Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Proabortion to pro-life
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The Catholic Spirit
April 28, 2011
Series will explain Mass changes
News with a Catholic heart
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Great apostle of Christ Blessed Pope John Paul II • May 1, 2011
CNS photo / Catholic Press Photo
Pope John Paul II gestures during his 1980 visit to Paris. Pope Benedict XVI will beatify the late pope on May 1, Divine Mercy Sunday. More than a million pilgrims were expected to flock to Rome and Vatican City for the ceremony. The French nun whose healing was accepted as the miracle needed for Pope John Paul’s beatification will share her story with pilgrims at a prayer vigil April 30. Archbishop John Nienstedt will be attending the beatification ceremonies in Rome. A local celebration is also taking place in northeast Minneapolis.
Celebrating Easter and Pope John Paul II Easter is such a great feast in the life of the church that we are given eight days to celebrate it and another 42 days to ponder its meaning. At least 643 persons entered the church in this archdiocese at the recent Easter Vigil, either as catechumens (those who had never been baptized) or as candidates for full communion in the Catholic Church (Christians who were baptized in a Christian denomination other than CathArchbishop olic). John C. Nienstedt What a grace that is for all of us! But we cannot take the presence of these new members of Christ’s body for grant-
That They May All Be One
ed. Our brothers and sisters now begin what is called a period of “Mystagogia,” that is, a period of reflecting upon what has just happened to them through the reception of the sacraments.
Time of transition However, it is also a time of transition for these new converts into the “normal” life of being a Catholic. Those of us who have lived that life for years need to be attentive to these new brothers and sisters. Their time in the RCIA has given them a support group to affirm and sustain them. Suddenly, that support is gone and they can feel adrift with no one to look after them. It is up to the parish community to make sure that does not happen. Thus, the period of “Mystagogia” is essential for PLEASE TURN TO POPE ON PAGE 12
Also inside ■ Rome gets ready for large beatification crowd — page 14 ■ Watch the ceremony on TV — page 14 ■ Local Polish immigrant shares his memories of late pontiff — page 15 ■ Pope John Paul II School in Minneapolis gets ready for special day — pages 15-16 ■ Editorial: Pope John Paul, the poor and the budget crisis — page 12
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James
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The Catholic Spirit
News from around the archdiocese
New ACCW president says everyone has a role By Julie Pfitzinger For The Catholic Spirit
You are invited
When Rose Anne Hallgren was asked last November to consider being nominated for president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, she knew she had to pray about it. But she also believed it was important to seek encouragement from her family and friends.
■ What: All women of the archdiocese are invited to attend the 79th Biennial ACCW Convention.
“I prayed and asked God if this was the right thing for me to do,” said Hallgren, a parishioner at St. Louis, King of France in St. Paul. “My husband HALLGREN told me he would be there to support me, as did my friends from ACCW. When I said ‘yes,’ all those other ‘yesses’ were taken into consideration.”
■ Where: Church of the Risen Savior, 1501 E. County Road 42, Burnsville.
On May 5, during the 79th Biennial Convention of the ACCW, Hallgren will be formally installed as president for 2011 to 2013 following Mass at Risen Savior in Burnsville. Archbishop John Nienstedt appointed Hallgren to her position; however, he will be out of town during the convention so Bishop Lee Piché will preside and bless Hallgren in her new role.
Mission of service The mission of the ACCW is “to support, empower and educate women in spirituality, leadership and service to Christ, his
■ When: Thursday, May 5 — 8 a.m. registration; 8:45 a.m. general assembly; 11 a.m. Mass, followed by installation of officers and lunch, with keynote speaker Patty Johnson, president of the National Council of Catholic Women.
■ For more info: Call the ACCW office at (651) 291-4545 or visit WWW.ACCWARCH SPM.ORG.
church and society.” The ACCW offers educational presentations, workshops and retreats each year. Members also are involved in service projects. There are six deaneries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis into which parishes are organized geographically. ACCW members from parishes meet at the deanery level several times per year; all members attend the annual meeting. Hallgren, who first joined ACCW in the late 1970s, is a member of the St. Paul Deanery. “We all depend on each other. Without the women in the parish groups, there would be no [deanery activities],” she said. “I envision it like building a cathedral. We are all the rocks and stones, all with different gifts and talents. We rely on one an-
other to help the ACCW do its work.”
More ages offer good mix One of the goals of the ACCW is to attract younger women, which Hallgren, a mother of two grown children, said can be a challenge given the busy lives of those who are working and raising families. “It’s so nice to have a mix of ages in ACCW and really, when the younger women do get involved, they seem to fit right in,” she said. “Most of them have different backgrounds than we have in terms of experience in the working world or being involved in various organizations from a younger age, so they really have so much to offer.” As president, Hallgren wants to continue to foster a spirit of openness throughout the organization and encourage all women who are interested to join the ACCW. “All that is required is a willingness to work for the Lord,” she said. The ACCW serves to support the archbishop and the work of the archdiocese. Hallgren has special interest in several areas such as mental health issues, prison reform and the work of the family commission, so she would like to bring more attention to those and other topics during her term as president. “I’m the kind of person who grows where I’m planted,” she said, adding that she will be attending as many functions in the archdiocese as she can. “I want to help do whatever needs to be done.”
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. 16 — No. 9 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT Publisher BOB ZYSKOWSKI JOE TOWALSKI Associate publisher Editor Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by Catholic Spirit Publishing Company. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year 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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APRIL 28, 2011
Mothers and daughters invited to Summer Splash The Catholic Spirit The School Sisters of Notre Dame invite mothers and daughters to “splash” into the beginning of summer with a little bonding time on Good Counsel Hill in Mankato. Summer Splash is an annual event that includes activities designed to strengthen the mother-daughter connection and provide an inside look at the sisters’ lives. The camp is open to any girl completing sixth, seventh or eighth grade and her mom or a significant female adult. It begins at 1 p.m. Friday, June 17 and ends at 3 p.m. June 18. Highlights include an overnight stay, creative and educational activities, Bingo with the senior sisters, time to enjoy a walk around the Good Counsel campus and prayer in the sisters’ chapel. The sisters have been hosting Summer Splash for the past 10 years. Cost is $60 per pair. Register online by June 7 at WWW.SSND MANKATO.ORG, or by contacting Sister Mary Beth Schraml at MBSCHRAMLSSND@YAHOO.COM.
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Author to speak in Twin Cities
Jumping the fence Former abortion clinic director becomes pro-life, prepares to join the Catholic Church
CNS photo / Jose Luis Aguirre, Catholic San Francisco
By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Abby Johnson is at the epicenter of our country’s abortion battle and she’s coming to the Twin Cities to tell her story. After working at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas, for eight years and eventually becoming the director, she had a change of heart and crossed over to the pro-life side. Within days, she resigned from the clinic and joined forces with a local pro-life group called Coalition for Life in October 2009. She has released a book about her experiences called “unPLANNED.” She also does speaking engagements throughout the year. One of them is to be Thursday, May 5, at the fundraising banquet for Pregnancy Choices LifeCare Center in Apple Valley. The event takes place at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville. Johnson, who lives in Bryan with her husband, Doug, and 4-year-old daughter, Grace, answered a few questions about her experiences. The following are excerpts from the interview. What caused you to leave Planned Parenthood? “There were several things that influenced my leaving. But the ultimate thing that set my departure as an employee was an ultrasound-guided abortion that I watched. The reason it was so shocking to me was because, for so long, I had believed so many lies [about abortion]. I believed that the fetus had no sensory development until 28 weeks [and could not feel pain]. Because I believed it, I then told so many women that lie. Then, I thought: What else had I been lying about? These women have come
Buy the book
Hear the author
Those interested in reading Abby Johnson’s story can purchase her book online at WWW.UNPLANNEDBOOK. COM. This is where readers can purchase a Catholic version of the book by Ignatius Press, which includes a foreword by Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. A standard version of the book is published by Tyndale House Publishers (TYNDALE.COM).
Those who want to hear Abby Johnson in person can attend the fundraising event for Pregnancy Choices LifeCare Center in Apple Valley Thursday, May 5, at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville. Call (952) 997-2229 for tickets, or visit WWW.MYPREGNANCYCHOICES.COM (click on “events” on the left side) for more information about the event.
to me and they’ve looked to me as an authority for their health care and I haven’t been truthful. That was very scary for me. It was really sad for me as well because I got into this business because I wanted to help women and help them in the best way I could. I just realized that I had betrayed them in a terrible way. “Ultimately, I had to do the right thing and the right thing was leaving that facility and organization, even if we didn’t know where [my] next paycheck was going to come from. . . . Neither one of us, my husband [Doug] nor I, had ever done anything like that before. Our faith had never been tested like that before. So, it was a big thing for this to be the first time we were really pushed to a lot of trust in our faith. We just knew [leaving] was the right thing to do, and so we did it.”
Coalition for Life, the pro-life advocacy group that had been constantly praying outside of our clinic the whole time I had been there, and they were helping me find a job and I had actually reached out to them the day before I resigned.”
What was Planned Parenthood’s reaction? “Planned Parenthood was very shocked. I had been their employee of the year. I had just recently received that award and gone to their national dinner. They were very shocked by my resignation. . . . About three weeks later, they found out that I was actually coordinating with the
What has it been like sharing your story across the country? “I do about eight to 12 speaking engagements a month, which is really a lot. I’m about to go on a big, long tour in Australia, which I’m excited about. Anywhere that I can spread this message, I’ll go. It’s an exciting time, and it’s part of what I feel like I’ve been called to do, to go and spread this message and to get people really excited.” When it comes to being involved in the pro-life movement, what are you telling people? “We are the hands and feet of Christ, and we better use ‘em. Part of being involved is really getting those hands and feet dirty, being out there and praying where the abortions are happening, being involved in your pregnancy resource center, and being involved in the legislative process, not just contacting the legislators that are
pro-life and on your side, but contacting those that are not and sharing your views and talking to them about why life is important and why this issue is important. “It’s not about being comfortable, it’s really about being uncomfortable.” Based on your view from inside a Planned Parenthood clinic, what are the most effective ways of being prolife? “I think the most important thing anybody does, ever, in the pro-life movement is going out to a clinic to pray — the power in being out there and just being a witness and being that face of Christ and that face of mercy and compassion. I think that’s the most important thing anybody can do in the pro-life movement. “A lot of people think, ‘I’m going to have to be out there and talk to people.’ They don’t. Just being out there is so effective and means so much. That’s what it’s about. It’s not about doing, it’s just about being there. “And, it’s a constant reminder. Being there is just a reminder to the people that are going in there — the workers and the clients — that there’s something wrong with what they’re doing, the business that they are walking into. There’s something morally objectionable about it. You don’t go into your dentist’s office and have people out there praying that you don’t go and have a cavity filled. . . . But, there’s something wrong with walking into an abortion clinic. Your prayerful presence outside, your peaceful presence outside, is reminding people of that.” PLEASE TURN TO EX-PLANNED ON PAGE 18
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
Journey through the Easter
Easter Vigil
Triduum
Hastings youth initiated into Catholic Church at Easter Vigil
Dylan Heiman, 18, of Hastings experiences full immersion baptism at the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings April 23 as he completes his journey toward becoming Catholic. He was among some 643 people in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who joined the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Performing the baptism was Father James Perkl, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Assisting was Father Allan Paul Eilen, associate pastor. (Left) Later in the Mass, Father Perkl anoints Heiman in the sacrament of confirmation. Heiman also received first Communion at the vigil. The Catholic Spirit followed Heiman during his journey through the Triduum. He became interested in the Catholic faith through contact with the parish NET Ministries team. Team co-leader Dan Driver was his godparent/sponsor. To read the original story about Heiman’s spiritual journey, which appeared in the April 14 issue, visit THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Father Perkl anoints the feet of Heiman during Holy Thursday Mass.
Heiman venerates the corpus of Christ during the Good Friday service.
Photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Move budget talks from ideology to priorities The following is a legislative update provided by the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which advocates on behalf of the state’s bishops for public policies and programs that support the life and dignity of every human person. All the discussion around Minnesota’s $5 billion budget deficit seems to suggest that Minnesotans face an either/or choice of how to understand the budget: “Government and Taxes Are Good” vs. “Government and Taxes Are Bad.” Moving the budKatie Conlin get discussion beyond rigid ideological positions is long overdue. Our discussion should focus on what we want our budget priorities to be. Minnesota’s Constitution says that “government is instituted for the security, benefit and protection of the people.” It is time to take a hard look at revenues, expenditures, exemptions and regulations and ask: Does this burden or benefit promote the interests of the people, or does this promote a special interest that has little to do with the common good? We should face a difficult budget year with flexibility in approach and specific priorities as our goals. As we think about what the priorities should be, it is good to remember what the Roman Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America bishops of Minnesota noted in their open letter to legislators last month: How we treat the most vulnerable is the most telling measure of how we care for one another. A budget is more than just political ideology in spreadsheet form; it is a moral document that has a real impact on real people.
Faith in the Public Arena
Investing in people Caring for others does not have to mean out-of-control spending. But while services and programs that invest in vulnerable people should be efficient, we must realize that efficiency is impossible if funding levels become completely inadequate. Not all returns on investments in the common good are economic. Some investments are in people, such as caring for disabled and elderly Minnesotans in a way that respects their dignity. Other investments have both human and economic returns, such as helping working people in a state of economic crisis to get back on their feet, or ensuring that low-income people have access to affordable health care. Instead of always looking first to cut
Marriage amendment proposal introduced The Catholic Spirit A proposal was to be introduced in the Minnesota Senate April 26 that, if passed by both state houses, would place a constitutional amendment regarding marriage on the ballot in November 2012. If approved by voters, the Minnesota Constitution would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. A file number for the bill was not available when this edition of The Catholic Spirit went to press. Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the church in Minnesota, said the purpose of marriage is to ensure the well-being of children and, as a result, properly nurture the next generation of society. “Reason, science and experience all show that children need a mother and a father,” he said in a statement. “Same-sex marriage always denies a child either a mother or a father.” Adkins said that over the last few years, bills have been introduced in the Legislature aimed at changing the definition of marriage in Minnesota. “The people of Minnesota should have the opportunity to preserve an institution that pre-dates government and has been a bedrock of society for thousands of years.” To view the MCC’s “Marriage Amendment Resource Page,” visit /ISSUES/MARRIAGE. For updates on the legislative proposal, visit THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.
“Not all returns on investments in the common good are economic. Some investments are in people.
”
KATIE CONLIN MCC interim social concerns director
services for the poor and vulnerable whenever a budget crisis looms, perhaps we should look first at programs and exemptions that benefit specific interest groups. Do government subsidies that are intended to create jobs actually create new jobs? Do tax credits and tax exemptions actually promote intended policies, or do they merely shelter wealth for a select few? All decisions to spend taxpayer dollars should show an investment in clear priorities and an expected outcome that is related to those priorities.
HTTP://MNCC.ORG MNCC.ORG
and
In their letter, the bishops noted that the current state budget deficit presents “an enormous challenge that suggests both dollar savings and increased income to achieve a balanced budget that avoids devastating cuts in services to vulnerable people.” Let’s encourage our legislators to approach budget negotiations with all budget balancing options on the table so that the focus can be on priorities. Providing basic needs and essential services for the vulnerable in ways that affirm life and dignity should come before any non-essential goals. You can take action by joining the Minnesota Catholic Advocacy Network at WWW.MNCC.ORG. There are also two upcoming Joint Religious Legislative Coalition interfaith vigils at which members of faith communities will be calling for compassionate and balanced stewardship of the state budget: 7 p.m. May 4 on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Mary in St. Cloud; and 2 p.m. May 11 at the Floyd B. Olson Statue on the State Capitol lawn (southwest of the main entrance) in St. Paul. Katie Conlin the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s interim social concerns director.
Day for prayer The Joint Religious Legislative Coalition is sponsoring a Statehood Day Interfaith Vigil beginning at 2 p.m., May 11 at the State Capitol. Participants will meet at the Floyd B. Olson statue southwest of the Capitol front door and then march to the rotunda. “The faith communities of Minnesota will pray for our elected officials and encourage them to find a more generous and balanced public stewardship of the state budget,” according to a release from the JRLC, of which the Minnesota Catholic Conference is a sponsoring organization.
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25 parishes exceed Appeal goal Twenty-five parishes have now exceeded their 2011 Catholic Services Appeal goal, according to the archdiocesan Development and Stewardship Office. The parishes are as follows: ■ St. Charles, Bayport ■ St. John the Baptist, Hugo ■ St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindstrom ■ St. Joseph, Taylors Falls ■ Lumen Christi, St. Paul ■ St. Cecilia, St. Paul ■ Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Paul ■ St. Rose of Lima, Roseville ■ St. Louis, King of France, St. Paul ■ St. James, St. Paul ■ St. Agnes, St. Paul ■ Sacred Heart, St. Paul ■ St. John of St. Paul, St. Paul ■ St. Odilia, Shoreview ■ St. John Vianney, South St. Paul ■ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings ■ St. Henry, LeSueur ■ Nativity, Madison Lake ■ St. John the Baptist, Savage ■ Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park ■ Good Shepherd, Golden Valley ■ St. Nicholas, Carver ■ St. Joseph, Waconia ■ St. John the Baptist, Dayton ■ St. Katharine Drexel, Ramsey The Catholic Services Appeal has now reached more than $6 million in pledges for the 2011 campaign. However, it is not too late, if you would like to make a pledge/gift to the Appeal; please go to WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG/APPEAL to donate online. Or if you have questions, contact the Development and Stewardship Office at (651) 290-1610.
Baby now back home and safe in Canada The Catholic Spirit An infant known as “Baby Joseph” is back home with his parents in Windsor, Ontario, after a battle with Canadian courts that threatened his life. Joseph Maraachli, a 14-month-old boy suffering from a progressive neurodegenerative disease, was ordered by the Ontario Superior Court Feb. 18 to have his breathing tube removed. The Ontario hospital treating him said he had no cranial nerve function and no hope of recovery, so it wanted the tube removed to allow the boy to die. But, the boy’s mother, Sana Nadar, a Catholic, and father, Moe, a Muslim, fought the court order and eventually arranged to have their son transferred to a Catholic hospital in St. Louis, with help from Brother Paul O’Donnell of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Joseph was treated there and stabilized. Eventually, he was able to breathe on his own and the tube was removed. On Holy Thursday, April 21, he was taken back to Canada and checked out at the Windsor Regional Hospital, then sent home. “Joseph is at home and he’s fine,” Brother Paul said. “Mission complete.”
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Without help, this little girl could die. Recently little Nacheline Compére became so weak and sick that her mother was terrified she would die. Suffering from severe hunger in Haiti, 5-year-old Nacheline has the weight of a typical 2-year-old. Her body is emaciated from chronic malnutrition, and she’s horribly sick with intestinal worms, diarrhea and excruciating pain. Every day, Nacheline wakes up not knowing if she’ll have something to eat. Many times, she goes days without any food at all. Nacheline’s mother, Linda, is devastated because she cannot feed her child. “There is
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“There is nothing I can do to help her,” Linda lamented. Malnutrition is literally eating away at Nacheline’s muscles and tissue, leaving her skeleton-like. She frequently runs a high fever and becomes weak from exhaustion and fatigue. At different parts of the day, Nacheline literally collapses on her mother’s lap or clutches a wall to balance herself.
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Many pastors will soon spring into new parish assignments By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit
Spring always brings change and growth. This year, the changes will be numerous for pastors and parishioners in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The archdiocese has 21 openings in parishes for pastors, said Deacon Russ Shupe, director of clergy placement and diaconate. “There are a few other [parish openings in addition to the 21] that Strategic Planning are part of the whole domino effect” because of other pastors interested in the openings, Deacon Shupe said. “I think this is definitely larger than last year.” Some parishes are open because of priest retirements and others because of the 12-year term limit for UPDATE pastors that was implemented by Archbishop John Roach in 1985, after the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) approved a decree allowing limited terms, Deacon Shupe explained.
Change is good Father Stan Mader, former archdiocesan clergy personnel director, said that, overall, term limits are a good thing. “The thing the 12-year limit does is it makes a priest re-evaluate his abilities,” he said. “If he’s been pastor of a 500-member parish, maybe it’s time for him to move up to a much larger one.” Change is also good for parishes because “it keeps a place from coasting,” he added. “It’s good to have new eyes to see things.” A new pastor can come in and reengage parishioners who have not been involved or allow others to move on to another ministry, he said. After serving 11 years at Our Lady of the Lake in
Mound — a large suburban parish — Father Mader left to take on the tri-parish cluster of St. John the Baptist in Vermillion, St. Mathias in Hampton and St. Mary in New Trier. “I was intrigued with the idea of having three-parish work as a cluster, especially because the idea was to work with another cluster,” he said. “It’s on the cutting edge in the way a lot of church will have to happen now and in the future, really seeing ourselves as part of a bigger church.” Father Mader, 55, said he turned down another assignment that was offered because the parish was small, had no school and no debt. “I told the archbishop that this is the time when I have some experience and I have energy and there is more I can do for the archdiocese,” Father Mader said. “He called me back a week later and said, ‘You wanted a challenge, here you go.’” Change can be difficult for pastors, parishioners and parish staff — “You do get attached to people and they get attached to you,” Father Mader acknowledged, but it can also be refreshing and renewing.
Special circumstances However, sometimes it makes sense to extend a pastor’s term because of a pastor’s age, events in a parish or special circumstances. “There is a priest in our archdiocese who is legally blind and he does very well where he is,” Father Mader said. “To uproot him and and have him learn a whole new house and 2,000 new voices, as opposed to 2,000 new faces, [would be] hard.” One advantage to knowing when a pastor is expected to leave is that it allows time for planning the transition with parish leaders. “That is something that we started to do [in Mound] with the idea that I would be leaving in a year,” he said. Typically, members of the Clergy Assignment Board meet with parish leaders to get an understanding of the
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parish’s needs and challenges, he added. Deacon Shupe said, “I admire the guys who have been willing to take this on and consider something new because it’s opened up the possibilities for finding pastors who are a good fit for open parishes.” If things have gone well for a pastor, he may not want to move to a new parish, but priests “recognize that there is a policy and that they made a promise of obedience,” he said. They also can feel good knowing that the next pastor can benefit from the work they have done.
A collaborative process Deacon Shupe explained the process for changing pastors. ■ Pastors notify the archbishop if they plan to leave when their term is up, or they ask permission to have their term extended or to retire. ■ When the archbishop approves the change, the parish opening is sent to all the priests to consider. ■ Members of the Clergy Assignment Board meet with leaders at the open parish to get an understanding of the parish’s needs and challenges. ■ The board gathers information about available priests and tries to determine who may fit well and be interested in a particular parish. ■ The board prepares a recommendation for the archbishop, who makes the final decision. “We have good discussions and I think we try to come to a consensus on the opening and recommendations,” Deacon Shupe said. Father Mader offered one bit of advice to parishioners who will be getting new pastors: “Be good to whomever comes in. . . . Cut them some slack and know they are still trying to figure out where they put the cereal bowls at the same time as they are doing the first couple of funerals in the parish.”
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
Uprooted: Immigrants recount journey to the U.S. Franciscan Father Eugene Michel, pastor at Sacred Heart in St. Paul, has told The Catholic Spirit that he believes many of the people who attend his church are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador and other countries. For this third installation in a three-part series examining the impact of U.S. immigration policy on parishioners at Sacred Heart, Third Salvadoran immigrants in a Rubén, 20, and Enrique, three-part 18, who asked that their names be changed to series protect their identities, spoke with reporters from The Catholic Spirit and Spanish-language Catholic newspaper Espíritu Católico about their immigration journeys, the trials they have faced in the U.S., and their hopes for the future. They met as members of Sacred Heart’s youth choir. Enrique is documented. Rubén is not. Despite that difference, the two friends share much in common, including their homeland, their passion for music and their Catholic faith. These are their stories, in their words.
Rubén’s journey At the age of 14, Rubén trekked nearly 2,000 miles from El Salvador to the United States to live with his mother, who came to the U.S. undocumented four years earlier in search of work. Rubén’s mother paid a “coyote,” or human smuggler, to transport him across three borders. In the six years Rubén has lived in Minnesota, he has learned English, graduated from high school and been accepted to attend college. But because he is undocumented, his future remains uncertain. When my mom came to the U.S., there was very little work in El Salvador and she didn’t earn enough money to support us. At first I thought, ‘Why would she want to go to the U.S.?’ But she told me that someone had to earn money for the family. My mom didn’t have documents to come to the U.S. legally. My aunt tried to get her a visa, but it wasn’t possible. I didn’t want her to go because I thought I wouldn’t see her again. It was so far away. I lived with my cousin and my aunt in El Salvador from the age of 10 to 14.
Jim Bovin / for The Catholic Spirit
Franciscan Father Eugene Michel of Sacred Heart in St. Paul talks with “Rubén,” an undocumented Latino immigrant, at the church on Good Friday, April 22.
When my mom asked me if I wanted to come to the U.S., I told her yes. I thought that it was going to be by plane, with everything normal, but it didn’t turn out that way. My mom never told me how much she paid the coyotes to bring me here. I know that it was a lot of money, but I’ve never wanted to ask her. The worst part is that you never know whom you’re trusting your life to because a lot of times the coyotes say they’ll take people across the border, the people give them money, and then the coyotes leave them in the desert to die. I came with other people from my country and from other countries, but I was the only one from my family. I was 14 years old, and I didn’t know anyone.
When we crossed from El Salvador to Guatemala on the way to the Mexican border, it was by bus. We walked and traveled by car and bus in Mexico. We walked for one day and one night through the desert after crossing the U.S. border. It was difficult and dangerous because we had to walk through places that were unfamiliar to us. When the border patrol passed by, we tried to hide, but we were out in the open. There were shrubs with thorns, and we didn’t know what animals were there, like snakes or scorpions. One time we thought that the coyotes had abandoned us because they left and didn’t come back for two or three hours. We were cold, we didn’t have any food, and our clothes were torn. That was my
mom’s fear, that they would leave me somewhere, because I was young. There were times when I was scared, but the people I was with told me not to worry, that we were almost there and that nothing was going to happen. We could see Tucson in the distance, and a man told me that was where we were going. It looked close, but it was still very far away. My mom came for me in Arizona, and from there we drove for two days to Minnesota. When I was making the trip to the U.S., I wasn’t very scared, more anxious because I wanted to get there. It’s now when I think about it and how difficult it was that I think it really was dangerous. Thank God nothing bad happened. I came here in 2004, and the next week I started school. At first, things were kind of bad for me at school. I started eighth grade in the middle of the year. I didn’t know any English. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have any friends. My mom got an interpreter to help me with my classes and my homework, and things went well after that. High school was more difficult, and I was more stressed. A lot of people told me to be careful so that immigration agents wouldn’t catch me. I saw what was happening to immigrants in the news, and I didn’t know what to do or what to think. My mom worries, and when she worries, I worry, too. Another problem was that my classes were in English and it was still difficult for me, so my grades dropped. But in 12th grade I was doing better, and my teacher told me I should apply to colleges. I applied to two colleges, Century College and Minneapolis Business College, and was accepted at both. I was going to go to Century, but I had family problems. So college is going to have to wait. I think that’s the most difficult thing that has happened to me, having to wait to go to college. I can’t go because my mom doesn’t have much support, there are a lot of family issues, and we don’t have enough money. It’s been very difficult here. It’s just my PLEASE TURN TO FAITH ON PAGE 9
Latinos bring ‘life, vitality’ to U.S. Catholic Church By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit
The U.S. Catholic Church is at a “critical moment” in its history, said a panelist at a recent conference on immigration and the church. With Latinos making up more than half of U.S. population growth in the past decade, how the church responds to Latino newcomers will largely determine its future success. “We are truly beginning a new historical cycle,” said Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church. “The decisions that we make and the way we respond to [Latino immigrants] has everything to do with how alive, with how vital, with how engaged the faith of Jesus Christ in the Catholic tradition is going to be in this country.” Latinos represent 16 percent of the U.S.
population, according to the 2010 census. The fastest growing minority group, Latinos will soon surpass 50 million — approximately one in six Americans. Among U.S. children, Latinos are roughly one in four. With 63 percent of Latinos in the U.S. identifying their religion as Catholic in the census, an increase in their numbers likely represents an increase in membership for the U.S. Catholic Church.
New style of Catholicism Surveys have shown that more than half of the Latino Catholic community in this country has been influenced significantly by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and other ecclesial movements, Father Deck said at the March 21 event co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Catholic University of America. “So there’s a style of Catholicism that
Latinos are bringing to the [U.S.] Catholic Church,” Father Deck said. He described that style as more “expressive,” with an emphasis on symbolism, ritual and sacraments, “a kind of Catholicism that is more focused on the celebratory or the festive aspects of our faith, a way of being Catholic that brings life, that brings vitality.” Keeping Latino Catholics engaged in the faith will require an evangelization that respects their culture and language rather than trying to force people with different traditions to assimilate into the “American” style of church, Father Deck said. A U.S. church that is not accommodating risks driving Latino Catholics to other churches or to a secular lifestyle. “We are Americanizing people out the front door of the Catholic Church,” he said. In their 1987 “National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry” and its 2002
addendum, “Encuentro and Mission,” the U.S. bishops lay out a plan for integrating, rather than assimilating, U.S. Latino Catholics. “Through a policy of assimilation,” the bishops said, “new immigrants are forced to give up their language, culture, values and traditions. . . . By [ecclesial] integration we mean that our Hispanic people are to be welcomed in our church institutions at all levels. They are to be served in their language when possible, and their cultural values and religious traditions are to be respected. Beyond that, we must work towards mutual enrichment through interaction among all cultures.”
Latino traditions, values Latino Catholics bring to the U.S. church rich traditions and cultural values such as family unity, devotion to Mary PLEASE TURN TO FOR LATINO ON PAGE 9
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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For Latino Catholics, faith is integral to daily life Silvana and her husband, Carlos, said it’s important to keep their culture and their language intact. “For me, it’s not the same to pray in English as to pray in Spanish,” Silvana said. Although their two young daughters speak fluent English, the couple bring them to Spanish Masses because they want to pass on their language and culture to their children. When they are older, they will decide for themselves whether to continue attending Spanish Masses, Carlos said.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 and the saints, respect for elders and strong faith, said Estela Villagrán Manancero, a member of the archdiocesan Parish Services Team who specializes in Latino ministry. The Christian value of communion is second nature for many Latinos, added Manancero, who came to the U.S. from Uruguay. “We do everything together. It’s not the individualistic way of doing things. That is counter-cultural here, but it is another gift that we bring.” For many Latinos, their Catholic faith is part of their identity and therefore part of daily life, Manancero said. Before children leave the house, they ask their parents to bless them. Families set up shrines in their homes. Entire families attend Mass together. “I would describe their spirituality as being very personal, very intimate,” said Franciscan Father Eugene Michel, pastor of Sacred Heart in St. Paul, which has a large Latino membership. “To use a theological kind of word, it’s very incarnational. It’s the here and now. It’s not theoretical.” But nothing embodies Latino spirituality better than the Virgin of Guadalupe. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to Mexican peasant Juan Diego in 1531, leaving her image, with indigenous features, on his cloak. She is credited with converting countless Mexicans and other Latinos to Catholicism. “The miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a living miracle because people are united around her,” said Prisciliano Maya, coordinator of faith formation at Sacred Heart. As he spoke, he pulled a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe from his wallet. “A lot of people confuse the devotion that we have for the Virgin and they say that we worship her,” Maya, who is from Mexico, added in Spanish. “But the importance of Mary for us is that we’re very respectful and we don’t feel worthy
Different, but not divided
Jim Bovin / for The Catholic Spirit
Sacred Heart parishioners in St. Paul pray the Stations of the Cross in Spanish on Good Friday.
of speaking directly to God. So we need Mary to have that communication. . . . She helps bring us to God.” For Latino immigrants, the Spanish language is also important for communicating with God.
Silvana Palacios, an immigrant from Argentina who volunteers at St. John Neumann in Eagan, said she respects American culture and sees herself as part of mainstream society. “But my religion is something very personal,” she added.
Ways to be welcoming “In welcoming immigrants, we welcome Christ,” Father Virgil Elizondo, professor of pastoral and Hispanic theology at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies, said at a March 21 conference on immigration and the church at The Catholic University of America. He offered some tips parishes can use to help immigrants feel at home. ■ “The church needs to have symbols to make the people feel welcome,” Father Elizondo said. When people see a statue or image of Our Lady of Guadalupe inside a church, they know they are accepted there. ■ Offer Masses in Spanish with familiar music. ■ Cultivate a “spirituality of welcoming.” Rather than trying to make immigrants “become like us,” recognize that they have something to offer. “They bring a new dynamism, they bring a new profound faith,” Father Elizondo said. ■ “Create a home away from home.” Many immigrants who come to this country leave family and friends behind, so churches should create opportunities for socializing. ■ Offer practical help to immigrants adjusting to life in their new home. — Julie Carroll
Incarnation/Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Minneapolis is one of 23 churches in the archdiocese that offer weekend Masses in Spanish. Church leaders have been working to unite Spanish-speaking and English-speaking parishioners, but for now the parish retains separate names for its two communities. “Sometimes the [Anglos] are at church for Mass, then they leave and the Latinos come. We’re like two groups,” said Sagrado Corazón parishioner Daniel Ramirez, who is from Mexico. He serves as a eucharistic minister and prayer group leader at the parish. Although language can hinder communication efforts, Ramirez doesn’t see it as an insurmountable barrier to unity. He said he’d like for his church to hold more gatherings to bring the two communities together. “I see Americans who have fear because they don’t know us,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes when we don’t know each other, we think things that may not be true. For us Latinos, we need to get involved more in the American community, too, not just the Americans adjusting to us, but all of us adjusting to each other. “We are the body of Christ, and we want to be one big family,” he added. “I wish the body of Christ would be Latino, American, Asian, everyone. . . . God speaks all languages.”
Faith helps young immigrants deal with difficulties of life in U.S. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 mom and me, and it’s been very hard for us. But my faith has helped me. My family told me: “God should be first; don’t put anything in front of him. You must trust in God and he’ll help you.” All we have to do is be patient and keep praying, and God will help us. I miss my family in El Salvador. I grew up in the countryside, and I really miss it. When you come here, everything changes — the weather, the language, different people. You have to start over. It hurts a little when I hear people say: “What are you doing here? Go back to your country.” Maybe if they were in the same situation, they wouldn’t say that. I would like people here to know that there isn’t a need to discriminate against us immigrants. I see in the news that the border patrol has caught some immigrants bringing drugs, and because of them it makes people think we’re all bad. They think all undocumented people are bringing drugs, that we’re stealing jobs, or that we come to do who knows what. But most people come to work, to study and to make things better for their families, to give everything they have.
My dream is to get some kind of documentation to go to college or to join the armed forces. I want to be able to stay here, to help my mother because she has sacrificed a lot, and to make a better life.
Enrique’s journey Thanks to his grandmother, who came to the U.S. undocumented but later became a citizen, Enrique and his family were able to come to the U.S. legally. Now 18, he is about to graduate from high school and looks forward to attending college. A lot of times there has to be someone in the family who comes to the U.S. illegally to try to get papers, and in my case it was my grandmother. She got her papers and made arrangements to get the rest of the family’s papers. I’m blessed to have come here legally because of her. When I was 10 years old, we came by plane, thank God. My mom was pregnant and my little brother was born here. We lived with my grandmother for a while. We didn’t know any English, and we didn’t have any money. We made due with what my grandmother gave us. We lived that way for two years until my mom found a job.
Parts one and two To read the first two articles in the series, which ran in the March 17 and March 31 issues, go to The Catholic Spirit website, THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.
I felt very bad because my grandmother’s husband was so violent. He was horrible. Then, one day he left. Maybe because of that I didn’t like living here when I was younger. My mother saved some money, and we went to El Salvador for a month for vacation. I told my mother that I didn’t want to go back to the U.S. She told me that I belonged with her, but I stayed. In El Salvador, I lived with my paternal grandparents. I have a lot of respect for them. They made me who I am today. Two years ago, my mom told me that I had to come to the U.S. In El Salvador things were getting more difficult, and there was a lot of violence. During those three years that my mom was away, my thinking changed. My mom became a citizen, and now, thank God, we have a place of our own to live. My dad had the good fortune to come here legally, but I didn’t like the way he
brought his wife and 2-year-old son here illegally. It was very difficult because it took them four months to get here. Immigration agents caught her with the baby, but a family in Texas helped them. During my first year in the U.S., it was difficult to adjust to my environment. It was hard to fit in. But now I feel like I belong. I have friends and family. It hurts not being with my grandparents. Of everything I left behind, that hurts the most. But my grandfather always told me that in El Salvador there weren’t opportunities, that I had to come here. And thanks to them and their sacrifices, here I am. This year I’m finishing high school. At first I didn’t want to go to college, but my mom encouraged me. With my grandparents in mind, I applied to Minneapolis Business College and was accepted. I’m going to study to be a medical assistant. Julie Carroll from The Catholic Spirit and María Capouch from Espíritu Católico conducted this interview and translated it from Spanish. It has been edited for space and clarity.
“Christ is risen, he is alive and he walks with us.” Pope Benedict XVI
Nation/World 10
APRIL 28, 2011
News from around the U.S. and the globe
At Easter, pope prays for peace, freedom By John Thavis Catholic News Service
In an Easter blessing to the world, Pope Benedict XVI prayed that Christ’s resurrection may open paths of “freedom, justice and peace” for troubled populations of the Middle East and Africa. The pope urged an end to violence in Libya and Ivory Coast, assistance to refugees flooding out of North Africa and consolation for the victims of the Japanese earthquake. He prayed for those persecuted for their Christian faith, and praised their courage. He spoke from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica April 24 in his blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city of Rome and to the world), after celebrating Mass for nearly 100,000 people in St. Peter’s Square. Broadcast to many countries and livestreamed on the Internet, it was the last major event on the 84-year-old pontiff’s heavy Holy Week schedule.
Cardinal Wuerl explains bishops’ teaching role on theological matters By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service
Marking history forever Pope Benedict said the resurrection of Christ must not be viewed as “the fruit of speculation or mystical experience.” It happened in a precise moment and marked history forever, giving human events new strength, new hope and new meaning, he said. “The entire cosmos is rejoicing today,” and every person open to God has reason to be glad, he said. But the joy of Easter contrasts with “the cries and laments that arise from so many painful situations: deprivation, hunger, disease, war, violence,” the pope said. He prayed that “the splendor of Christ reach the peoples of the Middle East, so that the light of peace and of human dignity may overcome the darkness of division, hate and violence.” In Libya, he said, diplomacy and violence need to take the place of armed fighting, and the suffering must have access to humanitarian aid. The pope alluded to the civil unrest that has spread throughout northern Africa and the Middle East, encouraging all citizens there, especially young people, to work for a society where poverty is defeated and where “every political choice is inspired by respect for the human person.” The refugees who have fled the conflicts deserve a generous response by other populations, he added. The pope said the many forms of suffering in “this wounded world” make the Easter message all the more meaningful. “In our hearts there is joy and sorrow; on our faces there are smiles and tears. Such is our earthly reality. But Christ is risen, he is alive and he walks with us,” he said.
The Catholic Spirit
CNS photo / L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Pope Benedict XVI delivers his “urbi et orbi” blessing to the city of Rome and to the world from a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican April 24.
Bomb explodes outside Baghdad church on Easter A bomb exploded outside Sacred Heart Church in Baghdad April 24 after the Easter Masses had finished and parishioners had gone home. The blast injured at least four people — two police officers patrolling the street outside the church and two civilians walking by, according to news reports. Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad told Vatican Radio that Catholics in Iraq are trying to unite their sufferings with the suffering of Christ on the cross so that their country eventually experiences resurrection. — Catholic News Service
from a golden shell over each catechumen’s head, and later accepted offertory gifts from the newly baptized. In a sermon, he analyzed why the Christian’s sense of environmental responsibility is directly connected to the core beliefs of the faith.
God the creator
“We relate to God the creator, and so we have a responsibility for creation,” he said. “Only because God created everything can he give us life and direct our lives.”
In a lengthy Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica the night before, the pope baptized and confirmed six adults from Albania, China, Peru, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland. He poured holy water
The trajectory of salvation history, which reaches a summit with Christ’s resurrection, reaches all the way back to creation, he said. For the Christian, he said, the account of creation is not about the sci-
entific process involved, but something deeper: it says that the source of everything is not pure chance, but “creative reason, love and freedom.” The pope rejected an evolutionary account that excludes a divine purpose. “It is not the case that the expanding universe, at a late stage, in some tiny corner of the cosmos, there evolved randomly some species of living being capable of reasoning and of trying to find rationality within creation, or to bring rationality into it,” he said. “If man were merely a random product of evolution in some place on the margins of the universe, then life would make no sense,” he said. “Reason is there at the beginning: creative, divine reason.” The pope said Easter was a good time for Christians to remind themselves that the faith embraces everything about the human being, from his origins to his eternal destiny.
Remembering the poor On Good Friday, the pope presided over a nighttime Way of the Cross liturgy at Rome’s Colosseum, where tradition holds that early Christians were put to death. The meditations for the 14 Stations of the Cross were written this year by an Augustinian nun, Mother Maria Rita Piccione. The texts encouraged Christians to develop the ability to listen to the subtle voice of God that speaks through the human conscience, and not to ignore the needs of the poor and suffering in their midst.
Bishops have a responsibility to teach the Catholic faith and preserve it “as it has been received and passed on” and thus are bound to respond to the work of theologians if they perceive the faith is being portrayed in error, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine said in a new resource for prelates. While bishops welcome dialogue with any theologian over any particular work, they CARDINAL WUERL also must uphold the teaching magisterium of the church, said Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, the committee chairman. The cardinal offered the explanation of the bishops’ teaching role in a 13-page document, “Bishops as Teachers,” released April 18. The document challenged the April 8 assessment by the 10member board of directors of the Catholic Theological Society of America that raised concerns about the doctrinal committee’s critical assessment of a 2007 book by Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a Sister of St. Joseph, who is a professor of theology at Fordham University. “The leadership of the Catholic Theological Society of America seems to misread the legitimate and apostolic role of bishops in addressing the right relationship of theologians and bishops,” the document said. The doctrinal committee originally said March 30 that the book, “Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God,” contained “misrepresentations, ambiguities and errors” related to the Catholic faith. The CTSA’s board suggested that the bishops misread the book’s premise and expressed concern that the bishops’ criticism “seems to reflect a very narrow understanding of the PLEASE TURN TO CARDINAL ON PAGE 26
“No man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
This Catholic Life APRIL 28, 2011
Opinion, feedback and points to ponder
ow often do you get to listen to another person’s prayer? If you’re kneeling in church, you’re either joining your voice with others, or minding your own silent intercessions. But at Covenant House in New York City, where we have a chapel with a red carpet and tiny altar in our shelter for homeless, trafficked and runaway young people, there is a simple, cloth-bound book the kids write their prayers in. Its contents are worth contemplating. During this Lenten season, as we prepared to mark the suffering and resurrection of the Son of God, I found it extremely moving to come to understand some of the pleas of Kevin Ryan these children of the street, who desperately hope for their own rebirth. I was reminded of the courage it takes some of our kids just to walk through the door. Teenagers, by nature, often feel invincible and fiercely independent, and it hurts to admit they can’t go it alone. Once they have admitted their vulnerability, they need strength to accept, trust and work with the help we give them. Many quickly embrace the food, clean clothes, medical care and warm beds we offer, but it takes so much longer for many of them to accept our belief that they can attain their dreams. As one young person wrote, with a lovable humility not often associated with adolescence:
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Commentary
“Dear heavenly Father, Please give me the strength to go on through my stay at Covenant House. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and not wrong. And please give me the strength to make the right decisions about the things that occur. I know I haven’t been making the right decisions, but I’d like to better that.” Reading through the kid’s recorded prayers, I was reminded of the importance of fathers, both heavenly and otherwise. Oftentimes, earthly fathers disappoint our kids deeply. One of our young people told God: “Being without a mom because she died and having a
father who hated me and wished I’d leave, I was so glad you were there for me.” Another wrote: “God, please let my father accept me. I want to be something in life. I want him to be a part of my life.” But the saddest entreaty read, “Dear Lord, please don’t let my father get me.” The entries — sonnets of Lenten hope and despair from kids of the street — were crushing and inspiring. They made me want to be the best possible father to my own six birth kids, and the kids we welcome in from the streets. This simple plea one young person wrote somehow got me most of all, but it also gave me the most hope: “Dear God, If you’re there and you care, I just want someone to love me, someone to talk to when I need to talk. Someone to cry on when I need to cry. Most of all someone to love me and walk as far as they wish through my life. Amen.” Isn’t that what a parent does, in the luckiest families? A true parent walks as far as they want, and many miles more, to make a child feel safe and nurtured. But most of our kids have parents who, if they’re even in the picture, stumbled out of the block and sat out that long walk. So it’s God who walks with them, a God they may have trouble seeing and touching. And this doesn’t happen remotely and mystically — the love that uplifts youth and allows them to soar into the great promise of their lives flows through us, through focused, committed adults, not some remote institution and certainly not government. We, the people of God, have to be the icons of Christ’s love in the world, each of us. Couldn’t you or I walk with these kids? Couldn’t we reach out to an individual young person, with a regular phone call, visit, letter or email? Many volunteer mentors at Covenant House have
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developed long-standing, fulfilling relationships with our young people, offering them the encouragement and understanding they so often lack. With the proper screening and training, you could be the answer to this young person’s prayer. In fact, this prayer reminded me so much of the parable in Matthew 25:40, where Jesus separates the righteous from the cursed, based on the compassion they had shown to the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the needy and those in prison. One of our kids writes: “Dear Lord, This is your son. I am writing you today to thank you for stopping the pain and helping me get through my ordeal that I’m facing. Help me get my life right and find a job. Amen I love you.” How like Jesus is this kid — humbled in the face of suffering, devoted, God’s own son. And Jesus was thinking about people like our homeless kids when he said, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you (helped) one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.” Unfortunately, some kids struggle openly with despair. One writes: “Dear Lord, today I am severely depressed. I’m very scared because I might hurt myself but I really don’t want to because I think I have a lot to offer in life. But I really am thinking of giving up. Please show me the way, Lord.” And another writes: “Lord, please take me home.” I worry and wonder if they mean home to Long Island for a new beginning, or home to heaven, to end the struggle they face here. Please keep their prayers in your prayers. Kevin Ryan is president and CEO of Covenant House, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless, runaway and at-risk youth across America.
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Opinion
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
/ This Catholic Life
John Paul II’s words offer guidance for budget debates s a society and as Catholics, we have a special responsibility to care for the poor and vulnerable in our midst. Pope John Paul II, who will be beatified this weekend, offered one of his many reminders about this fact during a trip to New York early in his pontificate: “You must never be content to leave them just the crumbs of the feast,” he said of the poor. “You must take of your substance, and not just of your abundance, in order to help them. And you must treat them like guests at your family table.” Unfortunately, as our elected representatives ponder remedies to cure serious state and federal budget problems, the poor and vulnerable are being squeezed from their spots around the table. These guests are being told they must do with less, even as they already struggle to meet their most basic needs. It’s a situation that isn’t fair or just. And it isn’t what the church has in mind when it talks about a “preferential option for the poor” — a hallmark of Catholic social teaching that calls on us to make the needs of the poor and vulnerable a top priority.
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Editorial Joe Towalski
The late pontiff said to treat the poor ‘like guests at your family table’
Currently, lawmakers in Minnesota and our nation’s capital are involved in a war of words and clash of philosophies over the best ways to solve both our state and national budget crises: Should government find ways to raise more revenue? Cut spending? Raise taxes? Give more tax breaks? Find a compromise among all these options?
Framework for decisions At stake are a host of programs and services in areas such as health care, education, job training, child care, food assistance, and services to the mentally ill and disabled. Certainly, there is no easy budget fix, and it’s likely that members of the legislative and executive branches will have to strike a compromise in the end. But any final budget proposal should be built within a framework that keeps three important questions in mind: ■ Does it protect human life and promote human dignity? People who are living in poverty and those who are disabled should have access to basic food, housing and health care services. The budget should have this as part of its “sub-
stance,” in the words of Pope John Paul, and shouldn’t constitute the “crumbs” that are leftover after the wealthy and special interests are fed. ■ Does it support families? Families form the backbone of our society and the church. When husbands and wives who are struggling financially have access to job training, child nutrition programs, community health services and affordable housing options, they are healthier and better equipped to raise healthy children and move down the path to self-sufficiency. ■ Does it serve the common good and society’s long-term best interests? Programs that help the poor climb out of poverty benefit the wider society as well. Job training for the unemployed can lead to new jobs that create additional taxpayers. Providing poor families access to subsidized community health care is cheaper to society in the long run than if those families make repeated visits to hospital emergency rooms as their only other option. A budget that seeks to benefit the common good has to look beyond the next fiscal year or two to accomplish that goal.
Money — including government funds — certainly won’t solve all the problems related to poverty. But government is an essential partner in finding solutions. A word of caution is necessary for those who believe the church should stay out of state and federal budget policy discussions and focus solely on providing charity through parish outreach programs and agencies like Catholic Charities. They, too, face difficult budget constraints and don’t have the funds or infrastructure to tackle poverty on the larger scale that government can. As Catholic bishops have said for a long time, state and federal budgets are moral documents setting priorities for where taxpayer resources should go. Where our money goes, it is said, there you will find our values as a society. Caring for the poor and vulnerable should be a core value. No one group or agency can do it alone. It is only through the combined and collaborative efforts of government, churches and other charitable organizations that there will begin to be enough room for all the guests that should be welcomed at the family table.
Pope John Paul is remembered for his travels, teachings CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 integrating our new converts into the life of the church.
Inspired by pope There is, moreover, a uniqueness to this year’s Easter octave. Not only will it culminate on Divine Mercy Sunday, as it does every year, but on this same Sunday this year the church will celebrate the beatification of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II. Because I worked for him for five years in the Vatican and since he called me to be a bishop 15 years ago, I plan to go to Rome for this event. In many ways, I continue to be inspired by the late pontiff’s apostolic energy and I strive to model my life as a bishop on his. His legacy, of course, is huge. Some of the things for which he is best remembered: ■ His apostolic visits: Pope John Paul II saw the world as his parish. These visits took him literally to every corner of the globe (he visited the USA five times), throughout Italy and among the many parishes in Rome. It has been said that he was seen in person by more people than any other figure in history. ■ World Youth Day: I was privileged to be the pope’s English speaker in St. Peter’s Square for the very first World Youth Day in 1985. No doubt inspired by his outdoor travels with college students as a young priest, the Holy Father gathered young people in various countries for a pilgrimage of worship, catechesis and public witness to the Gospel. Here young Catholic men and women could share their faith openly, knowing what a blessing it is to be a Catholic in the world today. ■ Saints for our times: Knowing that young adults need heroes and heroines to admire, Pope John Paul canonized 482
Archbishop Nienstedt’s schedule ■ Wednesday-Monday, April 27-May 2: Trip to Rome to attend the ceremonies surrounding the beatification of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II. ■ Tuesday, May 3: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff. Noon, St. Paul, St. Catherine University: St. Catherine University’s board of trustees meeting. 7 p.m., Anoka, St. Stephen Catholic Church: Confirmation. ■ Thursday, May 5: Mass of Episcopal Ordination for three auxiliary bishops in Detroit. ■ Saturday, May 7: 10 a.m., Minneapolis, Basilica of St. Mary: Diaconal ordination for Theology III seminarians. 5 p.m., Fridley, Church of St. William: Sunday liturgy. ■ Sunday, May 8: 8 p.m., St. Paul, University of St. Thomas: “Lectio divina.” ■ Monday, May 9: 6 a.m., St. Paul, St. John Vianney College Seminary: Holy hour and Holy Eucharist, followed by breakfast. 10:30 a.m, St. Paul, The St. Paul Seminary: Meeting with administration. 11:35 a.m., St. Paul, The St. Paul Seminary: Holy Eucharist, followed by lunch. 7 p.m., Minneapolis, Basilica of St. Mary: Confirmation. ■ Tuesday, May 10: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff. 1:30 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archbishop’s Cabinet meeting. 7 p.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Confirmation. ■ Wednesday, May 11: 4 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Meeting with executive director of Minnesota Catholic Conference. 6 p.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: BBQ with seminarians. ■ Thursday, May 12: 10:15 a.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Meeting of the Association of Parish Business Administrators. 2 p.m., St. Paul, Lumen Christi Catholic Church: Catholic Charities annual employee recognition. 3:30 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: The Catholic Spirit board of directors meeting.
saints and 1,338 blessed, giving the church outstanding models of holiness and humanity. Once criticized for declaring so many saints, the pope replied, “Is it my fault that God has raised up so many virtuous figures in our day?” His own witness to evangelical holiness inspired countless vocations to the priesthood and religious life. These young priests and religious are known as the “John Paul II generation.” ■ Theology of the Body: Recognizing the moral confusion that resulted from the sexual revolution of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Pope John Paul proposed a new way of
appreciating the inviolable dignity of human life and the beauty of married love. In this new grammar of life and love, the Holy Father shared that “from the beginning,” man is called to use his capacity to know and to love as a search for the “other,” seeking not self-satisfaction but rather self-gift. The fundamental meaning of sexual difference provides for the union of a man and a woman in a true communion of persons, a communion which results not only in the total gift of self that is marriage, but also leads to virginity and celibacy.
■ Apostolate of reconciliation: I was in the Vatican the day the Holy Father was shot by Mehmet Ali Agca, looking down on St. Peter’s Square as the ambulance rushed him to the Gemelli hospital. Months later, photos hit the media of the pope sitting with his would-be assassin in a jail cell, telling him he had been forgiven. At the same time, the passion of his preaching on the inherent dignity of man and his right to freedom of worship was already beginning to galvanize the Solidarity Movement in his native Poland, a country which would soon witness the downfall of Communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union. Here was a man of God who was not afraid to speak the truth in and to the public square.
Local celebration A special celebration to honor the new Blessed will be held at the Church of the Holy Cross in northeast Minneapolis. A prayer service will be held on Sunday, May 1, at 1 p.m. in the church, preceded by a eucharistic procession and followed by a program in the Pope John Paul II Catholic School. Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet will conclude the celebration and that will take place in the Church of All Saints at 3 p.m. Recently, Pope Benedict XVI said of his predecessor: “John Paul was a great scholar and great apostle of Christ. God chose him for the Chair of Peter and granted him long life in order that he might accompany the church into the third millennium. By his example, he guided us all in pilgrimage and continues to do so from above.” Blessed John Paul, intercede for us! God love you!
This Catholic Life / Commentary
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Faith is your best tool for fighting on-the-job stress friend used to tell me: “Don’t worry about the things you can control because you can control them. And don’t worry about the things you can’t control because you can’t control them!” Bobby McFerrin said something similar: “Don’t worry; be happy.” Of course, they are both paraphrasing Jesus, who said: “Peace be with you.” God doesn’t want us to stress out, and we get a lot of advice to that effect in Scripture. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Matthew 6:27 asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?” And who can forget the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:41), where Jesus tells Martha to slow down? “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. . . .”
A
Faith and the Workplace Tom Bengtson
As Jesus wants peace for you, think about bringing peace to others
“There is more we can do to actually begin feeling that peace that Jesus wants for us.
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TOM BENGTSON
flowers, sunshine, fresh air and more. As you cultivate the virtue of gratitude, you may find yourself wanting less, and therefore stressing out less. ■ Return a smile for every smirk: I call this the St. Thérèse of Lisieux tactic. Another sister at the convent was mean to St. Thérèse, yet the Little Flower treated her with kindness. She didn’t return her meanspirited ways with equally mean gestures; instead, she returned them with undeserved smiles and kindness. This is the ultimate weapon for dealing with troublesome colleagues. Jesus instructed us to do as much. In Matthew 5:39, he says to turn the other cheek. You don’t actually have to get into a fight to make this counsel meaningful. This third step is challenging. It will be easier to do if you’ve mastered the first two steps, which I am betting St. Thérèse did. Work doesn’t have to be a stressor. Faith is your best tool for defeating stress. As Jesus wants peace for you, think about bringing peace to others.
Three-part approach Work can be stressful, especially if we find conflict with customers, colleagues or the boss. God gave us things like exercise, healthy food and vacations to help us manage everyday stress, but there is more we can do to actually begin feeling that peace that Jesus wants for us. Consider this three-part strategy: ■ Pray: You develop a relationship with anyone by talking to them; Jesus is no different. Prayer helps you build your relationship with God. Bring him your worries, concerns and stresses in daily prayer. ■ Be thankful: Stress is often caused by worrying over something you want. It’s fine to want things, but only after taking time to acknowledge all that you have. Take time to thank God for his many blessings upon you. Thank him for your family, health, friends, work, home, faith, parish, clothing, car,
iStock photo
Tom Bengtson is president of NFR Communications in Minneapolis. Reach him at TOMBENGTSON@ HOTMAIL.COM.
World Fair Trade Day: Time to learn and make an impact he Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade program is a proud sponsor of World Fair Trade Day on May 14. The CRS program works in partnership with other organizations to bring Fair Trade handcrafts, coffee and chocolate to communities across the United States. Fair Trade is a system of trade based on the principle that people should earn a fair profit for the items they produce. It offers producers a Katy just price for their products, safe and Cantrell healthy work conditions, and longterm relationships with buyers. CRS works with those in need in more than 100 countries and knows how important these conditions are to helping struggling producers build their businesses, plan for the future and eventually achieve a more secure living. Catholic social teaching is filled with guidance on how people of faith can transform the world through acts of economic justice. This can be done through the daily decisions we make as consumers. Buying Fair Trade products is one simple way to live our faith and build an economy that fairly rewards the hard work of producers. World Fair Trade Day presents us with an opportunity to learn more about what and who Fair Trade represents. Currently, more than 1 million producers around the world benefit from Fair Trade. In North America, advocates are challenging 100,000 people to take Fair
T
Commentary
“Buying Fair Trade products is one simple way to live our faith and build an economy that fairly rewards the hard work of producers.
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KATY CANTRELL
Trade coffee breaks anytime from May 1 to 15.
Ways to celebrate There are many ways to host Fair Trade events for World Fair Trade Day or at other times throughout the year. Guardian Angels in Oakdale, for example, will observe World Fair Trade Day on May 14 and 15 and encourage parishioners to “take a Fair Trade coffee break.” The parish will host a CRS Work of Human Hands craft sale, organize a documentary film festival and serve Fair Trade coffee and tea. Bob Walz of Guardian Angels and Shelby Vaske of Paynesville in the St. Cloud diocese are CRS Fair Trade ambassadors who are trained to provide information
about Fair Trade and support for organizing events throughout the year. Walz worked with his parish to completely convert to Fair Trade coffee. During the search for a new coffee, the parish organized a coffee tasting and parishioners selected Peace Coffee, a Minneapolis-based coffee roaster offering Fair Trade and organic coffees. For information, call Walz at (651) 789-3181.
Two local partners The CRS Fair Trade program partners locally with Peace Coffee and Providence Coffee in Faribault. Upon your request, both companies will make a donation to CRS when you place an order, so your purchases can have an even greater impact. Peace Coffee is launching a new parish program highlighting coffees from CRS beneficiaries in Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua. The program will make it easier to order and sell Fair Trade coffee in your parish (and your home). For information, contact Stacy Adrianson at STACY@PEACECOFFEE.COM or (612) 367-8119. There are many opportunities to become involved in Fair Trade. Let this coming World Fair Trade Day be your chance to learn more and make a positive impact in the lives of small-scale producers. Katy Cantrell is a program advisor for the CRS Fair Trade program.
14
Pope John Paul II
Preparing for the beatific Rome readies for crowds from 300,000 to 1.5 million coming from Italy, Poland, U.S.
Left, images of the late Pope John Paul II are displayed at a souvenir shop in his hometown of Wadowice, Poland, April 13. Wadowice was sprucing up the main square and renovating the house where the Polish pope was born Karol Wojtyla 91 years ago. Pope John Paul II will be beatified May 1 at the Vatican.
By John Thavis Catholic News Service
As the countdown continued for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, church and civil authorities put the finishing touches on logistical plans to handle potentially massive crowds at the main events in Rome. Meanwhile, Vatican officials were heartened at the massive response to online projects designed to make the beatification a universal experience. Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the beatification Mass in St. Peter’s Square May 1. Because no tickets are being handed out for the liturgy, no one really knows how many people to expect. Estimates range from 300,000 to 1.5 million, and crowd control barriers will be set up for blocks around the Vatican. Immediately after Mass, the faithful can pray before Pope John Paul’s unopened casket, which will be set in front of the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, with veneration to continue most of the day.
Prayer vigil precedes Mass A large crowd is also expected for the prayer vigil April 30 at the site of Rome’s ancient Circus Maximus racetrack, where Pope Benedict will make a video appearance. Rome church officials have organized that event to underline the strong connection between the Polish pope and the Diocese of Rome. The French nun whose healing was accepted as the miracle needed for Pope John Paul’s beatification will share her story with pilgrims at the prayer vigil. Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre, a member of the Little Sisters of the Catholic Motherhood, had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and believes she was cured in 2005 through the intercession of the late pope. The morning after the beatification, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving in St. Peter’s Square. That
Below left, rosaries left behind by pilgrims hang at a church April 13 in Wadowice, Poland, hometown of the late Pope John Paul II. CNS photo / Kacper Pempel, Reuters
liturgy, too, is expected to attract tens of thousands of people. While the size of the crowds remained a mystery, Vatican officials said their online initiatives had already taken the beatification to groups and individuals around the world.
Pope gone viral For example, the Vatican’s special beatification Facebook page at WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/VATICAN.JOHN PAUL2 has had more than 6 million visits and has gained nearly 50,000 followers. Similar pages have been opened at the WWW.POPE2 YOU.NET site aimed at younger audiences and on the Vatican’s YouTube channel. They offer photos, tributes, key quotes and video highlights of Pope John Paul’s pontificate. The beatification events will be livestreamed at many of the sites, ensuring worldwide participation. “Six years have passed since John Paul’s funeral, and
the world of communications has changed greatly, with many more online opportunities available to the church,” said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, who was coordinating several of the Internet efforts. “Moreover, John Paul II was much loved by the younger generations who use the new media. He is a figure who adapts well to the Web, because he left us with a wealth of images and spoken words that one is happy to see and listen to again in their original context,” he said. The Diocese of Rome has also launched a multilingual beatification website that offers the diocesan-approved prayer asking for graces of Pope John Paul in 31 languages, including Chinese, Arabic, Russian and Swahili.
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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ation of Pope John Paul II
rcy Sunday, a day with special significance ohn Paul, who made it a church-wide feast elebrated a week after Easter. The pope died 05, the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. s also Europe’s “labor day” holiday, which beatification events would not disrupt the siness of Rome. Many Romans were planave the city for the weekend, although ders said Italians would still be the biggest oup attending the beatification. Poles were o be the second-largest group, followed by om Spain and the United States. can has used the run-up to the beatification ng moment about the sainthood process, ng that Pope John Paul will be declared not for his achievements as pope but for the ed the Christian virtues of faith, hope and
Immigrants share memories of pontiff
Bryan Jones Jr., a kindergartner at Pope John Paul II School in Minneapolis, colors a picture of the soonto-be-beatified pontiff, along with classmates Kaiden Kirby, left, and Andrea Ramos.
officials have announced that in the Diocese where Pope John Paul served as bishop, and ioceses of his native Poland, his feast day is ted automatically into the annual calendar. as chosen as the day to remember him s the anniversary of the liturgical inaugurapapacy in 1978.
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
it on TV igil in honor of the beatification of Pope II 2:30 p.m. CDT (Live from Circus Maximus 7 p.m. CDT encore, both on Saturday,
eatification of Pope John Paul II :30 a.m. CDT (Live from St. Peter’s Square) May 1; encores at 7 p.m. CDT May 1, Noon May 2; and 3 p.m. CDT Saturday, May 7
hanksgiving Mass 3:30 a.m. CDT (Live from St. Peter’s encore at 4:30 p.m., both on Monday,
nformation and to check local schedules, ebsite: WWW.EWTN.COM/JOHNPAUL2 ON.
By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit
Few people have been more greatly impacted by Pope John Paul II than the people of Poland. That is why Stanislaw Janosz will get up very early Sunday, May 1, to catch every moment of the beatification ceremony for Pope John Paul II. Speaking to The Catholic Spirit at Holy Cross in Minneapolis through interpreter Jadwiga Koson-Wegrzyn, Janosz said he will be at home watching the historic event live on the Polish language TV station. “I’ve always considered him ‘The Great’ and I’m glad he is going to be ‘Blessed,’” said Janosz, who was confirmed at age 14 by thenBishop Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, the hometown of both men. Janosz, who is the janitor for the properties at Holy Cross and
Beatification events A community celebration to mark the beatification of Blessed Pope John Paul II will be held on Sunday, May 1, in Minneapolis. It will include prayer, a program and party, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet ■ 1-1:30 p.m. prayer service, Holy Cross Church, 1621 University Ave., NE. ■ 1:30-2:45 p.m. program and party, Pope John Paul II School gymnasium, 1630 Fourth St. NE. ■ 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet, All Saints Church, 435 Fourth St. NE.
John Paul II School, has lived in the United States about 18 years. Koson-Wegrzyn has been in the U.S. more than 20 years. PLEASE TURN TO AREA ON PAGE 16
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Pope John Paul II
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
Area Catholics to pray Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 After the early morning broadcast, Janosz and KosonWegrzyn will join about 150 members of the Polish Community at Holy Cross for Mass at 11:30 a.m., followed by a collaborative community celebration.
Time for gratitude Debra King, principal of Pope John Paul II School, said the K-8 school’s staff and students will celebrate the beatification with the Polish Saturday School and Community, and the northeast Minneapolis Catholic communities of Holy Cross, St. Clement, St. Anthony and St. Hedwig. The children have been doing art projects about John Paul II’s life, learning songs and practicing prayers for the event, she said. “This [beatification] is very important,” King said. “I believe that God has had his hand in many of the steps this school has taken.” When King became principal in 2004, the school had dropped from 130 students to 113 due to rumors that it would be closing, she said. “We bottomed out at 84 and have stayed stable the last five or six years,” she said. “Every day, we say the prayer for the health and growth of Pope John Paul II Catholic School.” This year there are 105 students, and 114 are registered to begin classes in the fall. “January 14 was the day the Vatican announced that John Paul II would be beatified. It’s also the day that the archdiocese, here, officially announced that our school would not close: That is not a coincidence,” she said. “So, how important is this? We told the kids it is only right that we give thanks and praise and not quit asking God to continue to bring us more students and to provide a strong Catholic identity,” King said. In fact, she attributes the engagement of parents with the Catholic school for prompting about 18 children and some of the parents to receive sacraments they would not otherwise have received.
Procession and prayer Each year, after the Polish Mass on the first Sunday in May, the Polish community has a small eucharistic procession around the church, King said. After that procession this Sunday, the Eucharist will be brought back into the church for a worship service at 1 p.m. to start the beatification celebration. King said the celebration in Holy Cross Church will include music, Scripture readings, a brief homily by Father Glen Jenson, Holy Cross pastor, and praying the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, or the Mysteries of Light, which were introduced by Pope John Paul II in 2002 in his apostolic letter “The Rosary of the Virgin Mary.” The Mysteries of Light are: Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, his self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana,
Once-in-a-lifetime trip ties JPII and Vatican Marcia and Ed Morrissey, the president couple of Twin Cities Marriage Encounter and members of St. John Neumann in Eagan, are glad their first trip to Rome coincides with Pope John II’s beatification and Divine Mercy Sunday. “I’ve always loved the Holy Father,” said Marcia, a columnist for PATHEOS.COM, a website about religion. “I’m studying the work of Sister Faustina and Divine Mercy and [I] read that he knew about her when he was a young man and worked in a quarry.” Ed, who writes for HOTAIR.COM, does a daily Internet talk show and the Northern Alliance Radio program on AM 1280 The Patriot, said the pope’s beatification makes their trip to Rome even more special. “John Paul II was a very inspirational figure for me. He is one of the few
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Stanislaw Janosz enjoys the freedom to worship in Holy Cross Church in Minneapolis. But, he remembers when he could not openly attend church in his native Poland, until some time after Cardinal Karol Wytoja was named pope and returned home to spark democracy.
in the late 1960s for the funeral of a relative.
Steps to sainthood ■ Servant of God: A candidate for sainthood is declared a servant of God upon the opening of his or her official cause for sainthood. ■ Venerable: The pope declares a person venerable after church officials conclude from their investigation that the person has led a life of heroic virtue. ■ Blessed: The pope declares a person blessed after a miracle attributed to his or her intercession is recognized by the church. ■ Saint: One is declared a saint in an elaborate ceremony after another miracle is recognized by the church. his proclamation of the Kingdom of God with a call to conversion, his Transfiguration and his institution of the Eucharist. After the service in the church, everyone is invited to the school gym for finger food, refreshments and dances by the children, representing the various cultures living in northeast Minneapolis, King said. Janosz and Koson-Wegrzyn plan to be among those who have personal memories or memorabilia of the pope that they will bring to the celebration to share. Besides memories of his confirmation, Janosz also recalled when then-Cardinal Wojtyla came to Wadowice
modern popes who has managed to change the world,” he said. “John Paul grew up behind the Iron Curtain. . . . He was in a position to defeat the evil that had been around for decades. It shows the power of faith in the modern world.” The tours they first looked at were too long and expensive, Marcia said. Then a friend told them how she had planned a shorter trip. The Morrisseys will leave April 27 and return May 5. “I realize I won’t be able to see it in the same way everybody else will, but I will be able to experience it,” said Marcia, who has been blind since she was about 23. “I felt like we were being drawn to it — it was meant to be.” Marcia said she is not going to Rome for any physical healing. “That’s not what I’m asking for. That’s up to God,” she said. “I was blessed to be able to see for the first 23-24 years of my life. I see in my mind all the time. Going to Rome for the first time . . . there is a twinge of sadness that I can’t see it. . . . But I trust I will be able to experience
Witness to peaceful change Although she was not confirmed by the pope, KosonWegrzyn has some wonderful memories — she lived in Krakow when Cardinal Wojtyla was the archbishop. She occasionally listened to his sermons and teachings for the college students. As pontiff, he was in constant contact with the academic world of Krakow. Koson-Wegrzyn especially remembers the pope’s first visit to Poland in 1979 to Krakow. She and her 20-something friends stayed in Krakow and traveled to other nearby cities that Pope John Paul II was visiting. “It was during the time of no freedom, no freedom of press, no freedom of speech in our country — but during the pope’s visit everyone was united, we felt freedom and hope,” she said. Koson-Wegrzyn recalled that as Pope John Paul II passed by her and her friends: “You have the feeling he’s looking exactly at you.” Because Janosz had a job with the city in Wadowice, his wife and four children (who all live in the U.S. now) had special seating at several sites during the pope’s visit to Poland. “In Poland, everybody is proud of John Paul II,” Janosz said. “We feel privileged that he was Polish.” Koson-Wegrzyn added, “We keep his teaching in our hearts.”
it through my other senses. . . . I’m looking for the Holy Father’s guidance in areas of my life and spiritual appealings for people I know and care about and love.” — Pat Norby
Proud to bear name of a remarkable man Father John Paul Erickson, director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship, will attend Pope John Paul II’s beatification ceremony in Rome — about which he shared the following thoughts. “As my name indicates, I am a part of the ‘JPII’ generation. I was born shortly after Blessed John Paul was elected to the papacy, and my parents decided to honor this great man and testify to their Catholic faith by naming me after the Holy Father. I have been proud to bear the name, and am thrilled to have
the opportunity to attend the beatification ceremony of this truly remarkable man of faith, a witness to hope. “While I never had the privilege of meeting His Holiness, my entire perception of the papacy and the role of what is often dismissively called ‘the institutional church’ was shaped by this man, as the vast majority of my life was lived under his pontificate. “And so, for me, the papacy has always been about reaching out to the weak, the vulnerable and the poor; it has always been about preaching tradition with boldness and vigor; it has always been about standing firmly for the rights of the unborn; indeed, it has always been about vitality and that strength that comes from clinging to the cross. “In this sense, the impact of John Paul II on my life could hardly be overstated. He shaped my Catholic imagination. For that, I will be eternally grateful.”
Mother’s Day
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Mothers of priests take on new role after ordination By Julie Pfitzinger The Catholic Spirit
When Father John Helmueller was ordained to the priesthood 10 years ago for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D., he was not the only member of his family to assume a new role. His mother Mary, who lives in Maplewood and is a parishioner at St. Jerome, felt so blessed to become the mother of a priest on that day. But at the same time, she wasn’t quite sure what that meant for her own life. Helmueller began to think and pray about ways to make connections with other mothers whose sons were priests, whether in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis or another diocese or with a religious order, so that they could come together to find support and companionship with one another. Father Helmueller had ministered and studied for the priesthood with the Legionaries of Christ for 12 years before deciding to finish his studies under the guidance of then-Bishop Robert Carlson, who was serving in Sioux Falls. Five years ago, Mary Helmueller contacted Father Joseph Johnson, rector at the Cathedral of St. Paul, looking for some assistance with her plan. “He agreed to be our spiritual director and selected three other mothers of priests to help me start a group in the archdiocese,” Helmueller said.
Group grows from 4 to 70 Along with Judy Cozzens, mother of Father Andrew Cozzens at the St. Paul Seminary, and Mary Williams, mother of two priests — Father Peter Williams at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin in St. Paul, and Father Joseph Williams at St. Stephen in Minneapolis — Dorothy Kenney is one of the original members. Her son, Father Kevin Kenney, is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul. “I have such a heart for all mothers of priests,” said Kenney, who lives in St. Paul and is a parishioner at the Cathedral. “In this group, we all pray for each other’s sons.” Now, with close to 70 members throughout the archdiocese, the Mothers of Priests group has truly blossomed. Helmueller said there are four pillars on which the organization is based — prayer, catechesis, service and community. Every mother is asked to attend daily Mass and pray the rosary for priests and
From left, Dorothy Kenney, Lee Yanta and Mary Helmueller enjoy a laugh at a gathering for mothers of priests at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Kenney is the mother of Father Kevin Kenney, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul, Yanta is the mother of Father Timothy Yanta, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Jordan, and Helmueller is the mother of Father John Helmueller, who serves in the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
vocations each day. If they are able, the mothers are also asked to make a Holy Hour each week. In terms of catechesis, the mothers meet for 8 a.m. Mass on the first Saturday of each month and then gather for a mini-retreat. The service component includes sending anniversary cards to all active and retired priests, serving homemade rolls and coffee after their monthly Mass at the Cathedral, and hosting a lunch for mothers of newly ordained priests in May. “We visit the mothers of priests who are in nursing homes or can’t come to our meetings,” Helmueller said. “We also want to find a way to connect to mothers whose sons are in different orders of the priesthood and not in the archdiocese. We believe they need our support and friendship, too.”
Prayer, service and fun The community pillar is represented by an annual picnic for the priests and their parents, as well as occasional motor coach trips to interesting places — in June, several members of the group will be traveling to the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa. “We have such fun on those trips, and it is an opportunity for us to get to know one another better,” Kenney said. A more personal part of their roles as
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mothers of priests comes through their relationships with their sons, said Helmueller, who is frequently asked by her son to pray for parishioners at his church in the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. “It was St. Pius X who said that a vocation to the priesthood comes from the heart of God, but goes through the heart of the mother,” she said. “I believe it is absolutely necessary for a mother to be part of the son’s mission to save souls.” With Mary, the mother of Jesus, as their role model and advocate, the Mothers of Priests are committed to following Mary in her virtues and to grow in holiness. Father Kevin Kenney, who has been a priest for 17 years, is well aware of the role the group plays in his ministry. “They support us in prayer,” he said.
Friendships blossom Both Mary Helmueller and Dorothy Kenney, who have become good friends through their connection to the group, said they had a few inklings from the time their sons were young that they were going to eventually be called to the priesthood. “Father John was born on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, so she had him from the start,” said Helmueller, who had been saying an extra decade of the rosary every day, from her wedding day onward,
Calling all priests’ moms If you are the mother of a priest and interested in joining the Mothers of Priests group, contact Mary Helmueller at (651) 488-8468. The group also has three honorary members who are not mothers of priests but help prepare food for meetings and take on other tasks. Those interested in becoming honorary members, can also contact Helmueller.
for a religious vocation for one of her children someday (which includes two other sons and a daughter). “Kevin shared a room with his brother and his side of the room was always very orderly. He kept holy pictures on a table right next to his bed from the time he was very young,” said Kenney, who raised seven children with her husband, Bill. When asked about the special blessing of having a son who is a priest, Helmueller said knowing that her son can bring her the sacraments of the church is very powerful. “Since he is at the altar every morning for Mass, I feel like I am there, too, because my blood runs through his veins,” she said. “It is hard to put into words the joy I feel.”
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Ex-Planned Parenthood worker to join Catholic Church CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Have you prayed outside of the clinic where you used to work? “Oh yeah, all the time. The first time that I went while abortions were taking place, I was a little uncomfortable. I was talking and reaching out to some clients that I knew. I recognized some of the people that were going in. I was trying to talk to the workers, people that I had supervised. “And, now, I was on the opposite side, in the literal and figurative sense. It was a little awkward, but I knew that it was necessary. I thought, ‘I have to be out here. I have to show them that I’m serious about this. This isn’t a joke. This isn’t something that I’m just doing for show. I’m serious.’ And, I’m still serious. I’m willing to be out here and take their criticism and take their obscene gestures and take their ridicule. But it’s worth it.�
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Have you been able to help any other Planned Parenthood workers get out? “Yes, I’ve been able to help many women — it’s all been women so far. In fact, there have been many clinic workers that have actually read “unPLANNED� and have left after reading the book. It’s not because of the book. It’s because God is working on their heart and they are just able to read something, and something that I say is really catching them and really putting it into perspective for them, and God is able to do the rest. That’s what is so wonderful about what I’m doing and
I feel like the degree itself is almost personalized to fit me and my interests. Professors are so willing to work with students and provide us the opportunity to seek God’s truth.
what God is really doing in a lot of these women that are leaving.� You mention in your book that you have had two abortions yourself, and that the first one helped lead you to work for Planned Parenthood. Is this a common experience? That’s the reason I think a lot of people get involved with Planned Parenthood. Most of the workers that work there have experienced abortion themselves. I tell people this all the time: No one grows up wanting to have an abortion and nobody grows up wanting to work in the abortion industry. There’s varied choices that lead people into those clinic doors, and it’s usually a series of choices that are filled with pain and regret and heartache, and they are using rationalizations and justifications to try to make sense of their life as it is now and try to make sense of their own reasoning and their own sin. “And, we just have to keep praying for these people, keep praying for these workers that they will find the truth and that they will continue to seek the truth and that eventually their guard and their defensive wall will come down and that they will seek the face and the mercy and healing of Christ.� What will you talk about when you come here? “I’m going to be talking about a lot of things. I will be sharing some of my story. I’m going to be sharing how people can get involved in the pro-life movement. I’m going to be sharing a
ASK. EXPLORE.
little bit about Planned Parenthood and what goes on inside those closed doors. I’m going to be sharing about a lot of things. I don’t take any notes when I go up to the podium; it’s just me and the Holy Spirit and I just kind of speak from my heart.� It has been reported that you are in the process of becoming Catholic and will take that step within the next month. Talk about that. “We’re very excited. My husband and I are very excited and feel very blessed to be coming into the church and to be coming home, as they say. We looked into the Catholic faith after we were asked to leave our church [for changing from pro-choice to pro-life]. We had looked at some other churches and looked into some other denominations, but knew that we felt very called to the liturgy. For me personally, I knew there that there has always been something missing in my faith, growing up southern Baptist and moving into the Episcopalian Church. “I absolutely love the [Catholic] liturgy. . . . When we started attending Mass and started learning more about Catholicism, I realized that it had been all the Marian tradition that had been missing in my life and in my faith. So that was one of the reasons that I knew for sure that the Catholic Church was the right place for me. My husband felt the same way and had other reasons himself for wanting to join. We feel very excited and we’re very eager [to join].�
The big questions.
Andrea Prisby ’11 Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry Program Administrator Saint Paul’s Outreach
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“You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. . . .” Three O’Clock Prayer to the Divine Mercy
The Lesson Plan APRIL 28, 2011
Reflections on faith and spirituality
The Catholic Spirit
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How have you been touched by God’s divine mercy? his weekend’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles reminds us of the devotion of the early church. Twothousand years later, we find ourselves in need of the same devotion and commitment to the church. On May 1, the church will bestow the title blessed on Pope John Paul II, who spent his life enriching our devotion and commitment to God and the mission of the church. There are many things for which soon-to-be Blessed John Paul II is reDeacon Anthony Urban membered. We could look back to his election and his first words as pope: “Be not afraid.” We could look back at the several volumes that he wrote, his extensive travels, his many years of physical suffering or the days leading up to his death. It seemed that everything that Pope John Paul II did was abundantly blessed and yielded much fruit.
T
Sunday Scriptures
Readings Sunday May 1 Divine Mercy Sunday ■ Acts 2:42-47 ■ 1 Peter 1:3-9 ■ John 20:19-31
For reflection How have you been encouraged by those who have overcome spiritual or physical obstacles to living out their faith?
God is merciful Thomas’ only response is to believe because he has seen and touched his risen Lord. The reception of this mercy led Thomas to evangelize and die as a martyr. Jesus does not rebuke Thomas for his unbelief. Rather, Jesus allows Thomas to have an intimate encounter with him. The same was true for Pope John Paul II, and the same is true for each of us. God does not merely look past our weaknesses and ignore them. Instead, he sees the weakness and finds a way to raise us above a particular weakness and reach to the infinite heights to the holiness of God. As we celebrate the beatification of a beloved pope, we must also celebrate the divine mercy of our Lord because without it we cannot pray with the psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
What was his secret? What did he do that allowed this to happen? He was always close to Jesus. His writings, travels, suffering and death helped unite him more closely to Christ. He also relied upon God’s divine mercy. In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Mary Faustina Kowalska, and he also instituted the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. During his visit to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow, Poland, in 1997, he said: “There is nothing more man needs than divine mercy — that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to
the infinite heights to the holiness of God.”
At the second gathering of the apostles, Jesus appears and greets them with the comforting words: “Peace be with you.” This time around, Thomas is present and Jesus tells him to look at his wounds in his hands and his side.
Deacon Anthony Urban is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. His home parish is St. Mary in Sioux Falls and his teaching parish is St. Stephen in Anoka.
John 3:16-21 Notice what happens when you oppose the Spirit and choose resentment over forgiveness, competition over cooperation.
my embarrassment when my daughter dropped by and pointed out to me that my sunglasses were resting safely on the top of my head. Sometimes, we search so diligently for God’s presence in the ways we have always found it in the past that we do not recognize that it was within and around us all the time.
be explained, it can only be experienced.
Each and every one of us needs to have an encounter with this benevolent and compassionate love, just as Thomas the Apostle did in this weekend’s Gospel. It would be easy for us to criticize Thomas because of his doubts. But his doubts allow Jesus to work in a very powerful way.
Daily Scriptures Sunday, May 1 Divine Mercy Sunday Acts 2:42-47 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 “Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” — John 20:26 After years of being addicted to prescription drugs, my friend hit rock bottom. He lost his family, his job and finally his home. In desperation, he reached out for help with his problem and entered a treatment plan. During that time, after years of resisting, he opened his heart and called out to God. He told me that something beyond his understanding happened in that moment and that for the first time in decades he experienced a deep peace. Monday, May 2 Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the church Acts 4:23-31 John 3:1-8 When we hold on too tightly to our vision, we can stifle the movement of the Holy Spirit. Tuesday, May 3 Philip and James, apostles 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 John 14:6-14 We get to know someone through the meeting of hearts much more than through a meeting of minds. Wednesday, May 4 Acts 5:17-26
Thursday, May 5 Acts 5:27-33 John 3:31-36 When is it most difficult for you to embrace the values of mercy, justice and compassion over retaliation, prejudice and indifference? Friday, May 6 Acts 5:34-42 John 6:1-15 It isn’t how much we have to give but what the spirit can do with our contribution that makes all the difference. Saturday, May 7 Acts 6:1-7 John 6:16-21 The situations that challenge us the most also have the potential to deepen our faith. Sunday, May 8 Third Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14, 22-33 1 Peter 1:17-21 Luke 24:13-35 “while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” — Luke 24:15 After searching frantically in the places I normally leave my sunglasses, I was convinced I had lost them. Imagine
Monday, May 9 Acts 6:8-15 John 6:22-29 We often don’t realize that we are looking to the wrong things to fulfill us.
Saturday, May 14 Matthias, apostle Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 John 15:9-17 The Spirit opens our hearts in ways we could not have anticipated.
Thursday, May 12 Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs, or Pancras, martyr Acts 8:26-40 John 6:44-51 Even when we are unaware of it, God is always drawing us closer.
Sunday, May 15 Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a, 36-41 1 Peter 2:20b-25 John 10:1-10 “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” — John 10:10 Several recent studies have shown that after a family reaches a reasonable level of income (according to one source approximately $60,000 a year), a larger income does not produce more happiness. Contrary to what some televangelists would have us believe, the abundance God wants to give us has more to do with the condition of our heart than our pocketbook. Notice what gave you real joy and meaning these past few days. Chances are it came from creating something for the sheer joy of it, helping someone who was suffering, laughing with a friend or spending time in nature.
Friday, May 13 Our Lady of Fatima Acts 9:1-20 John 6:52-59 The mystery of unearned love cannot
The daily reflections are written by Terri Mifek, a member of St. Edward in Bloomington and a certified spiritual director at the Franciscan Retreat House in Prior Lake.
Tuesday, May 10 Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molaka’i, priest Acts 7:51 — 8:1a John 6:30-35 In order to be fed, we have to be truly present. Wednesday, May 11 Acts 8:1b-8 John 6:35-40 Our hope rests not in our perfection but in the generosity of God.
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The Lesson Plan
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
Series to explain changes coming with new Roman Missal The following is the first in a series of articles regarding the new Roman Missal, which will be used in the United States beginning on Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent.
occur, it is a privileged time to re-examine the Mass and the liturgy as a whole and to take a serious look again at our own devotion to the Mass and to the sacraments.
“Lift up your hearts!” These are pivotal words in the Mass, words spoken by the celebrant to the congregation during what is referred to as the “preface dialogue.” They are pivotal words not only because they form an integral part of the liturgy, but also because they encapsulate beautifully the meaning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and serve as a clarion call to that full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy Father that is our delightful duty as believers. John Paul Erickson We are summoned by Christ to offer up our hearts in union with his own sacrifice — a sacrifice made present on the altar. They are words meant to prompt devotion, remind us of love and call us to communion. Let our response be bold and zealous: “We lift them up to the Lord!” This call to communion, a summons to offer up our lives to the Father in union with the total gift of self offered by Christ on the altar, lies at the very heart of the meaning of the whole Mass. This meaning has always been found at the foundation of the liturgy of the church and must be the rock upon which we build any authentic understanding of the church’s prayer. On Nov. 27 this year (the First Sunday of Advent), many of the words used at Mass to summon, remind and form us will be changing, but the foundation remains the same, as it always will.
Change is often difficult, but it can also be immensely fruitful. Indeed, change, even difficult change, is most often necessary for life and real growth.
Lift Up Your Hearts
Education necessary It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of good catechesis during the months ahead as we prepare for the reception and use of these new words at Mass. This catechesis is important not only because we need to know what to say on Nov. 27 and why we say it, but also because every time these sorts of changes
Beginning with this edition of The Catholic Spirit and continuing until Nov. 27, I am pleased to announce that Catholic Spirit readers will be encouraged to get to know these new texts, the reasons behind them, and some of the history of the Mass itself through a series of articles composed by writers from around the archdiocese and the English-speaking Catholic world. I hope and pray that all who read these articles will find them helpful and be encouraged to truly pray the Mass. In addition to these articles, parishes and pastors will be receiving practical guidance from the Office of Worship as to how to implement and prepare for these changes in the many communities of faith throughout this local church.
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
There will be some changes in the wording of Mass prayers and responses with the introduction of the new Roman Missal in Advent. Pictured are people attending Mass at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center.
Good resources
The series
I encourage all who have not already done so to visit the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and to examine the page the conference has produced on the new texts (WWW.USCCB .ORG/ROMANMISSAL).
■ May 12: “Why a New Missal?” A brief background on where the new missal is coming from. We’ll trace its documentary history and its close connection to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. ■ May 26: “The New Translation is a Plus for Catholics.” An article explaining what will be gained in the new translation and the opportunity it affords us as praying Christians. ■ June 9: “New Kids on the Block.” In addition to new words, the new missal brings with it the memorials of new saints. ■ June 23: “The Lord be with you — and with your spirit.” Perhaps no other change has received more attention than this brief exchange. Why is it changing and what does the change mean? ■ July 7: “The Act of Penitence.” Why is it important to acknowledge our sin as Mass begins? What is changing about the wording of this rite? ■ July 21: “The Gloria.” It’s appropriate that our first liturgical exposure to this retranslated text will not be Nov. 27, but rather at the Vigil Mass of Christmas, when we will gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Why?
Many marvelous resources are found there, and the common questions asked about the new texts are answered. The site is simply the best resource out there on the new texts. May God bless us all during these months of preparation and waiting for the historic changes to the words of the Mass. May the Blessed Mother, who is the image of the church and a model of prayer, intercede for us and teach us how to truly pray with mind and heart renewed. And may we all, clergy and laity alike, take this opportunity to refocus on the immutable meaning of the Mass, a summons to communion with Christ in the sacrifice of our hearts to the Father of all. Lift up your hearts! Father John Paul Erickson is director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship.
Because the new words sound an awful lot like the hymn of the angels at Bethlehem. ■ Aug. 4: “The Creed, part 1.” Why does the Creed matter, and why is it changing from “We believe” to “I believe”? ■ Aug. 18: “The Creed, part 2.” ■ Sept. 1: “The Preface Dialogue.” It is right and just. ■ Sept. 15: “The Roman Canon, part 1.” As a way of examining the Mass itself, we’ll explore the first Eucharistic Prayer, often called the Roman Canon. Many rich symbols and references are found within this ancient prayer, and by paying attention to the scriptural and traditional imagery, we can learn much about just what it is we are doing through, with and in Christ at the Mass. ■ Sept. 29: “The Roman Canon, part 2.” ■ Oct. 13: “The Roman Canon, part 3.” ■ Oct. 27: “The Roman Canon, part 4.” ■ Nov. 10: “Q&A.” As the implementation of the new missal becomes imminent, we will try to answer any remaining questions about the new texts and their use. ■ Nov. 23: “Q&A, part 2.”
The Lesson Plan
APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
21
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy’ Divine Mercy Sunday to be celebrated May 1
blessing, his left hand points to his wounded Sacred Heart, with two rays shining forth, light for the world — one red, the other white mixed with blue, which represent the blood and water that flowed from his side — with the inscription below, “Jesus, I trust in you.” The second element is Jesus’ request to establish a feast that celebrates his merciful forgiveness of sins and the remission of punishment. The third is a request that people pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a prayer that is said on rosary beads and repeats the words, “For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.” The fourth is a request for daily prayer at 3 p.m., the hour of Jesus’ death, the “hour of mercy,” an ideal time to ask for divine mercy.
By Father Michael Van Sloun For The Catholic Spirit
The Second Sunday of Easter is now also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. It ranks as a solemnity, and it is the eighth and final day of the Octave of Easter. Divine Mercy Sunday was established by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000.
The day’s patron St. Maria Faustina (1905-1938) is known as the apostle of Divine Mercy. She was born on a small farm in Glogowiec, Poland, on Aug. 25, 1905, the third of 10 children. Her family was poor and eked out a meager existence. Times were hard, and they took a terrible turn for the worse during World War I. At the young age of 19 she joined a community of religious sisters, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. With only three years of formal education, she humbly and graciously accepted her community’s request to serve as a gardener, kitchen assistant and doorkeeper. She had a deep faith and a rich inner spiritual life. She died from tuberculosis on Oct. 5, 1938 at the convent in Krakow. Sister Faustina was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 18, 1993, and canonized a saint by him on April 30, 2000.
Observance ideas A nine-day novena of prayer beginning on Good Friday may be made to prepare for Mercy Sunday — May 1 this year. On Aug. 3, 2002, Pope John Paul II announced that a plenary indulgence — the remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven — is available to those who observe the Divine Mercy feast with a sacramental confession, the reception of Holy Communion, a prayer for the pope and his intentions, the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and a devout prayer to the Lord Jesus such as, “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you.” It is also desirable to pray before the Blessed Sacrament or venerate an image of Divine Mercy. Then, after a person has received mercy from God, the goal is to venture forth, show mercy to one’s neighbor, and perform works of mercy. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
Mercy message Jesus appeared to St. Faustina on Feb. 22, 1931, and numerous additional times until her death in 1938. The messages she received coincide with the Easter message. When the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples barricaded in the Upper Room, he said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19,21), and he continued, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (John
20:23a) — both powerful messages of mercy and forgiveness. The devotion has four elements. The
first is the image of Jesus that St. Faustina received. In it, Jesus is dressed in a long white robe, his right hand is raised in
Father Michael Van Sloun is pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka.
Divine Mercy events in the archdiocese The following Divine Mercy celebrations take place May 1. Celebrations may include exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, confession and/or talks on Divine Mercy. For more information on events related to a celebration, contact the individual parish. Albertville — St. Albert: 3 to 4 p.m. at 11400 57th St. N.E. Bayport — St. Charles: 2 to 4 p.m. at 409 N. Third St. Bloomington — St. Bonaventure: 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. at 901 E. 90th St.
St. N.E. Coon Rapids — Epiphany: 3 p.m. at 1900 111th Ave. N.W. Corcoran — St. Thomas the, Apostle: 1:30 p.m. at 20000 County Road 10. Crystal — St. Raphael: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 7301 Bass Lake Road. Delano — St. Joseph: 1 to 3:30 p.m. at 401 N. River St. Excelsior — St. John the Baptist: 3 to 4 p.m. at 680 Mill St. Faribault — Divine Mercy: Noon to 4:30 p.m. at 139 Mercy Drive.
Maple Lake — St. Timothy: 9 to 10 a.m. at 8 Oak Ave. N.
St. Paul — Cathedral of St. Paul: 1 to 3:30 p.m. at 239 Selby Ave.
Maplewood — St. Jerome: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 380 E. Roselawn Ave.
St. Paul — Holy Childhood: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1435 Midway Parkway.
Mendota — St. Peter:1:30 to 3:45 p.m. at 1405 Hwy 13.
St. Paul — Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 3 to 4 p.m. at 1414 Dale St. N.
Minneapolis — All Saints: 3 p.m. at 435 Fourth St. N.E. Minneapolis — Visitation: Noon to 3:30 p.m. at 4530 Lyndale Ave. S. Monticello — St. Henry: 3 to 4 p.m. at 1001 E. Seventh St.
St. Paul — St. Agnes: 1:30 to 4 p.m. at 548 Lafond Ave. St. Paul — St. John: 2 to 4:30 p.m. at 977 Fifth St. E. St. Paul — St. Mary: 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E.
Forest Lake — St. Peter: 2 to 4 p.m. at 1250 S. Shore Drive.
Oak Grove — St. Patrick of Cedar Creek: 2:30 to 4 p.m. at 19921 Nightingale St. N.W.
Ham Lake — St. Paul: 8 a.m. at 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. N.E.
Prior Lake — St. Michael: 2 to 4:30 p.m. at 16311 Duluth Ave. S.E.
South St. Paul — Holy Trinity: 2 to 3 p.m. at 749 Sixth Ave. S.
Cannon Falls — St. Pius V: 1 to 4 p.m. at 410 Colville St. W.
Hastings — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: 2 to 4:15 p.m. at 2035 W. 15th St.
Rogers — Mary Queen of Peace: 3 to 4 p.m. at 12020 Fletcher Lane.
Stillwater — St. Michael: 1:30 p.m. at 611 S. Third St.
Carver — St. Nicholas: 6 to 8 p.m. at 412 Fourth St. W.
Hopkins — St. Joseph: 2 to 4:30 p.m. at 1310 Mainstreet.
St. Anthony — St. Charles Borromeo: 2 to 4 p.m. at 2739 Stinson Blvd.
Taylors Falls — St. Joseph: 1 to 3:20 p.m. at 490 Bench St.
Clearwater — St. Luke: 3 p.m. at 17545 Huber Ave. N.W.
Inver Grove Heights — St. Patrick: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 3535 E. 72nd St.
St. Louis Park — Holy Family: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5900 W. Lake St.
West St. Paul — St. Joseph: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 1154 Seminole Ave.
Columbia Heights — Immaculate Conception: 3 to 4 p.m. at 4030 Jackson
Jordan — St. John the Baptist: 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 313 E. Second St.
St. Michael — St. Michael: 3 p.m. at 11300 Frankfort Parkway N.E.
White Bear Lake — St. Pius X: 2 to 4 p.m at 3878 Highland Ave.
Buffalo — St. Francis Xavier: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at 300 First Ave. N.W. Burnsville — Mary, Mother of the Church: 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road.
Savage — St. John the Baptist: 2 to 3:45 p.m. at 4625 W. 125th St.
“The thing that makes Woody special is: he’ll never give up on you. Ever.” Andy, speaking about his toy cowboy in “Toy Story 3”
Arts & Culture 22
Exploring our church and our world
The Catholic Spirit
APRIL 28, 2011
‘King’s Speech’ one of Christopher winners By Catholic News Service The feature films “The King’s Speech,” “Toy Story 3” and “Secretariat” were among 17 winners of the 62nd annual Christopher Awards honoring book, film and television productions that affirm the highest values of the human spirit. “The King’s Speech,” which won four Oscars — including best picture — was recently rereleased in a PG-13 rated version so more young people can see the movie. The original film about how the future King George VI worked to overcome his stammer is rated R. “Toy Story 3” tells the concluding chapter in the tale of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and a stable of toys whose owner has grown up with no further need for them. “Secretariat” is the story of the Triple Crown-winning racehorse that captivated a nation. A documentary film, “The Human Experience,” follows two brothers as
they live homeless on the streets of New York, take care of disabled children in Peru and visit lepers in Africa to affirm the inherent dignity of all people. The awards, sponsored by the Christophers, will be presented May 19 in New York.
Noting TV and books Two shows from the HBO paycable channel won Christophers: “Making the Crooked Straight” told the real-life story of a Long Island doctor whose mission to heal sick children in Ethiopia is founded on the Orthodox Jewish belief that if you save one life, you save a world. “A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism” is about an Icelandic woman who travels to the United States to learn more about therapies that could help her son. PBS won for “A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School,” which looked at a New Jersey school that for 70 years has taught African-Ameri-
As the 10th Anniversary of that fateful day approaches, we will never forget
cans how to excel. The Lifetime Movie Network cable channel won for “Amish Grace,” a dramatization of the 2006 school shootings in Nickel Mines, Pa. Book awards, adults: “Thea’s Song: The Life of Thea Bowman” by John Feister and Charlene Smith; “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life” by Jesuit Father James Martin; “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxas; “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand and “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow; youth awards: “Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion” by Mo Willems, pre-school; “Would You Still Love Me If . . .” by Wendy LaGuardia, illustrator Patricia Keeler, 6-8; “Brother Jerome and the Angels in the Bakery” by Benedictine Father Dominic Garramone, illustrator Richard Bernal, 8-10; “Lafayette and the American Revolution” by Russell Freedman, 10-12.
Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter star in a scene from the movie “The King’s Speech.” The Oscar-winning film was one of 17 winners of the 2011 Christopher Awards announced April 6. CNS photo / The Wienstein Company
In Memory of Minnesota Native Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., Martyr, Faith-filled Catholic, Devoted Husband and Father, Citizen Soldier Tom answered the call without reservation and led the violent, fateful and successful charge by our citizen heroes on the cockpit of United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, saving a targeted attack on the White House by Islamic Terrorists. Tom Burnett freely opened his heart and united his will, being prepared by Our Eucharistic Lord and the Blessed Mother, in inspired anticipation for what would be asked of him in service to the Faith and the Nation he loved so much.
$5,000 scholarships to be awarded Announcing the granting of two (2) $5000 one-time college scholarships, in Thomas Burnett’s memory, to be gifted to young, patriotic, Faith-filled Minnesota men scheduled to graduate from High School in the spring of 2012. Homeschooled candidates most welcome. Applications should include a character summary of the young man’s life, including exemplary leadership and service to community, Church and a brief testimony on his heartfelt devotion to the Blessed Mother,
Patroness of our Land as The Immaculate Conception. Non-familial personal references should be included. Application deadline is September 11, 2011, and can be sent on behalf of the candidate, or by the young man himself. Awardees will be announced on the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (Our Lady of the Rosary), October 7, 2011 and the names will be published in The Catholic Spirit. Send to: Faith and Freedom Scholarship, PO Box 237, Hamel, MN 55340.
Read more about this courageous man and the amazing story about how the Holy Spirit supernaturally prepared he and his wife Deena in a powerful way for what would be asked of them. www.spiritdaily.net/burnett.htm Visit Thomas’ gravesite at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, easily located along the drive at Section 7, Site 23. Read a concise history of the world changing Battle of Lepanto, the 440th anniversary of which will be celebrated this October 7th, entitled Our Lady and Islam, Heaven’s Peace Plan: www.ewtn.com/library/mary/olislam.htm Request a free copy of the remarkable testimony Fighting Back, Living Life Beyond Ourselves, by Deena Burnett, by writing to the Scholarship address provided, or purchase through Amazon.com. Ask for Tom’s intercession for our beloved Nation and people in this hour of our need. This scholarship award is offered independently of the efforts of the Tom Burnett Family Foundation.
Calendar Dining out Fish fry at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — April 29 and May 6: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. Pancake breakfast at Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — May 1: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road. Free will offering. Pancake breakfast at St. Richard, Richfield — May 1: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 7540 Penn Ave. S. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under. Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — May 4 and 11: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. KC Mother’s Day waffle breakfast at St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center — May 6: 8 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. at 7025 Halifax Ave. N. Pork roast and sauerkraut dinner at St. Bernard, St. Paul — May 7: 4 to 7 p.m. in the parish center on Rice and Geranium. Cost is $8 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and under. Mother’s Day breakfast at Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights — May 8: 8:30 a.m. to noon at 4030 Jackson St. N.E. Eggs, sausage, French toast and more. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 3 to 12. Lasagna dinner at St. Odilia, Shoreview — May 11: 11:30 a.m. at 3495 N. Victoria St. Make reservations by May 8 by calling (651) 415-3364.
Parish events ‘The Acts of the Apostles: Bringing it all together’ at Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — April 28 and 29: 7 p.m. Thursday and 9:45 a.m. Friday at 3333 Cliff Road. School Sister of Notre Dame Paul Therese Saiko will speak. ‘Solanus: A Drama about the Life and Times of Venerable Solanus Casey’ at St. Mary, Stillwater — April 29 and 30: 7 p.m. at 423 S. Fifth St. Presented by the Theater Arts Ministry of St. Michael and St. Mary Churches. For information and tickets visit WWW.STMARYSTILLWATER.ORG. Rummage sale at St. Mark, St. Paul — April 29 to May 1: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon Sunday at 2001 Dayton Ave. Eucharistic adoration chapel 11th anniversary celebration at Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul — April 30: Mass at 4 p.m. at 1000 White Bear Ave. A potluck dinner follows; bring a dish to share. For information, call (651) 7765970. Ladies’ English Garden and High Tea at St. Peter, Richfield — April 30: 11 a.m. at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. A master gardener from Uncommon Gardens will be the keynote speaker. Cost is $10, $6 for under 13. Advance registration required at (612) 866-5089. Choral concert at St. Olaf, Minneapolis — April 30: 7:30 p.m. at 215 S. Eighth St. Features the St. Olaf parish choir and the University of Minnesota Singers.
APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Don’t Miss
Mass of the Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m. and Mass of the Immaculate Heart at midnight. Concludes at 1 a.m. For information, call (651) 437-3591.
The Emmanuel Masqueray Ball at Target Field
Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Mary, St. Paul — May 8: 2 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E.
The Basilica of St. Mary’s Emmanuel Masqueray Ball in the Ballpark will be held May 7 at Target Field in Minneapolis. The event benefits The Basilica Landmark, which provides funding for the preservation and restoration of the Basilica. Dinner in the Metropolitan Club will be followed by dancing, games and an auction hosted by former Twins great, Roy Smalley. For more information and tickets, visit WWW.MARY.ORG.
Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — May 15: 2 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave.
‘Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Paying for Senior Care Resources, But are Afraid to Ask’ at St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights — April 30: 9 to 10:30 a.m. at 3535 72nd St. For information, call (612) 272-9501. Remarriage/blended family seminar at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — April 30: 9 a.m. to noon at 88 N. 17th St. Cost is $50 per couple and includes breakfast and a workbook. For information, call (612) 317-3478. Carnival fundraiser at St. Joseph, Rosemount — April 30: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 13900 Biscayne Ave. Features games, pony rides, food and more. Spring salad luncheon at Guardian Angels, Oakdale — April 30: Noon at 8260 Fourth St. Features more than 40 salads. Entertainment by the “Vibes” acapella women’s quartet. Tickets are $7 and must be purchased by April 25. For information, visit WWW.GUARDIAN-ANGELS.ORG. Spring festival at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maplewood — April 30 and May 1: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at 1725 Kennard St. Taco dinner and dance Saturday, chicken dinner Sunday. Booths open both days. Taste of St. Mary’s at St. Mary, St. Paul — May 1: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E. Enchiladas, egg rolls, ribs, kraut and more. No item over $2. Spring luncheon and card party at St. John the Baptist, Hugo — May 2: Noon at 14383 N. Forest Blvd. Cost is $8 at the door. Relevant Radio’s Father Rockey Hoffman to speak at St. Joseph, West St. Paul — May 4: 7:30 p.m. at 1154 Seminole Ave. His talk, “Learn it, live it, love it and you will never leave it,” is about the importance of catechesis. Garage sale at St. Bonaventure, Bloomington — May 4 and 5: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at 901 E. 90th St. Half price Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. Rummage sale at St. Victoria, Shoreview — May 5 and 6: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday (bag day) at the parish center, 8228 Victoria Drive. Rummage sale at St. Austin, Minneapolis — May 5 to 7: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday (bag day) at 4051 Thomas Ave. N. Rummage sale at Holy Name, Minneapolis — May 5 to 7: Preview sale Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. (admission is $1). Sale runs Friday 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. and Saturday (bag day, $1 per bag) 9 a.m. to noon. At 3637 11th Ave. S. Rummage sale at St. Joseph, Hopkins — May 5 to 7: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at 1310 Mainstreet. Father Michael Keating to speak at St. Helena, Minneapolis — May 6: 7:30 p.m. at 3204 E. 43rd St. He will present, “Marriage and the Healing of Our Sexuality.” Tickets are $4. For information, call (612) 729-7321. Cinco de Mayo taco sale at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — May 7: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 401 Concord St. Tacos are $2 and pop or water is $1. Benefit dinner for Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chimbote, Peru at St. Michael, Prior Lake — May 14: Mass at 5 p.m., social at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:45 p.m. at 16311 Duluth Ave. For information and reservations, call (952) 447-9062. Soup and salad luncheon at Sacred Heart, Rush City - May 15: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 425 Field Ave. Quilts, drawings, handcrafted items. There will also be an express line for those with short lunch hours. Senior Wellness Education series, ‘Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?’ at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — May 18: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. A light lunch will be served prior to the presentation. To RSVP, call (651) 698-5581. Beer, Brats and Bingo at St. Katharine Drexel, Ramsey — May 21: 6 p.m. at 7101 143rd Ave. N.W., Suite G. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For information, call (763) 323-4424. 40th ordination anniversary celebration for Father Jerome Keiser at St. Francis of Assisi, Lake St. Croix Beach — May 22: 10:30 a.m. Mass followed by a reception at 16770 13th St. S. All are invited to a parish picnic outdoors from noon to 3 p.m.
Prayer/ liturgies Legion of Mary prayers in front of Planned Parenthood, St. Paul — April 29 and May 6: 3 p.m. at 1965 Ford Parkway. For information, call (651) 439-9098. World Apostolate of Fatima vigil of reparation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings — May 6: Rosary at 7 p.m.,
Healing Mass at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — May 12: Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Mass at 7 p.m. at 155 County Road 24. Father Don Piché is the celebrant.
Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays: For Catholic singles to meet and make friends. The group usually meets in St. Paul on Sunday afternoons. For information, call Judy at (763) 221-3040 or Al at (651) 482-0406.
School events Blessed Trinity School’s Fiesta Latina at Assumption, Richfield — May 1: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 305 E. 77th St. Menu includes tamales, empanadas and more. There will also be music, the Mexico Linda Dancers, children’s games and more. Celebration in honor of the beatification of Pope John Paul II at Pope John Paul II School, Minneapolis — May 1: Procession following the 11:30 a.m. Polish Mass, worship at 1 p.m. at Holy Cross Church, 1621 University Ave. N.E. Program follows from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. in the school gym, 1630 Fourth St. N.E. ‘Taste of Transfiguration’ honoring pricipal Ted Zarembski’s retirement at the Prom Center, Oakdale — May 6: 6 p.m. at 484 Inwood Ave. For information, call (651) 501-2220. Annual Promise of Spring Social, Silent and Live Auction at St. Pius X, White Bear Lake — May 6: 6 p.m. at 3878 Highland Ave. Tickets are $40. For information, call (651) 429-5338. Annual gala to benefit Pope John Paul II School at St. Maron, Minneapolis — May 13: 5:30 p.m. social hour followed by dinner and entertainment at 602 University Ave. N.E. Featured speaker is Uof M athletic director Joel Maturi. Cost is $75 per person.
Other events Open house and information session at Cerenity Senior Care-Marian of St. Paul, St. Paul — May 1: Tours available from 1 to 3 p.m., talk from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. at 200 Earl St. For information, visit WWW.CERENITYSENIORCARE. ORG or call (651) 793-2100. Garage sale to benefit Holy Family Catholic Adoption Agency at the Anoka County fairgrounds, Anoka — May 25 and 26: Wednesday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3112 St. Francis Blvd. For information, call (763) 421-8917.
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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. EMAIL: SPIRITCALENDAR@ ARCHSPM.ORG.
(No attachments, please.) FAX: (651) 291-4460. MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
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From Age to Age
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
Scoring points for seniors Spirit and Sport program helps youth build skill and connect with older generation By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Kelly Scott of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony played college basketball in the shadow of Randy Breuer — literally. At 5-foot-11, Scott does not appear short, except when he stands next to Breuer, who is 16 inches taller at 7-3. They played together in the early 1980s for the Minnesota Gophers and won a Big Ten championship during the 198283 season, Scott’s junior year. Breuer was a standout center on that team, while Scott got very little playing time. Yet, he made his mark during practices, when his hard work and determination set an example that the other players followed. Now he’s pushing for a different goal — to help young athletes move ahead in their skill development. But there’s more to his recently launched Spirit and Sport program than just producing highly skilled grade school and high school athletes. He also
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Kelly Scott helps Tommy DeMars, 12, with his shooting form during a Spirit and Sport training session at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony.
wants these same kids, both boys and girls, to make a difference in their communities by helping seniors.
Joy of giving When they choose to sign up for 10 hour-and-a-half sessions at the St. Charles gym, they also must turn in a
Our 80th Jubilarians Are Also100 Years Old
form pledging to spend an hour of service to a senior. They can pick someone they know or are related to — although not their grandparents — and they also decide when to do it and what their service will be. The inspiration for this came from Scott’s experience of helping his aging
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mother, Marjorie, before her death in 2006. “We are trying to help seniors live out the rest of their lives in dignity and love,” he said. “That’s extremely important to me, having seen what my mother went through. In the next 20 years, we’re going to double our population of seniors. How are we going to care for those people? “I see what’s going on in our society. I stood at center court the day we won the Big Ten championship and 18,000 fans were cheering for us. I stood at my mother’s bed when she passed from this world to the next. There’s nothing like it. It’s great to be cheered, [but] it’s way better to give.” Although he has a full-time job with a local flooring company, Scott is spending lots of his spare time working on Spirit and Sport. He has about 10 to 20 kids a week coming to the gym for training on Thursday and Saturday nights, and he’s hoping to increase the numbers. Beyond that, he wants to have his own facility someday, which will cost about $12 million. The plan is to have 60,000 square feet that would be home to four basketball courts, a swimming pool and
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Archbishop Nienstedt’s Column Column
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Inspiration for living the Catholic faith
From Age to Age
APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Budget priorities should add elderly, children
Father Hansen, OFM died April 17
As the debate surrounding the country’s spending priorities, tax policy and reducing debt deepens, the faith community and social service advocates have mounted a campaign to prevent the needs of the poor and vulnerable from being heaped into the pile of expendables. The effort is rooted in the biblical call for justice for people on the margins — children, the elderly, the sick, the poor. Nonreligious groups also have invoked the values theme in their messaging. Employing tactics from a rolling fast involving 36,000 people to town hall meetings, the broad-based effort has stressed that spending priorities must reflect basic moral principles. “The meeting of needs for those who can’t meet their own is the gold standard for a moral economic system,” said Daniel Finn, professor at St. John’s University in Collegeville. The advocates’ main concern is that the cuts approved by Congress April 14 disproportionately
Franciscan Father Howard William Hansen, 80, died April 17 at his home, St. Joseph Cupertino Friary in Prior Lake. He was born in Ohio on Nov. 22, 1930. He entered the novitiate of the Conventual Franciscan Friars on July 4, 1949, taking the religious name Howard, and professed first vows July 4, 1950. He made his solemn profession July 4, 1953, and was ordained a priest July 14, 1957. In the archdiocese, Father Hansen served at St. Bonaventure in Bloomington, at Assumption Seminary in Chaska, provided sacramental ministry and served on the retreat team for Franciscan Retreats in Prior Lake. Mass was celebrated April 20 at St. Bonaventure with burial in Friars Cemetery in Indiana.
target programs benefiting the poor. In the end, the revised plan adopted by Congress cut $38 billion from the 2011 budget. It’s the largest oneyear reduction in discretionary spending in U.S. history. — Catholic News Service
More jubilarians The information on some sisters who are celebrating jubilees this year was too late for publication in The Catholic Spirit special jubilee section March 3. Following are two additional jubilarians. 80 years Sister Mary Isidore Louwagie, CSJ Sister Ann Lucille Wallenta, CSJ
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APRIL 28, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Cardinal: Bishops identify boundaries of authentic faith CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 theological task.” Cardinal Wuerl wrote that the new resource was being provided to bishops “should any questions arise concerning the ancient and long-recognized episcopal ‘munus docendi’,” or power of authoritative teaching. The duty of bishops is to “see that the noble enterprise of theology is integrated into the overall mission of the church to transmit the good news,” the document said. “Both bishop and theologian serve the word of God and cooperate in building up the community of faith.”
Fulfilling responsibilities Cardinal Wuerl said the teaching authority of bishops is measured against the background of “the generally recognized catechetical deficiencies of past decades beginning with the 1970s. The result is a generation or more of Catholics, including young adults today, who have little solid intellectual formation in their faith.” As a result, he wrote, “the bishops are rightly concerned about the spiritual welfare of those students using this book who may be led to assume that it’s content is authentic Catholic teaching.” He also said the Committee on
Doctrine has special responsibilities to address theological errors that might arise in the work of a theologian. The CTSA said the bishops failed to follow procedures for addressing issues of concern with the work of theologians as outlined in the document “Doctrinal Responsibilities: Approaches to Promoting Cooperation and Resolving Misunderstandings Between Bishops and Theologians” approved by the bishops in 1989. But Cardinal Wuerl said that document offers only “one way of proceeding but not as obligatory.” Cardinal Wuerl said it is only due to the “uninterrupted tradition, stretching back to the time of the apostles and continued by their successors, the bishops, that we can be sure of the integrity and validity of the Christian faith.” “In continuing the mission of Christ the teacher, the bishops in union with the pope are therefore ministers of a free and wonderful gift of God, the assurance that we adhere to the true faith,” it added. The relationship between theologians and bishops can be reciprocally enriching, Cardinal Wuerl wrote. “Bishops and theologians are in a collaborative relationship. Bishops benefit from the work of theologians, while theologians gain a deeper understanding of
revelation under the guidance of the magisterium. The ministry of bishops and the service rendered by theologians entail a mutual respect and support,” he said. Cardinal Wuerl acknowledged that theologians “enjoy a legitimate autonomy” that is defined by the standards of the theological field as well as the boundaries of “spurious or fruitless investigation.” At the same time, he said, the truth of revelation must be the starting point for all theological inquiry because it builds on what is already confidently known.
Serving as ‘referee’ Drawing from St. Paul’s oft-cited examples of sports, Cardinal Wuerl compared the identifying of boundaries of authentic faith as a bishop’s contribution to the growth of theological understanding to a tennis match. “In a tennis match, it is not the player who called the balls ‘out of bounds’ but the referee. The player may object that it was not his or her intention to hit the ball out of bounds. He or she may even question whether the ball is out of bounds. But it is the referee who must make the call. Otherwise, there can be no coherent game, no enjoyment of the match, no sense of progress in learning the sport: In short the ‘tennis game’ would devolve into a fruitless exchange
of individuals hitting the ball at will,” the cardinal said. “So it is in academic theological investigation. If it is to be directed toward a fruitful deepening of our understanding, then it cannot be an exchange of individuals hitting the ball randomly. Once ideas are written and published by a theologian, they must stand on their own; it is the bishops who are entrusted with the office of referee, who must call the play,” it said. Cardinal Wuerl also wrote that the church encourages respectful dialogue among theologians and bishops. “As a person of faith, the theologian understands and appreciates the charism of teaching entrusted to his or her bishop, and willingly submits personal theological ideas for the bishop’s evaluation,” the document said. “The doctrine committee does not wish to stifle legitimate theological reflection or to preclude further dialogue, but it does want to ensure that the authentic teaching of the church, concerning doctrine and morals, is clearly stated and affirmed,” the document said. “While dialogue between theologians and bishops is very important, it should work alongside of the bishops’ primary teaching and sanctifying mission.”
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TEXTURED CEILINGS
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Michaels Painting. Popcorn & Knock down Texture, Repairs. 40 Year Family Business (763) 12327 757-3187.
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Orlando, Fountains Resort timesh, 1(x) use, 2 bd/2 ba, 6/4-6/11: $700 (952) 474-7670.
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Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660. 11269
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Boeser-Harvey Painting. Interior-Exterior Painting-Decks. Insured. (952) 210-9966. 10274
Wedding dance prep our specialty. Learn basic swing, waltz, rumba, etc. in a private home setting. Absolute beginners welcome. WWW.TWORIGHTFEETDANCE. 10374 COM. (612) 824-1800.
PARAMOUNTGRANITE.COM. Natural Stone & Quartz countertops and more. Catholic family owned business since 1996. Mention this ad for a Catholic Spirit discount. See our 12455 website or call (763) 428-4075
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Tile/Glass Block/Masonry/Concrete/Carpentry/Misc. home repair. 30 years experience. Insured. Call Steve (612) 532-3978. WWW.SWISSTONECONSTRUCTIONSERVICES.COM. 10646
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The UPS Store Minneapolis. Expert packing china, glass, paintings, etc. Pick-up service available. Call for free estimate: (612) 78912571 6904.
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PLUMBING Justen Plumbing, Inc. (651) 605-5025 JUSTENPLUMBING@GMAIL.COM Call or e-mail Mike for a free estimate.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • APRIL 28, 2011
Support for Spirit and Sport program is growing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 areas for soccer, baseball, lacrosse and hockey training. So far, he has been using money brought in from sales of his book, “Inspirations from the Bench,” in which he recounts his playing days at the U. He also has a big fundraiser planned for Aug. 6, which will include golf, celebrity football and basketball games, and an auction. The event is called “Raising the Roof for Spirit and Sport.” “We either need big donors or people buying the books,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to.”
Finding support Slowly but surely, support for his program is growing and the numbers are starting to tick upward. Parents like Jon and Jenny DeMars are sold on the idea and have two kids in the program — Tommy, 12, and Sarah, 16. Jon met Scott at a community festival and learned about the program. That conversation led to the enrollment of Sarah and Tommy. “My son really enjoys it,” said Jon DeMars, the boys varsity coach at Irondale High School in New Brighton who is now recruiting others to the program. Tommy “does not want to miss [a session]. . . . He’s went to every one but one [since enrolling]. He really loves it,” he said. Jim Wappes also has two children in the program, sons Michael, 14, and Joseph, 13. The two are students at St. Charles Borromeo School, with Michael in eighth grade and Joseph in seventh. Jim Wappes likes the program, but he especially likes the person running it. “Kelly’s not just here to teach sports,” he said. “It’s about the whole person; it’s about the soul. It’s the physical skills, the spiritual well being, and it’s about giving back to the community — service. It’s so well balanced. . . . And, I love the fact that it’s [called] Spirit and Sport and not Sport and Spirit. It’s in the right order.” Michael and Joseph are new to the program, but already the family has been thinking about what acts of service
the boys can perform. An elderly neighbor is moving into a nursing home soon, and paying her visits is one idea they have come up with. “This might hold our family even more accountable to really reach out to this person when she moves from our neighborhood,” said Jim’s wife, Mary. “It’s happening soon, and I’m thinking, ‘How can our family be helpful?’ ” Though Scott is the mastermind behind the program, he is not alone when it comes to working with the youth. In fact, the venture has become somewhat of a family affair. Three of his children help with coaching — Jeremiah, Joe and Veronica. Plus, his brother, Casey, is helping with the financial end, though he also makes appearances at the gym to see his brother’s vision unfold.
Leading together Joe, a professional basketball player for the Amico del Basquet Castellon team in Spain, recently started working in the program after finishing his season. He’s a product of his dad’s philosophy, having grown up with his coaching in both basketball and life. “Once my dad started this organization, I said I would help out whenever I had the chance,” Joe said. “I think it’s a great concept, something that a lot of [other] people haven’t thought about. “We [members of the Scott family] have a leadership quality, and I see it flourish when we’re trying to help these kids. The biggest obstacle is the financial part. My dad wants to build a facility, but he doesn’t have the money yet. If we can get a facility, then I can definitely see this thing flourishing.” Just like during his college days, Kelly Scott is already thinking beyond the day when he will have his own facility for the program. “My long-term goal is to have this across the country,” he said. “If we do this right, we can have this for seniors across the country. We can save millions of dollars in health care by getting them [seniors] the services they need so they can stay in their homes.”
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“He stepped onto the world stage and onto the platform of St. Peter’s Basilica to remind the whole world that we don’t have to be afraid, there is truth, that God loves us, that Jesus is the way.” Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., speaking about Pope John Paul II
Overheard 28
The Catholic Spirit
“Be assured, we are with you, with all the Japanese children who are suffering. We want to help you with our prayers, with our actions, and you can be sure that God will help you.”
Quotes from this week’s newsmakers
APRIL 28, 2011
Carry the Cross
— Pope Benedict XVI, from an April 22 pre-recorded TV broadcast in which he answered a question from a 7year-old Japanese girl who lost friends in the recent earthquake and tsunami
“The current and future budget debate will involve hard choices and much shared sacrifice. . . . Whether to fund the largest abortion network in the country is not one of those hard choices.” — Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in a letter to Congress supporting a proposal to amend federal appropriations bills for the current fiscal year to exclude any funding for Planned Parenthood or its affiliates
“The meeting of needs for those who can’t meet their own is the gold standard for a moral economic system.” — Daniel Finn, professor of economics and theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., speaking in light of the political debate surrounding U.S. spending priorities
Above, Dan Huschke, a member of St. Hubert in Chanhassen, walks in front of the Planned Parenthood building on Ford Parkway in St. Paul April 22 (Good Friday) carrying a wooden cross during the annual Carry the Cross of Abortion prayer vigil. Right, Father James Livingston, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, blesses a rosary for Lana Nguyen, a member of St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis, during the vigil. Archbishop John Nienstedt led the opening prayer and Father Livingston was one of several priests of the archdiocese and clergy of other denominations who took a turn reading Scripture and a meditation during the day-long event. This is the last time the annual vigil will be held at this location. Planned Parenthood plans to move to another location in St. Paul later this year. To see more photos from the event, visit our website, WWW.THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
Seven men to be ordained transitional deacons at Basilica May 7 Archbishop John Nienstedt will ordain seven men from the St. Paul Seminary to the transitional diaconate beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, The May 7, at the Catholic Spirit Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. This ordination is a major step on the way to the priesthood, and enables the men to preach the homily during Mass, among other ministerial rights. Three men studying for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will be ordained transitional deacons: Evan Steven Koop, Benjamin Robert Little and Nicholas William
News Notes
VanDenBroeke. The four men of the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga in Ghana to be ordained are: Kevin Apatewen Abakisi, Robert Awinsobid Abotzabire, Peter Winimi Akudugu and Albert Bawe Wugaa. The ordination Mass, which is open to the public, will be followed by a reception.
Mendota Heights school. This culminating event in the school’s yearlong 125th anniversary celebration also included the unveiling and dedication of a bronze relief sculpture of the academy’s founder Archbishop John Ireland and longtime headmaster Archbishop John Roach.
St. Thomas Cadet review
Sister principal at St. Croix
For perhaps the first time ever, the St. Thomas Academy Corps of Cadets marched in rank April 26 for a formal Spring Review before both Archbishop John Nienstedt and Adjutant General of Minnesota Maj. Gen. Richard Nash. Family, alumni and community members were also in attendance at the
St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater will welcome Dominican Sister Mary Juliana as principal for the 2011-2012 school year. The Sisters of the St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, Tenn., arrived at St. Croix Catholic in 2002; however, Sister Mary Juliana will be the first sister to serve as principal, said
Father Michael Miller, pastor of the Stillwater churches of St. Michael and St. Mary and canonical administrator for the school.
Saint John’s Bible event St. Hubert in Chanhassen and Holy Family High School in Victoria will celebrate the generous gift of the Heritage Edition of the St. John’s Bible during a special event from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at St. Hubert, 8201 Main St. The event includes workshops on sacred art, calligraphy, Scripture and a presentation from St. John’s on the 14 year process of calligraphy, illustration and illumination, along with special activities for children.