Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Leading With Faith Local Catholic business leaders honored
The Catholic Spirit
1B-12B
News with a Catholic heart
August 15, 2013
TheCatholicSpirit.com
Memphis songwriter’s life, music grounded in Catholic faith Eliot Morris to debut new ‘Rediscover’ song in St. Paul Oct. 12 By Joe Towalski The Catholic Spirit
Singer and songwriter Eliot Morris has tasted success on the national concert circuit, opening on tours for popular acts like Counting Crows, John Mayer and James Taylor. While Morris, a lifelong Catholic who grew up in Mobile, Ala., is a talented musician and entertainer, he also considers himself to be something else: an evangelist — one who is trying “to be a light in the world” through his music and how he lives his life. “I see all believers as having a role in evangelization,” said Morris, who now lives in Memphis, Tenn., with his wife Lee and five children ranging in age from 2 to 13. “I think part of Catholic evangelization is just being in the world and living out the faith.” “People may not preach on Sunday, but they show up in their workplace and, by the way they live their lives and the words they choose, they present the Gospel with their very lives,” he said. “In that regard, I do consider myself an evangelist — it’s on my lips, the books I’m reading, the things I’m doing, and the perspective that I approach my life with. They are all informed by my faith.” That faith includes spending time with his family each morning before school, reading PLEASE TURN TO MUSICIAN ON PAGE 4A Photo courtesy of Eliot Morris
What is your heart’s greatest desire? Catholic News Service Yearning and loving give people the strength to move forward and overcome obstacles, but Christians must ask themselves what really is their hearts’ desire, Pope Francis said. “All of us have a desire,” the pope said Aug. 11 during his midday Angelus address. “Pity the person who doesn’t have a desire. Desire moves us forward, toward the horizon, and for us Christians that horizon is an encounter with Jesus, who is our life, our joy, our happiness.” Addressing thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, the pope asked them to think about what Jesus said to his disciples in the
Pope Francis is focus of keynoter’s address at Knights of Columbus supreme convention. — See page 7A Gospel of Luke: “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” “Do you have a heart that desires or a closed heart, a sleeping heart, an anesthetized
heart?” the pope asked. “And what, for you, is the most important, most precious thing, that which attracts your heart like a magnet?” Many people would respond that their family is the most important thing, he said. That’s good, but “what is the force that holds your family together? It’s love, and the one who sows love in our hearts is God.” Pope Francis told the crowd that God’s love gives meaning to all the daily tasks in a Christian’s life and it is what helps people face trials. “To move forward in life with love, with that love that the Lord has sown in our hearts, with the love of God — that is a true treasure,” he said.
2A
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Sacrament of reconciliation: Why confess to a priest?
That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
The answer to the question involves the whole reason behind why Jesus established the Church
One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive is: “Why do I have to tell my sins to a priest?” Actually, it is a great question because the answer to it involves the whole reason behind why Jesus established a Church and, therefore, why we are Catholics after all. You recall the scene in Matthew 16:13-20 when Jesus asks the apostles at Caesarea Philippi what people are saying about him. That episode includes Jesus saying to Simon: “I for my part declare to you, you are ‘Rock’ (“petrus”), and on this rock I will build my church. . .” In Matthew 18:20, Jesus in discussing prayer with his disciples tells them: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” Notice, he didn’t say that when we are off on a mountainside or sitting beside a tranquil lake or even meditating alone in our room he would be present. No, Jesus proclaims that the only authentically verifiable place where we can be absolutely certain he is present is: “Where two or three are gathered” in his name.
Establishing his Church From these and other scriptural texts we can be assured that Jesus intended to establish a Church as his abiding presence in the world. And, to be sure that it was his presence, he breathed on that Church his Holy Spirit the very evening of his resur-
The Catholic Spirit
The Catholic Spirit’s mission is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It seeks to inform, educate, evangelize and foster a spirit of community within the Catholic Church by disseminating news in a professional manner and serving as a forum for discussion of contemporary issues.
Vol. 18 — No. 18 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT Publisher
Archbishop’s schedule ■ Saturday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Private baptism. ■ Sunday, Aug. 18: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, St. Mary’s Chapel at The St. Paul Seminary: Mass for Seminarians’ Day of Reflection ■ Tuesday, Aug. 20: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff. 1:30 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archbishop’s Cabinet meeting. ■ Sunday, Aug. 25: 9 a.m., Minneapolis, Church of St. Anthony of Padua: Sunday Liturgy. ■ Monday, Aug. 26: 3 p.m., St. Paul Chancery: Catholic Community Foundation board of directors’ meeting. ■ Tuesday, Aug. 27: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff. 1:30 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archbishop’s Council meeting. 3:00 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archdiocesan Finance Council meeting. ■ Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 29-31: Duluth, Bishops provincial meeting.
rection. Again, notice carefully where he places the priority as he imparts the Holy Spirit: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.” — John 20:22-23 “Binding and loosing” implies an outsider’s judgment; it requires, therefore, the context of the Church, Jesus’ presence in the world. Why would forgiveness be the first thing Jesus willed for his Church? Well, first of all, as we read in the curing of the paralytic in Mark 2:1-
12, forgiving sins is reserved to God alone. To say that a human being forgives his own sins or those of another is blasphemy. Secondly, Jesus’ whole ministry was about forgiveness, about healing, about making people whole again. So, if that was the primary concern for Jesus, it has to be the first priority for his Church. A priest is ordained to stand “in the person of Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head.” I personally was attracted to the priesthood because I believed it would be the best way I could help others to know God, to resolve their spiritual conflicts and to get to heaven.
Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly. People who generally feel they can hear, but cannot understand words clearly are encouraged to come in for the test, which uses the latest electronic equipment. Everyone, especially those over age 55 should have an electronic hearing test once
a year. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be programmed using a computer to your particular needs — on the spot — after the tests. See (and HEAR) for yourself if newlydeveloped methods of correction will help you understand words better. Tests will be performed at one of 20 convenient Greater Twin Cities Avada Hearing Care locations.
Call 1-877-328-9161
www.avada.com ©2013 HHM, Inc. 304
SARAH MEALEY Associate publisher JOE TOWALSKI Editor Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by Catholic Spirit Publishing Company. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year Senior 1-year: $24.95 To subscribe: (651) 291-4444 Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444 Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631 Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Spirit Publishing Company, a non-profit Minnesota Corporation, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM E-MAIL: CATHOLICSPIRIT@ARCHSPM.ORG USPS #093-580
Sunday, August 25, 2013 Polka Mass 10 a.m. • Pork Chop Dinner 11 a.m. Adults $9, Children 5-12 $5, 4 & under Free Square Dancing starting after Mass Afternoon Music - DJ Paul Wurm Silent Auction featuring Baskets from Heaven (Theme Baskets) POP and BEER • FOOD BOOTHS • ADULT GAMES CHILDRENS GAMES • BINGO • CAKEWALK WHITE ELEPHANT SALE! A garage sale but no clothes 2 Inflatable Obstacle Courses
The Church of St Luke • (320) 558-2124 17545 Huber Avenue NW-Hwy 24 & Co Rd 7, Clearwater
Quilt Auction 2 p.m.
Grand Raffle Drawing 4 p.m. Country Market
Featuring fresh produce, crafts & more
I always have thought that the image of Jesus as the “Divine Physician” or “Healer of Souls” provided an incentive for my priestly service. As doctors use medicine to cure physical ills, a priest employs the Holy Sprit to cure spiritual ills. In the sacrament of confession, the priest is not there to scold or admonish, nor is he there out of curiosity to learn about your “dark side.” No, the priest is there as “Another Christ” to offer comfort, counsel and, above all, forgiveness and healing.
Speaking the words Thirdly, we have to confess our sins to a priest because, believe it or not, it is good for us. Those who have been successful in Alcoholics Anonymous will tell you that one cannot begin to be cured until one admits out loud to another, “I am an alcoholic.” There is a real difference between thinking something in our heads and speaking it in words. Once an idea is articulated (i.e. a word spoken in anger) in speech, it takes on a life of its own. Likewise, I may think I am sorry for an evil action, but until I ask for forgiveness in words, I really do not experience the effect of that sorrow. But, once I admit I’ve done wrong, then the admission becomes tangible and it can be absolved. Also, in admitting I am powerless PLEASE TURN TO SACRAMENT ON PAGE 18A
Missionary activity is service to hurting world, pope says Catholic News Service In a world that often seems dark and full of suffering and violence, Christians can offer hope by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Pope Francis wrote in a message for World Mission Sunday 2013. “It is necessary to proclaim courageously and in every situation the Gospel of Christ, a message of hope, reconciliation [and] communion, a proclamation of God’s closeness, his mercy, salvation and a proclamation that the power of God’s love is able to overcome the darkness of evil and guide us on the path of goodness,” the pope wrote. World Mission Sunday will be celebrated Oct. 20 at the Vatican and in most dioceses. The message for his first Mission Sunday since becoming pope is filled with phrases and ideas that have been featured prominently in the speeches and homilies Pope Francis has given during the first four months of his pontificate, including at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. Pope Francis’ message emphasized the obligation of all Christians to share the faith with others and do so with respect. He also pointed to the stifling damage done to the Church by the failure to evangelize, and the sacrifices made by many Christians around the world currently facing oppression or even persecution because of their faith.
“The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them.” Mark 14:7
Local AUGUST 15, 2013
News from around the archdiocese
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
3A
Mary Jo’s story: There’s more to tell in revised biography By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit
When she returned from the White House after receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal last February, Mary Jo Copeland “had it on her heart” to publish a revised edition of her biography, first written in 2003. She knew an updated version could reach even more people with her message of God’s love and her work with the poor and homeless, she said, and it could inspire readers to make a difference themselves. The book, “Great Love: The Mary Jo Copeland Story” written and revised by Michelle Peterson Hinck, describes her life before her work at Sharing and Caring Hands — from a difficult childhood with an abusive father and inattentive mother, to her marriage to Dick Copeland and the adventures of raising 12 children. Copeland talks in the book about the deep depression she suffered as a young mother and how, as her children became teenagers, she found herself listening to the troubles of their friends and other neighborhood teens. That experience put her on the road to recovery and set the stage for what would become her life’s work. “The story in itself of what I’ve done with my life can inspire others to do things; it’s not just about me,” Copeland said. “It’s about what people can do to change their lives in spite of their own suffering. So many people just don’t realize the difference they can make.”
New additions The book includes stories of some of the people that have come to Sharing and Caring Hands and Mary’s Place in Minneapolis — some in need of food, a lot in need of medical care, and all in need of hope. Copeland loves them all. “It’s just a joy that God has sent them here,” she says. “There are a couple of powerful stories in there,” she said. “But I want people to realize that’s just two of the hundreds.” One addition to the original book is a chapter on Copeland’s visit to the White House last February to accept the Presidential Citizens Medal. Copeland said it was a little overwhelming to be at the White House and to see the others there receiving awards, including military service people who had prevously received Purple Hearts.
Mary Jo Copeland prays with members of a new family at Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis before sending them across the street to their new temporary home at Mary’s Place last February. Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
“I wondered what I was doing there, but I knew God had sent me there,” she said. “I got a chance to give the president a Sacred Heart badge and told him I prayed for him.” “That experience was good,” Copeland said. “As much as I don’t believe in all the policies, I certainly believe that he’s a good man and we need to pray for him and for the changes he needs to make.” A second addition to the book is an epilogue describing the drastic social and economic challenges in the 10 years since the book was originally published. It includes current statistics — 437 children now call Mary’s Place home, for example. There are now more refugee families coming to the Twin Cities from around the world. Copeland talks about the growing numbers of Somali refugees seeking help. “Mary Jo would never consider her operation as a social service agency,” said Father Joseph Johnson, pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park and Copeland’s spiritual
advisor, who wrote a reflection published at the end of the book. “She sees herself as a servant of God, and her mission is to bring His love to the world,” he writes. “As such, she makes no distinction between people of different races or religions. She is in the business of love — the same unconditional love that God shows to all of His children.”
Power of prayer “I hope that people walk away from this book realizing how important prayer is in their life,” Copeland said. “The power and the peace and the strength in prayer change so many things in our lives. I don’t care what denomination you are, or where you come from, it’s such a vital thing to keep our lives balanced and focused.” The new revised edition of “Great Love: The Mary Jo Copeland Story” is available at bookstores, including St. Patrick’s Guild and Leaflet Missal and online at WWW. AMAZON.COM. For information about Sharing and Caring Hands, visit WWW.SHARINGANDCARINGHANDS.ORG.
4A
Local
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
Musician says his songwriting informed by Catholic perspective on life
“At the root of who
I am is that there is something, by God’s grace, that I was born with — and that is a place and a hunger in my heart to experience God.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A and praying over the day’s Scripture readings, said Morris, a parishioner at St. Peter Church in Memphis. Morris will be hitting the road again soon to share his faith with Catholics of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Oct. 12, when he performs his new song “Rediscover” at the 2013 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration at the St. Paul RiverCentre. The song is inspired by the archdiocese’s Rediscover: initiative and is an invitation to engage and rediscover the beauty that faith in God and the Church offer (see lyrics, in sidebar box). Morris said a theme in the song touches on the passage in John’s Gospel that says: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” “For me, it’s not that we don’t experience these troubles in life, it’s that we have a partner [God] in facing them,” he said. “We have a peace and hope in the midst of life, which can be hard.”
”
ELIOT MORRIS
An artist’s life Morris has experienced his share of ups and downs in the music business. He grew up as one of six children in what he calls a “rambunctious” but very creative and joyful household. His mother “approached Jesus in a very personal way,” he said, perhaps influenced by some of her southern Protestant friends. On the other hand, his father’s side “was very disciplined,” he said, and Morris’ grandmother continues to participate in daily Mass and prayer. As a child looking for attention “the dinner table and the living room were a stage of mine,” he said, “and music has always been part of my family’s DNA.” One day, his father brought home a CD player and a Motown recording. Eliot became “lost in music,” he recalls, and eventually wanted to create his own. He started to play the guitar and write songs. But a career in music wasn’t on his mind at the time. He studied finance at Auburn University while playing occasional open mics. After graduation, he got married and he and his wife had their first child. He was still writing songs, however, and he and his wife felt the songs were good — good enough that he should try to “make a go of it” and record them on his own. His big break came when Universal signed him to a record deal. He released the album “What’s Mine Is Yours” in 2006 and toured the country. But the album didn’t sell enough copies, and he and Universal parted ways in 2008.
Passion and purpose But another break came when he met Matthew Kelly, the best-selling author of “Rediscover Catholicism” and founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute. Morris said seemingly “divine circumstances” brought the two together. “It’s crazy. He had seen me play in Chicago,” Morris recalled. “I was opening for Counting Crows and the Goo Goo Dolls that summer in 2006. He was early enough to catch my set — I was the first of three. He liked it enough to buy my record.” When Morris found out that Kelly would be speaking in Mobile, Morris reached out to him. Today, Morris travels around the country as part of Kelly’s Passion and Purpose Live retreats that help people gain a deeper sense of God’s purpose for their lives. “It’s been a great opportunity for me to engage an audience that I, to a large degree, had missed when I was just playing in clubs and theaters,” Morris said.
Rediscover: the song Morris said that through Kelly and Sarah Mealey, the communications director for the archdiocese, he became aware of the Rediscover: initiative and its
Photo courtesy of Eliot Morris
‘Rediscover’ Only Love can tear down these walls we’ve built Only grace can wipe clean the stain of guilt Turn the earth inside us Till the soil and shape these dreams we dream Till your love defines us, and reminds us Life’s like a symphony All for One and one for another With the name of Love above all others Every faithful heart or fallen brother can rediscover Rediscover Only hope can find life inside a loss Only faith can find grace inside the cross Mend the ties that bind us Fan the flames and shape the lives we lead Till that fire defines us, and You find us In life like a symphony All for one and one for another With the name of love above all others Every faithful heart or fallen brother can rediscover Rediscover And the glory of God Is man fully alive Yeah, the glory of God Is man fully alive All for one and one for another With the name of love above all others Every faithful heart or fallen brother can rediscover Rediscover website at REDISCOVER-FAITH.ORG. “There was something inspiring there,” Morris said. “So I just jumped in and wrote the song. It kind of came relatively quickly . . . and I felt like it fit” with the initiative’s mission and goals.
“As far as ‘rediscover,’ I think it’s something we can Listen do daily — wake up and to and experience God in a new way through old relationships and purchase new relationships,” he said. the song “Each moment, if we have the eyes to see, can testify to a You can listen to a living God. The challenge is preview of having the eyes to see, and “Rediscover” and engaging and presenting the purchase it online Gospel in a complicated and on the Rediscover: sometimes dark world.” website at Morris said all of his music REDISCOVER-FAITH.ORG. is informed by a Catholic You can read more perspective, addressing all about Morris and aspects of life — the positive his music on his as well as negative. He website: considers all of his songs ELIOTMORRIS.COM. “Christian songs” on some level, he said. “I’m trying to help [the music] to be a sincere engagement of life — a sincere and authentic reaction to real life,” he said. “It involves suffering and death as well as beauty and love and truth and pain and whatever else.” That goes for the music he plays when he’s visiting churches with Kelly as well as when he plays for audiences at secular venues. “Even in the early songs I was writing, my faith is a part of those things as well,” Morris said. “A lot of the songs I play with Matthew in the churches we go to are the same songs I play in clubs. I think that’s a picture of my intent and effort to not put my faith under a blanket. It’s an effort to present it in a way that might be able to be heard in the world.” Morris said that by looking back on his life, he realizes that his faith has always been an integral part of it. “At the root of who I am is that there is something, by God’s grace, that I was born with — and that is a place and a hunger in my heart to experience God,” he said.
Local
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
5A
Nagasaki girls’ choir brings message of peace to St. Paul By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit
On Aug. 9, just after 11 a.m., an unusual group marked a significant international anniversary together: Japanese school girls sang a special song to remember the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on that date in 1945. Dressed in navy blue school jumpers, the 13 high school girls from Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University and Girls’ Senior High School choir performed songs in Japanese and English for residents of Carondelet Village in St. Paul as part of their St. Paul-Nagasaki sister city tour. The school’s third visit to the city in seven years featured ceremonies and events of remembrance related to the Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bomb anniversaries. Along with participating in and performing at the events, which included a tea ceremony with Archbishop John Nienstedt and meeting with the St. Paul City Council, the girls performed at Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul on Aug. 11. With a message of peace, the girls and their leader, Sister Yoko Hamada, ICM, shared their school’s history and, through their performances, gave a view of Japanese culture. “It is very important for us to know what happened in Nagasaki or Hiroshima,” she said. “The younger people should learn what happened there and . . . what to do — how to build peace.”
Remembering history Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, (Junshin means “Immaculate Heart” of Mary in Japanese) founded in 1934, was strongly impacted by the atomic bomb. When it was dropped on the city in 1945,
214 of the university’s students and teachers lost their lives, and the school was badly damaged. In 1982, Junshin established a relationship with St. Catherine University. Junshin now has a graduate school, and its congregation of sisters has an outreach in Brazil. The visit gave Minnesotans the chance to experience Japanese culture and learn about important events in history, said JoAnn Blatchley, president of the St. PaulNagasaki Sister City Committee. The sister-city relationship was established in 1955 and was Japan’s first sister-city connection. “The girls bring in a very real world connection,” she said. “As children of God [regardless of] the color of our skin and the language we speak we’re all together loving each other and working for peace, not war.” Karin Yamamoto, a 16-year-old Junshin high school student, said she was enjoying the chance to sing and spend time with her host family on her first trip to Minnesota. When asked how she felt about commemorating the bomb being dropped on her city she said, “I don’t want war again.” The song commemorating the anniversary was familiar to both groups, “A Thousand Paper Cranes,” based on the true story of a young girl, who after contracting leukemia from the bomb’s radiation made origami cranes in hopes of getting well, has become a memorial song for the anniversaries. Kairos dancing heart participants at Carondelet Village sometimes dance to the song using their arms. Kairos dancing heart is a Twin Cities based program that regularly engages Carondelet Village resi-
Caroline Rode/The Catholic Spirit
A choir member from Japan shares a smile with a member of the Carondelet Village in St. Paul. After their performance, the girls gave handmade origami to each of the audience members.
dents in dance and storytelling. This was the second time the residents have done the dance with the Junshin choir, and dancer and Carondelet Village resident Pat Palmer said she was glad for the chance to share with the girls.
nesota, a member of the St. Paul sistercity committee commemorated the anniversaries in Nagasaki, Blatchley said. Continuing the exchange, a choir group from St. Agnes is considering going to the Japanese city in 2015, she said.
Reciprocal observance
The friendship between St. Paul and Nagasaki is important in the efforts for peace, Sister Hamada said.
“I was very impressed at such reverence and remembrance,” she said. “They weren’t there [at Nagasaki during the bombing] but they know what happened to them.” As the Junshin choir traveled to Min-
“We cannot build peace by ourselves,” she said. “We have to make friends. We have to [nurture] understanding ourselves or talk to each other directly.”
Holy Family students answer pope’s call to be ‘protagonists’ of change By Renee Stewart-Hester
Holy Family that would enable students to refill water bottles and keep track of how many plastic bottles were “saved” in the process. “The week is supposed to heighten awareness about clean water in other countries and encourage sensible use of water here at home,” said Aly Anton, a 2013 graduate of the school.
For The Catholic Spirit
As he departed from Brazil’s World Youth Day, Pope Francis proclaimed, “I ask that you be protagonists, overcoming apathy and offer a Christian response to social and political worries.” Students from Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria are heeding the pontiff’s charge. After returning in July from a three-week cultural exchange and service mission trip to Ethiopia, the students will share their experiences through ongoing school presentations and a weeklong Water Week, focusing on the need for drinkable water throughout the world. “In Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, part of the city gets water one day, and the other part gets it the next day. The local school helps students by having water for washing, which is essential and sacred in Ethiopia,” explained John Dols, Holy Family’s assistant principal and campus minister.
A different problem Even when water is available, it can have ecological implications. “The people drink bottled water, and this causes a lot of pollution, especially since they don’t have recycling disposal,” said senior Annie Richelsen, who was on the trip. After the Holy Family students experienced the effects of poor drinking water
Not just water
Photo courtesy of Renee Stewart-Hester
Students from Besrate Gabriel School in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, greet Holy Family High School senior Emily Kirsch as she begins her teaching day. Holy Family students taught math and English as part of their service program.
and limited access to water for hygienic purposes, ideas began to flow, and Water Week began to take shape. “We want to highlight the quote, ‘Water is life. Sanitation is dignity,’” said senior Emily Kirsch. During Water Week — still to be scheduled — students hope to educate their
peers and raise funds through the sale of T-shirts and refillable, eco-friendly water bottles. Proceeds will be divided between Holy Family’s twin Ethiopian schools, Besrate Gabriel School and St. John Baptist de la Salle School. Funds also will be used toward the purchase of a specialized water fountain at
The service trip included a six-day visit to Addis Ababa’s St. John Baptist de la Salle School, which is affiliated with the Christian Brothers and Sisters of Charity. The students also toured Sisters of Charity homes for children with HIV/AIDS and taught math and English to students at Besrate. Clean water wasn’t the only idea channeling through the students’ minds. “We spent the last night in Dire Dawa reflecting outside while watching the full moon,” Dols recalled. “One of the things we discussed was that now, after several weeks, we are intricately connected to a people a world away. When we want to feel close, we can simply look up at night and realize that we all see the same moon. We are a world away, and we are next door.” To see more about the students’ trip to Ethiopia, visit “Ethiopia Trip Blog” at WWW.HFCHS.ORG.
6A
Local
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
SPO program offers service day to help needy By Caroline Rode The Catholic Spirit
At 9 o’clock on a Monday morning, more than 200 lively, college-aged students with water and bag lunches in tow filled an auditorium at the University of St. Thomas. They were there to begin their day of service at St. Paul’s Outreach School of the New Evangelization, which ran from Aug. 2 to 9 at St. Thomas. The school gathers college students and ministry leaders from all over the United States, according to the website of SPO, a a Twin Cities-based Catholic ministry on college campuses “SNE is eight days of intensive training, powerful prayer, and deep fellowship that combines dynamic teaching with radical Christian living to bring about a life changing experience,” the website said. Ryan O’Hara, SPO’s Minnesota Mission Center director, said this is the 10th year of the weeklong event, and the second year the week has included a service day. “Our hope is that they would take an outward focus in their lives,” O’Hara said. “The service day is just kind of one of those practical ways that moves beyond the training itself. It puts us into real people’s lives right away. “One of the reasons we wanted to do the service day in the midst of School of the New Evangelization was to put talking about evangelization on hold for a day and do something.”
Making a difference The O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium was filled with 60 SPO staff members and 160 college students, most being future SPO leaders. The morning started with the assembly of 750 personal care kits to donate to the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul with the help of Gather4Good, an initiative of Catholic United Financial. The care kits included hygiene products such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and combs. Students wrote letters of prayer and encouragement for each bag that was filled and added them to the kit. The group then split up and went to places such as Second Harvest Heartland, People Serving People, ProLife Action ministries, Highland Friendship Club and Feed my Starving Children. O’Hara said he wanted a large group of students (86) to go to Feed my Starving Children to draw attention to how kids are affected by poverty. “They’ve never experienced, or very few have experienced, what it’s like to not know where the next meal is going to come from,” O’Hara said. Lauren DeZelar of Mary of the Visitation in Big Lake is leading an SPO house at the University of Minnesota this year. DeZelar went to SNE to learn how to better spread and share her faith while being an SPO leader. “I hope to really find strength and be able to trust in the Lord much more than I ever have,” DeZelar said. Paula Bengtson of Holy Family in St. Louis Park is attending the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and hopes to start an SPO chapter there. “I’ve just kind of always grown up where if it’s not
Caroline Rode/ The Catholic Spirit
Students seal and pack rice meals at Feed my Starving Children Monday, August 5. The group packed 30,456 meals, the equivalent of feeding 84 kids for one year.
there you should just make it happen,” Bengtson said. Nicholas Sparks from Colorado will lead an SPO Men’s house in the fall at Benedictine College in Kansas. Sparks said he hopes the SNE will help him not only to be equipped to bring his classmates closer to God, but help him feel that closeness. “Over the past couple of years, I’ve been involved in the faith life but we can always be closer to God,”
Sparks said. With friendship and comradery, Bengtson said the friends she made at SNE were some of the greatest people she’s ever met. She’s hoping this will propel her goal of starting the SPO chapter at the University of Mary. “Everyone says the School of New Evangelization is the best week of their whole summer, and so far it’s definitely looking to be that way,” Bengtson said.
NOW - THE TRUTH OF THE EUCHARIST REVEALED AS...
"Science Tests Faith" This DVD presents the findings from the investigation of a Eucharistic miracle commissioned by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1999. This Cardinal is now known to the world as Pope Francis! What science discovers will confront the mind and heart of every person. See and hear the story unfold as flesh and blood, heart muscle tissue and human DNA are discovered in this miracle!
What Does Science Have to Say? To order DVD, visit our Web Site at: www.loveandmercy.org or send $16 plus $4 (shipping & handling) to: Love and Mercy Publications, P O Box 1160, Hampstead, NC 28443
If you have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, we want to hear from you. We are here to offer you help and healing. We will also help you make a formal complaint of abuse to this Archdiocese or assist you in contacting another archdiocese/diocese/eparchy. Please call me, Greta Sawyer on my confidential phone line, 651.291.4497, or email me at sawyerg@archspm.org.
“The truth isn’t a wet rag that you throw in someone’s face, but a warm cape that you wrap around a person, to protect and strengthen them.” Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston
Nation/World AUGUST 15, 2013
News from around the U.S. and the globe
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
7A
Pope’s compassion touches hearts all over world, says cardinal By Jordan McMorrough Catholic News Service
Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley highlighted the new evangelization in the pontificate of Pope Francis in an Aug. 6 keynote address to the Knights of Columbus supreme convention in San Antonio. “Following Pope John Paul [II] and Pope Benedict, Pope Francis is challenging us to embrace the new evangelization with new ardor, with new boldness and with great love for all those who God places in our path. He is calling on all of us to be missionaries in our own communities,” he said. “In this new millennium, business as usual is not enough. We must be a team of missionaries, moving from a maintenance mode to a missionary one,” he added. He told his listeners they must ask themselves, “What does it mean to live in a culture of unbelief; a culture which does not even know it does not believe because it still lives on the residue of Christian civilization?” Cardinal O’Malley replied, “Pope Francis is ever warning against a self-referential church turned in on itself. He tells us to open the doors, to invite others in and so that we can go out and invite.” The cardinal emphasized that being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church “is much more than a head trip.” It is a way of life together; and the whole person is engaged in the process. Education for the journey must therefore be experiential, personal, engaging and life-giving, he added. “We learn discipleship the way we learn a language, by being part of a community that speaks that language.” The Boston archbishop stressed that young Catholics must be mentored in the faith by others, either peers or older Catholics who are walking the walk. “In today’s world, we must promote the Catholic way of life, which is increasingly alien in the secular world, where our concern about unborn children or the sacredness of marriage makes us appear quaint and even nettlesome,” he explained. “We need mentors: parents, grandparents, godparents, teachers, youth ministers, neighbors, who are ready to pass on the faith.” According to the cardinal, Pope Francis is calling on Catholics to embrace the vision of reality that is the Church’s faith and that values each and every human being, and stresses responsibility to love and serve each other, especially the most vulnerable. The word that Pope Francis repeats over and over, he said, is “tenerezza,” or tenderness. In his inaugural Mass on the feast of St. Joseph, Cardinal O’Malley recalled, the pontiff spoke about protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need. The pope said, “We must not be afraid of goodness or tenderness.” “He points to the heart of Joseph, his tenderness which is not the virtue of the weak but a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern and compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love,” said the cardinal. Noting that “some people think that the Holy Father should talk more about abortion,” Cardinal O’Malley said he thinks Pope Francis “speaks of love and mercy to give people the context for the church’s teaching on abortion. We oppose abortion, not because we are mean or old-fashioned, but because we love people. And that is what we must show the world.” He continued, “We must be better people; we must love all people, even those who advocate abortion. It is only if we love them that we will be able to help them discover the sacredness of the life of an unborn child. Only love and mercy will open hearts that have been
CNS photo / L'Osservatore Romano
Pope Francis embraces a boy as he arrives at a park to hear confessions in Rio de Janeiro July 26. Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley highlighted the new evangelization in the pontificate of Pope Francis in an Aug. 6 keynote address to the Knights of Columbus supreme convention in San Antonio.
hardened by the individualism of our age.”
Overcoming indifference In reference to the United States being an immigrant church, Cardinal O’Malley spoke of the significance of the Holy Father’s first trip as pope to the Italian island of Lampedusa to underscore his concern for the plight of immigrants. “When the Holy Father went to the island of Lampedusa, he threw a wreath of flowers into the sea where thousands of refugees have perished in the modern day coffin ships that bring refugees from North Africa,” said the cardinal, noting that Pope Francis talked about the globalization of indifference — indifference to the suffering of others, to the fate of the unborn, the elderly, the handicapped, the mentally ill and the immigrants. We must overcome this indifference and help people to see that the church’s teaching is about loving and caring for everyone, he explained, quoting the pope who told the Brazilian bishops at World Youth Day: “We need a church capable of rediscovering the maternal womb of mercy. Without mercy we have little chance nowadays of entering the world of wounded persons in need of understanding, forgiveness and love.” Added Cardinal O’Malley, “The truth isn’t a wet rag that you throw in someone’s face, but a warm cape that you wrap around a person, to protect and strengthen them.” The prelate cited the post-abortion ministry Project Rachel as being the kind of combination of mercy and truth that the church’s pro-life efforts need to be about. “Our efforts to heal the wounds of society will depend on our capacity to love and to be faithful to our mission,” the cardinal insisted.
Pope to parents: Teach your children to respect, defend life Catholic News Service Respect for human life from conception until natural death is something children must be taught, not mainly with words, but by the example of their parents, Pope Francis said. “Parents are called to pass on to their children the awareness that life must always be defended,” Pope Francis wrote in a message to people joining in the Brazilian Catholic Church’s celebration of Family Week, which began Aug. 11. The pope returned to his condemnation of the “throwaway culture,” something he spoke against several times during his July 22-28 visit to Brazil. He had said that modern cultures tend to treat even human lives as disposable, pointing to the way people, societies and even governments tend to treat both the young and the old. In his message for Family Week, he said parents have a responsibility to fight that disposable culture by teaching their children that human life, “from the womb,” is a gift from God. New life ensures the future of humanity, he said, while older people — especially grandparents — “are the living memory of a people, and transmit the wisdom of life.” The pope also charged married Catholic couples and their children with the task of recognizing they must be “the most convincing heralds” of the beauty and grace of Christian marriage.
“We come from others, we belong to others, and our lives are enlarged by our encounter with others.” “Lumen Fidei” (“The Light of Faith”)
8A
This Catholic Life THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Opinion, feedback and points to ponder
CNS file photo / Sam Lucero, The Compass
Why faith is indeed a light
I
n “new” atheist and secularist circles today, faith is regularly ridiculed. It is presented as pre-scientific mumbo jumbo, Bronze Age credulity, the surrender of the intellect, unwarranted submission to authority, etc. Time and again, the late Christopher Hitchens, echoing Immanuel Kant, called on people to be intellectually responsible, to think for themselves, to dare to know. This coming of age would be impossible, he insisted, without the abandonment of religious faith. And, in standard accounts of cultural history, the “age of faith” is presented as a retrograde and regressive dark age, out of which emerged, only after a long twilight struggle, the modern physical sciences and their attendant technologies. In accord with this cynical reading, the contemporary media almost invariably Father present people of “faith” as hopeRobert Barron lessly unenlightened yahoos or dangerous fanatics. If you want the very best example of this, watch Bill Maher’s film “Religulous.” It was to counter this deeply distorted understanding of faith that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI began composing an encyclical letter, which recently has appeared under the name of his papal successor and bears the title “Lumen Fidei” (“The Light of Faith”). The text — smart, allusive, ruminative, informed by a profound grasp of cultural trends — is, though signed by Pope Francis, unmistakably Ratzingerian. Though it is impossible in the context of this brief article to do justice to its rich content, I should like to gesture, however briefly, to a few of its principal motifs.
Commentary
Source of all existence The Holy Father’s move is to confront directly the sort of rationalistic dismissal of faith that I just outlined. Mod-
erns, in love with the illuminating power of technological reason, have, as we have seen, tended to view faith, not as light, but as obscurity. But the pope insists that faith is the proper, indeed reasonable, response to the experience of the living God, who is not an object in the world, but rather the Creator of the world. Precisely because he is the source of all finite existence, God is not one being among many and hence cannot be pinned down on an examining table and lit up with the harsh light of technological reason. The prophet Isaiah expressed this point with admirable economy: “Truly you are God who hides himself, O God of Israel, Savior.” Isaiah does not mean that God is a worldly reality that is, for the moment, hidden away, like the dark side of the moon; rather, he means that God is a reality that cannot, even in principle, be seen in the ordinary way. Further, the hidden God is not an abstract force or a distant first cause. He is, instead, a living person, and this means that he cannot be manipulated, controlled or analyzed in an intrusive manner. Therefore, faith or trusting acceptance is the only legitimate response to an experience of such a reality. The encyclical’s second move is to show how the darkness of faith, once embraced, actually turns into light. By accepting God’s overture, the faith-filled person finds the supreme value, which unifies and gives direction to the whole of his life; he basks in the light, which illumines every aspect of his existence. In the absence of faith in the one God, a person necessarily drifts from idol to idol, that is to say, from one fleeting value to another. One of the pope’s most brilliant observations is that idolatry, therefore, is always a type of polytheism, a chase after a multiplicity of gods, none of which can satisfy: “Idolatry does not offer a journey but rather a plethora of paths leading nowhere and forming a vast labyrinth.” What an apt description of the spiritual state of so
AUGUST 15, 2013
many in our postmodern condition. And how deeply congruent with the biblical notion that the rejection of God conduces automatically to a disintegration of the self. Notice that biblical demons speak typically in the plural.
Not about us The pope’s third major move is to show that authentic faith is liberating, and he does this by returning to St. Paul’s classic texts on justification. Famously, the apostle argued, in his letter to the Romans and elsewhere, that salvation comes, not through works of the law, but through faith in what Jesus has accomplished. The Holy Father reads this, not as a demonization of “good works,” but rather as a reminder that real salvation comes by way of surrendering to God’s purposes. When we are convinced that our fundamental well-being depends on our efforts and the accomplishment of our plans, we lock ourselves into the cramped quarters of the sovereign self. But when we acknowledge through faith the primacy of grace, we move in the infinite and exciting space of God’s intentions for us. As all of the great spiritual masters have acknowledged, our lives are not, finally, about us, and in that realization, we find peace and joy. Dante expressed the idea splendidly: “In your will, O Lord, is our peace.” I think that this encyclical could best be interpreted as Pope Emeritus Benedict’s and Pope Francis’s challenge to the secularist ideology that has already enveloped Western Europe and that is now threatening our country. It is a reminder that faith alone can deliver us from the tyranny and sadness of the closed-in self. Father Barron is the founder of the global ministry, Word on Fire, and the rector/president of Mundelein Seminary. Word on Fire will be releasing “The New Evangelization” documentary this Fall. Learn more at WWW.WORDONFIRE.ORG.
This Catholic Life / Commentary
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
9A
Bishops’ Labor Day statement notes growing inequality
E
Faith in the Public Arena Jason Adkins
It’s necessary for the Church’s pastors to remind again both Catholics and society of what it means to put the person and the family at the center of economic life
very year, the U.S. bishops, through their Office of Justice, Peace, and Human Development, release a Labor Day statement that comments upon the state of the economy, and reminds Catholics and the public of the relevant principles to consider when responding to the challenges of the day. Recent statements tend to underscore a few key themes, including: ■ The dignity of work and its importance in the sustenance and development of persons, whose needs should be at the center of our economic decisions, and who should not be treated as expendable commodities on the periphery; ■ The need for policymakers, businesses, and the associations of civil society to collaborate in job creation efforts that afford access to employment with just wages and fair benefits, promote economic initiative, and allow the creative forces in society to flourish; ■ The important role unions have played and can play in promoting just wages and protections for workers; ■ The preservation of a safety net for jobless workers, their families, and those incapable of work; ■ That economic life should be governed by a spirit of solidarity in which we treat our resources and wealth as gifts to be shared, as well as foster true participation in the productive dimension and the fruits of economic life.
Growing inequality This year’s statement notes the growing economic inequality of U.S. citizens despite recent upturns in leading economic indicators. The economy still has not improved the standard of living for many people, especially for the poor and the working poor, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed. A few notable statistics in the statement highlight this growing problem: ■ More than 4 million people have been jobless for more than six months, and that does not include the millions more who have simply lost hope and stopped looking for a job. ■ For every available job, there are often five unemployed and underemployed people actively vying for it. This jobs gap pushes wages down. ■ Half of the jobs in this country pay less than $27,000 per year. ■ More than 46 million people live in poverty, including 16 million children. In Minnesota, more than 550,000 people enrolled in federal food stamp programs last year; almost two-thirds of the recipients are children, seniors, and the disabled. And, visits to Minnesota food shelves increased 166 percent between 2000 and 2012 — more than 3 million visits a year. Pope Benedict XVI highlighted the social costs of widening economic inequality in the encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.” There, he stated: “The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic
“The economy still has not improved the
standard of living for many people, especially for the poor and the working poor, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed.
”
JASON ADKINS
choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner, and that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone. . . . Through the systemic increase of social inequality . . . not only does social cohesion suffer, thereby placing democracy at risk, but so too does the economy, through the progressive erosion of ‘social capital’ . . . indispensable for any form of civil coexistence” (No. 32).
Job creation as remedy High unemployment and under-
Learn more The complete 2013 Labor Day Statement issued by the USCCB can be found at: WWW.USCCB.ORG. More information, including a 2013 open letter on poverty and hunger from the Minnesota Catholic bishops to Minnesota legislators, can be found at: WWW.MNCC.ORG/ADVOCACYAREAS/LABOR-AND-ECONOMY.
employment are connected to the rise in income inequality. And inequality hurts families and communities.
According to the bishops, “The only way to reduce the widening gap between the affluent and the poorest people in our nation is by creating quality jobs that provide a just compensation that enables workers to live in the dignity appropriate for themselves and their families.” One major challenge for all social actors, including policymakers, is to stimulate job creation. Heated ideological debates rage as to how one “grows the economy,” with “growth” or GDP themselves serving as an ideological system of measurement. Some claim that our state and nation can tax and spend themselves into prosperity by “investing” in education, infrastructure, health care and economic development projects. Others claim that the biggest impediment to growth and job creation is government itself. The role of the Church in such debates is not so much in offering specific prescriptions (though certain opportunities may present themselves) as it is in transcending false dichotomies and putting a “new heart” into these conversations. From the perspective of the Church’s social teaching, what is desperately needed is a complete re-orientation of economic life away from the obsessive focus on profits that leads to the manipulation and exploitation of workers; the use of “growth” and GDP as the prime measure of economic success; the dominance of an under-regulated financial sector; the cynical exploitation of consumerism and a decadent culture; and the use of the regulatory system to reward the monopolistic tendencies of powerful businesses, to punish others, or to thwart competition. These are all themes that have been repeated by popes seeking to address the “new things” of modern economic and social life for well over a century. In many instances, these critiques are heeded by societies and prosperity is expanded — as was the case in the United States during the middle part of the 20th century, when a strong middle class emerged and economic inequality shrank. But man’s heart often hardens to the call of conscience, and so structures of sin re-emerge as a society continuously moves away from the heart of the Creator and his plan. It is necessary for the Church’s pastors to remind again both Catholics and society of what it means to put the person and the family at the center of economic life. But it is also imperative for lay Catholics in all spheres to apply these principles in business decisions, worker enterprises, and educational efforts, as well as policymaking, in particular, which seeks to create new jobs and increase access to employment. The next edition of this column will offer some further considerations of Catholic principles for combating economic inequality and fostering job creation. Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
10A
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
Commentary
/ This Catholic Life
Bodies some despise are those imprinted with God’s love
O Opinion Carolyn Woo
The little and hidden affairs of the body and of all bodies are precious to the Lord
n August 15, the feast of the Assumption celebrates Mary taken into heaven body and soul. This is by the power exerted by her son’s suffering, triumph and ascent into heaven. Where Jesus is, Mary is, since Mary’s faith and love for him are unsullied by cynicism or bitterness, despite piercing sorrow. She believes the divine promises without pretense or hesitation. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is what raises Mary above and beyond death. She experiences in her body and spirit the destiny that Jesus experienced, and therefore modeled, in the ascension. It is a passage that is not out of the world but into another dimension that mingles everything earthly with everything eternal. Pope Benedict XVI noted this in his homily on the feast of the Assumption in 2010. Jesus passes out of sight so that we might not hold onto him as he used to be, but find him in the daily gifts and exaltations and sufferings of our experiences. Through the Incarnation, Jesus became human with a body, which is neither left behind nor destroyed. The same goes for Mary. Nothing that is precious in God’s eyes will be lost. That includes our bodies. The ascent of Mary’s body into heaven is two things: 1) a dogma cementing her greatness of faith and 2) by means of her glorification, a guarantee that the little and hidden affairs of the body and of all bodies are precious to the Lord. Catholic agencies and ministries around the world reach out to nour-
cess to common medicine. We see the disabled, those cast out by their communities because of mental illness or shunned for other reasons. Some are reduced to humiliating subsistence because of war or ethnic cleansing, their bodies scarred by torture. Yet these bodies are crafted by God, imprinted with his love, sent forth to be his presence on Earth. In the midst of these stark encounters, we witness the will to live, to thrive, to seek a better future, a chance to use their gifts, to make lives matter. In the people who serve with us, we meet compassion and generosity and hospitality and embrace, sacrifice and joy. In this work and in our daily activities, we call to mind Blessed John Paul II’s teachings on the “Theology of the Body: Human Love in the Divine Plan.” Our bodies are made to reveal the nature of God and his intended kingdom on Earth. St. Teresa of Avila said in a poem that we are called to be God’s hands and feet, his body on earth. On that note, she taught us that “God gave us faculties for our use; each of them will receive its proper reward. Then do not let us try to charm them to sleep, but permit them to do their work until divinely called to something higher.” CNS photo/Feisal Omar, Reuters
A woman holds a malnourished child at Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, July 17, 2011.
ish, heal, shelter and protect the poorest and vulnerable. Daily we see children’s bodies that are stunted,
bearing the devastating consequence of malnutrition. We see those ravaged by disease because they lack ac-
Woo is the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. She collaborated on this column with her son, Justin Bartkus.
‘The vocation of love’: lessons from Mom’s retirement
M
Twenty Something Christina Capecchi
In her presence, seniors forgot about their worries and felt like their younger selves again
oving into a senior home can be the ultimate indignity. With the hefty monthly bill comes a hundred little losses — of the car keys, of the backyard, of all the familiar nooks and crannies: ticks on the pantry wall tracking the kids’ upward ascent; the Christmas-tree corner; the candy drawer; the cat’s favorite window sill; the grandkids’ Hide-And-Seek spots; reminders at every turn of who you are, what you love and how you live. Leaving it all behind at 80 can feel like surrender. That’s why the folks who moved into the local senior-housing complex were so grateful to encounter my mom, zipping around in her floral blazers and coral capris, enchanting them with her cheerful heart and boundless energy, soothing them with her deep faith and listening ear. Mom led book clubs, Bible studies and current-event groups. She brought in jazz bands and Boy Scouts, mayors and babies. She danced for them, cried with them and prayed with them, supporting them through the death of a spouse and, in the most sacred moments, ushering them through their passage into heaven. What makes me proudest is that no one knew the residents better
“She danced for them, cried with them and prayed with them, supporting them through the death of a spouse and, in the most sacred moments, ushering them through their passage into heaven.
”
CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
than Mom. She could name their grandkids and cite their wedding anniversaries. She heard their stories and somehow, without writing them down, she remembered, commemorating difficult days by slipping notes under their doors and offering hugs in the hallways. She accepted their invitations to tea and admired their fine china. In her presence, they forgot about their walkers and worries. They felt like themselves again — younger, needed, vital.
Time for a change So you can imagine the sadness that erupted when she announced her retirement; after a dynamic career, it’s time to focus on her grandchildren and her volunteering. The cards keep pouring in — images of
daises, robins and teacups and, inside, heartfelt messages in shaky cursive, the kind that is no longer taught, where the tops of capital Ts wave and the Hs hook back. “You always knew just what to say to comfort and help others,” wrote Donna and Norm. “Thanks for all you did, always, to make our life here more pleasant,” Fred wrote. “We love you.” A widow named Agnes reminisced about “the occasional stops along the hallways we roam when you would ask, ‘How is Norbert?’” and then lamented, “It seems everyone else has long forgotten Norbert.” Meanwhile, Vera wrote, “Your unselfish giving in all areas to others surely is a response to God’s love in you.”
Her words make me think of Pope Francis’ first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei,” which illuminates the deeply woven braid of love and faith. “Those who believe are transformed by the love to which they have opened their hearts in faith,” the Holy Father writes. “By their openness to this offer of primordial love, their lives are enlarged and expanded.” That expansion can happen at any age — for the new graduates just beginning their careers this summer and for the happy retirees, who help us see the future in expansive terms. We begin with the end in mind, considering today how we want to be remembered when we finish. Truth is, my mom will never really retire — this is the woman who was nicknamed “Energizer Bunny” by our priest. A more apt term, for her, comes from the Spanish infinitive for retirement, jubilarse: to make jubilant. We can count on that. Though her hours now look different, her core remains unchanged, as Pope Francis put it his new encyclical: “a magnificent calling, the vocation of love.” Christina Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights. She can be reached at WWW.READ CHRISTINA.COM.
11A
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
Ranks of permanent deacons rising; many nearing retirement By Mark Pattison
other annual gatherings for deacons. Seventy-four percent of dioceses provide formation opportunities for deacons’ wives. Ninety-four percent of dioceses have a staff position for a director of the diaconate. In 41 percent of those dioceses, the job is full-time.
Catholic News Service
While the number of permanent deacons keeps growing, those ordained to the permanent diaconate are steadily reaching retirement age, with a need to replenish their ranks, according to a study released Aug. 6 on the diaconate. There are more than 18,000 permanent deacons in the United States, including more than 15,000 who are active in ministry, according to the study conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. However, more than two-thirds of active deacons — 68 percent — are at least in their 60s, with 25 percent of all deacons at least 70. Thirteen percent of U.S. dioceses have a mandatory retirement age of 70 for deacons; 80 percent mandate retirement at age 75. “The statistics are encouraging,” said an Aug. 6 statement by Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “But they also alert us to the fact many of the deacons will soon reach retirement age. This suggests a need for bishops to recruit a greater number of men to join the ranks of the permanent diaconate.” Of the 195 U.S. dioceses and eparchies, only two have no permanent deacons. Of those that do, CARA received information from 145, or 75 percent, of them, and extrapolated the data to provide a nationwide picture.
Happy with ministry
CNS photo / Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review
Truck stop chaplain Deacon Rich Seveska talks with Abdi Rizak at the Foristell Travel Center in Foristell, Mo., in this 2012 file photo. There are 18,000 Catholic deacons in the U.S.
with full-time pastoral care of a parish, and 5 percent work for a social services agency. Seventy-eight percent of dioceses responding to the survey have a plan for the placement and ministry of deacons. Deacons are not as ethnically diverse as the overall U.S. Catholic population, but they are more diverse than Catholic priests. Seventy-eight percent of active deacons are non-Hispanic whites, while 15 percent are Hispanic, and 3 percent
each are African American or Asian. The priest percentages are 92 percent non-Hispanic white, 3 percent Hispanic or Asian, and 2 percent African American. Of those dioceses responding to the survey, 80 percent require post-ordination formation of their deacons; the median amount of time spent in formation was 20 hours a year. By the same token, 94 percent of dioceses require an annual retreat of deacons, and 89 percent provide
Although the CARA survey did not report on deacons’ job satisfaction, some deacons reported — in essays supplied by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in conjunction with its release of the CARA study — happiness with their life and ministry. “My biggest challenge has been to balance family, professional and diaconal responsibilities,” said Deacon Tim Weinmann of the Diocese of Lexington, Ky., who is an executive project manager at IBM and a deacon at the 2,500-family cathedral parish, Christ the King. “It’s hard saying no when you have the privilege of being invited to say yes to so many good choices.” “Ordination changed my life,” said Deacon Arnaldo Antonio Santos of the Diocese of Camden, N.J., a retired police detective who now does gang outreach. “I have seen individuals lost to the gang world return to the Church, repent, receive the sacraments and be freed from the bondage of the gang world. It happened when I was able to guide them with prayer, patience, moderation and brotherly love.”
Varied jobs According to the CARA survey, by Mary Gautier and Carolyne Saunders, most permanent deacons work for a living at their job or profession. Only 21 percent derive income from full-time ministry. Of that number, 22 percent serve in a parish ministerial position, 12 percent are in a parish nonministerial position, 15 percent are in a diocesan position, 15 percent serve in prison ministry, 14 percent serve in hospital ministry, 8 percent are entrusted
Fall Festival
St. Gabriel - Hopkins www.stgabrielhopkins.org 952.935.5536
St. John’s Campus - Sept. 6-7 6 Interlachen Road, 55343
St. Joseph’s Campus - Sept. 8 1310 Mainstreet, 55343
Chicken Dinner • Silent Auction Bingo-Games • Country Store Bake Shop • GIANT Inflatable Wine/Beer Garden & Concessions Live Music 00 $4,0 ffle in Ra es Priz
More details on website and in August 29th Catholic Spirit ad
Director of Evangelization & Mission
Church / Ministry Jobs Development Director Location: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church; Bloomington, MN The Development Director serves an integral role in working directly with the parish and school organizational leadership to raise funds through stewardship, annual fundraising events, grants, legacy giving and major gifts. This is an opportunity to further a wide array of skills in the development field at a small and successful organization that creates significant impact for students, parishioners and donors. Preferred requirements include a Bachelor’s degree; 1 to 3 years’ experience in fund development; excellent written and verbal communications; strong interpersonal skills with ability to relate to diverse donors, staff, parishioners and school parents; a working knowledge of Microsoft Office; and ability to work 20-25 hours per week, including occasional evenings and weekends. Preschool Teacher Location: St. Therese School; Deephaven, MN Duties include creating and implementing lesson plans that include all interest and developmental areas. Supervise all activities throughout the day including mealtimes, outside play and inside learning centers. Qualifications: Teacher qualified according to DHS licensing requirements; CPR and First Aid certified or complete within the first 30 days of employment; good communication a must in this team-teaching setting. Pre K-8 Spanish Teacher Location: St. Mark’s School; St. Paul, MN The Pre K-8 Spanish teacher position is a full-time preschool through 8th grade Spanish teacher. Applicants should be dynamic individuals who demonstrate love of children, teaching, and Jesus Christ and his Church. Applicants should hold or be pursuing a MN teaching license, practice differentiated instruction, exhibit professional behavior, and seek continual improvement. For more information on these and other job openings, or to apply online, please visit www.archspm.org/careers.
Location: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Chancery Corporation; St. Paul, MN The Director provides leadership, vision and advocacy for the development and implementation of the Archdiocesan Evangelization strategy, and oversees the work and efforts of the Propagation of the Faith/Center for Mission. Minimum requirements include a Master’s degree in Theology or equivalent and a minimum of 5-8 years’ experience in a diocesan setting or equivalent experience.
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” Luke 12:49
12A
The Lesson Plan THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Reflections on faith and spirituality
AUGUST 15, 2013
Daily Scriptures Sunday, Aug. 18 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 Hebrews 12:1-4 Luke 12:49-53 Monday, Aug. 19 St. John Eudes, priest Judges 2:11-19 Matthew 19:16-22
“We are called . . .
Tuesday, Aug. 20 St. Bernard, abbot, doctor of the Church Judges 6:11-24A Matthew 19:23-30
to do daily acts of charity emanating from the love for Christ without counting the cost, to implement policies that serve the common good of all, and to hold values that mirror the will and plan of God.
Wednesday, Aug. 21 St. Pius X, pope Judges 9:6-15 Matthew 20:1-16 Thursday, Aug. 22 The Queenship of Mary Judges 11:29-39A Matthew 22:1-14 Friday, Aug. 23 St. Rose of Lima, virgin Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14B-16, 22 Matthew 22:34-40
”
DEACON JOSEPH KAVUMA
CNS file photo
Volunteers organize food boxes for needy families at a food shelf in Spencerport, N.Y.
The boldness of the Word
J
esus is many times presented as a nice person: kind, compassionate and a gentle shepherd.
However, we are reminded this week that Jesus is uncompromising and demanding. God did not send his only Son to entertain us: He came to proclaim and teach the truth, which often collides with our lives.
Sunday Scriptures Deacon Joseph Kavuma
Jesus came to set the world on fire through the power of the Holy Spirit, the mutual love between the Father and the Son as symbolized by tongues of fire on Pentecost.
Jesus is not just a “nice guy.” He is the second person of the Trinity, whose mission is to draw us into perfect union with the Father. This union is the fount of all perfection: holiness, purity and sanctity to which we are all called to aspire every moment of our lives with all our being, strength and mind.
God’s plan By his glorious paschal mystery, Jesus draws all humanity to himself, desiring
Readings Sunday, Aug. 18 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time ■ Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 ■ Hebrews 12:1-4 ■ Luke 12:49-53
Reflection In what ways is Christ calling you to step out of your comfort zone to follow him?
that all become one and be like him. Through baptism we take on this new identity, becoming temples of the Holy Spirit, exhorted to do the will of God. We are called, for example, to do daily acts of charity emanating from the love for Christ without counting the cost, to implement policies that serve the common good of all, and to hold values that mirror the will and plan of God. In our own age, it is tragic that we shun the fire of divine love. We desire to be close to Jesus yet we hate and shy away from the cross. There is no authentic Christian life without the cross. We must not turn the teaching of God into a fairy tale about nice things people want to hear, as exemplified by the aggressive indoctrination of a false peace, or equality, or freedom. There is no comfort zone in Jesus Christ
if you are not resolved to walk with him. My spiritual director always counsels me, “God desires the whole man,” not compartmentalization. God desires the whole of you, body and soul, at every breath of your life — not only for Sunday Mass, not only for confirmation, never to return until your wedding day, funeral or at all.
Burning with the Spirit Stepping up to the expectations of Jesus is challenging but rewarding. He himself reveals to us that with the Holy Spirit, we can persevere and remain faithful to the Lord. Anytime sin is celebrated and Truth condemned, divisions and persecutions shall emerge. Those burning with the Spirit of the Lord will remain firm, propagating truth at whatever cost. Nevertheless, St. Paul exhorts us, “to rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” Deacon Kavuma is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda. His home parish is Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Entebbe. His teaching parish is Our Lady of Grace in Edina.
Saturday, Aug. 24 Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle Revelation 21:9B-14 John 1:45-51 Sunday, Aug. 25 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 66:18-21 Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 Luke 13:22-30 Monday, Aug. 26 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8B-10 Matthew 23:13-22 Tuesday, Aug. 27 St. Monica 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 23:23-26 Wednesday, Aug. 28 St. Augustine, bishop, doctor of the Church 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:27-32 Thursday, Aug. 29 Passion of St. John the Baptist 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 Mark 6:17-29 Friday, Aug. 30 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Matthew 25:1-13 Saturday, Aug. 31 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 Matthew 25:14-30 Sunday, Sept. 1 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24A Luke 14:1, 7-14
“History never looks like history when you are living through it.” John W. Gardner
Arts & Culture AUGUST 15, 2013
Exploring our church and our world
2,000-bed Crusader-era hospital restored By Judith Sudilovsky Catholic News Service
Israeli archaeologists have restored part of a 2,000-bed Crusader-era hospital run by the St. John of the Hospital order in the Old City of Jerusalem. Dating to the 11th century, the ancient structure was operated by members of the order, dedicated to St. John the Baptist and also known as the Knights Hospitallers, precursors to the Rome-based Knights of Malta. The Hospitallers treated pilgrims of all faiths making their way to Jerusalem, according to historical documents. Written mainly in Latin, the documents helped archaeologists piece together the history of the building, which more recently, until about 13 years ago, had been used as a fruit and vegetable market in the Christian Quarter. For more than a decade, the site had been left locked and unused until the Waqf Islamic Trust, the building’s owner, decided to move forward with construction of a restaurant there. As with all new construction in Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority was called in to carry out a salvage excavation prior to the work. Located near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, the structure had been known to archaeologists mainly because of the mapping of Crusader remains in the area in the 19th century, said Amit Re’em, excavation co-director for the antiquities authority. “This was where the members of the St. John of the Hospital order lived. This is where it started. This was the first place where they used an ambulatory service to bring in sick and wounded people to the hospital. They had riders on camels and horses,” Re’em said. Archaeologists found bones of camels and horses and a large amount of metal used in shoeing the animals during the excavation, but Re’em said he was unable to date the artifacts to either the Crusader era or to the later Byzantine era when part of the structure was used as a stable. The building collapsed in an earthquake in 1457 and remained buried throughout the Ottoman period.
Numerous rooms The excavation gave archaeologists the opportunity to clean the exposed section of the building, ridding it of garbage that had accumulated. Workers scraped
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
13A
‘Recipe for Joy’ reminds us that God alone satisfies our deepest longings “Recipe for Joy: A Stepmom’s Story of Finding Faith, Following Love and Feeding a Family” by Robin Davis. Loyola Press (Chicago, 2013). 147 pp., $13.95. Reviewed by Allan F. Wright Catholic News Service
CNS photo / Yoli Shwartz, courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority
Israeli archaeologists have restored a Crusader-era hospital in the Old City of Jerusalem. Dating to the 11th century, the hospital was operated by members of the order dedicated to St. John the Baptist and known as the Knights Hospitallers, precursors to the Rome-based Knights of Malta. The Hospitallers treated pilgrims of all faiths making their way to Jerusalem, according to historical documents.
away layers of paint and plaster on the walls, exposing the original walls for the first time in perhaps centuries, he said. Overall, the entire building covers about 3.7 acres, Re’em said. Its great hall consists of massive pillars, smaller halls, rooms and ribbed vaults and stands more than 20 feet tall. Crusader-era accounts describe the hospital as being comprised of various wings and departments where patients were sent for treatment according to the nature of their illness and condition, much like a modern-day hospital. Re’em
said. In an emergency the hospital could accommodate 2,000 patients. The hospital also functioned as an orphanage for abandoned newborns. Despite the Hospitallers’ seeming efficiency, their knowledge of medicine and sanitation was poor and the Arab Muslim population was instrumental in teaching them medical practices, Re’em said. Building project manager Monser Shwieki said developers intend to incorporate the building into the planned restaurant. The site will be open to the public sometime in 2014.
There were three things Robin Davis said she would never do: move back to Ohio, get married and join any organized religion. God, it seems, has different designs on an otherwise beautifully planned life that this author had been leading as a food critic for a top-notch newspaper in San Francisco. “Recipe for Joy” is not about a dramatic conversion back to the Catholic faith, but rather how life apart from God reveals the void that possessions, position and prestige alone can’t fill. This book takes us on one woman’s journey to experience true joy as she bumps into God along the way in some of the most unlikely places. The book reminds us that the deepest longings of the human heart are satiated by God alone. The author respectfully unfolds her own spiritual journey as she moves back to Ohio and meets her future husband, Ken, a father of three and recent widower who lost his wife to cancer. In reflecting on the events that bring her back to Ohio, Davis speaks honestly about her life growing up in a house without any real connections to religion or faith, and with parents who struggled with alcoholism and disappointment in varying degrees. The relationship between Robin and Ken blossoms as she begins to integrate her life with his children and extended family. Food, shopping, cooking and eating become daily rituals that draw the author closer to the kids and the idea of family. Fear looms however, as she struggles to come to terms with the vocation to which God may be calling her.
A menu to follow The Catholic faith is never imposed on her during her courtship with Ken, but is modeled beautifully by him and his family. Their faithful Catholicism is lived out through the peaks and valleys of everyday life. Ken is a man who is comfortable sharing his prayer life and the strength and peace it brings him. The story has a joyful ending while exposing some of the bumps along the way. Each chapter is titled cleverly like a dinner menu: Soup, Salad, Bread, Main Course, and reminds us that God is still at work, drawing ordinary people toward himself so that we may experience true joy. “Recipe for Joy” is an excellent book for those who may be away from the Church and out in the world seeking, perhaps silently, a spiritual home. Wright is academic dean for evangelization in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., and the author of several books, most recently “Jesus the Evangelist: A Gospel Guide to the New Evangelization” (Franciscan Media).
14A
Calendar
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
Dining out Fish fry at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Friday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Wednesday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $12. Call (952) 8881492 for reservations. KC pancake breakfast at Knights of Columbus Hall, Stillwater — August 18: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1910 S. Greeley St. Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 12 and under.
Prayer/ liturgies Healing Mass at St. Gabriel the Archangel, Hopkins — August 20: Rosary at 7 p.m. followed by Mass at the St. Joseph campus, 1310 Mainstreet. Father Jim Livingston is the celebrant. Healing Mass at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — August 28: 6:30 p.m. rosary and Mass at 7 p.m. at 155 County Road 24. Father Jim Livingston is the celebrant.
Parish festivals CornFest at St. Gerard, Brooklyn Park — August 16 and 17: 9600 Regent Ave. N. Features live entertainment, beer garden and fresh sweet corn with butter. For information, visit WWW.ST-GERARD.ORG. Nativity Fest at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bloomington — August 16 and 17: 9900 Lyndale Ave. S. Begins Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. with a talent show and live music. Saturday hours are 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Features a fried chicken dinner, live music, classic car show, games and more. Parish festival at St. Ignatius, Annandale — August 17: 35 Birch St. Polka Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a chicken dinner, games, beer stand, raffles and bingo. Blessed Sacrament FunFest at St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Paul — August 17 and 18: 2119 Stillwater Ave. Saturday features a car show from 3 to 7 p.m. and live music from Robby Vee and His Rock-n-Roll Caravan from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday begins at 11 a.m. with an old fashioned hog roast, games, pie shop and more. Live music from noon to 4 p.m. Parish festival at Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis — August 17 and 18: Festival starts at noon on Saturday and features Ecuadoran food, a soccer tournament, kids’ games, raffles and more. Continues Sunday with a polka Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by volleyball, pull tabs, beer wagon, Hispanic food and Polish sausage and Holubky (cabbage rolls). 19th annual Country Fest and Social at St. Boniface, Bonifacius — August
Dance lessons at 7:15 p.m. and music from 8 to 11 p.m. at 171 Elm St. Features the “Saints of Swing” big band playing a variety of swing music. Admission is $12 and includes two drinks. Tickets available at the door.
Don’t Miss Discussion on faith and federal immigration reform Archbishop John Nienstedt will host a discussion on faith and federal immigration reform Sept. 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis. Does supporting a path to citizenship for undocumented persons reward illegal behavior? Would federal immigration reform help or hurt our economy? Explore these and other questions about federal immigration reform from the perspectives of faith, business and policy. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to INFO@MNCC.ORG. 18: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4025 Main St. Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by a roast pork and pork chop dinner served until 2 p.m. Silent auction until 2:30 p.m., bingo, kids’ games, beer garden and more until 4 p.m. Heart of the Northside Festival at St. Bridget, Minneapolis — August 18: 3811 Emerson Ave. N. 10:30 a.m. ro 4 p.m. includes brunch, a pig roast, silent auction and kids’ games. Parish festival and turkey dinner at St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran —August 18: 20000 County Road 10. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fun Fiesta at Assumption, Richfield — August 18: 305 E. 77th St. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. festival features Mexican food, roast beef sandwiches, music and entertainment.
p.m. Outdoor festival Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. features ethnic foods and baked goods, belly dancers, games and more. All events at 1960 Lexington Ave. S. For complete information, visit WWW.HOLY FAMILYEVENTS.ORG. Fall Carnival at St. Timothy, Blaine — September 6 to 8: 707 89th Ave. E. Hours are: 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Annual CountryFest at St. Patrick, Oak Grove — September 6 to 8: 19921 Nightingale St. N.W. Teen dance Friday. Saturday and Sunday feature games, food, beer garden, street dance, car show, fireworks and more. Visit WWW.ST-PATRICKS.ORG.
Annual Chicken Dinner at St. Genevieve, Centerville — August 18: 6995 Centerville Road. Features booths, games, refreshments and more.
CornFest at St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi — September 7: 700 Mahtomedi Ave. Hours are 2 to 10 p.m. Features food and live music with High & Mighty. Visit WWW.STJUDE OFTHELAKE.ORG.
Annual Ho-Down at Most Holy Trinity, Veseli — August 18: 4939 N. Washington St. Polka Mass at 11 a.m. followed by a chicken cook-off, home-baked kolacky and more.
Fall festival at St. Odilia, Shoreview — September 7 and 8: 3495 N. Victoria St. Hours are noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Features auctions, food, games, inflatables and a quilt raffle.
Glory Days at St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo — August 23 to 25: 219 19th St. N.W. Carnival, silent auction, games for all, market place, live entertainment, laser tag and a variety of music. Fireworks Friday and Saturday and a turkey dinner Sunday. Visit WWW.STFXB.ORG. Street dance and festival at St. Anne, Hamel — August 24 and 25: 200 Hamel Road. Street dance Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring country artist Shane Martin. Sunday features a chicken dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., inflatables, games, white elephant sale and entertainment by Sonar. FunFest at St. Mathias, Hampton — August 25: Located on the corner of Highway 50 and County Road 47. Polka Mass at 11 a.m. with activities to follow. Features games, beer stand, country store and live music by Ron E. Cash. Parish festival at St. Luke, Clearwater — August 25: 17545 Huber Ave. Polka Mass at 10 a.m. followed by a pork chop dinner. Silent auction, food, games, inflatable obstacle courses, quilts and more at 2 p.m. Lebanese festival at Holy Family Maronite, Mendota Heights — September 6 to 8: Bingo Friday at 5 p.m. Estate sale Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4
Steamboat Days at St. Nicholas, Carver — September 7 and 8: Noon to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 412 Fourth St. W. Features a chicken dinner Saturday at 4 p.m. and a Memphis-style pork lunch Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also features live Bluegrass music, petting zoo, game garden and more. Barn Dance at St. Mary, Waverly — September 7 and 8: Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday at 607 Maple St. followed by a pork chop dinner, children’s movie night, games, mini donuts, theme baskets and more. Brunch Sunday is from 8 a.m. to noon. Also features bean bag tournament, barrel train rides, music by DJ Chopper, pie eating contest and more. Visit WWW.STMARYS-WAVERLY.COM.
Parish events Garage sale at All Saints, Lakeville — August 15 to 17: Sale begins Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 19795 Holyoke Ave. Continues Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday ($3 bag sale) 8 a.m. to noon. Swing dance at St. Joseph of the Lakes, Lino Lakes — August 17:
Pig roast at St. Peter, Richfield — August 17: Social hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner catered by Divine Swine at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. A dance follows dinner from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $4 for ages 4 to 10. For information, call (612) 866-5089. One Bench at a Time fundraiser at St. Richard, Richfield — August 17 and 18: Silent auction to raise money for benches and other supplies to rural schools in Liberia. Items will be on display starting after the 5 p.m. Mass Saturday and bids will close after the 11 a.m. Mass Sunday. Visit WWW.ONEBENCHATATIME.ORG for information. Tony Melendez in concert at Epiphany, Coon Rapids — August 23: Meet and greet for youth at 6:30 p.m. and concert at 7 p.m. at 11001 Hanson Blvd. N.W. Tickets available at the door. Cost is $5 for adults and free for ages 17 and under.
Other events Vocation Day retreat at the St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul — August 17: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 2260 Summit Ave. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Vocation Office, in cooperation with the Office of Marriage, Family and Life, invite young Catholic men, ages 12 to17, to learn about listening to the call of Jesus Christ to their vocation. Includes Mass, prayer, recreation, talks and fun. Lunch will be served and the event is free of charge. Please register online by August 12th at HTTPS://GIVING.ARCHSPM.ORG/ VOCATIONDAY2013. For information, call (651) 962-6890. Outdoor Harvest Mass at the Del and Joan Eder home, Lake Elmo — August 24: 5 p.m. at 4515 Julep Ave. N. Dinner to follow. Directions: from Hwy. 36, take Keats Ave., south. At the stop sign, turn right, it’s the second house on the left. From Hwy. 5, go north on Jamaca Ave. At the stop sign, turn right. Go up the hill, third drive on the right. Lay (Third Order) Carmelite information Sunday at Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — September 1: 1 p.m. at Steiner Hall, 324 S. Prior Ave. An invitation to baptized adult Catholics, in good standing, who want to grow spiritually by learning about the classic Carmelite way of life. For information, call (651) 454-6123.
School events The Gathering 2013 benefitting St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Wayzata — September 6: 5 to 10:30 p.m. at 630 E. Wayzata Blvd. Features games, inflatables, face painting, food and more. Highland Catholic School block party at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — September 7: 4:30 p.m. Mass, followed by a pig roast, games for the kids, and ‘70s and ‘80s music by the Dweebs at 2055 Bohland Ave.
Calendar Submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event. • Full street address of event. • Description of event. • Contact information in case of questions. E-MAIL: SPIRITCALENDAR@ ARCHSPM.ORG. (No attachments, please.)
FAX: (651) 291-4460.
"Autumn is really the best of the seasons; and I'm not sure that old age isn't the best part of life." C.S. Lewis
From Age to Age A Catholic Spirit special section
AUGUST 15, 2013
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
15A
Need is growing to collaborate and coordinate senior care By Deacon Dan Gannon For the Catholic Spirit
Genevieve is a senior in our archdiocese. She is 78 years old, a widow and has been a devout Catholic her whole life. She has served her parish in several capacities, sending her children through the parish school, and is a proud grandmother. She has spent her life in selfless giving to her family, her parish and her neighbors. She is part of that generation that made America great. Her children have moved away, due to the ebb and flow of careers, and she is increasingly isolated from her past friends and parish community, not by choice, but rather because of the increasing limitations of age. She cannot easily drive anymore and has to manage getting around her home, changing light bulbs, getting the lawn mowed, the snow shoveled and the repairs and maintenance that inevitably arise. She is fearful of driving, especially in winter, and barely manages to get to Sunday Mass. Sometimes she is picked up by a younger friend who looks in on her periodically, or when one of her children is visiting.
Questions about care She wonders about how she should handle her decisions regarding care. Should she move into assisted living? Is PLEASE TURN TO REGIONAL ON PAGE 16A
What’s on the Archbishop’s mind? Read his column – in every issue of
The Catholic Spirit
Whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall… Every season we are here to serve you! You choose how you live…You want the security and peace of mind that comes with being a part of a caring community with many services and amenities. Crest View Senior Communities offers all the services you’re ever likely to need. From senior housing to skilled care services, you’ll find that Crest View offers choices and options to fit your individual needs. • Senior Housing • Memory Care • Skilled Nursing Care • Assisted Living • Short-term Rehab • Home Care • Crest View Senior Community at Blaine (under development and taking reservations) 4444 Reservoir Blvd NE • Columbia Heights, MN 763-782-1601 • www.crestviewcares.org
Bigstockp[hoto.com
life is good
16A
From Age to Age
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
Regional care coordinators could be key to serving needs of seniors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15A home care an option? Can someone help her around the house so she could stay there longer and yet remain safe? Gen’s faith is deeply important to her, and she desires to stay connected to her parish and the community who used to know her better when she was more visible, but she thinks she has “fallen through the cracks� and “out of sight — out of mind.� Genevieve’s situation is very typical, and there are many “Genevieves� right in your own parish. You probably know them by face, if not by name. It is a generation that “does not want to burden� anyone with their needs. It is not their way. But we need to, as parish communities, step up our awareness and concrete steps to ensure we are addressing the needs of seniors in our midst, who have given so much to our parishes, schools and lives. Pope Emeritus Benedict said in “Deus Caritas Est�: “As a community, the Church must practice love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community.� (n. 20) How can we better organize ourselves as a network of almost 200 parishes and 800,000 Catholics in this archdiocese to connect our seniors to parish communities and services?
Coordinating services One solution is senior care coordination. Catholic Senior Services has been investigating, listening and strategizing about the critical areas of senior needs in parishes, meeting with seniors, parish nurses, pastoral ministers and clergy. What has emerged is the need for a regional senior care coordinator to assist seniors, caregivers and parish staff (especially parish nurses, pastoral ministers and volunteers), regionally with assessment, navigation and referral to senior services in the context of planning or crisis. This coordination would typically involve one or more of the following areas of need: ■Senior care solutions — care at home, community services, housing, etc. ■Caregiver support
Providing loving carre during Our Lady of Peace Hospice
Compassionate and comffor o ting end-of-liffe care t $PNQSFIFOTJWF TZNQUPN NBOBHFNFOU t .VMUJ EJTDJQMJOFE DBSF UFBN t .VTJD BOE NBTTBHF UIFSBQZ t #FSFBWFNFOU TVQQPSU GPS GBNJMJFT t 1SPWJEJOH DBSF XIFSFWFS ZPV DBMM IPNF
Call us at 651. 789. 5030
Our Lady of Peace Home
Providing free care to persons with incurable cancer for o over 70 years t 1FBDFGVM IPNF MJLF TFUUJOH t 'BNJMZ GPDVTFE DBSF QMBO t 1BJO NBOBHFNFOU t -PX QBUJFOU UP TUBò SBUJP t 0O TJUF DIBQFM
Call us at 651. 789. 5031
XXX PVSMBEZPGQFBDFNO PSH
■Ensuring sacramental and spiritual care is provided ■Transportation solutions ■Educational programming in parishes We are currently working on implementing this initiative on a pilot basis in a few regions of the archdiocese. In the meantime, there is nothing stopping each of us from reaching out to seniors in need, who are right there in your own parish and neighborhoods. Talk to your pastors, pastoral ministers and parish nurses about how you can help. Indeed, it is our sacred call from our Lord Jesus Christ to “love one another.� Visit WWW.CATHOLICSENIORSERVICES.ORG for news and information about senior care in body and soul. Or call our senior HELP LINE at 1-877-420-6461. Deacon Gannon is the president and CEO of Catholic Senior Services in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Build your business with Catholic Spirit display and web advertising Call 651-291-4444 for information
From Age to Age
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
17A
Plaque to honor historic St. Joseph Church of Lexington
Remember that story you read in The Catholic Spirit last month? Last year? Have total recall. Search “ARCHIVES” at TheCatholicSpirit.com
Friends of St. Joseph Church, formerly in Lexington, will gather at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 18 to unveil a commemorative plaque honoring the now-closed church’s 110-year history. The celebration will be held at the original site of the church, 21324 Steeple View Lane. St. Joseph Church was built in 1902 and was served as a mission church of St. Scholastica in Heidelberg until the first resident pastor came in 1948. The church was again a mission of St. Scholastica when it closed in 2009. All of its sacred items, such as the tabernacle, altar, relics, etc., were removed and taken to churches in the St. Wenceslaus community in New Prague or other Catholic churches. The St. Joseph church building was purchased by the Le Sueur County Pioneer Association in 2011 and was moved six miles to the Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association show grounds. It now serves as the nondenominational Lexington Church on the show grounds. The original site is currently managed by the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers of Minnesota. Future plans for the site include a museum to display some of the church’s historic treasures.
These real estate agents can help you find your Home Sweet Home If you would like to advertise on this page, please call The Catholic Spirit's Advertising Department 651-291-4444. Peggy Langeslay plangeslay@cbburnet.com Now is the best time to sell your home. For best results, call
651-335-8515
Mobile: 651.271.1855 Email: John@JohnPiche.com
Top Producer & St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS®
2009 REALTOR of the Year Professional ★ Quality ★ Service
From condos to castles, performance exceeds promise
Kathy Kueppers REALTOR®, CRS • Owner/Broker Cell: (651) 470-0675 Office: (651) 365-0230 kathykueppers@realtyexecutives.com 33 E. Wentworth Ave. West St. Paul, MN 55118
Named a 2009 Super Real Estate Agent by Mpls./St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business
18A
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Hold extended on Wisconsin law requiring hospital admitting privileges Catholic News Service A federal judge in Madison has extended a preliminary injunction blocking part of a new Wisconsin law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of an abortion clinic. The order, issued Aug. 2 by U.S. District Judge William Conley, stems from a lawsuit that Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services filed in July. The groups claim the law would shut two of the state’s four abortion clinics because providers at those facilities, in Appleton and Milwaukee, lack admitting privileges. Conley issued a temporary restraining order July 8. The injunction blocks the requirement through trial proceedings about the law’s constitutionality, set to begin Nov. 25. Until Conley’s final ruling, the two clinics currently without admitting privileges can remain open.
A provision of the law requiring ultrasounds for pregnant women considering an abortion is still in full effect. Susan Armacost, legislative director of Wisconsin Right to life, said the new law is on sound constitutional footing. Nine other states have passed laws requiring abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges. Missouri’s admitting privilege law was challenged and upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, a new law that tightens regulations on North Carolina’s 16 abortion clinics, bans abortions based on the child's gender, and expands conscience protections for health care providers is to go into effect Oct. 1. The legislation requires the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to adopt procedures making abortion clinics conform to similar safety standards as outpatient surgery centers.
Sacrament of reconciliation is a meeting with the Merciful Jesus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2A to overcome my sin, I can turn to ask help from the One (i.e. God) who has the power to evoke a conversion. Fourth, as Americans, we have been heavily influenced by the Protestant notion of “predestination” that was so heavily emphasized by Luther and Calvin. They taught that, as believers, we fall under the influence of God’s eternal judgment, which already knows who among us will inherit eternal glory and who will receive eternal damnation. In previous generations, people of faith worried over the “damnation” aspect. Today, most everyone feels he or she is already destined for salvation. Thus, they reason, “What difference does it make what I do or don’t do? I’m ultimately going to heaven, God won’t stop me.”
Sin is relational What complicates this situation even further is a superficial understanding of “sin” as a violation of a rule or an external law. Sin rather is a failure to live up to my baptismal call to love God above all things and my neighbor as myself. Sin is hurting someone I love. Sin is re-
lational. So when I wallow in self-pity or indulge in gratifying my senses, when I prefer to go shopping rather than participating in Sunday Mass, when I intentionally ignore the needs of the world’s or my neighborhood’s poor, when I invoke God’s name or his damnation on a colleague in a conflict situation, I sin. That is to say, by this act, I have harmed the baptismal covenant relationship I have with God as well as harmed my relationship with another and upturned my own sense of spiritual well-being. So, the question, “Why do I have to tell my sins to a priest?” is a great question because its answer explains why we need the Church, why we have to admit our wrongs in words, why we cannot presume we are already saved or damned and why sin is not the same as breaking the speeding limit or running a stop sign. This sacrament over time has been called penance, reconciliation and confession. But whatever we call it, that encounter is a meeting in time with the Merciful Jesus, the Divine Physician. It offers such a powerful assistance to our spiritual growth, why not use it? Yes, why not indeed! God bless you!
St. Stanislaus Fall Festival Sunday, September 8, 2013, 11am-5pm Featuring turkey dinner, live music, car show, petting zoo, bingo, bakery, kolache’s, jar bar, raffle, garage sale, wheel of fortune, mini golf, beer tent with Viking game showing, kid games, pull tabs and more!
Back by by popular demand! These talks drew 12,000 attendees in early 2013.. If you missed the talks then,, or just jus want to experience them all over again,, make plans to attend this fall — and bring a friend or family member with you.
New sites, sites, including inc University Univer sity of St. Thomas All talks begin at 7:00 p.m. Talks a are free and no registration is required.
Finding God’ God’ss Purpose ffor or o My Lif Life fe Presented by Faather Peter Laird Monday, September 16 – Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata Tuuesday, y September 17 – Epiphany, Coon Rapids Wednesda edne e y, September 18 – Woulf o fe Hall,, Univer sity of St. Thomas Thur sda daay, September 19 – Pax Christi, Eden Prairie
Living in Comm Communion union with God Presented by Faather Michael Keeating Monday, September 30 – Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata Tuuesday, y October 1 – Epiphany, Coon Rapids Wednesda edne e y, October 2 – Woulf o fe Hall, Univer sity of St. Thomas Thur sda daay, October 3 – Pax Christi,, Eden Pr P airie
Ov Overcoming ercoming oming Lif Life’s fe’ e s Challenges Through Through God’s God’s Grace Presented by Faather Andrew Cozzens Monday, October 21 – Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata y Tuuesday, y October 22 – Epiphany, Coon Rapids Wednesda edne e y, October 23 – Woulf o fe Hall, Univer sity of St. Thomas Thur sda daay, October 24 – Pax Christi,, Eden Prairie
the way
Keeping K eepin e ng God at the Center ter of My Lif Life fe Presented by Deacon Joseph Michalak Monday, November 4 – Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata Tuuesday, y November 5 – Epiphany, Coon Rapids Wednesda edne e y, November 6 – Woulf o fe Hall, Univer sity of St. Thomas Thur sda daay, November 7 – Pax Christi, Eden Prairie
For more inf information, fo ormation,, please visit
Rediscover-faith.org
www.ststans.org or 651-292-0303
NOTICE Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from
FOOD FOR THE POOR in all copies of this issue.
Rediscover is a trade mar k of the Archdioces of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
19A
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
Diocese identifies 'mystery' priest at scene of Missouri accident By Jennifer Brinker The identity of a “mystery” priest who prayed with a young woman at the scene of an accident in central Missouri has been discovered. The Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo., has identified the priest as Father Patrick Dowling, a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, who is currently serving in prison ministry and in parish ministry to Spanish-speaking Catholics in the diocese. For days after the accident, which occurred Aug. 4, local and national media described an “angel priest” or a “mystery priest” suddenly appearing at the scene to pray with an accident victim and then, just as suddenly, vanishing. An Aug. 12 statement from the diocese noted that Father Dowling was traveling that Sunday on state Highway 19 between Mass assignments in northern and central Missouri. He stopped at the accident scene near Center, where 19-year-old Katie Lentz of Quincy, Ill., was trapped in her car with serious injuries. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Aaron Smith, 26, of New London, Mo., had crossed the center line and struck Lentz head-on. The priest discovered late that week that his presence at the accident had become the center of media attention. He eventually came forward by contacting the Jefferson City Diocese and posting an online comment to a story about the
quest, gave me Katie’s name as I was leaving, so I could visit her in hospital — I assumed she would be taken to Columbia.”
“I think there may have been
Catholic News Service
angels there too and, in this context, I congratulate the fire team from New London and Hannibal, the sheriff/deputies of Ralls County, the Highway Patrol personnel, the helicopter team, the nurses and all who worked so professionally. God has blessed your work.
”
FATHER PATRICK DOWLING
accident at the National Catholic Register’s website: “I had Mass in Ewing, Mo., as the regular priest was sick. As I was returning, I arrived at the scene. The authorities were redirecting traffic. I waited ’til it was possible to drive up closer. I parked behind a large vehicle about 150 yards from the scene. I asked the sheriff’s permission and approached the scene of the accident. I absolved and anointed Katie, and, at her request, prayed that her leg would not hurt. Then I stepped aside to where some rescue personnel and the pilot were wait-
ing, and prayed the rosary silently. I left when the helicopter was about to take off, and before I got to my car it was on its way to Quincy. “I was amazed at the calmness of the two Highway Patrol men. The sergeant was completely in control, amazingly calm. Everybody worked as harmoniously as a Swiss watch despite the critical nature of the scene. I gave my name to one of the authorities, perhaps to the sergeant of Highway Patrol, explaining that I was returning having celebrated Mass at Ewing. It was the sergeant who, at the sheriff’s re-
Classified Ads
He added: “I think there may have been angels there too and, in this context, I congratulate the fire team from New London and Hannibal, the sheriff/deputies of Ralls County, the Highway Patrol personnel, the helicopter team, the nurses and all who worked so professionally. God has blessed your work. I hope the credit goes where it is due.” Father Dowling was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City in 1982. He has served at parishes in Moberly, Monroe City, Indian Creek, Milan, Unionville and Eldon, Mo., and in the diocese’s mission parishes in Marcona and Nasca, Peru. Father Dowling told the Catholic Missourian, newspaper of the Jefferson City Diocese, that he has since visited Lentz and her family in the hospital. Speaking about his ability as a priest to anoint those who are sick, he said he, too, has received the sacrament before, and he described it as restoring “hope.” “You can very easily fall into despair when you’re in trouble,” he said. “And it restores hope.” Contributing to this story was Jay Nies, editor of the Catholic Missourian, newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo.
Reach nearly 85,000 homes with Minnesota’s largest paid bi-weekly newspaper E-mail: CLASSIFIEDADS@ARCHSPM.ORG • Phone: (651) 290-1631 • Fax: (651) 291-4457 Next issue: 8-29 • Deadline: 4 p.m. 8-23 Rates: $8 per line (35-40 characters per line) • Add a photo for $25 !
ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS
!
STAIR LIFTS - ELEVATORS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS
FOR HOMES, CHURCHES & SCHOOLS 10105 Arrow Lift (763) 786-2780
!
ANTIQUES
!
TOP CASH PAID For Older Furniture — Rugs — Pictures — Bookcases — Pottery — Beer 4185 Items — Toys & Misc. (651) 227-2469.
!
ATTORNEYS
!
Edward F. Gross Wills, Trusts, Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate. Office at 35E & Roselawn Ave., St. Paul (651) 631-0616. 11270
!
BOILER REPAIR
5725
!
BUSINESS FOR SALE
!
Part-time business for local area. Nets $47k from home. Christian-themed magazine. Plans are well-established. No exp. nec. Will train. Do it from your location. Retiring: $24,900 (828) 667-5371.
! CASKETS — HANDCRAFTED PINE ! Beautiful, personal, affordable alternative. Steve O'Rourke (612) 822-7320. WWW.DUST TODUSTPINECASKLETS.COM. C126027
!
CEILING TEXTURE
12910
!
!
Michaels Painting. Popcorn & Knock down Texture, Repairs. TEXTURECEILINGS.COM (763) 757-3187. 12327
CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE
!
Calvary Cemetery, St. Paul MN: 2 crypts, $4000. Call (651) 636-1757.
!
COUNTERTOPS AND SINKS
!
Miele Concrete + Design: Specializing in artistic concrete overlays applied to your existing laminate or cultured marble countertops and vanities.: WWW.FACE BOOK.COM/MIELE.CONCRETE.DESIGN (507) 301-MELO [6356].
!
KENNY BOILER & MFG. CO.
!
www.ShowcaseRenovation.com
!
651-224-7471 344 E. University Ave., St. Paul
CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING
!
DVD TRANSFER
!
Preserve Your Slides & Film Transfer them to DVD Today! For quality transfers at great prices call Astound Video Duplication and Transfer 7811 at (651) 644-2412
! EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ! Hall & Banquet Manager: St. Maron’s (NE Mpls.). Manage all Hall Operations including: answer voice & email inquiries, meet with potential lessees, finalize contracts, oversee event preparation, manage decorators, caterers, and employees, and oversee events. E-mail resume: BUSINESS MANAGER@STMARON.COM (612) 379-2758.
!
FOR SALE
!
QN. Pillowtop Set In Plastic!! New $150 Must 12972 Sell!! Sheila (763) 360-3829.
!
GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS
!
CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping Subscribe online at WWW.LIGHTHOUSECATHOLICMEDIA.COM/CDCLUB Please Enter Code: 1195 11988
!
HARDWOOD FLOORS
!
Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors
Spruce up your house with new or refurbished hardwood floors: 10% off labor. 10435 Sweeney (651) 485-8187.
!
HANDYMAN
!
WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME! Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/repair remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today. Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor. Handyman Matters (651) 784-3777, 12068 (952) 946-0088.
!
HEALTH INSURANCE
!
!
!
Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660. 11269
!
Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair. MICHAELSPAINTINGLLC.COM. (763) 757-3187. 12327 Dennis Heigl Painting Interior/Exterior Reasonable, Fair Pricing. Free Estimates. 12048 (763) 543-0998 • Cell (612) 819-2438
!
PARTIAL ESTATE SALE
!
1865 Cloud Drive, Blaine, MN Sat and Sun 8/24 & 8/25, 9 AM to 6 PM. Cash only, no presales. Antique colored glass, Hobnail, Fenton, Vaseline, Opalescent, clear cut glass, McCoy bowls, Precious Moments. Budweiser steins, hand tatted and embroidered table covers & doilies. Pictures, and misc. Religious statues, Sacred Heart, Mary, etc. Antique tools, some power tools, fishing gear, antique console radio (non-working), bookcases. Household items, credenza, carved coffee/end tables
!
PLUMBING
!
Justen Plumbing, Inc. (651) 605-5025 JUSTENPLUMBING@GMAIL.COM Call or email Mike for a free estimate. 12345
!
PRAYERS
!
NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication.
Drainage problems? Retaining walls, paver C12558 patios, steps. Jeff (651) 436-6568.
St. Jude, thank you for prayers answered. W.A.
LANDSCAPING
ROOMMATE WANTED
Share a quiet house in the country. Franconia area. No pets, no smoking. $550/mo. (651) 442-3798.
!
!
!
For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM. Or call (651) 699-6140. 7521
!
Dental, Health, Medicare Parts A, B and D, and Long Term Care Insurance. WWW. GENWORTH.COM/JERRYBIESE (612) 3824363. 12095
PAINTING
ROOM WANTED
!
SF seeks room in Anoka/Coon Rapids (short-term) $400/mo. Carrie (763) 4589696.
!
VACATION/FAMILY GETAWAY
!
Knotty Pines Resort, Park Rapids, MN. 1, 2 & 3 bdrm cabins starting at $550/week. (800) 392-2410. 12598
WWW.KNOTTYPINESRESORT.COM
Giants Ridge Golf Resort private condo on site. Disc. rates. Joanie 651 484-7173.
!
WANTED TO BUY
!
$$$ for OLD SEWING Machines, Patterns, Fabric, Hankies, Postcards, Vintage Lamps, Old Photos, Jewelry, Silver + Gold, Lighters + Collectibles (612)823-8616. C3919 Downsizing estates. I buy ?? + bicycles. C6158 Steve (651) 778-0571.
!
WINDOW WASHING
!
Experienced Catholic college students — third summer in the business. Streakfree shine every time. Storm windows/screens. Lots of positive client references. Cheapest pricing guaranteed. We go anywhere in the Metro area. Call Kevin Mealey for a FREE estimate — (612) 859-0250 or email at PATANDKEVWINDOWS@GMAIL.COM.
“The globalization of indifference must give way to a globalization of fraternity.” From a Vatican note announcing Pope Francis' choice of a theme — “Fraternity, the foundation and pathway to peace” — for World Peace Day 2014, Jan. 1
20A
Overheard THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Quotes from this week’s newsmakers
AUGUST 15, 2013
Reilly will stay on as interim Catholic schools superintendent
Cheers for St. Cajetan
At its Opening Leadership Meeting on Aug. 8, the chair of the Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Advisory Council announced that Jill Reilly will The continue to Catholic Spirit serve as interim superintendent of Catholic schools through fall 2014. The previous superintendent, Marty Frauenheim, retired last year. The announcement was made right before Archbishop John Nienstedt gave a keynote address to pastors, school presidents and principals gathered for the meeting at St. Peter in Mendota. “We must labor REILLY together, in communio, to sustain Catholic education in this local Church,” the archbishop said. “We must think and act creatively, often going outside our comfort zones to engage new possibilities for growth. Only in looking beyond our particular situations and thinking strategically, with an eye on the good of the whole archdiocese, can we proactively address the real needs of Catholic education in this local Church.” The meeting included updates on the Aim Higher Foundation and the ACSAC as well as a presentation on “enhancing and validating academic excellence.”
News Notes
People cheer for St. Cajetan as they mark his feast in Madrid Aug. 7. The celebrations included a traditional procession and prayers appealing to the patron of jobseekers. Spain's unemployment rate is 26 percent, highest in the eurozone. CNS photo / Susana Vera, Reuters
Super Bowl champ speaks to men about defending faith The Catholic Spirit Matt Birk flew into the Twin Cities to serve as the keynote speaker Aug. 9 for Men on a Mission, a monthly event sponsored by St. Paul’s Outreach. Birk, who retired from the NFL after playing for the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, spoke to a group of more than 100 men. He also stayed afterward to greet the men and sign autographs. BIRK Birk talked about the importance of defending the Catholic faith, even when it means taking the risk of criticism. He noted that he turned down an invitation to travel to Washington D.C., along with his teammates, to meet President Barack Obama. “I love the Catholic faith and I strive to be a good Catholic,” he said. “We have to defend the faith because it is under attack.
There’s no doubt about it. George Weigel was right when he came here and spoke and said, ‘Our society, our culture does not support the faith anymore. Fifty years ago, yes, but today, no.’ And, it’s easy to see why. Our culture is one based on emotion. It’s not based on discipline, and there’s a lot of confusion out there about Christianity and spirituality as a whole.” Increasingly, especially within the last year, Birk has been outspoken in defense of Church teaching, especially in regard to traditional marriage. He has spoken at several marriage rallies, and also made his views known among his Ravens teammates. “On our team, especially last year, we had a lot of strong Christian men, a lot of Catholics, a lot of guys who shared my view,” he said. “In fact, we wrote a petition or a statement, and we had six players sign it, regarding marriage, what we believe that it is, an institution created by God. . . . The support inside the locker room was great.” He also noted that Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is Catholic and saw to it that Mass was celebrated every
weekend throughout the season so that players could attend. Yet, he has experienced some hostility to his views, and said that those who defend the faith will take some heat, too. “This game, this battle that we have to fight is not on our home field,” he said. “We have to go and meet people where they are. We have to play an away game in a hostile environment.” Birk said when he encounters those with opposing viewpoints, he is tempted to respond in anger. But, he knows that a different response is required. “The goal is to defend the faith, but also welcome people into the faith and . . . attract them to it,” he said. “I make no excuses, no qualms about being Catholic. I’m proud of it.” Birk recently moved to Florida with his wife, Adrianna, and their six children. According to the Associated Press, he recently accepted a role as one of two NFL appeals officers. Players who receive fines for on-field issues argue their cases to the appeals officers. Birk will be replacing Art Shell, and joining current appeals officer Ted Cottrell.
Archdiocese sponsors second Latino Family Day The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will sponsor the second annual Latino Family Day from 2 to 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at Como Park in St. Paul. The event, which is being held at the park’s east picnic grounds, will include a soccer tournament and games for all ages, music and entertainment, tamales, salsas and a parish piñatas competition. Nearly 2,500 people attended the event last year at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Leading With Faith Honoring local business leaders guided by Catholic values
2013 marks the 12th year the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is honoring Leading With Faith Award winners — men and women whose business practices reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church. This year’s winners are business owners, managers and executives who hail from a variety of fields — from the president of a financial services firm and vice president of a construction company to a community
The Catholic Spirit August 15, 2013
college dean and radio station owners. Nominations were solicited from throughout the archdiocese. Winners were selected in each of three categories: large business, small business and non-profit organizations. The winners were honored at the annual Leading With Faith lunch Aug. 14 at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Archbishop John Nienstedt was scheduled to present the awards. 12-page special pull-out section
2B
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
LEADING WITH FAITH
MARGUERITE DUMMER • NON-PROFIT
Employees highly valued, respected by college dean How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? In a secular environment we can live and model our faith through our actions. I believe it is important to treat employees as people first — people who are creations of God — deserving of dignity and respect. This respect leads to the development of a trusting relationship with each member of my team. I view my role as someone who is there to serve the needs of each individual employee. I work to support, encourage, and recognize individual strengths and talents, which promotes self-esteem and empowers people to achieve goals. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. The common goal for all employees of the college is to work together to support student success. I have seen God’s work in a recent partnership that focused on increasing access and success for unprepared adults. This partnership required myself and college faculty to take a risk in thinking differently about assessment testing and teaching strategies as we developed a health career pathway. This pathway opened a door to higher education for a group of students who may have never seen that door as a possibility. It provided students with hope for a better future and, most importantly, increased their belief in their own abilities to achieve goals and dreams. For myself, the partnership validated the importance of always thinking of the most vulnerable as I make decisions to support the common good. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? My mother is one of the greatest influences on how I model my faith at
PROFILE
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
work. She always reminded me to treat others how you would like to be treated, and to be even nicer to those who may be unkind. I also believe my experiences during my undergraduate study at the College of St. Benedict [in St. Joseph] inspired me to build a faithful leadership style. Finally, my prayer life is important as I ask God to guide me in both my words and actions. What achievement at work are you most proud of? The achievement that I am most proud of reinforces just how important it is to model faith in our everyday life. I have worked in the MnSCU system for nearly 16 years and, prior to being a college dean, I was a nursing faculty member. Years ago, after class, a student
who was walking out of the classroom turned and said to me, “Marguerite, I am going back to church because of you.” I recall stopping her and asking what she meant, and she went on to say, “It seems to work for you, so I thought I would give it another chance.” Just thinking about this moment humbles me to this day. In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? I experience God’s presence in the people who work at the college. Each one of these people plays a critical role in creating a positive environment that supports student learning. I am reminded of this when I think about one of our maintenance workers who always takes time to give a friendly greeting to
Age: 50 Organization: Hennepin Technical College Title: Dean of Health Careers Parish: St. Joseph, Waconia Spouse: Daniel Children (names): Marcus, Rebecca, Michael Activities: St. Joseph Catholic School board member, eucharistic minister
each student he passes. I know that he, too, is part of supporting a student’s success. Each contact that we have with students can be so powerful and even life changing. For example, there are times I meet with students who believe that the challenges and barriers they face will prevent them from being successful. Before these meetings, I often pray that God gives me the right words as I help students see opportunities to remove real or perceived barriers or see a different pathway to their goal.
LEADING WITH FAITH
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
3B
TIM RETHLAKE • LARGE BUSINESS
Honoring worth, value of employees gets results How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? There was a lot of buzz several years ago about the term “servant leadership.” There are many views of what this means, but I’ve found that the Catholic values regarding the dignity of the individual have application on a daily basis. The language you use around this is important. I have several [employees who are] direct reports, but I try never to say it’s “my team,” but instead always refer to “our team.” The reality is HHT is a large organization and we need a formal organizational chart and accountability for results, but I find that by making sure everyone on our Learning and Development team believes they have the same worth and value as me or anyone else on the team, the results seem to come faster and easier. Transparency in your communication and your decision-making process are both critically important to maintaining a team of equals. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. Hearth & Home Technologies was negatively impacted by the prolonged downturn in the housing industry. To survive, we were forced to lay off a good
relationship with Christ were instrumental in guiding my words during these important conversations. People would circle back a few days later and say, “I’ve been thinking about what you said and it has helped.” My response was, “I was just the messenger; you can always have the conversation directly with Him.”
PROFILE Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
number of our employees. While this was obviously traumatic for those who lost their jobs, it was also stressful on those who remained. They had survivor’s syndrome, with sadness for their friends who were laid off and fear that their job might be next. During this time, I noticed that people had a need to talk about deeper topics than just the work at hand. They began asking all the “meaning-of-life” type questions. My Catholic faith and my personal
Age: 59 Company: Hearth & Home Technologies Title: Director, sales training Parish: All Saints, Lakeville Spouse: Justine Children (names): Elyse, Merritt, Natalie Activities: Eucharistic minister, perpetual adoration ministry and GameChangers coordinator at All Saints; accountability partner and boot camp facilitator at The Laboure Society
Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? I attend a monthly breakfast for a group called Men On A Mission, which is an offshoot of St. Paul’s Outreach. MOAM is a forum for Catholic men to hear speakers talk about the challenges and opportunities in letting the teachings of the Church lead your daily life choices. Two men in particular have spoken at MOAM who have influenced me. The first is Michael Naughton of the University of St. Thomas. I highly recommend his books or online lectures to anyone who is trying to achieve more congruity between their work and faith worlds. The second is Deacon Thom Winninger. He is an incredibly gifted speaker, but even more beneficial to me has been his daily “Jesus Speaking” email. Deacon Thom comments on the PLEASE TURN TO RETHLAKE ON PAGE 11B
to the 2013 honorees
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC is a registered investment advisor and affiliate of Nuveen Investments, Inc.
4B
LEADING WITH FAITH
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
CHRISTOPHER ZEMAN • SMALL BUSINESS
Construction owner builds on faith, family How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? I try to respect the life and dignity of the people I come in contact with and work with. Sometimes, we don’t always have the same goals or objectives, but I really try to remember that they are all made in the image of God.
Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. I believe it makes a difference every day. With each day, there are things that will make me tend to become anxious: unmet expectations, miscommunications, unreasonable requests, etc. My faith and God’s presence in my life allow me to combat my natural personality to get anxious about these things and allow me to deal with them objectively and calmly and treat others fairly. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? I’ve learned so much from the living example of my parents, Dave and Barb Zeman. My faith has also grown immensely by watching and listening to my wife Lori. And, last but not least,
PROFILE Age: 48 Company: Zeman Construction Company Title: Vice President/co-owner Parish: St. Joseph, New Hope Spouse: Lori Children (names): Benjamin, Emma Activities: Extraordinary minister of holy Communion, middle school mission trip leader, facilities committee member, Habitat for Humanity volunteer, Meals on Wheels volunteer at St. Joseph, member of Alumni Board of Managers (Philanthropy Committee) at Dunwoody College of Technology
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
working alongside the examples that my brothers Mark and John live out in their day-to-day lives. What achievement at work are you most proud of? Regardless of whatever financial success Zeman Construction may have achieved over the past 25 years in
business, I have and will always declare that our company is a greater success in the fact that right from the start and to this day we have always learned to work together as a family. In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace?
God will always provide for us the things that we need. I have experienced this so many times in my workplace through the projects we lose, the ones we get, the people we work for and with. I look back on them all, and there is always a blessing in them, and I believe each experience makes me a better person.
DAN & BARBARA MASSMAN • SMALL BUSINESS
Faith of station owners ‘on the air’ in Hastings out. It truly was an amazing experience. I will never forget the look on her face. How could a stranger know that the word Jesus was on the counter? I never saw her again and I still get goose bumps thinking about this event. I also do what is called Barb’s Blessings, which are recorded, 60-second Christian prayers/poems. I have had many people call me and approach me at church to thank me for that moment with Jesus and how it helps them start their day. When I started doing this, my hope was to at least touch someone’s heart, let him or her know that Jesus loves him or her.
PROFILE Age: Dan, 58, Barbara, 64 Company: KDWA Radio Title: General manager/owner (Dan), owner/front office manager (Barbara) Parish: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings Children (names): Tara, Marcus Activities: Dan: Board of directors at Hastings United Way and Project Share, past member of many community boards including Hastings Family Service, lector and eucharistic minister at SEAS, plus served on Finance Commission Barbara: SEAS choir, makes quilts for fundraisers
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? Dan: By conducting myself as a Christian dealing with employees, area business leaders, and our listeners. Barbara: I share my stories about how the Holy Spirit has touched my heart and do my best to follow my thoughts. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. Dan: Forty-three years ago, the radio station and a local bank started a yearly radiothon to raise money for local nonprofit groups. Twenty-two years ago, when we purchased the radio station, a decision had to be made whether we wanted to continue it in light of all the fundraising going on in our area.
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
We decided to continue Project Share and have since raised over $800,000 for Hastings Family Service as a result of that Christian decision. Because of our efforts, earlier this year we received the Star of the North award, a congressional recognition from Congressman John Kline. Barbara: There are many stories I could share. Several years back, a gentleman from Hastings made wooden crosses and the word Jesus on a wooden plaque. He went around the community passing
these out to the local businesses. I chose the plaque with the word Jesus and put it on my counter. Many people have commented on it and thanked me. Children ask what it says and I tell them, and it is great to see their smiles. One day as I was waiting on a customer, the door opened. A woman walked in, keeping her eyes on me, then walked right up to the plaque with the word Jesus, kissed it, and put her fingers on the wooden plaque. With tears in her eyes, she said “thank you” and walked
Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? Dan: My faith in Christianity and Catholic upbringing. Barbara: I would have to say my mother. She was one that was not afraid to share her Catholic faith and beliefs. Also Father Jim [Perkl, pastor of SEAS], my sisters and friends have been very helpful. I would share what I believed the Holy Spirit was speaking to me, and they were always encouraging me to take time to pray and let God do his work through my hands. What achievement at work are you most proud of? Dan: Twenty-two years of owning and operating a successful radio station in a small town that is directly under the umbrella of the Twin Cities. Bringing the Sunday morning church PLEASE TURN TO MASSMAN ON PAGE 11B
LEADING WITH FAITH
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
5B
ROSEMARY ROCKWELL • NON-PROFIT
Pro-life leader sees God in faces of pregnant women achievements are with the grace of God and maybe being in the right place at the right time. I am grateful when we can help a woman choose life. I’m certainly honored to have served in leadership capacities, most recently as liaison for the 18 Birthright chapters in Minnesota with Birthright International. In a more humorous vein, I was sort of honored by a Loaves and Fishes guest who told another worker he wanted to marry the woman who made the coleslaw (me); when I came out of the kitchen to say hello to him, he looked at me and said, “Thank you for the good coleslaw.” Maybe in some cultures that’s a marriage proposal? In my defense, I was probably 30 years older than he was.
PROFILE Age: 73 Organization: Birthright of Minneapolis Title: Vice president and volunteer Parish: St. Richard, Richfield Spouse: Deceased Children: Two stepsons Activities: Teaching sixth-grade religious education classes, driving for Meals on Wheels, visiting nursing home residents, helping resettle refugee families, cooking at Loaves and Fishes, driving for medical appointments, leading morning prayer services, funeral lunch ministry, serving as parish trustee, volunteer coordinator, on Parish Council, Justice and Pastoral Care Commissions, weekly church cleaning, JustFaith facilitator, parish and Birthright newsletter editor.
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? Because we believe so strongly in the right of every baby to be born, we pray for the women who come to Birthright. We pray that we can help those who are abortion-minded find the resources to carry to term. The joy, the answered prayer, is when a woman returns several months later to show off her newborn — this baby who seemed an impossible problem a few months earlier. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace?
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Catholic social teaching and people like Jack Jezreel (JustFaith), Jim Wallis, Matthew Kelly and the good pastors we have had at St. Richard have helped form me and encouraged me to keep on, even when things don’t go the way I had planned or hoped (One of the pastors reminded me I wasn’t the Messiah). I have felt very blessed. This, combined with a conscience formed by nuns and my parents who were good, sincere, hard-working people, and my own strong sense of the need to work for the common good brought me to
Birthright, as well as many of the other areas I am working in. There is also the sentence in one of the Eucharistic Prayers that says, “We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.” This is a challenge. I want to live up to being “counted worthy.” What achievement at work are you most proud of? I can’t say I’m “proud” of anything I have accomplished; I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes along the way. Any
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? I try to see God’s face in the faces of the women who come to Birthright or anyone asking for help. I want every woman who comes through our door to have a positive experience, even if I can’t give her what she is asking for. That might mean simply asking how things are going for her or affirming her in some way or showing compassion by saying something like, “This must be really hard for you.” I pray on my way to the office — that helps me be aware that God is with us and is in charge — and I pray for the women who come to our office. And I keep before me: “How can I imitate Christ in this situation?”
6B
LEADING WITH FAITH
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
JEFF BERG • SMALL BUSINESS
Planner helps clients with finances and life PROFILE Age: 70 Company: Integrated, Inc. Wealth Advisors Title: President and Founder Parish: Holy Family, St. Louis Park Spouse: Carol Anne Children (names): Jennifer Anne; Father John Berg, FSSP; Timothy, Thomas Activities: Faith formation teacher at Holy Family (fourth grade), serves on the Parish Teaching Committee at Holy Family, speaker at Marriage and Family Engaged Couple weekends, meets with seminarians at St. John Vianney Seminary, duplicates and disseminates talks by Carmelites and other Catholics on CDs and DVDs, shares the story of his bout with cancer with other cancer patients.
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
who will take them by the hand and give them guidance, not only financially but also in this journey of life. I am blessed with an ability to listen, and also
TO STUDY, LIVE, AND SPREAD THE CATHOLIC FAITH IN OUR
BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL, AND PERSONAL LIVES. Legatus, the Latin word for Ambassador, is the only organization in the world designed for top-ranking Catholic business leaders and their spouses.
If you are, or were, a business owner, CEO, president, managing director or managing partner, Legatus would like to invite you and a guest to come learn more about our Twin Cities chapter at one of our upcoming meetings:
John LaBriola – September 18, 2013
Mr. LaBriola, president of Lighthouse Training, uses his professional experience as a business consultant and trainer to help Catholics of all ages deepen their love and knowledge of the Church.
Matthew Kelly – October 11, 2013
Mr. Kelly has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the best version ofthemselves. More than 4 million people have attended his seminars in more than 50 countries. For more information, please contact Nicole Sutton, coordinator@legatustc.org www.Legatus.org
with zeal for the faith, and strive to share that zeal with all whom I meet. Please tell a story about a time when
God Calls We respond
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? I try to live my Catholic faith at work by being a virtuous man in the office with my employees and customers. People come into our office with financial problems and many lack hope. They need somebody who will listen to them and who cares for them, someone
applying your faith at work really made a difference. Sales coaches in our industry say that 80 percent of your income comes from 20 percent of your clients, and that the other 80 percent of the clients produce 20 percent of the income. Thus, you should purge your client list of the 80 percent and concentrate on the 20 percent that produces 80 percent of the income. Our philosophy is that you take care of everybody, and that nobody is too small. Last year a young man, age 38, came into our office and asked if there was somebody that could help him understand what he had bought and what he should do with the account. He was concerned with the volatility of the marketplace and was somewhat afraid for his future as well as what is happening to his money. We sat down for approximately an hour and a half, and I helped him understand what the market is, how it works and how to protect what he has. After a while, I asked him if he was married. He said no, that his wife divorced him 10 years ago because of an addiction to alcohol, and he said at that time that his father was very disappointed in him at what happened to his marriage. PLEASE TURN TO BERG ON PAGE 12B
… forming the next generation of priests and laity for service in the Church.
SCHOOL
OF
DIVINITY • UNIVERSITY
OF
S T. T H O M A S
www.saintpaulseminary.org
LEADING WITH FAITH
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
7B
MIKE HAASL • NON-PROFIT
Mission staffer’s slogan: ‘That we all may be one’ How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? Quite literally, everything I do at work derives from my Catholic faith and values. My work and my being are deeply rooted in the Catholic Church’s recognition and invitation, which we celebrate in the Eucharist every Sunday: That we all may be one. My work is fundamentally to help parishes and parishioners to engage with this challenge and invitation as it is stated in the 1997 U.S. bishops’ document, “Called to Global Solidarity.” They note that “a parish reaching beyond its own members and beyond national boundaries is a truly Catholic [parish],” and that “the Church’s teaching on international justice and peace is not simply a mandate for a few large agencies, but a challenge for every believer and every Catholic community of faith,” and finally, that this movement toward global oneness — solidarity — is to be imbedded into the ongoing life of the parish. Ultimately, it raises the question: What would our individual, family and parish life look like if we really lived as if we were one global family with God as our Father and all people as brothers and sisters? Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. In 2004, Catholic Relief Services
PROFILE Age: 61 Organization: Center for Mission, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Title: Global solidarity coordinator Parish: St. Gerard, Brooklyn Park Spouse: Mickie Micklewright Children (names): Emmamarie, Mary Activities: Adult faith formation facilitator, sister parish committee active member, advocate for just policies
Photo courtesy of Mike Haasl
invited our archdiocese into a global solidarity partnership with a diocese in Africa to be organized through the Center for Mission. After some discernment and the encouragement of Archbishop Harry Flynn, we decided to invite some parishes from the rural, southeastern part of our archdiocese to consider initiating this partnership. Each step of the way, we found core people who were willing to say “yes” to
the journey, even though they/we didn’t exactly know where it would lead. Next year, we will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of this relationship between our archdiocese and the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya. We have been touched by so many good people of Kitui and have learned so much over these 10 years. We have learned how alive the Catholic faith is in Kitui — growing from just a few
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
PLEASE TURN TO HAASL ON PAGE 11B
That’s how many ways, both in print and online, The Catholic Spirit touches your life. By:
Plymouth, MN
Congratulations Chris Zeman! Constructing Exceptional Solutions • Religious • Educational • Non-Profit • Hospitality • Restaurants
hundred Catholics in 1955 to now over 330,000, with vibrant, lively liturgies, with thousands of committed, involved members. Through delegation visits to and from Kitui, our archdiocese has learned about the immense faith of the people of the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya, where — in the face of terrible drought conditions — Catholics there still say without hesitation: “God is good all the time; all the time, God is good.” We have always experienced generous and warm hospitality when we have visited. And, we have seen how their small faith communities pray together in
• Country Clubs • Office/Medical • Industrial • Retail
1) Providing clear Catholic teaching. 2) Enriching with facts people’s conversations about our faith. 3) Challenging Catholics to live morally and justly. 4) Inspiring noble acts. 5) Deepening spiritual and prayer life. 6) Celebrating Catholic traditions. 7) Strengthening Catholic identity. 8) Enlivening our Catholic community into action.
main 763.398.8900 | fax 763.398.8939 | 8900 10th Ave N | Golden Valley, MN 55427 | zemanconstruction.com
Congratulations!
Ch C hri risstto op pheer Z Zeema man ows n k n e Heav s nothing ’ there ke it. li
The Catholic Spirit News with a Catholic heart THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM
8B
LEADING WITH FAITH
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
JIM & DEBBIE HANNIGAN • LARGE BUSINESS
Produce company thrives as an ‘oasis’ in St. Paul How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? From the time we started business, we have strived to share what we created with our employees by providing competitive wages and benefits. A number of times, we have given an employee a second or even a third chance when they have struggled with making a positive contribution to our success. We continue to provide food to various charities and food shelves in the area.
PROFILE Age: Jim, 70, Debbie, 69 Company: J&J Distributing (fresh and dry produce distributors) Title: President/CEO (Jim), COB (Debbie) Parish: Assumption, St. Paul Children (names): Stephanie, Kevin, Christopher (deceased) Activities: Volunteer with Little Sisters of the Poor
Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference? Our children have all worked in the business. Our oldest son, Christopher, was killed in a car accident 20 years ago. He was very gifted and the loss affected us a lot. After he died, we decided to establish a memorial scholarship fund in his name at St. Thomas Academy so that students who want to have a strong Catholic education, but struggle to finance it, can, with our help, have their dream fulfilled. Who or what has been the most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? Both of us grew up in strong Catholic families and graduated from Catholic high schools. The nurturing environment fostered by the sisters and
to grow into leadership positions at J&J. They are dependable workers and very loyal to J&J.
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
priests who taught us has guided us, as has the fact that we continue to be nourished by our faith community each week.
What achievement at work are you most proud of? Many immigrants, minorities and women have been given the opportunity
Respect For The Human Person
The Parishioners and Staff of Guardian Angels Church & School Chaska, Minnesota
Proudly Congratulate and Thank
TOM REDMAN 2013 Recipient of the Leading with Faith Award
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? Our building is located in a part of St. Paul that struggles with many issues. We have made many improvements to the building and made it a nice place inside and out. We do not have a big fence around our lot, and yet have experienced very little damage to the premises and its equipment. In many ways, we are an oasis. Many low-income workers from the surrounding neighborhoods have found a home at J&J. In good times and bad, we believe God has been with us.
Estate Planning From A Catholic Perspective
YOU CAN PROTECT your child’s inheritance from: • Illness & Substance Abuse Situations • Child’s Divorcing Spouse • Estate & Gift Taxes • Reckless Spending John E. Trojack, Attorney at Law
C ALL FOR A COMPLIMENTARY ESTATE PLANNING OFFICE CONSULTATION ASK ABOUT OUR COMPREHENSIVE C ATHOLIC HEALTH C ARE DIRECTIVE
Joseph E. Trojack, Attorney at Law
Trojack Law Office, P.A. TRUSTS • WILLS • PROBATE PROCEEDINGS (651) 451-9696 • E-mail: John.Trojack@TrojackLaw.com • www.TrojackLaw.com 1549 Livingston Ave., Suite 101, West St. Paul, MN 55118-3420
Church of St. Joseph New Hope
Congratulates our parishioner
Chris Zeman On his
“Leading With Faith” Award
The Parishioners and Staff of the Church of St. Therese of Deephaven wish to congratulate
Rick DesLauriers For receiving the 2013 Archbishop’s Leading With Faith Award. We are proud to have you as a member of our faith community.
LEADING WITH FAITH
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
9B
TOM REDMAN • NON-PROFIT
Chaska guided by faith-filled parks and rec director everyone, I had heard it all before but never truly understood what it meant.
PROFILE Age: 60 Organization: City of Chaska Title: Director of Parks and Recreation Parish: Guardian Angels, Chaska Spouse: Rita Children (names): Kyle, Brady Activities: Guardian Angels ministries, hunting, golfing, U of M Gopher football “Chain Gang” and the Bountiful Basket Food Shelf
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? It starts with a philosophy of building on the positive. It is easy to apply one’s faith and values in most workplaces in that faith and values are centered on helping others. I have been blessed to have been given a position that I have worked in for 38 years that allows me to practice in those many areas where people of all ages can benefit from everything from food shelves to hockey rinks. Some examples: Project Community Connect is a Carver County and Scott County joint effort where over 400 individuals come to one place to have their needs met. Services on this day include dental, legal, haircuts and housing, to name only a few. Our faith and values at the CCC led us in part to offer the building at no charge on Aug. 8 for this two-county event. Another example where I apply my faith at work would be to consciously pursue those aspects that present themselves as Christian in nature such as our department’s involvement in creating the local food shelf. It is an example of community building, but it also is an example of not only professing your Christian beliefs, but actually putting that belief into practice to help others. Today we serve over 1,000 individuals in need each month. We incorporated the spiritual aspect as one part of keeping our Active Older Adults population healthy and happy. The spiritual is complemented by the physical, social, emotional and vocational. We will oftentimes at work make the connection between the Chaska community values of integrity,
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
generosity, respect, responsibility and human worth and dignity and those found in the Catholic faith, which are very similar. As a city staff, we are encouraged to follow the servant leadership management style. Much of our success as a department is predicated on letting all of our staff know that they are an important part of what we do. If one can trust and delegate to others and find as much enjoyment in seeing their successes as your own, you have found the true value of servant leadership. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. We had an artist show in our art gallery by Ashley Dull. In each one of her paintings, she will hide a verse from the Bible by name and number. The trick is to look at the painting long enough until you can find the inscription, such as Jeremiah 29:11. At The Lodge [which serves the AOA population] since opening, we have had a number of our elderly friends pass away who have made donations back to the building. As we got together and
talked as a staff, we thought it would be a good idea to purchase a painting from Ashley called “Future Path” and have her gently hide the names of our friends into the painting as a way of remembering and memorializing them. As you can imagine, the family members that come to The Lodge to see the artwork are brought to tears knowing that the painting recognizes the passing of their family member as well as a Bible verse. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? For me, it has a been a gradual growth in my belief and education since childhood. My Irish Catholic mother, who passed away, is an important part of who I am today. The point where I actually turned the corner and understood that there was more to being Catholic than going to church regularly and where my faith was given a nudge was probably meeting Father Paul Jarvis [former pastor of Guardian Angels]. I guess I finally understood what it meant to “live your faith” and to “not be afraid” from listening to him. As with
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parishioners and staff would like to extend congratulations to Dan & Barb Massman on their “Leading With Faith” nomination! St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church 2035 15th Street West, Hastings MN www.seasparish.org / 651.437.4254
ARCHSPM.ORG
THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM
What achievement at work are you most proud of? I have been blessed to work for a city and a department where you are allowed to be proactive and to do that which you feel will help make a better community. I am very fortunate that I can get involved in many good things through my job. From a Christian standpoint, some of us talk about each program being a “drip in the spiritual bucket” and if there are enough good things happening, you overflow the bucket. The fun part is keeping the bucket full. If I picked one thing I am most proud of at work, it would be the staff, which includes 19 full-time and over 200 parttime [employees]. The CCC would be a hollow shell if it weren’t for the full-time and part-time staff that works here every day. The CCC stands as a model from both a programming and business standpoint. I am convinced that much of its success is based on a servant leadership model where you build from the bottom up, and that all staff are encouraged to feel good about their role and the trust that you put in them. I am also proud of the AOAs for Christ that we formed as a Guardian Angels ministry. We meet quarterly in The Lodge and identify volunteer projects. The wonderful part of this is that we have 12 churches represented at the meetings and that everyone is willing to share their time and talent for the benefit of those who are in need. In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? He is here every day! God’s presence is a part of all that we do here at the CCC. The constant interaction of preschoolers, teens, families and AOAs being kind and respecting each other is proof of God’s presence each and every day. Some of us kiddingly call reminders “God Denozos,” which is the slight slap behind the head you see on the TV show “NCIS.” You just have to be willing and able to recognize God’s hand in all the good things that happen on a regular basis, both in our community center and elsewhere, in a typical day.
Archbishop John Nienstedt’s Column
“That They May All Be One” Inspiration for living the Catholic faith
10B T
HE
LEADING WITH FAITH
CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
RICK DESLAURIERS • SMALL BUSINESS
Recruiter tries to create ‘family-first culture’ business and needs to find something new, I try to minimize the economic impact on them and their families with a generous severance. Fair pay, fair severance, and fair opportunity are all ways I apply my faith.
PROFILE Age: 54 Company: Recruiters of Minnesota Title: President and founder
Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? Mary DesLauriers, Father John Bauer, Father Roger Hessian, Jim Ryan introducing me to Demontreville [Jesuit retreat house], and Ralph Douglas, Mark Lucke and my other monthly Mass and breakfast buddies have all been inspirational to me in my faith.
Parish: St. Therese of Deephaven Spouse: Mary Children (names): Katie, Amy, Michael Activities: Serves at St. Therese parish festival each year, ran the baseball booster club for many years at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School, awarded a Volunteer Service award at the Benilde-St. Margaret's Hall of Honor dinner in January 2013 for efforts within the BSM community, served as volunteer equipment manager for the Bennett Family Baseball Park
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? By always encouraging employees to spend time with their families, creating a family-first culture. Direct and honest communication, always trying to do the right thing, and blending the human aspect with the business’s needs are all ways that my faith is applied at the
to the Fun
What achievement at work are you most proud of? I’m most proud of staying in business for 11 years, which is statistically hard to do, and seeing my co-workers achieve success.
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
workplace. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made
“Happy and highly entertaining!” – Cherry & Spoon
a difference. When it becomes clear that an employee isn’t a good fit with our
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? I have experienced God’s presence in the workplace by creating a culture of honesty, fairness, and positive encouragement, which can be challenging in a sales profession.
The Parishioners and Staff of St. Gerard Church, Brooklyn Park,
Proudly congratulate Parishioner,
Mike Haasl
Sun., Aug. 18
Church of the Assumption
2013 Recipient of the Leading with Faith Award
305 East 77th Street, Richfield
10 a.m.: Bi-Lingual Mass in the parking lot with festivities to follow until 5 p.m. Mexican food, roast beef sandwiches, beer & pop, music, children’s games, raffle.
Presented by
First 100 persons that present this ad receive free raffle ticket
ARCHSPM.ORG
952-934-1525
C H A N H A S S E N D T. C O M
A Chanhassen Family Tradition Since 1934.
Live Music Fun & Games Family Entertainment Sunday Chicken Dinner
August 17 & 18
Visit us at www.sthubert.org
CATHOLICHOTDISH.COM
thecatholicspirit.com
LEADING WITH FAITH DAN & BARBARA MASSMAN • SMALL BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4B
emails, letters and cards thanking us for streaming our news, sports and church services. The comments were: “It really broadcasts to the area. made a hard time a lot easier. We could Example: We broadcast the SEAS 9:30 listen to our community radio station a.m. service live on Sunday. One and church service(s) and keep us Sunday, the church was having some connected.” technical difficulty with their sound Our public files (we are required to system, so the service wasn’t broadcast. keep them by the At 8 a.m. Monday FCC) are full of morning, an elderly “There is no better letters, comments and lady called and cards about what we explained to me that presence of God do in the community. her husband had had Barbara: So many a stroke and she than this — people people have thanked didn’t drive. The only me for the way they could “go helping people.” prayer/poems that I to/be at” church was record and play on listening to it on the BARBARA MASSMAN the radio, letting me radio. know how important Because she missed that this was for them and giving them the service, she felt horrible and started that moment of prayer. to cry. I never felt so helpless in my life. I assured her that we would have it In what specific ways have you fixed, and if she needed a ride to experienced God’s presence in your church, I would pick her up. She workplace? declined, saying she lived about 10 Dan: We have a wall in the radio miles from the church, her husband station that has over 30 awards from couldn’t be moved, but they loved area organizations that prove to us God hearing the church service in their is “with” us in our lives and workplace home together. Barbara: There have been many times How can this “not” be one of the when people would call or stop in most important achievements in our needing clothing, furniture or food, and careers? While we hear a lot of stories all I had to do was get on the radio and like this, we believe living our lives in a ask the community for help. Hastings is Christian way is the most rewarding life a community of giving. one could live and ask for. We have a I remember one summer because of wall in the radio station that has over the wonderful people here. I was able to 30 awards from area organizations to help seven families meet their needs. prove it. There is no better presence of God than When our troops were called overseas this — people helping people. during the Iraq war, we had numerous
TIM RETHLAKE • LARGE BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3B Scripture readings of the day, and it’s uncanny how often something I read that morning will have application throughout my workday.
customers and for each other. Providing sales training that develops the “whole person” is consistent with both our company’s culture and with my personal Catholic beliefs.
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your What achievement at work are you workplace? most proud of? There is a quote When I first joined “It’s on me to look for from Gandhi which HHT 16 years ago, I was blessed with the God’s gifts in others, I’ve always loved. He said, “If I do not see opportunity to God in the face of the become a facilitator of whether they’re next person I meet, I Stephen Covey’s showing it at the need look no “Seven Habits of further.” Highly Effective moment or not.” His meaning is People.” There are clear: It’s on me to many parallels TIM RETHLAKE look for God’s gifts in between the others, whether principles in “Seven they’re showing it at the moment or Habits” and Catholic teachings. I have not. There are plenty of times in a day been able to weave some of Covey’s key when others’ actions may make me feel principles along with basic Christian justified in reacting in a non-Christian values into our sales training manner. curriculum. Remembering that God is present in I believe our sales teams are the each person helps me to respond “evangelists” of our company to the proactively instead. We tend to find marketplace, so it’s important we what we seek, so look for the good ground them with a foundation of instead of the bad and you’ll see it. balance, fairness and respect for our
Congratulations
to all!
AUGUST 15, 2013 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
11B
MIKE HAASL • NON-PROFIT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7B
All of these, together with the other “cloud of witnesses” I read about each morning in my prayers, inspire me greatly. And, I am inspired by the tremendous source of hope and wisdom that we have in our Catholic tradition, which invites, calls and cajoles us to “be one.” And finally, I am inspired by our new Pope Francis, who is trying to lead and embody this invitation to oneness.
their fields and make sure that every member is taken care of — reminiscent of the communities found in the Acts of the Apostles. On the Minnesota side, we have invited children and adults to become conscious of the precious God-given gift of water in our state, and to partner with the Kitui Diocese to help build What achievement at work are you earthen reservoirs so that women and most proud of? children no longer have to walk 10 to I am so grateful to God for the slow 12 miles just to obtain water for their but steady growth and deepening of our families’ daily needs. inter-diocesan And again, so solidarity partnership many have with the Diocese of responded with an “I have been Kitui. I owe a debt of enthusiastic “yes.” The monies collected incredibly blessed to gratitude to all of those many people have gone to pay have the opportunity throughout the wages for small archdiocese who have farmers to dig and to meet many taken up interest in create immense earthen dams, and people who live lives this little-known, arid place, and have now to purchase a become “neighbors” backhoe-loader to of very difficult with the people there, deepen the earthen struggle, yet who not because we want reservoirs. anything from them, Our inter-diocesan have tremendous but simply because partnership has calls us to become a faith and hope, and Christ become neighbor. tremendous gift to I am quite sure that our archdiocese, generosity and this is the most truly a bridge of significant connection friendship, holy courage.” of our local Church connection and with the vibrant, lively hope. MIKE HAASL Catholic Church in Africa, and it has been Who or what has a privilege to be a leader of this growing been the most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? connection. My sources of inspiration have been In what specific ways have you many. I have been incredibly blessed to experienced God’s presence in your have the opportunity to meet many workplace? people who live lives of very difficult I experience God’s presence most struggle, yet who have tremendous faith manifest in unexpected moments of and hope, and generosity and courage. welling up in amazement and joy. These I recently led a trip to Guatemala for moments occur not infrequently in my Catholic educators in our archdiocese, work when groups engage with and we met women who work so hard inspiring people of other cultural or just to daily put food on the table for socio-economic or historical their children, yet have such a deep, backgrounds and when they reflect abiding trust that God will provide. upon that encounter. Their lives are always inspiring to me. It seems that when people humbly I am also inspired by the people from enter into these mission encounters our archdiocese who are willing to step with openness and vulnerability, the out of their comfort zone, to go to an Spirit just seems to enter into those unfamiliar place simply to touch and be spaces and offers new insight, new touched by the lives of the people who energy, and hope for a new world of are more marginalized, and who being bound up together. That my work perhaps then re-think their own lives gives me the opportunity to witness this and faith back here in Minnesota in transformation is a great blessing. light of that new relationship.
Who do you know who leads with faith? Do you know a manager, supervisor or business owner who is living out his or her Catholic faith in the workplace and the community? They could be one of the Leading With Faith Award honorees next year — but not if they’re not nominated! A nomination form is always available at TheCatholicSpirit.com. Under the “site search” heading, simply type “Leading With Faith nomination form” into the Google Custom Search box. Of course, we’d be happy to send a nomination form to you. Just call (651) 251-7709 and ask.
12B T
HE
LEADING WITH FAITH
CATHOLIC SPIRIT • AUGUST 15, 2013
JEFF BERG • LARGE BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6B He felt very bad about his weakness at the time and how disappointed his father was in him. I tried to bring hope into his life. I asked him if he was still drinking, and he said no, that he gave it up after his wife left him. He had not remarried. I told him that he probably did not know this, but his father was probably really proud of him for having given up alcohol and slaying the dragon of addiction. But his father had a very difficult time telling him how proud he was of him. The man started to weep, and he said, “I don’t know who it was, but somebody sent me to you today.” He got out of his chair and he came over and gave me a big hug. I told him that he had already experienced the grace of God’s love in his freeing himself from his addiction, and that he should seek this grace every day, as it is very powerful. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? Many years ago, I had this friend who was away from the Church and had become an Evangelical. He would quote the Bible and would ridicule me for not knowing chapter and verse. Over a period of about a year, I decided that I needed to learn more about my faith. St. Jerome says, “If you seek Me you will
find Me, if you seek Me with all your his office was a crucifix, and after the heart.” meeting that ended at 4:30 p.m., we proceeded into the chapel to say evening I noticed an article in the local prayer with all of his Catholic newspaper that employees. This was very referenced a series of 12 “What I’m most impressive, and I thought tapes entitled, “I Believe to myself, “This man is a in God,” by Father John Catholic first and also a proud of is the Hardon, on the Creed. I businessman.” used to drive around fact that over 48 town, go on trips, and I What achievement at would listen to those 12 work are you most proud years, the Lord tapes over and over again. of? He was a master teacher I think what I’m most has blessed me of the faith. In 1999, a proud of is the fact that local priest was going to with a business over 48 years, the Lord visit him, as he was his has blessed me with a spiritual director, and business in which I can in which I can asked me if I would like to touch souls, not only of go along with him to touch souls.” my employees but also Detroit for a one-day visit. my clients. I said that I would. All of the employees JEFF BERG Father spent the day and associates have the with Father Hardon, and I same interest and had a chance to meet Father and visit philosophy of being a servant to those with him. Father Hardon wanted this that entrust us with their confidence and priest friend to meet with the founder of their money. We have grown together Domino’s pizza, Thomas Monaghan. Mr. and have become a family. Through this Monaghan was out of the country at the business we have touched and time, but they drove us over to Domino influenced many lives. All is grace. farms so Father could visit with his vice president. In what specific ways have you experienced God's presence in your We entered the main office building workplace? and discovered it was thoroughly I have experienced God in my workCatholic. The entrance and the hallways place in the people that I meet that were graced with large, beautiful come in and are burdened with financial paintings of the Nativity and other woes, separation and divorce, the loss of scenes from the Bible. Above the door to
a loved one or loss of hope. They seek answers and happiness, and I have experienced that people enjoy hearing the truth of the Catholic faith. Our faith is a sacramental faith, and as it states in the beginning of the holy Gospel according to John, “but as many as received Him, He gave them power to become sons of God.” Most people do not understand the power that God has given us in the sacraments and the sanctifying grace that accompanies these sacraments. If we have this faith, He will use us to transfer His power to others. And so in sharing this with people we sometimes witness this power of the truth that people yearn for. Father Hardon says that sanctifying grace “is the supernatural power to do what is humanly impossible.” And so the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist have a great power that people do not realize, and I enjoy sharing with people the beauty of the sacraments and of His grace. I have two retired Lutheran ministers as clients and they come in annually with their wives for a review, and we spend probably a good hour talking about faith and grace and little time on the review. There are numerous religious articles in my office that often spark a question or a discussion, so I have opportunities to discuss the Truth with those who enter my office.
The University of St. Thomas congratulates this year’s recipients of the Leading with Faith award. The strength of your faith and your dedication to the betterment of our communities is inspiring.
The local Church Learning more about our faith The Catholic Spirit’s 4-page Rediscover: pullout section in each issue of 2013 highlights a new Rediscover: theme for you to reflect on and discuss with others. Coming up Aug. 29: What is prayer?
What is a parish? A diocese? Why do we have them?
E
HEART OF THE MATTER Father Michael VAN SLOUN
xtremely large groups are hard to manage, whether it is a country, a company or the Church. The Roman Empire was subdivided into provinces. The United States is subdivided into states, and states are subdivided into counties. Many companies are subdivided into regional marketing areas. The Catholic Church is subdivided into dioceses, and dioceses are subdivided into parishes. Regional groupings are intended to allow for delegation, provide better service, improve efficiency and adjust to local circumstances. In the Church, it also strengthens unity and helps ensure consistent doctrinal teaching.
Biblical basis There are two classic examples in Sacred Scripture that establish the principle of dividing a large group into smaller groups for efficiency: one in the Old Testament, the other in the New Testament. Moses served as the judge, hearing officer or consultant for the people when they had disagreements, and it was his duty to settle these matters between them (Exodus 18:13-17). But
The Catholic Spirit • August 15, 2013
there was a major problem: There were so many cases that it took Moses all day, and the people had to wait from morning until evening to take their turn. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, felt this was foolish, and he advised Moses to find some good men, make them officers, and appoint them “over groups of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens” (Exodus 18:21). With shared leadership and the delegation of duties, the burden for the leaders was lightened and the people were better served. The objective was that, by the end of the day, “all of these people will go home satisfied” (Exodus 18:23). When Jesus fed the 5,000, “he gave orders to have them sit down in groups . . . [and] the people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties” (Mark 6:39,40). After Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, he did not distribute the food himself, but rather, he “gave them to [his] disciples to set before the people” (Mark 6:41). There was more work than Jesus could do Please turn to LOCAL on back page of section
Rediscover-faith.org
“As the Church expanded both in membership and geographic area, it followed the organizational and administrative plan of the Roman Empire and established ‘dioceses’ that conformed to the pattern of the Roman provinces.” Father Michael Van Sloun
Beyond you and me Matthew Kelly is taking a break from writing his column as he recuperates from successful cancer surgery. He is scheduled to begin writing again in October. Please keep him in your prayers. In the interim, this column space will feature excerpts from his other writings. The following is from his book “Rediscover Catholicism.”
CELEBRATING CATHOLICISM Matthew KELLY
The Catholic Church is a family of prayer. At every moment of every day the Mass is being celebrated all over the world and we are praying as Catholics not only for ourselves and our own needs, but for the whole human family. Beyond our own personal experience of the Mass, it is important to be aware of the much greater scope of it. It is in the Mass that the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world come together to share a common experience. But the wisdom of regular worship has a much deeper meaning than bringing us all together once a week; it is a profound reflection of God’s blueprint for all
of creation. I wrote “The Rhythm of Life” not only for a Catholic audience, nor alone for a Christian audience, but for the whole cross section of society. And yet, I learned the premise upon which I based the book from the way the Church structures our practice of Christianity. Everything in creation has rhythm. Rhythm is at the core of God’s genius for creation. As we turn to God, we are invited to use this same blueprint for our life. In Genesis, we read that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He didn’t rest because he was tired. God rested on the seventh day because he foresaw our need for “At every moment of rest. The seasons change to a every day the Mass is rhythm. The tides come in and go out to a rhythm. The sun rises being celebrated all and sets to a rhythm. Your heart over the world and pumps blood through your body to a rhythm. Plants grow we are praying as according to the process of which is based Catholics not only for photosynthesis, on a rhythm. And ultimately, the workings of a woman’s body are ourselves and our based on a rhythm — and that own needs, but for rhythm gives forth new life. The rhythm gives birth to harmony, the whole human efficiency, effectiveness, health, happiness, peace and prosperity. family.” Destroy the rhythm and you Matthew Kelly invite chaos, confusion, destruction, and disorder. This is the wisdom upon which the Church bases our worship as Catholics. The Church bases the calendar on the rhythm that God has placed at the center of creation. In turn, the Church hopes this will help us to place this essential rhythm at the center of our own lives. It is within this context that we can begin to understand Sunday as a day of rest and renewal, and more specifically, the role of the Mass in the Catholic lifestyle.
Embrace the gift God doesn’t call us to church on Sunday because he has some egotistical need for us all to fall down before him and worship him at 10 o’clock each Sunday morning. It isn’t designed to help him; it’s designed to help us. It isn’t intended to make him happy; it’s intended to allow us to share in his happiness. There is a beautiful song titled “Come to the Feast Divine,” written by Liam Lawton, from his album “In the Quiet.” Everything about this piece of music invites us to an incredible celebration. It begins with a simple question, “Will you come to the Feast Divine?” I hope you will. I will be there with you in spirit with all the angels and the saints. Pray for me as I pray for you. The Mass is filled with riches. It is an unfathomable gift. Embrace the gift. Kelly is an international best-selling author, speaker and founder of The Dynamic Catholic Institute.
The Catholic Spirit • August 15, 2013
Rediscover: initiative transforms mom’s understanding of ‘local Church’ By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Korie Regan is getting ready to deliver her fourth child. With three children age 4 and under, she no doubt will have her hands full. “I’m very nervous,” the 35-year-old Texas native and member of St. Peter in North St. Paul admitted recently. “It’s going to be really hard.” She knows that she easily could focus on the challenges of parenting four young children. But, she has a different mindset, one that she says came about because of a commitment she made at the request of her father-in-law. He happens to be Don Regan, founder and chairman of Premier Banks. The elder Regan was invited to be part of a small meeting last summer to discuss how to help distribute Catholic author Matthew Kelly’s book “Rediscover Catholicism” to parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. But, he wasn’t able to make it and asked his daughter-in-law to go in his place. Korie knew nothing about the book and nothing about the archdiocese’s Rediscover: initiative, of which the book distribution effort was a key component. She really only knew one thing – she held Don in high regard. Still, that esteem did not erase her bewilderment at being chosen to be his replacement. “For some reason, he was set on me going,” she said. “I wasn’t really sure why. I had kids, I had to find a babysitter. We have a big family [her husband Dan is the youngest of Don’s seven children]; a lot of other people probably could have gone. But, he found me a babysitter. My niece came over from the bank. . . . I didn’t even know what I was attending at the time. I knew it was about this Rediscover initiative, I didn’t know any more than that.” The event, held at the chancery, featured Father Peter Laird, vicar general of the archdiocese, explaining that the archdiocese, as part of its newly-formed Rediscover: initiative, was planning to distribute Kelly’s book to every person attending Christmas Masses in the archdiocese. Father Laird then went on to talk about Rediscover:, with additional remarks made by other archdiocesan officials, including Sarah Mealey, director of the Office of Communication. Looking back, Korie realizes that, during those talks, she was like a dry tree branch waiting for a spark. “After hearing . . . about the initiative, I was blown away,” she said. “I was sort of that target audience that they were trying to reach. I hadn’t fallen away from the Church, by any means, but I was not actively engaged. “I went to church, I practiced my faith, but was
In her own words Visit Rediscover-faith.org to watch a video of Korie Regan talk about her journey of faith.
not as involved as I could have been or wanted to be. And, I was kind of waiting for a moment like this to come along, to be asked and to figure out where my place was and when and how I could get more involved. “That was it. It was certainly the Holy Spirit at work that led me there that day, and it was the right time for me to make a move and jump in full steam ahead. It was a way for me to get involved in the parish, but also more in the archdiocese and meet people in a more global sense in the Twin Cities.” She’s meeting many people outside of her parish, which sits directly across the street from her townhouse. In just one year, she has gone from someone who had little connection to her faith to someone who’s name — and, especially, voice — have become recognizable to many Catholics throughout the archdiocese. Immediately, she jumped in to help with the book distribution project and the Rediscover: initiative. Her journey took her all the way to a studio at Relevant Radio, where she has been co-hosting “The Rediscover: Hour” with the station’s Paul Sadek since March 1. The program airs live every Friday from 9 to 10 a.m., with re-broadcasts Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9 a.m. She is taking a brief maternity break, but plans to come back in a few weeks.
New thinking It’s a very surprising twist, especially for someone who did not grow up Catholic. She grew up in Texas as a Presbyterian and studied finance at the University of Texas. After earning her degree, she went to work trading energy commodities in Houston before moving to New York City to study fashion and merchandising.
S aun cal and her tle. “ I w Kor An are A and sta Liv cau par her “ larg goi at y new Y cov ow Fat init
Toothpicks to heaven
“I’m now seeing local as the Twin Cities and the larger archdiocese.There’s so much more going on archdiocesan wide than just what happens at your parish. And, I think these events can ignite a new flame.” Korie Regan
She came to Minnesota at the invitation of her nt, who had started a non-profit organization led Hope Chest for breast cancer. Korie’s mother d her mother’s sister had died from the disease, so r aunt wanted to help others engaged in the bat. “I moved up here to see what that was about and was thinking of maybe starting one in Austin,” rie said. “But, I met Dan the third day I was here. nd, the rest is history. We fell in love and here we e.” After meeting Dan, she converted to Catholicism, d now Korie has a different and deeper undernding of what the term “local church” means. ving within sight of her parish for the last few years used her to view local as meaning only her own rish. Working with Rediscover: has transformed r thinking. “I’m now seeing local as the Twin Cities and the ger archdiocese,” she said. “There’s so much more ing on archdiocesan wide than just what happens your parish. And, I think these events can ignite a w flame.” Yet, even with all of the volunteer work for Redisver:, she has managed to connect the dots to her wn parish. With strong support from her pastor, ther Bill Deziel, she has helped take the Rediscover: tiative into her own church. She helped form Re-
discover: book clubs in the parish. She even led a group herself. “We got a group together of young moms here in our neighborhood,” she said. “We talked a lot about adapting the things we learned in the [“Rediscover Catholicism”] book to our life as moms. It was so beneficial to hear how other Catholic moms cope and use prayer on a day-to-day basis to get through some of the ups and downs of being a mom, which we all know can be challenging. That was so beneficial and we remained friends. I would love to do another study. It was just a great way for us to escape the house once a week and talk about our faith and help each other out.” Though Korie understands the demands on a young mother’s time, she does not feel that moms should push faith and church involvement to the side. So far, she has resisted that temptation, and plans to keep on doing so. “I think it’s about prioritizing,” she said. “If you don’t prioritize your growth and studying and bettering yourself as far as your faith goes, then it won’t happen. It will be hard to get to that point. So, it’s up [high] on the list for me. In turn, my family benefits from it, I hope. I’m just a better, more patient, understanding, compassionate person that can deal with the busyness and the stress that comes along with being a mom of four.”
When my husband and I road tripped to the Rockies last summer, I tucked a paperback “Trees of North America” field guide in the back seat. I was determined to honor the Western beauty with a scientist’s eye, expressing my wonder through precision — to stare and study, marvel and measure. “Practice is the best way to learn to recognize trees,” the introduction began. “With field experience, the pleasure and satisfaction gained from this fascinating hobby is greatly increased.” So there I was, thumbing through the hard-pine section in the parking lot of our Estes Park, Colo., cabin, counting needle clusters, examining cones and surveying bark. I almost had a match for the Ponderosa pine, whose cones are “tipped with a stiff prickle” and whose scaly bark plates “fit together like REFERENCE jigsaw puzzle pieces,” according to the field guide. POINTS But the trees weren’t nearly tall enough. Hmph. Stumped. Christina The same month I visited a Trappist abbey in Eastern Iowa, where an 84-year-old monk countered CAPECCHI my interview questions with an inquiry of his own: “Now, do you know your trees?” He broke it down for me as we walked: scotch pines have short needles in clusters of two; red pines have long needles in clusters of two; white pines have long clusters of five. In his cloudy eyes and calloused hands, I saw a grateful heart. There was something holy about his knowledge of those trees, toothpicks to heaven. My travel wish list is inspired by notable trees. More than the Golden Gate bridge or the famed wineries, I yearn to see California’s redwoods. The fact that next year’s Catholic press convention will be held in Charlotte, N.C., has me seeing live oaks, their sweeping branches dispensing shade and leisure. But this month I learned of an attraction that For immediately topped my list: a 100-acre forest in reflection Utah called Pando, Latin for “I spread.” What’s unusual about this forest is that it is actually just In what ways have one tree, a male quaking aspen. Above ground, you experienced Pando looks like dense woods, made up of more the Church’s than 40,000 individual trees, but below ground universality when there is a single root system connecting all of you have been them. away from home? Their common origin is verifiable: The branches contain identical genetic markers that indicate they all belong to the first tree. Pando weighs more than 14 million pounds and has long been considered the most massive living organism.
Sharing the same roots When it comes to spirituality, the Catholic Church is the most massive living organism of believers. Like the Trembling Giant, we share the same roots. Above ground, those roots branch out into dioceses and then parishes, clustered in different spots and different angles but informed by identical genetic markers, which is why every Catholic church I’ve entered has a certain familiarity. I discovered this as a kid on family vacations, sunburned and wide eyed, sliding into a new space and finding that I knew all steps. (What a powerful way to demonstrate the centrality of faith to your children, that Mass is not discarded when you hit the road or board a plane.) Of course, each parish has its own personality. Lines that were once drawn by ethnicity now land around an array of distinctions — different songbooks, different styles, shorter homilies, later Mass times. A glance at the parish festival schedule published in these pages summarizes it well: Whether you gravitate toward the beer garden or the quilt raffle, there’s something for everybody when we Catholics socialize. In the end, we’re all asked to be good stewards, like the Trappist monk tending tomatoes below the soaring pines. Fellowship is an expression of stewardship: We take care of each other. Our archdiocese is rooted in a common purpose and sustained by the same Son. We come together, arms outstretched and intertwined, to form a thriving forest. Christina Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
Rediscover-faith.org
New website encourages Catholics to share their inspiring faith stories The Catholic Spirit In his pastoral letter on the new evangelization last September, Archbishop John Nienstedt called on Catholics to “be ready to give a reason for our hope” as Christian disciples — as St. Peter said. And, the archbishop encouraged everyone to write and be ready to share his or her personal testimony. To help people do just that, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently launched a new website: REDISCOVERSHARE.COM. Visitors can share inspirational stories of faith and conversion focusing on how their lives have been touched or changed forever through a relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. Their stories, in turn, may inspire others to do the same. “Over the past several months, our Rediscover: team has heard so many beautiful stories of conversion and renewal,” said Sarah Mealey, archdiocesan communications director. “We wanted to make it easy for folks to share their stories more widely.” A number of stories about people who have discovered, or rediscovered, the importance of a personal relationship with Christ and his Church are already posted on the site — such as “Christina’s story” about a woman who first began feeling God’s presence in her life after a friend introduced her to his Catholic youth group, and “Dan’s story” of how a Scripture verse written on the cast of his broken right leg changed his life and deepened his faith.
Easy, step-by-step directions Visitors to REDISCOVERSHARE.COM who want to share their own stories can click on a button to follow stepby-step instructions for uploading a written story, which can include a photo, or uploading a video. Visitors who know how Rediscover: may have helped a person on his or her faith journey also are encouraged to share such stories on the site. The site includes helpful “Tips for Telling Your Story.” “We hope folks will go out and visit the site and spend a few moments checking out the stories there now, take advantage of the great tips for telling their own story, and then bring this to prayer and consider
‘Local Church’ refers to a diocese under the care of a bishop Continued from front page of section himself, so he delegated each of his disciples to serve a group of 100 or 50, each according to his talents and abilities. Thus subdivided, the disciples were better able to manage the task, and the people were better served.
Early history
sharing their personal story through REDISCOVER SHARE.COM,” Mealey said.
Words as well as actions In today’s world, which often promotes values that draw people away from the Gospel, it’s important for Catholics to be able to give a short testimony about how faith and friendship with Christ leads to true happiness and salvation, she added. “As Catholics, most of us have learned or believe that our faith is a private thing,” Mealey said. “But the opposite is true: Jesus called all of us through our baptism as Christian disciples to ‘go forth and make disciples of all nations.’ That means we are called to witness to the truth of our faith through how we lead our lives as Christians, but we also must find the courage to speak, always with love and joy. “We need to get more comfortable with giving personal testimony,” she added. “In our busy world, we need to be able to get to the point quickly or we lose people. Creating that testimony means we have to get really intentional about it. We need to sit down and write it out, hone it down so it’s short and meaningful, and then literally practice it. Once you do that, it is so much easier to talk with people.”
There were no dioceses during the apostolic period — the time of the apostles. Instead, there were house churches, groupings of families, or city-area churches, such as the church of Corinth, Ephesus or Philippi. As the Church expanded both in membership and geographic area, it followed the organizational and administrative plan of the Roman Empire and established “dioceses” that conformed to the pattern of the Roman provinces. A diocese is composed of the people of God, their bishop and his priests. It is a territorial subdivision of the universal Church known as a “particular church” or “the local church.” It is “a portion of the people of God which is entrusted to a bishop for him to shepherd with the cooperation of the presbyterium” (Canon 369). It “refers to a community of the Christian faithful in communion of faith and sacraments with their bishop ordained in apostolic succession” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 833). Many dioceses are quite large and encompass a vast area or have a great number of members in a densely populated metropolitan area, so it is efficient to further subdivide the diocese. “A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2179; see Canon 515). The parish usually is territorial; a geographic subdivision of the diocese, but in certain cases a parish may be established for special reasons such as rite, language or nationality (Canon 518). Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.
REGISTER NOW!
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Register online at Rediscover-faith.org
The Catholic Spirit • August 15, 2013
Rediscover-faith.org