Bishop Andrew Cozzens: Together, we must serve those in need page 2A
Faces of the Catholic Services Appeal pages 3A-5A
Why we donate to the CSA page 6A
The Catholic Spirit • February 27, 2014
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
2A
Seek first the kingdom of God The theme of this year’s Catholic Services Appeal is “Seek first the kingdom of God”(Matthew 6:24-34). In that Gospel passage, Jesus invites us as Christians to take a different
chaplain ministry that serves thousands of patients and their families at 19 local hospitals, and our prison ministry that ministers to people in 32 correctional facilities across our area. • Your gift helps nearly 2,500 students access a life-changing education at local Catholic elementary and high schools. A total of $2 million goes to expand access to Catholic schools for families all over our community. For example, 386 high school students from more than 140 cities and towns in the archdiocese each receive a $2,500 CSA scholarship. • Your gift helps hundreds of high school students from our local Church come together for a time of praise, fellowship and growing in the faith at the annual Archdiocesan Youth Day. • Your gift helps 23 Latino ministry parishes care for the spiritual needs of tens of thousands of Spanish-speaking Catholic immigrants. These are just some areas of ministry the Catholic Services Appeal supports — there are many, many other ways the appeal helps people throughout this local Church and beyond. You can read more about these ministries on pages 3A to 5A. These are very challenging times in our local Church. Sometimes the bad news feels overwhelming. Still, we must not let the moral failure of those who harmed others define who we are — or force us to shrink back from living out our faith. We must turn to Christ for strength and healing — and continue to heed his call to serve as his hands and feet here on earth. Together, we must still serve those in need, form leaders for the future, and reach out to others to invite them to full life in the faith. Together, we must still answer the call to serve compassionately and
GUEST COLUMN BISHOP ANDREW COZZENS perspective on our lives than the rest of the world does. We are invited to see that some things in our life are more important than the material things we have or desire. Jesus Christ and his kingdom must come first in our lives. The Catholic Services Appeal offers us all a concrete way to put the kingdom of God first by answering Jesus’ call to love and serve those in need. By giving to the Catholic Services Appeal, you are able to help local Catholic ministries that could not continue their vital work without your support — because they do not have the resources to go out and ask for your support directly. In this issue of The Catholic Spirit, you can see personal stories of some of those you help serve through your gift to the Catholic Services Appeal. Here are a few examples: • Your gift supports hospital
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
continue the good work being done in parishes, Catholic schools and other ministries throughout this local Church. Together with thousands of other local Catholics, your generosity makes possible what no one parish or individual can do alone — feed, house, educate and encourage tens of thousands of adults, families and children who need our help. And up to 25 percent of every dollar raised is returned to your parish for use in its work. Beginning this year, all funds given to the CSA will be held by the independent Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, ensuring that your gift is used solely for the benefit of the designated ministries that the CSA helps to support and to run the appeal — and nothing else. For more than 40 years, the appeal has provided a way for local Catholics to respond to Christ’s call by sharing with him and with his Church a portion of those gifts that God has given to us. Now more than ever, many vital ministries supported by the Catholic Services Appeal need your help. Let each of us ask the Lord how he wants us to seek first his kingdom so that we can receive all he wants to give. Thank you for your consideration and may God bless you!
“Together with thousands of other local Catholics, your generosity makes possible what no one parish or individual can do alone — feed, house, educate and encourage tens of thousands of adults, families and children who need our help. And up to 25 percent of every dollar raised is returned to your parish for use in its work.” Bishop Andrew Cozzens
3A Contributions to the 2014 Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) are used to operate CSA and for the benefit of the specifically identified ministries and not for other purposes, such as chancery administration. The people on the following pages represent the hundreds of thousands who benefit from the generosity of local Catholics through the various ministries.
MINISTRY FOR THE DEAF “Contributions to the Catholic Services Appeal help subsidize the ministry to the deaf at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in northeast Minneapolis. OLMC provides all its parish liturgies and sacramental celebrations in both American Sign Language and voice. The parish provides sacramental preparation for baptism, first Communion and first reconciliation, confirmation, pre-marriage preparation, weddings inside and outside of Mass, and funerals in ASL. A variety of other liturgical opportunities for the deaf are provided, including extraordinary minsters of holy Communion, lectors, and a sign choir. Opportunities for spiritual growth and support are provided through a local chapter of the International Catholic Deaf Association, Deaf Cursillo, and Rediscover: book clubs and Deaf Senior Citizen lunches, all of which the parish supports. Through this ministry, those who use ASL as their primary language are encouraged to be fully active and equal members of the body of Christ and participate in the richness of life as Catholic Christians.”
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
We are the Catholic Services Appeal
Deacon Michael Powers Director, archdiocesan Office for the Deaf Elizabeth Siebert, a deaf member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel writes: “I have been going to Our Lady of Mount Carmel for over 25 years and I really appreciate the effort to make the church more accessible for the Catholic deaf and hard-of-hearing community. They are working hard to provide programs, services, and activities for parishioners including the signed Mass, confession, classes, weddings, baptisms, book clubs, potlucks, and social interactions. And they are making differences in our lives. The church consistently challenges us to be closer to God by attending the Mass, listening, thinking and discussing about the homilies in depth, going to confession, reading the Bible, participating in the church activities, and praying. Because of this, my faith has become stronger. I live near North St. Paul and it takes 25 minutes to drive to the church in Minneapolis. I do not mind driving this far because this is where I feel most comfortable being with people who share our language and culture, making the church more accessible and meaningful. On OLMC’s website, it states ‘A Church You Can Call Home” and I agree with this statement 100 percent.’”
“I really appreciate the effort to make the church more accessible for the Catholic deaf and hard-of-hearing community. They are working hard to provide programs, services, and activities for parishioners including the signed Mass, confession, classes, weddings, baptisms, book clubs, potlucks, and social interactions. And they are making differences in our lives.”
Cristy Goerdt of St. John the Baptist in Savage enjoys praise and worship during Archdiocesan Youth Day Sept. 21, 2013. She is a sophomore at Convent of the Visitation in Mendota. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH DAY “Close your eyes. Imagine a school gym filled with more than 2,000 teenagers, religious and volunteers, all praising the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? That is the sight of Archdiocesan Youth Day. AYD 2012 holds a special place in my heart as the first time I heard God’s voice. Because of that experience, nothing could keep me away from attending in 2013 — I even chose to miss my school’s homecoming dance so I could go to AYD. What makes AYD so extraordinary is the fact that you can really feel the Holy Spirit working in every person there. I believe AYD is so important because it allows teens a chance to not only further their relationship with God, but with each other as well. It gives teenagers an opportunity to know that they’re not the only people their age who love God and have the same values. It’s a time for us to come together to let God into our hearts, so that we can get to know him and better serve him in our lives.” Cristy Goerdt Sophomore, Convent of the Visitation School, Mendota Heights Parish: St. John the Baptist, Savage
Elizabeth Siebert, a deaf member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Minneapolis
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
We are the Catholi
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
4A
Participants at the 2013 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.
REDISCOVER: “This outreach to the faithful is unlike any before. It is a continuing, multifaceted initiative, to invite every Catholic to take their next step forward in their faith journey. The 2013 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration was exceptional, and as a friend said, ‘How could you pick a winner from all those fantastic speakers?’ It was, for me, an inspirational event that I will never forget. I never felt more engaged as a Catholic, with a few thousand more who felt something similar. [Matthew Kelly’s] “Rediscover Catholicism” book has caused me to read the New Testament in a new light. The book points out that the Bible is full of imperfect people, and the real story is how they reconcile their friendship with God after having fallen away for a time. Not only is Rediscover: an opportunity for every Catholic to go deeper in their faith and friendship with Christ, but equally as important, it gives each one the resources to invite back a Catholic, who either hasn’t been to church in a while, or has given up.” Phil Rief Rediscover: co-chair, St, Raphael, Crystal
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS “I like the work we do. It’s not easy, but they give you a challenge. The teachers there are very helpful. Ms. [Dorwatha] Woods, my princpal, is a very nice lady. People there are very respectful. Being there has helped me draw closer to God. Being in religion class, learning more and things I didn’t know about God has helped me become a better person toward people and being nice and respectful and spiritual in helping them understand some of the things that they don’t know.” Victoria Sanders Eighth-grade student, Ascension School, Minneapolis
CSA funds help hundreds of high school students through the $2,500 Archdiocesan High School Scholarship, in addition to providing tuition assistance to elementary school students.
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
SEMINARIANS “Today’s cost of education is not cheap. Unfortunately, the seminary isn’t immune to those cost inflations. There is no denying it. In fact, if it weren’t for your generous support, the majority of us seminarians would not be able to afford to study for the priesthood. Being a full-time seminarian means that we can’t earn money to pay for our education. But your support to the Catholic Services Appeal and the funds, which are directed to the seminary, really do allow for the seminarians at St. Paul Seminary to follow God’s call in their lives and to minister to the people of God. Along with tuition, your Mark PAVLAK contributions help with other things. To name a few: allowing us go to on retreats, to enter into rest and relaxation with the Lord; two months of hospital ministry in the summer [when] seminarians go to various hospitals for eight weeks, and they allow us to be present to the sick and suffering and to bring Communion to those who long to be close to Jesus in their final hours; giving us teaching parishes for four years, which enables us to learn how to live, work and pray as a parish priest and engage a parish. From the external operations to the internal day-today life of a seminarian, you make it possible for us to be at the seminary.” Mark Pavlak Seminarian at The St. Paul Seminary
VEN
“The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Min sending down priests to work in Venezu and many lay men and women from th worked here in different ways over the CSA funds are used in a variety of way salaries and benefits of the two archdioc working in Venezuela and the salaries an six Venezuelans employed at the mission serves the parish of Jesucristo Resucitado of 11 barrios — or distinct neighborhood estimated 65,000 people living in the pa The parish has one church and five chap people where they live. There are at least celebrated every weekend at the church The rest of the CSA funds help to cov operational costs of the mission — food vehicle maintenance and administrativ huge blessing! The CSA funds help us t mission here to so many people with so spiritual and physical. I very much admire how so many pe faith for help and support during the v especially like the times Venezuela is cu through. In the midst of the violence a many people turn to their faith to help and many times forgiveness. The peopl especially on Sundays, less out of as sen but because they want to be there and — they need to be fed by God’s Word a and blood just to have the strength to struggles.
ic Services Appeal “The children — you can see the positive change they experience. They know who they are, they know where they come from. And it is only when we know who we are and where we come from that we can share each other to the other community, to really create the cultural integration that we need in our parishes. During the year, the leaders of the Pastoral Estela Leadership Institute MANANCERO learn about different cultures and how to reach them, they learn about Catholic Church teachings, they learn how to work in collaboration, to raise money, to organize volunteers, how to run meetings, how to manage conflicts, and to do theological reflection and lectio divina for their spiritual journey. Your investments also allow us to support our families. We run marriage preparation, we have five different retreats around the [arch]diocese during the year, and we also have mentor couples, where we train couples how to deal with crisis situations. Without your support, none of these programs could run. You can see the difference you’re making in our communities. It’s truly an investment in our future leaders.” Estela Villagran Manancero Office of Parish Services/Latino ministry
eople turn to their very difficult times, urrently going and injustices, p them find peace, le come to Mass, nse of obligation, need to be there and Jesus’ body continue in their
Father Greg Schaffer, right. The generosity of the people in the archdiocese through CSA is making a difference in peoples’ lives. The mission is able to respond to the physical needs of the people through the parish soup kitchen, medical clinic, dentist office [and] medical laboratory. We also provide funds for scholarships and emergency assistance to buy food and medicine and help with funeral costs in times of unexpected tragedies and difficulties. And we work closely with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the archdiocese that helps our parish help the poorest of the poor.”
PRISON CHAPLAINS “Our archdiocese covers 12 counties. Within those 12 counties, we have 32 correctional facilities — prisons, jails and juvenile institutions. And in those 32 correctional facilities, we have about 10,000 prisoners. My responsibility is to see that the sacraments are brought into these correctional facilities, that the Catholics receive the sacraments, and we have clergy go in to do Mass and confessions, deacons to minister to the people there, Communion services outside of Mass, and gather lay people to hopefully minister to these people as well. But part of our job’s not to just minister to the Catholic brothers and sisters, but those in the non-Catholic faith, as well. We talk about the new evangelization. It’s not about selling our Catholicism, it’s about living our Catholicism. And so what we do by our actions and deeds, people take notice of. [We need to] make ourselves aware and continue to show the love of Christ in everyone’s lives, even those incarcerated.”
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
LATINO MINISTRY
NEZUELAN MISSION
nneapolis has been uela since 1970 . . . he archdiocese have years. ys. They cover the cesan priests nd benefits of the n. This staff of eight o, which is made up ds — with an arish boundaries. pels to serve the t seven Masses and in the barrios. ver some of the d, electricity, ve costs. This is a to complete our o many needs,
5A
Deacon Tim Zinda Coordinator of corrections for the archdiocese, chaplain at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center Parish: St. Paul, Ham Lake
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINS “Our hospital chaplains are critical to the mission of the local Church. Through their ministry, Christ’s work of healing is continued for our faithful who are hospitalized. Our chaplains work tirelessly to be the presence of Christ for the infirm and members of their families. Our chaplains are on call pretty much 24/7 to the hospital that they are assigned to. We encourage them to take at least a day off. I’m here during the week and typically get called in on the weekends to check on people. I think the most meaningful part of it is being a healing presence to the people that we see. It’s intense sacramental ministry in terms of the Sacrament of the Sick and offering communion to those who request it. I have a very active team of volunteers here that come in daily to distribute Father Larry communion. That allows me to concentrate on the BLAKE critical care stations. It’s hard for me to describe the impact on patients. This happens all the time, but I had a call to the room of a patient who was dying. The family had gathered and asked for the Sacrament of the Sick and prayers for their loved one. Sometimes when we step into a situation, the patient isn’t fully cognizant of our presence, but I can tell you that for the family it’s deeply meaningful.” Father Larry Blake Chaplain, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis
Father Greg Schaffer Pastor, Venezuelan Mission
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
6A
Why we donate to the Catholic Services Appeal DIANA & THOMAS GOEBEL “A long time ago when we first started with the appeal, I was contributing because you contribute to the Church. Then I saw a news report on TV, and there was this mother who had run away from an abusive husband, she had a little one in a stroller and she was holding the other one’s hand. It was cold outside, and she was looking for a warm place to stay, and no one had room for her. And Catholic Charities found her a place. And I said to myself, ‘that’s me, that’s my Church. That’s what I contribute to.’ So, I always remember that. That’s an important part of my life. But the annual Catholic appeal gives Catholics an opportunity to be a part of many, many wonderful things that happen in the archdiocese for less fortunate people. How easy is that? When I had my children, I couldn’t go out and do it myself, but I could support the archdiocese and the appeal, so that’s why we do.” Diana and Thomas Goebel St. John the Baptist, Jordan
MICHAEL FONDUNGALLAH “The Catholic Services Appeal is the only place you can donate money to help a whole lot of ministries. Instead of giving to individual things, you can give your money to one organization and it will be shared with so many different ministries. The reason I donate there is because it has an impact, not only in all the ministries it is divided between, but especially in the black community and the African immigrant community. St. Peter Claver Church and School where I come from, is in a black neighborhood in the Rondo area [of St. Paul]. Without the Catholic Services Appeal, a lot of the African-American kids who come to Catholic school would not have the experience of Catholic education. Most of them come tuition free because of the Catholic Services Appeal. I contribute because I want to give back and I want to help others who wouldn’t get a Catholic education to get it.” Michael Fondungallah St. Peter Claver, St. Paul
H. UYEN NGUYEN
MIKE & SARAH LARSEN
“Catholicism has been a big part of my life. I went to St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Savage from kindergarten through eighth grade, and I’m still a parishioner there. I actually live really far from there. St. John’s is in Savage, but I live right by the U of M St. Paul campus. It’s about half an hour away, but it’s been a huge part of my life, and that’s why I give back. When I went to St. John’s, it was just a good environment. I also give because my parents — growing up — they were all about giving and they instilled in us the value of giving. So now that I’m older with a job, I’m able to give back.”
“We wanted to spend our donation dollars with something that was attached to the Catholic Church, and we’re excited to do that. When we found out about the different categories that it was being spent on, that was just more reason to donate our dollars to it. There are a lot of places asking for donation dollars these days, but it feels better, and it feels good to give it to places that are spreading out the money and doing it with a faith-based approach.”
“I think Catholic education is so important, and also at this time, the poor people need support, we need to help the less privileged people, and the Catholic Church needs all the support we can give them — the poorer parishes we need to help to grow. The Catholic Church in general needs help today, especially in our archdiocese at this time. I think religious vocations are so important to support, too.”
Mike and Sarah Larsen St. Peter, Mendota
Ken Herriges Assumption, St. Paul
H. Uyen Nguyen St. John the Baptist, Savage
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
KEN HERRIGES
7A
“I know the hearts of
“We really want
each one of you and
to give people
just thousands of other
more than just a
Catholics that are out
handout — we
there, they want to do
want to give
good things, and we
them the love of
can do good things,
Christ, and
and we will do good
share our faith.”
things.” Tim Healy, president of the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation and 2014 CSA co-chair with his wife, Helen Healy
TIM & HELEN HEALY
Helen Healy, 2014 CSA co-chair with her husband, Tim Healy
About the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
‘We are called to do the work of Christ’
The Catholic Services Appeal Foundation of the St. Paul and Minneapolis area (CSAF) is an independent Minnesota nonprofit corporation that is tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Contributions will be used for the benefit of designated ministries of the CSAF and for no other purposes. The CSA provides funds for ministries that serve families, strengthen parishes, support Catholic school students, form local Church leaders, and reach out to invite others to a full life in the faith. Learn more at csafspm.org.
Last year You helped give:
FATHER RALPH TALBOT “The CSA supports ministries that are critical to the mission of the local Church and ministries that everyone expects the Church to provide, and yet, ministries that are not supported in the budgets of most parishes. For example, everyone knows we need to educate and form our seminarians to be our future priests. Everyone expects the Church to provide this education and formation. Everyone wants to benefit from the education and formation of our seminarians by having educated, well-formed and holy priests assigned to their parish. However, few, if any, parishes have “seminarian support” as part of their operating budget. Everyone in the archdiocese has the opportunity to be a part of the education and formation of our future priests by financially supporting the CSA. The CSA helps provide those ministries that are the responsibility of the entire Church, but not the sole responsibility of any particular parish or individual. I have written letters and bulletin articles to my parishioners encouraging them to support the CSA, reminding them that their support of the CSA benefits critical ministries of the local Church and also benefits the ministries of the parish through the rebate. I tell the parishioners that my gift to CSA will be based on their support of the CSA, pledging $1 for every gift made to the CSA. Over the years, several people have matched my gift.” Father Ralph Talbot Pastor, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake
• 2,456 students access to a life-
FATHER BOB HART “The CSA is important because through that appeal, [we are] able to support a number of different ministries. Without our support, the ministries simply cannot function. Father Bob Hart Pastor, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights
changing Catholic school education that would have been impossible without your help. • 28,370 local men, women, and children crisis shelter, food, and essential services. • 467,007 nights of shelter to people who would have otherwise slept on our streets. • 1 million meals to those in need in our community. • 65 seminarians tuition and room & board support while they prepare to become priests for our archdiocese. • 65,000 people access to the sacraments, food, and necessary services at the Jesucristo Resucitado mission in Venezuela. • 23 Latino ministry parishes support to attend to the spiritual needs of tens of thousands of Spanish-speaking immigrants. • 133,733 people from all 50 states and 188 countries inspiring ways to grow in the Catholic faith through resources on Rediscoverfaith.org.
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
6
Catholic Services Appeal Foundation
8A
ways
Registered parishioners received a letter in the mail along
TO GIVE
with a personalized pledge envelope earlier this month. Blank pledge envelopes are available in parish pews, or ask the parish office. Please complete the pledge envelope information and return it to your parish.
DONATE ONLINE
TRANSFER STOCK
This is a quick and easy way to make your yearly donation. Go to csafspm.org to make your donation online. You can use your credit card or bank account.
Transferring appreciated stock directly to the Catholic Services Appeal is both easy and tax deductible. For more information, contact the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation at (651) 291-4448.
WRITE A CHECK
MAKE A PLEDGE GIFT
You can make your check payable to the Catholic Services Appeal and mail it along with your pledge envelope directly to your parish or to: Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, 328 Kellogg Boulevard West, St. Paul, MN 55102.
Gifts to the CSA can be pledged over a 10-month period. By spreading your commitment over 10 months, you can increase the size and impact of your gift.
SEEK MATCHING FUNDS
CREATE AN AUTOMATIC BANK WITHDRAWAL
It may be possible to double your gift to the Catholic Services Appeal through a matching gift. Many employers (and former employers, for retirees) match the charitable gifts of their employees. Check with your employer’s human resources department to see if it will match your charitable contribution. Complete its matching gift form (or fill one out online) and send it along with your gift information to the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation.
Instead of a one-time gift, consider spreading your pledge throughout the year. Both the pledge envelope and the online giving site allow you to create a weekly or monthly gift withdrawal from your credit card or bank accounts.
T
Trojack Law Office, P.A. Trust Experience!
Estate Plans That Reflect Your Values
“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.” Mother Mother Teresa Teresa
$4" t $POUJOVJOH 0WFS 'PSUZ :FBST PG $BUIPMJD (JWJOH
St Therese Southwest
Estate Plans That Are Tailor-Made
Trojack Law Office, P.A. focuses exclusively on wills, trusts, and estate planning, and has more than 34 years of experience. We offer client-focused estate planning and related services. Trojack Law Office, P.A. 1549 Livingston Ave., Ste. 101 • W. St. Paul, MN 55118 Phone: 651.451.9696 • www.TrojackLaw.com
February 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
University of St Thomas Gainey Conference Center St Agnes School
Estate Plans With A Catholic Perspective
A Law Firm With Focus
Go online to see our WEB ADVERTISERS!
Saint Therese At Home Care www.premierbanks.com
CommunionNotes.net
Remember that story you read in
System at Innsbruck
The Catholic Spirit last month? Last year? Have total recall. Search “ARCHIVES”
Catholic Charities USA
at www.TheCatholicSpirit.com
TheCatholicSpirit.com