NEWS notes

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for the Mission of Catholic Education has launched a new website as part of a branding initiative introduced earlier this year. A central resource for the archdiocese’s 91 preschool-12th grade Catholic schools, the website at SPmcatholicSchoolS org includes a map with links to schools’ websites, information for prospective families, leader and teacher profiles, and Spanish translation.

St. John the Baptist in Jordan recently installed a hearing loop system in its sanctuary to help parishioners who use hearing aids at Mass. The system transmits audio from sources like microphones directly to the telecoils in hearing aids. The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota covered part of the cost of the system with a grant from its President Fund.

To help highlight abortion and gender ideology concerns of the Minnesota Catholic Conference that stem from legislation recently signed into state law by Gov. Tim Walz, The Catholic Spirit produced a TCS Podcast with News Editor Rebecca Omastiak interviewing Jason Adkins, MCC’s executive director and general counsel. To hear the podcast, titled “Inside the 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session,” go to thecatholicSPirit com/PodcaStS Retired Father James Reidy chalked up talk No. 100 May 13 and No. 101 June 10 on the sacrament of reconciliation for engaged couples who are preparing to marry in the Church. Father Reidy, who will be 93 July 5, talks for about 20 minutes at each marriage preparation retreat organized by the archdiocese’s Office of Marriage, Family and Life. He discusses Christ’s forgiveness, healing, strength and love found in confession. Father Reidy began giving the talks in 2017 — and what started as a rotation with other priests over time led to Father Reidy giving the talk at each outing. Retreats are offered at various parishes 10 out of 12 months each year. Father Reidy’s milestone talks were given at St. Peter in Mendota. The girls lacrosse team at Benilde-St. Margaret’s in St. Louis Park won the high school state Class A championship for the first time in school history June 17 by defeating Edina 11-10 in the finals. Junior Maggie Graczyk scored four goals in the game, which gave BSM a 17-2 final record for the season.

Tim Murray, co-founder and CEO of Trinity Sober Homes in St. Paul, traveled to Italy June 4-11 at the invitation of the Vatican’s Dicastery of Spirituality and Sustainability to attend and speak at the Rome and Assisi Spirituality and Sustainability Conference. He gave a talk June 9 in Assisi called “The Spiritual Path of the 12 Steps” of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Spirituality and Sustainability Global Network helped convene this year’s conference, the 10th overall. Murray leads Trinity’s Catholic sober homes (three locations in St. Paul and one in New Richland) for men 40 and older that have a post-treatment recovery rate of 71%.

Two students from Chesterton Academy in Hopkins won first and second place in a Speaking Proudly oratory contest for female high school students June 17 at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. Francesca Rose Chastek, who will be a sophomore this fall, took first in the field of 18 students and won a trophy and a $2,500 prize with her eight-minute speech, “How to Escape the Prison You Built.” Elizabeth Lynn Mitchell, a senior headed to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana in the fall, took second and won $2,000 for her speech, “Rediscovering the Roots of Liberty: Securing Our Nation’s Education.” The nonprofit, nonpartisan project of Metro Republican Women is held every two years. This year’s topic was “Securing the Blessings of Liberty in 21st Century America.”

On the June 23 “Practicing Catholic” radio show, host Patrick Conley interviewed Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who discussed the value of the recent presbyteral assembly, where priests from across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gathered for reflection, prayer and fellowship. Also featured are Tizoc Rosales, who described his new role as director of advancement at The Saint Paul Seminary; and Jesuit Father Joe Laramie, author, national preacher for the Eucharistic Revival and a speaker at the recent “Hearts on Fire” retreat at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, who described his special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingcatholicShow com or anchor fm/Practicing-catholic-Show with links to streaming platforms.

ON THE COVER: Father Jake Anderson tries to catch trout on a stream in northeast Iowa May 22 as part of a men’s fly fishing retreat he led May 22-25. He celebrated Mass, gave retreat talks and helped men improve their skills at fly fishing.

PARISH FESTIVAL GUIDE: Watch for a list of carnivals, festivals and other parish and school special events from late summer into fall in The Catholic Spirit’s July 27 print edition, with updates through the fall at thecatholicSPirit com

Though a proposal authorizing the creation of micro-unit dwellings on religious properties was not included in the final housing omnibus bill, as noted in a June 8 story “MCC: Families First finds foothold in legislative session, pro-life efforts continue,” it was included in a jobs, economic development, labor and industry omnibus bill that Gov. Tim Walz signed into state law.

ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER