February 8, 2024 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
TheCatholicSpirit.com
‘The real queen’ An Our Lady of Fatima statue joined the St. Paul Winter Carnival in its annual King Boreas Grande Day Parade in St. Paul Jan. 27. A group of men, including seminarians from St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, members of the Knights of Columbus and other supporters carried the statue and banner, plus handed out 1,200 pamphlets containing instructions on how to pray the rosary. Justin Stroh and Jeff Tupy came up with the idea called the “March with Mary” and presented it to the World Apostolate of Fatima, which sponsored the event. The statue was well-received by the crowd, said Stroh, of St. Michael in Pine Island and Holy Trinity in South St. Paul, with some gazing at it intently. “We’re all saying, ‘There’s the real queen,’” he said, noting that the parade also featured winter carnival royalty such as the Queen of Snows and King Boreas. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW 5 | GLOBAL RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION 8 | PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE 10-11 ROADSIDE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES 12 | LENTEN MEAL GUIDE 16-17 | MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 20
2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
PAGETWO
OVERHEARD One studies in order to grow, and growing means to mature together, to engage in dialogue: to converse with God, with teachers and other educators, with parents; to converse between yourselves and also with those who think differently, always to learn new things and to enable everyone to give the best of themselves. Pope Francis during a meeting in the Paul VI Audience Hall Feb. 3 with students and teachers from a private Catholic school in northern Italy. The Rotondi school in Gorla Minore was celebrating its 425th anniversary. Depending too much on current trends or prevailing opinions “can take away our freedom,” the pope said. “At the same time, though, do not be afraid, when necessary, to change and accept opinions and ways of thinking different to your own in all that which is not essential: be true lovers of the truth, and for this, always open to listening” and shared discussion. COURTESY ARCHDIOCESE OF ST PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS
EVERY MEAL Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen, center, Kim Kelly, foreground, and Nathan Hess of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center (ACC) in St. Paul help package several of the more than 4,600 meals members of the ACC packed Jan. 26 for Roseville-based nonprofit Every Meal. With its food packages distributed through its meal programs, Every Meal helps support more than 300,000 Minnesota children at both public and private schools who experience food insecurity. Through its programs, Every Meal also serves several schools supported by the archdiocesan Office for the Mission of Catholic Education’s Drexel Mission Schools Initiative. Learn more about Every Meal online at everymeal.org.
NEWS notes Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of St. Paul-based Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) spoke Jan. 30 at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington about end-of-life care consistent with Catholic teaching, particularly in light of a bill proposal this legislative session on physician-assisted suicide (HF1930/SF1813). For more information on the proposed legislation, as well as ways to get involved, read MCC’s action alert on the topic online: mncatholic.org/action_21165 and see pages 10-11. The head coach of the Hill-Murray boys varsity hockey team reached a milestone in January. According to the school in Maplewood, Head Coach Bill Lechner reached 600 career wins. In a congratulatory post to social media, the school said Lechner’s “passion for the game and dedication to shaping incredible athletes is inspiring.” So far this season, Lechner has led the team to an 11-8-2 record, as of Feb. 6. In January, youth connected with the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis participated in a project to share warmth. Members of the Basilica Y.E.S. (Youth Engaged in Service) Youth Ministry and youth preparing for the sacrament of confirmation made tie blankets for those in need. The program invites high school students in grades 9-12 and includes spiritual growth, service and social activities, according to the Basilica.
PRACTICING Catholic Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Feb. 2 “Practicing Catholic” show included discussions with Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun about Lent in the Maronite Church and with local Catholic photographer and videographer Neal Abbott, who talks about the good, the true and the beautiful that can be found everywhere. Also interviewed: Pam McSweeney of St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Savage, who talks about what led her to teaching and the importance of faith in the classroom. Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
COURTESY BENILDE-ST. MARGARET’S
LIVING FEARLESSLY To celebrate Catholic Schools Week and in honor of Black History Month, BenildeSt. Margaret’s hosted international speaker and author Darryl Bellamy Jr. His presentation included an opportunity for students and staff to write, on cards, what they fear and then place those cards in a virtual fire. “The fears BSM students shared today will inspire other students in the future to fear less,” Bellamy said in a statement. “Their willingness to be vulnerable shows they were locked in and understood what it means to fear less.” Bellamy also presented ways to identify fears and strategies to address them.
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 29 — No. 3 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher JOE RUFF, Editor-in-Chief REBECCA OMASTIAK, News Editor
CORRECTIONS A photo caption accompanying the “Only Jesus” column in the Jan. 25 edition of The Catholic Spirit introduced the two high school students in the wrong order. Marie Dill was on the left. A Minnesota Department of Education statistic on how many students took the ACT was incorrectly reported in a Jan. 25 story about Catholic schools. MDE said 68% of the 2023 graduating class took the ACT.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. Materials credited to OSV News copyrighted by OSV News. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year; Senior 1-year: $24.95. To subscribe: (651) 291-4444; To advertise: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 777 Forest St., St.Paul, MN 55106-3857. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3
FROMTHEVICARGENERAL ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER
Give it up
T
here is still time. I am reassured that I can still come up with my choice for what to give up for Lent. Otherwise, it is an occupational hazard to be standing in the back of the church on Ash Wednesday, knowing that people will ask me what I gave up for Lent and not having my choice made. On one-too-many occasions I have quipped, “chocolate-covered rutabagas.” Once a parishioner gave me a plastic container with cooked chunks of rutabaga covered in chocolate. I ate one. It was awful. I liked to joke that for Lent, I gave up NFL games on TV. There aren’t any. It is easier for me to give up my favorite soda than it is to give up my favorite fast food. One year I gave up hand-battered onion rings with a side of mayonnaise for dipping. It is one of my comfort foods. It was tougher than I thought. The next year, I gave up the mayonnaise. I have also been more ambitious in my Lenten disciplines. One year I gave up TV. Another year I gave up the radio in my truck. The trouble with daily things is that it is easy for me to forget and then in a panic, quickly turn off the TV or turn off the radio. Guilt shadows an otherwise nice day. It is a bit of an echo of the sin of pride to think that whatever I give up makes or breaks the Lenten season. Anything we give up is but a miniscule effort in comparison to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Whatever we give up, if it is a regular reminder of the mystery of the cross, then it is an experience of humility and a worthy reflection on why we give up things in the first place. So, too, the disciplines of Lent do not cause Easter. Like a tripod, fasting, almsgiving and prayer are not repayments for what Jesus has done for us. Rather, they are reminders of the restorative grace given to us when we are open to receiving them. Likewise, the legs of the tripod are each distinct in their character and purpose. I know it is popular to do something positive rather than give up something.
Déjalo
T
odavía hay tiempo. Tengo la seguridad de que todavía puedo elegir a qué renunciar durante la Cuaresma. De lo contrario, es un riesgo ocupacional estar parado en la parte trasera de la iglesia el Miércoles de Ceniza, sabiendo que la gente me preguntará a qué renuncié durante la Cuaresma y sin haber hecho mi elección. En demasiadas ocasiones he dicho en broma: “nabas cubiertos de chocolate”. Una vez un feligrés me dio un recipiente de plástico con trozos de nabas cocidos cubiertos de chocolate. Me comí uno. Fue horrible. Me gustaba bromear diciendo que durante la Cuaresma dejé de ver los juegos de la NFL en la televisión. No hay ninguno. Es más fácil para mí dejar mi refresco favorito que mi comida rápida favorita. Un año dejé los aros de cebolla rebozados con una guarnición de mayonesa para mojar. Es uno de mis alimentos reconfortantes. Fue más difícil de lo que pensaba. Al año siguiente, dejé la mayonesa. También he sido más ambicioso en mis disciplinas de Cuaresma. Un año dejé la televisión. Otro año dejé la radio en mi camioneta. El problema con las cosas cotidianas es que me resulta fácil olvidarlas y luego, presa del pánico, apagar rápidamente la televisión o la radio. La culpa ensombrece un día que por lo demás sería agradable. Es un poco un eco del pecado del orgullo pensar que cualquier cosa a la que renuncie hace o deshace la temporada de Cuaresma. Cualquier cosa a la que
It is a bit of an echo of the sin of pride to think that whatever I give up makes or breaks the Lenten season. Anything we give up is but a miniscule effort in comparison to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Whatever we give up, if it is a regular reminder of the mystery of the cross, then it is an experience of humility and a worthy reflection on why we give up things in the first place.
iSTOCK PHOTO | AUNG MYO HTWE
But the broader understanding of almsgiving includes acts of service as well as monetary donations. Prayer is not intentional service. In our hectic, noisy and sometimes chaotic world, the beauty of prayer can be in the lack of activity and in the depth of silence. It is a good Lenten practice to remember the abstinence from meat on the Fridays of Lent. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of abstinence from meat as well as fasting. Additionally, to give up something for Lent is part of fasting. Though it may seem like
a token gesture, it is an easy reminder of a deeper reflection on the mysteries of our faith. Yes, it is easy to see that it is still a Good Friday world all around us and within us. If all we do is give up candy, then our sweet tooth will be in piggy heaven when Easter comes. To give up something for Lent, whether a difficult discipline or without much thought, if it helps us to understand better that we are an Easter people, then it has meaning and was worth the effort.
renunciemos no es más que un esfuerzo minúsculo en comparación con el sacrificio de Jesucristo. Cualquier cosa a la que renunciemos, si es un recordatorio regular del misterio de la cruz, entonces es una experiencia de humildad y una reflexión digna sobre por qué renunciamos a las cosas en primer lugar. Así también, las disciplinas de la Cuaresma no causan la Pascua. Como un trípode, el ayuno, la limosna y la oración no son pagos por lo que Jesús ha hecho por nosotros. Más bien, son recordatorios de la gracia restauradora que se nos da cuando estamos abiertos a recibirlas. Asimismo, las patas del trípode son distintas en su carácter y propósito. Sé que es popular hacer algo positivo en lugar de renunciar a algo. Pero la comprensión más amplia de la limosna incluye actos de servicio así como donaciones monetarias. La oración no es un servicio intencional. En nuestro mundo agitado, ruidoso y a veces caótico, la belleza de la oración puede estar en la falta de actividad y en la profundidad del silencio. Es un buen práctica cuaresmal para recordar la abstinencia de carne los viernes de Cuaresma. El Miércoles de Ceniza y el Viernes Santo son días de abstinencia de carne y de ayuno. Además, renunciar a algo durante la Cuaresma es parte del ayuno. Aunque pueda parecer una gesto simbólico, es un fácil recordatorio de una reflexión más profunda sobre los misterios de nuestra fe. Sí, es fácil ver que todavía hay un mundo de Viernes Santo a nuestro alrededor y dentro de nosotros. Si lo único que hacemos es renunciar a los dulces, entonces nuestros golosos estarán en el paraíso cuando llegue la Pascua. Renunciar a algo durante la
Cuaresma, ya sea una disciplina difícil o sin pensarlo mucho, si nos ayuda a comprender mejor que somos un pueblo de Pascua, entonces tiene significado y valió la pena el esfuerzo.
OFFICIALS Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:
Effective January 19, 2024 Deacon Hjalmar Guðjónsson, assigned to exercise the ministry of a deacon for the Church of the Divine Mercy in Faribault. This is a transfer from his current assignment as deacon for the tri-parish cluster of the Church of Saint Peter in Richfield, the Church of Saint Richard in Richfield, and the Church of the Assumption in Richfield. Deacon Mickey Redfearn, assigned to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon for the Church of Saint Wenceslaus in New Prague. This is a transfer from his current assignment as permanent deacon for the Church of Saint Bonaventure in Bloomington. Reverend Matthew Shireman, assigned as chaplain for Twin Cities Retrouvaille. This is in addition to his assignment as pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rush City and the Church of Saint Gregory the Great in North Branch, and as chaplain to the Knights of Columbus.
LOCAL
March 9, 2017
‘Angel’ among us
4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
LOCAL
SLICEof LIFE
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
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
‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’
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, Laura Anderson and Scott Larson, parishioners of St. Joseph of the Lakes in Lino Lakes, rehearse the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Irving Berlin during a rehearsal Feb. 4 of the musical variety show “Life’s a Gamble at the Pearly Gates.” About 40 people, almost all parishioners, are doing performances of the show Feb. 9, 10 and 11. The production was written and directed by parishioner Kathy Schwister. This is the eighth variety show she has written and directed over the last 16 years, with the parish doing one every other year. Schwister, a retired elementary school music teacher, said the variety show is a community builder and fundraiser for the choir. “This kind of theater is so much fun,” she said. “All of us are kind of theater wannabes, I think. So, this is a fun outlet for everyone.” Anderson and Larson have the lead roles in the show, with Anderson playing Lola Vino, a jewel thief, and Larson playing Joey Lake, a crooner and manager of Pearly Gates Casino.
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LOCAL
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5
LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW
MCC urges participation to help families, defeat physician-assisted suicide and sports gambling By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit As the Minnesota Legislature prepares to open the second half of its 2023-2024 legislative session Feb. 12 at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), and Maggee Hangge, MCC’s policy and public relations associate, sat down with The Catholic Spirit to discuss key issues facing lawmakers and the people they represent. Urging people to support legislation that helps individuals and families and to contest bills that are detrimental to the common good and contrary to Church teaching, Adkins and Hangge addressed physician-assisted suicide (see also, pages 10-11), mandating health insurance coverage for in-vitro fertilization procedures, andambling. Questions and their responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q Could you start us off with what
you do at the conference and what the conference is set up to do?
iSTOCK PHOTO | JFERRER
A (Adkins) Our staff assists the
(Minnesota Catholic) bishops in their public policy and legislative outreach. So we go to the Capitol, to members of Congress, about important issues impacting life and dignity. And then we find ways to activate more Catholics to help them make their voices heard and amplify the voice of the bishops on important legislative issues ... life issues, but also issues related to poverty, family, economic security, housing deprivation, that we would be derelict in our duties if we didn’t help.
Q There has been a proposal to legalize
sports betting (HF2000/SF1949). It didn’t pass this last go around, but it is still alive and might be debated. Can you talk about the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition’s opposition to gambling expansion and what it hopes to accomplish this session regarding online sports betting?
A (Adkins) We’re glad to partner with
Q Regarding abortion, we saw a
significant change last year (lawmakers codified a right to abortion, expanded taxpayer funding to include elective abortions and eliminated a 24-hour waiting period before a woman could undergo an abortion, among other changes. Are there other areas that Catholics should be alert to and wanting to get involved with?
A (Hangge) Working to help families
is one piece of it. We’re also working collaboratively with other groups in the state to figure out a path forward. We’ve gotten a lot of requests from parishes to come out and speak, probably over a dozen that I’ve done ... to give a rundown of what happened last session, what’s coming, how people can get involved.
Q There is legislation proposed this
session (HF1658/SF1704) that would mandate health insurance plans — including those provided by religious organizations — to cover in-vitro fertilization procedures. Can you share where this legislation falls when it comes to the Church’s teaching on the ethics of conception?
A (Hangge) We know that it’s hard when parents are facing infertility, but we also don’t want to mass produce children. Eugenics can come into this (with) a lot of ethical implications. What do we do with the embryos that are left over? Another thing that this bill could do is potentially normalize surrogacy (bearing a child for another woman) in the state. Quoting Pope Francis, “I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave
Courtesy Minnesota Catholic Conference
Jason Adkins and Maggee Hangge of the Minnesota Catholic Conference at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. violation of the dignity of the woman and the child.”
Q There is legislation known as the
End-of-Life Options Act (HF1930/ SF1813). Others call it the Assisted Suicide Act. Can you explain what this legislation seeks to do and how Catholics can approach the issue?
A (Adkins) The bill would require that
doctors and nurse practitioners, when dealing with patients with a terminal diagnosis, that they advise them of the opportunity to receive what’s called assisted suicide, or lethal drugs, that they can take themselves to end their lives. ... We should be pursuing better healthcare options and giving people more healthcare choices, not pushing them into a corner where they feel like assisted suicide is their only choice. Our position is, let’s expand healthcare options and find better ways to care for one another.
Q That brings me to the thought that
mandated health insurance plans for in-vitro fertility procedures, assisted suicide, these have not passed. Where can people go to have their voices heard on these issues and others?
A (Hangge) People can go to (the
Minnesota Catholic Conference website) mncatholic.org. We have a “take action”
button right on the home page. There are a series of action alerts on these two key (and other) issues. People can go there, click the bill that’s of interest to them or take action on all of them if they want. We have a message that’s curated and with the click of a button, it’s sent to their legislators.
Q There is a lot of information as well
about issues that people can read about and act on.
A (Adkins) Right. We even have a bill
tracker that at any given moment you can see on what bills the Catholic Conference is taking a position. ... We’re trying to make it easier for people to participate in public life. Praying for our elected officials is really important. But then taking that next step and just sending an email — hopefully that’s the next step. Go out and get a group of people together, meet directly, face-to-face with our legislators. We find that nine times out of 10 people don’t even know who represents them. ... We’ve all got to participate. Otherwise, someone else is going to show up and they’re going to be the ones who have the influence over what laws are made here.
others in the faith community and have a united front in defense of human dignity through the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition. The Minnesota Catholic Conference, along with the Minnesota Council of Churches, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and the Islamic Center of Minnesota, built (the coalition). We find common ground for the common good on poverty-related issues. And one of our longstanding positions has been against the expansion of gambling. Why? Of course, the Catholic Church is the bingo church, right? It’s not so much that games of chance are wrong. But the types of gambling prevalent today are heavily addictive. It’s meant to stimulate a passionate response, just like all addictive behaviors. And it puts people into a system that breaks apart families, harms people financially, and drives people deeper into debt and deeper into poverty.
Q Is there anything you would like to
add to our conversation before we sign off?
A (Hangge) One of the things we
do at the Catholic Conference ... (is) help educate the faithful and create opportunities for them to exercise their faithful citizenship. One of the ways we do that is by offering first Friday adoration at the Capitol. The first Friday of every month, we host adoration in the Government Dining Room, in the basement of the Capitol building. About 40 to 60 people on any given first Friday come pray with us. We would encourage people to come pray for their elected officials (and) pray for the work that the Church is doing in the public square.
6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7
8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
NATION+WORLD Summit spotlights plight of persecuted religious groups from Nicaragua to China By Kate Scanlon OSV News Speakers and panelists at a prominent religious freedom summit in Washington Jan. 30-31 examined the plight of religious groups facing persecution around the world, including Catholics in Nicaragua, Christians in Nigeria and Uyghurs in China, as well as a global rise in antisemitism. Organizers of the International Religious Freedom Summit, an annual gathering of lawmakers and human rights advocates in Washington, said they would seek to bring together “a broad coalition that passionately supports religious freedom around the globe.” In a keynote address to the summit, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the United States is called to be an example of religious freedom around the globe since the right to freedom of religion is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. “Our nation’s birth certificate states that very clearly,” he said. Johnson argued that “when religious freedom is taken away from a people, political freedom soon follows, we know that that is the lesson of history.” Noting that suffering around the world is taking place, Johnson said religious freedom should not be a political issue. “In Nigeria, Christians and minority Muslims are attacked and killed by mobs and terrorists,” he said. “Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua and Miguel Díaz-Canel in Cuba hunt down and imprison Catholic priests and Baptist pastors who simply preach the Gospel and speak out
against the regime.” Johnson added that Tibetan Buddhists and Falun Gong practitioners also are in danger, while “Uyghur Muslims are suffering under the Chinese Communist Party’s genocidal campaign of forced sterilization, forced detention and reeducation.” “Millions of Uyghurs have been detained in these camps where they’re kept in cramped cells and they’re tortured and brainwashed. We all know this,” he said. “Uyghur women are subjected to heinous violence I won’t bear to repeat this morning.” Johnson said such acts are indicative of tyranny. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., spoke at the summit to denounce antisemitism. “We need concrete action to overcome attacks on the most fundamental of human rights,” she said, “the rights to one’s conscience and beliefs.” “As a Jewish American, this mission is personal for me,” Wasserman Schultz said. “My own family arrived in the U.S. as migrants fleeing persecution and pogroms in Eastern Europe, motivated by the universal desire for freedom and a better life. Because of their strength and determination, I grew up in a place where I can speak my mind and be whatever I want to be, in line with my beliefs and my Jewish values.” Wasserman Schultz said, “It’s so horrifying to see the resurgence of antisemitism around the world and particularly here in the U.S.” Thanking Johnson for his commitment to cooperation on combating
OSV NEWS | MATT RYB, IRF SUMMIT
Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, and Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Angaelos of London, listen during a session of the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington Jan. 30. antisemitism, Wasserman Schultz said that despite bipartisan cooperation on the subject, the issue remains a significant obstacle. She added that she has spoken to “college students who share that they are afraid to wear a kippah or post the mezuzah on their door, even as our government mobilizes on a bipartisan basis to counter antisemitism.” “While the United States can and
should serve always as an emblem of freedom of conscience, threats are always lurking,” she said. Several speakers and panelists spoke of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s anti-Catholic persecution, including former Vice President Mike Pence. Ortega’s regime has persecuted the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, U.S. officials and lawmakers have said, targeting Church leaders who have criticized his government. Among them, Bishop Rolando Álvarez was sentenced in February 2023 to 26 years in prison the day after he refused to be deported to the U.S. with more than 200 other Nicaraguan political prisoners. Pope Francis publicly denounced Bishop Álvarez’s sentence and the deportation of Nicaraguans from their homeland. The Vatican March 18 shuttered its nunciature in Nicaragua after Ortega’s government proposed suspending diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Bishop Álvarez, along with 18 other churchmen, was exiled and deported to Rome earlier in January, after spending more than 500 days in prison. In remarks at the summit, Pence argued the U.S. should alter its existing trade agreement with Nicaragua if the Ortega regime’s religious persecution continues. “I believe the time has come,” he said, “for the United States to make it clear to Nicaragua that we will not tolerate action against, suppression of, church leaders and religious leaders in Nicaragua without consequence.”
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FEBRUARY 8, 2024
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9
HEADLINES u Pope: Christians must rekindle hope in
fighting today’s forms of slavery. Lent is a time to free oneself from slavery and take action to free others suffering from the multiple forms of slavery that afflict the world, Pope Francis said. Even though baptism has begun a process of liberation, “there remains in us an inexplicable longing for slavery. A kind of attraction to the security of familiar things, to the detriment of our freedom,” the pope said in his message for Lent, which begins Feb. 14 for Latin-rite Catholics. Echoing the tragedy of the ancient Israelites, a modern-day Pharaoh “stifles dreams, blocks the view of heaven, makes it appear that this world, in which human dignity is trampled upon and authentic bonds are denied, can never change,” the pope wrote. Released by the Vatican Feb. 1, the text of the pope’s Lenten message focused on God’s call to leave behind the bonds of slavery, with the title, “Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom,” which is from the Book of Exodus (20:2). Through prayer, almsgiving and fasting, Christians experience “openness and self-emptying, in which we cast out the idols that weigh us down, the attachments that imprison us,” the pope wrote.
u ”We need a generation to forget” on both
sides of conflict, says a Palestinian bishop. A Palestinian bishop has warned that even when the current war in the Holy Land ends, a cycle of hate will continue unless the underlying dispute is resolved by a comprehensive peace process. Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem told OSV News that the level of destruction in Gaza is
unprecedented and many residents there are “starving.” “The situation in Gaza is literally very bad — a destroyed city, destroyed houses and quarters, destroyed infrastructure.” “People in Gaza are hungry, rather starving … The situation of the displaced is very difficult. Many of them are without any place to live in, they are in the street literally, those who are privileged have a tent,” said the bishop who was born in Beit Sahour in the West Bank, the traditional site where the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. The prelate also warned about long-term effects of the war for Israelis and Palestinians. “The amount of violence which took place either on October 7 or afterwards created a big, big gap (between the communities). We need at least one generation to forget, especially inside Israel itself, where Jews and Arabs used to collaborate and to work together,” he said. Peaceful coexistence will only come about when underlying issues are addressed, he said. u Vatican clarifies the handling of cases of
abuse of “vulnerable adults.” In cases of a cleric sexually abusing a “vulnerable adult,” the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith investigates and judges only cases involving “persons who habitually have an imperfect use of reason,” the dicastery said in a note published Jan. 30. Other cases involving vulnerable adults, including those in situations where their ability “to understand or will or otherwise resist the offense” is temporarily limited, should be referred to other offices of the Roman Curia, the clarification said. While Church documents issued in the past
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15 years have included “vulnerable adults” as a special category in need of protection from clerical sexual abuse, questions have been raised about whether those persons should always be treated in Church procedures in a way equivalent to children under the age of 18. For example, many asked, is a religious sister vulnerable to a priest who is her spiritual adviser in the same way that a person with a developmental disability would be? The doctrinal dicastery’s late January clarification said while the Church recognizes the special attention needed toward vulnerable adults, the definition of vulnerable adult in recent Church documents is broader than the cases over which the doctrinal dicastery has jurisdiction.
Committee on Doctrine, has shepherded the synodal process in the U.S. Launched by Pope Francis, the first session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops organized around the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission,” commonly known as the synod on synodality, took place Oct. 4-29, 2023, in Rome. Ahead of the concluding session of the synod in Rome this October, dioceses across the U.S. have been asked by the Vatican to hold additional listening sessions in the next few months. u Pope calls for a global cease-fire; says
humanity is on the brink of the abyss. Today’s wars and conflicts have put humanity on the brink of the abyss, Pope Francis said, calling for a worldwide cease-fire. “I will never tire of reiterating my call, addressed in particular to those who have political responsibility: stop the bombs and missiles now, end hostile stances” everywhere, the pope said in an interview with La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, published Jan. 29. “A global cease-fire is urgent: either we do not realize it, or we are pretending not to see that we are on the brink of the abyss,” he said. Asked about the situation in Israel and Palestine, the pope said that the Oslo Accord is “very clear with the two-state solution. Until that agreement is implemented, real peace remains distant.” However, he said he is also hopeful because “confidential meetings are taking place to try to reach an agreement. A truce would already be a good result.”
u Synod and Scripture: Bishop Flores is to
lead webinars on “John 14 and Synodality.” An upcoming webinar series hosted by a U.S. bishop explores synodality through the prism of Jesus Christ’s words to his disciples at the Last Supper. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, leads three “John 14 and Synodality” webinars, with the sessions taking place over Zoom Feb. 14 (Ash Wednesday) at 3 p.m. CST, March 6 at 2 p.m. CST and March 19 at 3 p.m. CDT. A separate Jan. 31 webinar titled “Conversation in the Spirit” at 11 a.m. CST features U.S. Jesuit Father David McCallum, executive director of the Discerning Leadership Program in Rome. Participants can obtain more information about and register for the sessions at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ dedicated webpage usccb.org/synod. Bishop Flores, who serves as chairman of the USCCB’s
— CNS and OSV News
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10 • FEBRUARY 8, 2023
Doctors, people with disabilities and pro-life leaders oppose ph Anna Wilgenbusch For The Catholic Spirit
J
Editor’s note: The following article deals with topics including depression, mental health and suicidal ideation. For anyone struggling with such difficulties, resources include the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. ean Swenson was an ambitious 28-year-old teacher working with at-risk youth in Minneapolis when her life changed forever. As she drove a bus full of children back from an outing in 1980, she collided with a semitrailer. Swenson’s body was thrown into the windshield, the force of which broke her neck. Looking down to see her blood dripping on the bus floor, she realized that she could not move. “I kept saying to myself, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me,’” Swenson recalled of the painful minutes after the collision. Swenson said she fell into a deep depression in the months after the accident. She found it difficult to accept that she would never play her piano again, cook for herself, or go to the bathroom without assistance. “I wanted to die. I thought my life was over,” Swenson recalled. Fortunately, Swenson said in an intervew, physician-assisted suicide was not an option for her. She is now very grateful to be alive. But if legislation for people diagnosed with a terminal condition passes in Minnesota and opens the door to potential expansion, assisted suicide could one day be an option for people like Swenson. Such legislation would be a tragedy, said Swenson, who is paralyzed from the neck down. Canada, for example, now allows those with incurable illnesses or disabilities to take their lives. Some Canadian legislators have proposed to include people with mental illness in assisted suicide programs. “It doesn't stop here, but it expands,” Swenson said. The Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), which represents the public policy interests of the state’s bishops, said in a recent action alert that the bill is “one of the most aggressive physicianassisted suicide bills in the country” and violates the teaching of the Catholic Church. “As Catholics, we are called to uphold human dignity,” MCC wrote. “Legalization of assisted suicide works against this principle because death is hastened when it is thought that a person’s life no longer has meaning or purpose.” The proposed legislation — HF1930/ SF1813 — would allow anyone with a six-month terminal prognosis to come to Minnesota to get a prescription for a lethal drug. People who have disabilities are not included in the bill, but some warn that the legislation, if enacted, could soon expand to them as well. Despite the opposition of pro-life leaders, many physicians, people with disabilities including Swenson and mental health experts, testimony and action taken by the House Health and Finance Policy Committee Jan. 25 appeared to signal that the legislation has momentum.
James Hamilton, a resident of St. Paul, has implored legislators to enact the bill before his small-cell lung cancer advances to a stage that will suffocate him. “Death need not be this ugly. Were the law to allow it, I would choose to end my life before this disease riddles my body and destroys my brain,” Hamilton wrote in testimony to the House. “The time and manner of my death should be mine to decide.” After a three-hour hearing, the committee passed the bill. The House Public Safety Committee is expected to discuss the issue once the legislative session begins Feb. 12. The committee will decide if the bill will continue its trajectory toward becoming law. Committees in the Senate and the House must act favorably toward the bill by a March 22 deadline to keep the legislation in play. Those who oppose the proposed legislation pointed to several concerning aspects of the bill.
Medical ethics The proposal would not require doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of a drug to patients who meet all criteria for it. However, the bill states that doctors who refuse to provide a prescription for the lethal dose are required to refer a patient to a doctor who will. Dr. Robert Tibesar, a pediatrician and member of St. Agnes in St. Paul, said in a Jan. 30 interview that he has been watching the proposed legislation and fears it would violate the conscience of ethical doctors. “To say to someone, ‘Well I’m not going to harm you, but I’m going to send you to someone else who is going to harm you,’ still goes against our conscience. It still violates our covenant relationship with our patient,” said Tibesar, who is president emeritus of the Catholic Medical Association Twin Cities Guild. Dr. Paul Post, a family medicine doctor who retired in 2019 after 37 years of practicing medicine in Chisago City, testified against the legislation at the hearing and said in an interview that referring patients to a doctor who will kill them is “just as serious” as prescribing the lethal dose. “If you are making the referral, you are still involved in the act, so that doesn't really take care of your freedom of conscience,” he said. Tibesar and Post also expressed concern about a lack of sufficient mental health checks in the proposed legislation. The bill states that the physician who prescribes the medication is also the one who would refer the patient to a mental health specialist if he or she deems it necessary. Tibesar suggested this system could allow biased and agenda-driven doctors to disregard signs of concern. “It would not be a true evaluation of the patient’s mental health by an objective, unbiased medical expert in mental health,” said Tibesar. “It is just an … insincere effort to appease people who may have a concern.” Dr. John Mielke, chief medical director at St. Paul-based Presbyterian Homes and Services with more than 40 years of experience caring for the elderly in Minnesota, said at a news conference held by the Minnesota Alliance for
ANNA WILGENBUSCH FOR THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Jean Swenson, left, with her personal care assistant, Pa Di Moua, in Swenson’s apartment in St. Paul. Ethical Healthcare before the House hearing that the legislation would “corrupt the physician’s ethics” by requiring the doctor to list on the death certificate the underlying diagnosis as the cause of death rather than assisted suicide. Moreover, the bill would require doctors to determine a six-month-or-less prognosis for the patient to be eligible for assisted suicide. This prognosis, Mielke said, is virtually impossible to accurately determine. Patients outlive a six-month diagnosis in about 17% of cases, he said. The alliance is MCC’s end-of-life care partner organization. People can learn more and take action at ethical/caremn.org. Dr. Paul Wojda, an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul who specializes in healthcare ethics and has been following the issue, said in an interview Jan. 30 that if the bill passes into law, there is a risk that doctors who oppose physicianassisted suicide will be terminated from their positions, or not hired, or simply not admitted to medical school. “Healthcare professionals — mostly nurses but also it could include some doctors — are put into situations where they are asked or even required to do things that are contrary to their conscience. It leads to serious distress on their part,” said Wojda, who did not testify at the Jan. 25 House hearing.
Lack of oversight Wojda also said the bill would require “really, really minimal” data to be recorded about the practice of physicianassisted suicide. The legislation would only require that data be collected on how many prescriptions doctors give for a lethal drug, how many patients take the prescribed doses and how many doctors are prescribing the doses. Unlike Oregeon’s assisted suicide law, which served as a model for the proposed Minnesota legislation, no data on the race, age, gender, or self-reported motives would be collected of those who die in Minnesota. Wojda said it is fanciful to think this would not lead to abuse. “If I as a provider know that it is not going to be public information, then maybe I am a little less vigilant about it,” Wojda said.
Kathy Ware, right, gives remarks a hearing about proposed legislation palsy, epilepsy and autism.
Teresa Collett, a professor a University of St. Thomas Scho and director of the UST Prolif testified at the hearing. In an she said the lack of data colle the proposed legislation is “ab terrible public policy.” “We are going to know virt nothing,” she said. “We are n know if it is being abused … w will not have the tools to dete people are doing this.”
Potential for abuse
While it is illegal and would illegal under the proposed leg insurance companies to refus treatment in favor of them dy this happening in other states nonetheless been documente the Washington Times in Wa D.C., reported that an insuran company offered assisted suic patient but not chemotherap cost of treatment. “(The bill) is fraught with p abuse,” Collett said. Disability rights activists sa regardless of how the legislati the bill as currently proposed working against people who h disabilities. Kathy Ware— whose son K has quadriplegic cerebral pals and autism — said that the pr invalidates the worth of the l
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11
INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC COMMENTARY
suicide Learn more and register at Cand atholdefending icsAtTheCapitol.org HOSTS:
On Thursday, Jan. 25, three weeks before the official start of the legislative session, the House Health Finance and Policy Committee held a hearing on HF1930, the End of Life Options Act. Medical professionals, people with disabilities, military veterans, faith leaders, and many more submitted written testimony and testified in person against the bill. The committee voted along party lines to advance the bill out of the committee. HF1930 will move to the House Public Safety Committee for further consideration. The bill requires every physician and advanced practice registered nurse in the state to make patients with a terminal diagnosis aware of their option to receive a prescription of lethal drugs to end their life, and only one doctor would be required to sign off on the patient’s eligibility and diagnosis. There is no mental health evaluation requirement of those who request physician-assisted suicide, and the legislation contains few safeguards against elder abuse. Inevitably, as seen in other places, this kind of law would expand beyond those who have a terminal diagnosis to people with disabilities, depression or illnesses such as dementia and anorexia. Physician-assisted suicide could coerce medical providers into participating in suicides, turning the profession from one that restores and heals into one that also kills. And the option of assisted suicide for some would end up limiting the healthcare choices of the rest of us. As Catholics, we are called to instead create principled care models that support the medical needs and human dignity of all people.
‘Erosion of Rights’ Amendment
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
about assisted suicide during a press conference Jan. 25 at the Minnesota State Capitol before a House committee n to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Minnesota. Next to her is her son, Kylen, who has quadriplegic cerebral
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with disabilities. At the Jan. 25 committee hearing, she advocated for greater resources and home health aides for the disabled, rather than making physicianassisted suicide an option for the terminally ill. “Doctor- and practitioner-prescribed suicide will weaponize an already biased medical community even further against my son, Kylen, and his peers. We are already looked at as a burden to society and a drain on resources and finances,” Ware wrote in testimony to the Minnesota House. Legislating physician-assisted suicide, according to Ware and other disability rights activists, would only intensify the stigma against those with disabilities.
Legislating despair Collett said that if passed, the bill would “give way to despair.” “I think, as a lawyer, as a matter of public policy, we should not be encouraging people to despair. We should instead be encouraging them, walking with them, and helping them find sufficient meaning to continue until natural death occurs,” Collett said in an interview. “If avoidance of suffering is the highest good then the Passion makes no sense,” said Collett, who described her father-inlaw’s final months of life as extremely important and valuable to her family. “There are things we learn from suffering
that we cannot learn any other way.” Isaac Wicker, a mental health therapist and a member St. Peter in North St. Paul, has worked with many patients who have struggled with suicidal ideation throughout his career. This legislation would be devastating to the mental health of those who already do not feel hope, he said. “At an institutional level, we are saying that it is OK for you to die. We don't need you; we don't want you; we don't care,” Wicker said in an interview. “That could be a really strong message not of empowerment but of rejection.” The proposed legislation requires a prognosis of six months or less of life for one to qualify — the very period when profound personal and interpersonal healing can occur, Wicker suggested. “The last six months of a person's life, especially if the (family) system is aware that those are the last six months, that time can be very dynamic. A lot of healing can happen, a lot of reconnection and amends,” Wicker said. Tibesar said that for Christians, the end of one's life can be a time to find meaning in suffering in the light of Christ. “It might actually be the holiest thing that person has ever done, to suffer well for those last days, weeks, months, whatever it takes. It might truly be their shining moment from a spiritual sense,” Tibesar said.
There has been a lot of speculation leading up to the session about whether the House will vote to pass the so-called constitutional “Equal Rights Amendment” and add it to the ballot in the November election. The ERA is a Trojan horse to weaken women’s rights. The current language goes beyond attempting to protect “sex” as a class, but rather would protect people based on their “gender identity or expression.” This would diminish the hard-earned rights and protections of women and could eliminate conscience rights and religious liberty of all Minnesotans by compelling them to acquiesce to gender ideology. Now, some legislative leaders are considering adding the “right to reproductive freedom” as language to the ERA to further entrench abortion rights and coerce Minnesotans into subsidizing it and participating in this practice. This is more political gamesmanship than it is real policy. There are state and federal laws that ban discrimination. And Minnesota has already enacted several laws that protect the right to an abortion. This proposed constitutional amendment erases legitimate distinctions based on the sexual differences of men and women, erodes statutory and constitutional protections for conscience rights and religious liberty, and allows judges to punish dissenters who refuse to support the most extreme policies related to abortion and gender ideology. “Inside the Capitol” is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.
u Send a message to your legislators asking them to reject physician-assisted
suicide and instead work to expand access to quality palliative and hospice care. Go a step further by subscribing to MN Alliance for Ethical Healthcare (ethicalcaremn.org) and learn more about what you can do ahead of the next hearing on this bill.
u Visit mncatholic.org/action_21473 to reach out to state legislators and urge them
to oppose the erosion of women’s rights and religious protections. Go a step further by exploring MCC’s ERA resource page and sharing it with your parish.
12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
FAITH+CULTURE
Sorrowful mysteries, cast in bronze and perched in the prairie By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit Mike Dolan fulfilled a dream last fall when the final bronze statue in his sculpture park was installed. The five sorrowful mysteries of the rosary are now complete, having begun in 2016 when Dolan commissioned a 34-foot-tall crucifix. Thousands of people from across the country have visited what is known as Reflection Sculpture Park of Vesta, a tiny town about two hours west of Minneapolis where the Dolan family has deep roots. He hopes the biblical scenes invite travelers of all creeds to pull over and reflect. “There’s a need for more quiet in our lives, and we don’t take that time very often,” said Dolan, 75, a longtime member of St. Patrick in Edina.
Q Tell me about your family. A My father was one of 13, and I’m
one of 13. We had all sorts of cattle, pigs and chickens. Back in the day, you could disappear in the morning and come back at nightfall.
Q Your faith was woven into the fabric of your life.
A Being Catholic was a lifelong
commitment that was instilled in me by my parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents. We used to go to church on Wednesday night for devotions, we’d show up on Saturday night for a devotion of some kind, and we’d take our eggs into town and our cream from the cows to sell to the grocery. Then Sundays was
always church. Sunday morning was always church, Sunday afternoon was always baseball. That’s the life that was instilled in me. It became who I am. They instilled in us the value of taking time out to reflect on our lives and what’s important. It’s not your words, it’s your actions.
Q You’ve studied your Irish heritage
and even scoped out the Irish countryside — asking around, finding baptismal records, scanning church gravesites, searching town by town. You’re one part genealogist, one part detective.
A I’m afflicted with curiosity. I took
my dad to Ireland a couple years after my mom had passed. He was kind of out of sorts. We traced the place where we thought we came from, and we golfed every day and spent some time at a local pub visiting with the Irishmen every night. It was great fun. We went to one town at 5 o’clock on a Friday night — and I’ll never forget it, my dad would talk to anybody, a typical Irishman — we went into the church and there was a line of about 25 people waiting to go to confession, and Dad walked up to the last two ladies in line and tapped them on the shoulders and asked about our family. They just loved it. They peeled off and started talking to Dad. They said there was nobody there named Dolan, but there was a young lady up the lane whose name is Dolan and who is married to a Dolan.
Q And that was the right connection You have seven more miles to do to Aghyaran.” The next day, we travel out to St. Patrick’s church out in the countryside of Aghyaran in County Tyrone, and it’s loaded with Dolans in the cemetery. Later we got an older uncle to take a DNA test, and sure enough, he matched the young lady, Anita Dolan.
for things to do. I love history. I always have a book or two in motion. And this Palestinian thing has got me intrigued. I’m on my third book on that. I’m reading about Palestine’s history from the Ottoman Empire up to today. I’m old-fashioned, I have to have a book in my hand. I’m a morning person, so I’m up at 5 in the morning, I have my breakfast, I say the rosary every day and after that, if my wife is still sleeping, I’ll read for 20 minutes or an hour.
Q Eureka!
Q Reflection Sculpture Park was
— the third town you had tried.
A She tells us, “You’re very close!
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Mike Dolan with his wife, Cecelia.
A I felt really satisfied. Now we
know exactly where we come from. I’ve written four books on it. My grandfather Jim Dolan lived to be 99 and loved to tell stories. They weren’t fabrications. They were family histories. The first book is nothing more than a print version of the 24 hours of taped conversations that my cousin Joe Dolan had the foresight to record. The newest one includes a whole section on Dolan members who pursued religious life: nuns, priests, deacons, an African missionary, a bishop out in Prince Edward Island. Now I’ve got 13,000 or 14,000 Dolan relatives entered into ancestry.com and about 5,000 pictures online so that, when I’m long done and gone, someone can carry it on.
Q You funded the entire project.
Now it’s a family affair. Your older brother Kenny is a dutiful caretaker of the grounds, which includes benches and a registry book.
A We’re already on our third full
who put up shrines or statues, and I was inspired by what they did. I had bought some farmland, and then I added some more, and I got a nice piece there — almost 460 acres in that corner, where Highway 19 intersects with County Road 5 southwest of Vesta. One day we were driving by Gretna, Nebraska, just outside Omaha, and my wife said, “Look, look! That’s the one you should put up!”
book (of visitors to the sculpture park) — (more than) 1,500 people who signed it. Some just put their name and address down. Other people write something. You can tell they’re distressed by something or they’re reflecting on something, and they’ll actually write half a page, a whole page and it’s very touching. One guy sort of spilled his life story, in terms of his emotions and less-than-stellar behavior and how this reflection park has changed his life. A year later, he comes back and writes a conclusion, how that made him reflect and he’s done some very different things now. That’s the dream (to spark such reflections).
Q You found a sculptor, Michael
Q What do you know for sure?
inspired by your grandparents, who installed a monument to Mary on the site of the first Catholic church in the area, Our Lady of Victory in Lucan.
A Yes. And I knew of other people
Q What keeps you young at heart?
Montag, whose work you admire, and before long, you’d commissioned him to make the giant bronze sculpture.
A What drives me crazy about
A I didn’t know I was going to do
retirement is it lacks intellectual stimulation, so I’m constantly looking
if we could do one of Jesus carrying the cross. I had a personal rule: I’m not going to tell the artist what to do — as long as Jesus is recognizable from one sculpture to the next. I entirely left it up to him.
anything other than a crucifix, but a few years passed, and I asked Michael
A Nothing for sure! I know I’m not
going to sink the next golf putt. I may not be here, for sure, tomorrow. I want to live each day, each hour of each day as: “What can I learn from the experience that I see right in front of me?”
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13
FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER TERRY BEESON
Contagious Christianity Oh, to be a leper in those days. Lepers were considered unclean by the Jewish faithful. They were outcasts. They were accused of being lawbreakers, sinners. Throughout the Gospels, they had a nose for Jesus. And Jesus did not disappoint. We see the compassion, the power and the wisdom of Jesus in this Gospel reading. We see a picture of what Jesus is all about. He does not drive away all of us who have sinned. We may feel like a leper at times, thinking that we have no right to speak to Jesus. But Jesus continues to meet the desperation of human need with an understanding compassion. Jesus reached out and touched that leper. In touching that leper, he shows us that the kingdom of God he proclaims is accessible to all through his grace. He breaks down the barrier for lepers erected by the Jewish community. Jesus touches all of us who feel unclean. To Jesus, none of us are unclean. To Jesus, we are human souls in desperate need of his healing. Jesus fully knew what the ramifications of his action were. His action could be understood as a direct and willing violation of Jewish purity laws. But Jesus has the leper show himself to the priest, who can declare him cleansed from leprosy. Jesus is here to cleanse us. We are made clean by him every time we partake in the sacraments. But we still must live in this society and do what is prescribed by law.
FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN
How to apply to be a deacon
If a man, after prayer and reflection, thinks that God may be calling him to be a deacon, it is time to begin the application process. It is normal to waver. Is God calling me or not? Should I apply now or wait? It is better to apply sooner rather than later because the application process itself is an exercise in discernment. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the first two steps are to contact the archdiocesan coordinator of diaconate vocations or The St. Paul Seminary’s Institute for Diaconate Formation in St. Paul and to attend the institute’s Deacon Discernment Day. Next, to be eligible to apply, the person must have completed the Pillars Course of the seminary’s Catechetical Institute or be enrolled in the program. There are multiple steps to the application process, and it typically takes months to complete them. The first step is the pre-application. Once requested, and if deemed eligible by the Institute for Diaconate Formation, the applicant is given access to the online form. The applicant provides written answers to a short list of questions such as “What does your heart desire?” “How do you experience God in your life?” “How have you responded to God so far?” The second step is the inquiry interview. The applicant, and if married, also his wife, meet with both the director and associate director of admissions. The discussion is wide-ranging and delves into the person’s faith, his prayer life, marriage and family, employment, interests, Church involvement, and the ways that he offers service to others. The interview is for mutual discernment for the applicant and the directors to determine whether to continue with the application process. The third step is to complete the application for aspirancy.
We come to the table of the Lord not for an antidote for what makes us contagious, but to be more infectious. Let us pray that by partaking in the body and blood of Christ, we realize how infectious we can be. Even though Jesus told the man not to tell anyone anything, he tells all who would listen. Just as Jesus insists on proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, this man cleansed of leprosy does the same thing. In a sense, Christianity is even more contagious than leprosy. We do not see too many lepers these days, even though leprosy is still contagious. But as Christians, are we contagious? If we truly are to live out our call as Christians, we will be carriers of the good news. We are carriers of the good news when we speak out against injustice, promote helping the poor, strive for peace and bring out the best in others. We are carriers of the good news when we go out and testify to the healing power of Jesus. When we do that, we are contagious with the love of God. We come to the table of the Lord not for an antidote for what makes us contagious, but to be more infectious. Let us pray that by partaking in the body and blood of Christ, we realize how infectious we can be. Father Beeson is pastor of St. Pius V in Cannon Falls and St. Joseph in Miesville.
This is a longer and more detailed application. The applicant writes an autobiography that tells the story of his family of origin, his current family, his spiritual journey, his participation in the life of the Church, his education, past and current employment history and some of the significant ups and downs along the way. In addition, the applicant must obtain four letters of recommendation, one from his pastor, a fellow parishioner, a friend, and a coworker. He must submit a medical assessment, be VIRTUS certified, participate in a Called and Gifted Seminar if it is offered, and be working to implement the seven Catholic Watchmen practices. If he is married, his wife also submits an autobiography with spiritual reflections, and the couple completes a Roseville-based Prepare/ Enrich marriage assessment. The fourth step is the interview with the admissions committee. The committee is comprised of several deacons, a deacon’s wife or other women versed in discernment, a priest, and the associate director of admissions. The applicant, and if married, also his wife, discuss in greater depth the topics addressed in his autobiography as well as his ongoing reflections on his perception of God’s unfolding call to serve as a deacon. Again, like the inquiry interview, the second interview is for mutual discernment, for the applicant to determine if he wants to be admitted to aspirancy, the initial formation program to become a permanent deacon, and for the admissions committee to decide if they will recommend him to the archbishop. If recommended for aspirancy, the final steps are to clear a criminal background check and a financial background check, after which the director of the Institute for Diaconate Formation submits the recommendation to the archbishop for his decision. This multi-faceted, multi-stage and intentional process is much more than a job application. It helps the man and his wife to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit working through the Church to discern if Jesus the Servant is calling him to serve as a deacon. Father Van Sloun is the 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.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Feb. 11 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lv 13:1-2, 44-46 1 Cor 10:31—11:1 Mk 1:40-45 Monday, Feb. 12 Jas 1:1-11 Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday, Feb. 13 Jas 1:12-18 Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday, Feb. 14 Ash Wednesday Jl 2:12-18 2 Cor 5:20—6:2 Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday, Feb. 15 Dt 30:15-20 Lk 9:22-25 Friday, Feb. 16 Is 58:1-9a Mt 9:14-15 Saturday, Feb. 17 Is 58:9b-14 Lk 5:27-32 Sunday, Feb. 18 First Sunday of Lent Gn 9:8-15 1 Pt 3:18-22 Mk 1:12-15 Monday, Feb. 19 Lv 19:1-2, 11-18 Mt 25:31-46 Tuesday, Feb. 20 Is 55:10-11 Mt 6:7-15 Wednesday, Feb. 21 Jon 3:1-10 Lk 11:29-32 Thursday, Feb. 22 Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle 1 Pt 5:1-4 Mt 16:13-19 Friday, Feb. 23 Ez 18:21-28 Mt 5:20-26 Saturday, Feb. 24 Dt 26:16-19 Mt 5:43-48 Sunday, Feb. 25 Second Sunday of Lent Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Rom 8:31b-34 Mk 9:2-10
KNOW the SAINTS ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA (1869-1947) As a child, this first Sudanese saint was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. A Muslim owner named her Bakhita, meaning “lucky”; other owners included an Arab chieftain and a Turkish general. She endured years of cruelty, even torture, before being sold to an Italian consul who planned to free her. He took her to Italy, where she worked as a nanny for another family. In 1889, she won her freedom in court. She was baptized Josephine, entered the Canossian Sisters and served her order in Italy for more than 50 years as a cook, seamstress and doorkeeper. Her feast day is Feb 8. – OSV
14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
COMMENTARY SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY
Love is patient, love is kind
We have all been to weddings and heard St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, which states, “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated. Love is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” As we hear those words, we know they pertain to the couple getting married, but we may not realize they pertain to all those witnessing their nuptials, as well. During this month of love, encourage your spouse. Be patient, be kind, overlooking things that cause you to be upset or annoyed. Admit when you feel arrogance or egoism and adjust your attitude. Extend grace to your spouse and assume the best. Let go of anger.
BRIDGING FAITH DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN
Taking a second look
When I traveled to India the first time, I was amazed to see how diverse the country was. Every state had a different language and culture. Despite the many differences, one thing was the same everywhere I went: the way people greet you. They do not shake hands or wave. People greet you by folding their hands and bowing to you. When I went to Catholic Mass, I found out this is the way they also greet one another during the sign of peace. After one Mass, I had a chance to ask an elderly man what it meant to them to greet each other in this way. He said, “When we bow and greet each other, we are saying, ‘The Spirit of God in me greets the Spirit of God in you.’” What strikes me about this greeting is the way they assume God is already present in the other. Their greeting looks beyond the surface of the person to see something more. It means taking a second look. The notion of taking a second look at another person gets very close to the root meaning of the word respect. To respect means to look again or take a second look. When we respect someone, we are willing to look deeper than the surface of what we see. We look beyond our initial reactions and prejudgments. We don’t settle for just one look but see that there is essentially more to this person. In our Catholic faith, our social teachings are rooted in a deep respect for the dignity of every human person.
According to marriage researcher John Gottman, to build a strong marriage, we must turn toward each other every day. Gottman suggests that the first step in turning toward each other “is simply to be aware of how crucial these mundane moments are, not only to your marriage’s stability, but to its ongoing sense of romance.” We must rejoice in the depth of the love we share with our spouse and hold on to the belief that, when we work to make our marriage the model of Christ’s love for his Church, our union can be a gift of great beauty and reverence to God. It was God who gave us our spouse, and in his divine wisdom, he showers graces upon us when we love our spouse the way he does. This is the month of love and the one we must love most after God is our spouse. Allowing ourselves to bring negativity into our relationship, without putting a halt to it, is simply not acceptable in a loving, Catholic marriage. If any negative thoughts come into your mind about a past grievance with your spouse, take it to prayer. Sit before the Blessed Sacrament in the adoration chapel and ask Jesus to make your heart pure. Ask him to give you a heart of flesh, not a heart of stone. Then go to the sacrament of reconciliation, confess your sin and receive guidance and absolution from your priest. This Valentine’s Day, evangelize the culture through the witness of your faithful marriage. Buy your spouse
That dignity comes from each person being made in the image and likeness of God. Respecting life in all its forms means to recognize the presence of God in all things. Practicing respect for human dignity demands that we learn how to take a second look at all those we meet. I wondered if other languages have this sense of acknowledging God’s presence in their greeting. I learned that in Spanish, the word “adios” means “to God” when you say goodbye. I learned that in southern Germany, people don’t say, “Guten Tag,” but rather greet you with the words, “Grüß Gott” which can mean “I greet God in you.” When it came to English, the closest I could come up with is the word “goodbye” which comes from an Old English phrase, “God be with ye.” It makes me wonder if our own language has lost this sense of respect in greeting one another. Have we become too quick to settle for just the surface and first impressions without taking a second look? One place that retains this greeting of the Spirit of God with us is during Mass. When we gather as a community, the priest says, “The Lord be with you.” And we respond, “And with your spirit.” This greeting encourages us to recognize the presence of God within us and between us. At the time of the Gospel, the deacon says, “The Lord be with you.” We are called to look and listen beyond the words spoken to hear the word of God spoken to us. We hear this greeting again at the time of the Eucharistic prayer and the sign of peace. It means recognizing Christ in the breaking of the bread and the peace of Christ in each other. Finally, as we are sent forth, we are told one more time, “The Lord is with you” as we go forth to love and serve God in the world. We go forth filled with Christ’s presence and seek out Christ’s presence in the world. Seeking Christ’s presence in the world and seeing God’s spirit in one another means to see life as a sacrament. The
ACTION PLAN
iSTOCK PHOTO | EVGENYATAMANENKO
u Commit this year to positivity in your marriage and extend a
loving gesture toward your spouse each day.
u Fill your mind with good, holy thoughts and challenge
negative thinking before it overwhelms your marriage.
a beautiful card that expresses your love for them. Sign it with a deep conviction to be attentive and loving toward them, the way God loves them. Be a beacon of light in your marriage. Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.
classic spiritual work by Brother Lawrence called this kind of life the practice of the presence of God. The language of our faith and of our liturgy calls us to a sacramental worldview. When we take a second look, when we look beyond the surface, when we respect the inherent dignity of all persons and creation, we
are practicing a sacramental life and the presence of God. 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.
What’s Your Plan This Year? Vacations, family reunions, special celebrations — these are all on your calendar. Is charitable giving? Now’s the time to make a plan to maximize your tax benefits — and your giving. This is especially true if you might give non-cash assets, like shares of stock or required minimum distributions from your traditional IRA. To make the most of your charitable gifts this year, start planning now. The experts at the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota can help. 651.389.0300 ccf-mn.org
Catholic Community
FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA
COMMENTARY
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
TWENTY SOMETHING CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
Cold water, warm heart: How to feel alive One after another, influencers are taking the plunge. The cold-water plunge. I couldn’t help but follow along when Elizabeth Ries, a lovable Twin Cities TV personality, joined the trend this week, heading to Duluth to dip into Lake Superior. It was zero degrees, and the mother of three was multitasking: filming for TV while sharing the experience on Instagram stories. “This is the true Duluth experience,” said Ries, donning a knit cap and plaid jacket, her dimples flashing. “Let’s do this!” Next, Ries, in a black-and-white gingham swimsuit, perches in a sauna floating over Lake Superior. Then, she climbs down a ladder and immerses herself in the hole in the ice, dunking her head underwater. She pops back up, yelps and high fives the man across from her. “This was the best!” she concludes, back in her jacket and hat. “The best! I can’t even stand it.” The Nordic tradition sweeping the country is called “vinterbadning” by the Danish, which means “winter bathing.” The Vikings, renowned for their resilience, often followed a sauna session by a plunge into icy waters to boost their “livskraft,” or life force. Now suburban moms are following suit. Brother Matt Wooters, 36, vocations promoter for the Jesuits’ Midwest province, understands their motivation. He’s turned cold-water swimming into a sunrise ritual, logging nearly 30 different bodies of water in 2023. When he relocated to Detroit last summer, he scouted out a new swim spot before unpacking. He landed on Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River, and enjoyed a long run of daily swims until the recent subzero snap forced him to pause.
“If it’s in the low 20s, I’ll still go,” he said. On the coldest days, he swims about three minutes, steadily increasing the duration as the weather warms. “I go in really slow — ankles, knees, hips, chest, then all the way up,” he said. “Your first response is to clench and hyperventilate. But you can reset your nervous system. Then you feel bliss. Your brain is flooded with happy chemicals. It happens every time.” He’s not surprised so many Americans — numbed by non-stop exposure to screens — are taking the plunge. “There’s something to having a thrill. And there’s a certain playfulness to it. We’re going swimming — we’re not working on a spreadsheet. We’re doing cannon balls!” His daily swim keeps him attuned to the shifting of seasons, which feels “liturgical.” It reminds him of how monks adjust the time of their morning and evening prayer to the daylight. “We’re connected to water and air and seasons, even though we’re quite airconditioned and heated and comfortable these days.” Though high-profile influencers may not articulate it, there’s a spiritual underpinning to a cold-water plunge. “There’s a seeking,” Brother Matt said. “And there’s a finding. They’ve had an experience with something wonderful and wild and mysterious, and they go back to it. Almost always, we’re trying to fill a God-shaped hole in our heart. We crave to live with God forever. I’m hungry for that, I want more of that.” The joy of cold-water immersion is a guidepost, he believes, calling to mind a statement from St. Ignatius: that which makes you feel most alive, that’s where God is. “There’s an alignment with our God-given gifts and talents, and also a sense of God’s closeness,” Brother Matt said. “Consolation fills us with an increase of faith, hope and love. St. Ignatius tells us to go back to those moments.” He finds them, invariably, while swimming. “It’s baptismal,” he said. “How you go into the baptismal font is different from how you leave. Not only are you physically wet, but you’re drenched in grace. I feel the same. And whatever worries or fears you had going into it are gone when you’re done.”
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15
GUEST COMMENTARY | DEACON JOSEPH MICHALAK
Ashes or chocolate?
It last occurred in 2018, before that in 1945, and it is happening again: Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Or does Valentine’s Day fall on Ash Wednesday? There’s the rub: Which takes precedence? Can they go together? Can both be celebrated Feb. 14? Well, sure: Enjoy that stale bread and water with your sweetheart! Alright, perhaps the answer is a bit more nuanced, and as a husband, father and deacon, I have a vested interest (there’s a pun there!) in a more thorough answer. But in short, Ash Wednesday trumps Valentine’s Day. That is, if Catholics are going to celebrate Valentine’s Day (and there’s nothing that says we must other than perhaps a now Hallmarkdominated custom), we must do so in a fitting manner when it falls on Ash Wednesday. That is, there is something — or rather someone: Mother Church — who says that as Catholics we must observe Ash Wednesday at least by abstaining from meat and by fasting. So there seems to be something just a tad incongruent about chocolate and wine and cheesecake (all technically allowed) on one of the two remaining mandatory fast days of the entire year. Additionally, on Ash Wednesday observant Catholics (and others) will notice a change in color (to violet), a change in music (more somber), a change in prayers (no alleluia, no Gloria at Mass, a whole panoply of different antiphons and responses in the Liturgy of the Hours), a change in décor (more spartan, no flowers). And many if not most Catholics (and others) participate in Mass or another ritual in which ashes (from burning last year’s palms) are smeared or sprinkled on our heads as a sign of grieving for our sins, for our self-centeredness, for abusing our freedom to love, and beginning to say, “I am sorry.” All these external expressions are meant to enkindle internal disposition from, perhaps, same old, same old, and to wake up, pay attention, begin the journey, stir the heart. Turn from distracted love to Love himself. Ash Wednesday, far from being an isolated day, is meant to be the starting gate for an entire season of embodied love, a stress test on the heart, to see what our hearts are made of — like one of those treadmill exercises when they wire you up to monitor the ol’ ticker and see how healthy or not it may be. It’s meant to be an entire season of 40 days of almsgiving, prayer and fasting: embodied practices. In the baldest formula: Give your money away and take care of others, shut up and waste a lot more time on God, and don’t eat food. Putting aside money, time and food inwardly opens me outward: turning from me to others, to God. Not a bad trajectory,
Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL
Love and ashes
Feb. 14 will be a bit of a strange one this year: It’s both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. A lot is being made of these two seemingly polar opposite commemorations coinciding. After all, the logic goes, what could be more of a romantic buzzkill than remembering that we are dust and to dust we shall return? The sense is that Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday aren’t only about completely different things, but the two holidays are incompatible. You can’t fully observe both, so pick one or the other: love or ashes. But while the vibes of the holiday and the holy day are certainly different, there are indeed some deeper connections worth pondering. In fact, we can discover some illuminating connections between Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day that can help enrich our celebration of both — and correct some deficient understandings of romance and penance in the process.
In other words, we can see how love and ashes actually belong together. Ash Wednesday helps us see that romance is penitential (at least in part). The ashes we receive are a sign of our contrition and humility, and a recognition of our need for God’s grace in our lives — including our love lives. Romance doesn’t get left out of the mystery of redemption. Romantic relationships, and marriage in particular, are incredible goods, but they stand in need of divine assistance to reach their true potential. In fact, if romance is not aided by God and incorporated into his divine plan, it’s just dust — just like we are, apart from his love and sanctifying grace. Lent can be an important time to acknowledge our shortcomings in our romantic relationships and, with God’s grace, to amend our lives to become more self-giving. At the same time, Valentine’s Day can help us see that penitence is romantic, meaning that it is not disconnected from the mystery of love. The penitential spirit that imbues all of Lent — giving things up and expressing our contrition — isn’t about masochism or self-hatred. Instead, we deny ourselves good things and recognize our limitations so we can become freer to love others more fully — God, ultimately, but also our significant other. Lent is all about self-sacrifice for the sake of the beloved — what could be more romantic than that? In fact, St. Valentine himself — a priest who was martyred for, among other things, celebrating illegal
PLEASE TURN TO GUEST COMMENTARY ON PAGE 19
Christian weddings in ancient Rome — can be a compelling companion for us this Lenten season. His witness reminds us that the “little deaths” of Lent should all be undertaken in the name of love — earthly and divine. But what does this mean about how we can celebrate both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day together this year? First off, following the Church’s prescriptions of fasting (no feasting) and abstinence (no meat) on Feb. 14 doesn’t need to come at the expense of a celebration of true love. Because love always seeks the good of the other, participating in these Ash Wednesday penances with your sweetheart is more romantic than splurging on a candlelit steak dinner. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be intentional. You can still treat your beau or belle to one full Ash Wednesday meal — or one of the “two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.” Or perhaps make a date night out of serving at a local soup kitchen, as part of your Lenten almsgiving. G.K. Chesterton once remarked that “an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.” This seems to apply to this year’s unusual Feb. 14. May yours be full of both penance and romance. 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.
16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
LENTENMEALGUIDE The Catholic Spirit’s annual Fish Fry and Lenten Meal Guide features listings for parishes using information provided before deadline. Fridays during Lent are Feb. 16 and 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 (Good Friday). Online updates at TheCatholicSpirit.com/nomeat
ANOKA St. Stephen — Fish Fry, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Feb. 16, March 1, 22. 525 Jackson St. Adults: $17; kids (11 and under): $7; kids (4 and under): free. Includes fish tacos, chips and salsa, cheese pizza, dessert and beverage. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 763-421-2471. ststephenchurch.org
BELLE PLAINE Our Lady of the Prairie: Knights of Columbus Council 1503 — Fish Fry, 4:30 p.m. March 1, 8, 15, 22. 200 E. Church St. Freewill offering (suggested: $12). Includes breaded and unbreaded baked fish, served with salad, au gratin potatoes, a roll and dessert. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6:30 p.m. 952-873-6564. ourladyoftheprairie.com
BLAINE St. Timothy — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 8. 707 89th Ave. N.E. Includes baked cod or deep-fried pollock, baked beans, creamy coleslaw, French fries, bread, choice of beverage. Sit-down, takeout. 763-784-1329. churchofsttimothy.com
BLOOMINGTON Nativity of Mary — Fish Fry, 5-8 p.m. March 15. 9900 Lyndale Ave. S. Advance tickets: $13; at the door: $15. Includes cod filets or grilled cheese, French fries, baked beans, coleslaw, bun and an assortment of desserts. Beer, wine and cocktails extra for dine-in only. Sit-down, takeout, drive-through. Stations of the Cross: 7:30 p.m. 952-881-8671. NativityBloomington.org St. Bonaventure — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 22. 901 E. 90th St. Adults: $15; kids (6-12): $7: kids (5 and under): free. Includes fried ocean perch, fresh-baked hot rolls, au gratin potatoes, coleslaw, beverages and soft-serve sundaes. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. saintbonaventure.org/fish-dinners.html St. Edward — Fish Fry, 5-7, p.m. March 8. 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S. Adult: $15; family: $50. Includes beer-battered cod, fries, coleslaw, green beans, mac and cheese and ice cream. Sit-down, takeout. 952-835-7101. stedwardschurch.org
BROOKLYN PARK St. Gerard Majella — Soup Supper, 11:30 a.m.2 p.m. March 8. 9600 Regent Ave. N. Freewill offering. Includes a meatless variety of soups. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 11:30 a.m. 763-424-8770.
BUFFALO St Francis Xavier, Hosted by the Knights of Columbus — Fish Fry, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. March 15. Bison Creek Bar and Dining, 1207 N. Highway 25. Adults: $15; kids (9 and under): $10. Includes fried fish, baby red potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, bread sticks, chicken strips for those who can eat meat, milk, coffee and water. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 612-616-1433.
CANNON FALLS St. Pius V — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8. 410 Colvill St. W. Adults: $15; kids (5-12): $5; kids (4 and under): free. Includes Alaskan pollack (fried and baked), rice, baked beans (all gluten free), coleslaw, dinner roll, mac and cheese, fresh relishes, homemade cookies and bars and beverages. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 4:30 p.m. 507-263-2578. stpiusvcf.org
CHANHASSEN St. Hubert — Fish Fry, 4:30-6:45 p.m. Feb. 16, March 1, 15. 8201 Main St. Adults: $16; kids (6-12): $7; kids (5 and under): free; seniors (65+) and military: $14; families: $42 (up to 4 adults). Includes baked and fried fish, baked potato or cheesy hash browns, green beans, coleslaw and bread. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 952-934-9106. sthubert.org
dinner roll, dessert, coffee, water or milk. Buffet, takeout.
CLEARWATER St. Luke, Hosted by the Knights of Columbus — Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. 17545 Huber Ave. NW. Adults: $15; kids (12 and under): $6. Includes fried fish, cheesy potatoes, vegetable, dinner roll, cookie and bottled water. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. kc14013.mnknights.org
COON RAPIDS Epiphany — Fish Fry, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 11001 Hanson Blvd. NW. Adults: $15; seniors (62+): $10; kids (6-12): $5; kids (5 and under): free; immediate family: $50. Includes baked tilapia, battered deep-fried cod, homemade cheese pizza, baked potato and fixings or tater tots, coleslaw, cookies and beverage. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. epiphanymn.org/events-at-epiphany/lenten-fish-fry
DEEPHAVEN St. Therese Parish and School — Fish Fry, 6 p.m. March 8. 18323 Minnetonka Blvd. Includes fried fish, French fries, coleslaw and mac and cheese. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 5:30 p.m. st-therese.org
EAGAN St. John Neumann, The Knights of Columbus and The Dakota County Elks — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 1, 15, 22. 4030 Pilot Knob Road. Adults: $18; kids (8 and under): $5. Adult meal includes walleye, potato and coleslaw; kids meal includes mac and cheese and animal crackers. Sit-down.
EDINA Our Lady of Grace — Fish Fry, 5:30-8 p.m. March 8. 5071 Eden Ave. Cost: $15. Includes battered cod, baked potato, coleslaw, bread/butter and cake. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. olgparish.org Our Lady of Grace — Soup Supper, 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 1, 15, 22. 5071 Eden Ave. Free. Includes tomato soup and a piece of bread. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. olgparish.org/lent-easter-schedule
EXCELSIOR St. John the Baptist Catholic Montessori School — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8. 638 Mill St. Adult: $15; children: $10. Includes beer-battered cod, baked potato, coleslaw, dinner roll, dessert and beverage. Sit-down, takeout. 952-474-8868. stjohns-excelsior.org
FARMINGTON St. Michael — Soup Supper, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Feb. 14 (Ash Wednesday). 22120 Denmark Ave. Includes soup and bread. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 6:30 p.m. 651-463-3360. St. Michael — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 8. 22120 Denmark Ave. Includes fried fish, tater tots, mac and cheese, coleslaw, roll and cookie. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. 651-463-3360.
FOREST LAKE St. Peter — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 1250 South Shore Drive. Adults (13+): $15; children (6-12): $8; children (5 and under): free. Includes fried cod, baked tilapia, fries or potatoes, coleslaw, garlic toast, homemade coleslaw, homemade tartar sauce, coffee, milk, lemonade, water and dessert (can be substituted with meatless pasta or a grilled cheese sandwich). Sit-down, buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 651-982-2200. stpeterfl.org
GOLDEN VALLEY Good Shepherd — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 15. 145 Jersey Ave. S. Freewill offering (suggested: $10). Includes fried fish, French fries, roasted potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m.
HAM LAKE
CHASKA
St. Paul — Soup Supper, 6-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE. Includes soup, bread and beverage. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 763-777-8556. churchofsaintpaul.com/lent
Chaska Knights of Columbus / Guardian Angels — Fish Fry, 4-7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. 215 W. First St. Adults: $16; kids (6 to 12): $7; kids (5 and under): free; family: $50 for parent(s) with their minor children. Includes pollock fish (deep-fried beer-battered, deepfried dry rub or lemon pepper oven baked), mashed potatoes and potato salad, coleslaw, green beans,
St. Gabriel the Archangel — Fish Fry, 5-7:30 p.m. March 8, 22. 1310 Mainstreet. Adults: $15; seniors (65+): $10; kids (6-18): $10; kids (5 and under): free. Includes fried fish, fish tacos, baked fish, coleslaw, mac and cheese, cooked veggies, desserts and beverages. Buffet, takeout.
HOPKINS
HUGO St. Genevieve — Fish Fry, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, March 8. 14383 Forest Blvd. N. Includes fried Icelandic cod, baby red potatoes, French fries, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, pickles, rolls, cookie and beverage. Buffet, takeout. 651-429-7937. stgens.org
JORDAN St. John the Baptist — Soup Supper, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Feb. 23, March 1, 8, 22. 215 Broadway St. N. Freewill offering. Includes multiple choices of soup, bread and/ or crackers. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 952-492-2640. sjbjordan.org St. John the Baptist — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16. 313 E. Second St. Adults: $14; kids: $7. Fried fish, beans, salad, rolls, dessert and beverages. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 952-492-2640. sjbjordan.org St Patrick — Fish Fry, 5-7:30 p.m. March 22. 24425 Old Highway 13 Blvd. Adults: $16; kids (4-12): $6; kids (3 and under): free. Baked and fried cod, French fries, au gratin potatoes, mac and cheese, coleslaw, beans, rye bread and rolls, and dessert. Buffet, takeout.
LINDSTROM St. Bridget of Sweden — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 13060 Lake Blvd. Adults: $15; seniors: $12; kids (6 and over): $10; kids (5 and under): free. Includes fried and baked cod, French fries, coleslaw, green beans, meatless spaghetti, dinner roll, dessert and beverage. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 9:30 a.m. 651-257-2424.
LINO LAKES St. Joseph of the Lakes — Soup Supper, 5:15-6:15 p.m. Tuesday nights: Feb. 20, 27, March 5, 12, 19. 171 Elm St. Freewill offering. Includes various soups, accompanied by a roll and simple homemade dessert with coffee, milk or tea. Buffet. mystjoes.me/lenten-events St. Joseph of the Lakes — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 1, 8, 15. 171 Elm St. Adults: $15; kids (5-10): $7; kids (5 and under): free; Takeout: $15. Includes pan fried or baked cod, tomato-basil soup, roasted potatoes, green beans, creamy coleslaw, bread and a variety of homemade desserts. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. mystjoes.me/lenten-events
LITTLE CANADA St. John the Evangelist of Little Canada — Fish Fry, 4:30-6 p.m. March 1, 15. 380 Little Canada Road E. Includes fried and baked cod or grilled cheese sandwich with green beans, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, roll and milk or lemonade. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. sjolc.org
LONSDALE Immaculate Conception — Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 15. 116 SE Alabama St. Adults: $16; kids (6-8): $8; kids (5 and under): free. Includes deep-fried breaded pollock, au gratin potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, bread and cookies. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. icchurch.cc
MAHTOMEDI St. Jude of the Lake — Fish Fry, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 700 Mahtomedi Ave. Includes baked tilapia, breaded cod, potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, dinner rolls and brownie. Sit-down. stjudeofthelake.org
MAPLE GROVE St. Joseph the Worker — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. March 1, 15. 7180 Hemlock Lane N. Includes your choice of baked or fried fish (cod), garlic mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and a brownie. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 763-425-6505. sjtw.net
MAPLEWOOD Presentation of Mary — Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. School gym, 1695 Kennard St. Large fish meal: $17; small fish meal: $14; soup meal: $8. Fish meal includes fried fish, baked potato, coleslaw, dinner roll, tartar sauce, butter and lemon. Soup meal includes veggie chili or broccoli cheese soup, roll and drink. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. presentationofmary.org St. Jerome — Fish Fry, 5-7:30, p.m. March 22. 380 Roselawn Ave. One piece: $12; two pieces: $14; three pieces: $16; pasta with meatless red sauce: $10. Fish dinner includes hand-battered 4- oz. cod fillets, French
fries, coleslaw, baked beans, dessert, coffee, water. Pasta dinner comes with meatless red sauce, includes all sides but fish. Sit-down, takeout. stjeromefishfry.org
MEDINA Holy Name of Jesus — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16. 155 County Road 24. Includes fried and baked fish, baked potato, mac and cheese, coleslaw, dinner roll, cookie, water and lemonade. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 7:15 p.m. hnoj.org/fishfry
MENDOTA St. Peter in Mendota — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. 1405 Sibley Memorial Highway. Includes tilapia, coleslaw, roasted new potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, beverages and assorted desserts. All proceeds go to fund projects for St. Peter’s Uganda Mission. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 6:30 p.m. stpetersmendota.org
MENDOTA HEIGHTS Holy Family Maronite — Famous Lebanese Lenten Dinners, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 1960 Lexington Ave. Cost: $15. Includes baked fish, green beans in tomato sauce served over a bed of Lebanese rice, fried cabbage, flat bread, garlic sauce, homemade desserts. 651-291-1116. holyfamilymaronitechurch.org
MINNEAPOLIS Annunciation — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. 501 W. 54th St. Includes fried fish, baked potatoes, coleslaw, bread, cookies, soft drinks and beer. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. annunciationmsp.org Basilica of St. Mary — Soup Supper, 1-2 p.m., 6:307:30 p.m. Feb. 14 (Ash Wednesday). 88 N. 17th St. Free. Includes vegetarian soup and bread. Buffet. 612-3331381. mary.org Holy Cross — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 8, 15, 22. 1621 University Ave. N.E. Adults: $14; seniors: $12; kids (3-11): $3; kids: (2 and under): free. Includes fish, French fries, baked potato, mac and cheese, dinner roll, coleslaw, dessert and beverages. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 5 p.m. ourholycross.org Our Lady of Lourdes — Fish Fry, 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. 1 Lourdes Place. Includes fried cod, coleslaw, French fries and dessert. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 5 p.m. lourdesmpls.org Our Lady of Peace — Meatless Lenten Meal, Soup Supper and Fish Fry. 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 5426 12th Ave. S. Soup suppers (Feb. 16, Feb. 3, March 8, March 15) include a variety of meatless soups and bread served from 6-6:30 p.m.; Fish Fry (March 1, March 22) includes fried fish, coleslaw, mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes, rolls, carrots and cookies served from 5-7 p.m. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. olpmn.org/events St. Albert the Great — Fish Fry, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 1, 8, 15, 22. 3204 E. 29th St. Adults: $15; kids (age 6-12): $7; kids (5 and under): free. Includes baked and fried tilapia, mashed potatoes and hash brown triangles, meatless spaghetti, coleslaw, breads, dessert and beverages. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 3:30 p.m. 612-724-3643. saintalbertthegreat.org St. Helena — Meatless Lenten Meal Fish Tacos, 5-6:30 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. 3204 E. 43rd St. Includes fish tacos, chips and salsa, dessert and drinks. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 612-729-7344. sainthelenampls.org St. Joan of Arc — Soup Supper, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Feb. 14 (Ash Wednesday), 21, 28. March 6, 13, 20. 4537 Third Ave. S. Freewill offering. Includes a variety of soups, grilled cheese sandwiches. Sit-down. saintjoanofarc.org
MINNETONKA Immaculate Heart of Mary — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 8. 13505 Excelsior Blvd. Adults: $15; kids (12 and under): $8. Includes baked fish, fish tacos, salad bar, au gratin potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, rolls, cookies and beverage. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 952-935-1432. ihm-cc.org LENTEN MEAL GUIDE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
LENTENMEALGUIDE
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
LENTEN MEAL GUIDE
Alaskan pollock, potato, coleslaw, baked beans, beverages and dessert. Sit-down, takeout. 952-467-3351.
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OAK GROVE
MONTGOMERY
St. Patrick — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 1, 8, 15, 22. 19921 Nightingale St. NW. Adults/teens: $14; kids (6-12): $7; kids (5 and under): free; maximum family rate: $55 per family (family unit consists of father, mother and children). Includes all-you-can-eat fish (fish only), and mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, dinner roll and dessert. Sitdown, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. 763-7532011. st-patricks.org/events/fish-fry-time
Montgomery American Legion Post #79 — Fish Fry, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Feb. 16. 102 Elm Ave. SW. Adults: $15; kids (5-10): $7; kids (4 and under): free; Takeouts: $15; Baked cod sandwich with chips or fries: $7. Buffet meal includes baked cod, baked breaded cod, cheesy potatoes, green beans, coffee, bread, coleslaw and homemade bars. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. 4-7:30 p.m. Feb. 16. Adults: $15; kids (5-10): $7; kids (4 and under): free; takeout: $15. Includes baked cod fish sandwich with chips or fries. Sit-down, takeout. 507-364-7779. montgomerymnamlegionpost79.org
OAKDALE
MONTICELLO St. Henry and Monticello Knights of Columbus Council 6825 — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 1, 15. 1001 E. Seventh St. Adults: $13.50; kids (12 and under): $8.50; family: $50. Sit-down, takeout. A portion of the proceeds will go toward Coats for Kids. kc6825. mnknights.org
MOUND Our Lady of the Lake — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 8, 15. 2385 Commerce Blvd. Adults: $17; seniors (65+): $15; kids (6-14): $7; kids (5 and under): free. Includes deep-fried jumbo shrimp, baked potato or fries, coleslaw, cookie and beverage. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 612-275-6647. ourladyofthelake.com
St. Michael — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 451 Fifth St. SW. Adults: $14; kids (5-12): $6; family maximum: $45. All-you-can-eat baked and fried fish, roasted potatoes, vegetarian baked beans, coleslaw, roll, desserts and beverages. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7:30 p.m. 507-356-4280. stpaulstmichael.com
St. John the Baptist — Soup Supper, 6-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 1, 15. 835 Second Ave. NW. Freewill offering (suggested: $7). Includes two all-you-can-eat soup options, breadsticks, crackers, lemonade, coffee and water. Sit-down, buffet. Stations of the Cross: 7 a.m. 651-633-8333.
PRIOR LAKE
St. John the Baptist — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. March 8, 22. 835 Second Ave. NW. Adults: $12; kids (6-12): $8; kids (5 and under): free; $45 family maximum (children and parents). Includes fish, mac and cheese, tater tots, coleslaw, bread and butter, bars/cookies, lemonade, water and coffee. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m.
St. Michael — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 22. 16400 Duluth Ave. SE, Archangels Hall. Adults: $16.50; seniors (65+): $13; kids (6-12): $7.50; kids (5 and under): free. Includes lightly breaded Alaskan pollock, potato wedges, mac and cheese, coleslaw, green beans, corn, homemade rolls, coffee, milk and dessert. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6:30 p.m. 952447-2491. stmichael-pl.org/lenten-fish-fries
NEW PRAGUE St. Wenceslaus — Fish Fry, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16. 215 Main St. E. Adult tickets: $15 presale and $17 at the door for both lunch and dinner; kid tickets (5-10): $7.50 presale and $8.50 at the door for both lunch and dinner; kid tickets (4 and under): free. Includes fried fish, cheesy potatoes, creamy coleslaw and cookie. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. npcatholic.org
ROBBINSDALE Sacred Heart — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 1, 8, 15. 4087 W. Broadway Ave. Adult fish: $15; adult meatless spaghetti: $14; kids (4-10): fish $8; kids (4-10) meatless spaghetti: $6; kids (3 and under): free. Includes fish fillet (dinner or sandwich), baked potato, green beans, coleslaw, garlic bread, meatless spaghetti and coffee, water or lemonade. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 763-537-4561. shrmn.org
NORTH ST. PAUL St. Peter and Knights of Columbus Council 4967 — Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23; March 1, 8, 15. 2600 N. Margaret St. Adults: $15; seniors: $14; kids (7-12): $5; kids (6 and under): free. Includes baked and deepfried cod, green beans, mac and cheese, au gratin potatoes, coleslaw, bread sticks, coffee and milk. Sit-down, takeout. croering@stpetersnsp.org
ROGERS Northwest Hennepin Knights of Columbus — Fish Fry, 4:30-6:30 p.m., March 1, 15. 21304 Church Ave. Adults: $15; kids: $8. Includes baked cod, baked potato, mac and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, dinner roll, cookie and beverage. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 763-428-2585. mqpcatholic.org
NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA Knights of Columbus and Ascension — Fish Fry, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. March 1. 323 Reform St. N. Adults: $16; kids (6-12): $6; kids (5 and under): free. Includes crispy
Fr. Peter
Fr. Fitz
Fr. Binsfeld
Transfiguration — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16, March 1, 15. 6133 15th St. N. Per household: $40; adults and teenagers (13 and older): $15; kids (6-12): $5; kids (5 and under): free; takeout: $12.50. Includes fried or baked fish, baked potato, French fries or tater tots, grilled cheese, coleslaw, cookie, and coffee or juice. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 651-738-2646. transfigurationmn.org
PINE ISLAND
NEW BRIGHTON
Guardian Angels — Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8 and 22. 8260 Fourth St. N. All you can eat dine-in: $18; seniors (65+): $16; kids (6-10): $8; kids (5 and under): free; curbside and carryout: $16. Includes baked or fried haddock, red potatoes, green beans, mac and cheese, coleslaw, roll with butter, lemon, tartar sauce and dessert. Carryout and curbside (order online) are available. guardian-angels.org/fish-fry
ROSEMOUNT St. Joseph — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 15. 13900
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Ireland Pub/Pew (Fr. Peter/Fr. Popp)
April 2 Ͳ 12
Eucharistic Revival/IN (St. Cloud Diocese)
July 17 Ͳ 21
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Guadalupe/MEX (Fr. Peter)
Italy (Rome, Assisi, Florence)
Oct 15Ͳ25
Holy Land (Fr. Fitz/Fr. Clinton)
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Petra, Jordan extension 2025
Nov 16Ͳ20
Fr. Clinton
Sacred Heart — Soup Supper, 6-8 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 415 W. Fifth St. Freewill offering. Includes soup and bread. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 320-358-4370. sacredheartrcmn.org
SHAKOPEE Sts. Joachim and Anne and the Shakopee Knights of Columbus — Fish Fry, 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. Shakopee Area Catholic School, 2700 17th Ave. E. Adults (11 and over): $15; kids (6-10): $7; toddlers (5 and under): free. Includes baked and fried fish, au gratin potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, coleslaw, fresh baked bread, dessert and beverages (milk, water and coffee). Beer and pop available for purchase. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. 952-445-1319. SSJACS.org/fish-dinner
SHIELDSVILLE St. Patrick — Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. March 1, 15. 7525 Dodd Road. Freewill offering. Includes baked or fried fish, potato, vegetable, bread, dessert and beverage. Sit-down, takeout. spshieldsville.org
SOUTH ST. PAUL St. John Vianney — Fish Fry, 4-6:30 p.m. Fridays: Feb. 1, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 840 19th Ave. N. Adults: $15; kids (5-12): $10; kids (5 and under): free; takeout: $15. Includes fried fish, baked potato or French fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, coleslaw, vegetable and desserts, coffee, milk, lemonade; wine and beer extra. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 3:30 p.m. 651-451-1863. sjvssp.org
ST. LOUIS PARK Holy Family — Fish Fry, 5-6:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 1, 8, 15, 22. 5900 W. Lake St. Adults: $12; kids: $6. Includes baked or fried fish with choice of sides including mac and cheese, cheddar biscuit, green beans and coleslaw. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 952-929-0113. hfcmn.org
ST. PAUL Holy Childhood — Soup Supper, 6-7 p.m. Feb. 23, March 8, 22. 1435 Midway Parkway. Offerings vary by week but will include a type of soup and a side. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 5:30 p.m. holychildhoodparish.org Maternity of Mary — Soup Supper, 6-7 p.m. March 1, 15. 1414 Dale St. N. Offerings vary by week, but will include a type of soup and a side. Buffet. Stations of the Cross: 5:30 p.m. maternityofmarychurch.org Our Lady of Guadalupe — Meatless Lenten Meal: Enchiladas. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 401 Concord St. Large plate meal (three enchiladas): $14; smaller plate meal (two enchiladas): $12; enchiladas only (dozen): $26; enchiladas only (1/2 dozen) $13; enchilada meal includes enchiladas, rice, beans, dessert, water and coffee. Pop and bottled water for sale. Sit-down, takeout. 612-845-4800. olgcatholic.org Sacred Heart — Meatless Lenten Meal, 5-8 p.m. March 8, 22. 840 E. Sixth St. Cost: $10. Includes
St. Bernard — Fish Fry, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 15. 187 W. Geranium St. Includes fried fish, coleslaw, bread, coffee, tea, French fries and dessert. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m. 201-655-3330. St. Mary — Soup Supper, 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 267 Eighth St. E. Includes a soup supper. Sit-down. Stations of the Cross: 5:30 p.m. 651-222-2619. stmarystpaul.org St. Matthew — Fish Fry, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Good Friday). 510 Hall Ave., door 5 at the back of the church. Adult fish: $15; kid fish (512): $7; kid fish (4 and under): free; Adult non-fish: $13; kid non-fish (5-12): $6; kid non-fish (4 and under): free. Includes fried or baked wild-caught Alaskan pollock, baked potato, vegetable, coleslaw, roll, dessert, coffee, milk and water. Beer, wine and pop extra. Non-fish options are spaghetti or grilled cheese meals. Sit-down, takeout. st-matts.org St. Pascal’s Men’s Club — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23. March 8, 15, 22. 1757 Conway St. Adults (12 and up): $16; kids (6-11): $8; kids (4 and under): free. The “All You Care to Eat” buffet will offer fried and baked cod, coleslaw, mixed steamed vegetables, au gratin and seasoned fried potatoes, mac and cheese, dinner roll, coffee and water. Milk, bottled water and pop are available. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. 161-220-1294. stpascals.org St. Patrick — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 23. American Legion, 1129 Arcade St. $14. Includes baked or fried cod, corn, tater tots, coleslaw, mac and cheese, dinner roll and beverage. Buffet, takeout. 651-774-8675. stpatrickmn.weconnect.com St. Thomas More — Fish Fry, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, March 1, 15. 1065 Summit Ave. Adults: $15; kids (5-12): $8; kids (4 and under): free; beer and wine: $5. Includes fried cod, French fries, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, dinner rolls, peach cobbler, cookies and lemonade. Beer, wine and soda (available for purchase). Sit-down, buffet. Stations of the Cross: 5 p.m. morecommunity.org/fishfrys
STILLWATER St. Michael — Fish Fry, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. 611 Third St. S. Includes beer-battered cod, parsley-buttered potatoes, coleslaw, green beans, dinner rolls, beverages and kids’ menu items. Sit-down, takeout. stmichaelandstmarystillwater.org/2024-lenten-fish-fry
WACONIA St. Joseph — Fish Fry, 4:30-7:30, p.m. Feb. 16, 23, March 1, 8, 15, 22. St. Joseph Catholic School, 41 E. First St. Adults: $16; kids (6-12): $7; kids (5 and under): free. Includes fried fish, macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, coffee, milk, carrot cake, ice cream and more. Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. stjosephwaconia.org
WHITE BEAR LAKE St. Pius X — Fish Fry, 4-6:30 p.m. Feb. 16. 3878 Highland Ave. Includes deep-fried or baked cod, baked potato, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, pasta salad, dinner roll, dessert and beverage. Sit-down, buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 7 p.m. churchofstpiusx.org
Feb
Fr. Doug
Fr. Peter
Fr. Derek
1Ͳ877Ͳ453Ͳ7426
“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.” Mother Teresa
Mar 31ͲApril 10
Call for more!!!
www.jericochristianjourneys.com
Fr. Popp
Sept 23ͲOct 3
Poland, Pope & Padres (Fr. Derek/Fr. Doug)
RUSH CITY
pupusas de frijol (bean pupusas) and/or enchiladas de queso (cheese enchiladas). Sit-down, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 6 p.m.
Catholic Services Appeal
2024
Italy Holy Doors (Fr. Fitz)
Biscayne Ave. W. $15 per person; kids (8 and under): free; family price: max of $48 (immediate family). Includes cod fish fillets (choice of baked or fried), tater crisps, mac and cheese, coleslaw, vegetable side, roll and a cookie. Buffet, takeout. Stations of the Cross: 5:30 p.m. 651-313-8462. stjosephcommunity.org/specialevent/kc
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17
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18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
I
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
Why I am Catholic By Amie Brown DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
was baptized in the Lutheran faith. I grew up going to church every Sunday (or most Sundays). I attended Sunday school, and I was part of the church choir. I was confirmed in the Lutheran faith, I had God in my life, and my parents (especially my mom) were great at getting our family involved in our faith. While dating Dominic (my late husband), he asked if I wanted to attend church at St. John Neumann in Eagan with his mom (my mother-in-law, Gwen). I said sure. Little did I know how that rich, wonderful, powerful experience in that onehour Mass would affect me, lure me and connect me. I attended Mass at St. John Neumann regularly from that point on. After a couple of years of dating, Dominic proposed, and I went through RCIA (now OCIA). I was exposed to, and learned, so much. I was confirmed in the Catholic faith during Easter Vigil in 2013 by Father Charlie Lachowitzer, who later married Dominic and me. Dominic and I shared our Catholic faith for many years. In 2019, Dominic became ill and died nine days before Christmas. I have now entered my fifth year of earthly life without the one with whom I thought I would leave this earthly life. I know that without my faith I would not be here. I know now that God had a plan when he had Dominic ask me to attend that Mass with him in 2010, to grow in my faith and relationship with God because I would need it to help carry me in what would be the hardest thing in my life thus far that I’d have to accept. My faith has
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held me strong. Joining the Catholic Church has provided me many opportunities to grow and deepen my faith. In August 2024, I will have been a part of the Catholic Softball Group (CSG), for two years. It started out, for me, as being on a softball team with like-minded individuals, and grew to include service projects, small group meets, attending Mass at different Catholic churches, a Catholic winter ski group, and fish fry invitations. We just had our 2024 CSG Winter Retreat during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at Camp Courage in Maple Lake. This was my second year attending. We enjoyed lots of prayer, small group discussions, Mass on Saturday and Sunday, confession, adoration and being part of prayer teams. Spending time with CSG members, who hold similar values, on a weekly and monthly basis has been amazingly helpful in flourishing. As a convert to the Catholic faith, I have much to continuously learn and be exposed to. A favorite part of the Catholic faith is my time in adoration. I have a personal goal to go for an hour weekly during Lent and to continue through 2024 and into the rest of my life. It is important to just be still and listen to what God is trying to ask of us. Joining the Catholic Church has been anything but easy, but I can’t imagine where I would be without it. Brown, 38, is a branch office administrator for an Edward Jones financial advisor out of South St. Paul. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications-public relations from Metro State University in St. Paul. She is a parishioner of St. John Neumann in Eagan. She enjoys spending her time with family, friends, Catholic Softball Group and her dog, Bruce.
“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300500 words to CatholicSpirit@ archspm.org with subject line “Why I am Catholic.”
FEBRUARY 8, 2024 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19
CALENDAR PARISH EVENTS Life’s a Gamble at the Pearly Gates — Feb. 9-11: 7 p.m. Feb. 9, 10; 2 p.m. Feb. 11 at St. Joseph of the Lakes, 171 Elm St., Lino Lakes. This is an original musical written and performed by the music ministry of St. Joseph of the Lakes. mystjoes.me Mid-Winter Blues Bash — Feb. 10: 6-8:30 p.m. at St. John Vianney, 840 19th Ave. N., South St. Paul. Following 5 p.m. Mass, there will be chili, hot dogs, popcorn and desserts plus bingo. sjvssp.org
Catholic community of St. Paul. Mass begins at 4:30 p.m. with dinner to follow. To purchase a ticket, call the office: 651-489-8825. maternityofmarychurch.org
WORSHIP+RETREATS Cor Jesu — Feb. 9: 8-9:30 p.m. at St. Mary Chapel in The St. Paul Seminary, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Cor Jesu is a First Friday devotion for college students and young adults during the academic year. tinyurl.com/2rdfy65y Ave Verum Corpus — Feb. 9: 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Nicholas, 51 Church St., Elko New Market. Evening will include adoration, classical sacred music, chant, the sacrament of penance, vespers and Benediction. stncc.net
St. Valentine’s Formal Dinner and Dance — Feb. 10: 5:30-9:30 p.m. at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. Enjoy a formal, catered buffet dinner while being serenaded by live romantic music, followed by ballroom dancing to the Jerry O’Hagan Combo. More information including prices and tickets email catholicmarriagedance@gmail.com. Razzle Dazzle Dinner and Dance — Feb. 10: 6 p.m.-midnight at Guardian Angles, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Ticket includes appetizers, salad, desserts and choice of beverage and a main course choice of handcarved steak, salmon filet or champagne chicken. Cocktails available. Tickets: $50. tinyurl.com/2mpun6vt Guardian Angels Beef and Sausage Family-Style Dinner — Feb. 11: 10:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at 217 Second St. W., Chaska. Family-style dinner, with beef and homemade sausage plus all the trimmings. Tickets at the door. Adults: $15. Takeout: $8. Maternity of Mary 75th Anniversary Dinner — Feb. 24: 4:30 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Maternity of Mary is celebrating 75 years of serving the
GUEST COMMENTARY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
that. Rather than always satisfying self, I acknowledge I am empty and need to be filled with the One who loves me to the end. I begin to say to God more than I typically do, “you matter.” And here, perhaps, is a common link to Valentine’s Day. For Valentine’s Day is also a time set aside to say (and not simply think) to one we love: “You matter.” And then to express it in embodied fashion: with words (lavishly), with chocolate (preferably), with time (a lot), with diamonds (well, maybe), with acts of kindness (the more the better), all embodied expressions that say, “you matter.” My wife, Anne, and I have a practice — an embodied expression of love — that we began on the day of our wedding. Every day — twice a day, in fact, each morning and each evening —
Married Couples Retreat — Feb. 9-11: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Set the tone on your marriage for the new year in a place filled with hope, inspiration and spiritual growth. tinyurl.com/mr2jrcj9 Known By God: A Retreat for Mothers Grieving the Loss of an Unborn Baby — Feb. 10: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. All mothers grieving the loss of an unborn baby through miscarriage or stillbirth are invited. The retreat includes small group sharing, discussion, large group talks on spiritual growth in grief. cathedralsaintpaul.org/events-news Taizé Prayer Service — Feb. 18: 7 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N. Oakdale. Taizé prayer is a reflective experience, characterized by meditative music, Scripture, silence and candlelight. tinyurl.com/255a63ks
we repeat part of our wedding vows to each other: “I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” We started doing it sort of on a whim, but after a while we noticed that expressing love increased our love. So, we decided to do it again and again. That means we’ve said it again to each other 21,170 times in 29 years (as of Jan. 14), not counting leap years and additional repetitions in cards and notes. If we’re apart from each other, we text or phone or write ahead of time. We’ve also come to realize that one of the best ways of loving one another is by encouraging each other to pray, to pray together (daily), and by giving each other the space to spend that time with God. The more we express to God “you matter,” the more readily we express the same to each other. So, hold me to it: Anne will get the chocolates before Valentine’s Day. And on Valentine’s Ash Wednesday? The
SPEAKERS+SEMINARS Sister Joan Mitchell Explores the Gospel of Mark — six Tuesdays, Jan. 9-Feb. 13: 7-8:30 p.m., St. Frances Cabrini, 1500 Franklin Ave. SE, Minneapolis. Sister Joan will highlight key messages from Mark’s Gospel. Lecture, small group discussion. Donations accepted. Contact: llffchair@cabrinimn.org. Meeting Our Hidden Neighbors — Feb. 15: 6:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. A panel of speakers from local agencies and organizations that support those experiencing homelessness. tinyurl.com/3up59nw7 Rebuilding Catholic Community-Spring Speaker Series — Feb. 15, 22, 29, and March 7: 7 p.m. at Assumption, 51 Seventh St. W., St. Paul. The Center for Catholic Social Thought spring speaker series features, among others, Bishop Joseph Williams and writer/speaker Leah Libresco. Register at catholicsocialthought.org/2024-spring-speaker-series.
SCHOOLS Junior High Musical: Matilda, Jr. — Feb. 23-24: at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park. Performances are at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Feb. 25. bsmschool.org/student-life/activities/drama
Lake. Mass, talk and dinner. Talk by Father Gregory Abbott. Cost: $16. RSVP by Feb. 1 to 651-982-2200. stpeterfl.org Back to the ‘60s Lunch and Concert — Feb. 11: noon3 p.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 701 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis. A “TV dinner” of fried or grilled chicken and sides will be served. A performance by local group Vinyl Revival will follow at 1:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit the deaf ministry. olmcmpls.org Frassati Society-Ski with a Priest — Feb. 11: 1:30 p.m. at 1900 111th Ave. N.W., Coon Rapids. Epiphany’s Frassati Society invites non-married young adults (ages 18-30) to go skiing with Father Paul Hedman at Trollhaugen. epiphanymn.org/the-frassati-society Diamond Mass of Celebration — Feb. 12: 4 p.m. at Dunrovin Christian Brothers Retreat Center, 15525 St. Croix Trail N., Marine on St. Croix. Remembrance of the first retreat held at Dunrovin on Feb. 12, 1964. Sustained by God’s goodness for 60 years, a celebration of the Eucharist with Bishop James Powers. dunrovin.org/our-60th-diamond-anniversary AI: What Everyone Needs to Know — Feb. 22: 5:308:45 p.m. at Holy Family, 5900 W. Lake St., St. Louis Park. A panel of experts will present on AI: what it is, and how to consider it as faithful Catholics. sjbusinessguild.com
Agape Dinner for Widows and Widowers — Feb. 10: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Peter, 1250 South Shore Drive, Forest
Guiding Star Wakota’s Grow with Us Gala — Feb. 24: 5:30 p.m. at 484 Inwood Ave. N., Oakdale. Featuring Archbishop Bernard Hebda, emcee Matt Birk, client testimonials and The John and Paula Campbell family. guidingstarwakota.org/gala
best gift I’ll give her is to be with her in church, declaring to God: “I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”
Deacon Michalak is director of the Office of Synod Evangelization in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
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20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
THELASTWORD
Joyful noise Thousands of Catholic elementary students gather for Mass of the Holy Spirit in St. Paul STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
A
t the home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, Archbishop Bernard Hebda celebrated a different kind of goal Jan. 29 — presiding at Mass with the students of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Nearly 7,000 elementary students from 76 schools came to the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul for an event called the Mass of the Holy Spirit sponsored by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE). They danced to the music of local praise and worship band Sonar, then settled in for some remarks by youth minister, speaker and musician Pat Millea, followed by Mass. It was the third such Mass since Archbishop Hebda arrived in 2015. The previous Masses were in 2016 and 2018. Archbishop Hebda was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen, former pastor of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater, which was represented by their parish school, St. Croix Catholic School. More than 60 priests also came, joining a festive processional that featured students carrying banners of their respective schools. Also part of the event were two newly-ordained deacons who are school principals — Deacons Mike McGinty of Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Edina and Bruce Richards of St. Joseph Catholic School in Waconia. During his homily, Archbishop Hebda spoke to the students, teachers, staff members and families about what it means for a child to attend a Catholic school. “The fact that you are in a Catholic school is proof that you are loved,” he said. “You have God who loves you. You have parents who love you. You have a Church that loves you.” CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: From left, sisters Veronica (sixth grade) and Mary Clare (fourth grade) Tvedten of The Way of the Shepherd Catholic Montessori School in Blaine clap to the music of Sonar before the Mass of the Holy Spirit Jan. 29 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Archbishop Hebda delivers the homily during Mass. From left, sixth graders Yosetena Sentayhu and Dayanna Morocho Torres of Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Columbia Heights pray before the start of Mass. Sixth grader Kylie Miller of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater receives Communion from Bishop Michael Izen. Students carry banners of their respective schools at the start of Mass.
FEBRUARY 8, 2024