Why I am Catholic

By Henry Radoc

My name is Henry Radoc. I am 18 years old and a senior at Central High School in St. Paul.

I sing in a few different choirs in my spare time, and I perform in theater often. Most recently, I directed a show at my high school. Next year, I will attend North Dakota State University.

I am a Catholic. I attend Mass at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Maplewood, which is a few blocks from my house. I have gone there since I was born. I have had every single major sacrament so far in my life (except for confirmation, which was at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul) at this church. I was baptized as a baby in 2005 and remain active in the church.

My time in the Church has taught me many things about myself and my place in the world. I am Catholic because the teachings of Jesus and the Church make sense to me from a moral standpoint. I believe that one must not judge anyone for what they believe in or what they do because everyone comes from different places in life and it’s what the Lord commanded us to do. I also believe that the Church has given me an idea that evangelization comes in the form of service to others. I strive to be as helpful as I can, from driving my friends who don’t have cars, to packing meals at Feed My Starving Children, to donating blood annually and being an organ donor. If I can help one person live, I will have done my job well.

I have felt that through my many years of being in public

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schools and performing in churches that are not Catholic, I have strengthened my faith. I have been exposed to all different types of people and beliefs, and though I choose to believe some and disregard others, I find that the ones that challenge my way of thinking help cement my beliefs even further. Thinking about an opposing viewpoint allows me to come up with a justification that makes me believe in the Church more. Even though I am not perfect in my ways and in my faith, I believe that what the Church and the teachings of Jesus have taught me will serve me for years to come.

Radoc is part of St. Paul-based Minnesota Boychoir. He enjoys golfing, badminton and, most recently, pickleball.

“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholiCSpirit@arChSpm org with subject line “Why I am Catholic.”

Reduce/Reuse Rummage Sale — April 27-29 at St. John Vianney, 19th Ave. N., South St. Paul. April 27 5–7 p.m. presale, admission $5; April 28 10 a.m.–5 p.m., April 29 9 a.m.–noon ($5 bag sale). sjvssp org

Crafters Spring Sale — April 29-30 at Guardian Angels, 8260 4th St. N., Oakdale. Unique items for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, gifts for teachers, weddings and birthdays. Includes: quilts, blankets, throws, kitchen essentials, children and baby items and home décor. Also, plant sale, bake sale and quilt raffle. tinyurl com/yzt52ese holychildhoodparish org

Rummage Sale — May 4-5: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. at Holy Childhood, 1435 Midway Parkway, St. Paul. No entrance fee. Clothing, furniture, housewares, books, toys and games. May 5 is Bag Day. Entrance in parking lot behind church off Pascal Street.

Spring Rummage Sale — May 4-6 at Holy Name, 11th Ave. S., Minneapolis. Preview sale (admission churchoftheholyname org stgabrielhopkins org

$1/person): May 4, 4–7:30 p.m.; May 5, 9–5 p.m.; May 6 (Bag Day, $2/bag), 9 a.m.–noon. Books, clothing, furniture, household items, jewelry, toys and more.

Spring Rummage Sale — May 4-6 at St. Gabriel the Archangel (St. Joseph’s campus), 1310 Mainstreet, Hopkins. 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m. May 4; 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. May 5; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. May 6. Household goods, clothes, crafts, books, furniture, jewelry, yard and holiday items, toys, hardware and electric tools.

Silver Tea and Discipleship Reflection for Women

— May 7: 1–3 p.m. at The Lowell Inn, 102 Second St. N., Stillwater. The Silver Tea is a fundraiser for church renovations at St. Mary, Stillwater. Includes High Tea at the Historic Lowell Inn and a reflection by Father Austin Barnes: “The Discipleship of Women, a Call to

ASK FATHER MIKE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14B done for us.

Because the Second Person of the Trinity took on our human nature and lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead in our human nature, we have the possibility of experiencing new life. Because of what he has done, we can have eternal life. Because the good God has met us in our misery, we do not have to worry about being “good enough.”

And this leads us to the third thing to remember: You are loved.

Your call is not to be good enough. Your call is to allow God to love you, and to respond to that love with love.

Follow Christ.” Tickets: $50. Call St. Mary church 651-439-1270. stmichaelandstmarystillwater org saintbonaventure org/garage-sale

Garage Sale — May 10-13 at St. Bonaventure, 901 E. 90th St., Bloomington. Preview sale ($2 admission): May 10, 5–8 p.m.; May 11, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; May 12, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (1/2 price day); May 13, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. ($5 Bag Day).

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend — May 5-7 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 1st Ave. S., Buffalo. wwme.org

Becoming Holy: Fully Alive in the Spirit — May 6: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at Shakopee Area Catholic School, 2700 17th Ave. E., Shakopee. Barbara Heil is a former Pentecostal minister who discovered she was baptized Catholic and felt drawn to take a class — which happened to be at the Catechetical Institute. Event will include her inspirational teaching, praise and worship, and individual prayer ministry. ccro-msp org/spring-conference

Spirit and Fire — May 12: 6:30–8:30 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima, 2048 Hamline Ave., Roseville. John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus would baptize with “the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11). Father Paveglio and parishioners will give teachings and testimonies. saintroseoflima net/news/spirit-and-fire

OTHER EVENTS

Family Rosary Procession — May 7: 1:15 p.m. at the State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., St. Paul. 2 p.m.: procession to The Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. If unable to process

This might sound too “fluffy” or too basic. This might sound too easy! But

I have discovered something in almost 20 years of being a priest and of trying to remind people about God’s love for them. Most people I meet have heard that God loves them. But most people do not believe that God loves them, they believe that God tolerates them.

Most people have never given God permission to do the one thing that the entire Bible is building toward: to allow God to love you as you are.

When we allow God to love us as we are, we no longer ask the question “Am I good enough?” because we know that we are not. We simply keep coming back to the better question (truly, it is the only question): “Does from the State Capitol to the Cathedral, come pray the rosary in the Cathedral starting at 2 p.m. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will be at the Capitol and the Cathedral. Parishes are encouraged to bring banners to represent their communities. First communicants are invited to wear first Communion attire. 75th anniversary. minnesotarosaryprocessions org

Franciscan International Award Dinner — May 11: 6–9 p.m. at The Wilds Golf Club, 3151 Wilds Ridge, Prior Lake. Dress up, enjoy a meal and hear a speaker support an inspirational, heartwarming cause. One World Surgery will be honored for providing surgical care to underserved communities in Honduras. franciscanretreats net/franciscan-international-award

Restorative Support for Victim-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30–8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victimsurvivors.

uVictim-Survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — First Mondays uSupport group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — Second Mondays uVictim-Survivor support group —Third Mondays uSurvivor Peace Circle — Third Tuesdays uSupport group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — Fourth Wednesdays uSupport group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — Second Thursday. For more information and to attend the virtual meetings, visit archspm org/healing. Questions? Contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for the archdiocese’s Restorative Justice and Abuse Prevention, at kaempfferp@archspm org or 651-291-4429.

God have my permission to love me as I am right now?” Because if he does, then everything changes. When we are succeeding, we do not become prideful because God is the one who loves us. When we are failing, we do not despair because God is the one who loves us. When we sin, we come back to him because God is the one who loves us. And when we are not good enough, we cast all our weaknesses on him because God is the one who loves us.

Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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