The Catholic Spirit - April 29, 2021

APRIL 29, 2021 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

AFTER THE VERDICT

As people across the Twin Cities and nation react to Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction for last year’s death of George Floyd, Catholic leaders point to Christ as source of hope and healing.

— Pages 5-6

NATIONAL GUARD PRAYER 4 | FALL SYNOD SMALL GROUPS 7 | CATHOLICS AT THE CAPITOL 8 RECLAIMING SABBATH 10-11 | ST. JOSEPH’S TWO FEAST DAYS 12 | PEDIATRICIAN MOM 13

Virtual

SATURDAY, MAY 8 AT 7 P.M.

Join us to celebrate and support local preschool-8th grade Catholic schools, and help us honor teachers and staff in this extraordinary year!

Learn more and register for free at cscoebash.org

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

PAGETWO The initiative will involve all the Shrines of the world in a special way, so that they might encourage the faithful, families, and communities to recite the Rosary to pray for an end to the pandemic.

From a press release issued by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization announcing that Pope Francis is encouraging Catholics around the world to pray during May for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the theme “The whole Church was fervently praying to God” drawn from Acts 12:5, the monthlong prayer event includes 30 Marian shrines from around the world. Pope Francis will open the event May 1 with a rosary, and on each following day in May, a rosary will be broadcast via Vatican News (vaticannews.va) from Marian shrines at 11 a.m. Central Time (6 p.m. in Rome).

NEWS notes

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CHURCH FIRE Father John Kutek, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Polish National Catholic Church in northeast Minneapolis, surveys fire damage to the church April 20. The blaze took place the previous evening. No one was injured, but the roof collapsed and flames ravaged much of the interior. The church is unaffiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, but has a historical connection to it, especially among some northeast Minneapolis Catholic parishes, which also minister to Polish immigrants. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and representatives of the Polish National Catholic Church have been in a formal dialogue for reunification since the early 1980s.

Four men will be ordained to the diaconate for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis 10 a.m. May 8 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. They are Connor McGinnis of All Saints in Lakeville, Joseph Nguyen of St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis, Michael Selenski of St. Paul in Ham Lake and John Utecht of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings. The men are in their third year of theological studies at The St. Paul Seminary, and anticipate being ordained priests in 2022. Due to COVID-19 limitations, the ordination Mass is closed to the public but will be livestreamed from the Cathedral of St. Paul’s Facebook page.

LOGOS, the journal of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, has launched a podcast, “Deep Down Things,” in collaboration with friends of St. Thomas Catholic Studies and the Oratory Media Project Inc. With its title drawn from Gerard Manly Hopkins’ poem “God’s Grandeur,” the podcast aims to include “Catholic thought, culture, and everything in between.” Hosts are Catholic Studies professor and LOGOS Journal editor Dave Deavel and managing editor (and The Catholic Spirit columnist) Elizabeth Kelly, with Father Byron Hagan and Father Bryce Evans, priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, offering spiritual reflections. “Deep Down Things” is available on most major podcasting platforms. Recent episodes have explored iconography, the Netflix series “Dark Mirror” and the Chilean poet José Miguel Ibáñez Langlois.

May 1 is Religious Brothers Day, an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for religious brothers in our lives. It also offers an opportunity to consider how Catholics invite, walk with and encourage young people to discern God’s call in their lives. Learn more at brothersvocation.org.

ALAN ORTEGA, REUTERS | CNS PHOTO

BESIEGED MEXICAN TOWN A bust of Christ hangs from a wall next to a bullet impact at an abandoned home near Aguililla, Mexico. Drug cartels have battled each other and blocked highways in the town, leaving residents unable to travel freely and causing shortages of everything from food to fuel. Archbishop Franco Coppola, papal ambassador to Mexico, traveled to the town in western Michoacán state April 23 to lead a procession and celebrate Mass.

“We in the Church cannot get involved in war, but we can tend to the wounded, to the people. My visit is to make people feel the Church is close, that they’re not alone and will not be abandoned,” the nuncio said. “The church must be at the side of the people, not fleeing.” The situation became so severe in Aguililla that eight bodies were found decapitated earlier in April, and one cartel used a drone to drop explosives on the police. The nuncio said he shared news of the beheadings on social media and had his account temporarily suspended.

As we look ahead to summer day trips, The Catholic Spirit asks, “What is your favorite Catholic historical site in Minnesota, and why?” Send responses of 200 words or less via an email to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line. Your reflection may be included in a future edition of The Catholic Spirit.

PRACTICING Catholic On the show that aired April 23, “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley interviews Therese Coons, who previews the Archdiocesan Synod’s small group series this fall, and Father Tad Pacholczyk, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, who discusses the ethics of COVID vaccines. A third segment is a speech by Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who addressed the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s Catholics at the Capitol event April 15. Listen each week on Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com, soundcloud.com/ practicingcatholic or tinyurl.com/practicing catholic.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

United in Faith, Hope and Love

Vol. 26 — No. 8 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor

The annual Family Rosary Procession from the State Capitol to the Cathedral of St. Paul will take place 2 p.m. May 2, with procession line-up beginning at 1:15 p.m. The event will be livestreamed from the Cathedral’s Facebook page. The event is sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in collaboration with the Family Rosary Processions Association. Learn more at minnesotarosaryprocessions.org.

As many parishioners have returned to in-person worship, Archbishop Bernard Hebda used a video message to remind Catholics across the archdiocese to continue taking pandemic-related precautions, such as remaining 6 feet from those of different households and wearing masks covering the nose and mouth while indoors. He expressed his gratitude to the faithful for their faithfulness to Christ, to his Church and their parishes during the pandemic, despite considerable challenges. “There is certainly reason for hope that the pandemic is waning, with so many of us now being vaccinated, myself included, yet each of us, vaccinated or not, must remain vigilant in our efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” he said. Watch the video on the archdiocese’s website, archspm.org/covid19, and its social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

CORRECTION A story in the March 25 edition incorrectly reported that parishioners of St. Joseph in West St. Paul gathered for Mass in the parish school beginning in 1949. Parishioners celebrated completion and dedication of the church-school auditorium Jan. 20, 1952.

ON THE COVER With tears of hope and relief from grief, Nakami Green of Minneapolis reacts in downtown Minneapolis to the April 20 guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, in the police-custody death of George Floyd, an African American. Hundreds gathered near the Hennepin County Courthouse to await the verdict in the trial, which was livestreamed. After Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts, those gathered hugged, cheered and celebrated what many there felt was a just verdict. “This means a lot to me,” Green said of the verdict, “knowing our voices have been heard.” DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Materials credited to CNS copy­righted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Cath­olic Spirit Newspaper.

Subscriptions: $29.95 per year; Senior 1-year: $24.95.

To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631.

Published semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (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, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857.

TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580

APRIL 29, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

The work of reconciliation

W

hile the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial seems to have brought a conclusion to a very tense chapter in our local history, the work of reconciliation — repairing and restoring right relationships with one another and with God — has to be ongoing.

In his latest encyclical letter, “Fratelli Tutti” (“Brothers and Sisters All”), Pope Francis reminds us that people of faith cannot be indifferent to the needs of our neighbors. We live in a world in which we are all connected, and it falls to us as believers to promote true fraternity, true “social friendship.” The Holy Father insightfully notes, “We need to develop the awareness that nowadays we are either all saved together or no one is saved. Poverty, decadence and suffering in one part of the earth are a silent breeding ground for problems that will end up affecting the entire planet” (No. 137). St. Paul made much the same point when he introduced the Corinthians to the analogy of the Body of Christ: “If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy” (1 Cor 12:26).

The Church teaches that in that web of relationships there is no place for anti-Semitism, or racism, or any other “ism” or prejudice that distorts our fundamental relationship as sons and daughters of one God, and as brothers and sisters of the Reconciler who offered his life for us on the cross. It’s the Evil One who divides and fragments, while Jesus is the one who accompanies and unites.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has promoted dialogue as a means for working for the unity that our Creator desires. In “Fratelli Tutti,” he distinguishes true dialogue from the “parallel monologues” that we see, for example, in “the feverish exchange of opinions on social networks”

El trabajo de reconciliación

S

i bien el veredicto en el juicio de Derek Chauvin parece haber llevado a una conclusión a un capítulo muy tenso en nuestra historia local, el trabajo de reconciliación — reparar y restaurar las relaciones correctas entre nosotros y con Dios — tiene que ser continuo.

En su última carta encíclica, “Fratelli Tutti” (“Hermanos y hermanas todos”), el Papa Francisco nos recuerda que las personas de fe no pueden ser indiferentes a las necesidades de nuestro prójimo. Vivimos en un mundo en el que todos estamos conectados, y nos corresponde a nosotros como creyentes promover la verdadera fraternidad, la verdadera “amistad social”. El Santo Padre observa con perspicacia: “Necesitamos desarrollar la conciencia de que hoy en día o somos todos salvos juntos o nadie es salvo. La pobreza, la decadencia y el sufrimiento en una parte de la tierra son caldo de cultivo silencioso de problemas que acabarán afectando a todo el planeta ” (n. 137).

San Pablo hizo lo mismo cuando presentó a los corintios la analogía del Cuerpo de Cristo: si (una) parte sufre, todas las partes sufren con él; si una parte es honrada, todas las partes comparten su alegría ”(1 Co 12,26).

La Iglesia enseña que en esa red

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Everlyn Wentzlaff, right, prays during vespers at St. Thomas More in St. Paul April 22. At left is Mary Fratto of St. Thomas More.

(No. 200). One of our tasks as Church is to see how we can facilitate true dialogue in a way that leads to greater unity.

In a statement issued shortly before the Chauvin verdict was announced, the leaders of the dioceses of Minnesota pledged our commitment to being facilitators of dialogue in the effort to bring healing into our communities. We bring to that mission our link to the universal Church. We’re blessed to be part of a Church centered on Christ that stretches around the world and that is multiracial and multicultural. We have had at least three African popes in our history, and the present Successor of St. Peter is a Latino with a truly global vision. He leads a Church that is found on all continents and that has been experiencing great growth in

de relaciones no hay lugar para el antisemitismo, el racismo o cualquier otro "ismo" o prejuicio que distorsione nuestra relación fundamental como hijos e hijas de un solo Dios, y como hermanos y hermanas del Reconciliador quien ofreció su vida por nosotros en la cruz. Es el Maligno quien divide y fragmenta, mientras que Jesús es quien acompaña y une.

A lo largo de su pontificado, el Papa Francisco ha promovido el diálogo como medio para trabajar por la unidad que desea nuestro Creador. En “Fratelli Tutti” distingue el verdadero diálogo de los “monólogos paralelos” que vemos, por ejemplo, en “el febril intercambio de opiniones en las redes sociales” (n. 200). Una de nuestras tareas como Iglesia es ver cómo podemos facilitar el verdadero diálogo de una manera que conduzca a una mayor unidad.

En una declaración emitida poco antes de que se anunciara el veredicto de Chauvin, los líderes de las diócesis de Minnesota prometieron nuestro compromiso de ser facilitadores del diálogo en el esfuerzo por traer sanación a nuestras comunidades.

Traemos a esa misión nuestro vínculo con la Iglesia universal. Tenemos la bendición de ser parte de una Iglesia centrada en Cristo que se extiende por todo el mundo y que es multirracial y multicultural. Hemos tenido al menos tres Papas africanos en nuestra historia, y el actual Sucesor de San

Africa, Asia and South America. While that sadly doesn’t insulate us from experiences of racism or prejudice even within the Church, it does give us the opportunity to bring to the table the wisdom and experience of a Church that has the potential of being at home in every society, and is limited to no one race, culture or nationality.

I have felt blessed in the course of my time here in the archdiocese by the witness to Christ that is given by a diverse family in faith. The universality of the Church is not merely theoretical here, but actually a lived reality. How grateful I am to be able to hear firsthand from our Black Catholic brothers and sisters in the Twin Cities their pained responses to the deaths of Philando Castile, George Floyd and Daunte Wright, or their concern for their kids. Or to learn from the parishioners at Gichitwaa Kateri about the experience of uprooted Native Americans, or from our Karen and Karenni brothers and sisters about the anxiety they are feeling as a result of martial law in Myanmar, or from young Hmong and Vietnamese Catholics who shared experiences of prejudice against Asian Americans in the midst of this pandemic, or from Latino leaders about families torn apart by immigration issues. That’s all within our archdiocesan faith family, and amazingly real and relevant as we strive to address the anxieties of our day. When the Catholic Church comes to the table as a partner in dialogue, we have the potential of bringing with us all of those rich experiences, experiences that have the opportunity of creating a natural bond with our brothers and sisters in need.

Please pray that we might use well the gifts and opportunities with which we have been blessed to build up an authentic fraternity between diverse groups and populations. As good listeners and partners in dialogue, may we be reconcilers after the heart of Jesus.

Pedro es un latino con una visión verdaderamente global. Dirige una Iglesia que se encuentra en todos los continentes y que ha experimentado un gran crecimiento en África, Asia y América del Sur. Si bien eso, lamentablemente, no nos aísla de las experiencias de racismo o prejuicio, incluso dentro de la Iglesia, sí nos da la oportunidad de traer a la mesa la sabiduría y la experiencia de una Iglesia que tiene el potencial de sentirse como en casa en todas las sociedades, y no se limita a una sola raza, cultura o nacionalidad.

Me he sentido bendecido en el transcurso de mi tiempo aquí en la arquidiócesis por el testimonio de Cristo que es dado por una familia diversa en la fe. La universalidad de la Iglesia no es aquí meramente teórica, sino en realidad una realidad vivida.

Cuán agradecido estoy de poder escuchar de primera mano a nuestros hermanos y hermanas católicos negros en las Ciudades Gemelas sus dolorosas respuestas a la muerte de Philando Castile, George Floyd y Daunte Wright, o su preocupación por sus hijos. O para aprender de los feligreses de Gichitwaa Kateri sobre la experiencia de los nativos americanos desarraigados, o de nuestros hermanos y hermanas Karen y Karenni sobre la ansiedad que sienten como resultado de la ley marcial en Myanmar, o de los jóvenes católicos hmong y vietnamitas que compartieron experiencias de

prejuicio contra los estadounidenses de origen asiático en medio de esta pandemia, o de los líderes latinos sobre familias desgarradas por problemas de inmigración. Todo eso está dentro de nuestra familia de fe arquidiocesana, y sorprendentemente real y relevante mientras nos esforzamos por abordar las ansiedades de nuestros días. Cuando la Iglesia Católica se sienta a la mesa como socia en el diálogo, tenemos el potencial de traer con nosotros todas esas ricas experiencias, experiencias que tienen la oportunidad de crear un vínculo natural con nuestros hermanos y hermanas necesitados.

Oren para que podamos utilizar bien los dones y oportunidades con los que hemos sido bendecidos para construir una auténtica fraternidad entre diversos grupos y poblaciones. Como buenos oyentes y colaboradores en el diálogo, que seamos reconciliadores según el corazón de Jesús.

OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointment in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective April 15, 2021 Deacon Kris Ringwall, assigned as permanent deacon of the Church of Saint Patrick in Cedar Creek. Deacon Ringwall is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Bismarck.

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

LOCAL

Peace prayer

SLICEof LIFE

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Father Michael Creagan reads a prayer during a gathering of faith leaders and members of the Minnesota National Guard in Minneapolis April 20. The Guard sought spiritual support as it prepared for a verdict and ensuing reaction in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd in May 2020. While the prayer event was taking place, word came that a verdict had been reached in the trial and would be announced later that afternoon. Chauvin was convicted on all three counts, and the Guard encountered mostly peaceful celebrations of the news. Father Creagan, pastor of St. Joseph in West St. Paul and a chaplain in the Guard, said he was glad to be asked to represent the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis at the prayer event. “It was a beautiful opportunity to gather with all the different representatives of various faith communities to pray for peace,” he said. “I think that’s important — that moment of gathering together is a great thing.” In anticipation of the trial verdict, Father Creagan worked consecutive 12-hour shifts April 18 and 19 visiting with Guard members and celebrating Masses at various locations in the Twin Cities.

No w 2 B Ava Liv edro ilabl ing om e 1 B Ap I art nde edro me pen om nt d Ho ent & me s

Leave a legacy that reflects your life.

It’s easy to make a legacy gift using the beneficiary designation on your retirement account. Your plan administrator or financial institution can help you assign your parish or favorite charity as the beneficiary.

Learn about more ways you can leave a charitable legacy.

Call 651.389.0300 or visit ccf-mn.org

“She’s spent a lifetime looking after me. Now I can return the favor.”

With age comes wisdom. And an opportunity to define the next chapter. Whether you’re looking for a new living option or helping a parent on their search, we can help. The Glenn is a welcoming Catholic community that provides daily spiritual support, a warm sense of family, and the ability to modify living arrangements from independent, assisted, memory care and care suites to suit your needs.

Call for information or to schedule your onsite tour today!

TheGlennHopkins.com | 952-467-8498 TheGlennMinnetonka.com | 952-479-8160

APRIL 29, 2021

LOCAL

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

What next?

After trial, Church leaders turn to Christ to heal ‘wound of racism’

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit As the Twin Cities and the nation continue to absorb events that led to the April 20 guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, leaders in the Catholic Church are pointing a way forward: Christ’s example of forgiveness, compassion and thirst for justice.

“We wish to hold up before all peoples the image of the Crucified Christ,” the bishops of Minnesota said in a statement issued shortly before the jury announced it had found Chauvin guilty on all counts: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and seconddegree manslaughter.

“Jesus Christ gave his life to bring eternal justice, reconciliation and salvation to all peoples. He is before us as a witness, because he is fully God and fully man, to the healing power of forgiveness, compassion, reconciliation and peace,” the bishops said.

There is work to do, the bishops said, observing that Chauvin’s trial reopened questions about the impact of racism on society and culture.

“As the U.S. bishops noted in a 2018 pastoral letter on racism, ‘Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,’ it is a sad and undeniable truth that racial prejudice and discrimination continue to impact the lives and livelihoods of millions of U.S. citizens,” the bishops said. “There is far too much evidence that prejudice has an impact in criminal justice matters, influencing not only the way individuals are treated by some police and court systems but also the rates of incarceration.

Whatever the verdict may be in the Chauvin trial, the Church remains committed to providing long-term leadership in eradicating the structures of sin and racism in Minnesota and beyond.”

Chauvin, who is white, was accused of causing Floyd’s death by kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes on May 25, 2020, after Floyd, an African American, was accused by a store clerk of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd resisted being taken into a squad car. As captured on a bystander’s cell phone and police body cameras, Floyd lay handcuffed, face down on the ground, and repeatedly told the officers he could not breathe before losing consciousness.

Chauvin is scheduled for sentencing in June. Three other officers are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

They face a joint trial in August.

Floyd’s death sparked weeks of protests and riots in the Twin Cities, across the country and parts of the world.

The trial lasted three weeks. Jurors deliberated about 10 hours over two days before delivering their verdict at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. Police and Minnesota National Guard officers patrolled the city’s streets throughout the trial. Fencing was erected in front of the government center and other buildings. Businesses boarded up their windows.

Just nine days before the verdict was rendered, another African American, Daunte Wright, was killed during a traffic stop in nearby Brooklyn Center, igniting several nights of protests and vandalism in that city. Police officers learned Wright had an outstanding warrant and began to arrest him. Wright tried to get back into his vehicle and he was shot and killed. Police said it appeared one of the officers, Kimberly Potter, who later resigned, mistook her gun for a Taser and shot Wright once in the chest. Potter is charged with second-degree manslaughter.

In the two-page Minnesota bishops’ statement released

by Minnesota Catholic Conference, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens were joined by the bishops or diocesan administrators of the state’s five other dioceses. They noted the violent protests that immediately followed Floyd’s death. Anger or hatred cannot prevail, the bishops said.

“The violent protests of these past months across our country have done very little to improve the lives of

People hug and cheer in downtown Minneapolis near the Hennepin County Government Center April 20 after the verdict was announced in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted on all counts.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

people of color living in intergenerational poverty or to address their basic needs for good schools and safer neighborhoods for their children, access to capital to start businesses, better social services, and support for marriages and families.”

“To heal the wound of racism, we must open our hearts to allow God’s amazing grace to be the light that fills us and the light that we share with our neighbors,” the bishops said. “As a diverse community, the Catholic Church is committed to changing hearts and minds and to moving the conversation about race in this country beyond accusations and recriminations toward practical, nonviolent solutions to the everyday problems that are encountered in these communities. We will continue to do this through teaching the truth of human dignity, offering charity to our neighbors of every race, and advocating for those who are most vulnerable.”

The Church also challenges assertions that the U.S. is “fundamentally racist,” the bishops said. “The truth is that, although we have much further to go, the nation has made great strides in addressing historic evils and wrongdoing. To deny or distort the truth about our history and the goals set and achieved, particularly by black Americans, misrepresents the truth and dishonors their sacrifices while also rhetorically disenfranchising and disempowering the heirs to the fruit of their efforts who are currently engaged in restorative justice efforts.”

Archbishop Hebda also released a statement after the verdict, calling it “a sobering moment for our community.”

Jesus calls people to a deeper respect for human life, he said. “We ask him to bring healing into our communities, comfort to the family of George Floyd and all who mourn, and satisfaction to those who thirst for justice.”

The jurors’ verdict in Chauvin’s case did not lead to more protests and riots. It was met with relief and hope among many who gathered to hear it in front of the Government Center. A celebratory mood prevailed at the George Floyd Memorial, the site where Floyd was killed.

Carole Burton, a business leadership and workplace trainer and a member of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, told The Catholic Spirit several days after the verdict that she followed the trial and recognized its significance. But it was a moment, said Burton, 53, who is Black.

“It’s an important moment,” she said. “We as Catholics have a lot of work to do. In our workplaces and where we gather in large places, that is where change will take place.

It’s up to us to commit and to opt in and to dig in.”

Everlyn Wentzlaff, 69, a parishioner at St. Peter Claver in St. Paul who helped organize a Peaceful Presence prayer time in the church during the trial, said she sees the Church’s role as “being there for the community and to listen, and to speak up and to speak out.” She also wants to see people of color “at the table” as the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis addresses racism and racial injustice.

“We are here, and we want to be seen, and we want to be heard,” said Wentzlaff, who is Black and who converted to Catholicism 25 years ago. “Catholics can be supportive. You don’t have to be Black to support Black people.”

President Joe Biden called Floyd’s family after the

verdict was announced. The president and Vice President Kamala Harris later remarked on the trial from the White House foyer. Biden said the verdict could mark a step forward, but much work remains to be done to confront systemic racism, which he called “a stain on our nation’s soul.”

St. Catherine University in St. Paul closed April 21 for a day of reflection. “We pray for peace, for strength and for love of the dear neighbor,” a university Instagram post said.

Since Floyd’s death, Archbishop Hebda has been encouraging the faithful of the archdiocese to join him in prayers for peace and justice. In the days following Floyd’s death, he expressed horror at what was shown in the bystander’s video.

“It’s shocking that there could be in anybody’s heart such an absence of concern for human life,” he told The Catholic Spirit May 29, 2020. “And listening to him (Floyd) say that he can’t breathe, or listening to him call to his mother, it’s gut wrenching. I’ve said that before, and that hasn’t really subsided. … That video is probably more devastating than anything I’ve ever seen.”

On the weekend before the trial began, the archbishop shared prayer with other faith leaders in front of the Government Center. As closing arguments were scheduled to begin, the archbishop held a special Mass “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice” at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, and he urged all priests of the archdiocese to celebrate that special Mass on the same day.

At the April 19 Mass, the archbishop in his homily noted that the issues of racism, peace and justice are larger than one person can solve, but that does not mean people should do nothing.

“We can’t singlehandedly force healing to those who feel the wounds of racism in our land,” the archbishop said. “We can’t bring George Floyd back to life, or Daunte Wright back to life. Does that mean we do nothing?

Absolutely not.”

Catholic parishes and schools in the archdiocese responded to the protests, riots and unrest with prayers, workshops and study groups on racism. The day after Wright’s death, Father Paul Shovelain, pastor of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, got on his church roof and prayed a rosary he livestreamed on Facebook as he gazed at the homes and businesses, churches and schools of Brooklyn Center, only miles away.

On April 17, Father Paul Jarvis, pastor of St. Bridget in north Minneapolis, and several parishioners walked the neighborhood in an ecumenical group called Come Together, praying for all victims of violence.

Dean Rademacher, parish director at St. Joseph in New Hope, said parishioners there recently formed a Peace and Justice Commission. Its first project is a book club meeting via Zoom to discuss chapter-by-chapter a book titled “A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota,” a 2016 compilation of 16 essays by people of color from the Minnesota Historical Society. Discussions are impactful, and they mark a step in the direction of greater understanding, Rademacher said.

“We always tie it into Catholic social teaching,” he said. “There is a wisdom that’s been around a long time.”

LOCAL

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

In St. Paul, two parishes offer ‘Peaceful Presence’ during, after Chauvin trial

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Four women sat quietly, spread out in the back pews of St. Peter Claver in St. Paul in the early evening of April 20.

It was less than two hours after a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of murder in last year’s death of George Floyd. Across the city, people were gathering in many different ways to acknowledge the verdict. These women chose the silence of the Midway neighborhood church, built for a traditionally African American congregation.

The two-hour opportunity for prayer was planned before the verdict — organizers wanted to open the church’s doors nightly during the jury’s deliberation. Even with the verdict, it seemed appropriate to gather for prayer, said Everlyn Wentzlaff, 69, a St. Peter Claver parishioner who helped to organize the event.

“We decided to come today to be still, to be calm, to be in a peaceful, safe place,” she said.

St. Peter Claver’s event was connected to a time for prayer offered throughout the trial at nearby St. Thomas More, located a mile south of St. Peter Claver, across Interstate 94. Every weekday since March 8, the day before jury selection began, St. Thomas More has offered a Peaceful Presence, quiet prayer in its church from 3-5 p.m.

At both locations, participants were met with a sign-in sheet (for COVID-19 tracing, if necessary), a prayer booklet and buttons with a dove that read “Know Justice, Know Peace.” People came and went. Some stayed a short time, others stayed for a while. On some days, a dozen or so people arrived. On other days, it was just a few.

“We go in and sit in silence. We light a candle … and whoever wants to come in can come in,” said Mary Fratto, who helped to organize Peaceful Presence at St. Thomas More, the Twin Cities’ only Jesuit parish. “It’s really nice to go to a place where you can be quiet and read the prayers for peace and think about what’s going on in the city.”

Fratto, 68 and retired from a career in insurance, was inspired by something she and other Ignatian Associates had organized in 2008, when St. Paul hosted the Republican National Convention.

At that time, an ecumenical Peaceful Presence prayer time was offered at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Paul. Some participants continued the gathering monthly well beyond the convention — until COVID-19 restrictions prevented them

Wentzlaff, the chairperson of St. Peter’s social justice committee, said she closely followed the aftermath of Floyd’s murder, including Chauvin’s trial.

“It’s just been an everyday presence in our lives, especially when the trial started,” she said.

When the verdict was read, she was at her Woodbury home with her husband, with a good friend on the phone so they could be together. She said she cried tears of gratitude as she heard the guilty verdicts being read.

“My emotional space has been exhausted,” she said. Still, it was important for her to gather with others at St. Peter Claver that evening.

MARIA WIERING | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

ABOVE Everlyn Wentzlaff stands outside St. Peter Claver in St. Paul April 20 during Peaceful Presence.

RIGHT Pat and Gary Sauer of St. Thomas More in St. Paul pray during vespers at St. Thomas More April 22 in memory of Daunte Wright.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

from meeting in person last year.

St. Thomas More formed an AntiRacism Task Force following Floyd’s death May 25, 2020. In seeking a response to Chauvin’s trial, the task force decided to invite community members to their church for a quiet place to pray, especially for a peaceful response to the verdict, Fratto said.

Speaking to The Catholic Spirit while the jury was still deliberating April 20, Fratto said Peaceful Presence has helped her stay calm in a turbulent time. “I don’t know how much good we’re doing, but I feel like things are better because we’re here,” she said.

The time of quiet prayer helped her put the trial in God’s hands and trust in his plan, she said. The focus was prayer for justice and peace, not a particular verdict — but, whatever the verdict, that it would be received without a repeat of the rioting and violence in the Twin Cities that followed Floyd’s death last year.

On April 18, a vehicle with members of the Minnesota National Guard, whom Gov. Tim Walz activated to protect the Twin Cities during the Chauvin trial, was

fired upon in north Minneapolis from a passing vehicle. A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting, which left two Guardsmen with minor injuries.

“Things are tense, so tense,” said Fratto, who is white. “There’s a lot to pray for.”

After the jury convicted Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, St. Thomas More planned a final Peaceful Presence event for April 22, followed by a vespers service in memory of Daunte Wright, a Black man killed during an encounter with law enforcement in Brooklyn Center April 11, whose funeral was planned for earlier that day at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis.

St. Peter Claver parishioners planned to continue their Peaceful Presence gatherings through the rest of the week.

On the evening of April 20, Wentzlaff said the time in prayer has meant “being in spirit, being in a peaceful place where I can be still, and listen to what God would have me do during this time.”

“All day, waiting, and finally seeing the verdict had been reached, and having so much anxiety, so much nervousness and so much emotion. … Not being able to sleep last night since the jury was out,” she said. “I think today was so important to come and give thanksgiving for justice for the Floyd family, and for us all, for that matter.”

Also at St. Peter Claver’s Peaceful Presence was longtime parishioner Joan Pasiuk, 67. “I needed to be in community tonight,” she said. “This is where it’s good to feel the relief and energy to keep going. It’s onward from here. Also, to be grateful to think about how many people tonight are facing a different world — families who were affected and all the people involved in the trial. It feels nice to feel connected to all of that. … It’s a turning point, with a small ‘t.’”

“It’s important to mark this day,” she continued. “It’s a meaningful day.”

As Pasiuk, a St. Paul resident who is white, stood outside St. Peter Claver, tears suddenly filled her eyes, and she paused.

“It kind of (just) hit me,” she explained.

“I’m just kind of feeling extra alive, I guess. Connected. Connected with lots of people.”

An African American, Wentzlaff said the verdict has relieved some of the tension that has afflicted the Twin Cities community, especially around racial justice issues that were heightened in the wake of Floyd’s death. Now she hopes people of all races will look at what they can do to eliminate racism, including working with law enforcement and lawmakers.

“I think George Floyd’s death was a wake-up call for us all, and people are hearing that wake-up call and addressing it,” she said. “The young people and the youth are really getting it, and they’re out here, and they’ll be out here working for justice. It’s time for everybody to just breathe — and then get back to work.”

Archbishop Hebda, Bishop Cozzens focus on healing and continued dialogue

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Every day at 8 a.m. since March 9, when jury selection began in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the May 2020 death of George Floyd, a spiritual leader in the Twin Cities has hosted an online prayer of reflection. Three days after Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter, Archbishop Bernard Hebda offered his prayers and reflections

during the 30-minute interfaith prayer service. Jesus’ example offers the way forward to greater forgiveness, compassion, reconciliation and peace, the archbishop said April 23.

Called the “Healing Our City Virtual Prayer Tent,” the online sessions were organized by Healing Our City, an initiative of the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement led by the Rev. Kelly Chatman. The ongoing prayer sessions can be found at healingourcity.org.

The archbishop’s presence at the prayer service was one example of continuing efforts to bring healing to the Twin Cities after Floyd’s death sparked protests and riots, and brought greater attention to the issues of racism and racial justice.

Healing and dialogue will continue, and it will be important to distinguish between seeking justice and feeling the need for revenge, having peaceful but complex, emotional conversations and finding ways to forgive, Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, whose

adopted brother is African American, said in an extensive interview for “Practicing Catholic,” a production of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Relevant Radio 1330 AM that will air 9 p.m. April 30.

“What I think is important is to be able to listen to people, because what we’re really trying to do is to help people explore where the truth is in this great struggle that we have experienced, especially a struggle over many years now for racial justice,” Bishop Cozzens said.

LOCAL

APRIL 29, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

Save the date(s): Synod small groups to take place this fall

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Over the course of six weeks in the fall, parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will share a single focus: a small group series centered on the three focus areas Archbishop Bernard Hebda has chosen for the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod.

During that time, Archbishop Hebda has asked that parishes suspend other adult faith formation events to focus on Synod small groups. Sacramental preparation, such as classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and confirmation, as well as children’s formation, will continue without interruption during this time. Parish small group discussions will help shape the Synod and a resulting pastoral plan for the archdiocese’s immediate future in 2023 and beyond.

Parishes plan to hold the six-week series between mid-September and mid-November, but schedules will vary by parish location. As fall draws near, Catholics can expect communication from their parishes regarding their specific timing for small groups.

At each two-hour session, participants will be guided via videos through prayer and teaching before discussion around the Synod’s three focus areas. Those areas are: Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, and forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.

The focus areas were discerned following 30 Prayer and Listening Events throughout the archdiocese in fall 2019 and winter 2020, which were attended by Archbishop Hebda and, in most cases, Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens. More than 8,000 people attended, sharing more than 35,000 comments. After prayer and consultation, Archbishop Hebda announced the three focus areas in August 2020, and invited Catholics to join the parish small groups to discuss them and help arrive at creative ideas and solutions for the Church moving forward.

“These are the topics that your neighbors and parishes chose as being the most important things facing our local Catholic Church today,” said Jean Stolpestad, the JEAN STOLPESTAD archdiocese’s director of Marriage, Family and Life.

“This is your opportunity to come in and be part of the solution — to enliven your Catholic faith and address those things that you’re worried about as well as those things you’re excited about,” she said.

A member of the Synod Executive Committee, Stolpestad, along with Synod Director Therese Coons, have been leading weekly trainings for “parish small group process managers” and their teams who will oversee the small group process at their parishes.

Parish ambassadors — those Catholics who have

New ACCW president: group boosts spirituality, leadership qualities

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Mickey Nickelson said her mother was always volunteering at church.

“So, it’s been part of my blood,” she said, adding that many women look for ways to use their gifts.

Nickelson, 76, a parishioner of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, said she has many interests, but one passion is matching people’s gifts with service needs, a trait that will come in handy in her new role as incoming president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women.

Her two-year term as president begins April 30, when she will be installed at the annual ACCW convention at St. Patrick in Shieldsville. She will succeed Betty Berge, a parishioner of Divine Mercy in Faribault.

Nickelson said some days it’s a little daunting to take on the task, “but one thing about these women, you don’t do it by yourself at all.

There’s no one who said ‘I’ did it. If someone does a great job planning a retreat, there’s just no sense that the person did it alone.”

There’s a humility among the membership, she said, “and a richness in this group that I’m so happy about.”

The ACCW works with Council of Catholic Women groups across the archdiocese to support all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. CCW groups serve their parishes and communities in a wide variety of ways, such as preparing funeral lunches, supporting charitable causes and hosting parish retreats.

The organization empowers women to enrich their spirituality and their leadership qualities, Nickelson said. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”

A former teacher and

ACCW AWARDS

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

After some 15 years of involvement with the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Mickey Nickelson is becoming its president, a role she begins April 30. development director for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Nickelson has been involved with ACCW for about 15 years — six at the archdiocesan level. She started with her parish CCW serving funeral lunches, then chaired that effort for a month, and was a parish representative to its deanery, a geographical grouping of parishes within the archdiocese.

Every time she attended a CCW meeting, she learned something new, she said.

“I think once you open the door, you just start doing other things,” she said. “I don’t think we should ever stop learning.”

For Nickelson, it matters that the CCW is an outreach of women.

“The thing about this organization is that when people come together, no matter what else goes on, if you don’t have time to sit with other women and tell your story, this organization would not last,” she said. “We could do a bloodmobile through our own community. But there’s something that happens when the women come together and do things together. There is ... the

Four women from the archdiocese will be recognized for their service at the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women’s annual convention April 30 at St. Patrick in Shieldsville, with the organization’s Laywoman Volunteer Awards. The winners were announced in 2020 but last year’s ACCW convention was canceled due to the pandemic. No new winners were announced in 2021.

Being recognized are Cindy Barta from Divine Mercy in Faribault, Agnes Dynes from Holy Childhood in St. Paul, Patricia Reinardy from St. Pius V in Cannon Falls and Jane Taylor from St. Bridget of Sweden in Lindstrom.

Read about their activities and accomplishments at thecatholicspirit.com.

— Barb Umberger spirituality that comes across, and this organization is not afraid to do new things. They see a need and they fulfill it.”

For example, years ago one member learned of a need in an Appalachian community. CCW members across the archdiocese now collect gifts for two Appalachian parishes each year.

Gifts for all ages fill a semitrailer.

Seanne Harris, president of Nativity Council of Catholic Women at Nativity of Our Lord, said its board is proud that one of their own has taken on this leadership role. Harris, who has known Nickelson for at least 20 years, said she brings a wonderful perspective to the council. “She appreciates the past and enthusiastically embraces the new,” Harris said. At Nativity, Harris said she could count on Nickelson’s willingness to cheerfully take on any job. “Mickey lives her faith out loud and is such a caretaker of our Church,” she said.

served from the start of the Synod as ambassadors of prayer, invitation and communication at their parishes — along with parish staff are welcome to attend the trainings, too.

Father Joseph Bambenek, the Synod’s assistant director, called the small groups “an opportunity to engage with fellow parishioners on what’s important in the Church.”

After months of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the social dimension of parish life, the Synod small groups also create a natural way for Catholics to come together with their fellow parishioners for an important purpose and deep discussion about important matters, Synod leaders said. For that reason, the small groups are expected to benefit the archdiocese, the parish and parishioners themselves.

At this time, parishes may be seeking parishioners to be small group facilitators or scribes, who will receive training on their roles in the small groups in August and September.

Stolpestad said she hopes that Catholics from all backgrounds and experiences will participate in the small groups. “Whether you’re a daily Massgoer or maybe you’ve been away from the Church for a while, everybody can address the issues we’re talking about,” she said. “The greatest thing would be to come with an open mind, and not to be afraid to invite others with you.”

in REMEMBRANCE Priest remembered by those who shared his St. Paul roots

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Joe Ferraro first met Father Bryan O’Rourke in 1944 while walking to his first day of kindergarten at St. Mark School in St. Paul. Ferraro recalled those grade school days and a lifelong friendship with the priest, who died April 17 in Los Angeles. He was 81.

Ferraro went to grade school and high school with Father O’Rourke, with the two graduating from then-Cretin High School in 1957. One of Ferraro’s earliest memories of Father O’Rourke was from the FATHER third grade, when the Ferraro family built an altar for the one- BRYAN O’ROURKE day priest in their attic. Ferraro’s mom sewed him vestments, and the boys would play Mass. “He’d be the priest and I’d be the altar boy,” Ferraro recalled.

Father O’Rourke put on vestments for real after being ordained to the priesthood in 1966 in Marathon, Wisconsin, for the Capuchin Franciscan Friars, Province of St. Joseph. For a time, his older brother Jerry was in the order, eventually leaving and getting married.

Father O’Rourke had long wanted to be the pastor of St. Mark, said Pat Hartshorn, a longtime parishioner and sacristan at St. Mark who was a year behind Father O’Rourke at the school. Father O’Rourke was incardinated into the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1989, and became pastor of St. Mark in 2001, his last assignment before retiring in 2007. Other local parishes where he served were St. Mary of the Lake in Plymouth (1991-2001), Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul (19891991) and St. Michael in Stillwater (1989).

Hartshorn remembers the priest’s care for everyone and his heart for the poor and disadvantaged. After retiring, Father O’Rourke moved to Los Angeles and continued his work for the poor through Cross Catholic Outreach. “He was really a compassionate guy, especially for people who were down and out or needed consoling,” said Hartshorn.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

LOCAL

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

Advocacy day in St. Paul highlights role of Catholics in building a society of care, love TAKING A STAND

By Joe Towalski The Central Minnesota Catholic The Catholic vision of social justice is rooted in building a society in which people love and take care of one another, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez said in his keynote address April 15 at Catholics at the Capitol in St. Paul.

Pope Francis lays out that vision in his most recent encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” which in its call for human dignity and living as sisters and brothers also calls for action, Archbishop Gomez said via a video shown at the Cathedral of St. Paul, where the daylong event was organized by the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

“Friends, our task in this moment is to bring this beautiful vision to our public discourse, to awaken this awareness of God’s love in the hearts of our brothers and sisters,” he said. “We also have, in this moment, an important duty to be peacemakers and reconcilers. We need to help bring people together and help them realize our common humanity.”

About 800 people registered for the online event, which included students from several area Catholic high schools. In addition to Archbishop Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, participants heard an address from Obianuju Ekeocha, founder of Culture of Life Africa, and received issue briefings on a few legislative priorities identified by the MCC, the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in the state.

The event moved to a virtual format due to security and other concerns following the police shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center April 11 and five subsequent nights of protests.

Archbishop Gomez said the people of his archdiocese and the nation’s bishops were praying for the Church in Minnesota during this challenging time.

“We pray for peace and we pray for justice, and we pray for the families of all those involved in the latest violence,” he said. “Please know that the Church remains committed to providing long-term leadership in the struggle against racism throughout the United States.”

Participants also heard a panel discussion with Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt. Participants planned to meet the next day with local legislators via Zoom.

Catholics at the Capitol began with a morning Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, where Archbishop Bernard Hebda was joined by St. Cloud Bishop Donald Kettler, New Ulm Bishop Emeritus John LeVoir, St. Paul-Minneapolis Auxiliary Bishop

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Interspersed throughout the day were issue briefings presented by the bishops and policy experts. The topics addressed: uRecreational marijuana: Catholics are urged to oppose bills — H.F. 600 (Winkler) and S.F. 757 (Franzen) — that would create a commercial recreational marijuana industry in Minnesota.

Addressing participants, Bishop Andrew Cozzens said the bills would introduce another vice into society that would lower public morality and harm people, especially young people. Despite the claims made by some proponents of the legislation, Bishop Cozzens and others who spoke on the issue noted that, in states where legalization has occurred, arrest rates have increased, youths readily have access to the drug and road safety suffers.

“Today’s marijuana is not the marijuana of the past,” said Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and former drug policy adviser in three U.S. presidential administrations. “We’re talking about

In a presentation livestreamed from her home in the United Kingdom, Obianuju Ekeocha described how she went from her work in biomedical science to the international stage fighting against the ideological colonization of her native Africa. Ekeocha founded and is president of Culture of Life Africa, an organization that promotes an authentic culture of life in Africa and beyond.

She also is an internationally acclaimed strategist, speaker, author, social activist and documentary filmmaker.

She said that she was motivated to begin her work when she learned of efforts by Melinda Gates and her husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, to provide artificial contraception to women in the world’s poorest countries. Overnight, she typed a 2,000-word essay about it on her phone and sent it to an EWTN show host who read it on the air. Her essay went viral and “God took it from there and took care of everything,” she said.

She started traveling upon invitation to countries at risk of legalizing abortion and worked with lawmakers. She said her journey and mission is to go into countries, try to advise and help the people, to make their voices heard, and to help them organize, because African countries are already pro-life.

— Barb Umberger

STAYING CONNECTED DIANNE TOWALSKI | THE CENTRAL MINNESOTA CATHOLIC

Alejandra Chavez-Rivas spoke at Catholics at the Capitol in support of driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants and immigration reform, and shared how she has benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Andrew Cozzens, and Father James Bissonette, administrator for the Diocese of Duluth.

In his homily, Archbishop Hebda offered a framework for Catholic action in the public square, citing Pope Francis among other sources.

The pope speaks of politics “as a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity inasmuch as it seeks the common good,” the archbishop said.

“Our focus today at Catholics at the Capitol, not surprisingly, is going to be on helping those in need, of transforming society in a way that serves the common good by lovingly calling to the forefront the needs of those most vulnerable and holding up the dignity of each human life,” he said.

During a panel discussion, both Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) stressed the importance of constituents connecting with their elected representatives and forming a relationship with them.

“Each contact from somebody who lives in our legislative district is really meaningful,” said Hortman, who is Catholic. “So, it’s very well worth your time to send an email, or give a phone call, or try to go to a meeting in person where your state legislator is — town hall meetings which are currently on Facebook Live or Zoom. We are really led by the people of Minnesota and what their concerns are.”

“I always encourage people to have a relationship with their legislators,” said Daudt, who is Lutheran. “You never want the first time you meet your legislator to be when you’re knocking on their door asking for something. It’s always good if they know who you are and you’ve reached out to them before. … I can assure you they will be more likely to listen if you have some relationship with them.”

Following the day’s briefings and discussion, the event ended with Benediction and a blessing of the Capitol and the city.

Towalski is editor for The Central Minnesota Catholic, magazine of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

something that’s 10 to 30 times stronger than it used to be.”

“Our young people are struggling,” Bishop Cozzens said. “Our young people are living in a very difficult world. The COVID-19 crisis has simply made that worse. We all know that anxiety, loneliness and depression are on the rise among our young people. The studies show that marijuana use increases the risk for suicide and depression among young people.” uImmigrant driver’s licenses: Alejandra Chavez-Rivas identified herself as a recipient of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects young people who qualify from deportation. Chavez-Rivas was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. with her siblings at age 5 when her mother left a desperate economic situation and crossed the border with them.

When she turned 16, Chavez-Rivas couldn’t get a job or driver’s license because of her status. In 2012, DACA allowed her to attend college. But her DACA status was not renewed under the Trump administration, and she lost her license and jobs that made it possible to attend the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and care for a daughter. Living in Monticello, she would drive to St. Paul every

day without a license and would pray to Mary to “cover me under her mantle to protect me as I made the commute to and from school.”

“I knew if I got pulled over by the police for anything, I would be detained and face deportation proceedings,” said Chavez-Rivas, who has since graduated from St. Thomas and had her DACA status renewed. It must be renewed every two years and does not clear a pathway to citizenship. That path has been hard to secure under current immigration policies.

“I stand here today to advocate on this issue and the need to legalize licenses for all and to push for immigration reform,” she said.

H.F. 1163 (Winkler) would create an opportunity for undocumented immigrants to learn the rules of the road and take a driving test in order to receive a noncompliant driver’s license enabling them to legally drive, helping them to meet their daily needs without the fear of family separation. It would not allow the holder to board a flight, enter federal buildings or be used for any other official purposes.

“We need to lessen the fears that our immigrant people have on a daily basis and always work so that separation of family members never happens,” Bishop Donald Kettler told participants. “Our country was

— Joe Towalski

founded and developed by immigrants. I hope we will do today what others did for us years ago.” uPrenatal rights: Attendees were encouraged to oppose H.F. 259 (Morrison) and S.F. 731 (McEwen), the “Protect Reproduction Options Act.” The legislation would do three things, according to Jason Adkins, MCC executive director: enshrine in law and statutes a “right to abortion” in all stages of fetal development; overturn existing laws and protections that safeguard women’s health and ensure they’re making an informed decision; and leave an unborn child vulnerable to testing and experimentation.

Father James Bissonette pointed to St. John Paul II’s encyclical “The Gospel of Life” for guidance: “Those means that respect the life and integrity of the human embryo directed toward its healing and survival are licit. But the use of human embryos or fetuses as an object of experimentation is a crime against their dignity as human beings and persons.”

Supplemental legislative materials made available online by MCC also addressed physician-assisted suicide, nonpublic education and education tax credits.

— Joe Towalski

APRIL 29, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

NATION+WORLD Head of Irish bishops calls new law on Mass attendance ‘draconian’

By Michael Kelly Catholic News Service

with the government “and we request the suspension of this harsh and unclear statutory instrument.”

The head of the Irish bishops’ conference said the government’s move to criminalize attendance at Mass as part of COVID-19 regulations was a “potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights.”

Churches in the Irish Republic have been closed for public worship since Dec. 26, but the government has claimed that this was a matter of regulation rather than law. However, on April 16, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly signed a new law, known as a statutory instrument, making it a criminal offense.

“The precise provisions are unclear and at first reading appear to be draconian, going further than the restrictions we have been cooperating with throughout the pandemic to date,” said Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland.

“We shall be seeking legal counsel to advise on several questions concerning the extent of the statutory instrument.”

He also said the bishops were seeking “an immediate meeting”

“We consider the publication of this statutory instrument, together with associated penal provisions, to be provocative and formally enacting a potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights,” Archbishop Martin said.

“Together with other churches and faith communities, we have been cooperating fully with public health messages for more than a year now.

... It is highly disappointing then that, despite the reassurances of the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) to church leaders only two days ago that he understood the importance of faith and worship to the people of Ireland, this statutory instrument was introduced in a clandestine manner and without notice or consultation.

“We consider this to be a breach of trust,”Archbishop Martin said.

The Archdiocese of Armagh straddles the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. North of the border, churches have been reopened since late March. However, in the Republic, public worship remains online only.

Meanwhile, a case before the High Court challenging the ban on public worship is due to be heard April 27.

Similar bans in nearby jurisdictions have been found to be unlawful.

CILLIAN KELLY | CNS

Catholics stand outside Sts. Anne and Mary Cathedral in Cork, Ireland, April 4 praying that it would be open for Easter Mass during the COVID-19 pandemic. Churches in the Irish Republic have been closed for public worship since Dec. 26, but on April 16, the health minister made it a crime to celebrate or attend a public Mass.

HEADLINES u Gunmen in South Sudan wound bishopelect weeks before his installation.

Unidentified gunmen broke into the home of the bishop-elect of Rumbek, South Sudan, shot him in both legs and fled April 26. In stable condition after emergency surgery, Italian-born Bishopelect Christian Carlassare, 43, was to be transferred to a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Three priests were arrested in the incident.

ADVERTORIAL

4 Easy Ways to Leave a Charitable Legacy You strive to live a good life on earth, with the assurance of eternal life after we pass. You’d like to be remembered for how you lived — with kindness, compassion, and wisdom. One way to have your legacy reflect your life is through a charitable legacy gift. Here are four easy ways to create your charitable legacy.

01 Assign your parish or nonprofit as a beneficiary to

your life insurance, retirement account, or annuity. All it takes is completion of a simple form to change the beneficiary designation on these accounts. And, this is an easy way to remove the tax burden of highly appreciated assets (especially retirement accounts) from your loved ones.

u India hospital director: Patients ‘dying in front of my eyes.’ Catholic hospital directors in India said they did not have enough facilities to treat patients as India set records for the number of COVID-19 deaths — numbers many people believe were underreported. “Patients are on the corridors and many are dying because no beds, no oxygen,” said Father P.A. George, director of the Holy Family Hospital in New Delhi. Beginning April 20, new cases in India reached more than 300,000 per day, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

02 Make a simple tweak to your will or trust to include

a gift to charity. How you allocate the gift depends on your situation and goals. You can designate a specific dollar amount or asset. Or, some folks consider the charity as another child — so if they have three children, they evenly distribute their estate four ways, with the charity receiving one-fourth.

03 Gift real estate with a Transfer on Death Deed.

u Police seize altar wine in Quebec, say it’s illegal to import it. Police have seized large quantities of altar wine in the province of Quebec, creating a situation where buying a bottle is nearly impossible. The April 9 seizures appear related to laws governing the resale of alcohol within provinces, although some distributors claim they are within the law and have licenses. u Biden administration appeals block on transgender health care mandate.

The Biden administration filed an appeal April 20 of a Jan. 19 federal court’s ruling to block an Affordable Care Act provision barring discrimination by health insurers and providers against transgender people.

Issued in 2016 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the regulation requires doctors to perform these procedures on children and adults or be held liable for discrimination. Catholic and other opponents of the provision, Section 1557, call it a “transgender mandate” and say it forces doctors and hospitals to perform gender-transition procedures against their moral conscience and professional medical judgment.

— Catholic News Service

Whether you’re gifting your home or a vacation property, this giving strategy allows you to transfer the real estate title and avoid probate.

04 Open a charitable gift annuity (CGA) to make a gift

that pays you for life. Supplement your retirement income with steady payments that are partially tax free. What’s left of your gift upon death supports your favorite parish or nonprofit.

These four strategies can make it easy to leave a charitable legacy. To learn more about these options or explore more complex giving situations, talk to the friendly experts at the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota. We’re happy to help you leave your charitable legacy.

The information provided above by the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) is general and educational in nature. CCF and its staff do not provide individualized legal or tax advice. We recommend you consult with your attorney or tax professional regarding your unique personal situation.

Call us to learn more.

651.389.0300 | ccf-mn.org

10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Taking back Sunday Americans struggle with the Sabbath, but one St. Paul family is on a mission to help others rediscover its power

By Jonathan Liedl For The Catholic Spirit

S

cripture makes clear that the Sabbath is a day of rest. But for most Americans, including many Catholics, it ends up being a day of restlessness.

A nice, big brunch might be prioritized, trips to the office might be foregone and Mass might even be included. But rather than fulfillment, joy and refreshment, the Sunday experience of many today is marked by anxiousness, malaise and even a degree of depression.

This isn’t a completely new phenomenon. Nineteenth-century Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi, for instance, described Sunday as a day of “sadness and tedium” despite external festivities, as one mentally “returns once more to find his usual labor.” Likewise, the Hungarian psychoanalyst Sandor Ferenczi coined the term “Sunday neurosis” in the early 20th century to describe anxiety induced by the thought of the impending workweek.

But this Lord’s Day discontent seems especially pronounced in the contemporary United States. Terms like “the Sunday scaries” and “the Sunday blues” have recently entered the lexicon to describe the widely shared experience.

Research in 2017 from job site Monster. com found that 76% of Americans (compared to only 47% of respondents from other nations) self-report “really bad” Sunday-night anxiety.

Michael Naughton can confirm that these numbers play out on the ground.

The University of St. Thomas Catholic social teaching scholar says that of all the topics on which he presents, from theological anthropology to the common good, none resonates as much with his listeners as does the topic of getting Sunday right.

“It’s what the audience wants, because I think it’s what the audience needs,” Naughton said. “Most people know that they don’t have Sunday right.”

From restless to ‘Christmas’ It’s a position with which Naughton and his wife, Teresa, parishioners of Holy Spirit in St. Paul, are all too familiar. The parents of five say there was a time when their Sundays were “different” from other days of the week, but they weren’t necessarily “special.” Sundays were approached as a kind of “mop-up day,” a day to get to housework and side projects that were left over from the workweek, with, in the words of Teresa, “Mass and some worship wedged in between.” The Lord’s Day might not have been a typical workday, but it was still defined by the same mentality. As a result, it didn’t provide much in the way of true rest and refreshment.

Perhaps things would’ve continued on the same way, if not for what happened in 1999. While presenting a paper at an academic conference in San Francisco, Naughton suffered an anxiety attack that significantly impaired his presentation. He describes what transpired as “one of the

most humbling, perhaps even humiliating,” experiences of his professional life. And it left him searching for answers.

The professor, who today directs the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Thomas, experienced the anxiety attack as an attack on his “ability to do.” It underscored that there was not enough time in his life devoted simply to “being,” rather than constantly “becoming.” His focus on achieving had eclipsed his capacity to receive. As a result, too much of his identity was caught up in his accomplishments and work activities, a shaky foundation that ultimately left him unfulfilled and overextended.

Already reconsidering their Sunday practices in the lead-up to the Church’s Jubilee Year in 2000, the Naughtons committed to not working on the Sabbath.

No chores or housework. No waking up early in the morning to write another academic article. No homework for the kids. The effects were immediately noticeable.

“It was like Christmas morning,” Naughton says of that first work-free Sunday, a day set apart simply to receive.

Getting Sunday right The taste of true Sabbath rest has prompted in Naughton a decades-long and ongoing exploration of the Church’s teaching on the Lord’s Day, and a commitment to putting this wisdom into practice.

Central to this recovery has been the Naughtons’ engagement with St. John Paul II’s 1998 apostolic letter on the subject, “Dies Domini.” In the letter, the Holy Father articulates a theology of Sunday, characterizing each Sabbath as another Easter, and encourages Catholics to “not be afraid to give your time to Christ!” He also contrasts a true way of keeping Sunday holy, one marked by the joyful remembrance of God’s creation and saving work, with the modern custom of the “weekend,” which can all too often simply mean “vegging out,” or else resting primarily for the purpose of being better able to work on Monday.

While rest is important, the problem with the “weekend” approach is that it can “instrumentalize” Sunday, reducing it to a mere aid in getting ready for the workweek, locking people “within a horizon so limited that they can no longer see ‘the heavens,’” the pope wrote. Such a utilitarian approach can cut people off from the true grace of Sunday, which is meant to reground people within the reality of God’s gratuitous love, freeing them both from delusions of grandeur but also the false pressure to justify existence through activity.

“So, Sunday is about rest, but it’s a resting in the Lord, not just resting from activity,” Michael Naughton explained.

“It requires a shift in mindset,” Teresa added. “It’s a reorientation to who I am, what I am created for, and who I am in God’s plan.”

Another text that has deeply informed the way the Naughtons approach Sunday

is Josef Pieper’s “Leisure: The Basis of Culture.” In this 1948 work, the German Catholic philosopher, who died in 1997, presents a definition of leisure quite different from how it is widely understood today: “an attitude of mind and a condition of the soul that fosters a capacity to perceive the reality of the world.”

Leisure, then, Pieper says, is not the mere absence of work, but is a contemplative habit that must be cultivated and embodied, without which humanity is trapped in a “total work” mindset that overemphasizes productivity and denies the most basic fact: that reality, and our lives, are gifts given. The greatest form of leisure, according to Pieper, is worship.

Written in a Germany still devastated

by World War II, Naughton sees Pieper’s emphasis on the primacy of leisure and contemplation over work as a rejection of the Nazis’ totalitarian mindset, exemplified in one way by the words at the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp: “Work makes one free.”

“It ain’t going to set you free,” Michael said, noting that a similar lie can prey upon those living in a capitalistic society.

“It’s going to disorder your life unless you first recognize that leisure is the basis of culture, and needs to inform the way we work and the kind of civilization that we build.”

The Naughtons have seen that if this is true of societal life, then it is also true for personal and familial lives. In fact, Michael noted that the failure to practice true leisure on the Sabbath isn’t merely a case of violating an external law. Instead, it can perhaps best be understood as self-imposed violence, as it cuts man off from having a true and full understanding of himself and his need to receive from God — without which the ill-ease and anxiety many experience on Sunday is a predictable outcome.

“I don’t break the Sabbath laws,” he said.

“What will happen eventually is that the Sabbath will break me.”

The Naughtons’ study of the Church’s teaching surrounding Sunday has inspired each of their respective academic pursuits.

Teresa’s final paper for her master’s degree in Catholic Studies, entitled “The Restoration of Time for the Lord,” includes a focus on the Sabbath as a “sanctuary of time.” Just as temples are consecrated spaces for God, Sunday is a time dedicated to worshipping and dialoguing with God, a wellspring that can then flow out into the rest of our days, marking them with an awareness of God’s lordship.

Perhaps ironically to some, Michael has developed his own thought on Sunday largely in the context of his focus on work. In fact, the thesis of his 2019 book, “Getting Work Right: Labor and Leisure in a Fragmented World,” is simple: “If we are to get Monday right, we must get Sunday right.”

Part of this is explained by the principle that people can’t give what they don’t already have. This applies to Sunday not just in the sense that people

From left, Michael Naughton, granddaughters S brunch April 25 at the Naughton home in St. Pau can’t work if they haven’t first rested, but that work can’t become an authentic gift of self to others if people haven’t first received their lives, abilities and circumstances as a gift from God. Work will inevitably tend toward the extremes of self-aggrandizing careerism or “it’s just a job” indifference if it isn’t rooted in authentic leisure that cultivates “the logic of the gift,” Michael said.

‘Eastering’ on Sunday In his book, Michael suggests three essential habits for living the Lord’s Day well: silence, celebration and charity.

The Naughton family has done their best to embody these practices in different ways over the years, inspired by the examples of other Twin Cities Catholic families, and the practices of lay movements like Community of Christ the Redeemer. For instance, to cultivate silence, they generally fast from screens and technology on Sundays (though exceptions might be made for a catechetical video from the likes of Bishop Robert Barron). Rather than waking up early in the morning to squeeze in some extra writing time, Michael wakes up early to start the day in extended prayer. If an idea for work comes to him, he might scribble it down on paper, as opposed to opening up his laptop.

Celebrating on Sunday is about radically affirming the goodness of the Lord, and the heart of this celebration is the Sunday Mass.

Preparation for fruitfully entering into the Mass begins with praying with the Sunday readings earlier in the week. The trip to church itself is also treated as a time of preparation; Teresa prefers to think of it as a

NOTICE Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

CATHOLIC CHARITIES in all copies of this issue.

APRIL 29, 2021 • 11

ESSENTIAL HABITS The Lord’s Day: Three essential habits and eight practices from “Getting Work Right” by Michael Naughton.

Three essential habits uSilence uCelebration uCharity Lord’s Day practices uPreparation during the week uTechnology fasts uSabbath prayer and ritual uSunday Mass uSabbath walk uFeast/brunch uPlay/games/activities uCharity/volunteering

Siena and Ruth Gooding, daughter Clare Gooding, and wife, Teresa, gather for Lord’s Day prayer and ul. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT “pilgrimage,” a time to reflect on the fact that Catholics around the world will be making a similar Sunday journey to Mass.

But the celebratory character of Sunday extends beyond the eucharistic liturgy.

Teresa employs a number of rituals to ensure that it has a place in the Naughton household. In preparation for the Lord’s Day, the table is set with a runner that matches the liturgical season. At some point on Sunday morning, the Naughtons light a special Sabbath candle and say a special Lord’s Day prayer. Similarly, the family will try to end the day with a prayer of gratitude for the gifts of another Sabbath. Joy is cultivated in other ways too, such as with a big Sunday brunch, board games and books, a walk outside, sports with neighborhood families, and simple time together in conversation.

These little touches make a big difference, and help the Naughtons remember that all of Sunday is for “eastering.”

Finally, the Naughtons live out the traditional practice of doing charitable works on Sunday in a variety of ways. For instance, Sunday charity could include volunteering at a homeless shelter, but it also might look like calling a family member who’s shut in and on their own.

Inviting others over for a meal is another simple way of including others in the refreshment of the Sabbath, which the Naughtons suggest can be a powerful tool for evangelization.

The Naughtons might take Sunday more seriously than most, but they’ll be the first to tell you that getting Sunday right is always an ongoing process, never rigidly set in stone, and open to renewal,

TS

T& S

intentionality and a bit of flexibility. At different times, the family has made adjustments, perhaps by pulling back from a charitable endeavor that was beginning to dominate the day, or expanding their Sunday prayer practices now that most of their five kids are out of the house. When their children’s social lives and independence would crescendo in high school, they’d compromise by allowing homework or outside visits to friends after a certain time in the day.

The Naughtons will be the first to acknowledge that celebrating the Lord’s Day with this degree of intentionality requires sacrifices. For one, Saturday can’t be a day of lounging about: If one plans on embracing Sunday as a day of true rest, schoolwork and chores need to be done ahead of time. Additionally, to remove the burden of Lord’s Day planning from Sunday itself, Teresa will begin a conversation about their Sunday plan in the middle of the week, prompted by writing “Sunday” on every Wednesday in her calendar.

The Naughtons have also had to make tough choices about their children’s availability for outside activities on Sundays, like organized sports and work — though sometimes with surprising results. (For instance, when Teresa told one coach that her daughter Annie would be unavailable for softball practices on Sunday, the coach apologized and stopped scheduling practices on Sundays.)

However, these decisions to say “no” to something otherwise good in order to preserve the peace and sanctity of the Sabbath hasn’t always been met with praise

and approbation from the Naughton kids.

Still, even practiced imperfectly, Michael and Teresa have found their invigorated observation of the Lord’s Day to be an incredible blessing in their lives and the life of their family, cultivating a genuine sense of freedom. “It kind of anchors the rest of your week,” said Teresa. “Once you start doing this, you’re surprised that you have time to get done the things you really need to do, and then other things just kind of fall away in their importance.”

Meanwhile, the importance and integrity of other things, such as friendships, have space to be enhanced.

“When you protect Sunday, you protect your relationship with the Lord, and you protect your family and your marriage,” Michael said. “And we need a lot of protection.”

The Naughtons want to be absolutely clear about one thing: Living Sunday well will look different for each and every family. The two don’t hold their family’s approach up as a one-size-fits-all model.

Still, they’ve reaped incredible rewards by striving to be faithful to the Church’s teachings on the Lord’s Day, and they want to share that with others, especially in a day and age when so many view Sunday with either apprehension or boredom.

As a couple, the Naughtons have spoken on Sunday living to parish groups and archdiocesan deacons and their wives.

Michael has spoken on the topic to audiences as varied as the archdiocesan men’s conference to the business students in his Faith and Work class.

Recently, and with the aid of web developer Karin Bertoldi, Teresa took the lead in launching a website jam-packed with resources for those interested in revisioning their Sunday practices. Called “Sunday Reclaimed,” the website’s content ranges from a summary of “Dies Domini” to testimonials from area Catholics on the impact of Sunday lived well. Original videos produced by the Naughtons’ son-in-law, Rob Gooding, communicate Church teaching in colorful and engaging ways, and a “Lord’s Day Challenge” provides a structured plan for anyone interested in trying something new.

Teresa hopes the website can serve as a resource for others, especially as the hopefully impending end of the coronavirus pandemic may be an opportunity to break old habits and forge new ones. The Naughtons would also like to see parishes take the lead in helping families keep Sunday holy. Banning organized sports on Sundays, making instruction in living the Lord’s Day a regular part of preparation for sacraments like confirmation and marriage, and opening up the parish gym or gathering space to give families in the community a “place for Sunday” are simple, potential steps.

The Naughtons aren’t trying to impose anything. Instead, moved by the peace and joy they’ve found in offering Sunday more fully to the Lord, their mission is about encouraging fellow Catholics to perform something like a Sunday examination of conscience — the fruit of which might be the replacement of the Sunday blues with the fullness of Sabbath rest.

We are a Catholic senior care organization with a simple mission: do ordinary things with extraordinary love

Trojack & Schniederjan Law Office, P. A. providing a continuum of compassionate care

John E. Trojack Attorney at Law

• Wills • Powers of Attorney • Guardianships • Trusts • Health Care Directives • Conservatorships • Probate

Independent living

Memory care

Rehab & therapy

Assisted living

Transitional care

Fitness & wellness

We offer tailor-made, client-focused estate planning and related services from a Catholic Perspective

Long-term care

Hospice & palliative care

In-home services

Sean M. Schniederjan Attorney at Law

Trojack Law Office, P.A. • 1549 Livingston Ave., Ste. 101 • W. St. Paul, MN 55118

Phone: 651.451.9696 • www.TrojackLaw.com

n ew hope • brook ly n pa r k • woodbury • shor ev i ew • robbi n sda l e

w w w.s ainttherese.org

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

FAITH+CULTURE

St. Joseph’s two feast days celebrate different facets of the great saint

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

C

atholics who celebrated the March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph may wonder why the Church’s calendar commemorates him again just 42 days later, with an optional memorial May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

The two feast days, which have distinct origins, honor different sides of the man God chose to care for Mary and Jesus and raise Jesus to manhood, said Father Gary Caster, author of “Joseph, the Man Who Raised Jesus” (Franciscan Media, 2013) and the parochial vicar of three parishes in Ottawa, Illinois.

In this Year of St. Joseph, when Pope Francis is bringing the saint out from the shadows cast by the light of Jesus and Mary, Father Caster said, the saint’s feast days continue to reflect his role as Jesus’ earthly father, patron of the dying and the Universal Church, as well as his work as a carpenter and teacher of Jesus.

“There’s nothing insignificant or accidental about this man,” Father Caster said. “St. Joseph is a great example of coming to understand how significant each one of us is with what God is asking us to do and how he’s asking us to do it.”

As early as the fourth century, St. Joseph was commemorated by Catholics who worshipped with the traditions of the Eastern Church. He was referred to as “nutritor Domini,” meaning “guardian of the Lord.” His March 19 feast day became universal in the Church in the 16th century.

Four centuries later, as May 1 was celebrated in communist countries as “International Worker’s Day,” Pope Pius XII honored St. Joseph as a manual worker by establishing an optional memorial — to St. Joseph

the Worker — in 1955, to acknowledge the value of human labor.

Honoring St. Joseph the Worker is “a fitting contrast to the devaluation of human dignity through the Marxist ideology of communism,” Father Caster said.

While reflecting on St. Joseph’s two feast days, Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange in Garden Grove, California, said in a 2016 column in the diocese’s Orange County Catholic newspaper that he was struck by the fact there is a “bridge” that joins the seasons of Lent and Easter together — the two feasts of St. Joseph. Even without a fixed day on the calendar for Easter, March 19 always falls in Lent, and May 1 always falls in the Easter season, before Pentecost.

Father Caster echoed the bishop’s observation.

“Joseph did not live to see the tragic end of his son or the triumph of his son on Easter Sunday, (but) he certainly had a vantage point for both that is beautifully articulated by the Church having those two feast days in the Lenten and Easter seasons,” Father Caster said.

To gain a greater understanding of St. Joseph, Father Caster recommended Catholics focus on prayers said in the feast days’ Masses, especially the collect, or the priest’s prayer directly before the readings, and the closing prayers. Scripture readings from the Masses and other books about St. Joseph also help fill out the great saint.

St. Joseph “wasn’t a pawn in the Father’s plan of redemption,” Father Caster said. “He’s an essential part of that, and whatever we can do to help people see that and understand it better is a benefit to them.

Because a lot of times we might think, ‘Well, I’m not that important.’ It’s not true, because each one of us is important.”

GREGORY A. SHEMITZ | CNS

A depiction of St. Joseph holding a carpenter’s square is seen in a stained-glass window in the chapel of St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, N.Y., in this 2020 photo. The feast of St. Joseph the Worker is May 1.

Former VP Mondale, who died April 19, was friend of Archbishop Roach

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

“A Bill Davies, pictured outside his St. Louis Park home, has been involved in Scouting since becoming a den leader in 1984.

DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Boy Scout leader receives National Duty to God Award

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

T

he Boy Scouts of America recently recognized Bill Davies, a parishioner of St. Gabriel the Archangel in Hopkins, with its National Duty to God Award. The award honors up to four individuals each year who have demonstrated exemplary service and leadership to faith, and a commitment to promoting religious duty in Scouting as essential for guiding the moral, spiritual and social development of youth.

Davies, 78, started as a den leader and troop advancement chair when his older son started in Cub Scouts in 1984. He has

volunteered locally and nationally for decades, including chairing the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Catholic Committee on Scouting from 20162019, and chairing the National Catholic Committee on Scouting for six years.

At his parish, Davies has served as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion, weekday lay reader, sacristan, usher and on numerous committees.

Parishes in the archdiocese charter about 150 Scouting units. “The main purpose is to promote Scouting as a youth ministry,” Davies said. “It’s a way to further instill that desire in their service or their belief in God.”

s I look back over the last four years, one of my fondest memories is the close and treasured friendship that we have enjoyed.” Those words opened a letter dated Dec. 19, 1980, printed on stationery with the Seal of the Vice President of the United States in blue. It was addressed to Archbishop John Roach of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and signed by Walter F. Mondale, whose service in the nation’s second-highest office was drawing to a close.

Mondale died April 19 at age 93. Funeral services are planned for September.

A Presbyterian, Mondale, the former U.S. Senator from Minnesota, vice president under President Jimmy Carter and U.S. ambassador to Japan, was a personal WALTER friend of Archbishop Roach, archbishop of St. Paul and MONDALE Minneapolis from 1975 to 1995.

Archbishop Roach gave the benediction at the 1977 presidential inauguration ceremony. “We beg your special blessing on President Carter and Vice President Mondale and their families,” he prayed. “There is a loneliness on the mountain. Grace that loneliness with your presence.”

Allison Spies, the archdiocese’s archives programs manager, said the men wrote to each other regularly.

“Archbishop Roach visited Mondale in Washington, and they traveled together to Rome in 1978,” she said. “They of course disagreed on some topics, but they especially shared convictions about peace and the risks of the nuclear arms race.”

Archbishop Roach worked on a 1983 pastoral letter from the National Council of Catholic Bishops (a precursor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) on nuclear weapons and the arms race. In his unsuccessful 1984 presidential bid, Mondale advocated for a nuclear freeze, and in an essay written during that time, he noted that “the Catholic Church has raised serious questions about the morality of nuclear war.”

Like Mondale’s other friends, Archbishop Roach called him by his nickname, “Fritz,” a nod to his middle name, “Frederick.” When the archbishop died in 2003, Mondale described him to The Catholic Spirit as “just always a good friend.” He praised him for his qualities as a pastor and “ecumenical spirit,” and he commended him for working together on shared policy goals, despite their disagreement about legalized abortion.

Mondale received an honorary degree from the University of St. Thomas in 1973 and received its law school’s Dignitatis Humanae Award in 2019.

FAITH+CULTURE

APRIL 29, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

The courage of conviction: A pediatrician-mom chooses values over opportunities

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit Jill Simons had finally made it: She was a partner at her pediatric clinic, and she was recognized by her peers as an American Academy of Pediatrics fellow.

Then she realized neither of those goals aligned with the desires of her heart and the principles of her faith — and she let them go. The 48-year-old pediatrician, a mother of 10-year-old twins and a member of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, looks back.

Q How did your approach as a

pediatrician change once you became a mom?

A It was humbling to realize how much

I didn’t know — especially my advice on sleep for young kids. I wanted to call up all the parents and be like, “I’m sorry!” I realized that, for the most part, parents know what’s best if they’re given the facts and listen to their instincts, which God gave us.

Q Did you adjust your workload?

A I became mostly a stay-at-home mom.

I would work on weekends or evenings, when my husband was home, and took on administrative stuff and some writing and editing. I sold my share of the practice and went to per-diem (payment).

It was hard (to scale back) because I have a lot to offer as a pediatrician, but I realized my needs are more with the boys. I didn’t want to shuffle them around to fit into my life, but for them to be the priority. It felt less chaotic.

Q Was there pushback?

A People would say, “Oh, it’s such a

waste.” But the choice was obvious. And now my interest in highly educated moms who stay home has turned into a research project!

Q You’re busy! You’re still a board-

certified pediatrician, you’re researching and writing, your twins are distance learning, your husband is a cardiologist caring for COVID-19 patients. How do you fit in self-care?

A I look at self-care as a necessity. It’s an

act of love: If I can keep myself calm, it keeps my boys calm, too. They’re little sponges. So, I get up early — around 4:30 or 5 a.m. — to get some stuff done.

Then the day goes better. I run, I do yoga, I play violin. And I take a bubble bath every night — just five or 10 minutes.

That’s my protected time.

Q Violin?

A I had bought a violin in college and

took three or four lessons and then didn’t pick it up for years. My boys’ music teacher encouraged me to play it again. It has been so joyful to be able to play at a beginner level. It’s soothing. Everything I’ve done in my career, you do it for perfection, it has to be mastered. And violin is something I just let myself do to my ability. It’s for the pure love of it.

Q That’s so refreshing!

A My mom is 90 and she will take a

sewing class online! My parents raised

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

me to never stop learning. I’m so curious about life, and I love many things! We have never been bored during COVID. I want to try so many things!

it has been easier for them to go along with that. They’ve just followed the mainstream and gotten away from the science.

Q How does that relate to your faith?

Q And you feel they’ve gotten away

A I am in awe of so many things,

and having kids magnifies that. Their curiosity about the world invigorated me to think in more profound ways.

From the time they were little, watching spiders or studying dinosaurs, and having to explain things to them and realizing, “Wow, I can’t explain it! That’s how God made it!” You realize how much of life is unimaginable and incomprehensible.

Having kids and then (enduring) the pandemic — it gets you reflecting on what’s really important and appreciating the beauty of the world and the simplest things.

Q Becoming a fellow of the American

Academy of Pediatrics was a longtime goal of yours. It gave you an added credibility and made you a soughtafter expert to endorse books and other projects. What changed?

A It was heartbreaking over the years as I

realized the AAP was drifting from things I held true and that I thought medicine held true. I had joined the committee on bioethics and raised questions and wrote letters, but there was just silence.

I was especially troubled by their stance on pro-life issues and on transgender kids and transitioning. Then one day I was introduced to the American College of Pediatricians, and I realized I was more in line with them. Their mission is to protect children from the moment of conception. And they go through a very vigorous vetting of sources when they publish something. That was a turning point: The AAP published some things that their own scientific committees disagreed with.

Q How do you account for the shift you see in the AAP?

A I think they’re a victim of culture.

Liberals are more outspoken, and I think

from your Catholic values. Can you give me an example?

so small. But it got to a point where I couldn’t ignore what the AAP has been doing. And having boys, the older they get, I’m trying to be a model for them to do the right thing. We’re teaching them to stand up for what you believe in.

That’s when it clicked: I have to do the harder thing.

A The AAP would recommend kids

Q Without the stamp of the AAP, do

don’t go to tanning beds or get a tattoo without their parents’ permission, yet they would advocate that a teenager has the right to an abortion without her parents’ knowledge.

Q What about gender reassignment?

Does the AAP advocate that teens should be able to access those hormones without their parents’ permission?

A In some cases, yes. It’s still a grey area.

It varies state by state. Generally, the way the AAP has handled it is to listen to the child and her wants, which is contradictory to a lot of the things we say to minors and ignores research and what kids are developmentally able to handle.

you feel you’ll have to work harder to prove yourself?

A It is more difficult. It requires putting

up with a little misinformation but trying to steadily work to promote the truth.

Q What sustains you?

A I say a lot of Hail Marys. That’s my

go-to. There are times I pray to God, “Just be with me.” I don’t even know what I’m asking for, or what I’m supposed to do, but I just need someone to help me through.

Get in touch with Simons through her CathSpMM-Mar-June-2021.qxp_Layout 1 3/23/21 3:16 website, drjillfunk.com

Q Last year you relinquished your AAP membership and joined the board of the ACPeds, knowing it could cost you professional opportunities.

RETURNS JULY 2!

A That was heavy on me. I knew some

people would hesitate to use me as a book reviewer. The ACPeds has been misrepresented, and it hasn’t had the opportunity to respond because it’s still

TickeTs on sale now!

Ann Michels & Michael Gruber

952.934.1525 ChanhassenDT.com

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER DANIEL GRIFFITH

Transformed by the risen Christ

One aspect of the Easter season I find so moving is the vivid stories of the encounters with the risen Christ. They are personal, moving and sometimes even humorous. Thomas, who struggles with doubt that the testimony of his friends is actually true, encounters Christ in the flesh, who gets right to the point: “Bring your hand here and put it into my side” so that he might believe. In one of his appearances to Mary Magdalene, Jesus has to admonish his overjoyed friend, “Quit holding onto me, I have not yet ascended to my Father.” These resurrection appearances and the accounts of the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles are meant to convey an important truth of our Christian faith: The resurrection of Jesus was real, personal and transformative for the community of believers who encountered the risen Christ.

The fruit of the transformative encounter with Christ is perhaps most powerfully seen through the compelling figure of Saul in the Acts of the Apostles. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he tried to join the disciples, but they were still afraid of him. This man who persecuted believers with great zeal and countenanced murder is now speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. How can this be? Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ and the gift of the Spirit have transformed him: He is a new man living in spiritual freedom. Indeed, we hear the entire Church was at peace, walking in fear of the Lord and the consolation of the Spirit. This is the gift of the Father — the gift of peace and new life that comes from the risen

ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ

Does God just coerce people into following him?

Q I have recently been reading the Old

Testament and have encountered some things that have troubled me. Among them is the way God talks about blessing those who obey him and cursing those who disobey him. I much prefer the New Testament and how Jesus reveals that God is love and calls us to love him. This just seems like God is coercing people into following him. What do I do?

A The fact that you are wrestling with this demonstrates that you

have an issue and are willing to engage with it rather than just ignore it. These are the kinds of questions that can lead to a deepening and maturing of faith, so I am very glad that you asked about this.

Your observation is one that others have made as well. In our times, few people are familiar with the entire Bible. We might just be knowledgeable about certain verses or certain “ideas” that are found in Scripture. When we encounter the fullness of the Bible, it can confront us with elements we had not considered before.

Further, what you noted can make a relationship with God seem incredibly “transactional.” The reason you follow him is to get good things and to avoid getting bad things. Even more, you noted that this seems to impugn the character of God as well, and makes it look like he is willing to curse or bless people depending on how they respond to him.

But let’s consider a few important points.

You indicate that you are troubled by the fact that there are blessings connected with obeying God and curses connected with disobeying God. I can understand that this kind of thing might bother some people. But let’s also look at two things: human nature and the world around us.

Christ and the Spirit.

In today’s Gospel, we return to the time before Jesus died, to his farewell address in the Last Supper discourses. Jesus sums up three years of teaching and ministry into simple and vital commands: Love one another as I have loved you and remain in me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” The promise and commands of Jesus at the Last Supper are fulfilled in today’s account from Acts — the nascent Church. The community of disciples are loving and serving. They are trusting and following the Spirit. God’s gift of the risen Christ and the Spirit are a game-changer. The transformation of Saul, the peace of the Church and its growth are evidence of God’s power.

The most important lesson I have learned as a priest is that God wants us to trust and rely on him completely, like children. I learned this lesson in a particularly fraught time in 2013 and 2014, when I was serving as Delegate for Safe Environment in our local Church wounded by scandal and sin. Jesus meant what he said in today’s Gospel — without him we can do nothing, and when we abide in him, we will bear much fruit. It is often in the time of crucible — which is exactly where I found myself — that the ruse of our self-sufficiency is laid bare. But hope was there, too — in the outstretched hand of the risen Christ and in the Spirit of life.

As our community and nation continue to struggle under the weight of this pandemic, persistent injustice and polarization, the wisdom of today’s readings offers us a sure path to peace: to love in deed and truth, to remain in Jesus, and to proclaim humbly and boldly the goodness of God in the gifts of the risen Christ and the Spirit of life.

DAILY Scriptures

Father Griffith is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis and liaison for restorative justice and healing for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He also serves as the Wenger Family Fellow of Law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where he teaches courses in Catholic social teaching, jurisprudence and restorative justice.

Saturday, May 8 Acts 16:1-10 Jn 15:18-21

The world around us is completely filled with a thing that most people prefer to avoid: consequences. Every choice we make has consequences attached to it. We do not live in a world where we can make choices without also being willing to accept the consequences of those choices. Many times, those consequences have the positive effect of shaping our choices. (I choose not to eat the second double cheeseburger because I do not want to live with the consequences of eating the second double cheeseburger.) The fact that consequences exist does not mean that I am being coerced into eating only one cheeseburger. The consequences reveal what I’m truly choosing when I make decisions.

Let’s emphasize that point: Consequences reveal what we are actually choosing when we make decisions. A person chooses to have the extra drink, and later realizes that what they’ve really chosen was a headache the next day, or they may discover that they have taken another step toward becoming dependent on alcohol. A person chooses to play video games and later realizes that what they’ve really chosen was to get a bad grade on the assignment that was due the following day. A parent chooses to scroll on a phone to get the latest updates on friends and news in the world, and later realizes that what he or she has really chosen was to create distance between his or her spouse or children.

There are an infinite number of examples in our own lives that each one of us could think of, and they all do the same thing: They are all oriented toward making us more free or more enslaved, more wise or more foolish.

God’s laws are the same. God makes it clear that he desires for human beings to live in a certain way. If we live the way he has revealed, we become free and wise. If we defy his will and his commandments, we become enslaved and foolish. This happens all of the time, and it happens regardless of our wanting it to. They are not arbitrary consequences. They are inherent in the very act of choosing.

One of the things that holds us up is that we imagine that God’s “blessing and cursing” is arbitrary. It is not. The blessings are the intrinsic result of choosing to obey him, and the curses are the intrinsic result of choosing to disobey him. He is not coercing people into obedience by holding out a carrot (or being willing to use a PLEASE TURN TO FATHER MIKE ON PAGE 19

KNOW the SAINTS ST. ATHANASIUS (295-373 A.D.) This doctor of the church, famous for his understanding of and writing about the Incarnation, became bishop of his hometown, Alexandria, Egypt, when he was in his early 30s. As metropolitan patriarch for 45 years, he fought the heresy of Arius, a well-educated Alexandrian priest; ran afoul of three emperors and was exiled multiple times; and defended Church unity despite longstanding difficulties with other bishops. He improved spirituality in his diocese, increased vocations, preached and wrote many letters, as well as a life of Antony of Egypt, a classic work about ascetic and monastic life. Venerated from the time of his death in both East and West, he is the patron saint of hagiographers, or people who chronicle the lives of saints. His feast day is May 2.

— Catholic News Service

Sunday, May 2 Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 9:26-31 1 Jn 3:18-24 Jn 15:1-8 Monday, May 3 Sts. Philip and James, Apostles 1 Cor 15:1-8 Jn 14:6-14 Tuesday, May 4 Acts 14:19-28 Jn 14:27-31a Wednesday, May 5 Acts 15:1-6 Jn 15:1-8 Thursday, May 6 Acts 15:7-21 Jn 15:9-11 Friday, May 7 Acts 15:22-31 Jn 15:12-17

Sunday, May 9 Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 1 Jn 4:7-10 Jn 15:9-17 Monday, May 10 Acts 16:11-15 Jn 15:26–16:4a Tuesday, May 11 Acts 16:22-34 Jn 16:5-11 Wednesday, May 12 Acts 17:15, 22–18:1 Jn 16:12-15 Thursday, May 13 Acts 18:1-8 Jn 16:16-20 Friday, May 14 St. Matthias, Apostle Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 Jn 15:9-17 Saturday, May 15 Acts 18:23-28 Jn 16:23b-28 Sunday, May 16 Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 Mark 16:15-20

FOCUSONFAITH

APRIL 29, 2021

CUPPA JOE | DEBORAH SAVAGE

St. Joseph as a spiritual father What does it mean to say that St. Joseph is our spiritual father? Well, for starters, it means that he does all the things any earthly father would do for those he protects and serves. According to St. John Henry Newman, Joseph was given the title of “Father of the Son of God” because he was the spouse of Mary, ever Virgin. He was our Lord’s father because Jesus ever yielded to him in the obedience of a son. He was our Lord’s father because to him were entrusted, and by him were faithfully fulfilled, the duties of a father, in protecting him, giving him a home, sustaining and rearing him, and providing him with a trade.

Thus, Joseph will spiritually feed, shelter, clothe, educate, protect and correct us. This is his role as father — and as he did all these things for Jesus (with the exception of correction, of course), he will do all these things for us.

In his very fine book on St. Joseph, Father Donald Calloway uses a beautiful image in his chapter on Joseph as our spiritual father — that of Joseph’s cloak, which Joseph used to hide and protect his little family as they fled Herod’s persecution in the Flight to Egypt.

We need but place ourselves under St. Joseph’s fatherly cloak, which has been depicted again and again throughout our tradition as the symbol of safety and fatherly protection. Just as Mary shields her children

under her maternal mantle, St. Joseph stands ready to protect us under his fatherly cloak.

There is even a novena for this — the Holy Cloak Novena — which, unlike the usual nine-days, is a 30-day novena in honor of the 30 years St. Joseph is believed to have lived with Jesus. It is considered one of the most efficacious novenas in the treasures of the Church, intended to place us under the protective cloak of St. Joseph, who is ready to shelter us in the safety of the Church, clothe us with virtue, educate us in the interior life and protect us on our way back to our heavenly home.

In “Redemptoris Custos,” St. John Paul II’s 1989 apostolic letter on St. Joseph, the pope is intrigued by two aspects of Joseph’s life: his work and his silence.

Joseph says nothing at his own annunciation — he has no probing questions for the angel or for anyone. He just gets to work. While Mary nurtures the child within her womb, this work that he takes up immediately becomes the beginning of Joseph’s way. His way is to work, to provide for his family, to protect them, to lead them out of danger and to safety.

But it is a way of working, of doing, that is shrouded in silence. Joseph says nothing. Only watches and serves. And in the course of the events that follow, Joseph turns his human vocation into a superhuman oblation of self. He gives himself completely and without reserve to the service and mission of his family. As such, he is both a mirror of the way men and fathers have served the human community since time immemorial and the model for our men and our sons now. He reveals what is at the heart of the gift masculinity is to the world, the willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of others. As such, he becomes a guide as well for women and girls, who now know what a real man is and is meant to be.

St. Joseph was a just man, says St. John Paul II, and he will not fail us if we turn to him for help, no matter

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

“Cuppa Joe” is a series of 10 talks by 10 theologians on the 10 wonders of St. Joseph, taking place at 10 locations in our archdiocese entrusted to the patronage of our spiritual father.

These talks premiere the first Tuesday of the month, March through December, at 4 p.m. — just in time for your afternoon coffee. The next presentation, “Young Husband of Mary” by Father Evan Koop, will launch May 4. It was recorded at St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove.

— The Catholic Spirit what our problem or difficulty. Like a good father, he stands ready to serve — if only we ask.

Savage is a member of the faculty at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where she teaches philosophy and theology and also serves as the director of the Masters in Pastoral Ministry Program. She is also the co-founder and director of the Siena Symposium for Women, Family and Culture, an interdisciplinary think tank at St. Thomas organized to respond to John Paul II’s call for a new and explicitly Christian feminism. Savage adapted this essay from her April presentation for “Cuppa Joe,” a 10-part series on the spiritual wonders of St. Joseph. Watch the full presentation at archspm.org/cuppajoe.

124-year-old brick church recalls St. Joseph of the Lakes’ roots

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit The parish of St. Joseph of Rice Lake had been incorporated for a mere four years in 1895 when its first church, made of wood, was destroyed in a windstorm that hit what is now the city of Lino Lakes.

Perhaps inspired by its builder patron, the fledgling parish now known as “St. Joseph of the Lakes” decided its next church would be built to last.

Twenty farmers — many of them immigrants — donated their skills and money to construct a brick church where, 124 years later, members of the parish’s 2,200 households still come occasionally to pray. “If you were a farmer, you could do anything,” said Clemence Robinson, 82, a longtime parishioner whose parents were also parishioners.

The German, Polish, Czech, French and Irish immigrants had their Catholic faith and farming in common in an area that is now part of Anoka County.

Before their parish was established, the farm families traveled about 7 miles east to attend Mass at St. Genevieve in Centerville, then a French-Canadian parish. Because few of the families spoke French and they wanted to worship closer to home, they asked the pastor, Father Joseph Goiffon, for their own parish.

St. Joseph began as a mission parish, sharing St. Genevieve’s pastor. Its name

might have been influenced by Father Goiffon, whose name was Joseph, said Father Michael Anderson, the current pastor. Parish boundaries extended west to St. Paul in Ham Lake and St. Timothy in Blaine, northeast to St. Peter in Forest Lake and possibly south of what is now St. Odilia in Shoreview, he said.

After rebuilding after the 1895 windstorm, parishioners settled into the brick church off Elm Street next to the parish cemetery.

That church remained the center of parish life for 65 years.

Robinson remembered celebrating the March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph with a parish ham dinner. “We always celebrated when I was growing up,” she said. “It was a big to-do when we had St. Joseph’s Day.” By the early 1960s, the parish needed a bigger church. Masses were held in a nearby school gym until 1963, when the parish built a “temporary” church it intended to eventually convert into its own school’s gym. That school opened in 1964, but closed eight years later for lack of funding and enrollment, according to a parish history book, “The First 100 Years.”

In 1997, the parish built another brick church — its current one, Father Anderson said.

By the mid-2000s, some parishioners didn’t see a future for the little brick church, in poor condition from lack of use. The parish’s Knights of Columbus Council 9905 restored the church, which

A statue of St. Joseph sits in front of the historic church that was built 124 years ago after a windstorm in 1895 destroyed the original church in what was then called Rice Lake.

DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

is now used for daily Mass. During the pandemic, its doors have been open daily for those who want to pray, Father Anderson said.

“There’s something about coming back to your roots and restoring yourself into this history that goes all the way back to the 1800s when we celebrate Mass in that church,” he said.

The parish now celebrates the March 19 feast day with prayers at Mass. During this Year of St. Joseph, the parish is planning special liturgy prayers for the May 1 feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

At Sunday Masses, the parish prays for St. Joseph’s intercession for the Archdiocesan Synod process underway, Father Anderson said.

A concrete statue of St. Joseph at the old church’s entrance and another statue inside remind parishioners of their

patron. A large white statue of St. Joseph holding the Christ Child stands in the cemetery, and one of the Holy Family is found near the main church’s sanctuary.

Having St. Joseph as a patron is “a comforting thing,” Robinson said.

“He took care of Mary and Jesus,” she said. “He had a big task and he carried it forth.”

Father Anderson said he appreciates the saint’s subtlety. “He put his trust in a God, who told him some impossible things, like Mary was pregnant with the Son of God.” St. Joseph in Lino Lakes hosted Deborah Savage’s “Cuppa Joe” presentation “Our Spiritual Father,” which is available to watch at archspm.org/cuppajoe. The church is one of 10 churches and chapels in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis dedicated to St. Joseph.

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

COMMENTARY YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY

The lasting grace of praying in a parking garage

As a jazz singer, I had the opportunity to play some prestigious venues, the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals, for example. When I lived in Nashville, I sang in some highly regarded rooms, legendary for songwriters and musicians.

Other venues were — shall we say — a little less glamorous. There was the “Dinner Train,” where I sat in a club car once owned by Jackie Gleason as it traversed an historic patch of train track, all the while lurching hither and thither as you might expect for a train, my water bottle pitching to and fro on the floor. I nearly dropped the mic and my guitarist worked furiously to keep from banging her instrument on the furniture. Incidentally, no one could hear us above the noise of the train.

And then there was the gig I had playing the skyway between a parking garage and the fancy hotel it serviced. I sat with a pianist at the entrance to the hotel while folks walked past, all the while traffic whirring beneath our feet on the main drag of Nashville below.

My pianist was a truly successful musician. His studio was decorated with platinum and gold albums, a few Grammys sat gathering dust on his desk. He had traveled the world to sold-out audiences with the band he’d been in earlier in his career. He’d settled in Nashville to concentrate on songwriting and to lead a quieter life. I can’t imagine why he agreed to play with me on that footbridge, but he did.

One evening as we were finishing our last set, I saw the manager lingering in the background. She waited until our meager audience had scattered and then, as we were packing up our gear, she came over and said everso-nonchalantly, “Well, thanks guys, it’s been great, but we won’t be needing you back.” Just like that, we were gig-less.

How tactless, I thought. How cruel, after all we’d

FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI

Ripping the roof off the house

Since I was young, leafing through colorful pages in my children’s Bible, I’ve loved the Gospel story where the friends lower the paralyzed man through the roof of the home where Jesus was staying.

It’s a story to seize the imagination: the crowd pressing close, the creativity of determined friends and the drama of a man being lowered on a stretcher to Jesus’ feet.

But the part that catches me now — as a homeowner — is the roof. They ripped it off the house.

Whether they removed tiles (Lk 5:19) or opened a hole in straw and clay (Mk 2:4), they decided no barrier could keep their suffering friend from the hope of healing. Whether the roof could be repaired was no concern. They needed to get their friend closer to Jesus now.

This Gospel story teaches an important truth about dismantling barriers that keep others from God. The friends open up the roof, making a way where there

I didn’t adopt this habit because I am virtuous. Quite the opposite: I do it because someone holier and better ordered took the time to pray with me in a stinky parking garage. He bowed his head and remembered his Creator and altered me for the better.

iSTOCK PHOTO | TINNAKORN JORRUANG

suffered for her on this stupid footbridge, we don’t even receive the courtesy of notice? Who does she think she is? I mumbled and grumbled as I wrapped my chords with the fierce conviction of injustice. My pianist smiled, shook her hand and thanked her.

After we loaded his gear — he was parked in the infamous garage — he closed the hatch of his wagon and then — I’ll never forget this — he turned to me, took my hands and bowed his head. And he prayed.

Prayed in thanksgiving to God for giving us this work for as long as we had it, thanked God for his provision and for whatever came next. Asked God to bless the hotel and all who stayed in it. He thanked God for me, for my voice and the chance to work together. This world-class musician responding with world-class grace.

I was, appropriately, leveled.

There in that ugly, dead, echoing monument to concrete, his prayer shone brilliantly, gloriously, humbly.

Ever after, whenever I lost a job or got laid off, or felt unjustly treated in the workplace, I remembered that moment. I tried to stop and thank God, even if I didn’t fully mean it yet, praising him for his wisdom and goodness. And wouldn’t you guess, it took the sting right out of it.

I didn’t adopt this habit because I am virtuous. Quite the opposite: I do it because someone holier and better ordered took the time to pray with me in a stinky parking garage. He bowed his head and remembered his Creator and altered me for the better.

Father of all creation, there is none greater than you.

Your wisdom surpasses all human plans. Your mercy endures forever — even unto the skyways of the world.

Christians are called not to close ourselves off to the world, but to let others inside our homes and holy places and help them come closer to God.

likely yell or scold first. But Jesus sees what matters most: the need of the suffering man and the faith of his friends. He does not worry about the externals.

He reminds us there is always room, beyond what we think possible.

Christians are called not to close ourselves off to the world, but to let others inside our homes and holy places and help them come closer to God. Servant of God Dorothy Day urged people to keep a “Christ’s room”: a place where strangers would always be welcomed. Every time I read her words, I’m challenged to consider whether this is true for my own home or heart: “Every house should have a Christ’s room. The coat which hangs in your closet belongs to the poor. If your brother comes to you hungry and you say, Go be thou filled, what kind of hospitality is that? … Of course, husbands must be considered, and wives must be considered, and children. One must look after one’s own family, it is true. But Fr. Coady said once, ‘We can all do 10 times as much as we think we can do’” (“The Catholic Worker,” 1947).

How can we be unafraid to rip off the roof and help others (and ourselves) to get closer to God, whatever it takes? How could the walls of our hearts become more porous, letting in all whom God asks us to love?

was no way. What roof might need to be ripped off the structures we have built, to help people get closer to Jesus?

Many of us spend heaps of time, energy and money on the maintenance of our homes. But do we stop and ask what in our lives might be keeping people from closer communion with Christ?

If this story feels uncomfortable, like a pebble in the shoe, or unsettling like the shaking of a firm foundation, this is a good sign. The Gospel truth is tearing down our own defenses.

Jesus sees and affirms the faith of the roof-wrecking friends. He doesn’t yell at them for making a hole or shame them for not using the door like everyone else.

He heals their friend’s paralysis and forgives their sins — even more than they had hoped for.

Who in our life might be longing to get closer to God — and might need us to rip off the roof of the way we’ve always done things? How could our homes become more welcoming to friend and stranger alike, with all their messy humanity?

Our first reaction might not always be the most compassionate or Christ-like. If my kids tore a hole in the roof of our house (literally or metaphorically) I’d

Kelly is the award-winning author of nine books, including the just released “Love Like A Saint: Cultivating Virtue with Holy Women.” Visit her website at lizk.org.

A parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, Fanucci is a writer, speaker, and author of several books including “Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting.” Her work can be found at laurakellyfanucci.com.

APRIL 29, 2021

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

The first saints to whom I go

As we celebrate the crowning of the Blessed Mother early in May, commemorate the feast of Our Lady of Fatima midway through, and close out the month memorializing the Visitation, it is indeed apropos that a secular feast — Mother’s Day — is also highlighted. We can contemplate the mother of our Lord as we shower our own mothers with flowers, gifts, feasts and most important, the kind of love, nurturing and sensitivity that they bring to the family.

As an adult convert to the faith over three decades ago, I go to and believe we need Mary because she and Joseph significantly represent how Jesus established his Church as a loving family. Down through the centuries, there has been a community of believers united as his brothers and sisters. All are children of God, created to

COMMENTARY live and love in his likeness as a family and to help cocreate new life with him.

As a Catholic Watchman, I go to Mary because she is our spiritual mother — our Lady, Seat of Wisdom — just as her righteous, courageous and faithful spouse, St. Joseph — the Pillar of Families — is our spiritual father. In a beautiful model of complementarity, we are provided the examples of faith, hope, love and leadership of a family par excellence by these first saints.

As I go to St. Joseph, the patron saint of the Watchmen, he reminds me to value the quality of my work, tasks, situations and assignments, big or small, while taking care of my own family. Especially regarding the integration of my diaconate, spousal and parental responsibilities, I am required to examine the virtues of Joseph and strive to follow his example.

In this celebratory 150th year of the Patron of the Universal Church, it is quite fitting that day one of Mary’s month of May is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. As spouse of the mother of God, Joseph was dedicated to Mary, his queen, for whom he graciously and lovingly labored.

As I offer up special moments in May with my wife and family, such as crowning and blessing a statue of our Mother, praying rosaries and novenas for the blessings and dignity of life, and chanting the Regina Caeli (through the Easter season) and the Angelus (after

INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC

Life and dignity defended as regular session nears end Minnesota’s Legislature ends its regular session in mid-May. This deadline makes right now a key time for Catholics to fulfill the missionary call to bring our faith into the public arena by speaking up for policies that uphold life and dignity. Hundreds of Catholics from nearly every legislative district across Minnesota answered that call to be missionary disciples by meeting with their legislators via Zoom on April 16 as part of the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s biennial Catholics at the Capitol event (see story on page 8). The day prior, during the livestreamed event, attendees were formed in the faith, informed on several policy issues at the Capitol, and sent on mission to build relationships with their legislators.

In virtual meetings with the senators and representatives, Catholic constituents spoke out against the legalization of recreational marijuana — H.F. 600

LETTERS Chauvin needs prayers, too As we have had to watch Derek Chauvin, over and over, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, we now watch this same man, over and over, being led away in handcuffs. If we have finally learned our lesson, that all lives matter, let’s extend our respect to Derek Chauvin, because his life matters, and his neck is now under the knee of the community. Let us pray for him.

Mary Ellen Halverson Christ the King, Minneapolis

Preserving George Floyd Square As Catholics, we have a unique understanding of sacred space and experience in preserving holy sites.

We need to be standing up with our Black sisters and brothers — indeed all of our community — in protecting George Floyd Square. Just as we would not tolerate cars driving over cemeteries and other sacred spaces, we as Catholics need to exert our collective pressure on leaders to invest in a pedestrian-friendly community memorial at 38th and Chicago. By

Watch Cath@Cap on YouTube Anyone who was unable to attend Catholics at the Capitol can still view the livestreamed talks by visiting the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/mncathconference.

We also encourage you to contact your elected leaders before the end of session. The easiest way to send them messages on several key issues is to visit the Catholic Advocacy Network Action Center and click on “Act Now” for each of the issues listed.

(Winkler)/S.F. 757 (Franzen) — which would create a commercial marijuana industry in Minnesota that preys on the poor and vulnerable, especially our youth and those who already struggle with addiction. The attacks on human dignity by no means stop at legalizing marijuana; Catholics also spoke out in their meetings against a bill that would deny rights to prenatal children. H.F. 259 (Morrison)/S.F. 731 (McEwen), the “Protect Reproductive Options Act,” not only would further enshrine in Minnesota law a so-called mother’s

legitimizing this space, we could see a reduction of crime and — as we know so well from the building up of Catholic holy places around the world — this would benefit local businesses by encouraging visitors to come in a respectful way.

Nicole Adams Blume St. Cecilia, St. Paul

Praying for Biden’s conversion One may enjoy the civility of President Biden’s delivery but do not be fooled, as his actions speak louder than his congenial words. He has already proven to be the most pro-abortion president with the funding of Planned Parenthood, allowing the use of aborted baby tissue for research and backing the Equality Act, which may infringe on our religious liberties, to name a few. He professes to be a devout Catholic but undermines the most fundamental truth of the Church: that of holding sacred all human life beginning at conception. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta has said, “The greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.” I am praying for the conversion of our president and country.

Margie Boyd St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17 Pentecost), we can honor the glory of home life of the first domestic church. Mary, who by her example best leads us to Jesus, deserves all the honor a family can muster in lending devotion. I am sure St. Joseph — the zealous defender of Christ in his early and “hidden” years — would certainly agree!

As an adoptive son of God, I am taught by Mary and Joseph obedience and trust, and how being obedient to natural and divine laws established by God represents true freedom. That true freedom doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. On the contrary, you are truly free when you do what is right. Jesus needed a family — a religious and legal Jewish family — to bring God Incarnate into the physical world, to save the world. Once Mary and Joseph experienced their own “annunciations” in the village of Nazareth, they recognized that trust in God’s plan was their only plan.

They traveled through Nazareth, the hills of Judah, Bethlehem, Egypt and back to Nazareth to live a normal and quiet life as a family until Jesus’ public ministry, bringing salvation to the world.

When it comes to go-to saints for top honors, “to whom shall we go?”

Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville, and assists the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen movement. Learn about the Catholic Watchmen at archspm.org/faith-communities/men.

“right” to abort her unborn child, but the bill goes even further to state that a human being at any stage of life before birth has no individual rights.

Despite the many attacks on life and human dignity in our state, as Catholics we are called to be people of hope. Therefore, we not only oppose these attacks, but we also find opportunities to promote the life and dignity of all. Because of this, attendees also spoke up in support of a bill that would enable immigrants who do not have U.S. citizenship to apply for a driver’s license using other legal documentation. H.F. 1163 (Winkler) would help ensure that immigrants have the opportunity to legally drive to meet their daily needs without fearing family separation.

Catholics at the Capitol attendees witnessed during their meetings with legislators how meaningful conversations with their elected officials can not only influence lawmaking but sway hearts and minds. Amid growing secular skepticism about faith in the public square, the livestreamed event encouraged Catholics to become missionary disciples, not activists, who are formed, informed and equipped to transform our state as faithful citizens.

“Inside the Capitol” is a twice-monthly update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff while the State Legislature is in session. For more MCC resources, join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org.

Fifth commandment President Joe Biden doesn’t miss any opportunity to promote his political agenda, and reciting that he is a practicing Catholic falls into that category. Biden endorses/supports abortion and infanticide. This is in violation of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.”

As a lifelong Catholic, I was taught that one needed to be in the state of grace to receive the Eucharist.

Receiving the sacrament of reconciliation and having one’s sins forgiven might achieve that goal. However, I cannot understand how continuing to support the killing of innocent children would grant forgiveness. All of the people that voted for Biden are complicit in the killing of babies.

Marian Salo St. Joseph, Rosemount Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@archspm.org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. Read more letters to the editor at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

Why I am Catholic

By Gale Anderson

W

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

I was baptized a Catholic, I was raised a

kids during the Depression and World War I. His four sons all

Catholic, my father converted to Catholicism,

served and came home safely. They survived by keeping their

I married a Catholic in a Catholic church, I

faith during difficult times. His being united in a family bond

raised my children to be Catholic, my wife and I were active members in a Catholic church, and

my wife had a Catholic funeral over 20 years ago.

Why would I not be a Catholic?

There were challenges to being and remaining a Catholic.

Challenges came early in my life, starting out in the Catholic

sealed by a strong faith was ample proof for me to continue being an active, practicing Catholic.

I once wore a small silver cross on my lapel in church and a co-worker saw it and asked, “Are you a born-again Catholic?”

I replied, “No, I’ve always been a Catholic.”

The current COVID-19 pandemic keeping me away from

school that I attended until the seventh grade, after which I

attending Mass in person due to health issues hasn’t deterred

didn’t return for the eighth grade, opting to go to the public

me from observing Mass online and contributing monthly to

school.

my parish.

Catholics in the public school were allowed to have one-

The hardest challenge I face today is the ongoing public

hour religion classes with the Catholic school. I attended the

disclosure of the sexual misconduct of priests, bishops,

class but when standing and raising my hand to answer a

cardinals and the cover-up by many in the hierarchy in the

question, the priest saw who I was and said, “Oh, it’s you, sit

Catholic Church. The Church is getting better on handling this

down.” I didn’t let his non-Christian attitude deter me from

issue, giving me hope and faith.

continuing my Catholic instruction.

Hope and faith are my reasons for “Why I am a Catholic.”

The early, strict demands of the Catholic Church — such as not eating meat on Fridays, fasting before Communion and

Anderson, 81, is a member of St. Richard in Richfield. He and

Lenten sacrifices — didn’t deter me from being a Catholic.

his late wife, Carol, were married 33 years before she died of

The time I spent being active in my parish as an extraordinary

colon cancer in 2000. They raised three children and have five

minister of holy Communion and working on the capital fund

grandchildren. Now retired, Anderson enjoys reading, writing and

drive and bazaar didn’t deter me from volunteering with my

making cribbage boards.

wife beside me. We didn’t think it was a waste of time; we were practicing being Catholics.

My faith was kept alive by the example of my grandfather, Adolph Parent, who had four children with his first wife, who later died. He remarried and had six children (one of whom died young), with his second wife. Together, they raised these

“Why I am Catholic” is a new 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 “Why I am Catholic” in the subject line.

APRIL 29, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR PRAYER+RETREATS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

ASK FATHER MIKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Women’s Midweek Retreat — May 11-13 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme for 2021: “Fear Not; I Am With You Always.” Includes structured and open time, confession, anointing of the sick, Mass, Holy Hour and prayer sessions. franciscanretreats.net

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has asked all parishes in the archdiocese to host Synod Small Groups this fall for Catholics to learn, pray and share ideas on three focus areas ahead of the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod. Focus areas are: Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, and forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young. Small groups will meet for six, 2-hour sessions between mid-September and mid-November. Watch for communications from your parish about how to participate in a small group there, and the specific dates and times they’ll meet.

Learn more about the Archdiocesan Synod process at archspm.org/synod.

stick). He is revealing what kinds of behaviors lead to life and which kind lead to death.

And this leads us to the second thing we need to acknowledge: human nature. I wonder if we aren’t being too generous with ourselves if we think that we don’t need rewards and punishments in our lives. Let’s say that the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy are even arbitrary. Would anyone be willing to assert that human beings are so good that we wouldn’t still need them? Every parent knows that children learn what is right and wrong through a system of reward and punishment. Hopefully, that system is just and fair and good, but it will be a system of “blessing and curses” nonetheless.

And this is how human beings learn.

If we are ever to get to the place where we are willing to do the right thing “for its own sake,” we have to learn via the system of consequences. Yes, the goal is to be people who love God for his own sake and not out of a fear of hell or a selfish desire for heaven, but none of us automatically has that kind of love in us. That kind of love is more mature than most people have in them. It has to be cultivated and taught. The “blessings and curses” are the way our good Father in heaven is teaching us how to love.

Last thing: Whenever we read a challenging piece of Scripture, I always encourage people to “keep reading.” For example, a person might wrongly have the impression that the New Testament doesn’t talk about things like hell, or what a loving God looks like when obeying him. But what we find is that Jesus talks more about hell than anyone else in the entire Bible. (Yes! Loving and gentle Jesus!) He does this because he actually loves people and doesn’t want them to experience that consequence of disobedience. Jesus is also the one who says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Even in the New Testament, God reveals that obedience and love are intrinsically connected.

And the same is true in the Old Testament. In the chapter of the book of Deuteronomy immediately following the blessings and curses (chapter 30), God reveals the motive for the punishments he is willing to allow: so that you may be brought back home after having been scattered, so that you may be gathered into God’s loving arms after you have been isolated, and that you might “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, and so may live” (Dt 30:6).

SPEAKERS+CONVERSATION “Giving Insights” Spiritual Forum on Lay Leadership — April 29: 7–8 p.m. The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota hosts a virtual panel discussion with national and community leaders to discuss the importance and role of the laity in advancing the mission of the Church. Discuss “co-responsibility” and how Christ calls each member to take part, according to his or her gifts, in building his Church body here on earth. ccf-mn.org/events Catholic Social Teaching: “A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota” — Through July 22. St. Joseph, New Hope, hosts virtual discussions on 16 essays in the book “A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota.” Discussions are 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Wednesdays or 7–7:45 p.m. Thursdays via Zoom. $15 suggested donation. stjosephparish.com/cst “Encountering ‘Fratelli Tutti’” series — May 25: 7–8:30 p.m. online.

Final presentation and discussion in five-part series features Lynette Graham, chairwoman of the pastoral council and education committee at St. Peter Claver in St. Paul. Register at centerformission.org/whats-new.

FORMATION Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I adult formation — May 1 and 15: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at St. Michael, 611 S. Third St.,

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions

Stillwater. Montessori-based religious formation program rooted in Scripture and the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The method encourages fuller participation in the Mass and assists children with a personal relationship with Christ, the Good Shepherd. cgsusa.org.

PARISH EVENTS Spring Booya — May 1: 7:30 a.m.–noon at Transfiguration, 6133 15th St. N., Oakdale. Hosted by Knights of Columbus Council 4374. $8 per quart. Pre-order at event website or order at event. knights-of-columbus-4374.square.site Rummage sale — May 5-8 at St. Bonaventure, 901 E. 90th St., Bloomington. Preview: 5:30–7:30 p.m. May 5 ($1 admission). Sale: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. May 6; 9 a.m.–4 p.m. May 7 (half-price); 9–11 a.m. May 8 ($3 bag sale). saintbonaventure.org Exposition of sacred relics — May 11-16 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings; Epiphany, Coon Rapids; St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center; St. Dominic, Northfield and St. Patrick, Oak Grove. Visit treasuresofthechurch.com for schedule and details.

Children’s clothing and toy sale — May 15-16 at St. Joseph the Worker, 7180 Hemlock Lane N., Maple Grove. Children’s clothing (sizes newborn to 16), shoes, high chairs, strollers, books, toys and more.

Credit cards accepted. All items 50% off Sunday. sjtw.net/childrens-sale Chick’n Fried Drive Thru — May 16: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Epiphany, 11001 Hanson Boulevard, NW, Coon Rapids. Drive through or walk up, choose between the big ($14) or li’l chicken ($6), pay and be on your way. Or stay, find some grass and have a picnic. epiphanymn.org “The Roaring Twenties: Lessons in Love from Leading Ladies” — May 20: 7–9 p.m. at St. Pius X, 3878 Highland Ave., White Bear Lake. Join (in-person) Women In the New Evangelization for a fabulous evening with award-winning author and jazz singer Liz Kelly for a deeper look at love. The evening also includes light appetizers, sweets and treats, a little shopping and a few surprises. catholicvineyard.com

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.

Marketplace • Message Center Classified Ads Email: classifiedads@archspm.org • Phone: 651-290-1631 • Fax: 651-291-4460 Next issue: 5-13-21 • Deadline: 3 p.m. 5-5-21 • Rates: $8 per line (35-40 characters per line) • Add a photo/logo for $25 CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE Resurrection: 1 plot/$1200; labtender@att.net ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS STAIR LIFTS - ELEVATORS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS FOR HOMES, CHURCHES & SCHOOLS Arrow Lift (763) 786-2780 ANTIQUES TOP CASH PAID For Older Furniture • Advertising Signs • Beer Items • Toys • Misc.

(651) 227-2469 Comic books, old toys, magazines, old paperback books and Pokemon cards. Top prices paid. Call Dave (651) 503-0642.

ATTORNEYS Edward F. Gross • Wills, Trusts, Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate. Office at 35E & Roselawn Ave., St. Paul (651) 631-0616 CEILING TEXTURE Michaels Painting. Popcorn Removal & Knock Down Texture: TextureCeilings.com (763) 757-3187.

Resurrection Cemetery: single lot; Sec-16, Blk-6, Lt-24, Gr-1. Value: $1830.00 Price: $1480.

Abel at abelpinetree@gmail.com.

Calvary: 2 plots; Ask $1500/ea. 651-698-5208 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Development Assistant: St. Mary’s Mission has been serving the people of the Red Lake Indian Nation since 1888. St. Mary’s relies on the generous gifts of individual, corporate and foundation donors as well as grants.

Reporting to the Business Manager, the Development Assistant will support fundraising and donor engagement strategies with a focus on database management, gift processing, reporting and prospect management. For more information, call Mike at 218-679-3615.

Catholic Caregiver needed. Golden Valley.

Days: Wed/Thurs/Sat/Sun. Hrs: 9-1 or 10-4.

2 women. Hospice experience helpful.

Contact Judy@intlhockey@aol.com.

Advertise your business, skills or needs in the classifieds. classifiedads@archspm.org

Ask a our 3 bout t speciaime l!

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

HANDYMAN

PAINTING

The Church of St. Andrew, Elk River is looking for a Director of Youth Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. Primary duties are for (grades 6-11), will also collaborate with and direct as needed, the Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation (grades 1-5). Full time with benefits. Candidate must be an energetic person to oversee our dynamic youth faith formation program. The applicant will need to have a love for our Catholic faith and an ability to share it. Management skills, education and teaching skills along with competency in knowledge of our faith is required. A complete job description is available at https://www.saint-andrew.net/ employment. Applicants are asked to send a letter of application, resume, and references to Melissa Anderson at melissaa@ saint-andrew.net. The Church of St. Andrew is part of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME! Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/repair and remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today. Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor. Handyman Matters (651) 784-3777, (952) 946-0088. www.HandymanMatters.com

Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair.

MichaelsPaintingllc.coM. (763) 757-3187

HARDWOOD FLOORS

Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors

PRAYERS Thank you St Jude for prayers answered.

PCJ NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication.

RELIGIOUS ITEMS FOR SALE

Spring’s here! Spruce up your home with new or refurbished hardwood floors. 15% off refinishing. Sweeney (651) 485-8187

www.Holyart.com Over 50k Religious Items & Church Goods

KITCHEN/BATH DESIGN

VACATION/FAMILY GETAWAY

buchanankitchencurators.com

Knotty Pines Resort, Park Rapids, MN. 1, 2 & 3 bdrm cabins starting at $565/week. www.knottypinesresort.com (800) 392-2410.

Mention this ad for a discount!

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS

PAINTING

CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping.

Subscribe online at www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/cdclub Please Enter Code: 119

For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM or call (651) 699-6140 Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660.

WANTED TO BUY Estate & Downsizing: I buy Van Loads and Bicycles. Steve (651) 778-0571

DISPLAY ADVERTISING 651-291-4444

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

APRIL 29, 2021

THELASTWORD

‘Amoris Laetitia’ family portraits

‘AMORIS LAETITIA’ FAMILY YEAR Find the text for “Amoris Laetitia” and other resources to celebrate the “Amoris Laetitia” Family Year at laityfamilylife.va.

Sometimes messy, but grace-filled

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

S

ometimes the Catholic Church has “proposed a far too abstract and almost artificial theological ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families,” Pope Francis wrote in his 2016 exhortation, “Amoris

Laetitia.”

And too often people thought that because the Church had an ideal for the family, it meant the Church was for ideal families only.

“Of course, there aren’t any perfect families, and Pope Francis says this in effect in ‘Amoris Laetitia.’ The reality of a man and a woman is an imperfect reality, but they can perfect themselves with the sacrament of marriage, with the grace of the sacrament,” said Gabriella Gambino, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life.

“Marriage is a vocation; it is a path of holiness, which is perfected day by day,” she told Catholic News Service April 21.

Pope Francis opened the “Amoris Laetitia” Family Year March 19, encouraging people to read the document, strengthen their families and support other families who may be struggling. The document, also known as “The Joy of Love,” focuses on the pastoral care of families and married life. Pope Francis wrote it following the Synods on the Family held in 2014 and 2015.

Gregory K. Hillis, a professor of theology at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, has been posting tweets about his marriage and family life with the hashtag #AmorisLaetitia almost since the document was published.

Often the tweets are humorous, like from Palm Sunday 2017: “It took a mere 10 seconds for my children to begin using their palm leaves as swords this morning. #AmorisLaetitia.” And, shortly after Easter this year: “Discount Easter candy purchased. Now to hide it from the kids #AmorisLaetitia.”

“The tweets are a way for me to highlight that ‘Amoris Laetitia’ is so much more than just about the issue of divorce and remarriage,” the issue that attracted the most media coverage, he told CNS. “It is about the nitty-gritty of family life in a way that truly spoke to me as a father and husband.”

With the tweets, “just like ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ I wanted to be honest about both the humorous and less-thanhumorous aspects of family life,” he said. “‘Amoris Laetitia’ spoke about families honestly and openly, and in a way that was refreshing,” Hillis said.

“The ideal is there, but the messy reality is also clearly recognized and honored.”

Pandemic deepens generosity The coronavirus pandemic and its various lockdowns

Gregory K. Hillis, a professor of theology at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, takes a selfie with his wife, Kim, and their sons Isaac, Leo and Sam. Hillis spoke with Catholic News Service about the “Amoris Laetitia” Family Year, which opened March 19.

COURTESY GREGORY K. HILLIS | CNS, FRAME FROM iSTOCK PHOTO | SITTIPONG_SRIKANYA

and periods of working from home and attending class virtually have put added stress on families, but also underlined just how essential family relationships are to health, happiness and survival.

Gambino and her husband have five children: a 23-year-old university student, an 18-year-old and 12-year-old triplets. They were all together, in the same apartment, during Italy’s severe lockdown in March-May 2020.

The children attended school online, and both she and her husband were working from home, but they did not have seven computers or even seven devices. The Wi-Fi would slow down and crash and, at the end of the day, all seven GABRIELLA of them would be screen zombies.

GAMBINO “Like everyone, we were unprepared for this long period of living together without leaving the house” except to go grocery shopping, she said. “We all had to have a lot of patience.”

“But looking back, it really was a strong moment of learning for both of us as parents and for our children.

We had to learn how to be generous, for example, in sharing computers” and everyday chores, which grew with everyone home for every meal — “all seven of us there for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”

The triplets became “exceptional cooks,” she said. But as a mom, “at the beginning I had to learn to close my eyes” to the mess they created. “Now, instead, they have become very good, because I explained to them the greatest cooks leave the kitchen clean!”

The children understood the challenges of lockdown, she said, “but also the opportunity that it gave us to all be together and dialogue and play.”

And, with two widowed grandparents living on their own, the children also stepped up to ease their loneliness, making sure they received a phone call from at least one grandchild every day.

Community vital In “Amoris Laetitia,” Hillis said, Pope Francis wrote repeatedly about “manifesting generous love as parents and spouses, and this pandemic year has challenged me to live out this calling to generous love more than ever before — not always, or even often, successfully.”

The pandemic period has been “a year characterized by disorder and anxiety, but it’s also been a year when we’ve come together as a family and spent more time together than ever before,” he said. “That came with challenges, but it also came with tremendous grace.”

Another lockdown discovery that Gambino and her husband are committed to continuing is “building community with other couples,” something that began with friends on Zoom, not just as a “pastoral” exercise but as an opportunity to chat and to share.

“We discovered how vital it is to build a community with other families, especially when you are experiencing difficulties or going through a tough time,” she said. “Talking with other families, sharing those challenges and ideas for dealing with them — it was a real breath of fresh air. This must continue through the parish.”

Priests around the world showed concern for families by celebrating liturgies online, organizing Zoom meetings and sending family prayer suggestions to parishioners’ homes, she said. But many of them also need to learn to welcome families as leaders in the outreach to other families — “to embrace ‘family’ as an ecclesial style” — with everyone pitching in, celebrating their different talents and caring for people in need.

“On this, there is still work to be done,” Gambino said, because for so long, the priest was seen as the guide, and he tried to “drag” everyone else along.

The “Amoris Laetitia” Family Year, she said, should help Catholics discover that the pope’s document is about real families, and it has suggestions for how all Catholic families can be witnesses of the joy and beauty of marriage and family life — challenges and all.