The Catholic Spirit - January 30, 2014

Prayer series 6 • Video games 17 • Mary on film 23 January 30, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

thecatholicspirit.com

Distinguished principal

Principal Mary Adrian, center, talks with kindergartners at Holy Spirit School in St. Paul. Adrian will receive the National Educational Association’s Distinguished Principal Award in April. It will be the eighth straight year that a principal from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis earns the award.

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Read her story and more in this issue’s Catholic Schools Week section, pages 7-12

ALSO inside

Standing up for life

Putting faith first

Playing it loud and proud

Bishop Lee Piché and others brought a pro-life witness to marches in Washington and St. Paul.

Catholic hockey Olympian from Minnesota plays for more than medals.

— Page 15

Local musician produces his first Christian music album.

— Page 3, 14 & 24

— Page 20

Page Two

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in PICTURES

“Divisions among Christians are a scandal. There is no other word for it. A scandal!”

— Pope Francis, at his general audience address in St. Peter’s Square Jan. 22, during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25

NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit

Roseville parish celebrates 75 years STOLEN RELIC: A broken glass of a niche where the reliquary with the blood of Blessed John Paul II was located is seen next to a painting of the late pontiff in the church of San Pietro della Ienca, near the city of L’Aquila, Italy, Jan. 28. Thieves reportedly stole a relic of the late pontiff from the country chapel 85 miles east of Rome. CNS photo/Max Rossi, Reuters

Corpus Christi in Roseville will celebrate 75 years as a parish with anniversary Masses at 5 p.m. Feb. 1 and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Feb. 2.

The parish was established in 1939 in preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress held at the State Fairgrounds in June 1941. The first Mass was held Jan. 29 in the basement of a building close to the fairgrounds. The original church building was completed in time for the Eucharistic Congress and was located at Cleveland and Buford Avenues in St. Paul.

The current church building is located in Roseville on County Road B and Fairview Avenue. It was completed in 1992 and the original building was sold to St. Andrew Kim parish. The anniversary celebration will continue into the year with a parish mission, an anniversary dinner and dance, an event to honor former pastors and an all parish/all school reunion on the weekend of the Feast of Corpus Christi, celebrated June 19 this year.

Three to be inducted into CAA Hall of Fame Midge Hernandez, Ken Markwardt and Tom Perrault will be inducted into the Catholic Athletic Association Hall of Fame during the organization’s Hall of Fame Dinner Feb. 10 at the Mendakota Country Club in Mendota Heights.

Markwardt got involved with the CAA in 1953 helping with finances and has since served on the board of directors, as treasurer and as a trustee. Hernandez was the first female president of the organization’s board of directors. Perrault is a past CAA athletic director.

Tickets for the event are $125 for two people and must be purchased by Feb. 3. For information, call (651) 227-1741.

A SAD DAY: Andy Ponce kneels with his son after a memorial service in Lakenheath, England, Jan. 17, in front of the military gear of his wife, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Afton Ponce, who died in a helicopter accident. The chopper crashed on the eastern coast of England Jan. 7, killing all four crew members. CNS photo/ Darren Staples, Reuters

WHAT’S NEW on social media A Catholic Spirit Facebook post this week asks: What is your school doing for Catholic Schools Week? What’s your favorite activity?

Follow the latest news about the local and universal Church by following The Catholic Spirit on Twitter @CatholicSpirit.

In a video on the Rediscover: website, St. Thomas senior Andrea Dolsky talks about how different forms of prayer have helped her get through the rigors of college life and make important decisions about her future. See it at www. youtube.com/rediscoverfaith.

A little over a year after Matt Birk and the Ravens emerged victorious in Super Bowl XLVII, Birk will be back home in the Twin Cities signing copies of his new book “All-Pro Wisdom: The 7 Choices that Lead to Greatness.” For more information, visit CatholicHotdish.com.

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 19 — No. 3 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT, Publisher SARAH MEALEY, Associate publisher JOE TOWALSKI, Editor

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Mass for World Day of the Sick set for Feb. 8 A Mass marking World Day of the Sick will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 8 at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton. Bishop Lee Piché will be the celebrant.

The World Day of the Sick is a reminder to pray for those who are sick and to recognize and honor those who work in health care and those who serve as caregivers. A special prayer and blessing with water from Lourdes and a reception will follow Mass.

IN REMEMBRANCE Deacon Mark A. Fredrick, 89, of Crossville, Tenn., died Saturday, Jan. 18.

He was born July 8, 1924, in Minneapolis, and ordained a permanent deacon for the archdiocese in 1978.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He retired to Tennessee in 1992.

A funeral Mass was Jan. 27 at St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade, Tenn.

CORRECTION On page 5 in the Jan. 16 edition, John Norris, board member of the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, was incorrectly listed as a parish trustee and committee member at his current parish, St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony. He served in those capacities at St. Peter in Forest Lake.

Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper.

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My experience at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Archbishop John Nienstedt has not yet returned to writing his column. Bishop Lee Piché, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, offers the following guest column for this issue.

The weather in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 22 was not quite as cold as it was in St. Paul, but it was plenty cold. And a strong wind blew across the Mall where an estimated crowd of 400,000 people had assembled for the rally and March for Life.

I had the privilege of connecting up with a group of youth and their adult leaders who had gotten there via an overnight trip on four buses.

Most were from the archdiocese; but joining them were contingents from the dioceses of St. Cloud and Superior, Wis. All-in-all we numbered around 200.

I met them after flying in, arriving at the front end of a winter storm, at around midday on Tuesday. They had already been in the D.C. area for a couple days.

When I arrived, they were in the middle of a day-long conference sponsored by the Students for Life of America (SFLA). There were probably between 2,000 and 3,000 youth at the conference hosted by a Baptist congregation in a mega-church complex that was large enough to accommodate so many.

The energy in that place was electric. Speakers shared vital information on various topics related to abortion and the sanctity of human life, on strategies for promoting the pro-life cause and on the virtue of chastity. Time and again, they urged and encouraged the youth to embrace the call to be leaders of a new generation, the Pro-Life Generation. Their response was enthusiastic.

The conference ended at about 8 p.m., after which we boarded our buses and made our way back to the hotel. At the end of a long day of speakers and panel discussions, high-enerGUEST COLUMN gy music and jumping up and down, I assumed that these young apostles and their Bishop Lee Piché leaders would be ready for a good night’s rest — particularly because I had been told by one of the leaders that she had gotten only about four hours of sleep the night before.

But, instead, the group immediately gathered again in the hotel ballroom for Mass. They had decided to wait until I arrived so that we could celebrate the Sacred Liturgy together. As tired as they were at that late hour, they were attentive and engaged, singing and responding and offering the gift of their love and worship of the Lord, hungry for the Bread of Life, and joyful in their praise.

Carried away by their infectious joy, the preacher went a little long (that was me). By the time all the post-liturgy announcements were conveyed and important instructions for the morrow were imparted, it was after 10:30. Another late night.

Fortified by prayer, Eucharist It was still dark outside when, not long after 6 o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, the young people began gathering again for prayer.

Many came early to spend some time in eucharistic adoration even before our morning prayer service, which was at 7 a.m.

All packed, with bags loaded on the buses, having wolfed down a quick breakfast, they were ready to board at the appointed time. It was then that we learned that bus No. 1 had a problem, and while it was being repaired we would all need to cram onto the three other buses.

The stalwart pilgrims took it in stride.

Our first stop was the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the National Shrine. We were joined by some others from the Twin Cities who had come out for the march — a group of about 50 from St. Michael and St. Albert parishes, and a group of 37 college students from the University of St. Thomas.

We nearly filled the crypt chapel where we celebrated morning Mass together. The sacristy staff, and the local priest who had been scheduled for that Mass, were very gracious — in effect, we “commandeered” the regular 8:30 a.m. Mass at the shrine. Thus fortified by the Eucharist, reminded again of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of love and the power of his resurrection, we then ventured out into the cold.

At first it wasn’t so bad. As long as we were walking and staying close together, there was a semblance of warmth. Our intention was to get to the Mall early to be near the front once the march began. This entailed standing on the frozen tundra for some 45 minutes before the hour-

From the Bishop

Youth on fire

Joleen Johnson, left, and Katie Wratkowski, seniors at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, stand with Bishop Lee Piché during the national March for Life Jan. 22 in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Lisa Boris long program of speeches began at noon. A bitter wind was blowing, and the word was that the wind-chill factor was 15 degrees below zero.

We were freezing!

I should probably admit: I was freezing. Many of the youth were cold, but I never heard a single complaint. They continued to shout out the “chants” that they had practiced: “Everywhere we go, people want to know, who we are, so we tell them: We are pro life! Super duper pro life!”

“I, I believe, I believe that, I believe that we’re pro life, I believe that we’re pro life!” (This last part executed with a boisterous jumping up and down with hands in the air.)

• For more on the We marched along Constitution Avenue up to and national March past the Supreme Court building, with the Capitol for Life, see page building in view. In that vast throng of marchers, our group somehow managed to stay fairly close to14 gether, more or less located in a rectangular moving • For more on the space between four flags: the Minnesota flag and a prayer service specially made banner from the Diocese of Superior in front, and the papal flag and flag of the United and March for States in the back.

Life in St. Paul, By the time we reached the end of the march and see page 24 reconnected at our pre-arranged meeting place, I could no longer feel my toes, and it was difficult to bend my knees because of the cold. Physically, I was miserable and in pain. But my spirit was elated, and I was sustained once again by the warmth in the hearts of those young witnesses. They were on fire with love for Christ and by their determination to speak out for the most vulnerable of our sisters and brothers in defense of their right to life.

Proud of our youth We live in a world shaped by a culture of self-gratification, which often results in coldness of heart. The selfishness that is so prevalent makes for a cold reception to newcomers: the pre-born, the immigrant, the outsider. Our widespread rejection of God and neighbor makes for a cold planet at times — for some, a bitterly cold environment.

But last week I witnessed an amazing and wonderful reality: we have in this local Church a community of youth who are on fire.

They went out into the cold, braved the bitter winds, faced the elements of an adverse environment, smiled and sang, praised God and encouraged one another with enthusiastic shouts, found warmth and strength in their togetherness, and gave powerful witness to the fact this indeed is the Pro-Life Generation.

I was and still am very proud of them and the many other youth who, like them, are part of a movement that is going to set the world on fire.

OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Effective January 15, 2014 Sister Carolyn Puccio, CSJ, appointed Delegate for Religious for the Archdiocese.

Sister Puccio succeeds Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ, in this office.

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

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Transparency, best practices remain priorities, says finance officer He calls media reports of ‘secret’ archdiocesan accounts inaccurate The Catholic Spirit When Thomas Mertens joined the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in December 2012 as its new chief financial officer, he was charged with helping the archdiocese to reach new levels of financial accountability, best practices in its operations, and transparency.

Those priorities are ongoing, he said, through the archdiocese’s commitment to improve financial reporting and its enforcement of strict internal controls.

Thomas Some of these efforts were MERTENS questioned recently in local news reports, which alleged that the archdiocese maintained “secret accounts� to pay costs related to clergy misconduct.

The archdiocese does maintain accounts to pay for counseling for victims and clergy, legal expenses and settlements, ongoing financial support for priests as required by Church law and other related costs, Mertens said. “There is nothing secret about the accounts,� he said. But they are confidential accounts similar to what are maintained by other organizations in order to respect privacy regarding personnel matters.

“We don’t have a secret financial system. Those accounts are part of our accounting and reporting system and part of our general ledger,� he said.

The archdiocese doesn’t maintain any “off-balance-sheet accounts� and, to the best of his knowledge, it never has, Mertens said.

The accounts have always been subject to the audit done each year by independent auditors, who have full access to all of the archdiocese’s financial records, Mertens said.

Those records show that the archdiocese paid approximately $11 million from the accounts from 2002 to 2011 — about 3 percent of its overall revenues during that time.

For at least the last 15 years — the time span for which records are readily available — independent auditors have given unqualified opinions each year on the archdiocese’s financial statements, meaning the financial statements comply with generally accepted accounting standards (GAAP). “If the auditors are told they can’t look at specific accounts or are not given access to all records, they’re not going to do the work, they’re not going to form an opinion,� Mertens said. “They can’t operate like that. . . . That would just be a red flag for the auditor, and the scope limitation would require disclosure or resignation from the work.�

Catholics who have concerns that contributions to the archdiocese’s Catholic Services Appeal may fund costs related to clergy sexual abuse allegations or any form of misconduct should know that CSA

Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.

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contributions are used for the benefit of designated ministries of the newly created Catholic Services Appeal Foundation and for no other purposes, as stated on the CSAF website, csafspm.org.

Tightening controls Another accounting firm mentioned in one of the recent news reports, Ernst & Young, was hired by the archdiocese to help it investigate the embezzlement committed by a former archdiocesan employee, Scott Domeier, who pleaded guilty last year to taking more than $670,000 from the archdiocese.

Ernst & Young focused on financial activity involving Domeier that exceeded $5,000 to help the archdiocese determine the extent of the embezzlement, Mertens said. Ernst & Young was not hired to conduct an audit of the archdiocese’s financial statements. Those auditing functions have been performed by two different firms on an annual basis over the last 15 years. In the last two years, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP has performed the audit.

Since Mertens joined the archdiocese and as a result of the work done by Ernst & Young, there have been significant efforts to tighten internal controls and promote financial transparency.

For example, the archdiocese ensures that expense reports are thoroughly reviewed by supervisors, that dual signatures are completed for large checks and that all credit card statements are signed by supervisors or Mertens himself, he said. “I feel like I have the authority to

question anything I see in my role,� he said. “I don’t feel like anything is off limits. If I have an issue with an invoice, I’ll go to whomever I need to and discuss it.� “We continue to monitor and improve on those controls,� Mertens said. “That’s an ongoing piece. The significant, major controls are in place, but as we review our procedures, we modify and improve those policies and procedures.

We’re always making sure that we avoid having weaknesses in those internal controls.� “We have also significantly strengthened our work in the area of budgeting to further enhance our knowledge of the costs incurred in the organization,� Mertens said.

Such measures are supported by the Archdiocesan Finance Council, which is comprised primarily of lay accounting and finance professionals, Mertens said. Last October, the council unanimously approved a recommendation at its monthly meeting to publicly release the archdiocese’s full audited financial statements.

In February, as in past years, the archdiocese will release financial information regarding the previous fiscal year. The release will include the posting of the full fiscal year 2013 financial report that has been audited by independent certified public accountants. The report will be available online on the archdiocese’s website — www.archspm.org — and a condensed version will be published in the Feb. 13 issue of The Catholic Spirit.

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Local

Religious communities have new delegate The Catholic Spirit Members of religious communities and other forms of consecrated life in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have a new delegate to support their vocation and serve as a liaison to Archbishop John Nienstedt.

Sister Carolyn Puccio, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, was appointed to the part-time position Jan. 15. She replaces Sister of St. Joseph Mary Madonna Ashton, who retired in September after serving in the position for nearly three years.

“The ministry is primarily one of service — service to the archbishop, service to individuals in consecrated life and service to the archdiocese by supporting in every way possible the vocation of consecrated life,” Sister Carolyn said.

The delegate for religious works to maintain good relationships with both women’s and men’s religious communities in the archdiocese, said Sister Mary Madonna.

“You get invited to events like jubilees,” she said. “The sisters, especially in smaller communities, want to get to know you. They’ll invite you over to lunch, show you what they do and talk about what their hopes are.”

When religious communities have questions about serious matters affecting them, the delegate may assist by connecting them with the Church officials best suited to help, Sister Mary Madonna said.

The delegate attends an annual meeting of all the leaders of religious communities in the archdiocese, she said. The archbishop may consult with the delegate when religious communities from outside the archdiocese petition the archbishop to minister here.

“I’m looking forward to this and getting to know the people I’ll be working with,” said, Sister Carolyn, who grew up in North Minneapolis and attended St. Bridget parish.

Sister Carolyn brings a variety of ministry experience to her new job. During her 53 years as a Sister of St. Joseph, she has served as an elementary school teacher, parish minister and licensed psychologist. She also served as a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet’s St. Paul Province leadership team and as campaign liaison and mission coordinator for Carondelet Village, a shared ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Presbyterian Homes & Services, a senior housing facility in St. Paul.

Sister Carolyn Puccio, left, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the new delegate for religious for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, sits with St. Joseph Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, who recently retired as the delegate. Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit

Sister’s unlikely vocation leads to lifetime of service

By Joe Towalski The Catholic Spirit Last September, Sister Mary Madonna Ashton retired as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ delegate for religious.

While she enjoyed her job in support of consecrated life and as a liaison for Archbishop John Nienstedt, the Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet decided that, after three years in the position, it was time for someone else to take over.

“Last August, I wrote to the archbishop and said I think it’s really time for me to retire,” she said.

Archbishop Nienstedt appointed Sister Carolyn Puccio, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, to the position Jan. 15.

At age 90, Sister Mary Madonna’s retirement is well-deserved.

But no one would be surprised if she answered another call to serve — as she has done repeatedly during more than 60 years as a religious sister, much of it spent working in the health care field.

She served from 1962 to 1982 as president and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis (since sold to Fairview), and as Minnesota’s first woman and non-physician commissioner of health from 1983 to 1991 under Gov. Rudy Perpich.

Sister Mary Madonna was 67 when she left the commissioner’s office, but retirement wasn’t in the offing. The Sisters of St. Joseph saw a need for medical clinics in the Twin Cities for people falling through the cracks of the health care system. From 1992 until 2000, she served as CEO of Carondelet LifeCare Ministries, which operat-

Mass set for World Day for Consecrated Life A Mass marking the World Day for Consecrated Life will be held at noon, Feb. 2 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn will preside.

The public is invited to the celebration to give thanks to God for the gift of the men and women in consecrated life who are living and ministering in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Attendees who are observing 25, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 75 years of religious profession will be honored in a special way. ed St. Mary’s Health Clinics.

Archbishop Nienstedt tapped her to serve on the archdiocese’s Strategic Planning Task Force from 2009 to 2010. Then, when she was “comfortably and happily retired,” she agreed to his request to serve as delegate for religious.

Unlikely vocation Sister Mary Madonna’s journey to religious life and the public service to which it led followed an unlikely path.

She was raised as an Episcopalian by her parents in St. Paul, and when it came time to attend high school, she set her sights on her father’s alma mater — Central in St. Paul, where all her friends planned to attend.

But her mother was convinced the school wouldn’t be a good place for her daughter. She eventually chose to attend Derham Hall — an all-girls Catholic school on the campus of the then-College of St. Catherine — after talking to a neighborhood girl who attended the school.

She didn’t regret her choice. “I fell in love with the place,” Sister Mary Madonna said.

When graduation time neared, she accepted a college scholarship to St. Catherine’s.

“I was always impressed with the fact that the students would stop in at the chapel,” she said.

“Nobody ever talked to me about becoming a Catholic. In high school, I was the only non-Catholic in the class.

“I think what impressed me most of all at St. Catherine’s was that they made religion a part of their everyday life,” she said. “It wasn’t just something for Sunday.

And, it was the students as much as the sisters.”

She thought seriously about becoming Catholic. She read books about apostolic succession — a topic in which she had a deep interest — and other aspects of the faith. She also sought guidance from an Episcopal priest as well as a Catholic priest and sister.

“One day, I went to the chapel at St. Catherine’s. I just sat there and said, ‘I have got to make a decision about this,’” she recalled. “All of a sudden, I was just sort of peaceful.

I just needed to make this change.”

She told her parents she was bePlease turn to SISTER on page 22

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

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Archdiocese to host sexual abuse education sessions for lay staff, clergy

Rediscover: speakers series kicks off Feb. 3

The Catholic Spirit

The Catholic Spirit

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is hosting two education days on the topic of sexual abuse.

The sessions — Feb. 19 for clergy and Feb. 20 for parish lay staff members — will be led by a presenter from VIRTUS, a nationally recognized safe environment training program for adults that is used by the archdiocese.

The gatherings will focus on issues and questions related to the effects of sexual abuse and how to address the topic in parish settings and personal relationships.

“Parishes are asking for more information: How can we talk about this issue with our people? How can we respond practically?” said Susan Mulheron, the archdiocese’s chancellor for canonical affairs who is helping to organize the gatherings.

Parish leaders have been asking these questions especially during the last several months in the midst of the local media’s coverage about past instances of clergy sexual abuse, she said.

The sessions will be conducted within a scriptural framework and include a refresher on the VIRTUS training undergone by all archdiocesan clergy, Church and Catholic school employees, and volunteers who have contact with minors.

Among the topics are personal boundaries, how to recognize the ways perpetrators “groom” victims, warning signs of sexual CathSpFiddler-Jan16-2014_Layout 1 1/9/14 11:59 AM abuse and prevention steps.

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Sessions also will address how to report suspected abuse to proper authorities, and how to reach out and care for abuse victims, which continues to be one of Archbishop John Nienstedt’s priorities, Mulheron said.

“This is one of the ways we can take a positive step toward fulfilling that goal,” she said.

“There’s a lot of fear and lack of knowledge out there about victims.

“We have to be sensitive to victims,” she said. “We have to look for victims. We have to embrace victims. And, we have to reach out to victims and care for them.”

The clergy session will feature an additional presentation with a psychologist addressing how the issue of sexual abuse affects them as priests and the importance of taking care of themselves physically, psychologically and spiritually.

Father Donald DeGrood, vicar for clergy for the archdiocese, noted that the psychologist’s presentation will offer tools to handle the various thoughts and feelings they might be dealing with in light of alleged and substantiated sexual misconduct in the archdiocese.

“He will offer some keen insight into how priests can work through these current challenges in a healthy and holy way, whether we are assisting victims, brother priests, our parishes or ourselves,” Father DeGrood said.

The education session for clergy will be at St. John Neumann in Eagan, while the one for parish lay staff is set for St. Peter in Mendota. Each parish in the archdiocese has been invited to send one representative.

The Rediscover: faith 2014 Speakers Series begins Monday, Feb. 3, with “Why Pray” at Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata. St. John Neumann in Eagan hosts the session Feb. 4.

Father Bill Baer of Transfiguration in Oakdale will present the “Why Pray” talks.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Rediscover: initiative launched in December 2012 as a way for Catholics to strengthen their faith lives and invite others to know and love Jesus and his Church more deeply. Rediscover: also includes a prayer experience, “Cor Jesu,” book clubs and an archdiocesan-wide celebration in October.

The speakers series’ “How to Pray” session will be Feb. 10 at Holy Name of Jesus, and Feb. 11 at St. John Neumann with Pat and Kenna Millea presenting.

“We will share our experiences of the great ‘both/ and’ of prayer through the Church — prayer that is both traditional and new, communal and personal, loud and silent, habitual and emotional,” Pat Millea said. “We have the relationship with God that we do because others have openly encouraged us, answered our questions and steered us toward God. If there is the possibility that God can use us and our story to bring others closer to him, then we are ready and willing.”

All Rediscover: faith 2014 Speakers Series talks are free, begin at 7 p.m. and run 90 minutes, including hospitality time.

For more information and a full listing of talks, visit rediscover-faith.org.

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Catholic News Service

Holy Spirit School Principal Mary Adrian, center, talks with fifth-grader Sam McTeague, left, and sixth-grader Kate Dario after school. On most days, Adrian stands outside the building both before and after school so she can take advantage of the opportunity to visit with students. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Principal’s ‘flame of love’ leads to award For Mary Adrian, kids always come first at Holy Spirit School

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit When students at Holy Spirit School in St. Paul start arriving at 7:50 a.m., they are greeted outside the building by principal Mary Adrian, holding her silver Keurig coffee cup and offering a warm smile.

Hers is generally the first face they see when they set foot on school grounds and also the last when they depart after the final bell at 2:50 p.m.

Adrian wouldn’t have it any other way. Passion for her job — and her students — runs deep. It pulls her out of bed every morning well before sunrise and brings her to her small office at 5 a.m. And, it has helped her earn a Distinguished Principal Award from the National Catholic Educational Association.

She will receive the award at the NCEA national convention in Pittsburgh in April.

The quiet of her predawn solitude helps her do things like plan the day’s agenda and send emails.

But, for her, the fun begins when the first students arrive. She eagerly exits the office to take her place in front of the school to give kids their first “hello” of the day. This is her way of delivering a personal message to each of the schools’ 330 stu-

dents at the start of every school day.

“I think it’s important for the kids,” said Adrian, 61 and in her 15th year as principal of the school.

“I think it’s part of being a community, and part of their knowing they are important and they’re welcome and they’re welcome every day, and they’re important to us and we’re glad to see them. I think that’s one of the things I hope kids know, is that every day when they walk through the building, the adults here are happy to see them.”

Beloved by parents, staff The truth is, kids — and parents — know that simple truth long before they set foot in the building on their first day of school. Adrian meets with every prospective student and his or her parents when they are checking out the school. Many times, that meeting seals the deal.

“What sets her apart is how smart she is, how loving she is and how dedicated she is to every child who comes here,” said parent Joan Kenny, who has three children at the school — Mary (eighth grade), Catherine (sixth) and Margaret (first). “It’s something other parents talk about when they say why they chose Holy Spirit School. They say, ‘Well, it was one of our top choices.

Then we went and we met Dr. Adrian and we were sold.’ People say Please turn to FOR on page 10

Past winners The following are NCEA distinguished principal award winners from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis over the last 20 years: 2014: Mary Adrian, Holy Spirit School in St. Paul 2013: Jane Hileman, St. Helena School in Minneapolis 2012: Kate Wollan, Nativity of Our Lord School in St. Paul 2011: Jane Schmidt, Highland Catholic School in St. Paul 2010: Cressy Epperly, St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater 2009: Kathleen O’Hara, St. Vincent de Paul School in Brooklyn Park 2008: Rita Humbert, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Hastings.

2007: Jan Heuman, All Saints School in Lakeville 2003: Nancy Ronhovde, Guardian Angels School in Chaska 2002: Maureen Trenary, Our Lady of Grace School in Edina 2001: Gary Wilmer, St. Charles Borromeo School in St. Anthony 1998: Cheri Gardner, St. John the Baptist School in Savage 1996: Jane Nordin, St. Joseph School in West St. Paul 1994: Sister Clarice Gierzak, St. Jerome School in Maplewood

National Catholic Schools Week is being observed in U.S. dioceses Jan. 26 to Feb. 1 with the theme: “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

“Our schools have educated millions of young people over the years by providing them a superior academic background, always pointing the way to eternal life,” said Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, Neb., chairman of the education committee of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“The success of Catholic schools in handing on the faith, generation after generation, is a bright light in the history of the Church in the United States,” he added.

About 2.1 million students are currently educated in more than 6,600 Catholic schools across the country.

Of these students, an estimated 99 percent graduate from high school and 85 percent attend college.

“The heart of the apostolate of Catholic education is the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Catholic schools provide a rich environment of faith and learning where students experience how much God loves them in Christ,” Archbishop Lucas said.

“They are free to express their own love Archbishop for God in prayer and GEORGE LUCAS the celebration of the sacraments and to express love of neighbor in a community where each is respected as a gift from God,” he added.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Catholic Schools Week, sponsored by USCCB and the National Catholic Educational Association.

Schools and parishes around the country planned to mark the week with special Masses, school activities, open houses and potluck gatherings.

The NCEA urged schools to specifically celebrate the 40th anniversary of the observance by pledging 40 hours of service to their local communities.

Catholic Schools Week

Proclaiming Gospel at ‘heart’ of Catholic education, says archbishop

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Catholic Schools Week

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Catholic schools rely on donor generosity through CSA

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit Since 1969, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have benefited from the annual Catholic Services Appeal, which distributes donor contributions to specific ministries throughout the archdiocese.

This year’s appeal seeks to raise $9.3 million, with $2.4 million allocated for education.

According to Cathy Cornell, coordinator of marketing and financial aid for the archdiocese’s schools office, many schools depend on, and even budget for, the money collected through the CSA, which is operated by an independent foundation.

Elementary schools receiving CSA funds have the highest number of students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. Money from the appeal helps schools in two ways — it provides subsidies for elementary schools and tuition assistance for high school students who apply for financial aid.

Thanks to CSA funds, the $2,500 Archdiocesan High School Grant was awarded to 386 students who ranked the highest in need at 12 of the archdiocese’s high schools for the 2013-2014 school year.

“The CSA helps to make our schools stronger by offsetting the challenge of giving tuition assistance to these families,” Cornell said. “Without this tuition assistance, so many of these families can’t go. Even with assistance, it’s a big challenge to pay.”

One hundred percent of the money goes only to “very needy” families; schools must find ways to assist them further. Because there is a new pool of students each year, families must reapply, so assistance isn’t guaranteed. The amount per school is different every year.

“We can only distribute what we have,” Cornell said, “so it’s important [to reach the $9.3 million goal].”

Cornell recalled times when families contacted her directly because their situation changed suddenly — a health crisis, divorce or death in the family — prohibiting their ability to pay for a Catholic education.

“I can just remember crying in my office,” Cornell said. “These people were really afraid they weren’t going to be able to stay in the school. They knew the environment was perfect for their children, but they were struggling to put food on the table and pay medical bills. The Church doesn’t pick and choose who can come,

and neither should our schools.”

Holistic education Kari Staples, administrator at St. Alphonsus, a pre-K–8 school in Brooklyn Center, is familiar with the challenge of helping families provide a Catholic education for their children. Each year, her school uses CSA funds to offset tuition costs for students, of which 33 percent receive free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite challenges, data show that Catholic schools in the archdiocese have a history of success. In addition to high graduation rates (97 percent, with 97 percent pursuing secondary education), students’ standardized test scores are above the state and national average, according to the 2013 Catholic Schools Annual Report (available at schools.archspm.org).

“It’s so much more than test scores,” Cornell said. “It’s really about the character and the whole community coming together in worship

and prayer and surrounding the child and shaping that character with the gift of faith. That’s the difference.”

Cornell said a Catholic education often serves as a stabilizing force for students who live in communities with their own set of challenges.

“When we’re unable to assist a family, we’re looking at the viability of a school and longterm sustainability of a school,” Cornell said.

“Enrollments are huge, and if you cannot help a family be enrolled there and pay the tuition . . . one has an effect on the other. A Catholic school is such an evangelizing force of the church.”

Staples sees the difference at her school.

“If you come to one of our school Masses, it’s amazing to see the diversity,” she said. “Come tour St. Al’s and see where the money gets put to use, come see the children in the school. They don’t see themselves as different in any way — they’re just a student at St. Al’s. They’re all a gift from God.”

St. Pascal Baylon Catholic School Serving the Eastside since 1950 We have faith in every student!

Open House & Pancake Breakfast Sunday, February 2 9:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.

Information Night for preschool, Jr. Kindergarten and Kindergarten Tuesday, February 11, 6 p.m. — 7 p.m.

Reduced Tuition and New Technology!

Phone (651) 776-0092 www.stpascals.org

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

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By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit In the fall, when Heidi Staggert’s son suffered a concussion playing football and needed follow-up medical care during the school day at St. Stephen School in Anoka, she entrusted him to a group of volunteers with great credentials.

Her now eighth-grade son has recovered from his injury, and Staggert, an administrative assistant at the pre-K–8 school, is confident in the team of 20 doctors, nurses and other health professionals who have stepped up to fill the school’s paid health paraprofessional hours lost to budget cuts in recent years.

“I feel that my child is very well cared for during the day,” said Staggert, a St. Stephen parishioner.

“I feel that they all have a medical background and all of them are very patient and very capable to handle whatever would come his way. And thankfully, it hasn’t been anything this year.”

The volunteer health care professionals, who are mostly St. Stephen parishioners and Anoka community members, cover the portions of school days not staffed

by Merry Joy Naeher-Olson, a registered nurse who is paid for nine hours per week. The volunteers, some of them retired, bring to St. Stephen many years of experience and a love of children that is reciprocated, according to Rebecca Gustafson, principal of the school, which has 460 students.

“They do everything from celebrate lost teeth to take care of my ‘I miss my mommy tummy ache’ to ‘I have a math test today and I’m a little nervous about it,’” she said. Kids “come down to the health office and spend some time to relax and get ready to go back into their classroom. Or call home, and parents come and pick them up, or they have a fever.”

The need for volunteers arose three years ago when funding for the full-time health

Catholic Schools Week

Volunteers fill health care need at St. Stephen School

Retired registered nurse Janice Donais checks on first-grade student Andy Olson, while Izzy Yang, also in first grade, looks on in the nurse’s office at St. Stephen School in Anoka Jan. 24. Donais coordinates a group of volunteers with health care backgrounds to staff the office. Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit paraprofessional position was cut to part time and then in subsequent years to nine hours per week. A health care paraprofessional is not necessarily licensed in a health care profession, but is qualified to care for kids and keep records of their care, Gustafson said.

Then-St. Stephen pastor Father Michael Van Sloun suggested calling for volunteers in the parish bulletin and from the Anoka community. Now staffing three- to four-hour shifts are retired and working registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, trauma nurses, a doctor and other health care professionals, Gustafson said.

Before they volunteer, all undergo background checks, the archdiocesan VIRTUS safe environment training, and sign codes of conduct to work with

children, Gustafson said.

Gretchen Anderson, a St. Stephen parishioner who learned of the need through the parish bulletin last year, volunteers three days a month at the school. A retired advanced practice RN and current adjunct faculty member at Bethel University, Anderson enjoys working with the students.

“I like to go to that volunteer job because I feel welcome to come in the doors and be part of their day,” she said. “I hope I make a difference in helping some little child with illness or whatever, getting a hold of mom and dad to come and take them home if they need to go home, or just talking to them sometimes.”

The health care team is one of several volunteer groups at the school, and they’ve made a difference, Gustafson said.

“It’s been an amazing experience for everybody — the volunteers, the school staff, the students, parents,” she said. “It’s been successful. . . . Their presence here and their talent and their experience here is a gift in itself.”

As a nurse and a mom, Anderson said she believes schools need health paraprofessionals because teachers don’t always have time to help children needing medical attention.

“You’re kind of looking at the whole child, evaluating are they physically sick or having heart ache.

Because kids do have heartaches. …

Sometimes you do see kids who are experiencing a lot of stress.

Sometimes it’s because things are going on in their family. They will tell you about stuff that’s going on in their family, and then you just sit and let them talk,” she said.

Tour Our School 763.754.1750

Celebrate

Catholic Schools Week

• Serving students in pre-school through eighth grade • All-day, everyday kindergarten • Extended Day options • Daily prayer and religious instruction • Outstanding curriculum • Spanish for K-8

Forming Disciples of Jesus Christ Now enrolling for Pre-School-Grade 8 “You are truly doing an amazing job with your school and your staff. [My husband and I] can both see that the students we teach who come from St. John’s are very well prepared for high school in so many aspects. They are academically prepared as well as morally and behaviorally prepared. They exhibit respect, maturity and self-discipline. I commend you on the outstanding job that SJB is doing with the students.” ! " ary # $y%%&SJB par'%$ a%( )*$i%*+# rac' Hi,h Sch**$i%s$r-c$*r

For more information: Call (651) 633-1522 or visit www.stjohnnyb.org January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Catholic Schools Week

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Network aims to bring servant leadership to Catholic schools Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit St. Mark School principal Zach Zeckser remembers this past fall when a student at the St. Paul school suffered a compound leg fracture. When he returned to school in a cast, he was unable to maneuver the stairs to get to all of his classes on the second floor. Normally this would be a problem, but all of his teachers moved their classes to the first floor so he could participate and not fall behind.

Students brought him lunch and ate with him in a classroom because he couldn’t go downstairs to the cafeteria.

This simple good deed is really more than that, according to Zeckser. It is an example of servant leadership, a concept he is passionate about bringing to all Catholic schools.

The idea behind servant leadership is that a true leader is someone whose motivation comes from a desire to serve others, Zeckser said.

The idea goes back to the 1970s when Robert Greenleaf, an executive at AT&T, coined the phrase in

an essay he wrote.

“The servant-leader is servant first. . . . It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first,” Greenleaf said. “Then, conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.”

Last year, as a religion teacher and campus minister at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, Zeckser started The Servant Leadership Network, a group of Catholic school teachers, staff and administrators participating in an effort to promote servant leadership in Catholic schools. It began as a group of high school employees meeting to learn about the idea and how to use it to better serve students.

When he took the job as principal at St. Mark this past fall, his first job at the elementary level, Zeckser decided that instead of inviting elementary and middle school employees to attend the high school network’s meetings, they should have their own. The first meeting was Jan. 22 at Our Lady of Grace in Edina.

The group is open to all Catholic school employees and will meet three times a year.

During that meeting, Zeckser talked about what servant leadership is and why it is important for Catholic schools.

“The Servant Leadership Network is designed to sustain individuals with a conviction in Christ-centered servant leadership so that they are better equipped to strengthen Catholic schools,” he said. “It’s so much more about how we do what we do, than what we do.”

Katie Williams, a seventh- and eighth-grade religion teacher at St. Ambrose School in Woodbury, attended the meeting because she already tries to bring the concept to her classroom and the 120 students she works with. Her assistant principal asked her to go and explore ways to expand servant leadership to the rest of the school.

“I jumped on board right away,” she said. “Through my teaching, through every lesson plan, every assignment and even discipline and correction, it’s done out of charity and out of love and really to serve them. It makes my relationship with them more loving.”

Williams said she will take some

For Holy Spirit principal, the job is a vocation Continued from page 7 that all the time. This job is her vocation.

She has a way of making every child feel so loved and taken care of.”

Joan and her husband Tim were looking at five different schools when they were deciding where to send their oldest child to kindergarten. Then, they sat down with Adrian.

“We were just taken with how smart and bright she is, how knowledgeable,” Joan said. “Her passion comes through when you meet with her. [Holy Spirit School] was the right choice. It’s hard to describe in words how right it was. You just got this feeling that this is a place that’s in good hands.”

The adults who work with Adrian appreciate her many leadership qualities as well.

Teachers feel appreciated and supported, and the pastor of Holy Spirit, Father Daniel Haugan, calls her “just amazing.”

“I have to say, in 10-and-a-half years of being a priest and always being with a Catholic school, she is the best principal I have ever worked with,” he said. “That is saying a great deal because I have worked with some really wonderful Catholic principals at the Catholic schools.

“She’s just phenomenal. She has an undying love for what she does. There’s just the flame of love in her heart for what she does. She pours out her whole self. Loving is not an emotion, not a fuzzy feeling, but it’s a reasonable, rational choice to live wholeheartedly for another. And, Mary lives wholeheartedly for the students and for this school. She pours herself out daily.”

Part of that involves showing appreciation for the 28 teachers who spend their days in the classroom with students. Adrian likes to give gifts to them as a reminder of how vital they are to the school’s suc-

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

cess. Like the time two years ago when she hired a massage therapist to come in and provide some pampering for school staff.

It’s little touches like this that keep longtime teachers like Heidi Kaiser coming back. A kindergarten teacher, she came to Holy Spirit 22 years ago and had high words of praise for her boss.

“She’s absolutely wonderful,” Kaiser said. “She’s very dedicated to the school, to the parish. She’s the first person here and she’s the last person to go home. She’s always around and she really works hard to make this a good place. When you come here to Holy Spirit, you feel a strong sense of family and community. You can just feel it when you walk in.”

Middle school teacher Deb Townley has seen a few principals come and go during her 42 years at the school, but ranks Adrian among the best.

“I think kids gravitate to her because she is soft-spoken,” Townley said. “She is firm, but she always has the children first. If it’s good for the child, then we have to pursue it. That’s been our mantra. That’s how we operate as teachers.”

Lasting influence This school year, the school reached out to students who had attended St. FrancisSt. James School only about a mile away.

The school closed at the end of last school year, and 26 of its students came to Holy Spirit in the fall. Most of them are students of color, either Latino or African. A handful came from the African countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Mathewos Ghebeye from Eritrea was trying to find the right fit for two of his children, Noah (seventh grade) and Sammy (second).

“We were looking at different schools,” he said. “Our kids stayed here one day and they loved it. They said, ‘Stop shadowing

different schools. We’re going to stay here.’

I said, ‘Why?’ They said it starts with the principal. She is not only a principal, she’s [like] a mom.”

Another parent, John Barrett, said Adrian’s influence on his children continued after they left the school. One of his sons, Joseph, now teaches at a Catholic grade school in Denver. And, his daughter Annemarie currently is doing missionary work in Bolivia with the Franciscan Mission Service. In fact, Holy Spirit is showing students videos she is sending of her experiences there, so that they can connect to her two-year term of service.

And, Barrett traces that strong faith connection to the school’s principal.

“I think the world of Mary Adrian,” he said. “She lives her faith in her work and that’s obvious. She does it quietly, without a lot of fanfare.”

Well, there’s sure to be a little fanfare now that she has been named a distinguished principal. She has joined an elite group of principals in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who have won the award. In fact, this year will be the eighth year in a row that the archdiocese has had a distinguished principal winner.

Last year, it was Jane Hileman of St. Helena School in Minneapolis.

Although Adrian is delighted to win the award, calling it a “huge honor,” she reserved her strongest words of gratitude for the job she is able to do, starting at 5 every morning and often ending well after the sun goes down and the rest of her staff has gone home for the day.

“Holy Spirit is such a great place,” said Adrian, who plans to work there until she retires. “And, I think it’s just such an honor to be here, to be part of the lives of the kids and the families that I get to be part of every day. That’s just a great blessing to have.”

key ideas back to her school. “I love the idea of caring for those entrusted to you,” she said. “I think servant leadership can sound kind of overwhelming if we start thinking that we have to take care of everyone and serve everyone perfectly.

But if we remember to serve just those who are entrusted to us and trust that others will do the same, it isn’t.”

The Servant Leadership Network is sponsored by the Murray Institute, a collaboration between the University of St. Thomas and the archdiocese. It supports the educational ministries of the archdiocese by sponsoring many opportunities for training and education for teachers and religious educators.

For the Sevant Leadership Network, the institute provides funding for substitutes so teachers are able to attend meetings.

“My long-term goal is that the Catholic schools in this country would be known as the place you go if you want your kids to be well cared for,” Zeckser said. “It is often times something that people cannot so easily name but something that they can feel.”

Cretin-Derham Hall students receive perfect ACT scores Cretin-Derham Hall junior Maria Neuzil earned the top composite score of 36 on a recent ACT test, as did Anna Kalkman, also a junior, who aced the test as a sophomore this past June.

Nationally, while the actual number of students earning a composite score of 36 varies from year to year, on average less than oneMaria tenth of 1 percent of NEUZIL students who take the ACT earn the top score.

ACT test scores are accepted by all major U.S. fouryear colleges and universities, and exceptional Anna scores of 36 KALKMAN provide colleges with evidence of student readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.

Neuzil previously attended Nativity of Our Lord School in St. Paul and Kalkman previously attended Faithful Shepherd Catholic School in Eagan.

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By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit When the new White Bear Lake area Catholic school — Frassati Catholic Academy — opens this fall, an innovative curriculum will connect not only the students’ academic subjects, but also the legacies and traditions of two long-established parish schools.

While members of St. Mary of the Lake and St. Pius X parishes mourn the loss of their individual schools, parents and parishioners accept that forming the new pre-K to 8 school will benefit Catholic education. They also look forward to the academy’s introduction of a new educational model that promises to change how kids learn, according to Patrick Gallivan, who currently serves as St. Mary of the Lake School principal and has been named principal of the new school.

“Both of our communities are experiencing loss, but along with that loss is a tremendous opportunity to start something new, and we’re going to take advantage of that,” he said.

As fall enrollment for the new school begins this week, administrators anticipate registering about 250 K to 8 students and 50 preschool students. The school, named for 20thcentury Italian Blessed Pier Giorgio

“The benefit for the parish and the broader Church will be the education and formation of young people whose Catholic faith penetrates all aspects of their life.”

Father Ralph Talbot, St. Mary of the Lake pastor and moderator for Frassati Catholic Academy

Frassati, will be on the St. Mary campus, located 2.6 miles from St. Pius X. The campus can accommodate 400 students.

The academy will teach integrated units of science, technology, religion, engineering, art and math (STREAM).

The model expands on STEM, in which teachers receive training in science, technology, engineering and math, along with help integrating the disciplines into other subjects such as physical education, where science and math aren’t often taught, said Patty Born Selly, executive director of the National Center for STEM Elementary Education at St. Catherine University.

After teachers and administrators receive STEM training this summer with grant funding, Frassati Catholic Academy will become the first Cath-

olic school in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to meet STEM qualifications, Gallivan said, adding that by incorporating religion and art, it will be the first STREAM school in the state. Full implementation will take three to five years.

Teachers at both schools have received preference to apply for jobs at the new school. Final staffing decisions will be made later this spring when enrollment becomes more definite, Gallivan said.

Science and technology will be approached from Catholic knowledge and morals, he said. St. Mary pastor Father Ralph Talbot, the new school’s moderator, and St. Pius X pastor Father Joe Bambenek, its chaplain, will conduct seminars for teachers on faith, and moral and ethical implications of science and technology. Fa-

ther Bambenek, who has advanced degrees in engineering, said he will be involved in the process.

The school also will bring in local artists through a new partnership with the White Bear Lake Center for the Arts. Language arts will tie the program together.

“The benefit for the parish and the broader Church will be the education and formation of young people whose Catholic faith penetrates all aspects of their life,” said Father Talbot.

Not only will STREAM give students a strong foundation in science and math, but also in all their subjects, Gallivan said. “What it does is it provides them kind of the springboard to pursue just about anything they wish in their future as high school and college students.”

Catholic Schools Week

New regional school to draw kids from two parishes

While it will start something new with STREAM, the new school will reflect the communities it brings together, said St. Pius X School principal Danny Kieffer, who will serve as the academy’s assistant principal.

“We’re two communities with two histories and two sets of vision, and so we have to balance representing both of those histories and traditions, as well as creating some new traditions, creating a new identity,” he said.

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week!

January 26 to February 1, 2014 Catholic schools develop the whole child by fostering academic excellence, knowledge of the faith and virtues, and a commitment to service. Aim higher for your environment of a Catholic school community today! Visit aimhigher.org.

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Catholic Schools Week

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Risen Christ School plans for bilingual education Dual language immersion program to launch this fall

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Maribel Blas and Stephanie Lampman are excited to enroll their daughters in kindergarten in Risen Christ School’s new dual language immersion program.

They say the girls will have the opportunity to become bilingual in Spanish and English.

While Blas’ daughter speaks Spanish at home, immersion in Spanish and English could help her excel academically and professionally, and in the process, help her family improve in both languages. Lampman’s daughter, a native English speaker, will have the same opportunity to excel — and maybe teach her family some of the Spanish she is learning.

“I was asking for this two years ago,” said Blas, a parishioner at Incarnation in Minneapolis.

“When I heard there was going to be an immersion school, it was really nice . . . .”

Starting this fall with the Minneapolis school’s two kindergarten classes, Risen Christ

will become the first Catholic school in Minnesota to offer a dual language immersion program, in which students will receive 50 percent daily instruction in each language, according to Helen Dahlman, Risen Christ’s president.

The school hopes to register about 45 kindergarteners for the program when enrollment begins next month.

Changing to dual language immersion will benefit both English learners and native English speakers, Dahlman said. And it will affect the school’s curriculum, teaching staff, and in some respects, its overall identity as it seeks to better recognize the different cultures of its students. Its Catholic identity will not change, though it might find different expressions through other cultural lenses.

After the school researched dual language immersion options and began participating in a national Catholic school immersion network, Risen Christ’s board voted to adopt an immersion model last fall, Dahlman said. The school will add one grade per year as each year’s kindergarteners advance; the program will be fully implemented in the K-8 school in seven years.

Given its demographic diversity,

St. David’s Relief Foundation 2014 Pilgrimage and Mission Trip to Medjugorje July 25-August 8

learning English and then they learn not only Spanish, but English better,” she said. “Our primary purpose is to make sure that our kids are academically excellent and they achieve at high levels and will get accepted to the best high schools and excel there, so they get good jobs.”

A teacher at Risen Christ School in Minneapolis reads to a class. The K-8 school will transition to full immersion curriculum next fall. Photo courtesy of Risen Christ School Risen Christ hopes that eventually the program will consist of twothirds native Spanish speakers and one-third native English speakers, Dahlman said. While all students would benefit, English learners — who make up more than 70 percent of Risen Christ’s 312 students — especially stand to gain from dual immersion, according to Dahlman.

Ninety percent of the school’s English learners are Spanishspeaking, but some don’t have Spanish language skills that help in developing corresponding skills in English.

“By giving our kids a real academic foundation in Spanish, they transfer those skills to

Immersion students will have two subjects in English and two in Spanish every day. Each quarter, the language that each subject is taught in will switch. Teachers will speak to students only in their designated language.

Risen Christ will purchase books and other materials for the program, but Dahlman said she doesn’t anticipate its resource expenses will increase greatly.

Teachers in the program will need to be either native speakers of one of the languages or have near native fluency, she said. Several of the school’s teachers are working toward fluency, and all Risen Christ teachers receive language and cultural training.

Besides looking at ways to express the Catholic faith through different traditions, Risen Christ is seeking help from pastors to celebrate a bilingual Mass, she said.

PRE-LENTEN MISSION February 15-17, 2014 • St. Patrick Catholic Church

Fr. Leo Patalinghug is a Catholic priest from Baltimore, and the host and founder of Grace Before Meals, an apostolate to strengthen families and communities around the dinner table. He is also an internationally renowned conference speaker, author, TV host of “Savoring Our Faith” on EWTN, radio co-host of “Entertaining Truth” on Sirius XM and contributes restaurant reviews to Baltimore’s The Catholic Review.

His uniquie background as martial artist and break dancer helps him to connect with people of all ages.

Saturday, Feb. 15: 5 p.m. Mass Sunday, Feb. 16: 9 a.m., 11 a.m. Mass 7-8:30 p.m. Parish Mission - Day 1 A Call to Holiness: Lent draws us closer to knowing God’s will and the life of holiness.

Monday, Feb. 17: 7-8:30 p.m. Parish Mission - Day 2 The Road to Holiness: Struggling to carry our cross, fighting against temptation and entering into the spiritual combat between good and evil.

There is no cost to attend these events; free will offerings will be gratefully accepted to help defray expenses.

19921 Nightingale St. NW, Oak Grove, MN 55011 763.753.2011 • www.st-patricks.org

Join us in a “unique” two-week combined pilgrimage and mission trip to Medjugorje.

First week: Participate in a Franciscan humanitarian work project in either Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Second week: Spiritual pilgrimage in Medjugorje with a professional tour guide who grew up there.

Trip options: Two week combined mission and pilgrimage; One week pilgrimage only (August 1-8, 2014).

Other highlights: Daily Mass (English); tour Mother’s Village, a Franciscan humanitarian community in Medjugorje; meeting with visionaries (pending availability); climb Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain.

Estimated cost:

Two week combined pilgrimage and mission trip

One week pilgrimage only

$3,000

$2,700

Both standard package prices include roundtrip airfare from MSP, lodging, two prepared meals per day, ground transportation transfers and professional tour guide. Standard package prices are based on the current roundtrip airfare from MSP, and may be adjusted due to unforeseen increases in the airfare. Registration due by April 20, 2014.

Most of our previous pilgrimages and mission trips can be viewed on our website (www.stdavids.org) by clicking Reports.

If interested in joining us, or want to know more about the trip, contact Ben Fellows by email at stdavids.workcamp@aol.com.

About Medjugorje: On June 25, 1981, in the mountain village of Medjugorje in Herzegovina, the Blessed Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to six children. She identified herself as the Queen of Peace, and continues to appear to several of the visionaries. Her mission is to promote peace with God and mankind through her son, Jesus. In Our Lady’s own words “I have come to tell the world that God exists.”

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

TheCatholicSpirit.com

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Bishop remembered for ministry in Indonesia The Visitor A Mass of Christian Burial for Crosier Bishop Alphonse Sowada was celebrated Jan. 17 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud, with St. Cloud Bishop Donald Kettler presiding.

The homilist was Bishop John Kinney, the diocese’s bishop emeritus. Burial was at the Crosier Priory Cemetery, Onamia.

Bishop Alphonse Sowada, 80, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Agats, Indonesia, died Jan. 11 at the Mille Lacs Health System, Onamia.

The Minnesota native who retired to his home state was rememBishop bered fondly ALPHONSE

by Bishop Kinney.

SOWADA “Bishop Sowada was, in my estimation, what Pope Francis has written about in his apostolic exhortation ‘The Joy of the Gospel,’” Bishop Kinney noted.

“He brought the joy of the Gospel of Christ to the people of the Diocese of Agats and to all of us.”

Bishop Sowada was born June

23, 1933, in Avon, to Alphonse and Monica (Pierskalla) Sowada.

He attended Crosier Seminary High School in Onamia and received his seminary formation at the Crosier House of Studies in Fort Wayne, Ind. He made his profession of vows in the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross Aug. 28, 1953, and was ordained to the priesthood at Fort Wayne May 31, 1958.

In 1961, he earned a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He then left for the Asmat Mission in Indonesia, where he served as pastor of the parish in Sawa-Erma from 1962-1965 and pastor in Agats from 1965-1969. He was the regional superior for the Crosiers in Agats when he was appointed the first bishop of Agats. He was ordained a bishop Nov. 23, 1969.

“He was a great man, a great Crosier and missionary priest and bishop,” recalled Bishop Kinney.

“I had the privilege of visiting him in Agats back in 1999 or 2000 and spent a couple of weeks with him.

“I saw the tremendous pastoral work that he was doing with the Asmat people — and their love for him. He had a great love for them, for all of the priests and people of

the Diocese of Agats. It was a privilege for me to be with him during that time.”

Preserved cultural heritage During his years ministering to the Asmat people, Bishop Sowada wrote books on Asmat art and culture. His collections of artifacts are the core of the American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

He celebrated his 50th jubilee as a Crosier Aug. 3, 2008.

Bishop Sowada is survived by his brothers and sisters: Adrian (Joann) Sowada, Little Falls; Marlene (John) Mulrooney, Winona; Ramona Sowada, Addison, Ill.; Rose Ann (David) Munsch,Poway, Calif.; Lenore (Michael) Leigh, Green Valley, Ariz.; Dennis (Janice) Sowada, Rice; and Terese (Richard) Athman, Hamilton, Mont.; and several nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents.

“After Bishop Sowada’s retirement,” Bishop Kinney said, “our joy was having him return here to the Diocese of St. Cloud, to be in retirement here but also to assist me. He worked very hard helping with some of the confirmations — his being here was a joy for me.”

The Visitor is the newspaper of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

Vatican observer calls for concrete steps toward peace in Syria Catholic News Service International leaders and representatives of various Syrian factions now engaged in peace talks must give “priority to negotiations over guns [and] to people over inordinate power,” said the Vatican’s observer at the talks.

“Dialogue is the only way forward,” said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Vatican representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva, in a speech to the U.N.-sponsored Geneva II peace talks Jan. 22.

The United Nations has reported that “well over 100,000 people have been killed and nearly 9 million others driven from their homes” since 2011 when efforts began to oust President Bashar Assad, he said.

The archbishop made the following proposals: • “An immediate cease-fire without preconditions” and the immediate halt of arms shipments and weapons funding to all parties.

• Increased humanitarian aid, because “millions have been displaced and are in life-threatening situations.”

• An immediate start to reconstruction efforts, giving priority to creating jobs for Syrian youths.

• The promotion of dialogue and reconciliation talks by Syria’s religious communities.

If you have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, we want to hear from you.

We are here to offer you help and healing. We will also help you make a formal complaint of abuse to this Archdiocese or assist you in contacting another archdiocese/diocese/eparchy.

Please call me, Greta Sawyer, on my confidential phone line, 651.291.4497, or email me at sawyerg@archspm.org.

This year, it could be you!

2014 Leading With Faith award nominations are open!

Bishop Alphonse Sowada, OSC May Your Soul Rest in Peace

S  D • U  S. T

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

U.S. & World

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Abortion supporters rely on ‘subterfuges,’ cardinal says

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service Supporters of legal abortion are like the emperor from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” said Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston.

The “vain and proud king” gullibly believed the swindlers who “told the king that those who could not see the [‘magic’] cloth were stupid and unfit for office,” said Cardinal O’Malley, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

“The king was quite deceived and paraded through the street of his capital to receive the ovations of his people. The crowds lined the streets and applauded when the king passed by.

The crowd shouted compliCardinal ments and congratulated the king on his magnificent SEAN clothing. Suddenly a little O’MALLEY child shouted, ‘But he has nothing on at all,’” Cardinal O’Malley said. “’The king’s new clothes’ today are called reproduction rights, termination of pregnancy, choice, and many other subterfuges that disguise the reality and the brutality that is abortion,” he added. “The voice of the Church is like the child who declares before the world that the new clothes are a lie, a humbug, a deception. The Church, with the candor of a child, must call out the uncomfortable truth. Abortion is wrong. Thou shall not kill.”

Cardinal O’Malley made his remarks in the homily of the Jan. 21 Mass opening the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The cardinal said he has been to every vigil since they started 35 years ago.

“When the value of life is compromised or diminished, all life is at risk,” he said. “Human rights, without the right to life, are the king’s new clothes — it’s a fraud, an exercise in self-deception.”

Merciful face of God Pope Francis, in his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), “laments the fact that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations,” Cardinal O’Malley said. “The good news is that God never gives up on us. He never tires of loving us. He never tires of forgiving us, never tires of giving us another chance. The prolife movement needs to be the merciful face of God to women facing a difficult pregnancy. Being judgmental or condemnatory is not part of the gospel of life.”

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Young people participate in a pro-life youth rally and Mass at the Verizon Center in Washington Jan. 22. Thousands of young people gathered at the arena to rally and pray before taking part in the annual March for Life, which this year marked the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion across the nation. CNS photo/Leslie Kossoff

‘We are the pro-life generation,’ say millennials at national march Minnesota youth among those standing up for life in the nation’s capital Catholic News Service Despite single-digit temperatures, thousands descended on Washington Jan. 22 to declare their opposition to abortion.

Most of the red noses and chapped lips belonged to faces under 25.

“We are the pro-life generation,” read signs carried by the marchers.

March for Life President Jeanne Monahan echoed that opinion. In her opening remarks, Monahan thanked millennials for understanding the devastation caused by abortion “more than any group.”

Schools across the nation shipped busloads of students, many of whom wore bright-colored sweatshirts and scarves for easy identification. Many teens also sported pro-chastity stickers reading “Worth Waiting For.” About 200 high school students and chaperones from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis rode buses to the march. They were met at the march by Bishop Lee Piché, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“This was the most people I have ever seen come together for one great cause,” said Samuel Correll, 17, a senior at Bethlehem Academy and member of Divine Mercy parish in Faribault who made the trip.

Seeing other millennials there

“This was the most people I have ever seen come together for one great cause.”

Samuel Correll, 17, a senior at Bethlehem Academy in Faribault

“was reassuring for myself that I’m not alone in this,” he said. “If I ever get the chance again to attend the March for Life, I would definitely do it without a second thought.”

The participants’ energy was not dimmed by frigid conditions upon arrival.

Andrew Redman, 25, from Notre Dame Seminary, and Andrew Gutierrez, 20, from St. Joseph’s Seminary came with 10 busloads of students from New Orleans.

“The snow helped unite us, all huddled together,” Redman said.

“It’s a great chance to pray with people!” Gutierrez added. “Then you aren’t distracted by cold toes or frozen ears.”

Most affected generation According to a 2013 Gallup poll, millennials are the group most likely to believe that abortion should be outlawed in all circumstances, and a majority believed in placing restrictions on abortion.

Out of the 56 million abortions since 1973, the millennial genera-

tion has suffered the greatest losses. The number of annual abortions reached their peak of 1.6 million in 1990.

Signs at the march read: “1/3 of our generation has been killed by abortion.”

When asked about the shift in perspective about abortion, some think it is because of technology.

Clara Milligan, a senior at Morris Hill Academy in Cincinnati, said that “we see the ultrasounds and know that life begins in the womb.”

“Social media has given us the ability to spread the word about causes that are important to us,” she added.

Her sister, Grace Milligan, a sophomore at Morris Hill, said that “this generation is more accepting of people, and that includes the unborn.”

The desire for compassionate understanding was reflected in this year’s theme for the March for Life: “Adoption: A Noble Decision.”

Though full of hope for a culture of life, activists face challenges on the issue unimagined in years past.

No longer limited to the abortion clinic, emergency contraceptives that can act as abortifacients are used in homes and dorm rooms. Dr. Donna Harrison, executive director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, asked marchers to engage their peers on pro-life issues. “It is up to you to talk to your roommates and friends about what these drugs actually do,” she said.

15

U.S. & World

Pope: Internet a ‘gift from God,’ should be used for solidarity

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Like the good Samaritan, who stopped on the road to help a person in need, travelers along today’s communication highways should offer support to those they encounter there, Pope Francis said.

“The digital world can be an environment rich in humanity; a network not of wires but of people,” he said in his message for World Communications Day, released Jan. 23.

Modern means of communication, especially the Internet, offer “immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity,” he said. Because of that, he said, the Internet is “a gift from God.” “Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter” is the theme of this year’s World Communications Day, which most dioceses will mark June 1, the Sunday before Pentecost.

“The walls which divide us can be broken down only if we are prepared to listen and learn from one another,” the pope said. “A culture of encounter demands that we be ready not only to give, but also to receive.”

Taking time to listen Good communicators must take the time necessary to listen to others and, more than just tolerate, truly accept them, he said.

“Engaging in dialogue does not mean renouncing our own ideas and traditions, but the claim that they alone are valid or absolute,” the pope said in his message.

Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, told reporters that the pope is not proposing “a relativism” of the faith, but is continuing his predecessors’ calls for the church to engage with a multi-cultural and multi-religious world.

Pope Francis, in his message, quoted Pope Benedict XVI’s 2013 World Communications Day text, which says effective Christian witness is “about our willingness to be available to others ‘by patiently and respectfully engaging their questions and their doubts as they advance in their search for the truth and the meaning of human existence’” — not by “bombarding people with religious messages.”

A culture of encounter, listening and dialogue will help everyone see and “appreciate more fully the important values inspired by Christianity, such as the vision of the human person, the nature of marriage and the family, the proper distinction between the religious and the political spheres, the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity and many others,” he said.

Anne Schleper, center, celebrates with teammates after a goal in an exhibition hockey game in late December 2013 at Air Canada Center in Toronto. CNS photo/Tom Szczerbowski, USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

Minnesota hockey Olympian puts faith first

By Sue Schulzetenberg-Gully Catholic News Service In the midst of final preparations for the Olympics, U.S. women’s hockey player Anne Schleper said faith definitely plays a role in her games.

In an interview before the Feb. 7 opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, Schleper, a Catholic and native of St. Cloud, said it would be easy to idolize the evaluation of her coaches or a potential medal around her neck.

But she is humbled to remind herself that she plays to glorify God. “I wouldn’t be following his will if I wasn’t inviting him to the rink also,” said the 23-year-old, an alumna of Cathedral High School and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in St. Cloud.

“Life goes too fast to try and please another human or to work tirelessly for an item that will eventually perish,” she told The

WASHINGTON

Court continues HHS mandate injunction The Supreme Court Jan. 24 issued a three-sentence order affirming — for the time being — an injunction blocking enforcement against the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Christian Brothers benefits organization of a mandate to provide contraceptive coverage in employee health insurance.

The order released late in the afternoon affirmed Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s Dec. 31 order in the case.

It temporarily blocks the federal government from requiring the Denver-based sisters and their coplaintiffs at Christian Brothers Services from having to meet that re-

Visitor, newspaper of the St. Cloud Diocese. “There is freedom in my life and in my play when I fix my eyes on Jesus and not on this world.”

Schleper, who was named to the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team roster Jan. 1, began playing hockey at age 4 in the prekindergarten program at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex. Today, hockey is her job, but it’s one she loves, she said.

Preparing for the Olympics required countless hours of off-ice weightlifting and on-ice skill practices. She left the house many days at 8 a.m. and didn’t return until 5 p.m. In addition to practicing, she needed to pay close attention to her nutrition, sleep habits and body maintenance.

Off the ice, Schleper participates in a Bible study with fellow hockey players. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, she was part of a Bible study group in college as well. quirement of the Affordable Care Act.

ROME

Pope presides at Christian unity service While Christian unity will be a gift from God, it won’t drop miraculously from the sky but will be given to the followers of Christ step by step as they walk together and work together, Pope Francis said.

“To journey together is already to be making unity,” the pope said Jan. 25 during an ecumenical prayer service marking the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

With Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and other Christian representatives

Schleper played for the hockey program at the athletic complex in St. Cloud until junior high when she switched to the St. Cloud Icebreakers, a team composed of players from three St. Cloud high schools.

At the University of Minnesota, she notched 28 points in helping the Gophers win the 2012 national championship. She finished the season as the school record holder in most career games played.

She also was a member of the 2008 United States Under-22 Team and a two-time member of the U.S. Under-18 Team, including the 2008 team that won the gold medal.

She played for Team USA in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships.

After college, she moved to the East Coast to play for the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. present and reading some of the prayers, Pope Francis presided over the service at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

VATICAN CITY

President Obama will visit pope in March Pope Francis will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican March 27, the White House announced and the Vatican confirmed.

The spring meeting would be Obama’s second visit to the Vatican as president, but his first with Pope Francis, who was elected March 13, 2013. The White House said the Vatican visit would be part of a presidential trip to the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Focus on Faith • Scripture Readings

16 SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Kevin Manthey

Be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit Within the last several weeks, I have listened to the testimonies of two cardinals regarding the conclave in which Pope Francis was elected. Both of these cardinals attested to the spirit of prayer that permeated the conclave, and that the Holy Spirit clearly indicated who they ought to choose. One of the cardinals also emphasized the importance of obeying the sign they were given — in this case, voting for Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

The events of the conclave reflect the events of this Sunday’s Gospel reading. Through the life of the prophet Simeon, St. Luke shows us there are three steps to being faithful to the promptings of the Holy Spirit: living in communion with the Spirit, hearing the Spirit, and acting on the promptings of the Spirit.

Readings Sunday, Feb. 2 The Presenatation of the Lord • Malachi 3:1-4 • Hebrews 2:14-18 • Luke 2:22-40

Reflection What does it mean to live in communion with God? What can we do in our lives to better hear God’s call for us?

First, the prophet Simeon “was righteous and devout . . . and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Simeon was living a life in communion with God.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Feb. 2 The Presentation of the Lord Malachi 3:1-4 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Monday, Feb. 3 St. Blaise, bishop, martyr; St. Ansgar, bishop 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13 Mark 5:1-20 Tuesday, Feb. 4 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 – 19:3 Mark 5:21-43 Wednesday, Feb. 5

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Second, “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.”

Simeon was attentive to God’s voice.

Third, “He came in the Spirit into the temple.” (Other translations read “inspired by the Spirit, he came into the temple.”)

Simeon obeyed the Spirit, which moved him to enter the temple the day Mary and Joseph came to present Jesus to his Father. (The words of the prophet Malachi in this Sunday’s first reading were directed in a particular way to Simeon: “Suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.”)

Life in the Spirit is an adventure that draws us out of ourselves and turns us toward God and others. It is not only for prophets and cardinals, but also for everyone who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism and confirmation. If we are living in communion with Jesus Christ, we are, necessarily, in communion with his Father and his Spirit. The best ways to foster this communion are through daily prayer (speaking heart-to-heart with the Lord) and the sacraments.

Something that can help us be attentive to the voice of the Spirit is meditating on the Scriptures while being open to letting the word transform, refine and purify us by its power. The more we are open to giving ourselves to our Lord and to our neighbor in daily thoughts, words and deeds, the more open we will be to answering God’s calls — whatever they might

St. Agatha, virgin, martyr 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17 Mark 6:1-6 Thursday, Feb. 6 St. Paul Miki and Companions, martyrs 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 Mark 6:7-13 Friday, Feb. 7 Sirach 47:2-11 Mark 6:14-29 Saturday, Feb. 8 St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin; Blessed Virgin Mary 1 Kings 3:4-13 Mark 6:30-34

be.

Like the prophet Simeon and the cardinals of the conclave, we can be faithful to the Holy Spirit by living in communion with God, listening for his voice and acting on his words.

Sunday, Feb. 9 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 58:7-10 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Matthew 5:13-16 Monday, Feb. 10 St. Scholastica virgin 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 Mark 6:53-56 Tuesday, Feb. 11 Our Lady of Lourdes 1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 Mark 7:1-13 Wednesday, Feb. 12 1 Kings 10:1-10 Mark 7:14-23

Deacon Manthey is in formation for the priesthood at St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His home parish is St. Michael in Farmington, and his teaching parish is St. John Neumann in Eagan.

Thursday, Feb. 13 1 Kings 11:4-13 Mark 7:24-30 Friday, Feb. 14 St. Cyril, monk; St. Methodius, bishop 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19 Mark 7:31-37 Saturday, Feb. 15 1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34 Mark 8:1-10 Sunday, Feb. 16 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sirach 15:15-20 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Matthew 5:17-37

17

Father Michael Schmitz

What’s wrong with playing violent video games?

Q. I’ve been playing firstperson shooter games for a while now. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them. I just see them as “games.” But is there something wrong with playing those kinds of video games?

A. That’s a very good question.

A response involves a good deal of reflection on the role of entertainment, as well as the place of violence in a world affected by sin.

The kinds of games I imagine that you are referring to are principally games like “Call of Duty,” “Halo” or “Grand Theft Auto.” There are many others (the market is totally saturated with variations of these best-selling games), and they take on various formats and use different scenarios.

Some games have the participants “merely” killing aliens or zombies (so you aren’t killing “people,” but merely “monsters”), while others place the gamer in an actual wartime situation, simulating everything from D-Day to the war in Afghanistan. Still others let the players be criminals.

While it seems obvious that the kind of target involved in the game does affect the moral seriousness of the activity (it is one thing to be shooting at aliens and another to randomly kill police officers while on a crime spree), the entire premise of first-person shooter games seems inherently flawed.

That being said, I am criticizing neither gun use nor violence in and of itself. Unfortunately, guns are tools that have a place in a fallen world. There are times when the use of force is the right and noble thing. It is wise for us not to fall into the trap of blaming guns (or even these video games) as the cause of evil violence in the world.

There is an attitude in our culture that seems to want to defang or declaw people (male or female) who have strength. There

seems to be an undercurrent in our society that wishes to emasculate men. We praise the virtues of patience, gentleness and compassion, and rightly so! But we also seem to fear the virtues of fortitude, bravery and a readiness to act with decisiveness. In an effort to protect ourselves from people misusing their power, we seem bent on raising a generation of young people without any real strength.

other than entertainment.

Where do we draw the line?

This is possibly the critical difference. These games are examples of “violence as entertainment.” The problem with violence as entertainment is not only that it depersonalizes human beings, but also that the violation of human dignity becomes amusement. This is one reason why being trained in martial arts (even something like Mixed Martial Arts) is radically different from watching an MMA fight. In the one case, physical and mental strength is honed and disciplined.

Does this generation possess moral courage?

Now, I know that I am speaking in vague generalities, but I believe that we can all recognize this. Have the last few generations (including my own) been marked by courage and self-sacrifice? The invasion of Normandy was terrible and horrific, and we pray that no people will ever have to do something like that again. But do we think that the young people of this generation (or the previous generation) have the moral courage to do such a thing? Maybe they do. But it seems a bit more like there is a moral vacuum there.

It is into this moral vacuum that these first-person shooter games are introduced. Would you want a gun to be placed into the hands of a person without a moral compass?

A person might enter the military and be taught how to use a weapon. Someone might be trained in martial arts and learn self defense and how to defend others. This person might learn how to be properly “aggressive.”

But this is worlds apart from the “training” that a young person receives when playing a video game. In the first place, there is no discernible discipline. There is no clear sense of “we are training you to be strong, and also equipping you with the best way for you to use that strength.” Rather, playing these games is an exercise in acts of aggression with no evident value

player would stalk and sexually assault a young woman. Many groups called for the prohibition of these kinds of games, and rightly so. But, one might argue, this violence is merely simulated. No real human being is assaulted, only a computer program. And yet, most thinking people would realize that there is something desperately evil about such games. They have no value. In fact, they only serve to introduce more evil into the minds of those playing these games.

First-person shooter games do as much good in cultivating healthy masculine strength and aggression as these “rape games” do in cultivating a healthy sexuality.

Lastly, all of this is coming from

“It seems pretty clear: There is no room for a Christian to find entertainment in the suffering and death of others (whether real or simulated).“

Focus on Faith • Seeking Answers

SEEKING ANSWERS

Father Michael Schmitz CNS photo/Don Blake, The Dialog

In the other, a person is simply entertained by watching one person physically assault another human being. There is value in martial arts training. There is no value in being amused by images of two human beings hurting each other.

In fact, don’t we recognize this as a form of sadism? Taking pleasure in another person’s pain is a clear violation of human dignity.

Is this changed when the violence is merely “simulated”? After all, no one is hurt in a video game! It seems a little extreme to get all worked up over a video game.

What if the violence was of a different sort? Recently, some Japanese video game companies have come under fire for creating video games where the first-person

the perspective of a person of good will. What about a follower of Christ? It seems pretty clear: There is no room for a Christian to find entertainment in the suffering and death of others (whether real or simulated). While such games are morally objectionable from a humanistic standpoint, they are even more odious to a Catholic Christian. We may never take pleasure in being entertained by the depiction of violence against another person.

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

Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@ gmail.com.

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Call: 651.291.4444 January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

This Catholic Life • Commentary

18 EDITORIAL

An effort to end modern-day slavery

Joe Towalski

Human trafficking is a scourge that each year impacts thousands of vulnerable women, men and children who come to the United States searching for a better life but wind up as modern-day slaves.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been a leader for many years in raising awareness and seeking to end sex and labor trafficking.

Its recently launched “Become a SHEPHERD” campaign offers Catholics a way to engage in the fight by educating others and advocating on behalf of victims.

The USCCB also is asking parishes to recognize Feb. 8 as a day of prayer for survivors and victims of human trafficking. The date marks the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese woman who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. When she was freed, she became a nun, and worked to comfort the poor and suffering.

To learn more, visit usccb.org/about/anti-trafficking-program.

— Joe Towalski

A Valentine’s gift that could save someone’s life This year, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for a family member or friend, you may consider giving chocolate — it just might help save someone’s life.

That sounds like an exaggerated advertising slogan dreamed up by your local candy store, but there is truth to the claim.

Buying fair-trade chocolate — or other fair-trade items ranging from coffee to clothing to jewelry — improves the lives of families in need in some of the poorest parts of the world.

“When you buy fair-trade gifts of

chocolate and crafts, you help build economies, families and communities,” Carolyn Woo, the president of Catholic Relief Services, pointed out in a recent email to supporters. “Buying fair trade means that artisans and farmers receive fair wages. It means that children will not be exploited.”

CRS’ fair-trade partners include SERRV and Equal Exchange. When buyers purchase from them, the CRS Fair Trade Fund receives a contribution, which is used to make grants to people in the United States and around the world to help build more just and sustainable workplaces.

COMMENTARY Father Robert Barron

Why goodness depends on God One of the commonest observations made by opponents of religion is that we don’t need God in order to have a coherent and integral morality.

Atheists and agnostics are extremely sensitive to the charge that the rejection of God will automatically lead to moral chaos. Consequently, they argue that a robust sense of ethics can be grounded in the consensus of the human community over time or in the intuitions and sensibilities of decent people.

What I would like to do is lay out, very briefly, the Catholic understanding of the relationship between morality and the existence of God and show, thereby, why it is indispensably important for a society that wishes to maintain its moral integrity to maintain, at the same time, a vibrant belief in God.

Getting at the ‘why?’

Why do we do the things that we do? What motivates us ethically?

Right now, I am typing words on my keyboard. Why am I doing that?

Well, I want to finish my weekly column. Why do I want to do that?

I want to communicate the truth as I see it to an audience who might benefit from it. Why would I want that? Well, I’m convinced that the truth is good in itself.

Do you see what we’ve uncovered

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

by this simple exercise? By searching out the motivation for the act of typing words, we have come to a basic or fundamental good, a value that is worthwhile for its own sake. My acts of typing, writing and communicating are subordinate, finally, to the intrinsic value of the truth.

Take another example: Just before composing that last sentence, I took a swig of water from a plastic bottle on my desk. Why did I do that? Well, I was thirsty and wanted to slake my thirst. But why did I want to do that? Hydrating my system is healthy. Why is health important? Because it sustains my life.

Why is life worth pursuing? Well, because life is good in itself.

Once more, this analysis of desire has revealed a basic or irreducible good. Catholic moral philosophy recognizes, besides truth and life, other basic values, including friendship, justice, and beauty, and it sees them as the structuring elements of the moral life.

When Pope Benedict XVI complained about a “dictatorship of relativism” and when Catholic philosophers worry over the triumph of the subjective in our culture, they are expressing their concerns that these irreducible values have been forgotten or occluded.

In her great meditations on the sovereignty of the good, the Irish philosopher Iris Murdoch insists that

In a letter written earlier this year on the eve of the Group of Eight industrialized nations’ annual summit, Pope Francis said that both politics and economics “must set about providing each inhabitant of the planet with the minimum wherewithal to live in dignity and freedom, with the possibility of supporting a family, educating children, praising God

and developing one’s own human potential.”

the authentic good legitimately imposes itself on the human will and is not a creation of that will.

At the limit, contemporary subjectivism idolizes the will so that it becomes the source of value. But this puffing up of our freedom is actually ruinous, for it prevents the appropriation of the objective values that will truly benefit us.

This “basic goods” theory also grounds the keen Catholic sense that there are certain acts which are intrinsically evil, that is, wrong no matter the circumstances of the act or the motivations of the agent.

Slavery, the sexual abuse of children, adultery, racism, murder, etc., are intrinsically evil precisely because they involve direct attacks on basic goods. The moment we unmoor a moral system from these objective values, no act can be designated as intrinsically evil, and from that state of affairs moral chaos follows.

new ones; every social activist knows that righting one wrong awakens a desire to right a hundred more. Indeed, no achievement of truth, justice, life or beauty in this world can satisfy the will, for the will is ordered to each of those goods in its properly unconditioned form.

As Bernard Lonergan said, “the mind wants to know everything about everything.” And, as St. Augustine said, “Lord, you have made us for yourself; therefore our heart is restless until it rests in thee.”

You’ve noticed that I’ve slipped God somewhat slyly into the discussion! But I haven’t done so illegitimately, for in the Catholic philosophical tradition, “God” is the name that we give to absolute or unconditioned goodness, justice, truth and life.

Now we can see the relationship between God and the basic goods that ground the moral life: the latter are reflections of and participations in the former.

As C.S. Lewis points out in his book “Mere Christianity,” the moral absolutes are, therefore, signposts of God. This is precisely why the negation of God leads by a short route to the negation of moral absolutes and finally to a crass subjectivism. Removing God is tantamount to removing the ground for the basic goods, and once the basic goods have been eliminated, all that is left is the self-legislating and self-creating will.

Thus, we should be wary when atheists and agnostics blithely suggest that morality can endure apart from God. Much truer is Dostoyevsky’s observation that once God is removed, anything is permissible.

Where God fits in So far we have determined the objectivity of the ethical enterprise, but how does God figure into the system? Couldn’t an honest secularist hold to objective moral goods but not hold to God’s existence?

Let’s return to our analysis of the will in action. As we saw, the will is motivated, even in its simplest moves, by some sense, perhaps inchoate, of a moral value: truth, life, beauty, justice, etc.

But having achieved some worldly good — say of writing this column, or slaking a thirst, or educating a child — the will is only incompletely satisfied. In fact, the achievement of some finite good tends to spur the will to want more of that good.

Every scientist or philosopher knows that the answering of one question tends to open a hundred

Fair-trade programs help families do exactly this.

To find out more about such programs and how to purchase fair-trade items this Valentine’s Day and yearround, visit CRS’ fair-trade website at www.crsfairtrade.org.

Father Barron is the founder of the global ministry, Word on Fire, and the rector/president of Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

19

John Garvey

the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

Pope Benedict could have easily said the same.

America magazine printed a long

roles. Members of traditionally orthodox religions — Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Sikh — need to keep their opinions to themselves when they appear in public.

Changing the music, but not the message The Parti Quebecois has proposed a new Charter of Values for the Province of Quebec. The most controversial provision of the bill (Bill 60) would forbid state workers to wear conspicuous religious symbols — kippahs, turbans, hijabs and large crosses, for example. There is something about religious garb that the party finds out of place in the kind of society Quebec wants to be.

Isn’t it ironic, in an era when it’s fashionable to impose this kind of secularism, that Esquire magazine should choose Pope Francis as its best dressed man for 2013? (Last year it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a movie star.)

Pope Francis is undeniably charming, but he wears a white cassock and a big cross. Neither is, as they say in Quebec, a la mode. His zucchetto would not pass muster under the proposed bill. Perhaps the folks in Quebec are just that different from Americans. Quebec looks to France for cultural cues, and the French are devoted to an ideal of laicite.

But we see a lot of that in America, too, these days. Take, for example, President Barack Obama omitting the words “under God” when he recited the Gettysburg Address for a Ken Burns documentary last fall. Or think of the stories we now

hear every year about public school Christmas concerts (excuse me, Winter Festivals) that omit any music mentioning the Lord’s birth, as if Christmas doesn’t count as part of our culture.

So what explains the pope’s popularity, even in matters sartorial, in the face of these secularizing trends and growing public embarrassment over religiosity?

Maybe the best explanation is that Pope Francis’ wardrobe has a different cultural meaning. Our trendsetters like the fact that he kept his old black shoes and that he turned down the red cape with ermine trim that some popes have worn. (“Carnival time is over,” the BBC records him as saying.)

Here is what Esquire said by way of justifying its choice: “The black shoes and unadorned, simplistic regalia are just an outward acknowledgment of his progressive orthodoxy.”

Pope Francis is both religious and orthodox, but it’s OK because to them he seems “progressive.” The Advocate — a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender interest magazine — picked Pope Francis as its Person of the Year, too, for this perfectly orthodox statement about people with homosexual inclinations: “If someone is gay and he searches for

OPINION Bob Zyskowski

An invitation to dive into the deep end of our faith February is Catholic Press Month.

Entering a church, we Catholics reach for the holy water font, dip our fingers in, and, with dripping fingers, make the Sign of the Cross.

Reading and viewing Catholic media has a lot of similarities with that act of blessing one’s self.

That wet-fingered Sign of the Cross at the church door is intended to be a reminder of our baptism.

Blessing ourselves should bring to mind the too-often below the surface realization about what it means to be baptized, to be a child of God, and, most importantly, what that implies, what consequences our baptism ought to have on the way we

live our lives.

There is a similar intent behind Catholic newspapers, magazines, books, e-newsletters, websites, blogs and social media.

When they are in our mailbox — either the one the letter carrier delivers to or the one hidden inside a computer, tablet or smartphone — Catholic media are reminders that we are Catholic.

They ought to jog our memories about who we are — and whose we are.

A deeper experience A blessing with holy water is filled with meaning about our Catholic

This Catholic Life • Commentary

INTELLECT & VIRTUE

CNS photo/Paul Haring

interview with Pope Francis in September, in which he affirmed the teachings of the church about abortion, gay marriage and artificial contraception, but added, “it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”

The proposed Charter of Values in Quebec claims to uphold “the values of state secularism and religious neutrality and of equality between women and men.” Perhaps the real meaning of secularism, the real importance of religious neutrality, is that these ideologies fit well with our sexual politics about reproductive freedom and gender

identity. It reminds us of our mission in this world. As we bless ourselves we symbolically renew our commitment to live as Jesus taught us to and to bring his Gospel to others.

Although a ritual filled with symbolism, our holy water Sign of the Cross is, after all, only fingertip deep.

Catholic publications and electronic media, on the other hand, invite readers to dive into the deep end of the faith.

They not only remind us that we were baptized, that we belong to Christ and that this should affect all we do, they are filled with words and pictures and sound that enhance our knowledge about our faith and the world in which we practice it.

Catholic media tell the stories of the faith journeys of others, inspiring us, reaffirming our values, connecting and bonding us as a Catholic community, spurring us into collaborative action for the common good.

Looking at the world through a Catholic lens, Catholic media enlighten our minds, broaden our perspectives and challenge us to be better followers of Jesus.

They share ideas that others may emulate, celebrate events that cheer

What is wonderful about Pope Francis is that he is no less Catholic than his 265 predecessors, but he seems to have found a way past all the cultural barriers. He has not changed the church’s teaching at all, but he has changed the music — so said Time magazine, another publication that made him its Person of the Year.

Let us hope everyone remains this willing to listen after they have heard everything he has to say. It could be good for people of all faiths.

Garvey is president of The Catholic University of America in Washington. the Catholic community, show us how others love their neighbors so that we might, too, and invite us to build God’s kingdom in our place and time.

Incredible variety News stories, opinion columns, human-interest features, Scripture analyses, photos from around the block and across the globe that share the stories of Catholics engaged in their faith, multimedia shows, videos that warm hearts, Facebook pages and Tweets that connect and enlighten, blogs that clarify and nurture Catholic teaching — all are there in an amazing variety in Catholic media.

And Catholic media are even more convenient than your church holy water font.

Their blessings are readily available on your coffee table, laptop or cell phone at the turn of a page, the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger on a touch screen.

Zyskowski is client products manager for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Communications.

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Craig Berry, aka J. Constantine of 12 Tribes, uses Winterland Studios in Minneapolis to record. He released his debut Christian rock album, “Sing a New Song,” in December.

Dianne Towalski/ The Catholic Spirit

Faith & Culture

20

Playing it loud and proud Faith journey leads Craig Berry to release Christian rock album

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit Local musician Craig Berry embraced Catholicism unconventionally — via the Internet and watching Mother Angelica on Eternal Word Television Network.

“So here I am finding myself sitting on a Thursday night watching a 70-year-old nun talking about the faith, and I’m just eating it all up,” Berry said about his conversion from Lutheranism almost 20 years ago. “It was a weird experience, but I loved it. I got the phone book, picked up the phone, called the nearest Catholic church and said, ‘I’m in. What do I have to do?’”

But when it came to producing his debut extended play album, “Sing a New Song,” released last December, Berry knew just how to go about it. Before becoming a web developer, he was a professional recording engineer at a Minneapolis studio.

Under the name J. Constantine and the band name 12 Tribes, Berry recorded the Christian music album basically with a computer and a $100 microphone.

Initially, he tried to collaborate with other artists, but when coordinating schedules didn’t work, he decided to produce the album solo, even venturing into new territory with lyrics and vocals — what he calls his biggest musical challenge.

“So I decided to do this as a Christian music artist and see where it went, and it’s just kind of been progressively building and building,”

he said.

Making music accessible

Website • 12TribesBand.com

Berry grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and Metallica, so he was amazed there was edgy music in the Christian genre from bands like Jars of Clay, DC Talk and Third Day, and artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Berry describes his music “like Weezer for Christians.”

“I would never want to hear this in a liturgy, or in a church setting or a Mass,” Berry said.

“This is not what this is about.”

What it is about, he said, is using the themes of Christianity in the context of modern songs to make music easier for both Christians and non-Christians to identify with. Berry wanted to give people the opportunity to listen to good beats and cohesive song structures minus the bad messages prevalent in a lot of current music. That’s important to the father of three, ages 11, 9 and 5.

“There is secular music that’s just poisonous, that’s full of really bad images, bad words,” Berry said. “This is not like people complaining about Elvis and The Beatles. No, this stuff now is terrible. It’s shocking that this is played on radio stations.

“The songs I write I want to be very hopeful, encouraging, and showing the love of Christ for individual people, specifically so that they know that Jesus loves them. And you don’t have to sing ‘Jesus loves you’ over and over and over to get that message across. You can do it in new ways, in ways that they understand, in language that they understand.”

Quirky lyrics in the upbeat “Pray” take listeners through the stages of a day, showing anytime is good for prayer.

“I see the moon a-risin’, I see the sun a-fallin’/ That means it must be bedtime — hey, where’s my teddy?/ I start to close my eyes, and then I hear this song / I throw the covers off me/ I lift my hands and pray, today’s the day I say no going back, I’m keepin’ this pact today/No going back, I’m movin’ on up.”

“That’s the biggest message: Pray always and be consistent. Don’t give up on it,” Berry said.

Facebook • facebook.com/the12tribesproject

Background paved the way

YouTube • youtube.com/user/12tribesband

When Berry’s passion for music was reignited two years ago, he knew producing an album would require long hours and switching his mind from technology mode to creative mode, all while being a husband, father and working full

Listen up Singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist, J. Constantine (Craig Berry), wrote, performed and recorded all the music and vocals on “Sing a New Song.” His message to listeners: “Play it Loud and Pray Always.”

Connect with J. Constantine and 12 Tribes

Twitter • twitter.com/12tribesband January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

time. Before his recent decision to be a freelance web developer, he worked for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Communications as the social and new media manager.

“I give my wife [Paula] a lot of credit for support,” said Berry, who attends Holy Family in St. Louis Park.

For a week last summer, he went to Nashville, Tenn., to attend the Immerse music conference.

And when he records a session at Winterland Studios in Minneapolis, it’s a whole day.

Berry didn’t set out to produce an entire album. But after hitting the books on music theory, getting updated on trends and practicing, he had enough material.

About a year ago, Berry ramped up his efforts, investing more in his home studio, writing, playing guitar, composing and singing. Now, “Sing a New Song” is available to stream on Spotify and for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. On the album’s ReverbNation page, it sits at the No. 1 Christian rock spot in Minneapolis and is up to No. 50 in the nation.

Berry said that although the Christian music scene is Protestant-dominated, music is a great common ground that can unite different faiths.

“We are, in many ways, trying to do the same thing,” he said. “And that’s really what this is all about for me — using the gifts God gave me . . . and offering it to the Lord, saying ‘What do you want me to do with it?’”

On the musical horizon Berry will be a guest on “The Rediscover: Hour” on Relevant Radio 1330 AM Jan. 31 .

“That’s the big thing about Rediscover: is showing people, ‘hey, this is out there, and it’s not what you may have thought.’ It’s accessible, it’s relevant, it’s current, it’s fresh — not just my music, but others,” he said.

Through ReverbNation, Berry submitted his music to a Christian station in Virginia that will play the songs on its showcase program. If the director likes the tracks, they’ll earn a spot on the playlist.

Berry also is actively looking for Christian labels. He sent his songs to a publisher in Nashville to assess. And he is working to get his music on Pandora, an online streaming service.

In the meantime, Berry continues to write songs and is producing a demo for another singer-songwriter. Through that work, he is reconnecting with people he previously worked with in the industry.

“The joy I’ve had in seeing them again rekindles a lot of fond memories,” he said. “It’s been an unexpected joy.”

21 Family Fun Night at St. Joseph, Rosemount — January 31: 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 13900 Biscayne Ave. Carnival-themed event features games, balloon art, music and more. A pasta dinner will be served until 7 p.m. and concessions will also be available. Cost for dinner is $9 for adults, $6 for children and $30 family maximum. For information, visit www. stjosephcommunity.org.

‘Justice and Joy’: An evening of reflection on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, ‘The Joy of the Gospel’ at St. Thomas More, St. Paul — February 6: 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 1093 Summit Ave. University of St. Thomas law professor and Ignatian spiritual director Susan Stabile will discuss the document in the context of traditional Catholic social teaching, highlighting the way Pope Francis focuses on current economic and social developments of concern to Catholics today.

Festival at St. Pius X, White Bear Lake — February 8 and 9: 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 3878 Highland Ave. Saturday features an Italian dinner, youth events, music, a cash bar and games. Sunday features a chicken dinner, children’s games, inflatables and more.

‘Cabaret Dinner Theatre’ at Immaculate Conception Church, Columbia Heights — February 14 and 15: 6 p.m. at 4030 Jackson St. N.E. Enjoy a professionally prepared buffet dinner followed by a music and variety show, “All You Need Is Love.” Reserved tickets required, $30. For tickets or information, call (763) 788-9062 or visit www.ICCSonline. org.

‘Martin’s Cloak: Chant, Poetry and Prose from Medieval Tours, France’ at St. Agnes, St.Paul — February 14: 8 p.m. at 548 Lafond Ave. Experience the 13th-century saga of Saint Martin, a 4th century man who was canonized not because of the way he died, but because of the way he lived.Visit RoseEnsemble.org for tickets and information. Additional performances Feb. 15 at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis at 8 p.m. and at Holy Cross in Minneapolis Feb. 16 at 3 p.m.

Music ‘Te Deum: You are God’ at St. Olaf, Minneapolis — February 8: 1:30 p.m. at 215 S. Eighth St. A program of organ, vocal and violin music based on the ancient chant. Free will offering.

125th anniversary concert at St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo — February 9: 2 p.m. at 300 First Ave. N.W. Features the debut of a choral piece by Joseph Gentry Stevens. Refreshments to follow.

Don’t miss • More events online Additional parish and school events in the archdiocese can be found in the Calendar section of TheCatholicSpirit.com.

Regiment’s participation in the Civil War at 7 p.m. at 4537 Third Ave. S. Cost is $10. For information, visit www.secondsundaymn.us.

Hurley Ave. For students entering preschool through eighth grade. For information, visit www.communityofsaints.org.

Young adults

Kindergarten information night at St. Jerome School, Maplewood — February 3: 6:30 p.m. at 384 Roselawn Ave. E. For information, visit www.stjeromeschool.org.

Theology on Tap speaker series at the Glockenspiel Restaurant, St. Paul — February 5: Social hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a 60-minute speaker presentation at 605 Seventh St. W. Program focuses on topics of faith and contemporary issues that directly affect the lives of young adults ages 18-39. Jason Adkins will present, “Politics, Pope Francis, & the New Evangelization.” For information, email cya@cathedralsaintpaul.org.

Theology on Tap speaker series at at the Glockenspiel Restaurant, St. Paul — February 12: Social hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a 60-minute speaker presentation at 605 Seventh St. W. Program focuses on topics of faith and contemporary issues that directly affect the lives of young adults ages 18-39. Father John Ubel will present, “Grill the Priest.” For information, email cya@cathedralsaintpaul.org.

Vespers at Lourdes night of prayer and formation for young adults at Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis — February 13: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 1 Lourdes Place. Includes evening prayer, hors d’oeuvres, featured speaker Dr. Nancy Miller and social time.

School events Preschool and kindergarten information night at Community of Saints Regional School, West St. Paul — January 30: 6:30 p.m. at 335 E. Hurley Ave. For information, visit www.communityofsaints.org.

Open house at St. John the Baptist School, Savage — January 30: 6 to 8 p.m. at 12508 Lynn Ave. For students entering preschool to eighth grade. For information, visit www.stjohns-savage.org.

Open house at Transfiguration School, Oakdale — February 2: 11:30 a.m. at 6135 15th St. N. For information, call (651) 501-2220.

Open house and fun day at Community of Saints Regional School, West St. Paul — February 2: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 335 E.

Kindergarten round-up at Highland Catholic School, St. Paul — February 4: 9 to 10:45 a.m. at 2017 Bohland Ave. RSVP to (651) 690-2477.

Open house at Holy Family Academy, St. Louis Park — February 6: 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 5925 W. Lake St. For students entering preschool to eighth grade. For information, visit www.hfamn.org or call (952) 925 9193.

Open house at Faithful Shepherd School, Eagan — February 11: 10 a.m. to noon at 3355 Columbia Drive. For students entering kindergarten through eighth grade. For information, visit www.fscsmn.org.

Other events Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office one-day winter teaching conference at Epiphany, Coon Rapids — February 1: 8:30

a.m. at 1900 111th Ave. N.W. “Fan into Flame the Gift of God You Received.” General sessions plus a variety of workshops to choose from. Speakers include Father John Klockeman, Father Michael Becker and more. Registration is $25. Lunch available for $5. Register at www. ccro-mn.org.

Wine tasting and silent auction at Cerenity Senior Care-Marian of St. Paul, St. Paul — February 5: 6 to 8:30 p.m. at 200 Earl St. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door.

Must be 21 or older to attend. For information, call (651) 739-2182.

Calendar

Parish events

Holy Name Society 12th annual Apologetics Conference at St. Raphael, Crystal — February 8: First talk begins at 1 p.m. at 7301 Bass Lake Road. Featured speaker is author and radio personality Jim Burnham.

This Conference will arm you with the basic tools to effectively and confidently correct some of the misconceptions non-Catholics have about the Catholic Church and its teachings. Cost is $15 for adults and $10 for youth 18 and under.

Clergy/religious are free. For information and registration, visit www.nomensanctum.org.

Women’s Cursillo weekend at Guardian Angels, Oakdale — February 13 to 16: Catholic Cursillo is an encounter of self, Christ and others with an abbreviated course in prayer, study and fellowship. It seeks to prepare participants for living the Gospel in everyday life. For information, visit www.tc-cursillo.org.

Submit applications by Feb. 6.

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur.

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

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event • Full street address of event • Description of event • Contact information in case of questions. E-MAIL: spiritcalendar@archspm.org (No attachments, please.)

FAX: (651) 291-4460 MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave., • St. Paul, MN 55102

Prayer/ liturgy Healing Mass at St. Boniface, Minneapolis — February 6: Rosary at 7 p.m., Mass at 7:30 p.m. at Seventh Avenue and Second Street N.E. Father Jim Livingston will be the celebrant.

Singles Singles 50-plus Second Sunday Supper at St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis — February 9: 5 p.m. social hour, 6 p.m. beef stroganoff dinner followed by Wayne Jorgensen speaking on Minnesota 1st

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

22

Sister took unlikely route to vocation

Pope prays for peace in Ukraine

Continued from page 5

Catholic News Service

coming a Catholic. As time went on, she felt a calling to religious life. She took the advice of the principal of Derham Hall and a priest who said she should accept a scholarship to St. Louis University to get her master’s degree in social work.

“If I had a true vocation, they said it would last,” Sister Mary Madonna recalled. It did — and when she came home for Easter dinner the spring she was set to graduate, she decided to tell her family that she was going to enter religious life.

She waited until dessert and then broke the news.

“Everybody left the table except my young sister who sat there,” she said. “They were just so upset. It was a real crisis. Anyway, be that as it may, I entered the convent.”

Her mother was very opposed to the decision and didn’t accept it for a long time.

But, when Sister Mary Madonna was celebrating her 25th jubilee as a sister, her mother wrote her “the most beautiful letter about how she would not come because she knew she would cry through the whole thing,” Sister Mary Madonna said. “She wanted me to know that at the age of 23 I made the right decision.”

When Sister Mary Madonna retired in September, Sister Mary Heinen, with whom she lived, was diagnosed with cancer. Sister Mary died Jan. 1, and Sister Mary Madonna has been busy the last few months getting her affairs in order.

Once that is completed, might she be ready to retire for good? Or would she be willing to answer another call to ministry?

“We’ll see,” Sister Mary Madonna said with a smile.

As protests against the Ukrainian president spread to cities across the country, Pope Francis offered his prayers for the nation’s people, “particularly for those who lost their lives in the last few days and for their families.”

At least three protesters died Jan. 22 in Kiev, Ukraine’s capital and the site of anti-government protests since late November.

Speaking Jan. 26 with visitors in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said, “I hope there would develop a constructive dialogue between the institutions and civil society and, avoiding any recourse to violent actions, a spirit of peace and search for the common good would prevail in the hearts of all.”

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and the leaders of other churches and religious groups have offered to mediate in the name of peace.

JERICO CHRISTIAN JOURNEYS EWTN + WEEKEND RETREAT

Alaska 7-Day Cruise

Green Bay Marian Eucharistic Conference & Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion Wi.

(Retreat Master-Fr. Mitch Pacwa) Birmingham, Alabama MAY 14-18. 2014

September 7-14, 2014 Spiritual Direction – TBD

12 Days to Germany & Austria

Rome & The Best of Italy

October 2-5, 2014 – Motorcoach Guest Speakers: Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Michael Gaitley, Mother Adela Galindo + Others No Fargo Conference is scheduled for this year

Oct. 6-17, 2014 Fr. Tom Knoblach, Spiritual Director Informational Mtg.-Thursday, Feb. 20th, 6:30 p.m. Holy Spirit Church Gathering Space

October 20-30, 2014

Holy Land – Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus October 27-Nov. 6, 2014 Spiritual Director – TBD

For further information/brochures, call:

Toll-free 1-877-453-7426

19091 Island View Drive, Mora, MN 55051-7304 • www.jericochristianjourneys.com • colleen@jericochristianjourneys.com

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(612) 798-2600 • www.academyofholyangels.org

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(651) 690-2443 • www.c-dh.org

(651) 925-8700 • saintagnesschool.org

Consider a Gift to the 2014 Catholic Services Appeal to Support Vital Ministries in this Local Church

I NTRODUCING THE C ATHOLIC S ERV ICES A PPE A L FOUNDATION All Catholic Services Appeal contributions will be used

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and for no other purposes.

Happy Catholic Schools Week from your Archdiocesan Catholic High Schools!

W E IN V ITE YOU TO FIND OUT MORE

TheCatholicSpirit.com • archspm.org January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

csafspm.org or 651-291-4448

23

‘Mary of Nazareth’ offers inspiring, entertaining story

By Joseph McAleer Catholic News Service

Upcoming screenings

The story of the Gospels unfolds through the eyes of the mother of God in “Mary of Nazareth” (Ignatius Press Films), a beautiful, often moving depiction of the life of Mary from her childhood through the passion and resurrection of her son.

Italian director Giacomo Campiotti (2002’s “Doctor Zhivago”) has produced a handsome and respectful film, with a gifted international cast and some luminous cinematography shot in Tunisia. The script, by Francesco Arlanch, more or less follows the biblical account, with a few intriguing departures, inspired by apocryphal writings, that heighten the drama.

For example, we are told that King Herod (Andrea Giordana) heard a prophesy of a girl who would one day bring forth a savior, prompting him to terrorize Judea in a precursor to the slaughter of the innocents. Mary’s parents, Ann (Antonella Attili) and Joachim (Roberto Citran), hide their young daughter to keep her safe.

Mary (Alissa Jung) is a joyful but special child, one whom dogs and snakes fear. Her parents are happy but often perplexed. After Mary’s betrothal to Joseph (Luca Marinelli), and the Annunciation, a resigned Joachim tells Mary,

• 3 p.m., Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 White Bear Township 17 Theatre, 1180 County Road J, White Bear Lake, (I-35E and County Road J).

Admission price both days is $10. Proceeds benefit Catholic Parents OnLine.

For more information, contact Colleen at (612) 861-6388, or maryofnazareth@live.com.

Luca Marinelli portrays Joseph and Alissa Jung is Mary in a scene from the movie “Mary of Nazareth.” CNS photo/courtesy of Ignatius Press “Forgive me. I always knew you were a mystery, but I never knew how great a mystery.”

The Nativity is beautifully rendered. Mary possesses a strong, almost psychic bond with her young son, aware when he is hurt or in danger, and envisioning his future Passion in her mind.

Once Jesus (Andreas Pietschmann) begins his public ministry (“He couldn’t stay and be a carpenter forever,” Joseph says), Mary is always present, strong and compassionate, helping when she can. But when she asks him for assistance with the wine at Cana,

she later worries she was impulsive, forcing Jesus to act before he was ready.

Mary not only shares her son’s ministry, but also his pain. Every blow during the scourging is felt by Mary, as is the slow agony of Crucifixion. The depictions of the slaughter of the innocents and the Passion are graphic, even harrowing, which pre-teens might find upsetting.

But for the rest of the family, “Mary of Nazareth” makes for an enriching catechetical experience that’s also both inspiring and entertaining. The film is fittingly

dedicated “to all mothers, whose life-giving, sacrificial love, like Mary, changes the world.”

“Mary of Nazareth” is available for sponsored screenings in theaters, and is expected to be released on DVD later this year. For more information, visit www. maryfilm.com.

The film contains several scenes of bloody violence and death. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents.

Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

McAleer is a guest reviewer for Catholic News Service.

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The Last Word

24

Standing up for life in St. Paul The Catholic Spirit Wind chills dipping to -15 degrees couldn’t keep Mary Kay Mahowald and about 2,500 others away from the annual Prayer Service for Life at the Cathedral of St. Paul and pro-life march to the Minnesota Capitol Jan. 22.

“I’ve been coming on this day for 40 years,” said Mahowald, a member of St. Catherine in Spring Lake Township. “However cold it is on this day, I just crawl out of bed and tell the Lord, ‘This is for the babies. Make something good of it.’”

The march, sponsored by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, and the prayer service marked the 41st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion virtually on demand in the United States.

During his homily at the prayer service, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis told the story of how, when his mother was pregnant with him, a doctor informed her that she was carrying a deformed fetus and should undergo an abortion. Bishop Cozzens’ mother, a staunch pro-life advocate, refused, and she eventually gave birth to a healthy baby.

The bishop’s parents told him this story often when he was growing up.

“They would say God saved your life because he has a plan for it,” he recalled. “Your job is to figure out what that plan is.”

Likewise, God has a plan for everyone who attended the prayer service and every person ever conceived in a mother’s womb, Bishop Cozzens said.

This realization should lead to a sense of childlike wonder and awe, knowing that God lovingly creates every person to accomplish something special.

“Each of us must come to know deeply the gift of our own life and see God’s plan for our life,” he said. “Each of us must be able to say, ‘God saved my life because he has a plan for it, and my job is to figure out what that plan is.’

“This wonder and gratitude will allow us to become instruments of God to change hearts, so that many people will come to reverence life,” he said.

The March for Life was moved inside the state Capitol for only the second time in 40 years due to the extreme cold. The event featured a short program. MCCL said its 2014 legislative agenda includes ending taxpayerfunded abortions, which account for 34 percent of all abortions performed in the state. It is also seeking the licensing and inspection of abortion facilities, and passage of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which prohibits abortions at the point when an unborn child can feel pain.

January 30, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Mariana Foxhoven of Divine Mercy in Faribault holds a pro-life sign inside the State Capitol during the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life rally Jan. 22. She came with her grandfather, Jerry Hoisington, also of Divine Mercy. Due to the cold, the annual March for Life was moved inside the Capitol.

Above left: Dan Moriarty of St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake braves subzero temperatures as he walks to the State Capitol from the Cathedral of St. Paul to attend a pro-life rally sponsored by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.

Above: Beth Curren and daughter Gemma of Divine Mercy in Faribault stand and pray at the Cathedral of St. Paul during the annual Prayer Service for Life Jan. 22. Bishop Andrew Cozzens delivered remarks during the service, with Bishops Paul Sirba of Duluth and John LeVoir of New Ulm also attending.

Photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit From left, Betty Cardinal of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake, Maryann Olson of St. Peter in Forest Lake and Elaine Ludolph, also of St. Peter, bring their pro-life message to the State Capitol.

For more photos from the prayer service and march, visit TheCatholicSpirit.com.

praying as Jesus did Learning moreabout our faith The Catholic Spirit’s 4-page Rediscover: pullout section in each issue highlights a new Rediscover: theme for you and discuss with others.

Coming up Feb. 13: What are the Church’s most iconic prayers?

Jesus: Man of prayer at every crucial moment in his life

J HEART OF THE MATTER Father Michael VAN SLOUN

esus prayed in church. He observed was his source of wisdom and inspiration. the Third Commandment, He prayed before he chose his Twelve “Jesus prayed before he preached Apostles (Luke 6:12) because he needed “Remember to keep holy the sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8), and he did so by the Holy Spirit to direct his decisions. He (Mark 1:35,39) because prayer going to church. prayed each day, and his prayer kept him was his source of wisdom and close to his Father and gave him the Jesus was in the custom of going to the strength and guidance he needed. synagogue to pray (Luke 4:16b), first in inspiration.”

Private prayer was an essential part of Nazareth, then in Capernaum, and then Jesus’ daily routine and, guided by his in the synagogues throughout Galilee.

Father Michael Van Sloun example, we should set aside some private He also prayed in the Temple in time to pray each and every day.

Jerusalem. Similarly, we should go to church every weekend and at other times to pray.

Jesus prayed for others. Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would be strong (Luke 22:32); that his disciples would be protected from Jesus prayed outside of church. The Gospels do not state that the evil one (John 17:15), be consecrated to the truth (John Jesus prayed at home with Mary and Joseph, but it is safe to 17:17), and be united as one (John 17:21); and that God would presume that they did so. Jesus prayed at the dinner table with forgive his tormentors (Luke 23:34). As Jesus prayed for the his disciples (Luke 22:14-20). He prayed outdoors in many welfare of others, we should pray for the welfare of our family, different locations: in a cave, on a mountainside, along the friends, fellow believers and those in need. seashore and in a garden. If Jesus prayed wherever he went, we should pray at home, before meals, in the car, at school, at the Jesus prayed with Scripture. He prayed by reading the Bible. lake or wherever we may be.

When he went to the desert for 40 days to fast and pray, it is likely that he spent a large portion of his time in solitude reading Jesus prayed by himself. He liked to go off by himself to pray, and reflecting upon the book of Deuteronomy. This is evident sometimes very early before dawn, sometimes late at night. He by how Jesus immediately quoted three separate passages prayed after he performed great miracles because power had gone out from him (Mark 5:30) and prayer renewed his strength.

Jesus prayed before he preached (Mark 1:35,39) because prayer Please turn to back page of section

The Catholic Spirit • January 30, 2014

Rediscover-faith.org

Find the quiet you Finding God in the desert of need to find Jesus In 2014, the Rediscover: section’s “Celebrating Catholicism” column will feature a variety of writers. The following is an excerpt from Matthew Kelly’s book “Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose.” It is reprinted with permission.

Whenever I tell people the story of how I started spending 10 minutes a day at church, I get the question, “Do I have to go to church to pray?”

The short answer is no. You can pray anywhere, and spontaneous prayer should be something that accompanies you wherever you go. We can pray while we are driving to CELEBRATING work and while we are exercising, while we are CATHOLICISM doing the shopping or washing the dishes, the moment we learn that a friend is sick or as a speeding ambulance passes us on the road.

Matthew Prayer should spring forth from the daily KELLY events of our lives. But we also need a time of focused prayer each day, a time set aside from everything else, when we give our undivided attention to God. . . .

Where is the best place to spend your daily prayer time?

There are many days when I don’t pray at church, but I always yearn to. When I am able to get to a church for my daily prayer time, my prayer seems more focused and fruitful. I have thought long and hard about why this is and I have reached two conclusions. One is a very natural reason. The other is the most astonishing spiritual reality our faith has to offer.

The first is that our churches are quiet and designed for prayer.

They lend themselves easily to the spiritual and provide a place set apart.

In the Scriptures we read over and over again about Jesus going alone to a quiet place. He would go to a place set apart from everyone and everything else so that he could pray. If Jesus needed to do this, I know how much more I need it.

The second reason I think my daily prayer time seems more effective when I am able to spend that time in a church is the reason. I believe that “In the Scriptures we supernatural Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, and that he is present read over and over in a very unique and powerful again about Jesus way in every tabernacle, in every church around the going alone to a quiet Catholic world. I think his presence makes place. He would go to a difference. How could it not?

a place set apart from Take advantage everyone and of a quiet church everything else so that There is something very powerful about spending time in he could pray.”

a quiet church. I would like to invite you to explore this experience.

Over the years, I have visited many churches, but there are a few that I go back to time and time again. When I was growing up in Sydney, my family and I belonged to St. Martha parish, and it is there that I first started spending my 10 minutes each day in prayer.

I always look forward to spending time there when I am back in Sydney visiting my family and friends. Below the tabernacle it reads, “My Lord and My God,” and this simple phrase had a profound effect on me.

These days, when I am at home in Cincinnati, I like to spend my prayer time in the chapel at a Franciscan monastery not too far from my home. The friars have a series of chairs gathered around the tabernacle, and I like to sit there close to it and talk to Jesus about what is happening in my life.

Matthew Kelly

Kelly is an international best-selling author, speaker and founder of The Dynamic Catholic Institute.

The Catholic Spirit • January 30, 2014

Priest says hermitage retreat experience can bring people closer to the ‘One who loves them the most’

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Father Timothy Nolan remembers the first time he imitated Jesus by “going off to a deserted place to pray.”

Six years after saying yes to Archbishop John Roach and starting the parish of St. Paul in Ham Lake in 1981, he needed a break and chose to go on a silent retreat at Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario.

“I was on sabbatical because I was exhausted from ministry and needed revival, renewal and refreshment,” said Father Nolan, 74 and now retired. “And, it worked. God was really there.

We carried on a conversation like I had never done before. And, it was the most real thing I could ever remember. And I just longed to go back into that kind of space.”

Now, he has that kind of experience regularly.

After returning from his hermitage experience at Madonna House, he helped one of his parishioners at St. Paul, Shirley Wanchena, start a place for silent retreats in the Twin Cities.

When she first approached him with the idea, he agreed to help and now sits as chairman of the board of directors of Pacem in Terris, which lies just beyond the northern border of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis near Isanti. The retreat center, started in 1988, draws thousands of people every year from across the country who come for one simple reason — silence.

When visitors arrive for this desert experience, they are not directed how to pray or what books to read. They are asked simply to spend time alone with God in the silence of the serene wooded landscape of Pacem. How they choose to go through their day — and talk to God — is completely up to them.

Escaping the ‘hubbub’ “The part that’s often missing in people’s lives — which was a major piece of Jesus’ prayer — is he would go [be] alone,” Father Nolan said. “He had quiet, alone time. If we think it might have been hard to find in those days, it’s almost impossible to find today, with our technological society and the cell phones and the hubbub and the pace and the pressures and the demands of life. People are swamped, they’re exhausted. And if they could just take some time to draw aside and be with the One who loves them the most.”

In making the case for time alone with God, Father Nolan goes right to the Gospels, citing instances where Jesus went off by himself to pray. He noted that Jesus prayed all night before selecting his 12 Apostles the next morning. The most famous example of retreating to pray comes when Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil.

In examining this form of prayer, Father Nolan says it is important to note what came out of that experience for Jesus — understanding and solidifying his identity.

According to Father Nolan, it was his identity that Satan was trying to attack when he came to tempt Jesus. The devil began each of his three temptations with the words, “If you are the Son of God. . . .”

One visitor’s story The following is from a recent visitor’s letter sent to the staff at Pacem in Terris: “In the frenzy of the day-to-day, self-inflicted ‘to-do list’ I create for myself, the hermitage at Pacem in Terris stripped away all those earthly demands. My initial steps into the cozy, simple cabin felt as if 100 pounds of expectations simply crumbled away. I was free! Free to sleep (13 hours a night), free to walk, free to read, free to sit and be still. The greatest freedom, however, was the freedom to not think or problem solve or plan or serve someone else. I was there to be cared for by God, and boy did he care for me! My soul was at peace in the noiseless, sacred space.

“In my quiet time, I wondered if my life is just too stiff, organized and planned. Do I bend and give to the call of my Savior during the moments of each day or do I mistakenly follow my own agenda and stiff-arm my Creator?

“The hermitage of Pacem in Terris is restful, invigorating, freeing and necessary to hear and obey how God would like to use me to impact the places and people I encounter each day to build his kingdom. Being a hermit is now a ‘to do’ in my life every few months. I will rest and listen and follow and pray. ‘Be still, and know that I AM God.’”

But right before Jesus went into the desert, God the Father prepared Jesus by opening the heavens and declaring, “This is my beloved Son on whom my favor rests.”

That, Father Nolan said, was the simple truth that Jesus carried all the way to the cross — and wants to pass on to us.

“ ope —‘ Fath acc wh “ —w nob awa diff of t F mis sim retr St. the roo con A to t spe Pac on plan W Fath as t tim lan exp T sim init und the T are Doh wor her

Four ways to deepen our prayer life

f silence

“When you were baptized, the heavens ened and the Father declared an eternal word ‘You are my beloved. On you my favor rests,’” her Nolan said. “As we hear it and begin to cept it and own it and receive it, it clarifies ho we are down to the very depth of our being.

“We need to be so clear about who we are we are the beloved of almighty God, and body can take that deepest, truest identity ay from us. And that makes such a huge ference in people’s lives once they grab a hold that.”

Father Nolan essentially has made it his ssion in retirement to help people know this mple truth about their identity through silent reats at Pacem. When he retired as pastor of Paul in 2005, he moved into a small house on e grounds of Pacem and built a small prayer om where he spends two hours each day ntemplating his identity in Christ.

A growing number of people are catching on the value of getting away from it all and ending one or even several days in silence. cem has a total of 16 one-person hermitages its 240 acres, and Father Nolan said there are ns to expand.

Winter often results in fewer visitors, but her Nolan said it’s an excellent time to come, the season features more silence than other mes of the year, not to mention a barren ndscape that seems to underscore the desert perience.

The beauty of time spent in a hermitage is its mplicity. There are no how-tos, other than an tial briefing which serves to help people derstand the value of silence and to encourage em to leave cell phones and laptops in the car.

The only reading staff members recommend chapters one and six of a book by Catherine herty called “Poustinia,” which is the Russian rd for desert. The book is placed in each rmitage, and the two chapters merely help

Dave Hrbacek/TheThe Catholic Spirit

readers understand the hermitage experience.

“People are longing for it,” Father Nolan said, of the silent retreat experience. “We had the biggest year we’ve ever had last year. And, we’re going to build three more hermitages next summer.”

There is no formal cost for a stay at Pacem, but the recommended donation is $90 per day to cover expenses. In addition to lodging in the hermitage, it includes a simple food basket brought in or an option to eat dinner in the main building.

Before Father Nolan retired to Pacem, he would go there for silent retreats four times a year. It was a welcome break from the rigors of running a parish and serving thousands of people throughout the year.

It got to the point where he didn’t need to ask permission to go. People at the parish would notice his weariness and tell him it’s time to get away.

“When I would get frayed around the edges and exhausted, they’d send me,” he said. “It became a lifesaver for me to have that kind of extended time alone. I’m such an extrovert. I was spending all my time with people. . . . Well, that wears you down after a while. So, getting back to the hermitage in absolute silence and quiet was just such a refreshing, renewing, lifesaving experience. To this day, it’s still my favorite way to pray.

“It’s a love affair. Once you . . . experience the power of God and the love of God and his care for you, why would you not want to go hang out with him?”

I like to think I am pretty handy. I built a TV stand from scratch. I refinished an old church pew. I can install a ceiling fan with minimal self-injury. Truth be told, I would rather tackle an all-day project with multiple trips to the hardware store and a new power tool purchase than to work through the everyday house maintenance that makes my wife happy. But every now and again I pull out my “honey-do” list and get to work.

At the top of the list last summer was the screen door on our back deck. At one point, it had been off the tracks for at least two weeks after one of the neighborhood kids ran through it.

“Should be an easy fix,” I thought. I grabbed my PRAYER bucket of tools and retreated to the deck out our back door. For 45 minutes I shoved, pulled, pried, pinched JOURNAL and tucked. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the wheels in the track and the door in place at the same Chris time. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated.

KOSTELC I gave up my virile pride and decided to look it up.

Nowhere online was it adequately explained how to get the wheels just right until I stumbled upon a YouTube video. Some small town handyman with very little video production skill had uploaded a four-minute video that showed me just what to do. Copying how he held his flathead screwdriver at the base of the door did just the trick, but I never would have understood if I hadn’t seen it.

To learn to do something complicated, I have to watch What is one way you can emulate someone else do it. By watching Jesus’ prayer life to deepen your and imitating someone, I learn and own? get better. This has been true for my prayer life as well.

The Gospels give us a great advantage because we can look directly to the life of Jesus to better our prayer lives. By examining the accounts of Jesus’ prayer in the Gospels, I found four characteristics that I think can teach us how to deepen our prayer.

• Characteristic 1: Solitude. Jesus often went off alone when it was time for him to pray. One example is Matthew 14:23: “After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.” For us: To get close to someone, we spend time one on one; the same holds true with God. Are you alone with God regularly?

• Characteristic 2: Location. Jesus went to pray on the mountain or a deserted place as we see in Mark 6:46: “And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray.” For us: Everyone struggles with distractions. Where we do our daily prayer can help. Is the location of your prayer free of distractions?

• Characteristic 3: Posture: While praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before his passion and death, Jesus’ posture reflects his prayer: “He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer” (Luke 22:41).

For us: Whether it is kneeling or lounging in a comfy chair, our posture should be purposeful. Does your posture help you to focus on prayer?

• Characteristic 4: Authenticity: Jesus’ prayer was always real. He preached against meaningless prayer. At no time was he more real with his Father than in his last hours: “He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground” (Luke 22:44). For us: Don’t waste time with what we are “supposed” to pray, but be real and offer God our authentic selves. Are you honest with God? Do you offer him all that is on your heart?

By imitating Jesus’ prayer and incorporating these characteristics into our prayer practice, we can ignite, grow and deepen a prayer life that brings us closer to the God who loves us.

Kostelc is coordinator of adult faith formation at Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata.

For more information about Pacem in Terris, visit www.paceminterris.org or call (763) 444-6408.

Reservations are required.

Rediscover-faith.org

Jesus is prayer role model from Deuteronomy to repel the temptations of the devil (Luke 4:8,10-11,12). These verses were fresh in his mind, on the tip of his tongue. He also read from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:17-20), and he regularly quoted passages from the Old Testament in his preaching and teaching. If Jesus prayed by reading the Bible, so should we.

Jesus prayed at pivotal moments. He prayed before the most important moments of his life.

He prayed before he began his public ministry with 40 days of prayer in the desert (Luke 4:1-13).

He prayed at the crucial moment when it was time to conclude his ministry in Galilee and embark on the fateful journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:28).

And, he prayed at Gethsemane on the night before he died (Luke 22:41-46). If Jesus prayed before the biggest events in his life, we should

do likewise. We should pray before getting confirmed, before getting engaged or married, before taking a new job or changing jobs, before moving and before making the decision to retire.

Jesus prayed at the end. He prayed as he was dying. When he hung on the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), and then with his last breath he prayed, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). If we are conscious and able, the ideal way to pass from this life to the next is with a prayer on our lips.

Jesus was a man of prayer. He prayed from the beginning to the end of his life, with others and by himself, and particularly at every crucial moment of his life. Jesus has given us an example. As he has done, so we should also do.

Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.

prayer Why Pray Presented by Father Bill Baer Monday, February 3 Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata Tuesday, February 4 St. John Neumann, Eagan Monday, February 24 Our Lady of Grace, Edina Tuesday, February 25 St. John the Baptist, New Brighton

How to Pray Presented by Pat and Kenna Millea Monday, February 10 Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata Tuesday, February 11 St. John Neumann, Eagan Monday, March 3 Our Lady of Grace, Edina Tuesday, March 4 St. John the Baptist, New Brighton All Rediscover: faith 2014 Speakers Series talks begin at 7 p.m. and run 90 minutes, including hospitality time.

Cor Jesu These evenings are a unique opportunity to experience Cor Jesu, meaning “Heart of Jesus”, as we worship Christ in community with the Church through Eucharistic adoration, confession, praise, benediction and fellowship.

Tuesday, March 11 Cathedral of Saint Paul, Saint Paul Tuesday, March 25 St. Hubert, Chanhassen Tuesday, April 8 All Saints, Lakeville All Cor Jesu evenings begin at 7 p.m. and end around 9 p.m.

The Catholic Spirit • January 30, 2014

We want to hear your stories!

Do you have an inspiring faith story that connects to one of our upcoming Rediscover: prayer topics?

If you or someone you know has a story, email catholicspirit@archspm.org. Please write “Rediscover” in the subject line.

Or call (651) 291-4444.

February 13 What are the Church’s most iconic prayers?

June 5 What does it mean to pray constantly?

September 25 What are blessings, and how can I give them?

February 27 How can I deepen my prayer life during Lent?

June 19 How can silence help my prayer life?

October 9 How has prayer healed or transformed lives?

July 3 How is the Mass our greatest prayer?

October 23 Why do we ask saints to pray for us?

July 17 What is eucharistic adoration? How can it deepen my friendship with Christ?

November 6 How do we remain faithful when our prayers seemingly go unanswered?

July 31 How can I instill good prayer habits in my children and pray with them?

November 20 What are some popular Advent prayer traditions?

March 13 How can I develop a prayer routine?

March 27 What is “lectio divina”?

How is it done?

April 10 Praying the Easter triduum April 24 Why is it important to pray before meals, both at home and in public?

August 14 How can music be a vehicle and aid for prayer?

December 4 What are the psalms and how can they guide my prayer?

May 8 What does it mean to pray with Mary? What are some Marian prayers?

August 28 Who are models of prayer we can emulate in our own lives?

December 18 What prayer customs do you celebrate during the Christmas season?

May 22 What is the rosary and why would I pray it?

September 11 Overcoming obstacles to prayer: How do I get out of a prayer rut?

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