On the morning of May 27, Erin and David Wee put rain jackets on their five children and headed to Summit Avenue from their home in Savage. Then, as Erin pushed a double stroller with her 4-month-old baby Frederick swaddled to her chest while David pulled two kids in a wagon, they joined a procession of over 7,000 Catholics from The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul to the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Despite predictions for thunderstorms, the sun shone as the sea of pilgrims prayed midday prayer and knelt for Benediction in the lawn outside of The St. Paul Seminary. Then, amid hymns and clouds of incense, Archbishop Bernard Hebda led the 4.5-mile Source and Summit Eucharistic Procession with Bishops Michael Izen, Joseph Williams and Andrew Cozzens; retired Bishops Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa and John LeVoir of New Ulm; and Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun of St. Maron in Minneapolis, as well as priests, deacons, seminarians, and religious sisters and brothers.
Pilgrims like the Wees pushed children in strollers while others in the procession participated in wheelchairs or leaned on canes. Passersby knelt in reverence for the Eucharist or stared in awe at the massive crowd, which spanned several blocks of shoulder-to-shoulder pilgrims. Despite the difficulty of processing with five children, Erin Wee said the opportunity to teach her children about the Eucharist was worth it.
“We are trying to raise our kids to love the faith,” Erin said as she pushed a stroller. “If Jesus was able to die on the cross for us, I think we can handle it (walking the 4.5 miles). We are just trying to show them (the kids) how much we love our faith and hoping that by witnessing that they will want to have their own relationship with Jesus.”
In a reflection shortly before the procession launched, Bishop Cozzens of Crookston reminded the crowd of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
“Here we are so close to our God, filled with gratitude for the gift of the Eucharist, and really desiring that all would come to know the greatness, the closeness, the tenderness and the compassion of our God,” Bishop Cozzens said. “The Lord has accompanied us all these years, and today we are accompanying him. This pilgrimage reminds us that we are on our way with him to the Father’s house.”
The procession was part of the northern Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP), which launched May 19 from Itasca State Park. On the same day, three other processions departed from the East,West and South. All four groups will converge in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21.
The previous National Eucharistic Congress, held in 1941, also had a local connection as it took place in St. Paul. The Eucharistic procession at that congress drew 80,000 people, Bishop Cozzens said, and processed from the Cathedral of St. Paul to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The monstrance used at the 1941 procession, which features a scene from the Transfiguration, was the same one used May 27.
Brother Paul Grass, 89, a member of the Christian Brothers, also known as the De La Salle Brothers, still remembers the 1941 procession. He was 6 years old when his parents brought him to watch the procession and stand in the grandstand at the fairgrounds during Benediction. The memory was brought into focus May 28 when he watched the procession enter the Little Sisters of the Poor Holy Family residence in St. Paul, a skilled nursing facility where he now lives. The Little Sisters of the Poor visit was one of about 35 visits the pilgrimage made during its time in the archdiocese, some of which, like the Little Sisters visit, were not publicly advertised.
“I realized that this is the first time since 1941 (that there has been a Eucharistic Congress),” said Brother Grass, whose life has been defined by a love for the Eucharist. “And that has given me a special connection to it.”
While members of the public accompanied the Eucharist at various points on each of the four routes, including the May 27 procession, a group of 24 perpetual pilgrims — six on each route — are tasked
with accompanying the Eucharist for the entirety of the pilgrimage. They travel by foot or in their support vehicles when walking is not possible.
The perpetual pilgrims entered the archdiocese from the Diocese of St. Cloud in the NEP van on May 24 at St. Albert in Albertville, where Archbishop Hebda and Father Joe Zabinski, pastor of St. Albert, received the monstrance carrying the Eucharist. Shortly afterward, NEP perpetual pilgrims led a group of about 1,000 pilgrims in a procession from St. Albert to St. Michael in St. Michael.
Karen Hill, 54, from Frederic, Wisconsin, walked the pilgrimage to St. Michael with her daughter. She plans to attend the conference in Indianapolis with her husband and three of their eight children. She said the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival, which includes the pilgrimage, has helped her children understand the reality of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.
“They get it. They finally get it, seeing and participating in these pilgrimages,” she said, referring to her children’s understanding of the Eucharist.
One of the perpetual pilgrims on the Marian Route, Kai Weiss, said that he was shocked by how many people participated in both the May 24 events and the May 27 Source and Summit Eucharistic Procession.
“This was so amazing. It was incredible,” he said in the Cathedral of St. Paul after the Source and Summit procession. “The whole thing was just difficult to put into words, how beautiful it was.”
Megan Zaleski, another perpetual pilgrim, had the unique role of driving the NEP support vehicle behind the pilgrims, which helped her to see the mass of people on Summit Avenue.
“We had so many families, and people carrying babies on their backs and shoulders, and people who needed assistance walking, whether that was in wheelchairs or walkers, and they were still making the effort. It is just incredibly beautiful,” Zaleski said.
It was fitting that the procession took place on Summit Avenue, said Father Tim Tran, associate pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka and the archdiocesan “point person” for the three-year National Eucharistic Revival. Vatican II referred to the Eucharist as the “source and summit of our faith,” he said.
“We are just spreading Christ’s fragrance right now, and that itself is just powerful enough to attract those who are hungry and thirsty for something deeper in their life,” he said on the March 8 “Practicing Catholic” radio show. “They are hungry for God truly present in the Eucharist.”
Greg Kaiser, who attends All Saints in Lakeville, walked on Summit Avenue with his three daughters in the May 27 procession. His daughter Betsy, who attends grade school at All Saints Catholic School, said the pilgrimage was unlike anything she had ever seen.
“I think it (the monstrance) is really beautiful,” Betsy Kaiser said as she walked. “You look around at Mass and
think ‘this is a lot of people!’ but you don’t realize how many people actually are Catholic ... it is just amazing.”
Betsy Kaiser said she was offering the pilgrimage for her fifth-grade teacher, who has cancer.
Others also offered their participation in the pilgrimage for a special intention. Melanie and Mike Gooley, 72 and 70 respectively, parishioners of St. Mary in St. Paul, said they prayed for their daughter’s success in her Ph.D. program. Melanie Gooley said she had been training for months for the procession.
Others, like Tom Vittitow, 63, who is from Ramsey and attends Epiphany in Coon Rapids, were drawn to the procession because of the transforming power that the Eucharist has had on their lives. Vittitow, who recently retired from his job at an air filter factory, said that he was indifferent to his family’s Catholic faith growing up before he had a conversion experience, which left him with a strong devotion to the Eucharist.
“Sometimes, it (adoration) just overwhelms you,” he said, tearing up with emotion. “Let’s make amends for all of those who receive him in holy Communion with indifference.”
Michelle Gamino, 23, from Richfield, also said that she was drawn to the Eucharist after her conversion. When she was a teenager, she said that she “landed with the wrong crowd,” and ended up in jail. Her faith, which was formed in part by her youth group called “The Good
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Group Lifts” helped pull her out of what she described as “dark times.” She and her 1-yearold son walked with the group, which is based out of the parish cluster of Assumption, St. Richard and St. Peter in Richfield.
At the halfway mark, the procession briefly paused at St. Thomas More in St. Paul for adoration, hymns and some words from Bishop Izen, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
“In the monstrance he (God) reveals himself to us, so it is up to you and me to show him to our neighborhoods and to our world,” Bishop Izen said. “He not only shows himself, but he gives himself to us in the Eucharist.”
The pilgrimage paused about a mile later at Summit Overlook Park, where Bishop Williams — coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey, but most recently auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis — reflected on the miracle of the loaves and fishes and encouraged prayers for seminarians and priests, including 13 men ordained to the priesthood May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Even though Alex Dang, 25, from St. Paul, is not Catholic, he attended the Eucharistic procession because of the witness of some of his Catholic friends, who invited him to the event. He was impressed with how many people were there and how welcoming they were to him.
“I think this is really great, it is a really big community,” said Dang, whose parents immigrated to the United States from China when he was 5 years old. He attended a nondenominational church in the past but is now interested in the Catholic faith and has attended OCIA classes at St. Mark in St. Paul. “The focus should be on the Eucharist,” he said.
Brother Damien Joseph Novak, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, 37, said that he hopes the pilgrimage will be a way for people to have a “head to heart” transformation in their relationship with God.
“This pilgrimage is really a pilgrimage for America to go from what they think they know about the Eucharist to having a personal relationship with Jesus,” said Brother Novak, who is from Ham Lake but now serves with his religious community in the South Bronx neighborhood in New York. “These people he is choosing for relationship, and I think that is what this is all about. It is not about what we can know about the Eucharist; it is about how we can experience his love.”
Thousands of pilgrims packed the Cathedral of St. Paul at the conclusion of the procession, where Archbishop Hebda delivered a homily before a final Benediction. Earlier on May 27, the pilgrims on the Marian Route visited the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, where Mass was celebrated; St. Stephen in Minneapolis, which held adoration of the Eucharist; and St. Albert the Great in Minneapolis, which also held adoration.
The NEP exited the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis May 31, concluding more than a hundred miles of pilgrimage with thousands of people over seven days. The pilgrimage was received by the Diocese of Winona-Rochester at St. Michael in Pine Island — which is situated within a few hundred feet of the border of the two dioceses — after a 7.5-mile procession with more than 100 participants from St. Paul in Zumbrota. St. Michael hosted adoration of the Eucharist, a rosary and Benediction with Archbishop Hebda before the monstrance traveled by van into the Diocese of WinonaRochester.
Just two days after some 3,500 people packed the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul for the priestly ordination of 13 men, the Cathedral overflowed again at the last stop of the Source and Summit Eucharistic Procession.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. People knelt — not just in the pews but on the hard floor of the Cathedral — filling the aisles and other areas of the narthex.
“My sisters and brothers, you are a sight for sore eyes,” the archbishop said, opening his homily. “How beautiful to see this Cathedral filled, and to hear your singing in praise of our Eucharistic Lord. I hope, brothers and sisters, that we can remember the sound of that beautiful ‘O Solutaris’ with a Cathedral filled with believers.”
The archbishop described the walk that passed the University of St. Thomas, St. Thomas More church and school, and ended with a view of the Minnesota State Capitol from the Cathedral.
“I found myself praying constantly for the different needs that we would encounter,” the archbishop said. “So, whether it be praying for our seminarians, or praying for our Catholic universities, or praying for our Catholic schools and parishes, or praying for our governor and legislators, praying for the good faithful of this archdiocese.”
Keeping eyes fixed on the Lord, sharing the love of Jesus present in the Eucharist with one another, “we know that we’re going to be able to give credible witness to the good news of Jesus Christ,” the archbishop said. “How significant that on this Memorial Day, we’re able to remember certainly those who have served our country, but also all of those who have been motivated throughout their lives to imitate our Eucharistic Lord,” pouring out their lives for the service of their brothers, he said.
Thanking all those who made the procession possible, the archbishop proclaimed: “But it’s only the tip of the iceberg, brothers and sisters. We heard at the end of the Gospel today (the account in Mark’s Gospel of the Last Supper) that after Jesus gives his body and blood, they all go out. Brothers and sisters, we need to leave this Cathedral, convinced of God’s love when we witnessed the Eucharist, convinced of his presence among us, his desire that we would abide with him and that he would abide with us in the Eucharist.
“Let us ask for that gift of growing in our Eucharistic faith,” the archbishop said. “And let’s ask for an ever-deepening sense of gratitude.”
— Joe RuffAs the Source and Summit procession embarked from The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul along Summit Avenue, Catholics also gathered on the front steps of St. Thomas More in St. Paul, one of the designated stops along the procession route.
Those gathered in front of the church awaited the opportunity to spend time in prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament as it made its way from the seminary. Some brought lawn chairs, lining them up along Summit Avenue, as the sun dispersed clouds that brought rain earlier in the day.
Laura Elm, 47, and her husband, Andrew, 54, were among those gathered on the steps with their children Amanda, 5; Cecilia, 8; Meghan, 9; and Sarah, 11. All attend St. Peter in Mendota.
Understanding Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist is “very meaningful and so beautiful,” Laura said. “Knowing that Jesus was going to come down Summit (Avenue), we wanted to make sure we had a chance to spend time with him in a special way.”
For attendees, Laura said she hoped the procession would “revitalize their prayer life and their relationships, that very close friendship, with Jesus — that it strengthens us all in living our lives as faithfully and joyfully as possible.”
“It’s a great experience for the kids as well,” Andrew said.
A few steps away, Jenny Loch, 38, said she, her husband and their six children — ranging in age from 3 to 12 — left their holiday weekend plans early to
make it to St. Thomas More for the procession. Loch said she told her kids, “We can’t miss this!”
Loch — a member of Holy Trinity in South St. Paul, along with her family — said the family planned to pray a rosary together during the procession. She said a Eucharistic procession “is such a wonderful tradition for the kids to know that Jesus is there with them and how much he loves them. And (at) this scale, and having it right through the city, hopefully we’ll move hearts. … (The Eucharist) is such the center of our life and hopefully people will feel that.”
Joanna Kolor, 39, called the procession “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and viewed it as “a beautiful moment.”
“It’s just amazing to walk with Jesus and with other Catholics and I just wanted to be part of it,” said Kolor, a member of St. Gerard Majella in Brooklyn
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen holds the Eucharist in a monstrance during a stop at St. Thomas More during the Source and Summit procession May 27.
DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Park, who attended the procession with her mother.
After the midday prayer at the seminary, Catholics walked along Summit Avenue, making their way to St. Thomas More’s front steps, where an altar had been placed earlier in the day. A small choir stood off to one side, singing. Before inviting the crowd to pray the Anima Christi prayer, written by St. Ignatius of Loyola, Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen opened with a few remarks.
“As I was walking, I noticed obviously many faithful (Catholics) and also ... some who were bystanders and perhaps didn’t quite understand what we were doing and were maybe even a little skeptical. I don’t think we can blame them, because our Lord is hidden in the Eucharist. We know that, as Catholics; we know he’s there. We also know he’s hidden.
“So, not surprising that he would hide himself when he came 2,000 years ago, on that first Christmas — not as a great, powerful king or messiah, but as a little baby. And he continues to hide himself in the Eucharist. But in the monstrance, he reveals himself to us and so it’s up to you and me to show him to our neighborhoods and our world. And so that’s what we do with the Eucharistic procession.
“God has been good to give us such a great day as we show him, and of course we don’t have Eucharistic processions every day, but we can receive the Lord every day in holy Mass, we can visit adoration chapels, and there, our Lord reveals himself to us as well.
“I was thinking about what Bishop (Andrew) Cozzens said at the initial stop … how the Lord wants us to ask and we will receive, seek and we will find, knock and the door shall be opened. ... In a special way, in the Eucharist, he doesn’t want to so much tell us something as he wants to give us himself. He not only shows himself, but he gives himself to us in the Eucharist and then you and I take him out into the world. And we do that with bold processions, but we also do that by imitating our Lord’s hiddenness.
“We humble ourselves — not hide in the sense that we shrink or are shy — but we humble ourselves and we kneel, we bow down, we humble ourselves internally by sacrificing, by emptying ourselves. All this in an effort to show the Lord to the world.
“We know that he wants to answer our requests. He wants to heal us. He wants to give us every good thing. But even more than his desire to tell us something today, he wants to give us himself.”
Thousands of people joined the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage (NEP) at various times while it was in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — but only six laypeople and two seminarians have accompanied the Eucharist for the duration of the pilgrimage. These “perpetual pilgrims” were chosen by the National Eucharistic Revival team or, in the case of the seminarians, sent by their formators on a summer assignment, to help carry out hundreds of Eucharistic pilgrimages across the nation that are part of the larger NEP.
The perpetual pilgrims who traveled though the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis were assigned to the northern Marian Route, which journeys through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Then, they will come together in Indianapolis with the other groups of perpetual pilgrims — those who traveled through the East (the Seton Route), the South (the Juan Diego Route), and the West (the Serra Route) — for the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21.
The Marian Route pilgrims are a diverse group of individuals, representing six states plus Washington, D.C., and ties to two countries. Among the pilgrims is a swim teacher, a graduate student, a personal trainer and a worship leader.
Kai Weiss — originally from Regensburg, Germany, but who now is a graduate student in theology at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. — said that he has been impressed with the archdiocese’s diversity.
“It was so amazing, the kind of contrast between the city and the small towns,” said Weiss, who completed
a Master's degree in politics from Hillsdale College in Michigan, where he focused his research on the political thought of St. Augustine and Pope Benedict XVI. “(In) the city, we really experienced the diversity of the Catholic Church. We went to a gospel music Mass, we went to Vietnamese Mass ... it was so diverse, and that was really, really beautiful.”
Weiss, who immigrated from Germany in 2021, felt “at home” in some parishes in the archdiocese built by German immigrants that have Stations of the Cross and inscriptions in German.
“We visited some small towns (Like Vermillion and Hampton) that are very German ... that was one of the most special moments on the pilgrimage for me so far.”
Weiss said that since they are around the Eucharist most of every day, the perpetual pilgrims have had to resist "taking it for granted.”
“The temptation is that it becomes like a job,” he said. He said he resists the temptation by reminding himself of the words of St. John Vianney: “Celebrate this Holy Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, your only Mass.”
“If I can actually, in every moment, pray and encounter Christ myself than I can be a better missionary for the people along the route,” Weiss said.
Perpetual pilgrim Matthew Heidenreich, who studies math at the University of Alabama in Alabama, also noted the diversity of pilgrimage events and attendees in the archdiocese.
“We visited a lot of diverse parishes of different cultures, different heritages,” he said. “We praised (the Lord) in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Aramaic — all these different tongues. ... It's this beautiful reminder that Christ is King of all the nations.”
Mason Bailey, 24, one of the two seminarians on the whole pilgrimage, said his future priesthood will be informed by the pilgrimage — and not only in that he will be “really good” at hosting processions.
“It's really helped me gain a new appreciation for the Eucharist,” said Bailey, who graduated from Hillsdale College in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in political economy. He is preparing to enter his second year of pre-theology. “Taking him (the Eucharistic Lord) through the streets of these towns, small towns, big cities, and it's been an absolute joy.”
During a testimony at St. Michael in Pine Island on May 31, shortly before the NEP exited the archdiocese, perpetual pilgrim Sarah Cahill said that she often cried during the pilgrimage when she witnessed people encountering the Eucharistic Lord.
“It is beautiful to see how he (God in the Eucharist) is changing America,” said Cahill, who is from Philadelphia, where she works as a housing stability specialist. “It is changing hearts. It is changing dioceses. ... Our Church in America is really changing because of this pilgrimage and because of our Lord.”
Heidenreich encouraged those who encountered Christ in the Eucharist during the pilgrimage to be open to continued conversion.
“Don't forget the encounter that you've had with Christ. Every time in Scripture we see people who encounter the fullness of Christ, their lives have changed. Even though the pilgrimage is moving on and we're going to a new diocese and soon a new state, the revival has to continue, and the revival continues in each person's heart and each person's choice to live a changed life after that encounter and to follow Christ .... My prayer leaving every diocese is that this would truly be a life-changing encounter.”
June 6, 2024 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Archbishop Bernard Hebda called this year’s 13 priestly ordinands a “bumper crop” during remarks he made at their ordination Mass May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. It was the largest class of priestly ordinands for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 15 men were ordained in 2005. The fullness of such a class size reflects the “superabundance of Jesus’ love for his Church,” the archbishop said, and he remarked on the unique gifts all of the newly ordained priests bring to their ministries. Roughly 3,500 people filled the Cathedral for the ordination Mass. Follow The Catholic Spirit’s coverage on pages 12B-15B. The June 20 edition of the newspaper will include profiles of the newly ordained.
FAMILY BLESSINGS Archbishop Bernard Hebda blesses artistic representations of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, at a special Mass May 30 at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul for members of the archdiocese’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Parents as Primary Educators. The commission presented recommendations for Archbishop Hebda to consider as the archdiocese prepares for year three (July 2025-June 2026) of implementing his pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” Year three will focus on the proposition: “Form and inspire parents to understand and fulfill their responsibility as the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith.” Each member accepted the pictures as gifts for their work, which began in late November.
POWERFUL PLAY From left, Anthony Crowe as St. Michael the Archangel, Anna Westrich as St. Margaret of Antioch, Emma Kellar wearing a crown of flowers as St. Joan of Arc, Philomena Fix wearing a golden crown as Mary, Queen of Heaven, and (partially obscured) Gemma Steinke as St. Catherine of Alexandria perform a scene May 30 from a play written by St. Thérèse of Lisieux titled “The Life of Joan of Arc.” The 90-minute play featuring 19 children ages 6 to 14 was performed May 29-30 at Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto. The children are part of a Catholic homeschooling cooperative known as Veritas in Academia that draws more than 100 children from about 10 area parishes. Jen Kellar of St. Anne in Hamel directed the play. She said the homeschool group wanted to do something with theater, and a series of events led her to eight plays St. Thérèse is known to have written that are “perfect and beautiful for children, so humble, trusting and pure.”
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the May 31 “Practicing Catholic” radio show included a double segment with Jason Adkins, the executive director and general counsel of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, who recapped this year’s legislative session and topics such as physician-assisted suicide, the Equal Rights Amendment and sports betting. Also, Father Michael Van Sloun, director of clergy personnel and columnist for The Catholic Spirit, discussed the feast of the Visitation, which celebrates when Mary traveled about 85 miles to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist. Listen to interviews at archspm org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 29 — No. 11
A. HEBDA,
There’s plenty of programming for families. There’s programming for young people. But we thought, ‘What about these 20- or 30-somethings?’
— Stephen White, executive director of The Catholic Project, an initiative of The Catholic University of America in Washington, talking about hosting a panel on Catholic dating July 19 at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. White said the event — titled “Catholic Dating: Why Is It So Hard?” — seeks to fill a “gap in the programming (at the Congress) … for young professionals.” As reported previously by OSV News, Catholic weddings per year plummeted dramatically between 1970 and 2021. The panel, which includes six unmarried Catholics, will discuss these challenges.
After a Minneapolis police officer was killed May 30 in what authorities called an ambush, the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis posted a prayerful Instagram that read: “Loving Father, with a sense of helplessness in the face of violence, we come before you. Send your Spirit to mend our wounds of anger and sorrow as we mourn the death of a Minneapolis police officer killed in the line of duty ... We pray for Police Officer Jamal Mitchell, for his family and friends, for his colleagues, for all first responders, and for all victims of gun violence. Amen.” The suspect and another person were also killed in the shooting in a south Minneapolis neighborhood. A second police officer, a firefighter and a third person at the scene were injured.
Missed the Boat Theatre is reprising Father Kyle Kowalczyk’s original musical “Catholic Young Adults: The Musical” June 20-23 and June 27-29 at Helene Houle Auditorium at St. Agnes School in St. Paul. The story focuses on a parish in danger of closing, with young adults coming to the rescue. Father Kowalcyzk, pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano, helped pull together a cast and crew for the musical’s debut five years ago. Actor Michael Conroy will take the same role this year that he held in the debut, that of a Latin-loving, homeschooled Catholic named Paulus. The rest of the cast is new to the show. Tickets range from $20 to $35 and can be purchased at cyamusical com
Ricky Austin, president of St. Paul-based Aim Higher Foundation — which provides $1,000 scholarships to Catholic school children based on financial need — was honored for excellence May 22 at a Character Recognition Awards event in Minneapolis. Synergy and Leadership Exchange of North Mankato and Winonabased St. Mary’s University of Minnesota celebrated Austin and 11 other honorees on St. Mary’s Minneapolis campus, with Austin receiving the Catholic Educator Award from the university. “Aim Higher Foundation’s scholarships create access to Catholic schools, yes, but they also unlock the potential of children who go out into the world as responsible, caring agents of positive change. That’s a responsibility we take seriously,” Austin said.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School in Jordan — which has educated people in that area for more than 160 years — graduated its first class of eighth graders in 56 years May 22. Three of the six graduates started there in preschool. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the parish and school raised millions of dollars to build a state-of-the-art middle school to create space for new classes of seventh and eighth graders.
Staff members and officials at Catholic Charities Twin Cities mourned the death of a 2-year-old girl at the nonprofit agency’s Higher Ground Minneapolis facility. Police said the girl was found May 28 in a room with narcotics paraphernalia around her and they were investigating her death as suspicious. Preliminary information indicated two adults and a 7-year-old were in the same living area, police said.
“We are grieving the loss of this young life. As our community struggles with the opioid epidemic, our staff at Catholic Charities work every day to prevent tragedies like this from happening,” officials of the nonprofit said in a statement. Catholic Charities said Higher Ground is designed to provide pathways to greater stability for people experiencing homelessness, with an emergency shelter and community clinic on the lower two floors and affordable apartments for single adults with a history of housing instability on the upper floors. All housing residents sign agreements that they will not use illegal substances on the property, and staff members work with residents to address issues of substance abuse as they arise, the nonprofit said. Residents also are required to follow guest policies that include signing in visitors and documenting any minor children onsite. “In this case, a housing resident violated our visitor policies,” Catholic Charities said, and staff members were not informed that any minor or adult visitors were with the resident.
Itry not to bring it up in polite Minnesotan company, but my hometown professional sports teams won both the Super Bowl and the World Series in 1979. If there’s an ecclesiastical equivalent, I think we just experienced it: the ordination of 13 new priests and the Source and Summit Eucharistic Procession, with more than 7,000 participants accompanying our Eucharistic Lord from one end of Summit Avenue to the other.
I had never seen the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul as full as it was on the day of ordination, but that memory was surpassed just two days later as pilgrims poured into the Cathedral for Benediction at the conclusion of the procession. Never has “O Salutaris” sounded so powerful.
How providential that our archdiocese would be asked to host one of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimages precisely the same week as our ordinations! While it may have been a logistical nightmare for those having to plan both events, it was a great blessing for this local Church, as we were given the opportunity to reflect on the intimate connection between the priesthood and the Eucharist. We know that we cannot have the Eucharist without priests, but we also are aware that it is the Eucharist that strengthens a disciple in 2024 to say “yes” to the Lord’s call. Talk to our 13 new priests and they will all speak of the graces that they have received through the Eucharist.
When I first arrived here as administrator in 2015, and still thought that I would be going back to Newark, I did my best to identify in short order the “secret sauce” that was producing such strong vocations here. It wasn’t just the number of young people who were responding locally to the Lord’s call that amazed me, but also the impressive gifts
Intento no mencionarlo en la educada compañía de Minnesota, pero los equipos deportivos profesionales de mi ciudad natal ganaron tanto el Super Bowl como la Serie Mundial en 1979. Si hay un equivalente eclesiástico, creo que acabamos de experimentarlo: la ordenación de 13 nuevos sacerdotes y la “Procesión Eucarística de la Fuente y la Cumbre”, con más de 7000 participantes acompañando a nuestro Señor Eucarístico de un extremo a otro de la Avenida Summit. Nunca había visto la Catedral de San Pablo en St. Paul tan llena como estaba el día de la ordenación, pero ese recuerdo fue superado apenas dos días después cuando los peregrinos entraban en la Catedral para recibir la bendición al concluir la procesión. Nunca “O Salutaris” había sonado tan poderoso.
¡Qué providencial que a nuestra arquidiócesis se le pidiera organizar una de las Peregrinaciones Eucarísticas Nacionales precisamente la misma semana de nuestras ordenaciones! Si bien pudo haber sido una pesadilla logística para quienes tuvieron que planificar ambos eventos, fue una gran bendición para esta Iglesia local, ya que tuvimos la oportunidad de reflexionar sobre la conexión íntima entre el sacerdocio y la Eucaristía. Sabemos que no podemos tener la Eucaristía sin sacerdotes, pero también somos conscientes de que es la Eucaristía la que fortalece a un discípulo en 2024 para decir “sí” al llamado del Señor. Hable con nuestros 13 nuevos sacerdotes y todos hablarán de las gracias que han recibido a través de la Eucaristía. Cuando llegué aquí por primera vez como administrador en 2015, y todavía pensaba que
Whether it be at Mass or in the adoration chapel, an authentic encounter with Christ in the Eucharist leads us to recognize the beauty of sacrificial love, poured out in service to others and in thanksgiving to the Father who is the source of all good things.
that they were joyfully bringing with them into the vineyard.
Time and time again, those I asked for an explanation would point to the number of perpetual adoration chapels in our archdiocese. Over time, I’ve come to realize that it’s not the number that makes the difference, but rather the effect that rich Eucharistic devotion has on our families, parishes and young people. Whether it be at Mass or in the adoration chapel, an authentic encounter with Christ in the Eucharist leads us to recognize the beauty of sacrificial love, poured out in service to others and in thanksgiving to the Father who is the source of all good things. A heart-to-heart experience with Jesus is bound to reorient our priorities while giving us the confidence to say “yes” to however the Lord may be calling us to serve.
In the 12th chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus states that “when much has been given to a man, much will be required of him.” These extraordinary days have reminded me that we have indeed been blessed with much, and I find myself wondering what the Lord will be expecting from us in the
regresaría a Newark, hice todo lo posible para identificar en poco tiempo la “salsa secreta” que estaba produciendo vocaciones tan fuertes aquí. Lo que me asombró no fue sólo la cantidad de jóvenes que respondían localmente al llamado del Señor, sino también los impresionantes regalos que traían con alegría a la viña.
Una y otra vez, aquellos a quienes pedí una explicación señalarían la número de capillas de adoración perpetua en nuestra arquidiócesis. Con el tiempo, me he dado cuenta de que no es el número lo que marca la diferencia, sino más bien el efecto que la rica devoción eucarística tiene en nuestras familias, parroquias y jóvenes. Ya sea en la Misa o en la capilla de adoración, un encuentro auténtico con Cristo en la Eucaristía nos lleva a reconocer la belleza del amor sacrificial, derramado en servicio a los demás y en acción de gracias al Padre que es fuente de todo bien. Una experiencia de corazón a corazón con Jesús seguramente reorientará nuestras prioridades y al mismo tiempo nos dará la confianza para decir “sí” a cualquier cosa que el Señor nos esté llamando a servir.
En el capítulo 12 del Evangelio de San Lucas, Jesús afirma que “cuando a un hombre se le haya dado mucho, mucho se le exigirá”. Estos días extraordinarios me han recordado que ciertamente hemos sido bendecidos con mucho, y me pregunto qué esperará el Señor de nosotros en los meses venideros. En un mundo debilitado por las divisiones y muchas veces incapaz de ver la dignidad de cada vida humana, siento que el Señor nos llama a ser una ciudad asentada sobre una colina que ofrezca de manera creíble la luz de Cristo al mundo. El ritual de ordenación deja claro a nuestros nuevos sacerdotes que lo que se espera de ellos es unirse “cada día más estrechamente a Cristo Sumo Sacerdote”. Anticipándose a su papel en la asamblea
months to come. In a world weakened by divisions and often unable to see the dignity of each human life, I sense that the Lord is calling us to be a city set on a hill that credibly offers the light of Christ to the world.
The ordination ritual makes it clear for our new priests that what will be expected from them is to unite themselves “more closely every day to Christ the High Priest.” Anticipating their role in the Eucharistic assembly, the Church calls them to imitate what they will celebrate, and to conform their lives to the mystery of the Lord’s cross. That’s how they as priests are called to shine Christ’s light.
As a priestly people, all of us would do well to follow that advice: uniting ourselves to Christ in the Eucharist and striving to imitate what we celebrate, even when that leads us to the cross and to sacrifice.
I will always be grateful for a summer that I spent in Lourdes at the Cité Saint-Pierre, an apostolate that offered hospitality to indigent pilgrims. Mass was regularly celebrated at the Cité on an altar made from an old millstone, designed to call to mind that the great saint of Lourdes, St. Bernadette, had been born into poverty and lived in a hovel tucked into a mill. That altar always struck me, however, as a powerful reminder that we who are sustained by the Eucharist are all called to be ground like the grains of wheat that form the host. As St. Ignatius of Antioch headed to Rome for his martyrdom, his prayer was that he would be “God’s wheat.” Knowing that we have been given much and that much will be expected from us, may we too pray to be God’s wheat each time we approach the “Sacrament Most Holy.” May that humble prayer draw us more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist and help us to maintain a culture of vocation that will support our young people as they discern and respond to the Lord’s call.
eucarística, la Iglesia los llama a imitar lo que celebrarán y a conformar sus vidas al misterio de la cruz del Señor. Así es como ellos, como sacerdotes, están llamados a hacer brillar la luz de Cristo.
Como pueblo sacerdotal, todos haríamos bien en seguir ese consejo: unirnos a Cristo en la Eucaristía y esforzarnos en imitar lo que celebramos, incluso cuando eso nos lleve a la cruz y al sacrificio.
Siempre estaré agradecido por un verano que pasé en Lourdes, en la Cité Saint-Pierre, un apostolado que ofrecía hospitalidad a los peregrinos indigentes. En la Cité se celebraba regularmente misa en un altar hecho con una antigua piedra de molino, diseñado para recordar que la gran santa de Lourdes, Santa Bernadette, había nacido en la pobreza y había vivido en una choza metida en un molino. Sin embargo, ese altar siempre me llamó la atención como un poderoso recordatorio de que todos los que somos sostenidos por la Eucaristía estamos llamados a ser molidos como los granos de trigo que forman la hostia. Mientras San Ignacio de Antioquía se dirigía a Roma para su martirio, su oración fue que él fuera “el trigo de Dios.” Sabiendo que se nos ha dado mucho y que se espera mucho de nosotros, que también nosotros oremos para ser trigo de Dios cada vez que nos acerquemos al “Santísimo Sacramento”. Que esa humilde oración nos acerque más profundamente al misterio de la Eucaristía y nos ayude a mantener una cultura de vocación que apoye a nuestros jóvenes a medida que disciernen y responden al llamado del Señor.
Please turn to page 8B for the latest clergy assignments
Cathy Mitchell, left, of St. Rita in Cottage Grove, talks to Julie Waidelich, right, of nearby Grey Cloud Island, during St. Rita’s annual plant sale June 1. Mitchell started the sale in 2007 with fellow parishioner Mary Lee. Plants sold at the event came from parishioners’ gardens, Mitchell said. The proceeds go to the parish Mission Outreach Committee, which runs the event and raises up to $4,000 at the plant sale every year for outreaches in Tanzania and Ghana. The chairperson of the committee is Mary Hilgers, second from left. “Mary Lee and myself have big gardens and we just bring a lot of our stuff,” Mitchell said. “Early on, when we were younger, we would say to the parishioners, ‘If you have stuff you want to give, we’ll come and dig it (out).’ Then we would go to people’s yards and dig.” She noted that “the people love it” and many come right at 9 a.m. when the plant sale opens. Joining Waidelich at the sale were her daughter, Reese, second from right, and
Mass, lunch, farm activities and music will be part of Rural Life Sunday June 23 on a farm that seems tailormade for the occasion: Father Michael Miller’s “A Taste of Heaven” in New Prague.
“It is the first time, as far as I know, that this Mass will be offered on the farm of a priest,” said Father Miller, pastor of nearby St. Patrick in Cedar Lake Township and St. Catherine in Spring Lake Township. “People will get to see where I grew up and where I now live. We will have the holy Mass, a great lunch, farm animals and tractors, polka music after Mass, and a good dose of the country life.”
Bishop Joseph Williams, coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey, and most recently an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will preside at the Mass.
The archdiocese’s annual Rural Life Mass is a core component of celebrating the “taste of heaven” that Father Miller said can be found in rural life.
Father Miller pointed out that at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, people can find the FFA Miracle of Birth barn, which is very popular, especially with children, as they see nature in action.
“In the not-too-distant past, when farms were smaller, more people had a direct or indirect connection to rural life,” Father Miller said. “As farms grow larger, (fewer) people have this connection. The Rural Life Mass seeks to maintain this connection by celebrating the goodness of this way of life.
“When I was in college from the fall of 1983 to the spring of 1985, I remember the emphasis was to diminish the ‘way of life’ outlook of the farm and concentrate only on the business aspect,” Father Miller said. “I thought then, as I do now, that if people lose this connection to agriculture our culture will be negatively affected. I think that this is observably true.”
Serving as a priest in a rural community provides Father Miller with the opportunity to share his love of nature and God’s creation with others in surrounding communities.
“I love that I am not in the city, surrounded by concrete, but in the countryside surrounded by nature. I love seeing the crops planted and harvested, and all the stages in between,” Father Miller said. “I love being able to see the moon and the stars, and the beauty of the changing of the seasons, all of which are shared and appreciated by my parishioners.”
In the country, everyone knows there are various things they cannot control, particularly the weather, and they understand their dependence on those things, Father Miller said. For example, when it rains, everyone knows how much precipitation they received and is ready to answer that question when asked, he said.
“We pray for protection from storms, (for) good weather, and safety for the planting, growing and harvest seasons,” Father Miller said. “We know our neighbors and the history of their various families and their farms or
businesses. And all the parishes are very old.”
St. Patrick in Cedar Lake was founded in 1857; the current church was built 150 years ago. St. Catherine’s parish was founded in 1865; the current church was built in 1896.
“We also do not view the neighboring parishes as rivals, but rather as siblings,” Father Miller said. “We help each other out. And, if an individual family is in need, the whole community joins in to help them.”
Calling his farm “A Taste of Heaven,” Father Miller recently wrote, in a bulletin to parishioners:
“God has blessed me, in His wonderful providence, in letting me return to the farm on which I have grown up and that I had given up to follow Him as a priest. It was here that I grew in age and wisdom and grace; working and walking these grounds. It was here that I learned about life and the Author of it; that though there are times when we must pass through a valley of tears, we are being carried on the shoulder of One who will never let us down, if we just hang on. It was here that I looked at the stars and was amazed; at the moon and saw not just a reflection of the sun, but an image of the Church reflecting the light of the Son. It was here that I saw in the changing of the seasons, in the wind, in the rain, and the snow, in the life-giving warmth of the sun, an image of the Holy Spirit bringing us life. It was here that I saw the animals and the plants in all of their great beauty, large and small, as a reflection of the beauty of the One who made them. And it was here that I saw the love of my family as a reflection of the love that God has for me, and why I know that this farm has truly been a taste of heaven.”
Date: Sunday, June 23
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Father Michael Miller Farm — “A Taste of Heaven” — 12890 70th St. W., New Prague
Details: Mass will be followed by lunch (freewill offering accepted), polka and old-time music, children’s activities, games and a petting zoo. All are invited. Seating will be limited; please bring lawn chairs. Parking for people with disabilities will be available, as will outdoor restrooms and hand-washing stations. If it rains, the celebration will be held inside the farm’s pole shed. Questions? Contact Dale Hennen at 651-238-2074.
Father Michael Miller’s parents, Carlton and Mary Jane Miller, purchased “A Taste of Heaven” farm in 1962. It was a dairy farm. They milked 41 cows and worked 230 acres of oats, alfalfa and corn. The family’s plan was for Father Miller to take over the farm.
“We sold the cows on Sept. 15, 1994, as I was beginning my third year in the seminary,” Father Miller said. “We continued to grow corn, soybeans and some alfalfa until 2003. Since then, our neighbor, Marty Shambaur, from whose uncle my parents bought the farm, continues to grow the same crops.”
After high school, Father Miller attended the University of Minnesota in Waseca and earned an associate and applied science degree in diversified agriculture. He returned to the farm in 1985 and worked full-time with his dad until the spring of 1989, when he attended the then-College of St. Thomas in St. Paul to answer what he discerned was a call to the priesthood.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history, Father Miller said, the signs kept pointing him to the priesthood. He attended The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and was ordained in 1996.
“I continued to come home every fall to help with the harvest,” Father Miller said. “There is a saying that goes, ‘You can take the boy off of the farm, but never take the farm out of the boy.’ That was certainly true for me.”
In 2014, Father Miller’s parents decided it was time to sell the farm. On All Souls Day of that year, it became very clear to Father Miller that he was supposed to purchase the farm, and he did so. Four months later, he was assigned as pastor to St. Patrick in Cedar Lake and St. Catherine of Spring Lake Township — two small and beautiful churches within 14 miles of the farm.
“The joy that I had in returning home was truly a taste of the joy of heaven,” Father Miller said.
Now that the 2024 Minnesota legislative session has ended, here is a look at some of the key issues tackled, including perspective from Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of the St. Paulbased Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), which represents the public policy interests of the state’s Catholic bishops.
Introduced through HF1930/SF1813, the End-ofLife Option Act garnered emotional debate regarding physician-assisted suicide this session.
The bill would have required physicians and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in Minnesota to inform people with a terminal diagnosis, and a prognosis of six months or less, of their option to receive a lethal drug prescription — called, in the proposal, “medical aid in dying medication.”
The legislation would have required the person seeking the drug to submit oral and written requests to the attending provider (or the provider who has primary responsibility for the person’s care and terminal illness treatment) and the consulting provider (or the provider other than the attending provider who is qualified to make a professional diagnosis and prognosis regarding a person’s terminal illness).
Although the legislation would have required that a person be mentally capable of making a request for the lethal drugs, there was not a requirement in the bill that the person be referred for a full mental health evaluation, Adkins pointed out.
Medical professionals, people with disabilities, military veterans, faith leaders, and others provided written and verbal testimony during the session.
Proponents argued the legislation would ease the suffering of people with terminal illnesses and grant people with terminal illnesses peace of mind.
However, MCC called the bill “one of the most aggressive physician-assisted suicide bills in the country,” arguing it lacked important safeguards.
Adkins suggested the bill’s core messaging pitted care against cost.
“Assisted suicide is a choice that people make when they feel they have no other choices,” he said.
Those who opposed the bill argued it could undermine physicians’ standards of care and their ability to practice health care ethically.
Referencing the Catholic tenet of upholding human dignity, MCC said in an action alert that the legislation could fail to protect the vulnerable “when it is thought that a person’s life no longer has meaning or purpose.” This echoes reflection in “Dignitas Infinita,” released April 8 by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, that “suffering does not cause the sick to lose their dignity, which is intrinsically and inalienably their own. Instead, suffering can become an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of mutual belonging and gain greater awareness of the precious value of each person to the whole human family.”
MCC also argued if the bill were to pass into law, Minnesota could become a destination state for those seeking to receive the drug.
Instead, MCC argued work must be done to build “principled care models that support the medical needs of all people.”
Adkins said such models can include advance directives and designating a person who has medical power of attorney. One source of assistance in this area is the Minnesota Catholic Health Care Directive that MCC has prepared to help inform end-of-life decisions, he said.
“Our goal as the Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare — a coalition which we (MCC) help lead — is to create a policy ecosystem where there are more choices, where people have access to the care that they need, where we truly accompany people in the policy sphere and in the health care sphere at the end of life and in difficult health care journeys,” Adkins said.
That the legislation didn’t receive a House floor vote this session, nor a hearing in the Senate, was “a tremendous success,” Adkins said.
Adkins said he anticipates this issue will surface again in the Legislature. Success in preventing it from moving forward will happen “with that messaging of creating better health care access and more health care choices,” he said.
Proposed language to amend the Minnesota Constitution — through the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — also garnered debate throughout the session.
The proposal was first introduced through SF37, with HF173 as its companion. The new language this session stated, in part: “All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account of race; color; national origin; ancestry; disability; or sex, including but not limited to: making and effectuating decisions about all matters relating to one’s own pregnancy or decision whether to become or remain pregnant; gender identity or gender expression; or sexual orientation.” Adkins pointed out the new language was introduced at the end of the session without a review in any policy committee and voted upon by the House.
Proponents argued the ERA would protect against basic forms of discrimination and would prevent the overturning of such protections.
However, MCC argued it would go beyond protecting against basic forms of discrimination and failed to protect religion within its language. In addition to a lack of protection for all people against religious discrimination, MCC argued it also “goes beyond attempting to protect ‘sex’ as a class, but rather would protect people based on their ‘gender identity or expression,’” thus it “would diminish the hard-earned rights and protections of women.”
“What’s really going on with the ERA is the imposition of the gender-neutral society, the elimination of sex-based distinctions,” Adkins said.
“Proponents (of the ERA) are saying ... it is pregnancy discrimination or sex discrimination to deny a woman — or as they call them, pregnant persons — access to abortion,” Adkins continued. “Fundamentally, what’s the deeper worldview that’s being addressed there, that’s being imposed? It’s to say that women suffer discrimination when they can’t behave fundamentally like men, (that) women need access to abortion so they can do all the things that men do.”
“Then you think about gender ideology and discrimination based on gender identity or expression — it’s really to say that sex-based distinctions are
irrelevant except when they aren’t, of course, in the abortion context,” Adkins said.
Contrasting these perspectives with what the Catholic Church teaches, Adkins said the Church “proposes human life and human destiny (are) in a relational context — our relationship to our Creator, who gives us our fundamental identity as his sons and daughters, and then our relationships with each other. We’re made for others, and we’re made for life.”
“What you see here is a real clash of worldviews, a clash of ideologies, a clash of identities,” Adkins said about the ERA debate that played out this session.
MCC encouraged people to attend a rally, and hundreds gathered May 8 at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul to speak out against the proposed ERA as Minnesota House legislators prepared to review the ERA’s new language. May 13, the House delayed its vote on the proposed ERA; legislators adjourned just before midnight. May 19, the House again took up, and passed, the proposed ERA. It did not reach a vote in the Senate before the session’s deadline.
As a result, the language will not be submitted to Minnesota voters as a ballot question during a general election year.
The Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA), which has been in place since the 1960s, aims to ensure all Minnesotans are treated equally and that no one is discriminated against based on personal traits including disability, race and sex.
A religious exemption addition in the MHRA (introduced through HF4109) was passed by both the state House and Senate May 7 before Gov. Tim Walz signed it into state law May 15. The exemption is a statutory defense for religious organizations and schools against claims of discrimination under the MHRA, Adkins explained.
Prior to the legislation’s passage, MCC argued in a commentary published in The Catholic Spirit that an amendment to the MHRA passed last year included gender identity as a protected status, yet a religious
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exemption was not included. MCC argued this would challenge religious organizations, churches and schools in acting on beliefs regarding gender identity within their institutions.
Though the language passed and signed into state law was not the same as the initially proposed language, MCC argued it does accomplish the original goal of restoring the religious exemption.
“I think it was a win-win for everybody and I’m really proud of the way the faith community collectively came together through the coordinating efforts of the Catholic Church, bringing so many different groups to the table,” Adkins said.
This session, MCC partnered with members of faith communities throughout the state to voice opposition to gambling expansion legislation that included sports betting (introduced this session through HF2000/ SF1949).
The Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) — organized by MCC, the Minnesota Council of Churches, the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Islamic Center of Minnesota — spoke out against the proposal, which was debated but not passed in the Legislature.
Proponents argued the proposed legislation would help combat unlawful forms of betting and that taxes collected from lawful methods could be put toward programs to assist those who compulsively gamble.
However, the JRLC argued in a letter submitted to Walz that the specific allocation of 20% of tax revenues to assistance programs “will be quickly exhausted” and argued for an increase, like New York’s 51%. MCC also argued that certain betting platforms can stimulate responses that lead to addictive behaviors and that forms of gambling can create financial harm.
“What are going to be the impacts of having gambling at our fingertips, especially when we know how addictive it is?” Adkins suggested, referencing online sports betting platforms that can be accessed via smartphones. “This is a really dangerous, predatory industry that makes money off people’s ability to chase the losses and make up for their losses. ... And who is it that really benefits from gambling? It’s a very privileged few who can gamble with regularity and be able to cover their losses, especially in a time like ours where algorithms and computational methods make it very difficult to win. So, it’s a very privileged few who benefit from legalized gambling and it’s everyone else who suffers, including the state.”
The JRLC pushed for additional sports betting prevalence studies; marketing limitations, especially to those under age 21; and specific betting limitations.
Surrogacy and health insurance exemptions
Though the Minnesota House introduced a bill to establish a legal framework for commercial surrogacy
agreements in the state, the legislation (introduced through HF3567/SF3504) did not ultimately pass this session.
Proponents argued the bill would have provided clarity and security for families using forms of assisted reproduction — for example, determining who is legally considered a parent of a child born through assisted reproduction or surrogacy.
However, MCC argued the bill lacked safeguards present in surrogacy legislation that exists in other states. MCC also argued the bill would create ethical and moral dilemmas when viewed through a Catholic lens focusing on human dignity and life. Through surrogacy, women can face vulnerabilities such as inadequate health care and emotional trauma, MCC argued, also pointing to Pope Francis who has previously condemned the practice.
“As Pope Francis has said repeatedly, a child is a gift; it’s not a product to be bought or sold,” Adkins said. “He called for a universal ban on surrogacy this year; it was one of the strongest statements ever from a pope about surrogacy and assisted reproduction. And so that tracks the work we (MCC) have been doing for years and years to oppose surrogacy. ... What we’ve been fighting is the creation of a legal framework around surrogacy arrangements that would allow that industry to grow, and I do mean an industry. It’s a whole set of contracts, brokers.”
“There are ethical frameworks around how we steward the gift of life, both at its beginning and at its end,” Adkins continued. “The Church gives us that guidance, fortunately, on how to navigate each of those issues.”
MCC also spoke out against proposals to require health plan coverage of infertility treatments, abortion and gender-affirming care.
In more detail, those pieces of legislation proposed requiring health plan coverage of treatments such as “ovulation induction, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and cryopreservation techniques” and related medical assistance (introduced through SF1704/HF1658); coverage “of abortions and abortionrelated services” as well as “medical assistance coverage of these services” (introduced through SF3967/HF4053); and coverage for any medical or mental health services “that assist an individual in affirming their gender identity” (introduced through SF2209/HF2607).
“We need access to health care so we can properly preserve our life; health care is meant to be preventative and restorative,” Adkins said. “The Church has that unique position of standing in favor of greater health care access — just like we did for undocumented immigrants in the 2023 session — but also standing opposed to things that promote and then mandatorily fund things that aren’t health care, like those three issues.”
MCC pushed for religious exemptions, at the least, to be added to the legislation proposals to prevent religious organizations from being required to adhere to insurance mandates in contradiction with beliefs those organizations uphold.
Exemptions were secured for religious organizations, Adkins said, so that those employers would not be mandated to provide coverage for abortion and
gender-affirming care. Meanwhile, Adkins said the coverage of infertility treatments mandate “was felled primarily because of the massive expense that that could impose in a tight budget cycle.”
Another legislative priority MCC has focused on in recent years, Adkins said, is family economic security. The nation-leading state child tax credit — the centerpiece of MCC’s Families First Project introduced last session — “was improved upon” this session, Adkins said, by the introduction of a pilot program to establish automatic payments to low-income families. This program, Adkins said, “will make it a lot easier for people to receive that tax benefit, that tax relief in real time. So, it’s a huge benefit this year.”
Adkins also highlighted efforts to bolster child protection via mandatory reporting laws, including introducing greater penalties for those who impede such laws.
MCC also successfully advocated for a full ban on the sale of human remains this session, Adkins said.
“One of the great stories from 2024” and the latest legislative session, Adkins said, was the engagement from Minnesota Catholics who sent messages to their legislators or attended rallies at the Capitol.
“They (legislators) only know that you care about those issues because you bring your voice into that conversation through things like the Catholic Advocacy Network,” Adkins said (see sidebar page 6B). “So, the many successes that we can point to this year are primarily attributed to the good work of the grassroots lay faithful talking to their legislators.”
Adkins suggested there are the “three Ps” of lobbying: “people, policy and process” and there are the “three Cs” of legislating: “caucus, conscience and constituents.”
Adkins said legislators are asking “what are their constituents thinking about? And that can shape their conscience. And that can influence what the caucus does. ... Always speaking out to our legislators and letting them know what we think is the most basic thing we could do.”
Adkins also highlighted the importance of prayer.
“I really feel like the power of prayer this year — and this year of Eucharistic Revival — was a great difference-maker in terms of the results that we saw at the Capitol,” he said.
He encouraged prayers for elected officials and for continued attendance during first Friday adoration at the Capitol, which will pick up again next legislative session.
“Let’s encounter the face of the Lord, so that we can encounter the face of Christ in others, that we can be faithful citizens who build up Christ in our own homes and in our own communities, that we could protect the dignity of the human person and promote the common good,” Adkins said.
To hear the conversation with Adkins, listen to the corresponding TCS Podcasts episode available online: thecatholicspirit com/podcasts
As you begin your priestly ministry, Tu es sacerdos in aeternum, From the parishioners of the Cathedral of Saint Paul.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:
Effective May 15, 2024
Reverend Andrew Stueve, assigned as spiritual advisor for the Southwest Deanery Council for Catholic Women. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Waterville and the Church of Saint Andrew in Elysian.
Effective May 21, 2024
Father James Bernard, assigned as pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Saint Paul. Father Bernard has been serving as priest in solidum of the same parish with Bishop Joseph Williams, who was assigned by the Holy Father as Coadjutor Bishop of Camden on the effective date.
Effective July 1, 2024
Reverend Brent Bowman, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of the Holy Family in Saint Louis Park. Father Bowman is also assigned part-time as chaplain and instructor for Chesterton Academy in Hopkins. Father Bowman was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Philip Conklin, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Michael and of the Church of Saint Mary, both in Stillwater. Father Conklin was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Revered Kyle Etzel, assigned as spiritual advisor for the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. This is in addition to his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Joseph in West Saint Paul.
Reverend Francis Floeder, assigned as parochial vicar of the Parish of Saints Joachim and Anne of Shakopee. Father Floeder was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Derek Gilde, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint John the Baptist in New Brighton. Father Gilde was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Hjálmar Guðjónsson, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of the Divine Mercy in Faribault. Father Guðjónsson was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Robert Hart, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. Father Hart is a retired priest of the Archdiocese.
Reverend Michael Maloney, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minnetonka, until returning to Rome in September to continue academic studies. Father Maloney was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Sean Mulcare, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Ambrose in Woodbury. Father Mulcare was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Michael Panka, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Stephen in Anoka. Father Panka was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Alexander Rasset, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Michael in Saint Michael. Father Rasset was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Ryan Sustacek, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint John Neumann in Eagan. Father Sustacek is also assigned part-time as chaplain for Totus Tuus Catechetical Program in the Archdiocese. Father Sustacek was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Nicholas Vance, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Edina. Father Vance was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Joseph Wappes, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Jude of the Lake in Mahtomedi, until returning to Rome in September to continue academic studies. Father Wappes was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
Reverend Christopher Yanta, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Medina. Father Yanta was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2024.
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former teacher at Holy Family Academy
and all your ordination classmates!
May the Lord bless you and guide your new ministry!
With love and prayers from everyone at Holy Family Catholic Church and Holy Family Academy, St. Louis Park
In the latest comment from the Vatican on “Fiducia Supplicans” — the controversial declaration issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that includes guidelines on the blessing of same-sex couples — Pope Francis clarified that he didn’t allow blessings of “the union” but of “each person.”
“What I allowed was not to bless the union,” the pope said, correcting the question of CBS journalist and interviewer Norah O’Donnell, who stated within her question that the pope had “decided to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.”
“That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way,” said Pope Francis, according to the English translation provided in voiceover by CBS. “But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone. For everyone. To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all. Some people were scandalized by this. But why? Everyone! Everyone!”
The Spanish-language video, however, reveals that instead of “given right,” Pope Francis said “natural law,” which, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “states the first and essential precepts which govern the moral life.”
Issued in December 2023, “Fiducia Supplicans” sparked international uproar within the Church. The declaration was just one of many topics touched on in the wide-ranging interview, which covered the pope’s thoughts on war, a “globalization of indifference,” conservativism in the Church, antisemitism and U.S. policy toward migrants.
The pope spoke with O’Donnell April 24 at his residence, Casa Santa Marta (Domus Sanctae Marthae). A roughly 13-minute portion of the interview aired May 19 on “60 Minutes,” the long-running newsmagazine of the CBS Television Network, with the balance of the session broadcast in a one-hour primetime special May 20 on the network and on the Paramount+ streaming platform.
The pair were seated beneath a large image of Our Lady Undoer of Knots, a Marian devotion from 18th-century Germany that is a favorite of Pope Francis, who learned of it some 40 years ago from a nun he had met while he was completing his doctoral thesis in that nation.
As a follow-up to the topic of samesex blessings, O’Donnell reminded Pope Francis of his previous remarks that “homosexuality is not a crime” qualifying of “unjust” laws criminalizing the condition of same-sex attraction, which the Church recognizes as “objectively disordered” while calling for such persons to exercise chastity and self-mastery, and to be treated with respect and compassion.
Homosexuality “is a human fact,” Pope Francis told O’Donnell. She asked him how he would respond to “conservative bishops in the United States that oppose your new efforts to
revisit teachings and traditions.”
In his reply, Pope Francis defined a conservative as the “suicidal attitude” of “one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that.”
“One thing is to take tradition into account, to consider situations from the past, but quite another is to be closed up inside a dogmatic box,” he said.
Throughout the interview, Pope Francis underscored his soft-spoken but energetic responses — delivered in his native Spanish through an interpreter — with emphatic gestures, shifting occasionally in his chair and appearing to be in good health, despite a bout with bronchitis earlier this year that saw him taken to the hospital for tests.
Asked by O’Donnell if the Catholic Church had “done enough” to reform and repent of clerical sexual abuse, Pope Francis said “it must continue to do more” since “the tragedy of the abuses is enormous.”
He also stressed the need to “not only … not permit it but to put in place the conditions so that it does not happen.”
“It cannot be tolerated,” Pope Francis said. “When there is a case of a religious man or woman who abuses, the full force of the law falls upon them. In this there has been a great deal of progress.”
O’Donnell, in the May 19 excerpt, did not ask Pope Francis about Father Marko Rupnik, the Slovenian-born priest who was expelled from the Society of Jesus in June 2023, and who has gained international recognition both for his liturgical art and for the numerous accusations of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse leveled against him in the course of his career.
O’Donnell did ask Pope Francis about the children of Gaza ahead of the Catholic Church’s inaugural World Children’s Day May 25-26, an observance instituted by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education.
When O’Donnell, citing the United Nations, said that more than a million in Gaza, mostly children, would face
to Lampedusa — the Italian island to which thousands of migrants have fled, with thousands more perishing while crossing the Mediterranean — O’Donnell asked Pope Francis to speak about “the globalization of indifference.”
“People wash their hands!” he answered. “There are so many Pontius Pilates on the loose out there … who see what is happening, the wars, the injustice, the crimes … (They say), ‘That’s OK, that’s OK’ and wash their hands. … That is what happens when the heart hardens … and becomes indifferent.
“Please, we have to get our hearts to feel again,” Pope Francis implored. “We cannot remain indifferent in the face of such human dramas. The globalization of indifference is a very ugly disease. Very ugly.”
No reference was made to another hot button topic: women in the clergy, except in a post-interview narration in which O’Donnell said that although the pope had appointed more women to positions of Church power than his predecessors, “he told us he opposes allowing women to be ordained as priests or deacons.”
famine on World Children’s Day, Pope Francis replied, “Not just in Gaza. Think of Ukraine.”
He said that many of the Ukrainian children who come to the Vatican “don’t know how to smile … they have forgotten how to smile. And that is very painful.”
As a follow-up question, O’Donnell asked if the pope had a message for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Please, warring countries, all of them, stop. Stop the war,” replied Pope Francis. “You must find a way of negotiating for peace. Strive for peace. A negotiated peace is always better than an endless war.”
O’Donnell asked the pope how to address international division over the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked “big protests on college campuses and growing antisemitism.”
“All ideology is bad, and antisemitism is an ideology, and it is bad,” said Pope Francis. “Any ‘anti’ is always bad. You can criticize one government or another, the government of Israel, the Palestinian government. You can criticize all you want, but not ‘anti’ a people. Neither anti-Palestinian, nor antisemitic. No.”
Asked by O’Donnell if he could help negotiate peace, the pope sighed and replied, “What I can do is pray. I pray a lot for peace. And also, to suggest, ‘Please, stop. Negotiate.’”
O’Donnell also asked Pope Francis for his thoughts on the state of Texas’ efforts to shutter Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit sheltering migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“That is madness. Sheer madness. To close the border and leave them there, that is madness,” he said. “The migrant has to be received. Thereafter you see how you are going to deal with him. Maybe you have to send him back, I don’t know, but each case ought to be considered humanely.”
Recalling the pope’s July 2013 visit
In a particularly poignant moment in the interview, O’Donnell asked the pope about the Church’s rejection of surrogacy, saying she knows women who are cancer survivors for whom the practice has become “the only hope” for having a child.
Pope Francis reaffirmed Church teaching on the point, saying that surrogacy has sometimes “become a business, and that is very bad.”
He also said that for infertile women, “the other hope is adoption,” and stressed that “in each case the situation should be carefully and clearly considered, consulting medically and then morally as well.”
The pope commended O’Donnell for her sensitivity toward people that “in some cases (surrogacy) is the only chance,” saying with a warm smile, “It shows that you feel these things very deeply. Thank you.”
O’Donnell, in turn, said the pope has inspired hope among many “because you have been more open and accepting perhaps than any other previous leaders of the Church.”
Reiterating a cry he issued at World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Pope Francis said that the Church is open to “everyone, everyone, everyone.”
“The Gospel is for everyone,” he emphasized. “If the Church places a customs officer at the door, that is no longer the Church of Christ.”
The May 19 segment concluded with O’Donnell asking the pope what gave him hope.
“Everything,” Pope Francis said. “You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things … heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead. And people are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good.”
uSydney’s Corpus Christi procession draws thousands in “joyful witness” of their love of Christ. Record crowds celebrated the largest “Walk With Christ” Australian initiative since the COVID-19 pandemic as more than 15,000 Catholics joined the procession through the streets of Sydney for the feast of Corpus Christi. Speaking with joy at the public witness, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney said the event was an encouraging display of devotion as Australia aspires to host the 2028 International Eucharist Congress, which “we devoutly hope Pope Francis will grant us.” He told the faithful, “you have just proclaimed to our city the gift of redemption in Christ Jesus. Not through robust argument, clever rhetoric or special effects, but simply by ‘Walking With Christ’ whom you love.” The director of the Sydney Center for Evangelization, Daniel Ang, said the public witness was not just for the faithful, but it was an opportunity to bring the joy of Christ to the people of Sydney. “Such processions are a leaven in our largely disenchanted world,” he said.
uU.S. ambassador to the Holy See to step down in July. U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly will leave his post in July, the embassy announced. The ambassador will step down from his role and return to his native Indiana on July 8, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See said in a post on X published May 30. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve my country in this unique way,” Donnelly was quoted as saying in the post. The former Indiana senator assumed his role in Rome in April 2022 when he presented his letters of credential to Pope Francis. His posting coincided with the 40th anniversary of the United States establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1984.
uExperts say Trump’s felony conviction is historic, with potential ramifications for the U.S. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was found guilty on all 34 felony counts by a Manhattan jury agreeing unanimously that he falsified business records in paying hush money to an adult film actress in the closing days of the 2016 campaign. Various Catholic legal and political experts noted the conviction is historic with potential ramifications for the U.S. The case concerned a $130,000 hush money payment — which Trump characterized as legal expenses — made by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels. John White, a professor of politics at The Catholic University of America in Washington, said that the conviction was “historic” because — while he expected Trump to exercise his right to appeal — for the first time ever “a former president is a convicted felon.” Robert George, a Catholic American legal scholar and McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University in New Jersey, said that despite his criticisms of the former president, the “‘lawfare’ waged against him for transparently political reasons, leading now to a criminal conviction, constitutes a serious threat to our constitutional order.” Regarding the election, James Patterson, chair of the politics department at Ave Maria University in Florida, believed the verdict “likely makes no difference” due both to President Joe Biden’s unpopularity and to American voters today being not as likely to punish a presidential candidate for the offense as in years past. Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11. uItalian bishops are ready to launch a study of abuse cases reported to the Vatican. The Italian bishops’ conference will “soon” begin a pilot program to research cases of alleged
abuse against minors that were reported to diocesan authorities between 2001 and 2021, said the new president of the conference’s commission for the protection of minors. The pilot study will be conducted by independent experts from two national-level research institutes, said Chiara Griffini, a psychologist and psychotherapist, who was named to head the commission May 24. The experts will conduct a multidisciplinary, quantitative and qualitative study and analysis of cases reported to diocesan bishops in Italy with results expected by the end of 2025, she said May 29 during a conference on abuse against minors in Italy. Researchers will start with an “experimental” phase involving just a few of the country’s 226 dioceses to see how to proceed with the study, she told reporters. From there, the plan is to expand to include more dioceses to get “a photograph” of all reported cases sent to the dicastery. The idea, she told reporters, is to study and analyze who were the victims and the alleged perpetrators and how the Church responded.
uMore advocacy and education on palliative care are needed to move the world to this “narrative of hope.” Amplifying advocacy and pastoral care efforts, bolstering educational resources and championing life-affirming legislation are among the recommendations that emerged from the first International Interfaith Symposium on Palliative Care, held in Toronto May 21-23. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pontifical Academy for Life organized the forum to enable health care, medicine, ethics, legal and pastoral care experts to propose and discuss strategies for alleviating suffering and providing hopeful accompaniment for patients and their loved ones. The central goal was — and will be going forward — determining how to direct the world toward adopting a “narrative of hope.” Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary, Alberta, who is CCCB president, touted the importance of this symposium’s interreligious dimension during the closing news conference. Followers of Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and Indigenous spirituality played an instrumental role in advancing the resolutions. “All of these (traditions) contributed to the richness, to the narrative that we experienced, which was a narrative of hope,” said Bishop McGrattan.
uArgentine archbishop resigns suddenly; reason for his departure not disclosed by the Vatican. Archbishop Gabriel Mestre of La Plata has resigned unexpectedly after only eight months in the Argentine archdiocese previously headed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, provoking a crisis in Church governance in the South American country. The Vatican did not disclose the reasons for Archbishop Mestre’s resignation. The archbishop confirmed his resignation May 27, saying in a letter he was experiencing, “profound peace and total rectitude of conscience before God for how I acted.” He is 55 years old — two decades younger than the typical retirement age of 75, when canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. Archbishop Mestre added that he had been called to Rome to answer questions on “some aspects from the Diocese of Mar del Plata after my transfer to the Archdiocese of La Plata since being designated metropolitan archbishop by Pope Francis.” The Diocese of Mar del Plata to the south of Buenos Aires has been in turmoil since Archbishop Mestre’s departure in November 2023 with his two successors resigning their posts without being installed. Pope Francis, who is from
Argentina, subsequently appointed Auxiliary Bishop Ernesto Giobando of Buenos Aires as apostolic administrator in Mar del Plata.
uSynod report for U.S. shows growth, tensions and a “deep desire to rebuild” the body of Christ. Growth, undeniable tensions and “a deep desire to rebuild and strengthen” the body of Christ have emerged as key themes in the latest synod report for the Catholic Church in the U.S. Released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops May 28, the “National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America for the Interim Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod” summarizes responses from more than 35,000 participants and over 1,000 listening sessions, with 76% of the nation’s dioceses and eparchies submitting reports to the U.S. synod team. In addition, over 350 people met in some 15 listening sessions that focused on Church life, social justice and vocations, while U.S. bishops also met for a synod listening session. In his introduction to the synthesis, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas — who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine and has shepherded the synodal process in the U.S. — said “no document could cover the full range of topics on the hearts and minds of Catholics” who took part in the listening sessions, but the report showed the synodal journey has made progress in the U.S. Among their insights, participants said they hoped the Church can offer both welcome and a prophetic witness that allows it to dialogue and discern its mission while addressing the ongoing wounds of the clerical abuse crisis, racism and other challenges.
uU.S. bishops sue EEOC over a regulation adding abortion to pregnant worker protections. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, alongside other Catholic groups, filed suit May 22 against a federal agency for including abortion in regulations implementing a law meant to add workplace protections for pregnant workers. Final regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, issued in April, granted workers protections for time off and other job accommodations for pregnancy-related medical conditions like miscarriage, stillbirth and lactation — but also for abortion, which was opposed by many of the bill’s supporters, including the USCCB. Chieko Noguchi, USCCB spokeswoman, told OSV News May 23 the conference “enthusiastically supported passage of this law, because it had nothing to do with abortion.” The EEOC, “which is an unelected federal agency, hijacked the law, which doesn’t mention abortion at all,” she said. “And they’re mandating that employers accommodate employee abortions, and it also prevents us from encouraging employees to choose life.” A spokesperson for the EEOC referred OSV News to the Justice Department for comment. The latter did not immediately respond. Becket, a Washington-based religious liberty law firm, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on behalf of the USCCB, as well as The Catholic University of America and the dioceses of Lake Charles and Lafayette in Louisiana.
— CNS and OSV News
With pews packed and aisles full of roughly 3,500 people at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Archbishop Bernard Hebda ordained 13 men to the priesthood, the most since 15 were ordained in 2005.
Ranging in age from 26 to 48, the men enter the priesthood with a variety of backgrounds and talents, the archbishop noted in his homily.
Father Brent Bowman, 44, for example, was in marketing, business development and product innovation; Father Philip Conklin, 36, was in the Air Force; and Father Derek Gilde, 44, had a 15-year career in social work and mental health.
“How God has prepared us is beyond our imagining,” Archbishop Hebda said. “It might still not be clear why the Lord led you to be engineers or air traffic controllers or social workers.
“It may not be clear why he gave you a love of diving, running or science. It might not be clear why he gave you a gift for languages or a soulful voice or a gift for Latin and classical languages.
“But I bet that God is going to use them all — all of those gifts. You bring all of that, all of your history with you today to the altar, and you offer it to the Lord so that he can remind this Church of his superabundant love, so that he can feed his flock in abundance.”
Referring to a passage in the last chapter of John’s Gospel that was read for the Mass — when the risen Jesus prepares a breakfast of fish for the Apostles and asks Peter three times whether Peter loves him — Archbishop Hebda said Peter’s affirmative response is met with Jesus telling Peter to “feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.”
“Those statements reveal Jesus’ priority that his beloved flock would always be cared for, that they would be fed,” the archbishop said. “I’m not surprised that the Church would give us that Gospel on the occasion of an ordination.”
“Jesus is the paradigm for what it means to be a shepherd, a pastor, to be pastoral,” the archbishop said. “Jesus, the good shepherd, we hear in the Gospel today, wanted to make sure that his beloved sheep would always be fed. And so, he instituted on Holy Thursday both the Eucharist and the priesthood. They go together. They’re intimately connected.”
It was providential, the archbishop said, that the ordination was happening during the U.S. Church’s National Eucharistic Revival, “and indeed, as one of the four National (Eucharistic) Pilgrimages crosses through our archdiocese” on the way to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July.
On May 24, the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance was passed from the Diocese of St. Cloud to the archdiocese, at St. Albert in Albertville, followed by a procession to St. Michael in St. Michael, Archbishop Hebda said.
“It is a beautiful reminder of Jesus’ desire to feed his flock, that it is so deep that he would give his own body and blood,” the archbishop said.
Noting the importance of the number 12 in Scripture and elsewhere — 12 tribes, 12 Apostles, 12 months — Archbishop Hebda said it expresses a fullness, a perfection in God’s order. “We recently celebrated the feast of St. Matthias, who was elected to take Judas’
spot so that the number of Apostles would return to 12. Twelve is significant,” he said.
“But look at these men, my brothers and sisters. Count them. We have more than the fullness here. Thirteen men — 12 plus one. It speaks to the superabundance of Jesus’ love for his Church. Now, it’s not unlike the situation of the 12 Apostles plus our patron, St. Paul, the Apostle born out of due time. Msgr. James Shea has recently written a powerful book, ‘From Christendom to Apostolic Mission,’” the archbishop said. “My brothers, I believe that God is calling you, 13 of you, blessing this local Church with you, 13 soon to be his priests, to be priests for that apostolic mission, like those 12 Apostles and Paul.”
Priests from across the archdiocese concelebrated the Mass, along with Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun of St. Maron in Minneapolis; Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen; Bishop Joseph Williams, coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey, most recently an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Bishop Donald DeGrood of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who ministered as a priest of the archdiocese; Bishop Wieslaw Spiewak of the Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda; and Bishop Emeritus Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, a native of St. Paul who served in the archdiocese as a priest and auxiliary bishop and is now living in the Twin Cities.
Also at the Mass were permanent and transitional deacons for the archdiocese, religious brothers and sisters, members of the Knights of Columbus, seminarians, families and friends of the men being ordained and parishioners from across the archdiocese.
“We’ve got people from the East Coast to the West Coast, from the South, from the Midwest, all over. ... We’re three generations of family here and it’s amazing,” said Jan George of West Fargo, North Dakota, a sister of Father Bowman’s mother, Peggy, about their family gathering for the ordination.
Peggy Bowman, of Fargo, North Dakota, and George said their family had prayed for decades for a priestly vocation. Bowman said she prayed intensely when Father Bowman told her in 2000 that he thought the Lord might be calling him to the priesthood. “I prayed for 18 years,” Bowman said of the years before her son entered the seminary.
Family supporting Father Chris Yanta, 29, included his 25-year-old sister, Alice Yanta, a member of St. Timothy in Maple Lake. She teared up thinking about the beauty of the day. Asked what was going through her heart and mind, she said, “Joy, a lot of joy. He’s where he belongs.”
Friends and family also gathered to support Fathers Frankie Floeder, 26; Hjalmar Gudjonsson, 48; Michael Maloney, 26; Sean Mulcare, 28; Michael Panka, 35; Alexander Rasset, 26; Ryan Sustacek, 26; Nicholas Vance, 27; and Joseph Wappes, 26.
Sarah Nigbor of Menomonie, Wisconsin, was in the congregation with her husband, Shane, their four children and her mother, Carol Matara. A friend of Father Gilde’s since kindergarten in River Falls, Wisconsin, Sarah Nigbor said “I am so happy for Derek. I feel like he is doing what he is meant to do in life. I am so proud of him.”
Steve Sustacek — Father Sustacek’s father — said he had never seen his son happier than at the ordination Mass. Father Sustacek’s mother, Jennifer, said her son is a blessing. “We raised him, we taught him, but today he taught us what is important: to be good to people, to love the Lord.”
PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Congratulations to Father Paul Shovelain
on the 10th Anniversary
As the Father loves us, so we also love you! Congratulations to Father Derek Gilde on his ordination to the priesthood!
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” ~ John 1:29 of his ordination to the priesthood!
Congratulations to Father Michael Skluzáček on his retirement from active ministry!
Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from THE ST. PAUL SEMINARY in all copies of this issue.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ~ 2 Timothy 4:7
As your parish family, we are honored to have walked with you from Baptism through Ordination!
You will remain in our thoughts and prayers as you continue your journey with our Lord!
FATHER ALEXANDER RASSET
Rene Gavic was a 22-year-old newlywed when Rich Barbeau hired her to be the head track coach for Visitation School in Mendota Heights. Over the years she assumed many other positions: math teacher, Upper School dean of students, Upper School director and head of school. She is now 59, a grandma of three and retiring to care for her husband who has Alzheimer’s.
“God leads you to these places and you can’t totally understand,” Gavic said. “When I think about how many people have that great fortune to spend their entire career in one place — that doesn’t happen. Now it’s actually frowned on: You’re not capable. But for me, I never felt stuck. I always had opportunities for growing. There was just an openness.”
Q In many ways you grew up at Vis.
A My earliest memory is just being so in awe of the students. I was walking on campus, interacting with young women who carried themselves with such poise and grace and confidence. It stood out to me as a young woman: I want what they have. There is something different here.
The team really cared about each other and supported one another. We qualified for state, and I looked over and the (Visitation) Sisters were walking from the parking lot carrying a big V flag in full navy habits, and they were so excited to support the young women and me as a coach. It’s an image that’s etched in my mind. They didn’t really know what they were showing up for, but they knew they were showing up for something that mattered. The sisters always believed in the best of you and called you to be your best self. They didn’t see the shortcomings or the failures. They saw what was possible.
After a Board of Conduct meeting one time, Sister Marie Therese (Conaty, a former superior at Visitation) looked at me and said: “Well, honey, you don’t always have to hit them over the head with a hammer. You have other tools in your toolbox.” What she was saying was: the way you conducted that meeting was not effective. You can do it differently, and you are capable of doing it differently. And that’s what I have continued to do, in my own ways, with colleagues, making sure they know I believe in their abilities to do something better, because that’s what I always felt with the sisters.
Q That leads to being coachable, a word your colleagues use to describe you. What does that mean to you?
A It’s understanding that you have the ability to grow. It’s not being afraid to be vulnerable to the areas where you can continue to improve and accepting feedback from a place of assuming positive intent, not being defensive. I’m not saying that’s easy. But when I look
at my experience, I was surrounded by people who were living this Salesian calling in a real, authentic way. It wasn’t just words on paper. It’s a way of life, of interacting — heart-to-heart relationships.
Q That Salesian spirituality comes from Visitation’s founders, St. Jane de Chantal and St. Francis de Sales, which “Salesian” is derived from, and it encompasses little virtues like kindness, joyful optimism, liberty of spirit and gentle strength. Your tenure at Vis has been a case study in drawing leadership lessons from those virtues.
A Sister Marie Therese used to say that gentle strength is often misunderstood as passive or non-confrontational. She said, “Oh, no, no — there’s nothing as strong as gentleness. But gentle strength means doing and saying the hard things in a way that people can hear them.”
Q As head of school, you had ample opportunity to put that to use.
A No matter how much you think you know about any given situation, I have always been surprised by perspectives I hadn’t considered before. That may not change what you think you can do, but if you’re not open, if you’re stuck in concrete in how you’re going to handle something, you are going to miss it.”
Q Now you’re preparing for a new chapter — to assist your husband and also usher in your successor, whose suitcase sits here in the corner of your office. Jennifer Bigelow officially becomes head of school on July 1.
A She’s so excited about this community and its mission. I told her, “I’ll be that annoying one, ‘I’m right here if you need me!’” I was mentored, and you
just want to be that for the next person. I’m not feeling territorial. It was not mine. This continues. The story is so vibrant and exciting. I’m just one tiny, tiny page in this book — maybe a paragraph. To know that I got to be a part of that is huge!
Q Still, transitions can be hard.
A I’m not leaving as I thought I would. It’s been more abrupt because of what God calls of me. I had in my mind all of these things that I was going to have tied up in a nice bow, and I keep working to tie them, but they keep unraveling. As women, we want that perfection, for everything to feel very complete, but this is never going to be that because it’s never-ending. You’re always going to be in the middle of it. But OK, you bring it to where you can bring it, and then you confidently say, “I trust you, you’ve got this.”
When I look at where I am now on the journey with my husband and his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, I realize what I have learned in these last four decades is preparing me to live this next chapter: All of the little virtues of staying in the present moment, finding that joyful optimism. I know I wouldn’t be handling this without the love and the mentorship that I have gained through my time here. I’m feeling so blessed — that while this is a hard moment in our lives, we can meet it head on because we are prepared from the little virtues and from our faith base.
Q You became a grandma during your first year as head of school. Now your fourth grandchild is on the way.
A For this one I’m hoping to be a little more of a presence. I just got to be a surprise reader for my firstgrade granddaughter, and the look on her face when I walked through that door — I would do anything to see that look again! I’m walking toward that.
Q What will you be doing for fun this summer?
A Cards, pickleball, I’m getting back into running. I’m looking forward to reading just for pleasure. I want to have unhurried time with family.
One thing I gave up as head of school is gardening. I love to garden, but it requires work in May and June, which I’ve missed when I’m here. I have perennial gardens that I had to let go. Otherwise, you feel upset about it. So, I’m really looking forward to resurrecting my gardens.
Q Gardening can be a spiritual exercise.
A You’re putting things in. You have no idea whether it’s going to take, where it is, what it’s going to look like. Those first spring days of seeing those shoots popping up and then three weeks later, these plants — you just have to marvel at God’s goodness.
Dropping in on a parish meeting of teens and young adults in Rome, Pope Francis responded to their questions about prayer and encouraged them to build relationships of support as they searched for meaning in their lives.
The pope’s late afternoon visit May 24 to the parish of St. Bernadette Soubirous was not announced in advance by the Vatican, although word had spread through the neighborhood and hundreds of people were gathered outside to greet Pope Francis.
The visit was the second appointment of his “School of Prayer,” a series of visits he intends to make during this Year of Prayer in preparation for the Holy Year 2025. The section of the Dicastery for Evangelization organizing the Holy Year is coordinating the visits.
Inside a church hall, about 80 teenagers, young adults and Scouts gathered with the pope. He began by telling them he had a prepared speech, but it was “boring” so he would just listen to them and answer their questions, according to a Vatican News reporter.
A young man “confessed that he did not believe in God,” the Dicastery for Evangelization said in a summary of the meeting. In response, “the pope recalled the importance of setting out on a journey. ‘No one should be condemned if they do not believe,’” the pope said.
However, the pope told him, it is important to set out and search for meaning. “If I see a young person who doesn’t move, who sits there in life, who doesn’t like to move, it is bad,” but if someone is brave enough to step out, even if the person falls, “I take my hat off to him. Move for an ideal.”
Responding to a question from a young married couple, Pope Francis spoke about his worry over Italy’s declining birthrate and, pointing to a toddler named Benedetta who was running around the room, the pope said, “this is hope — children.”
“It’s true that when you think about the future, there is a risk,” the pope said, according to Vatican News, “but there is more of a risk in not having
CNS | VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Francis listens to a question during a meeting May 23 with about 80 teenagers, young adults and Scouts at the Rome parish of St. Bernadette Soubirous for an edition of his “School of Prayer” initiative.
children. It’s a social risk.”
A young man named Tiziano asked the pope how he should go about understanding what his vocation is.
“Each one of us must ask this question,” Pope Francis replied, “because the Lord has a plan for each of us. Each one must try to understand what the Lord wants from us, ask him.”
The dicastery said the pope recounted his own experience of working for a while before entering the
seminary. The best way, the pope told Tiziano, is to “ask the Lord in prayer: ‘What do you want from me?’”
The pope also spoke about the importance of young people cultivating friendships and relationships with people they can trust.
“Sometimes we can get lost in the labyrinths of life,” the pope told them. “The main way to get out of a dark moment is to not walk alone because alone we lose our bearings. It is important to talk about one’s situation.”
As young delegates and the coordinators of youth and young adult ministry from the world’s bishops’ conferences gathered near Rome, an archbishop asked them: “How can we be a Church that young people come back to, not a Church they leave? How can our young people find hope and courage in the Church and transform their lives?”
The questions were posed by Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul, South Korea, host of World Youth Day (WYD) 2027, during the Vatican-sponsored International Youth Ministry Congress May 23 in Ciampino, just south of Rome.
The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life convoked the three-day congress to consider answers to the archbishop’s questions as they marked the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ exhortation to young people, “Christus Vivit,” reviewed World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, and looked forward to the Holy Year 2025 jubilee of young adults and, more remotely, to WYD in Seoul.
The theme for the gathering was “Synodal Youth Ministry: New Leadership Styles and Strategies.”
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the dicastery, said that since the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people, many bishops’ conferences, dioceses and Catholic movements have worked with young adults to uncover new ways of communicating with them, to set up structures to listen and encourage their participation and to launch “programs of faith education, accompaniment and evangelization in both the digital and the non-digital spheres.”
“It is precisely young people who can be the main agents of renewal so that the Church can ‘unblock’ itself and become young again,” Cardinal Farrell said, adding a quote from “Christus Vivit”: “Let us ask the Lord to free the Church from those who would make it grow old, encase it in the past, hold it back or keep it at a standstill.”
Archbishop Chung told the group, “When the decision was made for Seoul to host WYD, I wondered, ‘Are our young people happy right now?’”
“They are connected to others 24 hours a day through social media and are more materially affluent than ever before,” he said, “but our young people today just don’t seem that happy.”
In many parts of the world, they
struggle with “unemployment, low wages, endless competition, polarization and inequality, hatred, war, terrorism, the climate crisis,” he said. “Why do our precious youth, whose only job is to love, be loved and dream of a better world and future have to live in this reality?”
When celebrated as a pilgrimage of faith rather than an event, the archbishop said, World Youth Day can help people find a response. “It’s a pilgrimage, a time to share our stories, work through our concerns together and find answers in our faith,” he said.
Paul Jarzembowski, associate director for laity at the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, was attending the congress and told Catholic News Service, “Listening is a foundation to so much of what we do in ministries with young people as our response and activities build upon what we have heard in the stories of youth and young adults.”
In response to “Christus Vivit,” the U.S. bishops launched “Journeying Together,” a process that brought together young adults, bishops, youth ministers and campus ministers “to engage in respectful yet honest dialogue in matters of faith, culture, racism, inclusion and the issues
that affect them as young people,” according to the program’s web pages.
Although it formally concluded in 2023, Jarzembowski said the conversations are ongoing “as the young adults continue to convene together and engage us at the USCCB.”
The 1,500 young adults involved, who came from many cultural and ethnic groups, “included those who were active in their practice (of the faith) and those who are less engaged,” he said. The initiative was not about convincing them to return to church, “but about trying to understand the realities facing younger generations. Through this process, some did reconnect with active practice, but that was not its original goal. It was a pleasant surprise and the result of authentic listening.”
In June, he noted, the U.S. bishops will vote on a new national framework on ministries with youth and young adults. The document, “Listen, Teach, Send,” he said, aims to help the Church engage and build up trust with young people by being a Church “that truly listens, one that teaches as an act of response and witness, and one that motivates young people to be sent out to transform the world in the company of the Holy Spirit.”
SCRIPTURES | FATHER TIM TRAN
When God asks a question, pay attention. For it is a contradiction, in fact an absurdity.
When God the Father asks Adam, “Where are you?” it is not revealing a lack in God’s knowledge and understanding of his creatures. For how can the one who created the heavens and the earth and all they contain and the one who arranged the moon and the stars in the sky seemingly lose track of the masterpiece of all his creation?
Rather, when God asks a question, its purpose is to help the one being asked to exercise their intellectual gifts of reflection so that they themselves might grow in deeper knowledge and understanding. It is to draw the attentive and prayerful biblical reader into the depths of the mystery of God’s divine love through sacred Scripture. Indeed, it is to instill and elicit wisdom itself.
When God asks a question in Scripture, pay attention to the response, for it is equally as important.
Notice that Adam, when asked the question “Where are you?” did not actually answer the question: “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Adam responded to the follow-up question and statement — “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” — by placing the blame on his wife Eve and ultimately upon God himself. “The woman whom you put here with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
Turning to the woman, the Lord God then proposed this question to her, “Why did you do such a thing?” It was an honest answer, albeit one marred by the temptation to shift the blame: “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
The priesthood is one of three degrees of holy orders, along with the Order of Deacons and the Order of Bishops. The priest participates in the ministerial priesthood and is a co-worker with the bishop. The bishop possesses the fullness of the ministerial priesthood.
Holy orders is one of the seven sacraments. It is one of the two sacraments of commitment along with the sacrament of marriage. They are sacraments at the service of communion because they are directed to the salvation of others and serve to build up the people of God (Catechism, 1534).
Only a validly ordained bishop in union with the Church can confer the sacrament of holy orders. Jesus, the eternal shepherd, appointed shepherds to watch over, protect and govern his flock (Preface of Apostles I). Jesus commissioned them to serve in his name and he bestowed upon them a share of his authority. It is through the Apostles, and their successors, the bishops, in an unbroken chain called apostolic succession, that Jesus works through the bishops to confer holy orders upon those he has called and chosen.
The bishop confers all three orders through the rite of ordination by the laying on of hands and the prayer of consecration particular to the order.
Rather, when God asks a question, its purpose is to help the one being asked to exercise their intellectual gifts of reflection so that they themselves might grow in deeper knowledge and understanding.
God can do a lot with a little humility. This is the genesis of the protoevangelium — the first proclamation of good news. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”
From here on out, the story of salvation, the battle between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of Satan, and the history of redemption, God’s victory and triumphant reign in Jesus Christ the new Adam, unfolds.
Imagine what God can do with someone whose humility is untarnished by the stain of original sin. Mother Mary, the new Eve, appears in the Gospel this Sunday. Together with others she stands outside and sends word for the Lord. Jesus Christ, wisdom incarnate, asks, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He then proceeds to present the answer himself, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Rather than disassociating himself from familial ties, Jesus affirms that which flows from and exceeds it in terms of scope and magnitude, breadth and depth — the union of wills, the union of hearts.
Whenever God asks a question, it is a proposal from the lover to the beloved. With Christ’s answer in Sunday’s Gospel, we are reminded of Mary’s “yes” to that proposal at the Annunciation allowing the Holy Spirit and God’s creative action to overshadow her. “Let it be done to me according to your word.” At the wedding feast of Cana, she instructs the disciples, “Do whatever he tells you.” What is your response when God proposes to you and invites you to deeper relationship with him?
Father Tran is parochial vicar of St. Stephen in Anoka.
The rite for ordination of a priest also includes the promise of obedience, the investiture with stole and chasuble, the anointing of the hands with sacred chrism, the presentation of the paten holding bread and the chalice containing wine, and the kiss of peace. The rite of ordination takes place within a Mass.
No one decides to be a priest on his own, “but only when called by God” (Heb 5:4b). Therefore, if a man feels called by God, he presents himself to the Church for a period of discernment and formation. The call must be confirmed by his formators and the people of God.
There are many requirements for ordination to the priesthood. The candidate must be a fully initiated male Catholic who has received the sacraments of baptism, Eucharist and confirmation; be evaluated by competent authorities to have the personal qualities to serve in ordained ministry; be considered useful for the ministry of the Church; seek ordination of his own free will; undertake a thorough program of preparation; receive proper instruction about the obligations of the priesthood; and have integral faith, the right intention, requisite knowledge, a good reputation, solid morals and proven virtue.
The candidate must also have completed his 25th year of age and possess sufficient maturity. He must have received the ministries of lector and acolyte, exercised the ministry of acolyte for at least six months before ordination to the diaconate, and then exercised diaconal ministry for at least six months before being ordained to the priesthood. He must have completed at least five years of academic studies in philosophy and theology.
Finally, the candidate must submit a handwritten personal request to receive ordination of his own free will and promise to devote himself perpetually to ecclesial ministry, promise to observe the vow of celibacy and make a five-day preordination retreat (see Canons 1024-1039).
Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA (1195-1231) This doctor of the Church was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and joined the Augustinians at age 15. In 1220 he entered the Franciscans to become an African missionary and was sent to Morocco. However, poor health forced his return to Europe and a storm at sea deposited him in Sicily. He traveled to Assisi, where his gift for preaching was recognized and put to use in Italy and France. St. Francis appointed him the order’s first “lector in theology”; he also was the superior of several communities. Many believers seek his intercession when something is lost. His feast day is June 13. — OSV News
Sunday, June 9
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Gn 3:9-15
2 Cor 4:13–5:1
Mk 3:20-35
Monday, June 10
1 Kgs 17:1-6 Mt 5:1-12
Tuesday, June 11
St. Barnabas, Apostle Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3
Mt 5:13-16
Wednesday, June 12
1 Kgs 18:20-39 Mt 5:17-19
Thursday, June 13
St. Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church
1 Kgs 18:41-46
Mt 5:20-26
Friday, June 14
1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16
Mt 5:27-32
Saturday, June 15
1 Kgs 19:19-21
Mt 5:33-37
Sunday, June 16
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Ez 17:22-24
2 Cor 5:6-10
Mk 4:26-34
Monday, June 17
1 Kgs 21:1-16
Mt 5:38-42
Tuesday, June 18
1 Kgs 21:17-29
Mt 5:43-48
Wednesday, June 19
2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Thursday, June 20
Sir 48:1-14
Mt 6:7-15
Friday, June 21
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
Mt 6:19-23
Saturday, June 22
2 Chr 24:17-25
Mt 6:24-34
Sunday, June 23
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jb 38:1, 8-11
2 Cor 5:14-17
Mk 4:35-41
With all the hustle and bustle of the school year behind us for a few months, it is time to breathe and take stock of this past year. For even though the new year officially begins in January, we tend to mark our year by the school calendar. Now that summer has arrived, it is time to think about having fun with your spouse.
With the longer, warmer days of summer, there are many more options to consider for your weekly dates, whether coffee at an outdoor café or dinner on a patio. If you are nature enthusiasts, lace up your hiking boots and head to a state park for the day. If you wish, take the kids with you and make it a day of biking, picnicking and perhaps even swimming, if that is available.
Or maybe you prefer a bike ride on a stretch of the 1,300 miles of bike trails in our state. They are wellmarked and well-groomed, so a day in the sunshine
There are fires inspiring people to travel to Paris this year.
The first is the fire of the Olympic Games. The Olympic flame inspires athletes to reach new heights in their sport and its spirit points to a more peaceful and better world together.
The second is the fire that burned the Notre Dame Cathedral. This fire inspired people from all over the world to join together to restore this iconic and sacred landmark of Christian faith. Both of these fires speak to a particular moment, but also point to a spirit and movement that transcend the moment.
On Pentecost, we recalled the fire that inspired and sent forth the Church. The fire of the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and moved them with a fire for God’s word, gifts for healing and service, and gathering people from many lands and languages to become one body in Christ. The Holy Spirit accompanies the Church as the Paraclete to encourage and advocate for us. The Spirit comes to comfort us and lead us into greater understanding of the truth yet to come.
may be just what you need.
If you prefer an indoor experience, you could visit one of the 600 museums in Minnesota, twice the national average for interesting, educational sites. While you are there, plan a fun lunch or dinner and make it a memorable experience to look back on fondly.
Don’t forget the concert halls and theater venues we have in Minnesota. From Orchestra Hall to a play on the North Shore, you can enjoy countless events with cultural value throughout the summer months.
Making time to create fun with your spouse is one of the most important ways to build intimacy, or closeness and tenderness, in this special, unique, committed relationship. At a marriage and family therapy conference I attended several years ago, the speaker shared that a definition he often used with his couples for the word “intimacy” was “into me see.”
When we spend time with our spouse, especially having fun and being relaxed and playful, we let down our guard and share the experience with each other, allowing the other to see into us. We have stepped out of our hectic routines, even if just for a day or a weekend, and reminded ourselves why we like this person so much, as we take time to laugh and share the moment together.
If it’s been a while since you and your spouse had a date or planned a weekend getaway, take out your calendar. Make some calls, or check online, for something you can do, with or without much money. Get it scheduled. Once it’s on the calendar, refuse to bump it. Make that commitment sacrosanct. If it’s a weekend trip, be sure to factor in where you will attend
When I was reading about the current restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral, I was surprised to learn that the original cathedral took nearly 200 years to build. Those who founded this church were not present to see its completion. Their vision and efforts would be handed on to future generations of people who had not even been born yet.
What’s it like to think this way? What’s it like to begin a project you will never see finished in your lifetime? Maybe they understood that they were part of a great chain of relationships serving God’s mission that came before them and would continue beyond them. Their generation has a part to play in a much bigger story yet to be written in the Spirit. They shared their passion, their gifts and their work for their moment on the stage of life and then handed it on to the next generation to continue. Now, it is in our hands.
This reminds me of part of a prayer associated with St. Oscar Romero:
“It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. … We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.”
We cannot overestimate the number of people,
uMake time this week to decide what you will do for fun with your spouse this summer. Make calls or go online and schedule a day or weekend getaway.
uHold hands. Laugh. Kiss. Hug for a full 10 seconds and don’t let go until you relax in your spouse’s embrace. Remember why you fell in love with this person.
Mass, either Saturday evening or Sunday morning. When your planned date to share time together arrives, leave work behind. Take a book you’re reading for enjoyment if you like but leave all heady work on your desk — it will be there when you get back. Then relax and hold hands, one of the most fundamental gestures we can share with our spouse to demonstrate our choice of each other. It’s truly heartwarming to see an older couple holding hands. It takes us by surprise and makes us smile and wonder how they kept their love and affection alive through several decades of marriage.
Make this the summer of building good memories with your spouse for your future. Show your spouse your commitment through your continued “yes” to your marriage by showing them how much you love them and how much you like spending time with them.
Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.
known and unknown, who have witnessed to, suffered for, and handed on this fire of faith to us. The great enterprise of God’s saving plan has been handed on to us to build, to heal, to grow and restore in our time. It is the Spirit of God who connects us to our roots and goes ahead of us into the future. We are part of a great living tradition of faith in the Church.
I am a beneficiary of this tradition which was handed on to me. The tradition of God’s word and sacrament, worship and witness, prayer and service has been placed in my hands now to love and serve God in this moment. I think of how my family, my faith communities, my teachers and many saints have all helped to show me and form me in this tradition.
Each of us received these gifts of the Spirit, handed on to us in the Church's tradition. This tradition reaches back to the Apostles and reaches forward to the age yet to come. We are called to live it in this moment. We each have been given a limited time on the stage of life to do our part to continue building the kingdom of God. Jesus is still the vine and the light of the world. The fire of the Spirit is still inspiring and sending us forth. Let us discern the fire inspiring us to love and serve the Lord in our time.
Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission, which supports missionary outreach of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He can be reached at friesenm@archspm org
Penguin Random House is marketing a special release this August: a picture-book biography of acclaimed children’s book creator Barbara Cooney.
The cover feels like a familiar Cooney scene — white church steeple in the background, purple lupines in the foreground — but then inserts Cooney herself in the middle, sketching in a rowboat, her grey hair pinned up in braids. The title, “World More Beautiful,” is a nod to “Miss Rumphius,” one of Cooney’s best-known characters, who scatters lupine seeds across the coast of Maine to fulfill her father’s instructions to make the world more beautiful.
The whole thing has soft Catholic echoes, calling to mind the Dorothy Day quote: “The world will be saved by beauty.”
Last month’s Eucharistic procession along Summit Avenue in St. Paul was one of the most beautiful communal Catholic devotions I’ve ever participated in. But in the midst of walking down the mansion-lined avenue with my fellow Minnesota Catholics, from the stately St. Paul Seminary to our glorious Cathedral overlooking the state Capitol and downtown St. Paul’s skyline, a simple phrase kept running through my mind: “and now, for something completely different.”
Here's why. Less than 24 hours after the procession’s concluding Benediction at the Cathedral of St. Paul, I was on a 13-hour flight to Nairobi, Kenya, for the start of a three-week reporting trip on the Catholic Church in Africa. As I write this, I’m traveling back to Kenya after visiting Kampala, Uganda, for Martyrs Day, the annual celebration of St. Charles Lwanga and companions.
In so many ways, African countries like Kenya and Uganda are completely different than Minnesota.
The ways in which this is true are almost too many to count, not just regarding metrics like the national GDP or standard of living (which are quite disparate), but in a more fundamental, “worldview” sense.
Cooney was fascinated by creative work, painting it again and again. The Ox-Cart Man reaps the gifts of each season and brings them to market. A father turns black ash trees into baskets. Children create an elaborate town of stones and boxes in “Roxaboxen,” using black pebbles as their currency.
My favorites are the Cooney books that not only illustrate the creative process but hint at the inspiration behind it. This is where we can glean insight into Cooney’s artistic drive, that powerful life force that won Caldecott awards and enchanted millions of children.
In “Emma,” a 72-year-old receives a painting of her hometown and muses, “That’s not how I remember my village at all.” Her dissatisfaction steadily mounts, finally prodding her to act: “Every day Emma looked at the painting and frowned. And every day her frown grew a little deeper. One day she made up her mind. She went to the store and bought paints and brushes and an easel.” Emma’s painting captures the village just as she remembers it — and it makes her smile.
In “Hattie and the Wild Waves,” the daughter of German immigrants struggles to find her way while her siblings advance their social standing. Hattie is drawn to the ocean, not to tennis parties and fancy gowns. Year after year, Hattie’s desire to paint is pushed aside — until a trip to the opera: “One Tuesday evening, as waves of music filled the opera house, a young woman, down on the stage, sang her heart out. The time had come, she
For instance, for the first few days of my trip, I found it strange that when I’d ask someone a seemingly basic question like, “How many kids do you have?” or “How many people live in your village?”, I’d get very evasive and noncommittal answers. I soon learned why: In Kenya, it’s considered rude and ungrateful to count your children, since they’re a gift from God and you should accept them without numbering them.
On the topic of religious fervor, the theologian John Mbiti once described his fellow Africans as “notoriously religious,” utterly saturated in the spiritual, and in sharp contrast to the secularism and hyper-rationalism of the West. You can literally see how this manifests in Africa, with a multitude of Catholic parishes and seminaries being built to accommodate the Church’s growth, but also tendencies toward superstition, syncretism, and breakaway sects, evident in the prevalence of Pentecostal “healing churches,” self-styled prophets, and persistent polygamy and ancestor worship.
So yes, on some level, Africa and Minnesota might as well be on different planets.
But amid all these profound cultural differences, I’ve been struck that a Minnesotan and a Kenyan can still share what is most fundamental: membership in the body of Christ, the Catholic Church.
I’ve experienced this sense of solidarity with my African Catholic brothers and sisters in many ways during my weeklong stay. For instance, at a Mass in the Kenyan Archdiocese of Kisumu, where even though I didn’t understand the Swahili hymns and couldn’t participate in the rhythmic dancing, I was able to unite with those gathered in the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist. Or consider my conversation with a Catholic hotel manager, Eva, and a Protestant receptionist, Laurine. Though the two Kenyan women had a world in common that I did not, it was Eva and I, two strangers distinguished by race, sex and nationality, who found
realized, for her to paint her heart out. The next day Hattie put on her coat and hat and marched down to the Art Institute.”
There is something holy and brave in that response, in making up your mind, in putting on your coat and marching to the hardware store, in deciding to finally do it — even if you don’t know how, even if you don’t feel ready. That’s when God steps in and offers “a spark of his own surpassing wisdom,” St. John Paul II believed. We are called to share in God’s creative power, the late pope wrote, and the effort (not the outcome) makes us holy: “Through his artistic creativity, man appears more than ever in the image of God, and he accomplishes this task above all in shaping the wondrous material of his own humanity …”
We work with what we have, the “wondrous material” of our “own humanity”: the dirt in our yard, the walls in our home, the yearnings in our heart. Maybe this summer is your time. Time to write that book, to dust off that camera, to make that quilt, to enter that rhubarb pie in the county fair. Create something that makes you smile.
Take your favorite little space and breathe life into it — hang a pennant or petunias or a swing. Tap into God’s creative power. And like Barbara Cooney, make the world more beautiful.
Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
ourselves gushing about our shared Catholic faith, as Laurine listened curiously.
But probably the most significant experience of this kind was at Martyrs Day. I was one of a tiny handful of people of European descent there, surrounded by over a million Africans, there to celebrate a saint who is especially revered on the continent. But St. Charles Lwanga is also my confirmation saint, a choice I made as a 16-year-old growing up in northern Minnesota, in part because I was struck by the universality of the Church. All these experiences reinforce St. Paul’s teaching that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Not because these differences don’t matter, but they aren’t ultimate; belonging to the body of Christ is.
At various points, it’s struck me that, in the realest of ways, I am more connected to my African Catholic brothers and sisters than I am to a fellow Minnesotan who shares my preferences for alt folk music, ButterBurgers with mayo and extra pickles, and Wisconsin sports teams, but isn’t a Catholic.
In fact, back home in the archdiocese, we call Kitui, Kenya, our “sister” diocese precisely because we are family, united by our shared faith. This despite the multitude of cultural differences that distinguish us.
Halfway across the world, this reality can be hard to see. But it is there. And we can live it out by keeping our African brothers and sisters in our hearts and in our minds, especially those who suffer persecution and poverty, supporting them through our prayers and assistance. Because in Christ Jesus, there is neither Minnesotan nor Kenyan.
Liedl, a Twin Cities resident, is a senior editor of The National Catholic Register and a graduate student in theology at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.
“My Father’s House (The Rome Escape Line Trilogy, 1)” by Joseph O’Connor. Europa Editions. (New York, New York, 2023). 440 pp., $27.
In his novel, “My Father’s House,” Joseph O’Connor presents a semifictionalized version of the story of Msgr. Hugh O’Flaherty — probably best known to Catholics by his moniker “the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican” — and his allies, who rescued thousands of Jews, POWs and Italian resistance fighters from the Nazis.
While “My Father’s House” is a skillful portrayal of the evils of fascism and the fortitude demanded of those who would oppose it, its depiction of Catholic spirituality unfortunately leaves something to be desired.
Atmosphere and ambience are the work’s most potent ingredients, as O’Connor convincingly recreates the world of Nazi-occupied Rome. Readers who have had the privilege of visiting the Eternal City will find themselves chilled by his ability to evoke their enchanted memories — favorite hole-in-the-wall cafés, glittering famous fountains, doves in St. Peter’s Square — and then deface them with machine gun fire, swastikas and rampant starvation. The reality of life under fascism is starkly portrayed, with few punches
pulled: beyond even the threats of famine and casual violence looms the torture chamber in the basement of the former German Embassy, the fate awaiting Msgr. O’Flaherty — “Hugh” to his friends — if he is caught by Hauptmann (the novel’s fictional stand-in for S.S. Chief Herbert Kappler).
Against this grim backdrop, the heroism of Msgr. O’Flaherty and his “choir” shines all the brighter. The book’s constellation of characters, several of them based on real members of the Rome escape line, are witty, brilliant, angry, flawed, devoted, human — and brave. It is impossible to read this book and not come away with a greater appreciation of the courage of those who defied the evil of Nazism, and the risks they undertook.
By far the novel’s most suspenseful section is the night of the Rendimento (“performance” in Italian) on Christmas Eve, in which the game of cat-and-mouse which has been playing out between Msgr. O’Flaherty and Hauptmann comes to its heartthudding conclusion. O’Connor’s careful work establishing the atmosphere of dread in the first portion of the novel pays dividends in the final third, as Msgr. O’Flaherty and the choir attempt to deliver several “drops” of money — enough to move every concealed POW and Jewish escapee out of Rome. The threat is real, and O’Connor does a masterful job of making the reader face up to it.
Hjalmar Gudjonsson
All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville congratulates you upon your ordination to the Priesthood. We continue to hold you in our prayers.
reader doesn’t see him pray: Msgr. O’Flaherty celebrates Masses, prays rosaries, hears confessions and goes through all the rituals expected of men of the cloth. But despite fiction being one of the rare art forms where the reader can know a character’s inner thoughts, the spiritual life, the direct communication between God and this Catholic priest, is something the novel rarely shows. The rare moments where it does show this sometimes smack of exasperation and condescension from beyond the page, as if the author considers Msgr. O’Flaherty’s religion a hindrance to the character, instead of his motivation.
One might accuse me of being unfair; after all, O’Connor didn’t set out to write a book of Catholic fiction. The trouble is that he did set out to write a book about a Catholic priest, and writing a work of fiction about any subject, let alone a real person, requires getting into the character’s head. In this case, the author unfortunately seems to have used the trappings of Catholicism (incense, vestments, plainsong chants and statues of saints — all the “smells and bells,” as it were) to avoid getting into the head of a practicing Catholic or interacting with the thought processes and motivations of a character who actually believes, whether fervently or falteringly, in his faith.
Insofar as it is an immersive — and therefore terrifying — look into life under fascist occupation and the true cost of resistance, “My Father’s House” thoroughly accomplishes the goal it set out for itself. One aspect in which it disappoints, however, is that for a book ostensibly about a famous priest, its depiction of Msgr. O’Flaherty’s inner life is not altogether convincing. For one, the reader rarely sees the main character talk to God. That’s not to say the
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O’Connor is an excellent writer, and the story is compelling; Catholic readers will doubtlessly enjoy seeing one of their own engaged in feats of daring-do to save innocent lives and defy fascism. Nevertheless, this reviewer wishes that the author would have approached the interior life of a devout Catholic at least seriously enough to convincingly portray it, instead of avoiding the challenge by relying on aesthetics.
Reichert is publications administrative coordinator at The Catholic Spirit. She can be reached at reichertm@archspm org
GUEST COMMENTARY | MICHAEL HEINLEIN
What does it mean to receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? How are our lives to be changed from such an encounter?
In fact, the fruits of the Eucharist are many. They bring about a unity in diversity, wherein each member of the body — responding to grace — can live unique and compelling Eucharistic lives. The list is long, but I’m inclined to think St. Paul should be at its top.
While Paul is chiefly known to most of us for his letters — which make up nearly half of the New Testament, and from which the Church is taught Sunday after Sunday — Paul’s influence and reach cannot be underestimated. Not only is he one of the most significant and important Christians in our history, but also arguably one of the most influential persons in human history.
Paul’s experience with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus led to the conversion of this one-time persecutor of Christians. That encounter Paul had with Christ was so real that, in his view, it was no different than the encounters Christ had with the Twelve while in their midst. Paul’s unique experience shaped and informed the early Church so significantly that Paul himself has become regarded as the “Thirteenth Apostle.”
Paul came to know in his experience on the road to Damascus that his persecution of Christ’s followers was a persecution of Christ himself. The nascent Christians that Paul once wanted to extinguish were one with Christ, members of his body by baptism, a bond strengthened and intensified through reception of his body in the Eucharist. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:53-56).
Paul’s encounter with the risen Lord not only resulted
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Cor 10:16).
in his conversion but also his efforts to both increase the membership of Christ’s body and teach about the ramifications of the new life that incorporation brings. Paul’s aim was to build up a community of believers who lived like they had “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14). This is what shaped and motivated the impressive missionary undertakings in his desire to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles. All of this made Paul’s encounter with Christ something rooted in a tremendous Eucharistic faith.
Paul believed to the core of his being that the Eucharist is Christ’s very body and blood — of whom he encountered and who dwelled in him. He proclaimed and taught that Christ’s Eucharistic presence is real. Illustrating this, he wrote: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16). Not only is Christ’s Eucharistic presence real for Paul, but by our Eucharistic encounter with Christ he comes to dwell in us, he changes us, he is united with us. By the Eucharist, we are Christified. So
real is our incorporation into Christ’s body, Paul wrote that, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:19-20).
Paul’s own martyrdom brought to completion a life lived completely in and for Christ. Paul exhorts Christians to give Christ “glory in the Church” (Eph 3:21), which means we are all called to give witness to Christ by our lives. While some might be called to do so to the extent of offering their very life by dying for Christ and the Church, we are all called to offer our lives to him and in his service.
Like Paul, then, we can live as Eucharistic witnesses by offering all of ourselves, as Paul put it, “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). This is Christification; this is Christ living in us.
Heinlein is author of “Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I.” and a promised member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators. He writes a monthly “The Eucharistic Word” column for OSV News.
St John’s Annual Super Sale — June 19-21, 23: St. John the Baptist, 4625 W. 125th St., Savage. Early bird sale 4-8 p.m. June 19, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. June 20 and 21, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. bag sale June 23. Furniture, home goods, jewelry, clothing, tools, purses, linens, toys and baby items. StjohnS-Savage org/Super-Sale
St. Boniface Rummage Sale — June 20-22: St. Boniface school gym, 8801 Wildwood Ave., St. Bonifacius. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. June 20 and 21, 8 a.m.noon June 22 for $5 bag sale. fb me/e/3oSwtpSg8
Women’s Midweek Retreat — June 11-13: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme: Finding Meaning and Grace; I Came to Give You Abundant Life. franCiSCanretreatS net/womenS-midweek-CatholiC-retreatmay-14-16-2024
The 2024 Priory Preserve Pilgrimage — June 22: 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2625 Benet Road, Maplewood. Walk through 12 stations within the Maplewood Priory Preserve. tinyurl Com/3jrp38uw 2024 Founding Day Mass and Cookout — June 22: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2625 Benet Road, Maplewood. Join the Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery for a special Founding Day Mass followed by a family-style cookout to celebrate their 76 years in St. Paul. tinyurl Com/3S4m8Sft
CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS
University Faculty for Life Conference: Biotechnology at the Beginning and End of Life — June 7-8: University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Keynotes: Charles Camosy on “Language, Vulnerable Adults, and the Pro-Life Movement”; Christopher DeCock on “Gerrymandering the Meaning of Death: Why ‘Dead Enough’ is not Good Enough”; and retired Army colonel and surgeon Sister Deirdre Byrne on “Euthanasia: Coming to a Nursing Home Near You.” Purchase tickets online: tinyurl Com/yyh82uaz
SPEAKERS+SEMINARS
Fatima and the True Devotion to Mary — June 12: 6:30 p.m. at Divine Mercy Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault. Barb Ernster from the World Apostolate of Fatima will speak on the spirituality of the three Fatima children and the meaning of devotion and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. divinemerCy CC Growing in Freedom: An Ignatian Summer Series — June 18, July 9, Aug. 13: St. Ignatius Hall at St. Thomas More, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. “What Inhibits Our Growing in Intimacy with God,” offered by Susan Stabile; “Nuggets of Wisdom from
Ignatius” with speaker Mary Fratto; “How to Make Good, Prayerful Decisions” presented by Father Warren Sazama. No charge, online registration requested. ignatianSpiritualityCenter org
Transfiguration School Tiger Classic Golf Tournament — June 22: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Applewood Hills Golf Course, 11840 60th St. N., Stillwater. Enjoy golf with friends to help support the school. A scramble with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Silent auction, prizes and a hole-in-one contest. givebutter Com/C/tigerClaSSiC Summer Camp: Engineering Design Challenge — June 24-27: 8:30-11:30 a.m. at St. Maximilian Kolbe School, 235 S. 2nd Street Delano. Students will work in teams to complete two challenges; building the strongest bridge design and designing a model skyscraper that can survive a simulated earthquake. StmaxkolbeSChool org/SChool-CampS
17th Annual Prenatal Partners for Life Benefit Dinner — June 13: 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at The Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market St., St. Paul. Partners for Life offers hope and support for families facing an unexpected diagnosis of their child. Join Matt Birk, emcee, musician Mick Sterling and others. prenatalpartnerSforlife org
Lumen Vero — June 13, July 11: 6:30-8 p.m. at Concord Lanes, 365 Concord Exchange N., South St. Paul. Great teams thrive when teammates share bold conviction and motivate each other toward a common goal. Is there an opportunity for a team of Catholic men to do the same? Join an emerging group of men that are on a mission to find out. No cost. lumenvero Com
Catholic Young Adults: The Musical — June 20-23 and 27-29: 7 p.m. at Helene Houle Auditorium, St. Agnes School, 530 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. An original musical about a group of Catholic young adults who try to save their parish from closing — but can they do it amidst the chaos of their own dating novenas, comeand-sees, and lust for Latin? miSSedtheboattheatre Com/ CatholiC-young-adultS-the-muSiCal
Widows Day of Reflection — June 23: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. Featuring Bishop Joseph Williams, recent and longtime widows will experience the Church’s concern for them as they navigate a status in life they did not choose. $30 per person. olgpariSh org/ olg-newS-eventS/widowS-day-of-refleCtion-2024
Calix Society — First and third Sundays: 9-10:30 a.m., third Sunday in person hosted by the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, Lower Level. Potluck breakfast. Calix is
a group of men, women, family or friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. For the Zoom meeting link call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.
Career Transition Group — Third Thursdays: 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Wayzata. The Career Transition Group hosts speakers on various topics to help people looking for a job or a change in career and to enhance job skills. The meetings also allow time for networking with others and opportunities for resume review. hnoj org/Career-tranSition-group
Caregivers Support Group — Third Thursdays: 6:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. For anyone juggling the challenges of life, health, career and caring for an aging parent, grandparent or spouse. guardian-angelS org/ event/1392201-2019-09-19-CaregiverS-Support-group
Gifted and Belonging — Fourth Sundays: 6-8 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. Providing Catholic fellowship for young adults with disabilities. Gather to share a time of prayer and reflection, followed by games and social activities. Invite friends and bring a caregiver as needed. For more information on monthly activities and/or volunteer opportunities, call Megan at 612-456-1572 or email giftedandbelonging@gmail Com
Natural Family Planning (NFP) — Classes teach couples Church approved methods on how to achieve or postpone pregnancy while embracing the beauty of God’s gift of sexuality. For a complete list of classes offered throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, visit arChSpm org/family or call 651-291-4489.
Order Franciscans Secular (OFS) — Third Sundays: 2-4 p.m. at St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 3949 Clinton Ave. S., Minneapolis. Learn more about this group of lay Catholic men and women striving to observe the Gospel by following the example of St. Francis. 651-724-1348
Quilters for a Cause — First Fridays: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Jerome, 380 Roselawn Ave. E., Maplewood. Join other women to make quilts to donate to local charities. Quilting experience is not necessary but basic machine skills are helpful. For more information, call the parish office: 651-771-1209.
faCebook Com/profile php?id=100087945155707
Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victimssurvivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth
– Franciscan
and Spirituality Center in Prior Lake. PT opening (8-16 hrs./week - mostly Tuesdays, starting @ 6:30 AM). Our pace is steady but not hectic. A fun place to belong – retreat while you work! Call 952-447-2182 to apply.
Executive Director for Options for Women of Chisago County. For more information: pregoptionsfriends.org\employment 651-674-2121 info@pregoptions.org
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the issue date.
LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.
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Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursdays. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.
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‘He always said, ‘I want to please God’’By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News
While many Catholics around the world rejoiced upon hearing the news May 23 that Pope Francis had approved a second miracle attributed to Blessed Carlo Acutis, none were happier than his mother, Antonia Salzano. “We were very happy, of course, as you can imagine,” Salzano said in a telephone interview with OSV News May 24. “It was great news because we were waiting for this declaration — especially for all the devotees he has around the world.”
Yet for her, the approval of the miracle “was a big sign of hope because through (Carlo’s) example, he gave witness to values that are for everybody; not just for (believers), but for nonbelievers, like helping the poor, human respect, the love for nature, love for the environment.” It’s also the fulfillment of the teen’s lifelong dream of becoming a saint, which he had expressed since he was a boy, she said.
“He always said, ‘I want to please God,’” Salzano told OSV News. “When he did his first holy Communion — when he was 7 years old — he wrote, ‘To be united with God: this is my life program.’ And he maintained this promise all his life until the end, until his death.”
Pope Francis will hold a consistory with cardinals in Rome July 1 for final approval of the canonization of several sainthood candidates, according to the master of papal liturgical ceremonies. In late May, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints said the pope would be convoking the meeting of cardinals to vote on approving the canonization of Blessed Carlo and several other sainthood candidates.
Before his death from leukemia in 2006, Carlo was an average teen with an above-average knack for computers. He used that knowledge to create an online database of Eucharistic miracles around the world.
Exhibits of those miracles are used as well. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Epiphany in Coon Rapids is home to such a display, and the parish makes it available on loan to other parishes.
Although Salzano vividly remembers her son’s devotion to Jesus and the Virgin Mary and his care for the poor, including using his own money to purchase sleeping bags for the homeless, she also remembers him as an average teenager who enjoyed life.
“He loved (soccer), he loved basketball, he liked animals. He liked to play. A lot of friends loved him very much because he was always joking, making films,” she recalled. “But at the center of his life was Jesus; he had a daily meeting (with Jesus) through the holy Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and the holy rosary. This was characteristic (of Carlo). And when you open the door of your heart to God, your ordinary life becomes extraordinary.”
“This is Carlo’s secret,” she said. “And this is possible for everybody because Carlo had a simple spirituality. He didn’t have the stigmata, or apparitions, or (experience) levitation. He had a simple childhood. Everything Carlo did was in Jesus, through Jesus and for Jesus.”
As part of his sainthood cause, the young teen’s body was exhumed and transferred to a place suitable for public veneration, the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi in 2019.
The first miracle attributed to Carlo’s intercession was approved by Pope Francis in February 2020. It involved a young Brazilian boy who was completely healed from a rare congenital disease of the pancreas. In October of that year, the teen was beatified during a Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
The second miracle, which now paves the way for Carlo’s canonization, was approved by the pope May 23 after a meeting with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
According to the website of the dicastery, Pope Francis recognized the miraculous healing of Valeria Valverde, a young Costa Rican woman living in Florence who suffered a severe head injury.
The same day her mother visited Carlo’s tomb, Valverde “regained the ability to breathe on her own, and the following day, doctors recorded the recovery of upper limb motility and partial speech,” the dicastery said.
Salzano told OSV News that she spoke with Valverde who was “suspended between life and death” before her mother prayed at the tomb of the young teen.
“The mother was a woman of faith. She prayed; she went to Carlo because she had a devotion (to him) and kneeled in front of his grave all day praying for her daughter’s healing and she received the grace,” she said.
But for the future saint’s mother, countless other miracles have been attributed to Carlo since his death.
“Consider that when he died, people started to pray to him spontaneously and the first miracle occurred the day of his funeral,” Salzano told OSV News. “A woman diagnosed with breast cancer and ... about to start chemotherapy prayed to Carlo to heal her. And she was healed completely without any chemotherapy instantly. It was incredible; two days (after the funeral), she did all the examinations and there was nothing. (The cancer) had disappeared.”
Pope Francis has praised the young teen as a role model for today’s young people, who are often tempted by the traps of “self-absorption, isolation and empty pleasure.”
Salzano recalled one of her son’s now most wellknown quotes, “All are born originals, but many die as photocopies” and said that everyone is unique and shares “a special call to holiness.”
With all the trials that Christians, especially young people, face today, Carlo’s life serves as a reminder that every person has “beautiful things” inside them and to “not be scared” but “be confident.”
“I think that is very important nowadays because young people tend to imitate very much,” Salzano said.
Carlo tells “each one of us that we are special, that we are unique and especially remember that there is an afterlife and that somebody created us, that loves us, that wanted us to be alive,” she told OSV News.
“We are not made to be people in this universe of chaos without a goal. God created us for a goal, and that goal is paradise,” Salzano said.
