Games 6-8 p.m. Latino Food Booth/Fry Bread Enter our Chili Contest with Prizes; Wild & Mild Categories O Texas Hold ’em Tournament 7 p.m. O Beer Tent/Pull Tabs O O O O O
TheCatholicSpirit.com
Church of the Annunciation 509 West 54th St, Minneapolis
September Fest Friday, 9/14, 7-9 pm: Ribfest and Bingo Saturday, 9/15, Noon-9 pm: Carnival Rides, Kids’ Games, Silent Auction, Art and Craft Sale, Fire Dancing Show Sunday, 9/16, 10:30 am-3:00 pm: Outdoor Mass, Carnival Rides, Kids’ Games, Silent Auction, Art and Craft Sale All Weekend: Live Music, Whiffle Ball Tournament, Pie Shop, Food and Beer
For more information, contact Jimmy Dunn, Staff Contact, 612-824-9993 ext. 243
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan will offer closing prayers at the Democratic National Convention Sept. 6, as he will at the Republican National Convention a week earlier. Cardinal Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, accepted an invitation from the Democratic convention organizers to deliver the benediction on the last night of the Sept. 4-6 event, after clearing it with Charlotte, N.C., Bishop Peter Jugis, said an Aug. 28 statement from Joe Zwilling, spokesman for the New York Archdiocese. Since the Charlotte convention is in his diocese, protocol would call for Bishop Jugis to have the say over whether a bishop from another diocese plays such a role. Zwilling’s statement from the previous week announcing Cardinal Dolan’s participation in the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., said the cardinal had cleared that activity with St. Petersburg Bishop Robert Lynch, whose diocese includes Tampa. “It was made clear to the Democratic Convention organizers, as it was to the Republicans, that the cardinal was coming solely as a pastor, only to pray, not to endorse any party, platform, or candidate,” said Zwilling’s statement. Clergy from several denominations are scheduled to pray at the opening and closing of each day’s sessions of the party conventions. The tradition of such prayers goes back more than 100 years.
Sunday • 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. O O O O O O O O O
Weekend prizes worth over $10,000 Chicken Dinner 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. with one free bingo 5 p.m. Drawing — Grand Raffle: top prize $1,000. Bingo O 50/50 Games Cake Walk and Sweet Shop O Silent Auction Watch the Vikings game on a big screen TV Video Games O AirMaxx Trampoline O Human Hamster Ball S.A.L.T. 12-2 p.m. O Latino Music 2:30-4:30 p.m. Outdoor Food Concessions
FESTIVAL & BOOYA Sunday, Sept. 16th ST. JEROME CHURCH 380 E Roselawn Ave. (at 35E) • stjerome-church.org
10:30 a.m. Outdoor Mass Followed by Entertainment for the whole family • Booya by the bowl • Grilled Food • Car Show • Kids Games • Bingo • Cherry Tree • Silent Auction • Pull Tabs
CASH PRIZES 200 gallons of “Carry Out” Booya will be ready at 6 a.m. until gone
“World Finest” Booya
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AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Fall Festival
Our Lady of the Prairie Belle Plaine
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012 Praise and Worship Mass 10 a.m.
Chicken & Ham Dinner Serving 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. $10 Adults, $5 Children (3-12), Under 3 Free Take-out Orders Available $10
Country Store, Crafts Children’s Games Raffle and Refreshments Wood and Quilt Auction at 2 p.m. Bingo! Ernie Stumpf Band 11-2 p.m.
Have a Letter to the Editor? E-mail it to: catholicspirit@archspm.org
Midwest drought expected to impact altar bread prices By Brian J. Lowney Catholic News Service
Manufacturers of altar bread are preparing to face rising costs of wheat flour as grain prices fluctuate in the wake of a severe drought that continues to plague the Midwest and Western Canada. But they expect to pass along only a minimal price increase to their customers. In Clyde, Mo., Benedictine Sister Rita Claire Dohn, manager of the altar bread ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, has witnessed a 25 percent increase in the price of wheat flour since the convent last received a delivery two months ago. “That’s pretty steep when there isn’t a large profit margin,” Sister Dohn emphasized, adding that the convent is the largest religious producer of altar breads in the world. The sisters offer their altar breads wholesale to many smaller convents that resell the life-giving breads to support their community. “You have to be competitive,” she continued, noting that the sisters are being cautious and have yet to increase the prices of their goods. She added that the sisters will “hold off
ALL SAINTS CHURCH
FALL FESTIVAL Sunday, September 9 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mass at 10:00 a.m. FESTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Main Raffle with $2,000 in cash prizes Two winners for a Jax Cafe Brunch for 2 Food/Refreshments • Live Music • Flea Market Cakes ’n Bakes Raffle • Silent Auction • Pull Tabs Bingo • Mini-Raffle • Sweets ’n Treats Wine & Spirits Raffle
All Saints is located at 5th St. & 5th Avenue Northeast
Despite drought, Iowa expects good grapes for altar wines Catholic News Service As summer winds down, vineyards across Iowa are now harvesting this year’s “fruit of the vine.” Despite the worst drought in recent memory, growers foresee a good crop, mostly because grape vines can thrive without much moisture. The chance that some of these locally grown grapes will provide the altar wine used during Masses in the Dubuque Archdiocese is better than ever. Stone Cliff Winery, located in Durango, is one of the first wine producers in the state. It currently supplies about seven churches with altar wine. The number of wine producers in Iowa has grown from less than 10 a decade ago to about 90 today, according to the Iowa Wine Growers Association. Before vineyards existed in Iowa, churches had to purchase mostly California wines through religious supply or liquor stores. In Ackley, Eagle City Winery, based in Iowa Falls, donates all the altar wine used by St. Mary’s Parish because its owners, Ken and Carolyn Groninga, are members. In return for the donations, parish volunteers help out the retired couple.
as long as possible,” on passing on to their customers any price increases. Sister Dohn said the Clyde monastery produces about 125 million altar breads per year, from whole wheat or white bread. A package containing 500 hosts costs $5. A farmer in Kansas produces the wholewheat flour they use, and the white flour comes from a commercial miller in Missouri. Because of contractual obligations,
the sisters would not release specific information regarding wheat prices or their suppliers. According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center based in Maryland, drought has affected more than 60 percent of the contiguous 48 states as of mid-August, although significant expansion stopped during the last two weeks.
Sacred Heart Church Fall Festival/ Kermesse del Sagrado Corazon Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012 9 de Septiembre, 2012 East Sixth & Arcade Streets
10:00 am to 4:00 pm Authentic Mexican food & American food Comida Mexicana y Americana Music, Dancers, Children & Adult games, Pull tabs, Raffle & more.
HUGE GARAGE SALE Venta de Garage
Musica, Danzas, Mago, Juegos Para Ninos y Adultos Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. & Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information call 651-776-2741
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Fall Festival
1310 Mainstreet • Hopkins • 952-935-0111
Saturday, September 8
FALL FESTIVAL
Featuring
Martin Zellar and the Hardways
A Family Celebration!
Sunday, September 9 10:30 a.m. Mass
CHICKEN DINNER Served 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Bingo • Silent Auction • Beer Garden Children’s Games • Country Store Cakewalk • Bakeshop • Music • Concessions
00 0 , 4 e $ affl R in izes Pr
4 p.m.: Worship 5 p.m.: Food & Games 6 p.m.: Music Bands: Sonar, followed by Martin Zellar and the Hardways
Open to the Public — Free Admission
Holy Name of Jesus 155 County Rd. 24 in Wayzata www.hnoj.org/fall-festival
Outdoor Movie Night: Friday, Sept.
17
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
Bishop: Processions, music, meals together important for faith formation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 the Eucharist.” Part of the educational element of the church includes processions, music, meals together on important feast days — such as the feast of Corpus Christi — that touch the lives of people, he said. “It’s an expression of faith that puts flesh and blood on what we say we believe,” said Bishop Flores, who added that the church needs to recover a sense of the celebratory, processional life of the church that pulls in diverse groups of people. “I had many Polish families tell me in Detroit [where he served as an auxiliary bishop] at an Our Lady of Guadalupe procession, ‘Bishop, I didn’t understand a word they were singing, but I know what it is to love the Blessed Mother.” “We have to connect to the gut more,” Bishop Flores said. 8. In the complexity of family situations, simple things matter.
“I grew up with [an image of] the Last Supper over the dinner table,” Bishop Flores said. “Why? Because you need to make a connection between the meal you have as a family and the meal you have on Sunday. Jesus is there in the middle of it.” Having religious images, art and a crucifix in one’s house, praying the rosary and saying grace before meals are important ways to encourage and strengthen faith in families, he said. “God became flesh. What a great thing,” Bishop Flores said. “Let’s put a cross in every room. Let’s put an image of the Blessed Mother somewhere or the Sacred Heart because you grow up and see that, and it reminds you we’re Catholic and that’s a great thing because God came to visit us. That’s the whole Good News. And he’s still here.” Another simple thing not to forget is to give time to our children. “Time is the most important thing we give to our
youth,” Bishop Flores said. “It’s the only thing you can give that communicates in the very giving that what happens to you matters to me. If you ask me what I think our youth most want to know, it is: Does what happens to me matter to you?”
decisions about whether to give up on the goodness of life or not, he said. “Between Christ and despair, there is no middle ground,” he said. “The proclamation of the faith, the teaching of the faith, is the only real substantial antidote to that attitude [of despair].”
9. The devil’s end game is despair. When youth are in desperate circumstances and indoctrinated to believe that what they do doesn’t matter anymore, that’s despair, Bishop Flores said. “The only defense they have is to actually believe [what they do] does matter. It matters how you treat people, it matters how you respect people, it matters that you believe that in the end goodness wins. Because if you believe that goodness doesn’t win in the end, then it really doesn’t matter, does it?” The church needs to put more resources in its work with 11- to 14-year-olds because that’s when many youth are making
10. What we want. “What we want is to love and teach and practice our faith with joy,” Bishop Flores said. “We want to have a sense of the beauty of a Catholic identity that is expressed in art and music and processions and in a variety of different cultures that express themselves and take joy in being together. . . . We want to see Christ in our midst — see his Gospel and his grace — because we know that without [him] we are lost. But, with [him], we have everything.” Read a post-talk interview with Bishop Flores at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.
Runner shows determination, resilience on and off the field CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the 19 female track athletes selected, even though she finished second in the 400 at the paralympic trials last month in Indianapolis with a personal-best time of 1 minute, 17.73 seconds. The selection process is complicated, taking into account various factors, only one of which is an athlete’s time in the trials. In that category, she met the standard. Hours after the final event of the trials, however, she found out she wasn’t quite strong enough in the other selection criteria. Still, not bad for someone doctors feared might never walk or talk.
Agonizing uncertainty Krista’s parents, Kathy Combs and husband Russell Pylkki, had to endure agonizing uncertainty in the hours after the birth of their only child on March 25, 1994. Krista was in distress the moment she entered the world at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Calif., and was whisked away to the neonatal intensive care unit before Kathy even had a chance to cradle her in her arms. A doctor came in later that day with the news that Krista might have a severe, permanent disability. It failed to sink into the mind and heart of this firsttime mom. “I didn’t really realize what was going on,” Kathy said. “I was just happy she was still alive. It was kind of a strange time, being happy that I had a new daughter, but I couldn’t see her.” Their hospital stay lasted two weeks, after which time Kathy and Russell set to work trying to figure out how to help their vulnerable daughter, who received a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) a few days after birth. They eventually moved to Minnesota, landing in St. Paul, where Kathy works as a professor of business economics at the University of St. Thomas, while Russell works as a chemist for Aspen Research in Maple Grove. “We never questioned [God]” about why Krista was born with CP, Kathy said. “Just a positive attitude, if anything. I always felt like it’s my duty to do the best for her.” Russell echoed his wife’s simple, practical approach: “Things happen. We’re not in paradise [here on earth]. You’ve got to deal with it.” As they learned more about CP, they began to expand Krista’s horizons, even though she displayed a lot of outward apprehension. “This is a girl who was quite shy,” Kathy said. “She used to hide behind me in front of people. And, she still doesn’t like to go through doors first. I always wanted to get her out in the world. . . . Fortunately, through a lot of therapy and just working on it herself, she’s really improved her ability to be out there in the world.” The same is true of her track skills. Pastoors struggled with how to work with an athlete who has a disability. It
“Faith is a huge part of my life. I don’t know where I’d be without God. He’s always been there with me throughout my journey.
”
KRISTA PYLKKI
Mass for disabled is Sept. 9 ■ What: Archbishop’s Annual Mass for Persons with Disabilities ■ When: 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. Sing-along begins at 2:30 p.m. Social and light refreshments will follow Mass. ■ Where: St. Mary’s Chapel, St. Paul Seminary ■ Celebrant: Bishop Lee Piché ■ Information: Visit WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG, call 651-2914543 or email: CURTANS@ARCHSPM.ORG.
was her first venture into what she calls the “paralympic world.” The former T-G track standout was approached by Krista two summers ago to hone her sprinting skills as she set her sights on international paralympic competition. With encouragement from her mother, Betsy Pastoors, who works at T-G and had gotten to know Pylkki, Traci accepted the challenge. “She’s wonderful,” Traci said. “I was a little hesitant how far I could push her and what I could do with her as far as workouts.” She learned one simple lesson then that was powerfully reinforced this summer — Krista doesn’t complain and she never backs down from an increase in her training workload. “I never heard the words ‘I can’t’ from her,” Pastoors said. “During a workout, I’d run with her, and I pushed her hard. I would ask, ‘Can you do one more [sprint]?’ It was always, ‘Yup.’ Every time.” What Pastoors didn’t know was how much her pupil was feeling those workouts. Once, she asked Krista how hard a particular workout was, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being extremely difficult. Krista’s answer? Eleven. It is that kind of spirit that makes T-G football coach and dean of students Jeff Ferguson one of her biggest fans. He has coached scores of state championship football players over the last decade, and he praises Krista like she is one of them. “I love Krista’s attitude and ambition,” he said, noting
that she was honored during halftime of a football game last season for her accomplishments. “Obviously she has demonstrated great resilience and determination, which are two of the traits we emphasize to our football players. In addition, she is a very gentle and caring person.”
Quiet but strong faith Pay attention to that last part, as it may hold the key to her future, even more than her running skills. Recently, she left for college at St. Scholastica in Duluth, where she will study exercise physiology and minor in Catholic studies. Eventually, she may trade her track uniform for a religious habit. “I’m currently discerning the religious life,” she said. “I can’t really describe it, but there are some experiences I’ve had throughout the last year that brought me to this discernment journey in my life. “I’ve talked to my parish priest [Father Paul Feela, pastor of Lumen Christi], and [Presentation] Sister Vicky Larson. She teaches [nursing] at St. Kate’s. She actually was the person who sparked the idea in my head. She spoke at one of the Masses at Lumen Christi.” Such ambitions wouldn’t surprise those who know her well. Her quiet, but strong, faith is on display for anyone who cares to look. “It was evident in the way she presented herself and treated the other athletes,” Traci Pastoors said. “She acted like a big sister to some of these [young paralympic] athletes, even though she was one of the youngest ones there [at meets].” Perhaps, the most visible sign of Krista’s faith is what Pastoors sees around her neck every time the two work out together. “She wears a gold cross and never takes it off, except for meet races,” Pastoors said. “Then, she gives it to me and I wear it while she races. Then, I give it right back to her after she crosses the finish line.” Krista has a simple explanation for a ritual like this, having nothing to do with enhancing her performance. “Faith is a huge part of my life,” she said. “I don’t know where I’d be without God. He’s always been there with me throughout my journey.” This is precisely why people like Ferguson say the T-G community is as fortunate to have had her as she is to have had the community to support her throughout her high school years. And, even though he has had to say goodbye to a delightful, exuberant student, he is excited about her future, which he believes will involve a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Paralympic Games in 2016. “The sky's the limit for her,” he said. “You have to have a dream first before it becomes a reality. Rio is Krista's dream. I believe in her and know that she can do whatever she sets her mind to. Rio, here she comes!”
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” St. Augustine
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Arts & Culture THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Exploring our church and our world
AUGUST 30, 2012
5 steps to home schooling for Catholics “5 Steps to Successful Home Schooling: How to Add Faith and Focus to Your Home Education Program,” by Pamela Patnode. Philomena Press (Minneapolis, 2012). 153 pp., $12.95.
B
efore you jump into the deep end of home schooling your child or children — and even if you’re already in the water — make sure you pick up Pamela Patnode’s new book on the subject. Patnode’s been in the pool, and her “5 Steps to Successful Home Schooling” will help you keep afloat. She shares what she’s learned in providing a home-based education Bob Zyskowski to her own family, and, even better, applies advice for home schooling from other walks of life — business world best practices, for example — that
Book Review
naturally fit home schooling, too. Best of all, Patnode’s 153-page paperback is subtitled “How to Add Faith and Focus to Your Home Education Program.” Although those of other faiths will find her advice useful, the author from Holy Name of Jesus in Medina acknowledges that Catholics are her target audience. Maybe that’s obvious from Patnode’s first step: Pray. And she’s honest enough to point out that, if you decide to home school, you’ll need to pray. She writes, “Home schooling your children will likely bring you to your knees more often than few other things in life.” She offers good suggestions and resources for each of the steps. While some are relatively recently developed,
others are time-tested. The encouragement to read good literature — classics like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Giving Tree” and “The Secret Garden” — has been good advice for centuries. The suggestion to use the coming Sunday’s Scripture readings as prayer with children harkens back to “Our Children’s Year of Grace,” a widely used pamphlet written in 1943 by St. Paulite Therese Mueller, one of the first women’s voices in the Liturgical Movement. Bob Zyskowski is a member of the communications team of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who writes the BobZ Book Reviews blog on WWW.CATHOLICHOTDISH.COM.
Here are Patnode’s five steps for faith-based home schooling Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Pray!
Establish your mission
Read quality literature
■ Pray alone, then pray with others. Both are important! ■ Pray first. Start each day in prayer. ■ Pray often. Consider times throughout the day when you can add prayer. Allow God to lead.
■ Ask the right questions! ■ Write a mission statement that defines your goals for home education. ■ Create a home education plan. Determine strategies and tactics to achieve your goals. ■ Review your plan regularly. Adjust according to specific needs of each child.
■ Believe in the value of reading. ■ Choose quality reading material. ■ Establish good reading habits. 1. Model this behavior by reading yourself every day. 2. Read aloud to your children and/or schedule independent reading time. 3. Make reading as enjoyable as possible 4. Limit screen time. ■ Seek out help and/or resources for the struggling reader.
Step 4 Get organized! ■ Organize your priorities first! 1. God 2. Spouse 3. Children 4. Work ■ Discern the number of regular activities and commitments in which you and your children are involved. ■ Schedule your daily routine. ■ Keep home school materials (in the area in which they are used) orderly.
Step 5 Find support ■ The support of your spouse is very important. ■ Consider joining a local home school support group or participating in or creating home school clubs, classes or activities with your children. ■ Know where to find legal support if needed. ■ Attend home school conferences whenever possible. ■ Ensure that your kids connect with other home schooled children. ■ Take advantage of available resources for home schooling children with special needs.
Message for modern times in story of St. Augustine’s conversion By Catherine McDonough Catholic News Service
St. Augustine’s “Confessions,” the autobiographical account of his sinful youth and eventual conversion to Christianity, may be a centuries-old story, but its message still resonates today, according to the head of Ignatius Press. For the first time, a feature film — titled “Restless Heart” — will tell the story of the fifth-century doctor of the church’s journey to faith, said Mark Brumley, CEO of Ignatius Press. “Catholics who have children who stray and leave the faith, or a spouse who is not Catholic . . . can learn from the example of St. Augustine,” Brumley said. St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) “was raised in a family situation where his mother was a Christian and his father was not. He was not baptized as a child. He went off to school and was exposed to many perspectives at odds with faith,” he said. Later, after he converted to Christianity in 386 and was baptized, he “came to be a major figure,” Brumley said. The title of the movie is taken from a famous quote of St. Augustine: “Thou hast made us for thyself,
O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” The U.S. debut of the film was scheduled for Aug. 29 during the 2012 Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show at the Arlington, Texas, Convention Center. Ignatius Press is working with parishes, organizations and individuals who want to arrange a screening of the film at a local theater or some other appropriate venue. Information about arranging a screening can be found online at WWW.RESTLESSHEARTFILM.COM.
Faith and science “Restless Heart” is one of two films Ignatius Press is currently behind. The other is called “Cosmic Origins,” about the intersection of faith and science, which is being made available for showings in parishes and schools. Information for private screenings of “Cosmic Origins” can be found at WWW.COSMICORIGINSFILM.COM. Either movie can be a fundraiser for parishes or groups, Brumley told CNS. Also, each can be a “faith raiser,” he noted, which can help people deepen their faith during Pope Benedict XVI’s Year of Faith, which starts in October.
Franco Nero portrays St. Augustine later in his life in a scene from the movie “Restless Heart.” CNS photo / courtesy of Ignatius Press
Calendar Calendar Submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event. • Full street address of event. • Description of event. • Contact information in case of questions. E-MAIL: SPIRITCALENDAR@ ARCHSPM.ORG. (No attachments, please.)
FAX: (651) 291-4460. MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Dining out Fish fry at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Friday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Wednesday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. Catholic United Financial pork chop dinner at St. Joseph, Waconia — September 7: 4 to 8 p.m. at the corner of E. First Street and Elm Street. KC Grandparents Day waffle and pancake breakfast at Knights Events Center, Shakopee — September 9: 8 a.m. to noon at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for ages 4 to 12. Shrimp and steak dinner at Knights Events Center, Shakopee — September 14: 5 to 8 p.m. at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Cost is $12 for shrimp or steak and $15 for both. Children’s meal available for $3.
Parish events Rummage sale at St. Bridget Parish Community St. Austin campus, Minneapolis — September 6 to 8: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday ($3 bag day) at 4050 Upton Ave. N. Fall festival at St. Bonaventure, Bloomington — September 7 and 8: Features a chicken dinner Friday and a parade Saturday with free entertainment all day at 901 E. 90th St. Corn Fest at St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi — September 8: 3 to 10 p.m. at 700 Mahtomedi Ave. Features climbing wall, games, crafts and more. Chicken dinner at 5:30 p.m. Fall festival at St. Ignatius, Annandale — September 8: Begins with a polka Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a chicken dinner, meat raffle, cake walk and more at 35 Birch St. E. Fall festival at St. Odilia, Shoreview — September 8 and 9: Hours are Saturday noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Features live music, inflatables, food and more at 3495 Victoria St. N. Visit WWW.STODILIA.ORG. Fall carnival at St. Timothy, Blaine — September 7 to 9: Friday 5 to 10:30 p.m., Saturday noon to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 707 89th Avenue NE. Festival at Holy Family Maronite, Mendota Heights — September 7 to 9: Bingo Friday night at 5 p.m. at 1960 Lexington Ave. S. Antique and estate sale from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Also featured Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. are Lebanese food, music, dancing and more. Visit WWW.HOLYFAMILYMARONITECHURCH.ORG. Fall festival at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — September 8: Mass at 4 p.m. followed by food and activities at 5 p.m. at 155 County Road 24. Catholic band Sonar performs at 6 p.m. with Martin Zellar at 8 p.m. ‘Reclaiming the Culture of Marriage and Life’ at Maternity of Mary, St. Paul — September 8: 6:30 p.m.at 1414 N.
Don’t Miss Little Sisters’ St. Jeanne Jugan Award dinner The Little Sisters of the Poor will host their annual St. Jeanne Jugan Award dinner Sept. 27 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, St. Paul. Bishop Richard Pates, bishop of the Diocese of DesMoines, Iowa, and former auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Ray Faricy, an attorney who has helped the sisters over the years, will be honored for their dedication to the Little Sisters. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by dinner, program and live auction. Cost is $135 per person or $250 for two people. Call (651) 227-0336 for reservations. The sisters will use the proceeds to purchase a new generator. Dale St. Bishop Paul Sirba and Professor Teresa Collett will speak in defense of marriage. Sponsored by the parish marriage committee. Steamboat Days at St. Nicholas, Carver — September 8 and 9: Runs from noon to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 412 fourth St. W. Features a chicken dinner Saturday and a pork lunch Sunday, raffles, games and more. For information, visit WWW.CARVERSTEAMBOATDAYS. WORDPRESS.COM. Fall festival at St. Mary, Waverly — September 8 and 9: Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a pork chop dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. at 606 Elm Ave. Sunday features brunch from 8 to noon, music, new car raffle and more. Fall festival at St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake — September 8 and 9: Begins Saturday at 3 p.m. with a 5K Run/Walk followed by Mass at 5 p.m. and a spaghetti dinner from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dancing and concessions go until 10 p.m. Sunday features a turkey dinner from noon to 2:30 p.m., music, games, inflatables and more. Located at 4690 Bald Eagle Ave. Wild rice festival at St. Mary, Stillwater — September 9: Features dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 423 S. Fifth St. Games, quilts, bingo and more, visit HTTP://WWW.STMARYSTILLWATER.ORG. Parish picnic at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis— September 9: After the 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Masses at 88 N. 17th St. Features barbecue from Famous Dave’s, ministry expo and activities for all ages. Fall Festival at St. Stanislaus, St. Paul — September 9: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the corner of Western and Superior. Turkey dinner served until 4 p.m. Also features a petting zoo, car show, games, live music and more. Fall Festival at Immaculate Conception of Marysburg, Madison Lake — September 9: Begins at 9:30 a.m. with a farmers market/bake sale at 27528 Patrick St. Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by a pulled pork and roast beef sandwich lunch. Also raffles, games, a photo booth and more. Fall Festival at Sacred Heart, St. Paul — September 9: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 840 Sixth St. E. Features Mexican and American foods, music and dancers. Fall festival at St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights — September 13 to 16: Begins with a rummage sale Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3535 72nd St. (Rummage sale continues Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.) Event features family fun night Friday from 6 to 8:30 p.m., taco dinner and
games Saturday and food, auctions, games and a classic motor show Sunday. Fall festival at Transfiguration, Oakdale — September 14 to 16: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday features live country music, food, 5K walk/run and more at 6133 15th St. N. Continues Saturday from 3 to 11 p.m. with live music by The Dweebs at 8 p.m. Sunday, 10:30 a.m. outdoor Mass followed by a pork feast. Fall festival at Guardian Angels, Oakdale — September 14 to 16: Community dance from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at 8260 Fourth St. N. Continues Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. with Mass followed by games, pasta dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. and a variety show. Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday followed by a chicken dinner, games, food, petting zoo and more. Autumn Daze at St. Helena, Minneapolis — September 14 to 16: Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Friday with fireworks at 10 p.m. at 3204 E. 43rd St. Continues Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a parade at 10 a.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Features live entertainment, games and more. Annual Tent Event at St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul — September 15: Features a craft fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1757 Conway St. Live music from Uncle Chunk and more from 6 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $15. 125th anniversary celebration and fall festival at St. Lawrence Church and Newman Center, Minneapolis — September 15: noon to 4 p.m. at 1203 Fifth St. S.E. VISIT HTTP://WWW.UMN CATHOLIC.ORG. Respect Life 5K at St. Bonaventure, Bloomington — September 15: Check-in from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. at 901 E. 90th St. Run/walk begins at 8 a.m. Registration fee is $10. Proceeds benefit the Robbinsdale Women’s Center. To register, call (952) 884-4372 or email JIM_KOEPKE@YAHOO.COM. Fall festival at St. John the Baptist, Jordan — September 15 and 16: Polka Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday followed by live music. Fun continues Sunday at 9 a.m. with a chicken dinner, quilt auction, fun land for kids at 210 Broadway. Fall festival at Holy Cross, Minneapolis — September 15 and 16: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday features music by Dr. Kielbasa, Polish food and games at 1621 University Ave. N.E. Continues Sunday with a polka Mass at 10 a.m., a chicken dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and more music, games and food. Parish festival at St. Elizabeth Ann
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Seton, Hastings — September 15 and 16: Begins Saturday with Golf Fun Day at Hastings Country Club and Mass at 4:30 p.m. followed by movie night and entertainment. 11:30 a.m. Mass Sunday followed by activities for all ages, a chicken dinner and more at 2035 15th St. W. Visit HTTP://WWW.SEASPARISH.ORG. Parish festival at St. Michael, Farmington — September 15 and 16: 4:30 p.m. Mass Saturday followed by a pulled pork supper, bingo, a campfire and hayrides at 22120 Denmark Ave. Continues Sunday with Mass at 10:30 a.m., bingo, games, entertainment and more. Fall festival at St. Canice, Kilkenny — September 16: Mass at 10 a.m. followed by a chicken and ham dinner served until 2 p.m. Activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. include crafts, country store and more at 183 Maple St. W. Festival at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Minneapolis — September 16: Mass at 10 a.m. followed a Marian procession through the neighborhood. Spaghetti dinner from noon to 4 p.m. with games, prizes and more at 701 Fillmore St. N.E. Festival at St. Pius V, Cannon Falls — September 16: Polka Mass at 10 a.m. followed by dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 410 Colville St. W. Also features live music, games and a silent auction.
Prayer/ liturgies Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Columba, St. Paul — September 2: 2 p.m. at 1327 Lafond Ave. All night vigil with the Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — September 7 and 8: 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday at 401 Concord St. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Mary, St. Paul — September 9: 2 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E.
School events The Gathering 2012 at St. Bartholomew School, Wayzata — September 7: 5 to 10:30 p.m. at 630 E. Wayzata Blvd. Features games, inflatables, face painting, food and more. Centennial celebration kick-off Mass at St. Mark School, St. Paul — September 9: Mass at 10 a.m. followed by a reception at the school at 2001 Dayton Ave. Open house at Benilde-St. Margaret School, St. Louis Park — September 14: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at 2501 Highway 100 S. Pre-register at WWW.BSMSCHOOL .ORG/ADMISSIONS.
Other events ‘Songs of Love and Life: The Light IS Shining’ a benefit concert for Catholic Charities Counseling for Spanishspeaking adults at St. Casimir, St. Paul — September 15: 7 p.m. at 934 Geranium Ave. Refreshments will be served. Suggested donation is $20 per person.
“How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?” Satchel Paige
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From Age to Age THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
A Catholic Spirit special section
AUGUST 30, 2012
On turning 65 and still feeling like 23 . . . mostly A few weeks ago I finally turned 65. It has taken years. Although looking back, I have to concede that it has happened a lot quicker than I anticipated. Seems like only yesterday that I was carrying my first girlfriend’s books home after a grueling day in Owen Phelps second grade. You know that old saw: “If I had known I would live so long, I would have taken better care of myself.” That’s really true in my case. But for the miracle of modern heart bypass surgery, I would be a memory and a modest gravestone marker. So above and beyond all other things, I am grateful for each birthday. Indeed, I am grateful for each and every day, every hour and every minute. Life is a grace. I no longer take it for granted. I thank God every day. But I’m not ready to commit my (few!) waking hours to sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair mulling over my good fortune to be alive. I still want to live. And besides, in a lot of ways I still feel like I’m 23. Lest my doctor note that delusion on my medical chart as yet another sign of age-induced dementia, my trusty old body keeps rising up (slowly!) to poignantly remind me that I am older than dirt. Let me count the ways. There are the dozen or so pills I take every day — when well into my 50s I could count the number of pills I had taken all my life on two hands, even counting aspirins. There is the stiffness I feel when I get out of bed or a chair. There is the soreness in my shoulder when I play catch with the grandkids — and sometimes even when I don’t.
“Each and every one of us comes into existence with a Godgiven purpose. There are two lessons to absorb from that fact. First, we each are God’s gift to the world. And second, so is everyone else.”
Reflection
OWEN PHELPS
There is the backache that is killing me this morning after swinging an axe only about four times last night trying to cut down a puny little volunteer tree sprout. (Yes, the tree lost, but only after my wife took it out with a pruner.) And I’m guessing that my body reminds me of my real age in a lot more ways that I just can’t remember at the moment because, well, when you get old you start to forget things. I know some of you think being 65 makes me a spring chicken. I can just picture my dear friend Chuck Sauber down in Virgil, who turned 92 on April 16, laughing at me for calling myself old at the tender age of 65. He passed that milestone back in the year that Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet Union’s president (its last, it turned out) and we
were all listening to pop stars singing “We Are the World.”
Fun pays off Time flies when you’re having fun. So I guess I have no one else to blame for how quickly my life has passed up to now because a lot of my energy and focus has been devoted to having fun. In retrospect, that effort has gone pretty well and paid huge dividends. But as I add another ring to my trunk, my focus is really not on me at all. It’s on kids — and how well we are doing as a church, state, nation and world at helping them realize the full potential God has bestowed on each and every one of them. Some — more than 1.2 million a year in the U.S. alone — we deprive of life even before they are born. Others — an esti-
mated five million a year worldwide — die of malnutrition. Millions more are underweight from malnutrition, an indication that they may well be suffering from permanent mental impairment, since in the early years mental development relies heavily on proper nutrition. In the U.S. alone, about one million children are officially abused or neglected each year. Obviously, many cases of abuse go unreported. That’s even more true of neglect — because it’s a broad category, ranging from official cases of chronic neglect of a child’s most basic physical needs to much more widespread neglect by parents who either don’t know any better or are so wrapped up in their own addictions and indulgences that they fail to respond to their children’s basic social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs. Each child is a miracle. But each of these miracles arrives unfinished. God gives them to us to name and to nurture for their benefit and, ultimately, the good of all humanity. How well we do is the stuff of biography and history writ small and large across the ages. Of course, we could do so much better. The world needs us to. And I’m convinced God wants us to. I could use whatever time I have remaining patting myself on the back for picking the right parents. Instead, I hope to use a large portion of it helping kids be all that God intended them to be. And I hope to encourage others to do so, too. Please do what you can — in large ways and small, in your long-range planning PLEASE TURN TO TAKE ON PAGE 21
TheCatholicSpirit.com
From Age to Age
AUGUST 30, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
21
Take time to interact with young people CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 and in your casual day-to-day encounters, indirectly through others and directly if you have the opportunities to interact with young people. If nothing else, ask them a question. Show them some interest and concern. A cookie can be redemptive. So can a smile. Each and every one of us comes into existence with a God-given purpose. There are two lessons to absorb from that fact. First, we each are God’s gift to the world. And second, so is everyone else. Owing to a combination of our own temperament and how we are raised, some of us struggle with believing we are
God’s gift to others. And others of us struggle with believing we are not God’s only gift. But the better we all do — in word and even more in deed — to help children grasp the both/and reality of life, the better our world will be. And the better I will feel about the approaching eventuality of being accountable to my Maker. I’m not getting any younger, you know. Owen Phelps is a communications consultant for the Diocese of Rockford, Ill. His column, On the Road, appears in the The Observer, newspaper for the Diocese of Rockford.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
From Age to Age
‘Gone With the Wind’ heir leaves literary rights to Atlanta Archdiocese Catholic News Service The Archdiocese of Atlanta has received a substantial gift from the estate of the nephew of Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone With the Wind,” including a 50 percent share of the trademark and literary rights to the novel. The estate of Joseph Mitchell included a multimillion-dollar bequest to the archdiocese and the donation of his home in Atlanta. One of two sons of Margaret Mitchell’s brother, Stephens, Joseph Mitchell died in
October 2011. He was a member of the Cathedral of Christ the King and asked that, if possible, his donation assist the cathedral in a particular way. The inheritance passed on to the archdiocese includes a collection of signed “Gone With the Wind” first editions published in various languages in countries around the world and an unpublished history of the Mitchell family, handwritten by Margaret’s father, Eugene Muse Mitchell. From the Joseph Mitchell estate, Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory has designated that $7.5 million be given to the
Cathedral of Christ the King for its building fund. He also has assigned $1.5 million to Catholic Charities Atlanta for its immediate use and an additional $2 million to create an endowment fund for the social services agency to address its long-term need for sustaining income. The archbishop also has asked the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia to create an endowment fund for each parish, mission and Catholic school of the archdiocese with a $10,000 gift apiece from the Joseph Mitchell estate, totaling more than $1 million.
Presentation to give Catholic view on end-of-life issues The Catholic Spirit
life is good
Deacon Stephen Najarian will speak about end-of-life issues based on Catholic principles and his experience as a surgeon for nearly 20 years. The retired physician will present “Medical Ethics for the End of Life: The Catholic View” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, at St. Joseph Church, 8701 36th Ave. N. in New Hope. The presentation is free and open to the public. “This is an important issue for all of us to think about and be preDEACON NAJARIAN pared for,” said Anne Saevig, adult spirituality and small Christian communities director for St. Joseph parish. “This is an opportunity to learn something about our Catholic faith in terms of end-oflife issues and practical things that we can do to be prepared for ourselves and for our loved ones.” Father Terry Rassmussen, St. Joseph pastor, and other parish members attended a similar presentation by Deacon Najarian last year and wanted to make this available to people in the parish and surrounding communities, Saevig said. Deacon Najarian will discuss: ■ Catholic principles for guiding end-oflife decisions. ■ Case studies. ■ Living wills and health care proxies (forms will be available). ■ Sacraments to accompany the end of life. Deacon Najarian has been a member of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, where he also serves as deacon, since he was baptized there. He graduated from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, Marquette University and the University of Minnesota, before completing his post-doctoral fellowship at the U of M and the Mayo Clinic. He served at different times as chief of surgery at both United Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul. He was ordained a deacon for the archdiocese in September 2003 and holds a master’s in pastoral ministry from the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas, where he has taught pastoral theology. He has been an instructor for the diaconal formation team for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. No registration is required for the presentation and light refreshments will be served. For further information, call St. Joseph parish at (763) 544-3352.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 30, 2012
Amendment is opportunity for Minnesotans to have a conversation about marriage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 The question, “How can Christians impose their religion on others?” is a fair point given our increasingly pluralistic society, noted Rogers. But even the state has an interest in keeping marriage strong because studies show that children do best when they are raised inside of marriage by their own parents, male and female. In that situation, he said, children are most likely to grow up and be contributing members of society. The state recognizes that the family is the first and most vital cell of the human society. As such, the government offers certain benefits to incentivize marriage, but these benefits are not rights. “The focus needs to remain on children. How does this affect children? That’s the number one question to ask people,” he said. “It has far-reaching consequences for us as a society. Before November, we’re going to hear that as long as a child has two loving parents, it doesn’t matter. But research, our lived experience, all religious experiences tell us that children desire a male and female role model, to be loved by both a mom and a dad, and that needs to be protected before any two people’s desire to have their relationship recognized as a marriage.
“If marriage as it stands now provides the best outcomes for children, let’s not take a relationship that is fundamentally different and say it’s the same because when we do that as a society, we lie to ourselves,” he said. “The result is confusion, indifference as to the role of gender, and those who disagree — in our case the Catholic Church — end up getting pushed to the margins and not having a voice.” Epiphany parishioner Pat Fiereck, who attended with her husband, said she wants to be prepared to defend her position if questions arise, and the talk was helpful. “I’m truly concerned about same-sex marriage and I don’t have any material, so I wanted to come and see what they had to say so I can do some study on my own, so I can share,” she said. Rogers said the ballot amendment is an opportunity for the state of Minnesota to have this conversation about marriage, and he is optimistic about the success of it passing. “Let’s strengthen our own marriages and the marriages of those around us while we’re talking about this,” he said. Rogers’ talk was filmed by TPT Channel 2, and portions of it will air at 8 p.m. Sept. 28 as part of an hour-long show that examines both sides of the marriage amendment debate.
More parishes exceed Appeal goal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Assumption, Richfield St. Raphael, Crystal St. Henry, Le Center St. Patrick, Oak Grove St. Mary, Hampton St. Mathias, Hampton St. Genevieve, Centerville St. Michael, Stillwater St. John the Baptist, Vermillion St. Nicholas, Elko New Market St. John, St. Paul St. Rose of Lima, Roseville St. Joseph, West St. Paul St. Peter, Mendota St. Mary of Czestochowa, Delano St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran St. John the Baptist, Savage Holy Rosary, Minneapolis Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis St. Peter, Richfield Good Shepherd, Golden Valley St. Mary of the Lake, Plymouth St. Mary, Le Center St. Pius V, Cannon Falls St. Rita, Cottage Grove St. Francis of Assisi, Lakeland St. Joseph, Rosemount St. Francis Xavier, Taylors Falls Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul St. Francis De Sales, St. Paul St. Adalbert, St. Paul St. Jerome, Maplewood St. Nicholas, Carver All Saints, Minneapolis St. Anthony of Padua, Minneapolis Holy Family, St. Louis Park St. Michael, Pine Island St. Paul, Zumbrota
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“For thousands of families, [Hurricane] Isaac is still a horrible ordeal. I saw busloads of children without parents still arriving at shelters and heard from a woman who lost her child as they ran, terrified, from their flooded home in the middle of the night.” Stephania Musset, a spokeswoman for Oxfam, a humanitarian group working in Haiti
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Overheard THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Notes from this week’s newsmakers
AUGUST 30, 2012
St. Catherine University announces Opus Prize finalists The Catholic Spirit
Here in Minnesota, more than 200 volunteers regularly assist in collecting, sorting, packing and shipping donated supplies from individuals and Minnesota hospitals to 130 clinics throughout rural Bolivia. For more information, visit MANOAMANO.ORG.
Three nonprofit organizations just took a giant step forward toward a $1 million prize. St. Catherine University announced Aug. 28 the three finalists for the annual Opus Prize — St. Luke Foundation for Haiti, Mano a Mano International Partners and Ateliê de Idéias. The winner will be announced at the November Opus Prize event. “They are outstanding” Cathy Brennan, steering committee co-chair, said about the finalists. “When we first started out with 24 [nominees], I thought all of them were wonderful. I would have given money to any single one of them. Then as we really started looking at their criteria and what kinds of things they were doing, what kind of transformational work, we just started to narrow and it was very difficult.” The Opus Prize Foundation partnered with the St. Paul women’s university this year to honor “unsung heroes” anywhere in the world who are “solving today’s most persistent social problems,” according to the foundation’s website. One individual will be awarded $1 million and the two runners-up will each receive $100,000 from the foundation to further the work of their organizations. Every year since 2004, the nonprofit foundation established by the Opus Corporation has selected Catholic universities, including St. Paul’s University of St. Thomas in 2009, to oversee the nomination process, send scouts across the globe and host an awards ceremony. This year the awards ceremony will be Thursday, Nov. 8, at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on the St. Paul campus.
Helping Haiti’s poor The second finalist, St. Luke Foundation for Haiti, helps organize local leadership in impoverished communities in Haiti to build and manage medical clinics and schools, construct roads and build and manage water retention and irrigation projects. The organization insists on active community participation in each project and holds each community accountable for the ongoing maintenance of the clinics, schools, hospitals and water projects it sponsors. These resources have benefited more than 700,000 people. The founder of St. Luke is Father Richard Frechette, a Passionist priest who also is a physician. His organization grew out of his work with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos International, which helps orphaned children around the world. For more information, visit WWW.COMPASSIONWEAVERS .ORG/FAITHLINK/ST-LUKE-HISTORY.
Work in Brazil
Local connections One of the three finalists has local ties. Mano a Mano was founded in 1994 by a Mendota Heights couple, Segundo and Joan Velasquez. Segundo, a native of Bolivia, started the organization with the idea of shipping medical supplies to his physician brother that otherwise would have been deposited in landfills. Mano a Mano, with headquarters in Mendota Heights, has grown from a small Minnesota-based nonprofit with modest goals to being part of a large network of international development projects transforming lives and communities throughout rural Bolivia. Through the assistance of Caterpillar, Mano a Mano has built 1,400 kilometers of roads connecting rural communities to cities and provided water throughout the lengthy dry season to remote communities by building 153 water ponds and four water reservoirs.
Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
Sister Andrea Lee, president of St. Catherine University, announces the three finalists of the 2012 Opus Prize Aug. 28. A slide of Father Richard Frechette’s St. Luke Foundation for Haiti appears behind her.
Also, through counterparts in Bolivia and support from the U.S., Mano a Mano has built 130 clinics, 45 schools, airlifted more than 1,400 critically injured or ill patients to lifesaving treatment, and regularly sends volunteers and donors from the U.S. to see their projects in action and assist in training.
Ateliê de Idéias, the third finalist, grew out of an informal collective of women workers organized in slums. Primarily serving Brazil, its director and president is Leonora Michelin Laboissieire Mol. This organization has strengthened the lowest-income communities in this country through life skills development, financial literacy and empowerment and housing development. The organization also operates a bank that serves residents who otherwise would not have access to traditional banks. For more information, visit WWW.ATELIEDEIDEIAS.ORG.BR. The steering committee co-chairs are looking forward to the November event in which the winner will be named. “It’s a huge honor,” said Mary Ann Brenden, steering committee co-chair and associate professor of social work. “For me, what is so exciting is that there is such a beautiful interface between our mission . . . and this prize. I feel like when we are looking at the nominees and the finalists . . . they are incredible representations of who we are, what we are all about and why we are educating students about the world.”
Spots still open for pilgrimage to La Crosse Guadalupe shrine There’s still time to sign up for a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wis., with Bishop Lee Piché to inaugurate the Year of Faith. The registration deadline for the Oct. 2 event is Sept. 29. The pilgrimage includes a coach bus The ride to and from La Catholic Spirit Crosse, tour of the shrine, reflection on the Year of Faith by Bishop Piché, Mass, time for individual prayer and Stations of the Cross, lunch and a light dinner on the ride home. Buses will depart at 7 a.m. from St. Peter in Mendota, St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, Our Lady of Grace in
News Notes
Edina and All Saints in Lakeville. The Lakeville bus ride includes a 7:30 a.m. pick up at Divine Mercy in Faribault. Buses will return at approximately 7 p.m. The cost is $65 per person. Register online or call (651) 291-4488.
Registration open for Cathedral Choir School Registrations are being accepted for the Cathedral Choir School of Minnesota, a free once-a-week afterschool music education program for grades K to 12 sponsored by the Cathedral of St. Paul. Rehearsals — held Wednesdays from 4
to 5:15 p.m. and followed by Mass — are led by Robert Ridgell, director of sacred music. Students will sing for special liturgies and events at the Cathedral approximately once a month. Families do not need to be parishioners of the Cathedral to be a part of the program. Register before Sept. 3. For more information or to register, visit WWW.CATHEDRALSAINTPAUL.ORG/ CATHEDRAL-CHOIR-SCHOOL-MINNESOTA.
Neighborhood House to operate food shelf Neighborhood House, a 115-year-old nonprofit located in St. Paul, has taken
over operation of the Francis Basket food shelf, a 20-year-old food program located near the Sibley Plaza Shopping Center in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Formerly run by the St. Paul Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Angels, the Francis Basket food shelf faced staffing challenges. With the help of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul, it was able to secure a partnership with Neighborhood House. In 2011, the food shelf provided more than 61,000 pounds of food to 1,940 households.