The Catholic Spirit - December 7, 2023

December 7, 2023 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

TheCatholicSpirit.com

Prayerful preparation Rámond Mitchell, coordinator of liturgical celebrations at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, lights the first Advent candle Dec. 2 as staff and volunteers get the church ready for the Advent season. After Mitchell lit the candle, the large Advent wreath was raised above the center aisle, where it will remain through the Advent and Christmas seasons. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

ARCHDIOCESAN SYNOD AND PARENTS 5 | GIVING TREE 6 | ECUADORIAN CRISIS 7 CHORALE AT 50 YEARS 8 | NOVELS SHAPING FAITH 10-11 | CREATIVITY FOR CHRIST 12

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

PAGETWO OVERHEARD The servants’ vigilance is not one of fear, but of longing, of waiting to go forth to meet their Lord who is coming. They remain in readiness for his return because they care for him, because they have in mind that when he returns, they will make sure he finds a welcoming and orderly home.

Pope Francis in the text of his commentary on the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent. The pope encouraged people to carefully prepare their hearts with prayer and with charity. Advent, he said, also is a good time to approach the Lord’s forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation and make more time for prayer and Bible reading.

NEWS notes DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

EPIPHANY GALA Marlena Tran of Epiphany in Coon Rapids takes part in a game called Heads-N-Tails during the 13th annual Christ is Light Gala and Live Auction Dec. 2 at Epiphany. The event raised just over $220,000, which will be used for tuition assistance at Epiphany Catholic School. Among the auction items was a pheasant hunting trip with the pastor of Epiphany, Father Thomas Dufner. The winner of the Heads-N-Tails game was Jackie Kron, who received a cash prize of $1,425.

100-YEAR TRADITION Stella Sauro, 98, of St. Joseph in West St. Paul and eldest member of her family, smiles Dec. 2 as she is honored after the 100th annual Palumbo Memorial Mass for all deceased family members. After the Mass at St. Stanislaus in St. Paul — which more than 130 people attended — the family enjoyed a meal together.

Behind Sauro is her first cousin, Tony Palumbo.

The tradition began in 1923, with the death of Dan Palumbo, 28, an uncle to Sauro and Palumbo, in a tunnel collapse in St. Paul. He had quit the city water department to pursue a music career but returned for one last job. His father, Antonio, requested for years that a memorial Mass be held for his son, and the tradition has brought the family together for 100 consecutive years. Sauro has tried to attend every Mass, Tony Palumbo said.

Minnesota Catholic Conference has released a new document called “Health Care Directives: A Catholic Perspective.” It is meant to serve as a guide for answering questions about law, Church teaching and completing a health care directive. The booklet, which can be ordered online at mncatholic.org/healthcaredirective, contains a Minnesota Catholic Health Care Directive that meets state legal requirements and reflects Church teaching.

St. Ambrose in Woodbury recently was recognized by Open Cupboard, a food shelf in Oakdale, for donating more than 5,300 pounds of food to the organization. Open Cupboard (formerly known as Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf) offers programs including a drive-up service, Today’s Harvest free market, delivery program and mobile food shelf with sites in Woodbury, Oakdale and Newport.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis will ordain 18 men to the permanent diaconate at 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Two years ago, seven men were ordained permanent deacons for the archdiocese. The ordination will be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. To read about each diaconate candidate, use this QR code or visit TheCatholicSpirit.com.

Those interested in the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 in Indianapolis now have the option of purchasing single-day and weekend passes for more affordable and flexible attendance options, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, who is overseeing the congress, announced Nov. 15, according to OSV News. “We have heard well the concerns of some, that they find the length or the cost (of the congress) difficult, and we’ve worked hard over the last year to find ways to make it affordable and accessible, so that it can be a gathering of the whole Church, so that we can literally open wide the doors to Christ for people to come,” said Bishop Cozzens, chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc. and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. Bishop Cozzens said the bishops’ Solidarity Fund may also help ease the cost for some attendees. More information on passes can be found online at eucharisticcongress.org/register.

PRACTICING Catholic

COURTESY EMILY GORMAN

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 28 — No. 23 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher JOE RUFF, Editor-in-Chief REBECCA OMASTIAK, News Editor

On the Dec. 1 “Practicing Catholic” radio show, host Patrick Conley interviewed School Sister of Notre Dame Stephanie Spandl, who in honor of the Dec. 9-10 collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious, described her vocation story and how sisters in her order serve the Church. Also featured were Father John Paul Erickson, pastor of Transfiguration in Oakdale, who discussed how the faithful can enter more fully into the Advent season; and Father Erich Rutten, pastor of Christ the King and of St. Thomas the Apostle, both in Minneapolis, who shared his wisdom about interfaith relationships. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com or anchor.fm/practicingcatholic-show with links to streaming platforms.

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DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

An Advent call to be Christ-centered, community-building

W

e are approaching the seventh anniversary of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center’s move to the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul.

Nonetheless, East Siders will often still ask me how I like having our “new offices” on their side of town.

There are lots of points in its favor (the best pupusas in the Twin Cities and proximity to the shops at the Hmong Village), but it is the rich history of the neighborhood that makes me most grateful to be here.

In particular, the three churches in the immediate vicinity of our office, each historic and beautiful in their own way, remind me that we are a Church in transition. While it might mean going a few blocks out of my way, I always try to pass either Sacred Heart, St. Casimir or St. John on my way into the office. They remind me that evangelization and welcome have to be at the very core of who we are as an archdiocese.

I’ve never been inside St. John, a parish church that closed in 2013. I know, however, that the parish had a glorious history and that there is still sadness among many that what had once been a vibrant Catholic parish is no longer being used for Christian worship.

Lest the former St. John get us too discouraged, there’s Sacred Heart just a few blocks away. As I monitor the construction of Sacred Heart’s new parish center, I find my heart filled with hope. I know that the handsome new facility will get good use; I was at the parish last year for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and still recall vividly the vibrancy of the Latino community that packed the pews and that has found a welcoming home at Sacred Heart. I share their gratitude for their stunning church, the legacy of the German immigrants who built and sustained Sacred Heart for decades.

Un llamado del Adviento a estar centrados en Cristo y a construir comunidades

N

os acercamos al séptimo aniversario del traslado del Centro Católico Arquidiocesano al vecindario de St. Paul en Dayton’s Bluff.

No obstante, los habitantes del East Side a menudo todavía me preguntan si me gusta tener nuestras “nuevas oficinas” en su lado de la ciudad. Hay muchos puntos a su favor (las mejores pupusas de las Ciudades Gemelas y la proximidad a las tiendas de Hmong Village), pero es la rica historia del barrio lo que me hace sentir más agradecido de estar aquí.

En particular, las tres iglesias en las inmediaciones de nuestra oficina, cada una histórica y hermosa a su manera, me recuerdan que somos una Iglesia en transición. Si bien puede significar desviarme algunas cuadras de mi camino, siempre trato de pasar por el Sagrado Corazón, San Casimiro o San Juan de camino a la oficina. Me recuerdan que la evangelización y la bienvenida deben estar en el centro de quiénes somos como arquidiócesis.

Nunca he estado dentro de St. John’s, una iglesia parroquial que cerró en 2013. Sin embargo, sé que la parroquia tuvo una historia gloriosa y que todavía hay tristeza entre muchos porque lo que alguna vez fue una parroquia católica vibrante ya no lo es siendo utilizado para el adoración cristiano.

Para que el antiguo St. John no nos desanime demasiado, está el Sagrado Corazón a solo unas cuadras de distancia. Mientras observo la construcción del nuevo centro parroquial del Sagrado Corazón,

Finally, there’s St. Casimir. Today, and throughout our “leafless” months, I can see the towers of St. Casimir as I sit at my computer. Knowing that the parish has served the Polish community on the East Side for more than 100 years, those towers all too often prompt me to daydream about my younger days in Pittsburgh. While the need for ministry in the language of my grandparents has all but disappeared, the parish has warmly welcomed the Karen community. The Mass celebrated in the Karen language is now the largest Mass at the parish.

All three of those churches remind me that we must be Christ-centered, faithful, creative, serviceoriented and community-building people to fulfill our mission. They serve as wonderful refreshers of what we learned at the listening sessions that led up to our Archdiocesan Synod.

As I passed St. Casimir earlier today, the marquee read: “God’s way is the Highway!” That’s a powerful Advent message. As we’re reminded by Isaiah 40, we all need to heed the voice in the wilderness’s call to “prepare the way of the Lord” and “make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God.”

There’s something so inspiring when we encounter individuals who have done just that, who have devoted their lives to making straight a highway for our God, facilitating our encounter with the God of love. We’ve recently lost a few giants in our community who had given their lives to the work of laying that highway in this local Church, each in his or her own way.

I felt blessed to preside at the funerals of Father Steve O’Gara and Father Jeff Huard. On both occasions, I heard so many beautiful stories about how both priests had brought God into the lives of those in need of God’s love and mercy. Throughout their priesthood, they had administered the sacraments and shared God’s word in ways that indeed made straight “a highway for our God.” That work is by no means restricted to our priests and religious. Ask those who were touched by the all-too-short life of Jen Messing, a “daughter” of this local Church who was nationally known for her “Into the Deep” retreats and who had a unique gift for teaching people of all ages about God’s incredible plan for life, often in the setting of the great outdoors.

She literally went out into the wilderness to make straight the highway that would connect us with the love of our Creator.

I think as well of Charlie Dahl, a gentle soul who also recently went home to God. A layman of incredible compassion, charity and joy, he loved this local Church and her priests, religious and bishops, and never missed an opportunity for witnessing to me about the importance of opening our hearts and homes to those in need.

While we traditionally think of John the Baptist as being the voice in the desert, that voice is being amplified for me this year by Fathers O’Gara and Huard, and by Jen and Charlie. May the Lord whom they served so generously bless them and us this Advent.

encuentro mi corazón lleno de esperanza. Sé que las nuevas y hermosas instalaciones tendrán buen uso; Estuve en la parroquia el año pasado para la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y todavía recuerdo vívidamente la vitalidad de la comunidad latina que llenaba los bancos y que encontró un hogar acogedor en el Sagrado Corazón. Comparto su gratitud por su impresionante iglesia, el legado de los inmigrantes alemanes que construyeron y sostuvieron al Sagrado Corazón durante décadas.

Finalmente, está San Casimiro. Hoy, y durante nuestros meses “sin hojas”, puedo ver las torres de San Casimiro mientras me siento frente a mi computadora. Sabiendo que la parroquia ha servido a la comunidad polaca en el East Side durante más de 100 años, esas torres con demasiada frecuencia me incitan a soñar despierto con mis días de juventud en Pittsburgh. Si bien la necesidad de ministrar en el idioma de mis abuelos prácticamente ha desaparecido, la parroquia ha dado una calurosa bienvenida a la comunidad Karen. La Misa celebrada en idioma Karen es ahora la Misa más grande en la parroquia.

Esas tres Iglesias me recuerdan que debemos estar centrados en Cristo, ser fieles, creativos, orientados al servicio y construir comunidad para cumplir nuestra misión. Sirven como maravillosos recordatorios de lo que aprendimos en las sesiones de escucha que precedieron a nuestro Sínodo Arquidiocesano.

Al pasar hoy por San Casimiro, la marquesina decía: “¡El camino de Dios es la autopista!” Ese es un poderoso mensaje de Adviento. Como nos recuerda Isaías 40, todos debemos prestar atención a la voz del llamado del desierto a “preparar el camino del Señor” y “enderezar calzada en el desierto para nuestro Dios”.

Hay algo tan inspirador cuando encontramos personas que han hecho precisamente eso, que han dedicado sus vidas a enderezar una carretera para nuestro Dios, facilitando nuestro encuentro con

el Dios de amor. Recientemente hemos perdido a algunos gigantes de nuestra comunidad que habían dado su vida en la obra de tender esa carretera en esta Iglesia local, cada uno a su manera.

Me sentí bendecido de presidir los funerales del padre Steve O’Gara y del padre Jeff Huard. En ambas ocasiones, escuché muchas historias hermosas sobre cómo ambos sacerdotes habían llevado a Dios a las vidas de aquellos necesitados del amor y la misericordia de Dios. A lo largo de su sacerdocio, habían administrado los sacramentos y compartido la palabra de Dios de maneras que de hecho hicieron “una calzada para nuestro Dios”.

Ese trabajo no se limita en modo alguno a nuestros sacerdotes y religiosos. Pregúntele a quienes se sintieron conmovidos por la vida demasiado corta de Jen Messing, una “hija” de esta Iglesia local que era conocida a nivel nacional por sus retiros “Into the Deep” y que tenía un don único para enseñar a personas de todas las edades sobre El increíble plan de Dios para la vida, a menudo en un entorno al aire libre. Ella literalmente salió al desierto para enderezar la carretera que nos conectaría con el amor de nuestro Creador.

Pienso también en Charlie Dahl, un alma amable que recientemente también regresó a casa con Dios. Un laico de increíble compasión, caridad y alegría, amaba a esta Iglesia local y a sus sacerdotes, religiosos y obispos, y nunca perdió la oportunidad de testificarme sobre la importancia de abrir nuestros corazones y hogares a los necesitados.

Si bien tradicionalmente pensamos en Juan el Bautista como la voz en el desierto, esa voz está siendo amplificada para mí este año por los padres O’Gara y Huard, y por Jen y Charlie. Que el Señor a quien sirvieron tan generosamente los bendiga a ellos y a nosotros en este Adviento.

All three of those churches remind me that we must be Christcentered, faithful, creative, serviceoriented and community-building people to fulfill our mission.

They serve as wonderful refreshers of what we learned at the listening sessions that led up to our Archdiocesan Synod.

LOCAL

March 9, 2017

‘Angel’ among us

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LOCAL

SLICEof LIFE

DECEMBER 7, 2023

St. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Avis Allmaras, center, talks with Rose Carter, left, and Irene Eiden at Peace House in south Minneapolis Feb. 27. Sister Avis goes to the center weekly and visits frequent guests like Carter. Eiden, of St. William in Fridley, is a lay consociate of the Carondelet Sisters. Peace House is a day shelter for the poor and homeless.

“It’s a real privilege to know these people and hear their stories,” Sister Avis said. “I could not survive on the streets like they do. There are so many gifted people here.” Said Carter of Sister Avis: “She’s an angel. She hides her wings under that sweatshirt. She truly is an angel.”

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

It’s a wrap

Celebrating sisters National Catholic Sisters Week is March 8-14. An official component of Women’s History Month and headquartered at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, the week celebrates women religious and their contributions to the Church and society. View local events, including two art exhibitions, at www.nationalcatholicsistersweek.org.

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DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

From left, Betty Gjengdahl, Kathy McClellan and Mary Marquard wrap Christmas presents Dec. 4 for priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis during an annual service event of a group called Mothers of Priests. The three women, all mothers of priests serving in the archdiocese, were part of a group of 17 that wrapped between 600 and 700 presents coming from Archbishop Bernard Hebda. He visited the women, who wrapped the gifts at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul, and said jokingly to them: “This is like Santa’s workshop.”

The group was formed more than 15 years ago and meets regularly to carry out its four pillars of prayer, catechesis, service and community. “I’m really excited about today” said Chany Floeder, president of the group, about the wrapping event. “It’s a nice time to see a lot of the ladies and help out a little bit — help out the archbishop because he’s been such a good leader and so nice to our sons.”

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DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Commission goal: Parents as passionate disciples of Christ

By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit During a Nov. 29 meeting at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said trust in the Holy Spirit’s help will aid members of the new Blue Ribbon Commission on Parents as Primary Educators.

The commission — which currently consists of 21 members, including clergy, religious, educators, parents and grandparents — will develop recommendations to help form and inspire parents as the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith, as part of the Archdiocesan Synod implementation’s third year.

Taking the form of a committee, with plans to develop subcommittees, the commission will present recommendations for Archbishop Hebda to consider. The archdiocesan Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) and Office of Synod Evangelization will be resources for the committee and subcommittees.

The commission will meet once a month through May 2024, when it expects to present its recommendations to the archbishop. The archdiocese could then help provide the recommended resources to parents.

“I’m really grateful to all of you for your willingness to roll up your sleeves and to help us make a concrete contribution to the life of this local Church, most especially, and how we might better assist parents in their responsibility for handing on the Catholic faith to their children,” the archbishop said at the group’s inaugural meeting. He went on to say, “I’m overwhelmed by how many of the people that we invited to participate said yes. It, for me, was a great confirmation that this is an area where the Holy Spirit is moving our local Church.”

Year three (July 2025-June 2026) of implementing the Archdiocesan Synod will encourage parent faith formation, as outlined in Archbishop Hebda’s pastoral letter released in November 2022, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent

JOE RUFF | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks Nov. 29 at the inaugural meeting of a commission studying ways to help parents pass on the faith to their children. Looking on are Alison Dahlman of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education and Sister Maria Ivana Begovic, a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee, and principal of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater. from the Upper Room.” Year one of the implementation (July 2023-June 2024) has focused on small group formation at parishes. Year two (July 2024-June 2025) will focus on the Mass.

Year three adopts Proposition 28 of the Synod: “Form and inspire parents to understand and fulfill their responsibility as the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith.”

Archbishop Hebda’s pastoral letter indicated some of the goals of the Archdiocesan Synod implementation’s third year, including equipping parents with resources to help them teach the faith in the home and to encourage and help parents find ways to involve their children in sharing the faith.

Jason Slattery, director of Catholic education and superintendent of Catholic schools for OMCE, said he anticipates the commission “will want to get right down to business.”

“These are people who take seriously the saving message of the Gospel, which produces a real sense of urgency and care for souls,” Slattery said via an email. “Commission members bring rich lived experience and formation in the challenges facing parents. They will likely

want to step back and look broadly at the opportunities and resources that might inform their recommendations.”

Alison Dahlman — associate director of educational quality and excellence for OMCE and an OMCE liaison for the commission — said the commission is “a group of people who really want to think creatively about: How can we meet parents in all of the different places that parents are?”

Dahlman said the commission is comprised of “people who want to serve the local Church and the archbishop, and have a great love for Christ and for this archdiocese. Secondly, you have people who have been involved, in a variety of ways, with children and their families.”

In addition to members’ expertise, there is a wide age range, Dahlman said, which is “also really important because it spans the total life of a parent and what it means to be a parent.”

In her introduction at the commission’s inaugural meeting, Commission Chair Katie Danielson said she “was so honored to be invited to join this commission” and that she has “lots of thoughts,” as a parent and a former educator.

Danielson said she and her husband, Mike, have seven children. She most recently served as principal of Ave Maria Academy in Maple Grove.

“Catholic education has always been a huge part of my passion,” Danielson said. “I think God just planted in my heart that I’m really passionate about educating people in the faith, especially young people. And then God happened to give me seven of my own to do that as well as I can.”

In addition to the archbishop’s remarks, commission member introductions and fellowship, the Nov. 29 meeting encouraged commission members to consider “the challenges that parents face in today’s world to help form their children” for discussion at the next meeting, Dahlman said.

Archbishop Hebda said a primary aim of the local Church is to assist parents in passing on the faith so that younger generations come to know Christ.

“We want to make sure that our archdiocese, our parishes and our schools are all aligned in helping parents to carry on this important responsibility,” the archbishop said.

Speaking from his perspective as director of Catholic education in the archdiocese, Slattery said: “We know from experience that Catholic parents want to help their children grow and mature into people that God created them to be. We also know that the spirit of the world — in all of its forms — is a huge distraction from the ways that God is inviting us to cooperate with his grace in our lives. Our education and formation ministries exist to assist and support parents in this incredible responsibility.”

Dahlman echoed this sentiment, with a personal hope of hers that through the Archdiocesan Synod implementation process, “parents come to experience the person of Jesus Christ in a meaningful and intimate way and invite their children to do the exact same.”

“I would hope that people are inspired to become a disciple of Jesus and to bring others with them,” she said.

Listening, learning drive feasibility study for archdiocesan capital campaign

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Over the last several years, one of the largest efforts in the history of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been underway to listen and give voice to the faithful, said Jean Houghton, director of the Office of Mission Advancement.

In one lane of the two-lane effort, the Archdiocesan Synod has created a space for Church leaders to connect with parishioners about the pastoral needs of the local Church, helping inform a vision for the future. In the other lane, Houghton said, her office began an effort this fall to ensure the Church has the financial resources to grow into that vision.

It has been nearly 20 years since the archdiocese held a major fundraising campaign, but that could change, Houghton said. Her office is studying the feasibility of a $325 million capital campaign to support the archdiocese’s 185 parishes, Catholic education, efforts to bolster multicultural ministries, care for priests, seminarians and to help preserve the landmarks Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

The Synod — which included preparatory prayer and listening sessions held across the archdiocese, the Synod Assembly in June 2022 and Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s post-synodal letter released in November 2022, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent from the Upper Room” — was a major influence in deciding a campaign feasibility study was needed, Houghton said.

“Performing a feasibility study does not guarantee a larger scale campaign will begin,” said Houghton, a former president of St. Paul-based Aim JEAN HOUGHTON Higher Foundation, which grants need-based scholarships to families with students in Catholic elementary schools. “In fact, we have seen feasibility studies both in this archdiocese and across the country where the conclusion was, ‘Not yet, you need to work on these several things.’ So, it’s an opportunity for us to have a conversation with a bird’s-eye view. What could this look like? What should it look like?”

After assembling a selection committee of laity, clergy and internal leadership, a Chicago-based

consulting and campaign firm for nonprofits, CCS Fundraising, was chosen to conduct the study. The firm’s familiarity with the archdiocese, combined with its extensive experience and success across the country, was a determining factor in its being selected, Houghton said. She also relied on insight from the archdiocese’s Roadmap for Catholic Education, and from dioceses across the country that have held recent capital campaigns, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

In an August letter to priests, Archbishop Hebda said if a campaign is conducted, he hopes it “will significantly reduce the financial challenges that are faced by you in your parishes and ministries, while still providing a significant amount of funding for Archdiocesan needs.”

With that in mind, the feasibility study is gauging stakeholders on an archdiocesan-wide campaign that would have 60% of what is raised go directly to parishes. Archdiocesan ministries and initiatives would also receive funding.

“It’s clear the priorities of the Synod need a certain PLEASE TURN TO CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ON PAGE 7

LOCAL

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Family, priests, parishioners: Father Huard spent himself for Christ

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Sharing memories with the congregation moments before his late uncle’s funeral Mass began, Jacob Spehar said Father Jeffrey Huard’s death seemed to come early at age 68, but “I also know he left nothing behind.”

“What an incredible gift he was to me and to our family,” said Spehar, a member of St. Bridget of Sweden in Lindstrom. “There were the times we would eat an entire bag of pistachios together, or watch the movie ‘Top Gun,’” and find that neither of them had drawn breath during a fight scene, Spehar said.

“He was a gift also in the big moments: weddings, baptisms and funerals. He was such a rock in those moments,” giving his all to those around him, Spehar said.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at the Nov. 25 Mass at St. John Neumann in Eagan, and concelebrants included Bishops Andrew Cozzens of Crookston and Donald DeGrood of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as Bishop Emeritus John LeVoir of New Ulm. Concelebrants also included priests from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and elsewhere.

Family and friends were in the congregation, as were religious sisters and others in consecrated life, and faculty and seminarians from The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, where Father Huard was a spiritual director when he died Nov. 17.

Father Huard was born in Duluth, attended The St. Paul Seminary and

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

In this 2015 file photo, Father Jeffrey Huard, director of spiritual formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, celebrates Mass April 14 with a chalice from St. Timothy in Maple Lake used to pray for vocations. was ordained a priest of the archdiocese in 1994. Before entering the seminary, he spent several years in London expanding international Christian outreach programs. He reached many people as a disciple of Christ, a priest, a spiritual director, a family member and a community builder, those who knew him said.

Archbishop Hebda noted Father Huard’s travels. “Yet God sent him to our Church, here,” the archbishop said with gratitude. Today, “we remember the life of a really fine priest.”

Father Huard was parochial vicar of All Saints in Lakeville from 1994 to

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1997; chaplain of the Community of Christ the Redeemer in West St. Paul for years; director of campus ministry at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul from 1999 to 2007 and pastor of St. Mark in St. Paul from 2007 to 2009.

He was a founding member, and for about a decade was the moderator, of the Companions of Christ priestly fraternity association.

Director of spiritual formation at The St. Paul Seminary from 2009 to 2021, Father Huard continued to serve seminarians in regular spiritual direction until his death. Father Joseph Taphorn, rector of the seminary, said before the funeral that Father Huard did a great deal for the seminary and surrounding community. “He served as a spiritual father for hundreds of seminarians and priests and was a faithful shepherd to many souls throughout his ministry,” Father Taphorn said.

Ed Gross, senior coordinator of Community of Christ the Redeemer and a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul

in St. Paul, said Father Huard was chaplain for 27 years for the Catholic lay association and left that role only last year. “He was our chaplain and our friend,” Gross said. “The pull to community was very strong in Father Huard. He never lost connection with the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and of brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Companions of Christ developed out of the Christ the Redeemer community in 1992. Father Peter Williams, pastor of St. Ambrose in Woodbury and the current moderator, said Father Huard was a pillar of the association. “He gave his heart (and) soul to Christ,” said Father Williams, adding that as moderator he was blessed to preach at the Nov. 24 visitation and vespers for Father Huard.

Lisa Reichelt, sister to Father Huard’s brother-in-law Mike Rockwood, said after the funeral that she had known Father Huard since he was 17. They shared their faith journey at times in their late teens and early 20s, and she was a member of All Saints when Father Huard was parochial vicar there. “It was a joy for me to have a familiar face” and see him in action as a priest, said Reichelt, who now lives in the Duluth diocese and attends Sacred Heart in Hackensack. “He exuded joy and always had a heart for God.” LeAnn Steffl, a longtime member of All Saints, said she remembers Father Huard well, particularly his homilies, which were “endearing and honest and with a hint of humor.” Father Huard often reflected on family and faith, which helped her as a mother of two young girls at the time, and he “let us into the Huard family,” said Steffl, finance department assistant at the parish. “He told us about his siblings and his nieces and nephews.

You could see ... that he was so proud of his family.”

In his travels from London, Father PLEASE TURN TO FATHER JEFFREY HUARD ON PAGE 19

Llama, alpaca and more will be at CC’s Giving Tree

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Catholic Charities Twin Cities’ 31st annual Giving Tree in Macy’s Court at Mall of America in Bloomington will have a special addition this year: therapy animals people can meet as they learn about the social services agency’s work and shop for someone in need this Christmas.

Dogs, cats — even a llama and an alpaca — will be on site at various times Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, said Mike RiosKeating, director of culture and belonging at the nonprofit. The specially trained animals can visit schools, hospitals, trauma centers, nursing homes, homeless shelters and other places where people are cared for, he said.

At Catholic Charities, the animals can help calm clients who might be agitated as they deal with personal crises such as losing a home, living with housing instability or experiencing homelessness, he said. That kind of assistance is part of trauma-informed care, which takes into account the fact that poverty and other struggles can be traumatic.

Based on that understanding, behavior once thought of as merely disruptive might better be understood as someone

communicating distress, Rios-Keating said. The response, then, becomes more gentle, empathetic and helpful, he said.

Dan Smieja, a member of St. Peter in Mendota, said he will be on site from 10 to 11 a.m. Dec. 17 with his therapy basset hound, Barney. “He has a personality to beat the band,” Smieja said. “He really disarms people, lowers blood pressure.

He’s so good at letting people know they are loved.”

People are encouraged to visit Giving Tree, pick up an ornament and shop for needed items. They can stop for a moment and assemble “sock and rolls” of cold weather care items including lip balm, facial tissues, handwarmers and lotion for Catholic Charities’ residents and shelter guests. “Notes for Neighbors” colored by participants also will be given to those in need.

Parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have started their own Giving Tree or Angel Tree events and deliver the collected items to the Catholic Charities Distribution Center at 341 Chester St. in St. Paul. People can set up their own satellite Giving Tree in businesses, places of worship, homes and schools and drop off items at the distribution center. More information is available at cctwincities.org/givingtree.

LOCAL

DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

Many Ecuadorian immigrants are placing their hope in Minnesota

By Tim Montgomery For The Catholic Spirit Ecuadorian immigrants are coming to the United States in record numbers, according to recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Many are finding their way to Minnesota as they seek shelter from increasing violence in their homeland and a government that seemingly has little power to stop it.

Some are arriving directly from Texas border crossings via that state’s chartered bus program.

Others have taken advantage of a reticketing program that helps asylum-seekers in a secondary migration via air travel from New York City, where tremendous strains have been placed on emergency shelters and services.

As one of several states with measurable numbers of people of Ecuadorian ancestry, Minnesota has been the recipient of Ecuadorian immigrants seeking to connect with relatives, said Father Fernando Ortega, who ministers to a large Ecuadorian congregation at Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Northeast Minneapolis.

Estela Villagrán Manancero, director of the Office of Latino Ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, estimates that the Latino community in Minnesota numbers close to 350,000, with about 5 percent originally from Ecuador. U.S. Census demographics data support this estimate.

That number is growing as buses arrive weekly with three to five families of Ecuadorian asylum-seekers, mostly from Texas, Villagrán Manancero said.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius has the largest Ecuadorian congregation in the archdiocese, Father Ortega said.

The journey to seek economic freedom is an ongoing story for many impoverished Latin American families who come to the U.S. But Ecuadorians have journeyed to the U.S.-Mexico border in record numbers recently for another reason — to escape increasing violence.

Sometimes called a “cocaine superhighway,” Ecuador is the pathway to ports that ship the drug from Colombia and Peru to world markets. The international cartels that operate the drug trade forcibly recruit gangs of “foot soldiers” to facilitate and protect their market pathways by violent means with an arsenal of weapons that rivals that of the Ecuadorian army. Ecuador has become valuable ground to control for large international drug cartels, and the local gangs they employ fight for that control at the expense of innocent people.

Osman (who asked that his real name not be used) was waiting outside for several hours in below-freezing

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 level of investment to be fully realized and bear fruit,” Houghton said. “Those priorities are forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, and forming youth and young adults for a Church that is always young.

“For example, one of the things we know is we want to encourage more youth to participate in the Church and be exposed to faith, truth and beauty,” she said. “We need resources to do that. How do we create that message?

How do we create activities, events and support networks for those who may be experiencing a longing they didn’t know they have?”

People in Catholic ministries, clergy, religious and laity in parishes and schools are being interviewed as part of the study, either in person or via Zoom. A confidential electronic survey is also being issued to over 60,000 people, Houghton said. Findings of the study are expected sometime in the

Two Ecuadorians are greeted at Incarnation in south Minneapolis as they wait for the parish’s Cosecha del Corazón (Harvest from the Heart) food center to open Dec. 3.

TIM MONTGOMERY FOR THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

temperatures Dec. 3 to get food from Cosecha del Corazón (Harvest from the Heart) at Incarnation in south Minneapolis. The line began forming at 7 a.m., three hours before the doors to the food shelf opened.

Many waiting in line, including Osman, were from Ecuador. Osman said he came to Minnesota five months ago with his wife and daughter from Tulcan, on the Colombian border. They took buses through Colombia, walked through roadless jungles and forded rivers of the Darien Gap in Panama, then took another series of buses through Central America and Mexico to the United States. Osman said his journey took a month and cost him $5,000. His story is shared by many recent arrivals from Ecuador fleeing the escalating violence.

“It’s a bad atmosphere with too much violence,” confirmed another Ecuadorian at Cosecha del Corazón, who also asked that his name not be used.

He came to Minnesota from Ambato, a city along Ecuador’s “cocaine superhighway” to the major port city of Guayaquil. For this migrant and many others, there’s a high risk of violent assault and robbery just walking on the streets or riding a bus in their homeland.

Trying to survive on low wages amid rising inflation,

first quarter of 2024.

A capital campaign has importance even beyond fundraising. “It’s raising community, it’s raising volunteers, it’s raising awareness, and it’s helping ensure a vibrant future of the Church,” Houghton said.

Houghton joined the archdiocese in September 2022. Part of listening and learning in her first year on the job has been understanding the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, its ministries and needs, she said. Another has been learning from external constituents and supporters, such as the Catholic Community Foundation, Twin Citiesbased GHR Foundation, Catholic Charities, Net Ministries and more.

Looking at ways to coordinate efforts to bring Christ’s teaching and love into people’s lives while finding the resources to keep ministries active is one effort that will remain no matter what a feasibility study might conclude, Houghton said.

“How can we hold hands and tell a larger-scale story?” Houghton said.

“One body, one Church, one message.

That’s my hope.”

Ecuadorians in certain areas of the country are victim to ‘“vacunas,” large payoffs for protection imposed on businesses and households by gangs working for the drug cartels, explained a missionary worker currently in Ecuador who asked that her name be withheld for her safety.

“A friend who owned a used car lot was charged $10,000 as an opening fee,” the missionary worker said in an email. “Some businesses receive threats from multiple bands requiring the vacuna to stay open. Many small businesses have folded because they can’t afford the payments. The effects on the economy are significant. The level of fear is on the rise, as well as hopelessness for any possibility of a stable job for oneself or one’s children in the future.”

Many Ecuadorians are placing their hopes in the promise of America.

“They are good people, their values are admirable, and the faith they have is amazing,” said Vividiane Dominguez, a ministry volunteer at Assumption in Richfield, which has a large congregation of immigrants from Latin America. “Hope for a better future, and trust in God is what makes them persevere and keep seeking a better opportunity in this country.”

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8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Twin Cities Catholic Chorale marks 50 years of choral Masses at St. Agnes

By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit

C

lassical music enthusiasts venture to concert halls to hear choral Masses by renowned composers such as Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. For 50 years, the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale has sung those same acclaimed choral Masses as an integral part of the sacred liturgy at St. Agnes in St. Paul.

Comprised of roughly 60 volunteer singers, four vocal soloists, an organist and a professional orchestra, the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale sings the Ordinary of the Mass — the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei — at the 10:30 a.m.

St. Agnes Latin Mass from October to June, except for Advent and Lent.

“These Masses were composed for the liturgy, and they are best experienced as a prayer in a church,” said Father Mark Moriarty, 50, who has served as pastor at St. Agnes since 2012. “Beautiful art is never meant to be kept on the shelf collecting dust.”

Founded in 1956 by Msgr. Richard Schuler as a parish choir at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, the chorale moved to St. Agnes in 1974 after Msgr. Schuler was named pastor there.

“It was a choir of the St. Agnes parish until it was incorporated as its own 501(c)(3) organization about 20 years ago, doing its own fundraising for the music director, soloists and professional musicians,” Father Moriarty said.

“The relationship between the chorale and St. Agnes is close and amicable, as they have the same purpose of giving glory to God through sacred music,” he said.

According to Father Moriarty, St. Agnes, which also has a Chamber Choir, Schola Cantorum and Parish Choir, is the only parish in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis that has had a sung Latin Mass every Sunday since its inception.

“Our parish has, in its over 130-year existence, always emphasized beautiful liturgy and faithfulness to the teachings of Christ and his Church,” Father Moriarty said.

Virginia Schubert, 88, of Woodbury, a professor emerita of Macalester College in St. Paul, has been a soprano in the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale since its inception.

“I am very inspired to worship at the Mass as a member of the chorale; we

PHOTOS COURTESY NEAL ABBOTT, ST. AGNES

Charles Dobihal of St. Agnes (red shirt and bow tie) sings with the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale at the opening Mass of its 50th season Oct. 8 at St. Agnes in St. Paul. hear from members of the congregation that they are inspired to prayer by the liturgy at St. Agnes,” said Schubert, who is also the author of “To Sing with the Angels: A History of the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale.”

“Sacred music is an integral part of the liturgy — the music for the liturgy must be sacred, and it must be art,” she said.

Marc Jaros, 53, is music director of the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale.

A professor and chair of the music department at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Jaros sang the original Gregorian chant as a student at St. John’s University in Collegeville and “fell in love with it — that was my window into truly sacred music,” he said.

Jaros went on to earn his master’s degree in musicology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctoral degree in music education at the University of Minnesota. He took the helm of the chorale in 2018, preceded

by Robert Peterson, who succeeded Msgr. Schuler as music director in 2006.

“The Twin Cities Catholic Chorale is dedicated to performing the great Masses as they were originally intended; I liken it to Civil War reenactment groups — we’re a reenactment group of these great Masses of the European tradition,” Jaros said.

Jaros said the chorale, with singers

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ranging in age from their 20s to 80s, is a partnership between amateur singers and professional orchestra and soloists that’s been working well for 50 years.

“St. Agnes is a regular parish for some chorale members, but they also come from parishes throughout the Twin Cities,” Jaros said. “We’ve been gaining newer and younger members which is exciting, and we’re always looking for singers that have the ability to read and sing the music.”

“Our soloists are some of the top singers in the Twin Cities — some involved in opera, some as professionals with other choruses — and we have Dr. Mary LeVoir, one of the most gifted organists I’ve ever heard,” Jaros said.

Jaros went on to say that LeVoir and her husband, Paul LeVoir — a chorale member who also directs the Schola Cantorum that chants the Mass Propers at the choral Masses — “have been integral to the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale since almost its beginning, and they are invaluable to me.”

Mark Pilon, 71, a parishioner of St. Agnes for 38 years and former Twin Cities Catholic Chorale member, is the current president of the chorale board of directors.

“I serve in this role as I think the chorale is a tremendous gift, and I wanted to do my part to help ensure it continues to offer that gift to

Chorale music director Marc Jaros conducts the choir at the opening Mass.

CATHOLIC CHORALE The Twin Cities Catholic Chorale will perform Mozart’s Coronation Mass at St. Agnes’ Christmas Midnight Mass. Prelude music, including carols sung in English, Latin and German, begins at 11:15 p.m. on Dec. 24; Mass begins at midnight. St. Agnes is located at 535 Thomas Ave. in St. Paul. For more information on the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale, visit catholicchorale.org. generations to come,” Pilon said.

“We don’t want the chorale to be a hidden gem, but a revealed one,” he said. “I think there’s an impression among many Catholics that this sort of music in the liturgy went out with Vatican II, when it in fact was the council that opened up the liturgy to an expanded employment of instruments ‘suitable for sacred use.’”

Pilon said Msgr. Schuler’s vision “was not something stuck in the past, but a recognition of the council fathers to preserve and foster ‘with very great care’ the ‘treasure of sacred music.’”

“Sacred music, like the faith itself, is not a passing fashion, but is as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago; it retains its ability to help us lift up (our) eyes to the hills, from whence comes (our) help,’” Pilon said.

DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

NATION+WORLD Pope urges world leaders to end divisions to fight climate change

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service The future of humanity depends on what people choose now, Pope Francis said in his message to global leaders at the World Climate Action Summit of the U.N. Climate Change Conference.

“Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death?” he asked in his message. “To all of you I make this heartfelt appeal: Let us choose life! Let us choose the future!”

“The purpose of power is to serve. It is useless to cling to an authority that will one day be remembered for its inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so. History will be grateful to you,” the pope wrote.

Excerpts from Pope Francis’ full written message were read by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, Dec. 2 during the high-level segment with heads of state and government at the climate conference, COP28, being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 30-Dec. 12.

Pope Francis was to have been the first pope to attend the U.N. climate conference Dec. 1-3, but canceled his trip Nov. 28 after coming down with a serious bronchial infection.

The Vatican published the pope’s full speech Dec. 2, although Cardinal Parolin read only excerpts at the summit to respect the three-minute limit on national statements. The text was submitted in full to the conference.

“Sadly, I am unable to be present with you, as I had greatly desired,” the pope’s text said.

The destruction of the environment is “a sin” that not only “greatly endangers all human beings, especially the most vulnerable,” he wrote, but it also “threatens to unleash a conflict between generations.”

“The drive to produce and possess has become an obsession, resulting in an inordinate greed that has made the environment the object of unbridled exploitation,” the pope wrote. People must recognize their limits, with humility and courage, and seek authentic fulfillment.

“What stands in the way of this? The divisions that presently exist among us,” he wrote.

The world “should not be un-connected by those who govern it, with international negotiations that ‘cannot make significant progress due to positions taken by countries which place their national interests above the global common good,’” he wrote, quoting from his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, On

Care for Our Common Home.”

The poor and high birth rates are not to blame for today’s climate crisis, he wrote. “Almost half of our world that is more needy is responsible for scarcely 10% of toxic emissions, while the gap between the opulent few and the masses of the poor has never been so abysmal. The poor are the real victims of what is happening.” As for population growth, births are a resource, he wrote, “whereas certain ideological and utilitarian models now being imposed with a velvet glove on families and peoples constitute real forms of colonization.”

“The development of many countries, already burdened by grave economic debt, should not be penalized,” it said. “It would only be fair to find suitable means of remitting the financial debts that burden different peoples, not least in light of the ecological debt that they are owed” by the few nations responsible for the bulk of emissions.

“We have a grave responsibility,” he wrote, which is to ensure the Earth, the poor and the young not be denied a future. The solution requires coming together as brothers and sisters living in a common home, rebuilding trust and pursuing multilateralism, he added.

HEADLINES u Fighting in the Holy Land, bombing in the

Philippines prompt papal prayers. The end of the temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas “means death, destruction, misery,” Pope Francis said. After reciting the Angelus prayer Dec. 3 from his Vatican residence, Pope Francis had an aide read his remarks expressing sadness over the resumption of fighting in the Holy Land Dec. 1 after a weeklong truce. “Many hostages have been freed, but many are still in Gaza” in the hands of Hamas, the pope’s text said. “Let’s think about them, their families who had seen a light, a hope to embrace their loved ones again.” Israel and Hamas had agreed on the temporary cease-fire to allow Hamas to release hostages captured in Israel Oct. 7 in exchange for the release of Palestinians jailed in Israel. The agreement also allowed aid agencies to deliver needed food, water, medicine and fuel to Gaza. Pope Francis also used his midday Angelus remarks to pray for the victims of a bombing at a Catholic Mass held earlier Dec. 3 in a gym at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines. Five people died and 50 were injured.

u Vatican publishes the schedule of papal

Christmas liturgies. The Vatican announced Pope Francis’ Christmas liturgy schedule Nov. 28. On Dec. 24 at 7:30 p.m., the pope

will celebrate the Mass of the Nativity of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica. While the Mass is commonly referred to as “midnight Mass,” the Vatican celebration has been earlier for more than a decade. On Dec. 25 at noon, Pope Francis gives his message and blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. On Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope presides over evening prayer and the chanting of the “Te Deum” in thanksgiving to God for the year that is ending. On Jan. 1 at 10 a.m. in the basilica, the pope celebrates Mass for the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and World Peace Day. On Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis celebrates Mass for the feast of the Epiphany. On Jan. 7 at 9:30 a.m. in the Sistine Chapel, the pope presides over a Mass for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and baptizes several infants. u Ave Maria University offers free Catholic

online courses highlighting the true, good and beautiful. Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida, has begun offering “The Pursuit of Wisdom,” a series of free online courses presented by university faculty that provides practical wisdom and insights on interesting topics and themes to help Catholics contemplate the true, good and beautiful. The series of seven video courses thus far, which

can also be accessed at thepursuitofwisdom. org and via apps, covers a variety of subjects, including artificial intelligence and computer science; motherhood and relationship; stewardship and environment; scholars and saints; and the foundations of America. u Indiana bishop asks a Catholic women’s

college to correct its transgender admissions policy. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort WayneSouth Bend urged the board of trustees of St. Mary’s College in a statement Nov. 17 to correct a new admissions policy that “departs from fundamental Catholic teaching on the nature of woman.” St. Mary’s College, a Catholic women’s college that operates in the diocese headed by Bishop Rhoades, has stirred debate with a revised admissions policy approved by the school’s board of trustees in June. The new policy reads, “Saint Mary’s considers admission for undergraduate applicants whose sex is female or who consistently live and identify as women.” Katie Conboy, the college’s president, said in an email to students and staff Nov. 21 that while details would continue to be developed, applicants who identify as transgender would be considered for admission in 2024. “We are by no means the first Catholic women’s college to adopt a policy with this scope,” she said. In a detailed statement released Nov. 27, Bishop Rhoades lamented the college’s decision. “The desire of Saint Mary’s College to show hospitality to people who identify as transgender is not the problem. The problem is a Catholic woman’s college embracing a definition of woman that is not Catholic.”

u Bishop Barron criticizes synod report’s

suggestion that scientific advances could shift Church morality teaching. Bishop Robert Barron said he is in “frank disagreement” with a section of a report from the synod on synodality indicating that scientific advances could prompt “rethinking” the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. In an essay titled “My Experience of the Synod” published Nov. 21 on the website of Word on Fire, a media apostolate Bishop Barron founded and leads, he wrote, “The suggestion is made that advances in our scientific understanding will require a rethinking of our sexual teaching, whose categories are, apparently, inadequate

to describe the complexities of human sexuality.” His remarks respond to a point in the synthesis report from the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops’ first meeting, held Oct. 4-29 at the Vatican, that states, “Sometimes the anthropological categories we have developed are not able to grasp the complexity of the elements emerging from experience or knowledge in the sciences and require greater precision and further study.” A synod delegate, the bishop of Winona-Rochester said the suggestion is an affront to the “richly articulate tradition of moral reflection in Catholicism,” including St. John Paul II’s theology of the body. Bishop Barron outlined other areas of the synod that concerned him and his positive takeaways. He asked for prayers ahead of the synod’s second and final meeting next October. u Pope sees the threat of the Church in

Germany moving away from Rome. Pope Francis expressed his concern about concrete initiatives individual dioceses and the Catholic Church in Germany as a whole are taking, including the establishment of a synodal council, which, he said, threaten to steer it away from the universal Church. “Instead of looking for ‘salvation’ in always-new committees and always discussing the same issues with a certain self-referentiality,” Catholics need to turn to prayer, penance and adoration as well as reach out to the marginalized and abandoned, the pope wrote in a recent letter. “I am convinced (it is) there the Lord will show us the way,” he wrote in the letter dated Nov. 10. Typewritten in German and signed by the pope, it was published in full by the German newspaper Die Welt Nov. 21.

The letter was a response to four German laywomen who had written the pope Nov. 6 expressing their “doubts and fears” about the outcomes of the synodal path in Germany, which began in December 2019 and concluded in March 2023. “I, too, share this concern about the numerous concrete steps that are now being taken by large parts of this local Church that threaten to move further and further away from the common path of the universal Church,” he wrote.

— CNS and OSV News

10 • DECEMBER 7, 2023

Illuminating the Catholic exp

By Mark Johnson fo

S

piritual reading is an integral part of the fully formed Catechism of the Catholic Church, commentaries on what about great works of fiction? Might novels have The Catholic Spirit asked six members of the Archd retired professor, a permanent deacon, a Catholic school he priest — to choose a novel that uniquely sheds light on the briefly explain that choice. Each of these women and men h available through online booksellers and most of them can

Dominican Sister Amelia Hueller: “In This House of Brede”

Mary Reichardt: “Brideshead Revisited”

by Rumer Godden

by Evelyn Waugh

“I

n This House of Brede” merges important themes from two Catholic writers: Gerard Manley Hopkins’ account of graced human divinization (“Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his”) and Flannery O’Connor’s depiction of human depravity (“Often the nature of grace can be made plain only by describing its absence”). Godden’s genius lies in her ability to integrate the truth of these two realities throughout the transformation of her indomitable yet fearful protagonist, Ms. Philippa Talbot.

Philippa’s seemingly sudden entrance into Brede Abbey as a nun was, in her words, an “unforgivably slow” work of grace. As we enter into this experience with her, we witness not merely the unfolding of one woman’s particular vocation t,o the cloister, but the unfolding of every person’s daily vocation to holiness.

With Philippa, we see that we, too “have a long way to go.” We, too, are at once a believe,r, yet anxious; devoted to Christ, yet focused on self; ready to give all, yet stingy in the particulars. It is naive to dismiss such paradoxes as hypocrisy. Rather, these dichotomies point to the sometimes tortuous playing out of grace and freedom within each human soul.

Both Godden (who converted to Catholicism) and Philippa (who finds her Divine Spouse by facing her fears with him) are inspired by the example of Brede’s wise Mother Prioress, Dame Catherine. Confronted by her human limitations and the formidable demands of grace, Dame Catherine prays to God, “I can’t. So You must.” Throughout her novel, Godden invites us into this same prayer and toward the One who heals our depravity through the sudden yet slow work of grace.

Sister Amelia, a Dominican Sister of the Congregation of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee, serves at Providence Academy in Plymouth.

Sister Amelia said she owes her love of literature to her mother and father, who convinced their children that summer vacation was fun because it afforded extra time for reading. Their bookshelves were always full, and the friends and ideas found in those pages were often occasions of grace throughout her childhood. Her love for reading continued into her young adult years, even prompting her eventual entrance into the Catholic Church at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, and it remains an important part of her life today as a religious sister and educator.

“B

rideshead Revisited” illuminates the depth and drama of the Catholic experience in that it is messy, circuitous and, finally, mysterious. Set during World War II, the novel explores the reminiscences of Lt. Charles Ryder as he recalls his coming of age as an Oxford student and his compelling but confusing involvement with the Catholic Marchmain family.

Raised a lonely child with no religion, Charles’ search for fulfillment in intimate relationships with Sebastian, and later Julia Marchmain, fails. Self-described hedonists like their father, the wayward Lord Marchmain, the siblings strive in differing ways to free themselves from their mother’s stifling piety. But their Arcadian idyll proves transitory. Eventually, God’s inexorable “twitch upon the thread” intervenes.

The perpetual outsider, Charles, meanwhile, is completely adrift as his loves collapse one by one.

Dimly at first but with steadily growing awareness, he perceives the supernatural drama at play. In a pivotal moment at the height of his resistance, an image comes to his mind of a trapper warm and sheltered in his winter cabin unaware of the avalanche giving way above him. As his reminiscences cease and we abruptly reenter the stark, desecrated world at war, we find that Charles himself has been led to that greater Love.

What can we make of our past? Can we discern in its twists and turns a single thread, a coherent story? How is it possible that God is capable of using all things — all things — to draw us to him? I recommend “Brideshead Revisited” because it beautifully evokes what we typically cannot see in our lives, the supreme mystery of God’s power and love at work in the world through the profane as well as the sacred.

Reichardt taught literature and Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul for over three decades. She has published 14 books, including “Exploring Catholic Literature,” “Catholic Women Writers,” “Between Human and Divine: The Catholic Vision in Contemporary Literature,” and the two-volume “Encyclopedia of Catholic Literature.”

Todd Flanders: “The Power and the Glory”

by Graham Greene

T

he best novels inform — and challenge — understandings of sin and grace and the complexity of character and motive. They do so in diverse historical and cultural contexts, illustrating the commonality of the human condition even through such differences.

To me, “The Power and the Glory” has been especially significant. Greene’s title is of course from the liturgical ending of the Our Father, accrediting all power and glory to God. Yet in the novel, set in communist-revolutionary 1930s Mexico, God and his Church have been banned.

There is nothing glorious nor powerful about this setting or, it must be said, about any character in the story. What Greene seeks to do, and achieves with pathos and darkly comic brilliance, is show that the Church’s mission can advance even amid inglorious conditions and apparent impotence.

An unnamed cleric, a “whiskey priest,” finds himself the last sacramental minister alive in his region. Accustomed to being feted by parishioners in a Catholic culture, this priest has lived a life of honor, pleasure and comfort, content and complacent while the inhumane and antiCatholic storm gathered. Now stripped of all, he is a poor and wretched outlaw on the run. Tempted to resign himself to the apparent futility of his vocation, the mark of his priesthood yet gnaws at him.

It’s a horrible world in which he struggles, one of political oppression, atheism, lawlessness, apostasy, venality, carnality and fear. Greene presents, in extreme form, a microcosm of a perennial Catholic situation in aggressively secularist times. When Christ returns, will he find faith on earth? The novel forcefully poses the question.

Its answer is ambiguous but admits of a living hope. The question is always how will we, as unworthy and deeply flawed members of the body of Christ, respond to our own callings amid temptations from other, less glorious powers?

Flanders is headmaster of Providence Academy in Plymouth, and an instructor in The St. Paul Seminary Catechetical Institute in St. Paul. He says, “My love of literature was planted by parents and three great high school English teachers. As a convert to Catholicism 30 years ago, novels played, and continue to play, a role in my intellectual and spiritual development.”

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11

perience through great novels

or The Catholic Spirit

d Catholic life. This includes reading the Bible, the n faith and prayer, and about the lives of the saints. But e a unique capacity to illuminate the Catholic experience? diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — a religious sister, a eadmaster, the founder of a Catholic reading group and a e depth and drama of the Catholic experience and to has spent years contemplating great novels. Each novel is n be found in local libraries and bookstores.

Deacon Joe Michalak: “Sick Heart River”

by John Buchan

I Buzz Kriesel: “The Man Who Was Thursday”

by G.K. Chesterton

I

n September 2002, the late Thomas Loome and I founded The Misfits, a Catholic men’s reading group at St. Michael in Stillwater. For more than 21 years, the group has met monthly to read and discuss the amazing books of our Catholic literary tradition.

The Misfits have read many authors: from Waugh to Percy, from Godden to Undset. We’ve found one author who spans all literary genres and who speaks directly to the saving grace offered by our Catholic faith. The author is Gilbert Keith Chesterton. We’ve read Chesterton’s fiction and non-fiction, his poetry and his biographies. We’ve found that there is enough of Chesterton to last a lifetime.

When you decide to begin reading Chesterton, start with his second novel, “The Man Who Was Thursday.”

You won’t be disappointed. It is considered by many Chesterton scholars as his greatest novel. It is a brilliant detective story that also explores explicitly Catholic themes and symbolism.

The novel tells the story of Gabriel Syme, a poet and undercover detective who infiltrates a group of anarchists in London. Each member of the group is named after a day of the week, and the novel unfolds as a series of bizarre and surreal events. As Syme delves deeper into the mystery, he grapples with themes of morality, free will and the nature of good and evil. The characters in the novel represent different aspects of Catholic faith and theology.

The novel is Chesterton at his best and is highly recommended for any Catholic reader who wants to read a great novel framed and illuminated by our shared Catholic faith.

Kriesel is a retired U.S. Army special forces officer. He lives in what he describes as genteel poverty on a small acreage on the St. Croix River in Wisconsin. He is a parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater. When not reading, he fishes. He is a founding member of The St. Zeno Fly Anglers of the Church of St. Michael. You can email Kriesel at bkriesel.62@gmail.com to request a list of the Catholic books and authors The Misfits have read over the past 21 years.

call it Catholic.

Diminutive Scottish son of the manse, Oxbridge educated, barrister, author of nearly 100 works (law, history, encomium, biographies, poetry in several languages, tales of the supernatural, novels), expert salmon fisher, mountaineer (on three continents), publisher, director of military intelligence, inspiration to Ian Fleming and Alfred Hitchcock, friend of Indigenous peoples, diplomat, governor general of Canada: John Buchan was all of these. But he is perhaps popularly remembered today as the father of the spy thriller with his 1915 novel, “The Thirty-Nine Steps.” All his characters inhabit a moral universe framed by good and evil, yet none of his heroes are without a mixture of motive, nor are his villains wholly beyond hope. The drama resides in choosing rightly and well. And perhaps Robert Louis Stevenson alone surpasses Buchan’s skill in depicting evocative landscape: Physical place often assumes the role of a character once removed.

“Sick Heart River” — Buchan’s last novel, finished only days before he died — is a melancholic “spiritual testament, wrapped around by a gripping story of survival and self-sacrifice in the far north of Canada” (in the words of his granddaughter, Ursula Buchan). It is a compelling depiction of Augustinian restlessness and conversion: the heart longing for repose in God, though often unaware of its goal. The book’s protagonist, Sir Edward Leithen, a noble man of accomplishment and service (much like Buchan himself), diagnosed with tuberculosis, given a year to live and resolved to die “standing up,” is providentially offered one last task: a trek from London to New York to Quebec to the crushing wilderness of northern Canada in search of a fellow man who himself seeks the mythic Sick Heart River. The story’s three parts — set against an overwhelming landscape — follow an interior movement from British stoicism to childlike receptivity to God’s mercy to, finally, a surprising gift of self in which Leithen discovers himself. The Sick Heart River is replaced by the “river whose rivulets gladden the city of God” (Ps 46:4). It is fitting that Buchan, a lifelong Scotts Presbyterian, says Leithen’s last conscious act is participation in Easter morning Mass with the Indigenous people whom he served to the last.

I call that Catholic.

Deacon Michalak, longtime director of The St. Paul Seminary Institute for Diaconate Formation in St. Paul and now the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ director of the Office for Synod Evangelization, is married to Scottish wife Anne. Together they run a hobby used book business and have a large home library of John Buchan books.

Father James Reidy: “The Brothers Karamazov”

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

I

n “The Brothers Karamazov,” Dostoevsky undertakes a defense of Christian faith in the face of the terrible mystery of evil — the reality of sin and suffering in human life and particularly the suffering of innocents. His answer to the problem is the only answer there is, and it lies in the mystery of freedom, grace and Christian hope in the risen Christ.

Dostoevsky’s novel is the story of three brothers who each deal with the problem of evil in his own way. Ivan attempts to intellectually think through the problem.

Dimitri avoids concern with the problem in an aimless and dissipated life. The youngest brother, Alyosha, is the one who comes to terms with the problem through Christian faith. Three episodes in the novel illustrate how Dostoevsky dramatizes his theme.

In the first, Ivan the intellectual tells a story of a Grand Inquisitor confronting Jesus. Ivan says that the trouble with God’s world is that people make all the wrong choices with their freedom, exploiting one another, and are everywhere miserable as a result. Rather than the world Jesus would establish, characterized by love freely given, the Inquisitor proposes one where citizens surrender their freedom, and the all-powerful state in return takes care of them in a utopia where all are comfortable. But Dostoevsky suggests that the Inquisitor’s plan would turn human society into a dreary “anthill.” By the end of the story, the plan’s proponent, Ivan the intellectual, is insane.

The second episode is the trial of Dimitri for the murder of his father, a Satanic figure no one mourns. Dimitri, who is innocent of the crime, is nevertheless convicted of it. In his summing up, the defending lawyer tells the jury that even if Dimitri is a parricide he shouldn’t be convicted, given how he was provoked by a thoroughly wicked man.

The jurymen, plain peasants with a Christian conscience, will have none of it. No matter how one has suffered under a father, one does not kill him. Dostoevsky draws a parallel to God the Father. There has always been the temptation to rebel and to reject God the Father in the face of the soul-piercing mystery of evil, but one thing that must never be done is turn away from the heavenly Father.

It is Alyosha who retrieves and clings to his faith in a heavenly Father to contend with the mystery of evil. This is triumphantly proclaimed in the final episode when the schoolboys Alyosha has befriended shout “Hurrah for Karamazov,” meaning, considering all that Alyosha is teaching them by word and deed: “Hurrah for the risen Christ, for comradeship, life, and joy.” After the suffering vividly displayed in this book, that it can end with such a hearty affirmation of faith gives it some claim to be considered the greatest novel of them all.

Father Reidy is a retired professor of English from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, who also taught in the Catholic Studies program there. He holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Minnesota.

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

FAITH+CULTURE Creativity bursts through Catholic convert

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

human dignity and for the role of work has to be evangelized across prisons.

Q Tell me about your creative

Pouring his talents into faith-based projects has been a driving force for Jeromy Darling since his conversion to Catholicism five years ago. “I made a decision that my charisms were not to be used for anything other than the kingdom, and I could no longer be a cog in the machine for some capitalist company looking to make someone else rich,” said Darling, 42, a father of four and member of Holy Cross in Minneapolis.

That means the acclaimed actor hustles: composing, consulting various Catholic organizations, filming projects, writing and performing in plays, representing Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights and serving as director of mentorship for The Redemption Project, a nonprofit organization in Bloomington.

process.

A I’m writing a lot right now. Songs

and stories. Usually, it begins with a random idea that just gets stuck in my head. Tolkien once heard the word Eärendil, this Gaelic word, and he was fascinated by it. All of “Lord of the Rings” began with that word.

For me, it’s often a word or a phrase.

With songs, it’s often a melody. I sing nonsense until something falls out of my mouth. There’s an openness to just write what he wants me to write.

My whole life is in Evernote (a notetaking app), but I’m trying to start writing with my hand again. Cursive forces you to take time and be careful.

I’m not known for those things.

Q What led to your conversion?

Q You just returned from shooting a

A Beauty is what drew me to

Catholicism. I used to listen to Gregorian chants as a kid to fall asleep. They transported me. I loved the Cathedral (of St. Paul) and Notre Dame. I heard a quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch talking about how, if the Catholic Church is so old, it must be protected by the Holy Spirit. It hit me: If that’s the case, it must be right.

I’ve probably read 100 books from 2018 (to) now. I do a lot of driving, so it’s audiobooks. I speed up the books on Audible to 1.3, where it still sounds like a normal rate but I can get through the books faster. I even found an app that can read articles to me in a very convincing British accent. I pull up prayers to learn and articles from First Things and The Catholic Thing. I probably consume 10 a week.

Q You’re like a sponge.

A It’s all to know Jesus more. I love

Jesus, so I want to know everything about him, and I have missed so much.

I was very late to getting here. It all flows from him. Beauty, philosophy, theology — everything points to Christ. I want to drink that; I want to swim in the Tiber.

Q Your passion is inspiring to us cradle Catholics.

film called “His Name is Michael” in South Dakota.

A It was the most incredible 10-day DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A It’s extremely important to keep curiosity alive because without curiosity, you can’t see beauty.

Q How do you guide your kids on screen time?

A No smartphones for my kids.

My oldest (14) has a Light Phone, which is kind of like a flip phone except it has maps if he wants to go bike somewhere. My 11-year-old has a Gabb Phone. The kids are only allowed YouTube on Saturdays, and the computer sits in an open room, no door. That was my dad’s rule from the ‘90s.

Q How do you guard your own sense of wonder?

A The rosary. It’s a perpetual walk with Mary reflecting on the life of her son.

It sparks the imagination. That’s the point of meditation prayer: It gets you to think about his life.

Maryknoll award goes to returned missioner for her work in Brazil

By OSV News Angel Mortel, a returned lay missioner and community organizer, is the 2023 recipient of the Bishop McCarthy Award conferred by Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

The award is presented annually to “a returned missioner who demonstrates ongoing passion and dedication to living out their mission vocation, which is the joyful story of God’s love,” said Elvira Ramirez, Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ interim executive director.

Together with her husband, Chad Ribordy, Mortel joined Maryknoll Lay Missioners in 1997. They served for 16

years in the São Paulo area of Brazil, 12 of them with Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

Their two daughters — Cecilia and Elisa — were born during their time in mission there.

Mortel’s ministries in Brazil involved organizing community health volunteers, coordinating an income generation project for women and fundraising for the national prison ministry of the Brazilian Catholic Church, according to an Oct. 26 news release about the award from Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

The award was presented during a Mass at Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles, where Mortel is a parishioner, on World Mission Sunday, Oct. 22.

Prayer is the greatest guard against any ill. I pray the St. Michael Chaplet and the Divine Mercy Chaplet — they’re short and easy, five to eight minutes throughout the day. Why wouldn’t I arm myself with these great promises from (Mary) and these great angels?

I sit with the saints before I go to bed. I’m in a season of suffering. But to be great, you have to suffer. Even our Lord learned obedience through suffering. I am reluctant to the cross, but every day I go to it.

Q And you’re helping others who are suffering through The Redemption Project, pairing inmates with mentors who can check in on them.

A We help them get a job and a

mentor to get back to living. When you teach a man to fish, (he’s) better off than just giving him a fish. Our justice system is so screwed up, and it is the Catholic’s job to change that in America. The Catholic vision for

stretch. What God did out there with our meager loaves and fishes, which is our time and budget. God gave us everything we needed to make this film. Nobody will believe we made it for anything less than a million dollars and in 25 days. We’re hoping it will premiere in the Twin Cities in May. It’s part of a canon of three stories.

Q December is such a busy season.

How are you slowing down to embrace Advent?

A This will be the first year when I’m

really ready to try that. I have a few ideas to try to sit with my kids and talk about our journey. I’m trying to take time to read Scripture with my kids.

We’re going through “The Princess and The Goblin” right now on Audible, G.K. Chesterton’s favorite children’s story ever.

Q What do you know for sure?

A I know he (God) loves me, and I

know he wants me with him, and I know I can do it. I know I can do it.

La Grande Bande presents its 2023-2024 Season The 5th Anniversary Season

A French Baroque Christmas Church of the Assumption 51 7th Street West, St Paul A Christmas tradition centuries in the making featuring vocal music and a carol sing-along

Saturday, December 9

6:45pm | Pre-concert talk (tickets required) 7:30pm | Concert Performance (tickets required) $35 (Sec A), $25 (Sec B), $15 (Sec C/students) Online at www.lagrandebande.org/tickets By phone at 507-237-6539

DECEMBER 7, 2023

FAITH+CULTURE

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

A decade later, Pope Francis’ ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ continues to resonate

By Maria Wiering OSV News

“T

he joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew,” Pope Francis wrote in the opening of “Evangelii Gaudium,” a 2013 document many have interpreted as the new pope’s presentation of his vision for the contemporary Church.

Released 10 years ago Nov. 24, the document’s message is as relevant as ever, several theologians and evangelization experts told OSV News.

“Jesus is the son of God who took flesh to be with us. … It’s this reality that I think Pope Francis has in a deep, deep level in his personal life, and it does radiate out through the document,” said Curtis Martin, founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, or FOCUS, a Denver-based organization for evangelizing college students.

“Evangelii Gaudium” — subtitled “On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World” — is widely considered Pope Francis’ first major document. The encyclical “Lumen Fidei,” released five months earlier in June, was signed by Pope Francis but largely drafted by Pope Benedict XVI before his February 2013 resignation.

The title of “Evangelii Gaudium” comes from the Latin translation of its opening phrase: “The Joy of the Gospel.”

“I dream of a ‘missionary option,’

that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation,” Pope Francis wrote.

The apostolic exhortation followed the October 2012 XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization, over which Pope Benedict presided. It also coincided with the end of the Year of Faith.

Martin was among the lay observers at the synod. Notably, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio — the future Pope Francis — was not among its bishop members. But “Evangelii Gaudium,” while not labeled a “post-synodal” exhortation, reflects the conversation at the synod and Pope Francis’ vision for the Church, he said.

FOCUS asks its campus missionaries to read the document — which runs about 50,000 words — “cover to cover,” he said.

“And the whole point of the document was, if Jesus becomes the central reality, central person, of your life, you will begin to experience joy,” Martin said, “because when you allow Jesus in the center of your life, you also bring the Father and the Holy Spirit. And the fruits of the Spirit are love and joy and peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness.”

“Evangelii Gaudium” ends with a reflection on Mary, with Pope Francis noting, “There is a Marian ‘style’ to the Church’s work of evangelization.

Whenever we look to Mary, we come to

Celebrate the Christmas Season at the Cathedral of Saint Paul

CNS PHOTO | PAUL HARING

Pope Francis holds a copy of his exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”) in this file photo from 2014. believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness.” It closes with a six-stanza prayer for Mary’s intercession.

Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University in Philadelphia, who studies Pope Francis, described “Evangelii Gaudium” in 2013 as “the manifesto of Francis.” He told OSV News that it has stood the test of time. “What stood out to me 10 years ago was … a natural instinct to reappropriate, in a

very open way, the legacy of the Second Vatican Council,” he said.

“Evangelii Gaudium” expressed the “idea that the Church needs to be credible and to be visible and to be active in this world,” Faggioli said. “It’s not a Church locked in the sanctuary.”

Kelly Wahlquist, founder of Women in the New Evangelization, considers “Evangelii Gaudium” a seminal document for the Minnesota-based women’s ministry, which was beginning to take shape in 2013.

“It was really the bridge that brought us from this concept of what is the Lord asking us to do as women, because the Holy Father had called for a deeper, more profound theology of women, and it ... brought us to Women in the New Evangelization, because what we were talking about was the importance of evangelizing from heart to heart,” she said.

The document “talks about that missionary joy — that it’s something that brings people in,” said Wahlquist, who also is director of The St. Paul Seminary’s Catechetical Institute in St. Paul. “It’s not just a happiness, not a human happiness — like you’re having a nice glass of wine and a big steak, and you’re happy for a little bit — but it’s a joy where you recognize they have something.”

The document is more important today than ever, Wahlquist said, “because of what we’re living in around us can seem so joyless.”

But, she said, “I see that the Gospel has been proclaimed and that it’s bearing fruit, and you know that’s a result of joy.”

Christmas 2023 at The Cathedral of Saint Paul Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception | Friday, December 8 Masses: 7:00 am | 12:00 Noon | 5:15 pm (with Choir) Pre-Christmas Market| Evenings of December 7 -9 See bulletin for market and concert details

Pre-Christmas Confessions | December 20-23 Wednesday–Friday 3:30-5:00 pm | Sat. 10:00-11:30 am (last confessions) Church closed Noon-4:00 pm for decorating 4th Sunday of Advent | December 23-24 (no 3:30 pm confessions) Masses: Saturday 5:15 pm | Sunday 8:00 am | 10:00 am Church closed 11:30 am- 3:00 pm for cleaning and decorating Christmas Eve | Sunday, December 24 Christmas Eve Mass at 4:00 pm (with Children’s Choir) Midnight Mass – Most Rev. Bernard A. Hebda, Celebrant (11:15 pm Carol Prelude with Cathedral Choir) Christmas Day | Monday, December 25 8:00 am | 10:00 am (with Schola) | 12:00 Noon Holy Family Sunday | December 30-31 (regular weekend schedule) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God | Monday, January 1 Mass at 10:00 am (no holy day obligation in 2024; church closes at 11:30 am)

I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Luke 2:10

National Shrine of the Apostle Paul

239 Selby Avenue, Saint Paul MN 55102 • 651.228.1766 • www.cathedralsaintpaul.org

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

FAITH+CULTURE

DECEMBER 7, 2023

New Jersey priest’s devotion to saint helps bring her life to the big screen

By Joe Jordan OSV News

F

or the last decade, Msgr. Paul Bochicchio of St. Francis in Hoboken, New Jersey, has been advising as a spiritual consultant on the upcoming film “Cabrini,” produced by Angel Studios, about the life and ministry of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, set to debut in theaters in March 2024.

The highly anticipated movie, from the studio that produced “The Chosen” and “Sound of Freedom,” gives a dramatic look into the life of Mother Cabrini, as she is best known, and the uphill battle she faced ministering to the immigrant poor of New York.

For Msgr. Bochicchio, a priest of 52 years, the film is the latest fruit of a lifelong devotion to the first American saint who has impacted his family for generations.

His account begins with a story passed down within his family. His great-grandmother knew Mother Cabrini personally, as they were both community leaders among New York Italian immigrants at the turn of the 20th century.

He recalls how, when Mother Cabrini, herself an immigrant from Italy, was just beginning her ministry and working to open a school in the city for Italians, his great-grandmother helped her develop religious education classes and sewing classes for young immigrant women.

So, when Msgr. Bochicchio thinks of Mother Cabrini, he thinks of his great-grandmother, and he also thinks of his grandmother, who had an enormous influence on his vocation to the priesthood.

“I always had a great devotion to (Mother Cabrini), because a very special church for me is Our Lady of Pompeii in Greenwich Village” in New York, he told Jersey Catholic, the online news outlet of the Archdiocese of Newark. “It was my grandmother’s parish, and she had a tremendous effect on my spirituality. After she died, I would go there. That was

OSV NEWS | COURTESY MSGR. BOCHICCHIO

Msgr. Paul Bochicchio, a priest in residence at St. Francis in Hoboken, N.J., and script adviser and spiritual consultant for the upcoming film “Cabrini” is pictured in an undated photo with Cristiana Dell’Anna who plays Mother Cabrini. my way of keeping in touch with her. And they always had a shrine in the back of Mother Cabrini, because Mother Cabrini actually worked there.”

This personal connection to a saint and what she stood for has since had an influence on his priesthood.

After the death of his grandmother, Msgr. Bochicchio began reading more about Mother Cabrini. He found that he had a calling to work with Italian immigrants due to his background and that he had the perfect model in the patron saint of immigrants.

As one of many technical advisers on the set of “Cabrini” but also as a Catholic priest, Msgr. Bochicchio accompanied the cast and crew on work retreats, where they would work on the film and he would celebrate Mass every day and give spiritual reflections on the saint. As a script adviser, he would receive every revision

and be asked to comment on its accuracy.

One example of Msgr. Bochicchio’s influence was the inclusion of the Bible passage from Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” — which was a favorite of Mother Cabrini’s.

“On almost every statue of her, she’s holding the Scriptures and it’s open to that quote,” Msgr. Bochicchio said. After seeing a private screening of the movie at its 90% completion, he noticed it was excluded from the movie. “I brought it to his (the producer’s) attention. He called me the next day and said it’s back in.”

Having seen the almost-finished product of the movie, Msgr. Bochicchio notes that while Angel Studios takes some liberties with Mother Cabrini’s story, the depiction is ultimately riveting and real. The movie highlights how she stood up to cardinals and politicians in advocacy of the poor, how she overcame a fear of drowning to bring her ministry to the world, and her great care to educate and uplift the vulnerable.

“She was not a strong woman physically, she was weak, but she was strong in spirit,” Msgr. Bochicchio said. “(The movie shows how she had) boldness in a good sense of the word, where she set her mind to something and she stood up respectfully but very clearly to those who opposed her.”

He points to one real-life scene, highlighted in the trailer, where in response to being dismissed by a powerful figure, she says, “I am a woman. And I am Italian. And we are all human beings. We are all the same.”

The story of Mother Cabrini is particularly meaningful for what the Catholic Church and the world is facing right now, Msgr. Bochicchio said.

“I think one of the things that makes her timely, and particularly in regard to the film, is that immigration is uppermost in people’s minds today. She’s the patron of the immigrants. She’s also a great woman leader. In an age when women are trying to find their place in the Church, she could be a great guide,” he said.

Elderly religious need your help. Like those pictured, nearly 25,000 senior sisters, brothers and religious order priests have dedicated their lives to serving others through praying for us, ministering to us, educating the young, caring for those who are sick and more—most for little or no pay, leaving a profound shortage in retirement savings. Your donation will make a real difference by providing essential care, medicine and other necessities. Please give generously.

Please give to those who have given a lifetime.

Retirement Fund for Religious

Please donate at your local parish December 9-10 or by mail at: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Attn: Ms. Jean Houghton 777 Forest Street St. Paul MN 55106-3857 Make check payable to Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis/RFR.

retiredreligious.org Visit retiredreligious.org/2023photos to meet the religious pictured. ©2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC All rights reserved • Photo: Jim Judkis

DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER SCOTT CARL

Awaiting the fulfillment of all desire What do you desire? What do you long for?

A few moments of reflection could very well leave us with desires and longings that seem endless and insatiable. One way we might look at Advent is to deepen and purify our desires and longings.

It is so easy to get caught in cycles of desiring parts of life that cannot fulfill us; some of these are good in themselves and some are not.

Desiring to spend time with friends or family is certainly good and offers a taste of true fulfillment; getting caught in a YouTube or video binge — while engaging in the moment — leaves us exhausted with unrefreshed souls. Some of us can simply run from one thing to another without thinking, leaving us disillusioned and even at times wondering what we desire or long for.

Wait! St. John the Baptist says to us. Literally, take a moment.

He cries out in the desert. People are longing for something more and they go out to listen in the desert. The time with friends and family can be an experience of communion that beckons us to long for the communion that does not come to an end; to make that connection we need moments of waiting on the Lord in silent prayer.

We are made for more, an eternal more, and anything less than that will leave us unfulfilled. If we are stuck in patterns that leave us disillusioned, we need the desert even more. It is a place of repentance, and to repent frees us of sin and purifies our desires.

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

The ministries of deacons

Deacons share in the one apostolic ministry of the bishop who has the fullness of holy orders. Deacons assist the bishop and his priests as they exercise ministries that derive from the bishop’s roles as priest, prophet and king, and his apostolic duties to sanctify, teach and govern.

Deacons participate in the ministry of the bishop, who is priest and sanctifier, through their liturgical and sacramental ministries. At Mass, the deacon assists at the altar when he offers the invocations of the penitential act, proclaims the Gospel, preaches the homily occasionally, reads the petitions of the general intercessions or the prayer of the faithful, receives the gifts, prepares the altar, assists with incensing, holds the chalice during the doxology, invites the congregation to share the sign of peace, distributes holy Communion, assists with the purification of the sacred vessels and dismisses the congregation at the end of Mass.

As sacramental ministers, deacons share in the bishop’s priestly role when they officiate for the sacrament of baptism or witness the sacrament of marriage. Deacons exercise other ministries related to the sacraments when they lead Communion or other prayer services; expose or repose the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic adoration; officiate or assist with Benediction; bring holy Communion to the sick or viaticum to the dying; and conduct funerals, wakes and

It is striking that John proclaimed repentance in the desert and “(p)eople of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him” (Mk 1:5).

Something in their experience of life had them longing for more. So much so that they made great effort to make it out to the desert. They took time off work, temporarily uprooted their families, and sought an encounter with the Lord through the word of his servant in the desert. Having few distractions, they could listen there in a way they could not in the normal course of their lives. The silence of the desert enabled them to hear the message of repentance and turn toward what — or better, who — could ultimately fulfill their longings and desires.

Herein is the invitation of this second Sunday of Advent. Ask yourself: What steps do I need to take to improve the moments of silent prayer in my life? If there are none, what steps do I need to take to have at least 10 minutes of reflective silence a day?

For one beginning his or her way to the silence of a daily desert, perhaps it is in the car before running into a store to pick up a few things or perhaps, if nowhere else, it could even be in the shower.

Wherever this time takes place, take slow deep breaths in the Lord, pondering that he is closer to you than the air you breathe. Slowly breathe him in and let go of your tensions as you slowly exhale without thinking about what those stressors are.

When we come to realize that the Lord’s love language is silence, we will long for more of it to encounter him who alone can fulfill. A repentant heart surrendered to the Lord Jesus in silent waiting for his return (i.e., his advent) will enable you to cry out with joy, “Here is your God!” (Is 40:9).

Father Carl is vice rector and associate professor of sacred Scripture at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. He can be reached at smcarl@stthomas.edu. graveside committals. Deacons also bless religious articles.

Another major dimension of diaconal ministry is to share in the bishop’s prophetic ministry as preacher and teacher. A deacon always proclaims the Gospel. The bishop or priest who presides at Mass is the usual homilist, while deacons serve as the homilist at Sunday, weekday or other Masses as delegated by the pastor.

As teachers, deacons have a sacred duty to catechize the lay faithful. They fulfill this important calling when they train and supervise catechists, teach faith formation classes, conduct sacramental preparation programs, instruct catechumens and those seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, facilitate Bible study or other study groups, host adult education events, or conduct ongoing formation for lectors or extraordinary ministers of holy Communion.

The bishop’s role as king is to govern, not only to oversee and direct the affairs of his diocese, but also to care for his people with works of charity. Deacons join in his charitable ministry when they work at a food shelf, soup kitchen or clothing distribution center; package meals; take food and groceries to the homebound; assist those who lack adequate housing; or work at an agency that provides help to the disadvantaged.

In addition, most deacons visit the sick in their homes, senior residences, health care facilities and hospitals. A few deacons are hospital chaplains. Others are chaplains for police or fire departments. Some specialize in prison ministry and go to a jail, workhouse or prison to visit inmates, offer counsel and support, and conduct prayer services. Some serve as parish ministry coordinators for volunteers, the bereavement ministry, altar servers, ushers, greeters, lectors or extraordinary ministers of holy Communion.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Dec. 10 Second Sunday of Advent Is 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8 Monday, Dec. 11 Is 35:1-10 Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday, Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47 Wednesday, Dec. 13 St. Lucy, virgin and martyr Is 40:25-31 Mt 11:28-30 Thursday, Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church Is 41:13-20 Mt 11:11-15 Friday, Dec. 15 Is 48:17-19 Mt 11:16-19 Saturday, Dec. 16 Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 Mt 17:9a, 10-13 Sunday, Dec. 17 Third Sunday of Advent Is 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thes 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 Monday, Dec. 18 Jer 23:5-8 Mt 1:18-25 Tuesday, Dec. 19 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a Lk 1:5-25 Wednesday, Dec. 20 Is 7:10-14 Lk 1:26-38 Thursday, Dec. 21 Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a Lk 1:39-45 Friday, Dec. 22 1 Sm 1:24-28 Lk 1:46-56 Saturday, Dec. 23 Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 Lk 1:57-66 Sunday, Dec. 24 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38

Father Van Sloun is director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This column is part of a series on the sacrament of holy orders.

KNOW the SAINTS ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542-1591) A doctor of the Church, St. John is also one of its great mystics and poets. Born Juan de Yepes de Alvarez in Spain, he was raised by his mother and entered a Carmelite monastery in 1563. He was ordained in 1567. Finding the Carmelites very lax, he joined with St. Teresa of Avila to reform the order. In 1568, he entered the first reformed house for men, taking the name John of the Cross. He encountered severe opposition and was even imprisoned for nine months in a monastery cell, where he began writing poems. “The Dark Night of the Soul” is his most famous work. Only after his death was St. John recognized as co-founder of the Discalced Carmelites. He is the patron saint of mystics and poets. His feast day is Dec. 14.

— OSV News

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

COMMENTARY SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY

The best gift for your spouse this Christmas

Perhaps the most important gift you can give your spouse this Christmas will be your devotion and renewed commitment to engaging in your marriage in the same heartfelt way when you first married. When you stood at the altar and said “yes,” this is the person you knew you wanted to spend your life with. That “yes” can sometimes be difficult over the years of marriage, with the events, experiences and tragedies that come our way.

Marriage, from many perspectives today, is something a couple chooses, but it is in no way required. Young people more commonly live together before marriage than not. Getting a dog together is seen as a commitment that indicates there is more to come. It is not uncommon for couples to have children before they are married and continue to live together under no legal status or wedding ceremony, and none planned. What has happened to this sound institution that once provided the foundation of our society and culture? Must we continue as a culture to allow this new state of non-marriage to be the predominant state of family life?

As Catholics, we know this is an unwise practice, because a couple that is no longer getting along can dissolve their friendship and their so-called union and move on, leaving children in a state of impermanence, with no adults completely committed to them. This is a recipe for a society on the slide, a society that produces members afraid of commitment and responsibility. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, marriage is a sacrament, which is “a visible sign of the hidden reality of salvation” (774). The catechism continues: “the saving work of his (Jesus’) holy and sanctifying humanity is the sacrament of salvation, which is revealed and active in the Church’s sacraments” (774).

This Christmas, those who are married, give your

BRIDGING FAITH | DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN

Joyful hope

I remember the months leading up to the year 2000 as being an anxious time. Some people were anxious because they feared the end of the 20th century may also be the end of the world. They prepared for the end by stockpiling supplies.

Others were anxious that the new millennium would make computers and other digital technology systems go haywire. They prepared for chaos by setting up contingencies and backup plans.

In contrast, I remember the Church celebrating these months with joy.

The Catholic Church envisioned the new millennium as a time for jubilee. It would mark 2,000 years of Christ coming among us with joy. Preparing for the jubilee year meant focusing on things like lifting burdens, releasing those held bound, reconciling debts and restoring the land. Jubilee time was a time for new beginnings and rejoicing in the hope of the coming of the kingdom of God. While some believed the new millennium would mean the beginning of the end, we celebrated the end as a time for a new beginning of grace and mercy — a time of joyful hope.

This Christmas, those who are married, give your spouse the gift of a renewed and restored marriage, in which your focus is on the sanctity, or holiness, of your union.

Give your spouse the gift of taking time to see them as the person God has given to you, to love and cherish.

ISTOCK PHOTO | FOTOGRAFIELINK

spouse the gift of a renewed and restored marriage, in which your focus is on the sanctity, or holiness, of your union. Give your spouse the gift of taking time to see them as the person God has given to you, to love and cherish. See them once again as the person to whom you committed your life on your wedding day.

There are a few strategies you can employ to help yourself do this. First, if you experience a little annoyance toward your spouse, stop and check to find out where that is coming from. Ask yourself if something happened at work to cause you to feel bad, and when you got home, whatever you previously agreed would be done wasn’t accomplished, and you felt annoyed. Take the time to see this from your spouse’s point of view. Maybe he or she did not have time to complete the project you talked about, or maybe something came up, and the intention remained to return to it as soon as possible. Maybe your spouse was not feeling well and went to lie down. There are so many reasons things happen.

Assumptions, especially if they are made while feeling bad about something else, can hurt your relationship.

The one person in our lives we must extend grace to is our spouse. Our own happiness and well-

Advent announces good news amid all the bad news. The Gospel proclaims light in the darkness and life amid death. We rejoice that God is with us, and that God is for us in Christ.

Advent season is our annual time of jubilee to begin again and wait in joyful hope. Advent acknowledges the darkness in the world. There are so many reports of people living in situations of violence and war. So many vulnerable people lack the necessities of life and dignity. So many live displaced in their own countries or are forced to flee as refugees.

So many are affected by the extremes of weather and climate changes. It can feel like the beginning of the end. It is during these darkest times of the year that we proclaim again the coming of Christ to “bring good news to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and proclaim a (jubilee) year acceptable to the Lord” (Lk 4:18-19).

Advent announces good news amid all the bad news. The Gospel proclaims light in the darkness and life amid death. We rejoice that God is with us, and that God is for us in Christ. We can imagine a world and lean into a way of living that frees people

ACTION PLAN u Make this Christmas a time of marriage renewal. Choose to

see your spouse from a positive perspective and notice the response.

u Seek out a Catholic counselor if you need help in your

marriage.

being depend on the strength and happiness of this very special relationship, one like no other in our lives. Give your spouse the gift of renewed love this Christmas. Be a witness to the beauty of this sacrament, fervently and enthusiastically living it out in your home from a heart of love. If you think you need a little marriage refreshing and would benefit from seeing a counselor or therapist, one option is searching the internet for “Catholic counselors in the Twin Cities.”

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.

from prisons of many kinds, which makes it possible for forgiveness and peace to change enemies to friends, heal our relationships with the land and heal the many borders of our world under conflict.

We can imagine it because we have seen it breaking forth in the lives and witnesses of God’s people and Christians in the world and building bridges of faith to God’s reign. The Church is meant to be a sign and a sacrament of the world that God intends for us to live in now. We can live out our lives in this world by waiting in joyful hope — a hope that shows itself in loving actions and service. A joyful hope is a way of living life from the view of abundance and gratitude.

When we embrace life as a gracious gift from God, we can live with gratitude for each moment and for each day we are given. The question becomes: How do we want to say “thank you” with our lives?

Advent marks a new beginning of grace and mercy.

We can love and serve the Lord among us when we share our gifts to bring release, reconciliation and restoration to God’s people and to all God’s creation.

May this season of celebrating the gift of God coming among us open us to a grateful heart as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.

Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission, which supports missionary outreach of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He can be reached at friesenm@archspm.org.

COMMENTARY

DECEMBER 7, 2023

TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

What we lack in time, we try to make up for in money, throwing it at people and problems who actually need minutes and hours.

The kindergartner doesn’t need a fancy new baseball glove but an adult to play catch with.

Keep the candle lit: Pouring out the greatest gift Oprah Winfrey looks regal in a purple pleated skirt and matching sweater, beaming on the cover of the magazine that delivers her muchanticipated Favorite Things — “112 crowd-pleasing gifts for everyone on your list.”

Now in her ninth year partnering with Amazon, Oprah vouches for each product with her trademark hype: a $22 silk eye mask she calls “lifechanging,” $350 Beats headphones that are “the best of the best,” a $600 TrueBrew Drip Coffee Maker she lauds as “a dream for persnickety coffee drinkers.” Not to mention her new book, which will help you “be happier in 2024.”

It’s commerce with a spiritual bent. “What I know for sure,” Oprah writes, “is that what you give comes back to you.”

I’ve always been intrigued by the television queen’s shopping list, but what strikes me most is how much company she now has. These days, everyone has a holiday gift guide — from high-profile peddlers to micro-influencers and suburban moms.

You can follow them in real time, linking to every item. The wreaths they’re hanging. The bows they’re hanging on the wreaths they’re hanging. The joggers they’re wearing while they’re hanging the bows on the

iSTOCK PHOTO | LSOPHOTO

wreaths they’re hanging. ’Tis the season to spend money. It’s never been easier to do, requiring the kind of deliberation that vanishes in the blink of an eye, the tap of a button. It can almost feel like play money — no paper trail, no accountability, just an invisible Venmo transaction.

What we lack in time, we try to make up for in money, throwing it at people and problems who actually need minutes and hours. The kindergartner doesn’t need a fancy new baseball glove but an adult to play catch with. Back and forth, again and again, chasing all the errant throws until, finally, there are fewer errant throws.

Our immigrant ancestors had no money and all the time in the world. They made use of long bus rides, early mornings, tiny apartments, daily walks to Mass.

Stitching and scheming, painting and plotting.

ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL

Pop music and the Incarnation

Music plays an important role in lifting our hearts and minds to God — something we’re especially reminded of during these Advent and Christmas seasons.

But while there’s no replacement for seasonal hymns and carols like “Silent Night” or “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” I want to reflect on another and very different musical source of Christian contemplation: pop songs.

I’m not talking about contemporary praise and worship songs sung in the style of pop music. Nor am I talking about Christmas carols performed by otherwise mainstream pop musicians. I’m talking about the typical tunes you hear on the Top 40 list.

This might seem like a strange thing to focus on during Advent. After all, plenty of pop music does the exact opposite of contributing to the kind of pure and holy thoughts we should be cultivating during these weeks. And I am definitely not advocating replacing clear-cut Christian songs of worship and praise with mainstream mainstays, the musical equivalent of not going to Mass because you think you can commune with God just as well out in the forest.

But I think some pop songs can help us connect with God in a powerful way — independent of whether this is their intention, or whether they’re even sung by a believing Christian. And it’s all connected to the mystery we’re preparing to celebrate at Christmas: the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

At that first Christmas, God took on human flesh, becoming like us in all things but sin. Christ comes close to us, and he reveals himself, and the salvific union with God that he offers, as the desire of every human heart. Because of this, we can detect this longing for God — albeit in inchoate and incomplete form — even in pop music.

The 2010 hit song “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi is a good illustration of this.

With its neo-psychedelic style and its lyrics about drinking and drug use, it’d be easy to superficially label the song as some

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17 Today we have flipped the script. We have all the money in the world, so it seems, but no time. We’re busy. And when we’re not busy, we’re distracted by screens siphoning our precious time. But the things we buy cannot replace quality time spent with loved ones.

I once read an article about a troubled teen who was turning to the wrong remedies. Her parents recognized a better one and chose to lavish her with their time and attention.

“We took her kayaking, played more board games with her and watched more TV with her and took other short family trips,” her mom said. The parents asked their teen to stay off the internet and instead keep a journal. She obliged, even though she was frustrated.

Eventually, something shifted. Her depression lifted, and, in its place, a sense of self emerged.

This will be our first Christmas without my paternal grandma, who showered us with loving attention. She and my grandpa bought a modest cabin on a little lake up north where we all squeezed in countless hours and memories.

The porch was the gathering place where Grandma was always perched, catching all the comings and goings, the fishing reports, the sunscreen applications.

We played 500 at the long dining room table where Grandma placed the centerpiece: a chianti straw bottle holding a taper candle. She lit it every day, letting the wax from candle after candle drip down the straw, lumpy strands of mauve and violet, sage and cream.

It was a visual of our time together, hour after hour, a work of art that could not be rushed. Our layered family, ever expanding yet bound together. The sum, greater than the parts.

It will not make Oprah’s Favorite Things list. But it was, indeed, “life-changing,” “the best of the best.”

Time together — the ultimate Christmas gift.

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.

kind of unapologetic, hedonistic “party anthem” — about as far from fodder for Christian thought as you can get.

In fact, one popular remix of the song interprets it as just that, basically reducing the whole track to an amped up repetition of a line that Cudi utters in the first verse in response to people telling him to “slow his roll”: “I’m screaming out (forget) that.”

“I’ma do just what I want, looking ahead no turning back.”

But the song is much deeper than this battle cry of irresponsibility and indulgence. As the track progresses, Cudi’s façade of carefree carousing gives way to revealing lines about the emptiness of this kind of pursuit of earthly pleasures. In fact, the song ends with a haunting outro, as the music becomes distorted and the consequences of the singer’s partying lifestyle begin to catch up with him in the form of nausea and disgust.

This experience of futility of earthly comforts to provide true satisfaction is the key to understanding the entire song and its powerful refrain: “I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shines ain’t always gonna be gold. Hey, I’ll be fine once I get it.

I’ll be good.”

What is the “it” that Cudi is talking about, that unknown that will bring him ultimate satisfaction? He doesn’t necessarily seem to know, but he knows he needs to continue to search for it.

For those of us who’ve already encountered Christ, we know that he’s the answer. But we can also easily forget, or take that for granted. Hearing about this longing for ultimate satisfaction from a secular, or at least not overly Christian point of view, can be a reminder that, by God’s grace, we’ve received the only thing that will truly satisfy, and the love that all mankind is looking for. Not only can this be an aid to our own spiritual life, but it can also give us some insight into how to evangelistically reach out to a broken culture that is still searching for answers.

A lot of pop music is downright bad, but on the occasions when it strikes upon something good and true, that can be the start of a conversation that leads further. As Paul tells the Thessalonians, “test everything, and retain what is good.”

In conclusion, I am not arguing that Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” is a properly Christmas song. I just want to suggest that the mystery of the Incarnation that we celebrate in a few short weeks helps shed light on the fact that helpful reminders of our need for Christ are all around us — even in pop music.

Liedl, a Twin Cities resident, is a senior editor of the National Catholic Register and a graduate student in theology at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.

LETTER Catholic Scouting Units Regarding the article featuring the Troops of St. George (Nov. 9 edition), I wanted to clear up any misunderstanding that was inferred regarding Boy Scouts of America, particularly when it relates to a Catholic unit. When a parish charters a BSA Scouting Unit, then the pastor has authority of the direction and leadership of that unit.

The pastor, often acting through his appointed Chartered Organization Representative, can ensure that the unit incorporates Catholic teaching and that its trained leaders are themselves practicing Catholics.

Scouting does not force any ideals that are counter to Catholic teaching on Catholic units. Scouting remains a viable avenue of youth ministry, in addition to the longestablished tradition of training and developing future leaders. The BSA has a long relationship with the Catholic Church, especially here in Minnesota. (The very first Catholic Scouting Unit in the U.S. was at St. Mark’s in St. Paul and started back in 1910.)

Patrick Reardon Chair, Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, accs.archspm@gmail.com Share your views by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@archspm.org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

L

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Why I am Catholic

By Casey Garner

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

ife is strange, and we often fail to see what is beautiful. We

that believed the Lord’s Supper, holy Communion, was the most

fall into the trap of the regular becoming life’s background

important part of the service. This belief opened my heart to care

noise. We are oblivious to the fact that what we have accepted as

about, and be captivated by, the real presence of Christ in the

backdrop is a work of art wrought by our Creator. If you told me

sacrament.

a few years ago I would become Catholic, I would have politely thought you had lost your mind.

Well, now I am Catholic. God has a splendid sense of humor.

I am a doctoral candidate in mathematics at the University of

I was confirmed into the Church and received first Communion on April 8, 2023, at St. Mary in Lowertown, St. Paul. Words have not been spoken on this side of heaven that articulate the beauty and joy of that night. I shall not attempt to invent them.

Minnesota. I was raised in a Christian home, and I shall be forever

I am Catholic and at peace with being Catholic. For my brother

grateful for loving parents who introduced me to Jesus. They paved

and sisters raised in the Church, I close with a snapshot of my mind

the way for me to become Catholic, although none of us knew it.

from January 2021 until Easter 2023. I began by thinking, “I would

In the fall of 2021, by a turn of events, I watched a lecture by Peter

never become Catholic.” It morphed into, “Could the Catholics be

Kreeft titled “7 Reasons Everyone Should be Catholic.” In his talk,

right?” I was shocked to find, “Ahh, they might be right. I don’t want

Kreeft commented that the Catholic Church’s view of the Eucharist

to be Catholic!” Then, “Shucks, I think they are right.” Finally, “Man,

as the real presence of Christ was, essentially, the consensus view of

I want to be Catholic.” Then came Easter followed by peace. This is

all Christians for about 1,000 years.

why I am Catholic.

This, for some reason, hit me hard. One thousand years? I came to realize I needed to contend with the accounts of Church history,

Garner, 27, is a member of St. Mary in Lowertown, St. Paul, where

and the opinions of bright minds from the past. I did not know that

he is involved with an aspiring Oratory of St. Philip Neri. He is active at

Church fathers existed, and I did not know about Church history. A

Anselm House, an ecumenical Christian study center that serves the

Pandora’s box was now open, and a mathematician was placing the

University of Minnesota Twin Cities campuses. He enjoys running, hiking,

reasonableness of Catholicism on trial.

camping, a pleasant novel with a cup of tea and long conversations with

This was not a short process. One must ponder the intercession of the saints, Mariology, the papacy, the Eucharist, etc. Eventually, I came to a place where becoming Catholic was an option. I realized the teachings of the Church did not contradict the Scriptures. But what made me stick it out was the Eucharist. I grew up in a church

friends.

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

DECEMBER 7, 2023 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR PARISH EVENTS

WORSHIP+RETREATS

OTHER EVENTS

Christmas Trees — Nov. 24-Dec. 17: 4-8 p.m. at St. Pascal Baylon, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. The St. Pascal’s Men’s Club is selling premium Christmas trees at reasonable prices (Fraser, Canaan and Balsam firs, Scotch and White pines).

Advent Silent Weekend Retreat for Men and Women — Dec. 8-10: at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. For God So Loved the World, presented by Susan Stabile. kingshouse.com

National Night of Prayer for Life — Dec. 8: 9 p.m.-midnight at St. Catherine, 4500 220th St. E., Prior Lake. Join Catholics across the U.S. in a prayer vigil for life. The hour of national unity in Minnesota when all time zones will be united in prayer is from 11 p.m.-midnight.

Cathedral Christmas Festival Concert — Dec. 7-8: 7-8:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Multi-platinum recording artist and composer, Steven C., will perform the first two nights of the Cathedral Christmas Festival. cathedralheritagefoundation.org Cathedral Christmas Market — Dec. 7-9: 5-9:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Food and drinks, including Glühwein.

Warming tent with music and unique gifts for sale.

Proceeds will go toward Cathedral restoration and preservation. cathedralheritagefoundation.org Advent Lessons and Carols — Dec. 9: 7-8:30 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

A musical celebration combining seasonal carols, choral music and Scripture readings with a uniquely Polish flare. ourholycross.org Christmas Bake Sale, Boutique and Craft Fair — Dec. 9-10: Saturday: 1-5:30 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. Baked goods, homemade candy and treats, jewelry, theme baskets, Christmas items and items made by local crafters/artists. st-matts.org Breakfast with Santa — Dec. 10: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, milk, juice and coffee. Adults: $8. Ages 6-12: $5. Under 4: free. Includes pictures with Santa. st-matts.org Knights of Columbus Christmas Brunch — Dec. 10: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast sticks, sausage, toast, a fruit cup, coffee, juice and milk.

Christmas Carol Sing-Along — Dec. 10: 4 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Bring a plate of Christmas cookies to share and sing your favorite Christmas carols and songs. guardian-angels. org/event/22821078-2023-12-10-christmas-carol-singalong/ A Festival of Lessons and Carols — Dec. 15: 7:30-8:30 p.m. at St. Bartholomew, 630 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata. Choral pieces, carols, Scripture and sacred reflections. st-barts.org/events/lessonsandcarols

Men’s Catholic Spiritual Weekend Retreat — Dec. 8-10: 7:30 a.m.-noon at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Men, step aside from the uncertainties of this time for a period of spiritual renewal. franciscanretreats.net/mens-weekend-retreat Advent Day of Prayer — Dec. 13: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Confession and live speaker. Lunch provided. Suggested donation: $30. franciscanretreats.net/advent-days-of-prayer Cana’s Advent Morning of Reflection: “The Mindful Mother” — Dec. 16: 8 a.m.-noon at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. For moms of young children. Peaceful, reflective morning this Advent season with the sacraments, breakfast, motivating talks and more. tinyurl.com/bd9uts7z Ignatian Men’s Silent Retreat — ThursdaySunday most weeks at Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, 8243 Demontreville Trail N., Lake Elmo. Let God meet you at a beautiful retreat location in Lake Elmo. Freewill donation. demontrevilleretreat.com

SPEAKERS+SEMINARS Save the 12,000: Respect Life Event — Dec. 7: 6:30-8:10 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road E., Burnsville. An evening of information concerning recent legislation on respecting life and what Christians can do to support local agencies.

Speakers and booths from various local respect life ministries. mmotc.org Partner or Servant: What are We Looking for When We Look for AI? — Dec. 8: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Emmaus Hall, St. John’s University, 2966 Saint John’s Road, Collegeville. Examine what it takes for relationship to be fully authentic, with each other, with God and with AI. Free event. Registration required. csbsju.edu/sot/sem/alumni-and-friends/attendevents/theology-day James: Pearls for Wise Living — Dec. 12: 7-9 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road, Burnsville. A Catechetical Institute lecture and small group course on the letter of James, taught by Jeff Cavins. saintpaulseminary.org/ci/jeff-cavins-bookjames-wise-living

CALENDAR submissions

Christmas at the Monastery Closing Celebration — Dec. 9: 6-8 p.m. at St. Paul's Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, St. Paul. A fundraiser to support the sisters and their ministries. Live music, hors d’oeuvres and Trivia Mafia with a special Benedictine round. stpaulsmonastery.org Caroling for Life — Dec. 16: 8-9:30 a.m. at 671 Vandalia St., St. Paul. Join Pro-Life Action Ministries at sites in three cities — St. Paul, Robbinsdale and Bloomington. plam.org/event/caroling-for-life/ Online Evening Prayer with Young Adults — Dec. 19: 7-8 p.m. Young adults ages 18-plus are invited to online evening prayer via Zoom with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. There will be time for faith sharing with young adults and sisters from across the United States and Canada. ssnd.org/events

DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication.

We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the issue date.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission.

Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions

MCCL Presents Save the 12,000 — Jan. 11: 6:30-8 p.m. in St. Frances Hall at Guardian Angels, 215 W. Second St., Chaska. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life will offer a brief presentation about new laws that threaten unborn and newborn babies, and what can be done to build a pro-life culture. mccl.org/12k

ONGOING GROUPS Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victimssurvivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursday. Visit archspm.org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@archspm.org or 651-291-4429.

FATHER JEFFREY HUARD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Huard met Father Tony O’Neill, pastor of St. John Neumann, in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1982, when Father O’Neill was 18. Father O’Neill, also a member of Companions of Christ, said the homily for his friend.

“We are here to grieve together,” Father O’Neill said. At the same time, “we are being invited to an encounter with Christ and to be transformed by his love. We are not made for time, but for eternity.”

Father O’Neill recalled with humor what became known as Father Huard’s “Huardisms,” or wordplay that was illuminating, humorous or both, with seminarians marking one for each day of the year. “I believe they were in the middle of October” in their compilation, Father O’Neill said, citing with fondness one Huardism: “‘Don’t correct me if you know what I mean.’”

“It’s right we honor him,” Father O’Neill said. “The greatest gift is to try to be like him, in his virtue, his kindness and his love.”

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TheCatholicSpirit.com

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

THELASTWORD

Celebrating a Catholic Christmas

By Amy Welborn OSV News

F

or Catholics, great feasts like Christmas don’t come at us out of the blue: In the secular world, “Christmas” seems to start in October!

However, our approach to this holiday as Catholics must be different, and it can be. We can put aside the worldly calendar; we can allow the ancient, rich tradition of the Church to surround and center us instead. And then, we will be enriched by truly celebrating a Catholic Christmas.

“God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby — defenseless and in need of our help,” Pope Benedict XVI preached in his homily for Midnight Mass in 2006. “He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: So he makes himself a child.”

A child is coming: As for any birth, we must prepare.

The Advent season is a gift, rich with opportunities to ready our lives for the embrace of our Savior.

One powerful way to prepare for the gift of Jesus is to turn away from the outside noise and pressure and take a few quiet moments to pray with the Church. Use your church bulletin (or visit bible.usccb.org) to look up the Mass readings for each day. If you can, take time to attend daily Mass; use it as a period of refreshment in the midst of the busyness all around.

Even during our most hectic times, we can still “watch and wait” with the Church. Everything else that we do during Advent can echo what we hear in God’s word and the Church’s prayer. Our Advent wreaths and Jesse Trees are physical reminders of the coming light and the prophecies fulfilled. When we celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation, we acknowledge our darkness and need, and rejoice in the light of forgiveness offered through the Child.

Joining our thoughts and prayers to those of the communion of saints whose feasts occur during this season — Ambrose, Lucy, John of the Cross, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, and others — helps us hear John the Baptist’s call along with these holy men, women and even children who have gone before us in faith. Just as they heard and responded, so can we.

During this season, we twice celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose openness to God models our own patient Advent waiting. On the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), we celebrate the truth that she was conceived without sin. On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12), we celebrate Mary’s appearance to the Indigenous St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (“Talking Eagle”) in Mexico in 1531.

St. Nicholas of Myra’s feast Dec. 6 is celebrated in many European countries as a day to share gifts — often candy, and often placed in shoes. As Europeans immigrated to the United States, various St. Nicholas traditions combined and emerged as Santa Claus.

Sharing the story of the real St. Nicholas can help us emulate the generosity of his faith-filled life, which is in turn an expression of God’s own generosity and the gift of Jesus.

When Christmas arrives, we have spent four weeks preparing for the Child. At last, the day to celebrate arrives: The Father has answered our prayers, sending his Son as one like ourselves, humbly immersing himself in human life and speaking words we can understand, inviting us to love.

At Christmas, we celebrate God’s gift of Jesus to the world. The very name of the day and the season — “Christ’s Mass,” derived from the Old English way of speaking of it — places Jesus, present to us in the Eucharist, at the center of the day. Might this Christmas be the beginning of a closer friendship with Jesus, nurtured by the Eucharist?

There are actually four different Masses for Christmas: the Vigil, Midnight Mass, Mass at Dawn and Mass During the Day. Each has a distinct theme and different readings, reflecting the richness of the mystery of the

CNS PHOTO | PABLO ESPARZA

The Vatican Christmas tree, wrapped and resting on the bed of a truck, arrives in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican early Nov. 23.

The 90-foot tree from the Maira Valley near Turin, Italy, will be lighted Dec. 9. After Christmas the wood will be made into toys and donated to Caritas.

Incarnation. Even though most of us will attend only one Mass at Christmas, it’s a beautiful custom — and well worth our while — to meditate on the Mass readings from the others as well. This can deepen our appreciation for what God has done for us and the whole world in Christ.

Christmas is rich with symbols. We put up Christmas trees, Nativity sets and lights, all beautiful in their own right — and all symbolic of the deeper, richer dimensions of meaning that our faith brings to this season.

Christmas trees, being evergreens, speak to us of God’s eternal life and love, embodied in Christ. They also recall the tree in the garden through which sin came into the world, and the tree of the crucifixion by which that sin was conquered. Saying a prayer as we put up our tree, and making sure that some of our ornaments evoke the Nativity, can help bring this “home” to us.

The Nativity scene, or crèche (“crib” in French), was popularized by St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century out of a desire to bring home the reality of the humility and love of Christ. Setting out the Nativity scene — saving the Child for Dec. 25 and the Magi for Epiphany — can be natural moments for prayer and reflection.

God gives the world his Son, who dwells among us, filling us with a love that must be shared. So, we, on Christmas, give gifts. Contemplating the examples of gift-givers like the Magi, St. Nicholas and King Wenceslas can bring a new perspective to our own actions. Who is in greatest need, and what gifts can we give?

Many families have already discovered the joy of giving of themselves to others on Christmas Day: seeking out shut-ins, visiting residents of nursing homes or hospital patients, or serving the poor and the homeless. They reach out, as God reaches out to us in Christ. We can consider other alternatives as well: supporting charities in the name of our friends or encouraging our families to center their gift-giving energies on those less fortunate in order to give as Christ has given to us.

We know as Catholics that Christmas isn’t over Dec. 26. Even just those first few days after Christmas invite us to continue to open our hearts to the Christ Child and what he brings: There’s the challenge of discipleship (St. Stephen Dec. 26), the beauty of the Word Made Flesh (St. John the Evangelist, Dec. 27), the reality of opposition to Christ (the Holy Innocents

Dec. 28) and the blessing of family (Holy Family, the Sunday after Christmas).

Jan. 1 is the beginning of a new calendar year, but that’s not the reason we celebrate it as a feast. On the Roman calendar, New Year’s Day is both the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and a day of prayer for peace.

We make all sorts of resolutions for a new year, but alongside those efforts, we say a different sort of prayer.

God has come to us, not in overwhelming power, but in humility as a child. So, on this day, we pray that the new year might be marked by humility and peace, brought by Christ and modeled by Mary.

The Solemnity of the Epiphany, traditionally observed Jan. 6 (the day following the familiar “Twelve Days of Christmas”), is transferred to a Sunday in the United States. “Epiphany” means “manifestation,” and it’s the celebration of Jesus manifesting his glory as Savior to all nations of the world (symbolized by the Magi).

Epiphany is a gift-giving day in some cultures, as well as a day to ask for God’s blessings on our homes. One particular blessing includes bracketing the initials of the traditional names of the Magi who visited the home of Jesus — Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar — with the year above the front entry door, usually in chalk, like this for 2023: 20+C+M+B+23.

In the scope of the universal Church, past and present, the Christmas season actually has two endings: In the old Roman calendar, the feast of the Presentation Feb. 2 marked the end of the Christmas season. On this day, also called Candlemas, candles are blessed as a symbol of Simeon’s recognition of the infant Jesus as the light to the Gentiles, and as a way to bring the light of Christ home to burn all year. Even today, the Christmas tree and crèche in St. Peter’s Square in Rome remain on display until Candlemas.

Likewise, the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated the Sunday after Epiphany, commemorates the final “Christmas” feast of our present Roman calendar. As we hear the scriptural account of the Father revealing the divinity of Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan River, we celebrate our own baptism, our “new birth” in Christ and inclusion in his body, the Church.

For Catholics, Dec. 25 is only the beginning of the celebration of Christmas. As others pack away the decorations, we continue to celebrate the gift of Christ, ever present for us in the Eucharist — a continual manifestation of God’s loving care for us all year long.