Chrism Mass 5 • Surrogacy bill 16 • Senior housing 18-22 March 27, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
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Called to evangelize Jeff Cavins embarks on a new mission to help Catholics know Christ better and share their faith
Dianne Towalski/The Catholic Spirit By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit Well before creating a successful Bible study series, reintroducing audiences to Christ, and leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Jeff Cavins knew he was destined to teach God’s word. “I think if there’s anything I’m called to in my life, it’s evangelization,” he said. Recently, Cavins was appointed director of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ new Office of Evangelization. He officially began his duties March 17.
“I am very pleased to be able to establish our new Archdiocesan Office of Evangelization, and even more thrilled to be able to hire Jeff Cavins to be its director,” said Archbishop John Nienstedt. “As we have learned from the last four popes, evangelization is at the heart of the Church’s mission — as Pope Francis says, ‘reaching out to the periphery.’ Every one of the baptized, clergy, religious and laity alike are called to witness to the beauty and truth of the Gospel. “In that respect,” the archbishop added, “Jeff Cavins has proven that he understands and can articulate what the New Evangelization means. He
was the inspiration behind the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute, as well as being a noted author and speaker on the topic. I have great hopes that his hiring will lead to a flourishing of our Rediscover: initiative and other programming as well.” Bishop Andrew Cozzens said Cavins “is ready to help parishes and people. I know he’s not going to sit behind a desk.” In forming the Office of Evangelization as part of the archdiocese’s strategic plan, Archbishop Nienstedt seeks to create a
culture that helps Catholics understand and embrace their call to be evangelists, Bishop Cozzens said. The office will oversee the archdiocese’s Rediscover: initiative, which launched in December 2012 as a way for Catholics to strengthen their faith lives and invite others to know and love Jesus and his Church more deeply. (See story, page 9, for more about Cavins’ plans for Rediscover:.)
Listening and learning Cavins will spend the first months on the job listening, learning and Please turn to PARISH on page 9
ALSO inside
‘Men of conscience’
Building community
Loving ‘lectio divina’
About 1,300 men gathered March 22 at the University of St. Thomas to hear speakers set on helping them chart a steady course in their spiritual lives. — Page 4
Parishioners of Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine gathered March 23 to bless a parish life center that is bringing a new sense of community to the rural church. — Page 6
Two University of St. Thomas grads say growing closer to God by attending a regular prayer event at the school led them to each other and an upcoming wedding date. — Rediscover: section
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“I ask that you have the grace to be very close to your children, letting them grow, but being by their side. They need you, your presence, to be there, your love!” — Pope Francis, speaking to fathers present in St. Peter’s Square March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church and Jesus’ earthly father
“I came here because I have a gift and I want to share that gift. I am here to evangelize.” — Sr. Cristina Scuccia, a 25-year-old member of the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family who has appeared March 19 on the singing competition “The Voice of Italy,” where she sang Alicia Keys’ “No One.” GRAND OPENING The community of Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights gathered March 17 to celebrate the grand opening of a new multilevel commons area called the Heart of the School, part of the Visitation Heart and Mind building project. The $10.5 million project also includes the Opus Hall for science, technology, engineering and math — which forms the “mind” of the project — that opened in January 2013. Photo courtesy of Visitation School
NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
Event honors Sisters in the Twin Cities The Fridley Knights of Columbus Council No. 4381 will hold its 46th annual Sisters’ Appreciation Day beginning at noon April 6 at Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights. All religious Sisters in the Twin Cities area are invited for an afternoon of socializing, games, prizes and lunch. To RSVP, call (651) 636-2382.
College of St. Benedict names new president
SOCIAL JUSTICE Seventh- and eighth-grade students from St. Hubert School in Chanhassen shopped at Cub Foods March 12, spending their own money to purchase groceries for families in need. The food was donated to People Reaching Out to Other People, a local food shelf and multiservice organization serving the Chanhassen and Eden Prairie area. The students each earned $10 themselves outside of school and stretched it to $20 using coupons. Photo courtesy of St. Hubert School
WHAT’S NEW on social media A Catholic Spirit Facebook post this week asks: How are you evangelizing during this Lenten season? Follow the latest news about the local and universal Church by following The Catholic Spirit on Twitter @CatholicSpirit. Watch the YouTube video of Sr. Cristina Scuccia, a 25-year-old member of the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family, wowing the judges on “The Voice of Italy.” See it at www.bit.ly/1gmrxVQ.
Share your favorite meatless meals with us on Pinterest! Just include #TCSlent in the description field when you pin your favorite Lenten meals.
The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 19 — No. 7 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT, Publisher JOE TOWALSKI, Editor
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Mary Hinton has been selected as the 15th president of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph. Hinton, who currently serves as the vice president for academic affairs at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., will take office on June 15. She succeeds MaryAnn Baenninger, who announced in October 2013 that she would step down in June 2014, after serving 10 years as president of the college. Hinton, her husband Robert Williams, and their children, Hallela, Hillel and Hosanna, plan to move to Minnesota in June and make their home at the Mary HINTON Renner House, the college’s presidential residence.
Perpetual adoration chapel at St. Gabriel Parishioners at St. Gabiel the Archangel in Hopkins celebrated the opening of an adoration chapel at the parish’s St. Joseph campus March 19 with a procession from the church to the chapel after a Mass celebrating the Feast of St. Joseph. The space for the new chapel became available when St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist parishes merged to become St. Gabriel in January 2013. The merge freed up what used to be office space at the St. Joseph campus, and it was renovated to serve as the adoration chapel.
CORRECTION In the Jubilee section of the March 13 edition, the Society of Mary, Marists, were listed incorrectly as being from Washington, D.C. They are from Atlanta, Ga.
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My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is good to be back in full, public ministry during this Lenten season of reflection, repentance and reconciliation. In light of recent events, the following passage from the Scriptures of the Second Sunday of Lent made an especially powerful impact on me: “Bear your share of the hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God” (2 Timothy 1:8B-10). As you know, in response to the allegation made against me last December, I withdrew from public ministry until a police investigation could take place. The findings of that investigation were announced two weeks ago and the case against me was dropped. As you might suspect, stepping down from public ministry is a particularly difficult hardship for any priest, and that was certainly true for me. I will have been ordained 40 years this July. I have loved everything about being a priest. I particularly relish teaching RCIA classes, instructing parents about the baptism of their first born, and absolving the sins of penitents in the sacrament of penance/reconciliation, especially of those who have been away from that sacrament for a number of years. Here is where a priest serves as a bridge between God and his people, here is where God brings light and healing to the people he has called his own. Here is where we find the foundation of a true and lasting hope — the cross of Jesus Christ and his triumph over sin and death. I tell people that I was not ordained a priest or bishop to sit behind a desk. While the duties of these offices do demand countless hours of answering mail and tending to the responsibilities of administration, that is not where I find joy or fulfillment in my vocation. Rather my joy and fulfillment are found in being among God’s people, including walking with them during their everyday concerns and challenges. I have to admit that upon hearing of the allegation against me, I prayed for a quick resolution of the whole ordeal. But then, I began to think of people from all walks of life who do not THAT THEY MAY have even the slightest hope of having their suffering ended, i.e., the child who has been ALL BE ONE abused, parents who have lost a child to a traffic accident or even suicide, women who have Archbishop been raped, spouses who have partners with terJohn Nienstedt minal illnesses. These people, and more besides, must learn to cope with their suffering with no end in sight. So, as the days and weeks turned into months, I began to pray instead for patience and perseverance, asking the Lord to transform my suffering into a graced opportunity for me and for this local Church that I have been called to pastor. In that same letter to Timothy quoted above, St. Paul tells us that God has called us to a holy life “according to his own design.” This experience has taught me to trust in God’s mysterious ways. I also reflected deeply on the victims of abuse, both in our archdiocese and in the broader world, and I developed an even greater resolve to address this issue with commitment and compassion. I offer my sorrow for all the crimes of sexual abuse that have been com-
OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Effective March 15, 2014 Deacon Michael Medley, appointed “ad nutum episcopi” to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Saint Henry in Monticello.
OBITUARY Deacon Frank Schneider, 82, of Roseville, died March 14. Deacon Schneider was born Dec. 6, 1931, and ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1987. He served at Corpus Christi, Roseville; Guardian Angels, Oakdale and St. Jerome,
mitted by those in positions of trust in the Church, especially by clergy. I offer my apologies, as archbishop of this local Church, to all who have been harmed by these terrible offenses. I offer my prayers for all victims, their families and their communities. I am committed to reaching out to victims, desiring to hear their stories. I know that these past months in our archdiocese have been as painful for you as they have been for me. I remain committed to the four goals that have guided our response to each situation that has arisen, namely: 1) Protecting the young and the vulnerable; 2) Caring for victims; 3) Restoring trust with the laity; and 4) Restoring trust with our clergy. I pray that this experience will purify us in such a way so as to be more compassionate and understanding, enabling us to be better prepared to reach out, as Pope Francis says, to those who are on the periphery, on the margins.
From the Archbishop
Let us be men and women of hope
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I again wish to thank the countless number of Catholic faithful who have written or emailed me with their support, as well as the promise of their prayer. I am truly humbled by those who have stood by me as I faced this ordeal. I can never adequately say, “thank you,” except by pledging my continued service to them and a daily remembrance of them in my prayer and at the altar. For me, their fidelity is a great sign of hope for our future together. “I pray that this I also see a real sign of hope in the appointment of Jeff Cavins as director of evangelization for our archdiocese. Jeff has already provided a dynamic witness to the beauty and truth of the Gospel with his successful efforts on behalf of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute. His announcement reminds all of us of why the Church exists: to make the name of Jesus Christ known and loved.
experience will purify us in such a way so as to be more compassionate and understanding, enabling us to be better prepared to reach out, as Pope Francis says, to those who are on the periphery, on the margins.”
Finally, last Saturday, 1,300 men — fathers, sons, brothers, friends — gathered at the UniverArchbishop John Nienstedt sity of St. Thomas for our annual Archdiocesan Men’s Conference. The Holy Mass, confessions and inspirational talks were offered as a means of helping those participants to reflect and even ponder the reality of God’s call to be a man in Christ, a man of the Church and a man for others. This, too, was a great sign of hope for the future of our archdiocese. My friends, let us, too, be men and women of hope, trusting that God’s guidance will help us persevere through this and every period of challenge as a Church ever more prepared to share the joy of the Gospel. May God bless you!
Maplewood. He retired in 2002. The funeral was March 25 at the Church of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin in St. Paul. Interment is in Resurrection Cemetery, Mendota Heights.
What are your Easter traditions? The Catholic Spirit would like to know what special traditions you have for observing Easter for a story to appear in the Holy Week/Easter edition April 10. Please email the following information to Jessica Trygstad, assistant editor, at trygstadj@archspm.org: • brief description of your tradition; • your name; • your parish; and • daytime phone number. Or call her at (651) 251-7711.
Pope to fathers: Teach your children well and always be by their side Catholic News Service On the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal Church and Jesus’ earthly father, Pope Francis urged all dads in the world to stick by their children’s side, teaching them, guiding them and loving them. “I ask that you have the grace to be very close to your children, letting them grow, but being by their side. They need you, your presence, to be there, your love!” the pope told fathers present in St. Peter’s Square. Despite a massive citywide transport strike in Rome, more than 80,000 people made their way to the square for the pope’s weekly audience March 19. The pope dedicated his catechesis to
the role and example of St. Joseph. March 19 also marks the celebration of Father’s Day in Italy, as well as the first anniversary of the formal inauguration of Pope Francis’ ministry as bishop of Rome and pope. St. Joseph’s “great mission is to be a guardian,” the pope said. The saint is a model for all educators, whether they are teachers, catechists, parents, religious or priests, “who are fathers, too, you know!” he said. Even though God was Jesus’ father, St. Joseph lovingly took on the paternal role and taught the young Jesus various skills, the value of work, reverence for the Lord, and fidelity and obedience to God’s will, the pope said.
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Conference speaker: World needs ‘men of conscience’ By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Near the end of the Archdiocesan Men’s Conference March 22, Father Bill Baer, the event’s emcee, invited boys 18 and under to come forward to the stage at the University of St. Thomas Field House to greet speaker Brian Bonin. About 50 boys accepted and came up. Then, Father Baer addressed them and the older men in attendance. “Our No. 1 goal is to pass along the Catholic faith to the next generation,” said Father Baer, pastor at Transfiguration in Oakdale. He then acknowledged the boys to the crowd of men, who erupted in applause. The applause grew even louder when Father Baer introduced the event’s final speaker, Archbishop John Nienstedt, who is back in public ministry and expressed gladness to join the men for a morning of prayer and fellowship. He celebrated Mass, then addressed the men at the end of the conference. “It’s nice to be back,” the archbishop said. “It’s a beautiful thing to see brothers come together.” One of the boys who came forward was Anthony Gottwalt of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin in St. Paul, who attended the event with his father, David. He shook hands with Bonin, a former University of Minnesota and professional hockey player who came to describe how he rediscovered his Catholic faith. “It was very good [to meet Bonin],” Anthony Gottwalt said. “He gave us a word: compassion. I really want to work on that because being compassionate is a very hard thing to do.” Some 1,300 men and youth attended the conference, which had the theme, “Set a Steady Course.” It was sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life. The keynote speaker was Douglas Bushman, who talked about setting a steady course in the Catholic faith. He said it happens through forming a strong conscience. “We need to be men of conscience because that’s where Jesus wants to speak to us,” Bushman said. “Men of conscience are steady and stable in a culture that is anything but steady and stable. Only men of conscience can build a civilization of love, a culture of life.” Bushman’s talk left men contem-
John Sprangers, left, a member of Transfiguration in Oakdale and John Bartunek, who attends North Heights Lutheran in Roseville, bow their heads for the blessing during the Mass at the Archdiocesan Men’s Conference March 22 at the University of St. Thomas. plating how they can set a steady course in their spiritual lives. “To set a steady course for my spiritual life, I need to take time every day to pray,” said Jim Lang of Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale. “I also am going to try to make an effort to get to daily Mass. And then, as a part of my spiritual life, just examine my conscience daily so I can grow in virtue, and I’m going to try and pick one particular virtue at a time to grow in.” Said John Stute of St. John Vianney in South St. Paul: “I think that the best way that I can set a steady course is to spend time with my eucharistic Lord in adoration . . . I think Mass and adoration on a daily basis would go a long way to help me set a steady course.” For men like Nick Navarro, the conference was a way to reconnect to their faith. It was his first men’s conference, and he came with his father, Ray. Both belong to Divine Mercy in Faribault. “I didn’t really know what to expect, to be honest,” Nick said. “It’s been a while since I’ve attended something like this. There’s been some things in my own personal life where I’ve questioned faith. Coming to something like this has really refreshed and renewed that [faith] and excited me about it.”
Father Humberto Palomino, pastor of St. Mark in St. Paul, hears confession during the breakfast break.
Photos by Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit
Above: Michael Christensen, a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul parish, takes notes during Douglas Bushman’s talk. Far left: Brian Bonin greets youth 18 and under who were called forward at the Men’s Conference. Left: Douglas Bushman, who holds the Blessed Pope John Paul II Chair of Theology for the New Evangelization at the Augustine Institute in Denver, gave the keynote address about setting a steady course in the Catholic faith.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
5 By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit The annual Chrism Mass at which Archbishop John Nienstedt blesses the sacramental holy oils for the upcoming year also serves another essential purpose for priests — renewing the promises they made on their ordination day. Priests from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will again profess their promises at 7 p.m. April 10 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. All of the archdiocese’s priests are invited to attend, according to Father John Paul Erickson, the archdiocese’s director of worship. The public is also invited to the Mass. “A good showing of the faithful would be a marvelous gift,” Father Erickson said. Mark Croteau, director of faith formation and discipleship at St. Hubert in Chanhassen, has attended a dozen Chrism Masses because for him, they “emphasize the unity within the local Church.” “I’m inspired to remember the great sacrifice these men are making for the benefit of the Church,” Croteau said. “[Priests], once again, being willing to lay down their lives for the Church. I love to see that. It really helps me wonder about my own role in the
Archbishop John Nienstedt prays during the blessing of the oil of catechumens and consecration of chrism near the end of the 2013 Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit Church and how I can support them and the entire archdiocese. It really widens the scope for me.” The Chrism Mass is a reminder for priests to serve Jesus and to allow his name to be known and loved, Father Erickson said. It also gives the people of God an opportunity to express their support for priests and bishops in a visible, tangible way. “That Mass, in some way, is
intensely focused upon priesthood, not only the priesthood of us broken, frail human beings, but most especially the priesthood of Jesus,” Father Erickson said. “And the way in which that priesthood reaches out via the oils — which really are, in some sense, an extension of the priesthood of Christ . . . this is his anointing his people in various ways — the sick, the newly baptized, the confirmed,
those to be ordained.” Archbishop John Nienstedt will bless three different oils: • Oil of catechumens — for adults preparing for entrance into the Church and for infant baptisms. • Oil of the sick — for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. • Oil of chrism — a fragranced oil for baptisms, confirmations, the ordination of priests and bishops, and consecrating altars and churches; only the bishop can bless the oil of chrism. During the ceremony, different communities are represented in the procession of oils. For instance, members of the Little Sisters of the Poor will bring up the oil of the sick. Croteau has worked with people in the RCIA program for more than 20 years and encourages them to attend the Chrism Mass to experience the Church on a larger level and get an appreciation for what’s happening in the local Church. “They’re able to get a sense of how the blessing starts in one spot and spreads throughout the entire area,” he said. “After having had this experience, their eyes are opened wider to what they’ll be entering.”
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Building brings new sense of community to rural parish By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit It was a packed house for the 10 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine March 23, as parishioners, friends and alumni of its school gathered to celebrate the blessing of a new parish life center. Archbishop John Nienstedt blessed the building, which is attached to the church and includes a new entrance with a ramp, gathering space, adoration chapel, offices and six classrooms for the parish school and religious education. “It’s going to change everything for us,” said Karen Vandermark, a parishioner and parent of a second-grader. “It’s a whole new sense of community that it’s bringing to this parish. There’s a life and an energy that’s been renewed here. It’s fantastic to see the difference it’s made just in the few months that we’ve had it.” The $1.8 million project began nearly three years ago with a capital campaign and was completed in December. Students returned from Christmas break to their new classrooms. “It’s a beautiful new facility with all state-of-the-art technology, so it’s really nice for the students and the staff,” said Principal Mindy Reeder. The building also brings the
students closer to the church and the adoration chapel. The former school was a separate building. “It just brings the focus on our faith all together so that [the] unity is there every day,” Reeder said. The building is completely wheelchair-accessible, opening the door for more students to consider the school, which currently has 37 students in grades pre-K through sixth, she said. “That’s a beautiful gift.” Originally built in 1878 with additions throughout the years, the old building served as a convent at one time and the school. “It has become more of a liability than an asset, and while there are many memories there, it has served its purpose, and we have created the space we need for 21st century ministry in Belle Plaine,” said Father Michael Kaluza, pastor of Our Lady of the Prairie. “It is a great blessing to have our school, and we realize that we are more blessed with a school than without a school,” he said. “The school has a long history and has always made a positive impact on our community.” The furnishings and fixtures from the old building will be sold in an online auction, and the more than 100-year-old building will be demolished this summer, Father Kaluza said.
With the help of 10-year-old Oscar Heinkel, Archbishop Nienstedt blesses the offices and classrooms of the new building.
Zach Vandermark, a second-grader at Our Lady of the Prairie School in Belle Plaine, shows Archbishop John Nienstedt a rosary that was given to him by Father Michael Kaluza, pastor of Our Lady of the Prairie, before the blessing of the new parish life center March 23. Photos by Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
The new parish life center includes a gathering space, adoration chapel, offices and six classrooms for the parish school and religious education. A ramp at the entrance makes the church and school wheelchair-accessible.
If you have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, we want to hear from you. We are here to offer you help and healing. We will also help you make a formal complaint of abuse to this Archdiocese or assist you in contacting another archdiocese/diocese/eparchy. Please call me, Greta Sawyer, on my confidential phone line, (651) 291-4497, or email me at sawyerg@archspm.org.
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By Jennifer Janikula For The Catholic Spirit Reid Travis rolls out of bed at 4:30 a.m. on a typical day during the DeLaSalle High School basketball season. He lifts weights before his 6 a.m. team practice. Then, the 6-foot-8, 240 pound forward devours two full breakfasts in the school cafeteria before class. After school, he completes a second basketball practice session with his dad, eats dinner, finishes homework and sleeps until the cycle repeats. “I hate it when talent or skill is not put to use,” Travis said. “I’d hate to look back and see that I wasted a gift, whether in sports or in school. I’d rather put in the time now and reap the benefits later rather than take the easy route.”
The payoff In the last few weeks, Travis accepted a full ride to Stanford University, celebrated a Class 3A state championship three-peat with his DeLaSalle teammates and became a member of the 2014 McDonald’s All American Team. The latter honor solidifies Travis’ position as one of this year’s top 24
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Hard work, discipline pay off for DeLaSalle’s Reid Travis U.S. college basketball recruits and places him in the company of former McDonald’s All Americans Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James.
Faith and guidance Despite all the hoopla, Travis remains humble, grateful and excited about new challenges. Monica Kocourek, Travis’ Advanced Placement calculus teacher, explained how DeLaSalle’s culture keeps students grounded. “Even our star athletes are down to earth,” Kocourek said. “The community brings that about — everyone is important and everyone is valued. Our differences are accepted and celebrated because we are all created in God’s image.” Kocourek said Travis shows equal commitment to academics and sports. “He doesn’t use his athletic status as a crutch,” Kocourek said. “It’s important for him to do well, and he shoots high.” At DeLaSalle, Travis serves as an “ambassador” for prospective students. Travis, who attends St. Lawrence parish in Minneapolis where he serves as usher, acknowledged that
Senior forward Reid Travis of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis signals a threepeat as the Islanders defeated Austin 60-40 March 15 to capture their third consecutive Class 3A title. Travis, who is headed to Stanford in the fall, played on all three state-championship teams. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit prayer helped him with the pressure of being a top college recruit. “I was wrestling with three choices,” Travis recalled. “I didn’t pray for a direct answer; I prayed for guidance. I prayed for strength and a level head to make the best choice.” Travis readily offers gratitude to his family, school and church support systems. “I am blessed to be surrounded — everyone helped in some way to be part of my success,” Travis said.
A promising future Aside from playing basketball at Stanford, Travis plans to study business and entrepreneurship. “I want to keep growing, build my network, meet people that can influence my life, and find ways I can influence others,” Travis said. The McDonald’s All American Games, which benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities, will be televised on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. April 2.
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Homeless woman leaves the streets for Higher Ground By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Julie Gergen leaned in toward the window of her seventh-floor apartment on the northwest edge of downtown Minneapolis to take in the view. At the base of the building, a fresh carpet of snow on the railroad tracks was yet another reminder that winter has stayed too long. But, that depressing reality did not erase the smile on her face. In fact, her countenance glowed like the Basilica of St. Mary — at the far end of her view — does at night. If she sees snow for several more weeks, even that won’t dim her joy. “Now, I can look out and see it [snow] and know that I don’t have to be in it,” she said. Just more than a year ago, she would tromp through the snowcovered streets for several hours each day — and hope she didn’t end up sleeping there. Gergen, 47, was homeless. After several tragic deaths followed by alcohol abuse toppled her idyllic family life and cost her a six-figure salary, she hit the streets and began a six-year battle to survive. That battle officially ended when she moved into Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground last April. A friend encouraged her to apply to get into the facility, which provides housing and other services to its residents. “Within two weeks, my phone rang, and it was Sarah from Higher Ground,” Gergen said. “She said, ‘It just so happens we have an opening. You can move in tomorrow.’ And, I just couldn’t believe it. I hit the ground [and said], ‘Thank you, Jesus. Once again, you came through for me.’ I moved in the next day.” Her small apartment includes an oven, stove and refrigerator, not to mention a view of the western edge of downtown. “It’s a palace to me,” she said. “I pray every day — probably five times a day — just thanking God for giving me this. I would love to see more Higher Grounds all over the city to get people off the streets. It’s very rough, especially being a woman, to be out there.” The best part of the apartment for her is actually its simplest feature — the key. It’s a small piece of metal she hasn’t owned since about 2006, not long after she separated from her husband and their four children.
Into the pressure cooker The rough ending to this chapter in her life was not something she could have predicted during the early years of her marriage, which took place in 1994. Things were clipping along nicely, with both she and her husband working full time, he in commercial roofing and she in the banking and mortgage industry. A native of south Minneapolis, she got a job in the file room of a TCF bank not long after graduating from Washburn High School in 1985. She worked her way up the ladder steadi-
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Julie Gergen is enjoying her new apartment at Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground in Minneapolis. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Dorothy Day Center ReVision needs legislative action to advance The Catholic Spirit Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis is waiting for action on housing and general obligation bonding bills in the state Legislature before moving forward on its Dorothy Day Center ReVision project. Last December, the agency announced plans for a new homeless shelter, connection center and permanent housing. The shelter and connection center — modeled after Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground facility in Minneapolis — seeks $18 million from the $100 million being advocated for statewide housing projects. The “St. Paul Higher Ground and Connection Center” would provide emergency shelter, “pay-for-stay” beds and private, permanent apartments all in one building along with supportive services. For the project’s separate permanent housing portion, supporters are requesting $17 million in state funds. “The more we’re investing in housing throughout the state, the less homelessness we’ll see, and the less burdensome on Dorothy Day,” said Tim Marx, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Given the urgent situation at the Dorothy Day Center, the agency plans to build on or near its current site downtown — a decision prompted by opposition from residents in the neighborhood of the proposed building site in the northeast quadrant of downtown St. Paul. The Dorothy Day Center started as a drop-in facility in 1981 but turned into a temporary overnight shelter when homelessness increased. Because the center wasn’t designed to house people, and conditions are overcrowded, unsanitary and undignified. What’s needed most to move the project forward is the Legislature and governor responding to what the people have deemed important to solve homelessness, Marx said. Each night at the center, which operates 24/7 for the entire year, more than 200 mats line the floor inches apart. Not only do people sleep on the mats, but they also eat and try to keep their belongings safe on them. Since Minneapolis’ Higher Ground opened in 2012, there has been a 38 percent decrease in overnight shelter stays among people who use it most (single adults and veterans), and more than 95 men have moved from the temporary shelter into stable or permanent housing. Marx’s optimistic scenario has construction of St. Paul’s Higher Ground beginning in 2015, with completion in 2016. The state Legislature will adjourn May 19. In the meantime, Marx asks for the public’s support. “Advocacy, awareness and prayer are all equally important and add equal value to what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said. ly from there, reaching the pinnacle when she was promoted to assistant vice president at Eagle Valley Bank in
the southern suburbs. “I didn’t have really a care in the world,” said Gergen, who noted
that her salary rose to just under $200,000. “We owned a home. We had beautiful automobiles. I never really wanted for anything.” Then, a string of deaths in her family changed everything. First, her brother died of a rare disease, then her father died in 2002 after a long illness. Finally, her mother committed suicide two years later. The pressure cooker of grief was more than Gergen could handle. “I sunk into a deep depression,” she said. “I was extremely close to my mother. . . . Me and my mother were best friends. We did everything together. “I chose to self-medicate myself with alcohol,” she said. “That’s the worst thing anybody could do because it doesn’t help. It only harms and hurts. That’s exactly what it did to me. I ended up losing my marriage; I lost my home, I lost my job. Nothing really mattered anymore. Long story short, that’s how I ended up homeless, out on the streets from shelter to shelter.” The low point came on a summer night in 2009. She was riding buses well after dark as a way to pass the time. When she couldn’t get into a shelter, the MTC bus became her overnight accommodations. She got off a bus about 1 a.m. near the corner of Emerson and 22nd in north Minneapolis. “It was the end of the line. I got off,” she said. “And, a car pulled up and that was pretty much all I can remember. They grabbed me and got me in the car. And, I came to in an apartment building in the lobby on the floor. I was beat up pretty good.” The police “never did find out who did it,” she said. What the assailants did was beat her, rape her and dump her off at the building. Amazingly, Gergen is not bitter today. She has “just a nickel” to her name, plus a few sentimental possessions like pictures of her parents and children. But, she cannot be swayed from the overflowing gratitude of her new life, one low on money but high on contentment. At the moment, Gergen does volunteer work at Higher Ground, including helping other residents and unloading food shelf deliveries each week. She also recently testified at the State Capitol to advocate for an increase in state housing funds, a portion of which could go to Catholic Charities’ Dorothy Day Center ReVision initiative (see sidebar). She hopes to eventually go back to work, although is unable to do so now because of health issues. “I would love to [go back to work],” she said. “Actually, I’ve thought about going back to school and maybe getting a degree in social work. I would love to do that because that would be another way of me helping out and paying it forward for the goodness that I have received. I would love just to know that one other person gets to feel like I do right now.”
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About Jeff Cavins
starting to implement ideas that he hopes will engage more Catholics. “It’s a collaborative effort,” Cavins said. “We have to work with pastors, we have to work with [directors of religious education]. There has to be a vision for evangelization that people can buy into and say, ‘I like that, that’s a great idea,’ and work together with the bishops and all the churches we can.” The local parish must be at the heart of evangelization efforts if those who are coming into the Church will successfully go from initial conversion to full maturity, he said. The relationship between evangelization and formation — catechesis — is crucial. “If people come to Christ through evangelistic efforts, we have to ask ourselves what kind of parishes, what kind of formation programs will greet them,” he said. By developing tools and methods that equip people to do the work of God and be Christ’s disciples, the office will offer ongoing opportunities to evangelize, perhaps through a speakers series with music, testimonials, expert presenters and answers to specific questions. Cavins said, “We have to bring up the questions that people are asking: What do you do with suffering? What do you do with children that run away from the faith? What do you do when you don’t feel like forgiving someone, but you want to? And when we start to address the itch or the hurt in their lives, we gain their attention. And then we have to come through with real answers to the problems people are facing” — communicating answers in ways that make the Gospel message compelling. Earlier in his life, Cavins himself was seeking answers to challenging questions. As a 19-year-old college student, he felt disconnected from the Church and lacked an essential, personal relationship with Christ. At the time, he thought he found the answers in the Protestant faith. He delved into studying the Bible and eventually became a Protestant pastor. His return to the Catholic Church was preceded by years of prayer and discernment. When he first thought about returning to the Church, he called the man who served as his boyhood pastor at St. Edward in Bloomington: Bishop Paul Dudley.
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Parish is at heart of evangelizaton efforts, Cavins says “Every Catholic has a story. Everyone has things that have taken place in their life that they can tell people, ‘Look what Jesus has done in my life.’” Jeff Cavins, director of evangelization for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Jeff Cavins leads regular pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Submitted photo Bishop Dudley, who headed the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D., at the time, played a major role in the process. “He met me at the airport, and I still remember his arms stretched out as he said, ‘Welcome home,’” Cavins said of the bishop, who died in 2006. “Through our evangelization efforts, I hope we can not only provide a home for new believers, but we can welcome home those who left the Church,” Cavins said.
Hope for the future For the last eight years, Cavins has taught at the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, passing on the faith to adults. He has observed that one of the biggest problems with evangelization is Catholics not knowing how to invite someone to Mass or into the Church. People’s tendencies are to reach out by offering opportunities for catechesis — teaching about beliefs and doctrine, Cavins said. But this can’t come before they are invited into a personal relationship with Jesus. Evangelization is about three things: knowing Christ, knowing people and making the introduction, Cavins said. He sees the Office
Family: Wife, Emily; daughters Carly, Jacqueline and Antonia. Parish: St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. Education: Master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio) with catechetical certification.
Career: • Founder of the Great Adventure Catholic Bible Study • Author of books and videos about the Catholic faith. Books include “My Life on the Rock,” “Walking with God: A Journey Through the Bible,” “I’m Not Being Fed,” and the “Amazing Grace” series.
of Evangelization encouraging the lay faithful and the priests, deacons and religious. “We are looking for good news — we have had some tough times — and the good news is Jesus. It’s Jesus [who] changes people’s lives. “We have some great minds, some great souls in this archdiocese, and I would like to work with them,” Cavins said. “Every Catholic has a story. Everyone has things that have taken place in their life that they can tell people, ‘Look what Jesus has done in my life.’” And, he added, “If we are going to be successful in evangelization, we are going to have to do what Blessed John Paul II told us: We are going to need to use new methods and walk with new enthusiasm and passion. “When we combine a knowledge of our faith with new methods of sharing it and fueled by a renewed passion, anything is possible,” Cavins said. “Through prayer, humility, collaboration and an openness to innovative ways of equipping the faithful, as well as innovative ways of communicating our faith, great things can happen in the kingdom of God.” • Host of long-running shows on Relevant Radio, a national Catholic radio network, as well as EWTN, a national Catholic television network. TV shows included “Our Father’s Plan” and “Life on the Rock.” • Director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, a program of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
Planning under way for 2014 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration The Catholic Spirit As the director of evangelization for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Jeff Cavins will oversee its nationally recognized Rediscover: initiative. With the Rediscover: 2014 Speakers Series finished and the last Cor Jesu prayer experience April 8, the next event being planned is the 2014 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration, slated for Oct. 3 and 4 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The event will bring together Catholics in the archdiocese to celebrate Mass, hear internationally-known speakers and learn about worship and service opportunities. Cavins emceed at the 2013 celebration. With potentially up to 12,500 attendees, Cavins wants the two-day event to be a “tremendous musical celebration.” He’ll work with organizers to plan speakers and music, review best practices and consider possible improvements. One of Cavins’ goals is to start working on evangelization initiatives that could be announced at the event, which is an opportune time to talk to specific groups — such as men, women and young adults — about issues in their lives, he said. Already he has met with Rediscover:’s executive team. “Their response to me has been so encouraging,” he said. “It’s a dream. And I like to get together with other people who like to dream and collaborate, and roll up our sleeves, pray, discuss, throw out ideas and ask the Lord to help us — as a group — to do this. And so I’m looking forward to that.” To learn more about Rediscover: events, visit www. rediscover-faith.org.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
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Young nun wows judges on Italy’s ‘The Voice’ Sister Cristina Scuccia is a 25year-old member of the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family who has appeared on “The Voice of Italy,” a reality show akin to “American Idol” or “Britain’s Got Talent.” Sister Cristina surprised the show’s four judges on March 19 with both her talent and her habit. The judges on the show Sister begin with CRISTINA their backs turned to the performer, and turn around only if they like what they hear. As the judges turned to face Sister Cristina, their astonishment was visible at seeing a young nun singing Alicia Keys’ “No One.” A native of Sicily, Sister Cristina arrived at the show accompanied by four sisters from her community, as well as her parents. The four judges of the popular TV program are the Italian singers Raffaella Carra, J-Ax, Noemi, and Piero Pelu.
Survey shows Pope Francis has influenced giving by U.S. Catholics
After her performance, Carra asked Sister Cristina if she is really a nun, and why she chose to compete on the show. “Yes, I am truly, truly a sister,” she replied. “I came here because I have a gift and I want to share that gift. I am here to evangelize.” According to the show’s format, when a participant receives the approval of the judges, they then choose which judge’s team to join. Sister Cristina chose J-Ax “because I told myself that if they turned around, I would choose the first one.” J-Ax said he was thrilled to have been chosen by the most popular participant on the show. Sister Cristina is trending on Twitter with “#suorcristina.” Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, used the hashtag in a tweet Thursday, commending her for sharing her talent with the Italian people: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others (1 Peter 4:10).” To watch a video of Sister Cristina’s performance, visit thecatholicspirit. com.
By Navar Watson Catholic News Service
thropists supporting Catholicsponsored programs. The network commissioned Zogby Analytics to do the survey, which was conducted online from March 7 to 10. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
While any increase in church attendance prompted by the pope’s appeal isn’t quite yet measurable, a new survey shows Pope Francis has made an impact on Catholic giving in the year since his papacy began.
The survey also showed a growing motivation among Hispanic Catholics specifically. Hispanics, it said, are the group most likely to have increased their giving in the past year.
Results of the survey, released March 13 by Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, found that of the 1,003 Catholics polled, one in four have increased their giving from last year.
Eighty-five percent of Hispanics — more than four in five — credited the pope for significantly influencing their giving. Almost half said the pope inspired them to give more to other Catholic organizations.
Of those who did, 77 percent said Pope Francis inspired their giving to some degree. Forty-two percent said his influence on their decision was “significant.”
[The pope’s] style and manner of speaking from the heart . . . is accessible and resonates with everyone,” Kelley told Catholic News Service.
“It is clear that Pope Francis and his message of mercy and joy, and a special concern for the poor, are inspiring U.S. Catholics in their giving,” Alexia Kelley, president of FADICA, said in a March 13 press release.
In the press release, she said the “Pope Francis effect” on Catholic giving “will continue to grow, thus bringing the church’s critical ministries and mercy to those who need it most.”
FADICA is a nonprofit network of nearly 50 private philan-
Join us for a Lenten
Taizé Prayer Led by Fr. Ray East and David Haas
IC SER V OL H
ES APPEA IC
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ON CAT TI
Father Ray East is a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. He is the pastor of St. Therese of Avila Parish in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and a nationally known speaker and preacher.
This prayer form comes from an ecumenical community in Taizé, France. It is contemplative in nature, filled with musical mantras, litanies, prayer, intercession and silence. Taizé Prayer has become popular in parishes and other communities of faith in the United States and other parts of North America.
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David Haas is a campus minister at CDH and is the Director of “Music Ministry Alive!” He is also a nationally known composer of liturgical music, workshop leader, and recording artist.
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Catholic News Service Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, four women — including a survivor of clerical sex abuse — two Jesuit priests and an Italian lawyer are the first eight members of the new Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
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Boston cardinal and abuse survivor among members of Vatican commission
Pope Francis established the commission in December; announcing the first members March 22, the Vatican said they would help define the tasks and competencies of the commission and help identify other potential members. Cardinal O’Malley is also one of eight members of the Council of Cardinals advising Pope Francis on the reform of the Roman Curia and governance of the Church. Pope John Paul II prays at the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai, Lithuania, in 1993. Tens of thousands of crosses had been placed there by Lithuanians to mark the sufferings caused by deportation, imprisonment and persecution. CNS / Arturo Mari, L’Osservatore Romano
Sainthood ceremony nears More than 1 million could attend canonizations of John XXIII, John Paul II in Rome on April 27 By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Just over five weeks before the canonizations of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, Rome hotels were reporting they were almost fully booked and the Vatican confirmed the Mass will take place in St. Peter’s Square, despite knowing that hundreds of thousands of people will have to watch the ceremony on large video screens. Pope Francis announced in late September that he would proclaim the two popes saints in a single ceremony April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday. Less than two weeks after the date was announced, the Prefecture of the Papal Household issued an advisory that access to St. Peter’s Square would be first-come, firstserved and warned pilgrims that unscrupulous tour operators already were trying to sell fake tickets to the Mass. With perhaps more than 1 million people expected to try to attend the liturgy, rumors abounded that the Vatican would move the ceremony to a wide-open space on the outskirts of town. But the Vatican confirmed Feb. 27 that the Mass would be held in St. Peter’s Square, just outside the basilica where the
mortal remains of the two rest. Blessed John Paul, known as a globetrotter who made 104 trips outside Italy, served as pope from 1978 to 2005 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011. Blessed John XXIII, known particularly for convoking the Second Vatican Council, was pope from 1958 to 1963; Pope John Paul beatified him in 2000. In July, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing the healing of a Costa Rican woman with a lifethreatening brain aneurysm as the miracle needed for Blessed John Paul’s canonization. The same day, the Vatican announced that the pope had agreed with members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes that the canonization of Blessed John should go forward even without a second miracle attributed to his intercession. A first miracle is needed for beatification. In Pope John Paul’s cause, the miracle involved a French nun suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the same disease the pope had. In the cause of Pope John, the Vatican recognized as a miracle the healing of an Italian nun who was dying from complications after stomach surgery. In February, Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said Pope Francis did not skip an essential step in approving Blessed John’s canonization, but “only shortened the time to give the entire Church the great opportunity of celebrating 2014 with
John XXIII, the initiator of the Second Vatican Council, and John Paul II, who brought to life the pastoral, spiritual and doctrinal inspiration of its documents.”
Country priest, missionary zeal Asked by reporters in July to describe the two late popes, Pope Francis said Blessed John was “a bit of the ‘country priest,’ a priest who loves each of the faithful and knows how to care for them; he did this as a bishop and as a nuncio” in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and France before becoming a cardinal and patriarch of Venice. He was holy, patient, had a good sense of humor and, especially by calling the Second Vatican Council, was a man of courage, Pope Francis said. “He was a man who let himself be guided by the Lord.” As for Blessed John Paul, Pope Francis told the reporters on the plane, “I think of him as ‘the great missionary of the church,” because he was “a man who proclaimed the Gospel everywhere.” Marco Piscitello, a spokesman for the Rome hotel owners’ association, Federalberghi, said that already by early March, owners were reporting that more than 82 percent of hotel rooms in the city had been booked for the canonization weekend. “There will be a strong presence in Rome for this double canonization,” he said.
Cardinal Sean O’MALLEY
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the commission would take “a multipronged approach to promoting youth protection, including: education regarding the exploitation of children; discipline of offenders; civil and canonical duties and responsibilities; and the development of best practices as they have emerged in society at large.” The first eight members of the commission include Marie Collins, who was born in Dublin. At the age of 13, she was sexually abused by a Catholic priest who was a chaplain at a hospital where she was a patient.
Other members The other members of the commission are: • Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, a German psychologist and psychotherapist; • Jesuit Father Humberto Yanez, director of the moral theology department at Pontifical Gregorian University; • Hanna Suchocka, a former professor of law, who served as prime minister of Poland, 1992-93, and Polish ambassador to the Vatican, 2001-13; • Catherine Bonnet, a French child psychiatrist specializing in helping victims of incest; • Baroness Sheila Hollins, a mental health specialist who has focused her research on people with learning disabilities; and • Claudio Papale, an Italian who holds degrees in both civil and canon law and works in the disciplinary section of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
U.S. & World
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High court hears arguments in challenge to HHS mandate By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Oral arguments in two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court March 25 focused on whether for-profit corporations have religious grounds to object to the new health care law’s requirement that most employers provide contraceptive coverage in their employee health plans. Crowds on both sides of the issue gathered outside the Supreme Court on a cold, snowy morning, holding aloft signs and chanting for their cause. Inside the court, the arguments lasted for 90 minutes, an extension of the usual 60 minutes, and the justices in their questions for the lawyers arguing the cases seemed divided on the issue. At the center was a close inspection of the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, known as RFRA, which allows for religious exceptions to general laws in certain circumstances. The cases — Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius — made their way to the Supreme Court after federal appeals courts issued opposite rulings about the companies’ claims to a religious rights exemption to the contraceptive mandate of the health care law. At issue is the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that most employers, including religious employers, provide employees coverage of contraceptives, sterilization Read about and some abortionthe Minnesota inducing drugs free businesses of charge, even if the employer is challenging the morally opposed to HHS mandate at such services. TheCatholic Both secular businesses claim the Spirit.com. contraceptive mandate of the health care law violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause and their religious liberty rights under RFRA. The 1993 law says that the government “shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” unless that burden is the least restrictive means to further a compelling governmental interest. The legal question is whether RFRA protects a for-profit company from having to provide a benefit to which employees are entitled under
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federal law but to which the owners have religious objections. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who noted that RFRA was passed overwhelmingly with support from both political parties, said it would not have gained such support if Congress thought the law would confer religious rights to corporations. Justice Elena Kagan said the arguments in favor of the companies’ religious rights could turn RFRA into something that would put “the entire U.S. code” under intense constitutional scrutiny for possible burdens to corporate religious rights. For example, she said companies would be able to object on religious grounds to laws on sex discrimination, minimum wage, family leave and child labor. That point was raised by the Obama administration in its brief, saying a ruling in favor of businesses could undermine laws governing immunizations, Social Security taxes and minimum wages. Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the exaggerated amounts of religious exemptions that could be claimed by employers could be avoided in a court ruling limited only to corporations that pass their earnings and losses to their shareholders — which would exclude bigger companies claiming religious freedom rights. Justice Anthony Kennedy, described as the swing vote in this case, asked how the government could require the family-owned companies in question to provide the mandated insurance contraception coverage when it had already offered exemptions and accommodations to other groups, which was one of the plaintiff’s arguments. Hobby Lobby is an Oklahomabased chain of more than 500 arts and crafts stores with more than 13,000 employees owned by a Christian family, the Greens. Conestoga Wood Specialties is a Pennsylvania-based kitchen cabinetmaking company with 950 employees owned by a Mennonite family, the Hahns. Conestoga Wood Specialties objects to complying with any portion of the mandate. Hobby Lobby is not opposed to covering birth control in its employee health plan — and already provides that benefit. What the Green family objects to is being required to cover contraceptive drugs considered to be abortifacients, such as the morning-af-
A woman leads a chant in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., against the federal government’s contraceptive mandate March 25. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in lawsuits filed against the mandate by Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties on religious rights grounds. CNS / Tyler Orsburn ter pill and Plan B. Hobby Lobby’s owners have stated that their “religious beliefs prohibit them from providing health coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices that end human life after conception.” In Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, the Green family won a ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said their craft stores and Mardel, a chain of 35 Christian bookstores, could proceed with seeking an injunction protecting the companies from meeting parts of the contraceptive mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the health care law. The government appealed the decision. The other case, Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, is an appeal by the Hahn family, the Mennonite owners, of a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said they had to comply with the contraceptive requirement. The circuit court ruled that as a for-profit, secular corporation, Conestoga Wood and its owners are not protected by the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment. During oral arguments at the Supreme Court, the justices asked why the companies didn’t just
avoid the contraception issue by not offering health care coverage to its employees and paying the tax penalty instead, and the attorney representing them said Hobby Lobby’s owners at least wanted to provide health insurance and felt it would be hard to attract workers without it. Supporters of the Obama administration’s position that the two forprofit companies should not be exempted from the mandate have argued that the businesses are claiming religious rights the Constitution gives to individuals, not corporations. The attorney for the administration emphasized that if the courts allowed for-profit companies to deny mandated coverage, the employees would be denied benefits the government has decided they should have. Dozens of groups with an interest in the outcome of the cases filed “amicus,” or friend-of-the-court, briefs, including one submitted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and another by a group of 67 Catholic theologians and ethicists. Rulings in the two cases are expected to be handed down in June.
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Focus on Faith • Scripture Readings
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Joseph Kavuma
Overcome spiritual blindness: See the world through the eyes of God Midway into the Lenten season, on this fourth Sunday we encounter Jesus healing the blind man. Like everywhere in John’s Gospel, the passage is deep and rich in biblical symbolism. Blindness is a great spiritual symbol of sin, of a weakened and impaired spiritual vision. In this blindness, we see not the splendor of God, nor do we see as God sees. Although we might vary in degree, each of us struggles with this blindness. And each of us needs God’s guidance in order to purge it. Praying for and loving our enemies, associating with the outcasts of society and upholding justice born out of charity are some fruits of a heart that has received light from the Lord. The contrary often occurs when we follow our own ways, seeking our own interests. When we see the world and those around us as mere means — either a threat or an opportunity for me to get what I want — spiritual blindness is at work. In some instances, we do anything in our power to get ahead of everyone, to have things our way. What a miserable way of life. David’s kinsmen, the disciples, the Jews and Pharisees in these readings are good figures of the blindness we all struggle with now and again. In the eyes of those around him, David does not merit the honor to be the anointed one. I believe the disciples are not interested in showing compassion to the blind man. They are overly judgmental in labeling and finding fault with him and his parents. The self-exalted Pharisees’ reaction of disbelief is appalling. They are resentful, angry,
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, March 30 Fourth Sunday of Lent 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 Monday, March 31 Isaiah 65:17-21 John 4:43-54 Tuesday, April 1 Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
outraged and dismayed by the miracle and witness of the blind man. The Jews, in turn, utilize everything in their power to undermine the splendor of God as manifested in the healing of the blind man. Truthfully, how have our self-righteousness, bias, power, wealth, greed and ambitions led us down this same path of blindness to God and our neighbor? Amidst all this blindness, Jesus enters the picture. He comes so that those who do not see might see. His way is that of love and compassion. He is the light of the world through whom we see and move, and without whom we would perish. He gives sight back to the blind. Jesus spitting on the ground and making clay with the saliva and smearing this clay on the eyes of the blind man is a juxtaposition of the creation story in Genesis, of his incarnation, and of the sacrament of baptism; just as Samuel anoints David, so are we regenerated through baptism, the pool into which the blind cleanses. Jesus brings forth new life by giving us that light, the Holy Spirit — the prerequisite for our sight in our spiritual life. Humbling ourselves and surrendering our wills to Christ is the only way to get rid of spiritual blindness and begin seeing the world through the eyes of God. Deacon Kavuma is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda. His home parish is Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Entebbe. His teaching parish is Our Lady of Grace in Edina.
Readings Sunday, March 30 Fourth Sunday of Lent • 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a • Ephesians 5:8-14 • John 9:1-41
Reflection How can we overcome the spiritual blindness that prevents us from seeing our neighbors as God sees them?
John 5:1-16
John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Wednesday, April 2 St. Francis of Paola, hermit Isaiah 49:8-15 John 5:17-30
Saturday, April 5 St. Vincent Ferrer, priest Jeremiah 11:18-20 John 7:40-53
Thursday, April 3 Exodus 32:7-14 John 5:31-47
Sunday, April 6 Fifth Sunday of Lent Ezekiel 37:12-14 Romans 8:8-11 John 11:1-45
Friday, April 4 St. Isidore, bishop, doctor of the Church Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22
Monday, April 7 St. John the Baptist de la Salle, priest
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 John 8:1-11 Tuesday, April 8 Numbers 21:4-9 John 8:21-30 Wednesday, April 9 Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 John 8:31-42 Thursday, April 10 Genesis 17:3-9 John 8:51-59 Friday, April 11
St. Stanislaus, bishop, martyr Jeremiah 20:10-13 John 10:31-42 Saturday, April 12 Ezekiel 37:21-28 John 11:45-56 Sunday, April 13 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord Matthew 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-7 Philippians 2:6-11 Matthew 26:14–27:66
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Focus on Faith • Seeking Answers
14 SEEKING ANSWERS Father Kenneth Doyle
How often do priests go to confession? Sign of cross when passing a church? Q. I have often heard priests encouraging Catholics to go to confession more regularly, and I’m wondering how often priests themselves go to confession. Is there a rule on this? And if there is no rule, what is the general practice? A. The Church’s Code of Canon Law in No. 989 notes the obligation of Catholics to confess grave sins at least once a year. (Of course, if you are conscious of having committed a grave sin, you should not wait for an annual confession but instead confess as soon as reasonably possible in order to reopen your pathway to God and render yourself eligible to receive the Eucharist.) Beyond that general norm, there is no specific requirement as to how often priests must confess,
although Canon No. 276.5 urges the clergy “to approach the sacrament of penance frequently.” At a weekly audience in November 2013, Pope Francis revealed that he receives the sacrament of penance every two weeks and considers confession to be the best path to spiritual healing and health. “My confessor hears what I say, offers me advice and forgives me,” said the pope. “We all need this.” I’ve not seen any studies on this, but it’s safe to say that most priests do not confess their sins nearly as often as the Holy Father. Probably, several times a year would be a reasonable estimate, generally on their annual retreat, sometimes at clergy days of recollection or gatherings of priest support groups, or when time allows. One of the sad consequences of
the shortage of priests is that the frenzied pace of pastoral duties can induce us to ignore our spiritual growth. In this, as in many things, we would do well to look to Pope Francis as a model.
Q. I have some questions regarding a practice I observed as a child (in the 1970s). While they were passing in front of a church (either walking or in a car), I used to notice some people making the sign of the cross. I’m not sure whether this was just a personal custom or one endorsed by the Church. Are you familiar with this practice and, if so, how did it originate? Is it an appropriate sign of reverence? A. Yes, I am familiar with this practice. I’m not sure whether it was taught to me by my mother or by the nuns in school. Ever since I was a child, whenever I pass a Catholic church I make the sign of the cross with my thumb on my forehead, as a priest does to a child at baptism. I do this as a sign of reverence for Jesus, present in the tabernacle. I’m not aware of any official “endorsement” of this practice by the church, but such a gesture of faith is a long-standing custom — particularly in Ireland, but also in Italy and the Philippines. The theologian Tertullian, in the year 211 A.D., in a work called “The Chaplet,” wrote: “In all our
actions, when we come in or go out, when we dress, when we wash, at our meals, before resting to sleep, we make on our forehead the sign of the cross. These practices are not commended to us
“Pope Francis revealed that he receives the sacrament of penance every two weeks and considers confession to be the best path to spiritual healing and health.” Father Kenneth Doyle
by a formal law of Scripture, but tradition teaches them, custom confirms them and faith observes them.” Father Doyle writes for Catholic News Service. A priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., he previously served as director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Do you dish? CatholicHotdish.com March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
15
Joe Towalski
Our need for a little more mercy Mercy isn’t a popular word in our culture today. “People get what they deserve.” “Payback is sweet.” “I’ll never forgive them for what they’ve done.” These sentiments pervade our politics, our entertainment industry and our own lives. And, we see them play out in numerous ways: • In public policies that cut services to the chronically poor. • In the deportation of undocumented immigrants, even when it means splitting apart vulnerable families. • In support for capital punishment laws that are rooted in vengeance rather than justice and rehabilitation. • In movies that glorify violence and revenge. • In the grudges we hold for years against family members who have wronged us. • In our quickness to judge
others for their perceived faults and transgressions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines mercy as “the loving kindness, compassion or forbearance shown to one who offends.” It’s a virtue that Pope Francis has talked a lot about during his first year. In a recent homily, he once again urged Christians to show more mercy in their daily lives. He said that when we admit our own sinfulness and ask God for forgiveness, we become better able to show mercy to others. That’s a good suggestion for the remaining three weeks of Lent. There is no better time than this penitential season to take stock of our own shortcomings, ask God for forgiveness and then open our hearts a little wider in the spirit of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, which comes a week later. Let’s challenge ourselves to do two things over the next few
SOCIAL CONCERNS Tom Bengtson
It’s not too early to think about your parish festival It’s Lent, so that means it’s time to think about your parish’s fall festival. The annual fundraiser may be six months away, but many parishes already have identified volunteers to head up the organizing effort. A year ago about this time, I received a phone call from a fellow parishioner who tried to recruit me to head up a portion of the festival. She left a message on my answering machine. After listening to the message, I did what any Minnesotan would do who doesn’t want to disappoint an acquaintance: I ignored the message and didn’t return the call. My thinking was: “I hate the fall festival. No way I’m getting roped into helping out.” I really thought that if the parish needs the money, it could save everyone a lot of trouble by simply conducting a second collection at Mass. After about a week, however, my colleague at the parish called again. This time, I made the mistake of picking up the phone. She explained she only needed one more volunteer — someone to arrange
the outdoor games: the dunk tank, inflatable slide, pony rides, that kind of thing. I told her I’d think about it — even pray about it — and get back to her. But I didn’t call her back.
Giving in Clearly my friend was put in charge of the festival for a reason. She called me again, polite as ever, and asked if I had a chance to pray over my decision. At that point, I couldn’t resist any longer and gave in. I told her I’d do it. After hanging up the phone, I was certain I was going to regret it. Over a period of a couple of months, there were many festival planning meetings. Two-hour meetings gave the various volunteers an opportunity to share details about every aspect of the festival — the dinner, the raffle, bingo, the beer garden, entertainment, a basketball tournament and silent auction. The details were incredible: Should we use dark or light tablecloths at the dinner? Should the
CNS photo/Gian Matteo Crocchioni, pool via Reuters weeks: First, go to confession. No matter if it’s been a few months, a few years or many decades since you last went, rest assured the priest will welcome you to this healing sacrament. You will experience God’s gift of mercy and forgiveness, the grace to start again anew, and a heart that’s opened a little wider. Second, commit to doing one act of mercy before Easter. Volunteer
at a food shelf or homeless shelter. Perform a “random act of kindness” for a newcomer in your community. Take part in a prison ministry program or visit. Forgive someone who has wronged you in the past. Let go of an old grudge. Mercy isn’t a popular word in our culture today, but we can let our actions speak to the rest of society, witnessing to the hope, compassion and forgiveness that our world so desperately needs.
raffle tickets cost $2 or $5? Who was going to set up the tables and chairs under the beer garden tent? Should the horn section in the swing band be amplified? Where can we get a couple of refs for the b-ball tourney, and what items attract the best bids in a silent auction? None of it had anything to do with me and I thought I was going to go nuts. A few days before the festival, I had all the outdoor games arranged when I got a call from the rental company. They told me they wouldn’t be able to provide a dunk tank as promised. Oh no! Where was I going to get a dunk tank at the last minute? Well, after only one sleepless night, I found another company renting dunk tanks. Problem solved. There were other glitches that popped up, but all proved to be equally inconsequential. The day of the festival, the sun shined brightly. I was there from early morning to late at night, and I saw hundreds of people spend time at the festival. Almost all of them looked like they truly had fun. I couldn’t believe how many little kids went back for another turn at the simplest of games — the beanbag toss, the clothespin drop in the bottle. Even my shift in the dunk tank was fun. (The secret is to fill the tank with warm water.)
I now see that the effort is worth it, not because of the money raised but because of the relationships that were fostered. There is something about working together on a volunteer committee where everyone is striving toward a common goal. You grow closer to people in the process. I have no doubt that stronger friendships ultimately translate into a stronger parish.
Building community Reflecting back on my experience, I completely changed my opinion about the parish festival.
This Catholic Life • Commentary
EDITORIAL
“There is something about working together on a volunteer committee where everyone is striving toward a common goal. You grow closer to people in the process.” Tom Bengtson
So, if you get a call from someone organizing your parish festival, take their call and say “yes” right away when they ask you to volunteer. It’s work, but reward follows. Bengtson is a local small business owner and writer. You can contact Bengtson by visiting his website: tombengtson.com.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
This Catholic Life • Commentary
16 FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Kathryn Mollen
‘Wombs for rent’ industry now legal in Minnesota? Without any significant consideration, the Minnesota Legislature is poised to create a commercial surrogacy business that would essentially legitimize the buying and selling of children between two contracting parties. This past week, the Commercial Surrogacy Bill (SF 2627/HF 291) passed almost unnoticed through the one Senate committee to which it was assigned, the language of the bill having been revealed only moments before the hearing. A House version of the bill will likely get a floor vote with no policy committee hearings. In the rush to pass this bill, there has been little scrutiny of the consequences for women, children and society of creating a commercial surrogacy business in Minnesota.
Baby-selling, plain and simple Commercial surrogacy, an arrangement where the intended parent or parents contract with a woman and pay her to carry a child for money, is a relatively recent phenomenon that has evoked ethical debates on the morality of renting out a womb to create and carry new human life. In “Donum Vitae” (“The Gift of Life,” the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s 1987 instruction), the Church recognized the deep desire adults might have for wanting a child that is biologically related to them. Infertility issues can affect the pain and strength of this desire, and well-meaning people, perhaps our family or friends, may have used surrogacy to make parenthood a reality.
Yet, whatever feelings we have for them or their beautiful children, a child is not an object to which one has a “right.” Creating a commercial surrogacy industry does not promote a culture of life and human dignity. Rather, it treats women and children as objects and commodities who become ripe for more exploitation. Surrogacy agreements are happening in Minnesota in an absence of clear public policy about the contractual validity of these agreements or their permissibility as a matter of public policy. In some states and several European countries, the practice of surrogacy is completely banned because it treats children as products and resembles human trafficking. Minnesota’s proposed commercial surrogacy statute, however, moves in the opposite direction and treats children as a product exchanged between contracting parties, and treats women as human incubators. The bill is designed to foremost protect the “investments” of the “intended parents.”
Perpetuating inequality The proposed law is built on an inherently unequal relationship between the buyers (“intended parents”) and the woman who rents out her body, and favors the needs and desires of the buyers — those who have the economic advantage to afford the hefty combined price tag of the brokers, clinics, fertility treatments and the surrogate woman herself. Women who are hired as surrogate mothers tend to be, naturally, more economically disadvantaged, and en-
ter into surrogacy arrangements for challenges that render them unthe promised monetary payments. wanted by the “intended parents”? Even women who claim altruistic rea- In many cases, they will be aborted. sons for serving as surrogates admit But one major unanswered question that the promise of compensation is is how courts will treat these conpart of the equation. tracts, and whether the intended parents can coerce Although the bill the birth mother to ensures that the abort a child they surrogate mother Film addresses no longer want. receives the comsurrogacy issue As Catholics, we pensation for are called to protect which she has Join MCC for a screening of the most poor and agreed to carry a the new documentary vulnerable in socichild, the emotion“Breeders: A Subclass of ety. This means al and health risks Women?” at 6:30 p.m., April 8 that we have a duty of the surrogate at Our Lady of Lourdes to protect those, mothers are not Church in Minneapolis. Get such as women properly protected. more information and who are contractAnd, these undirections by visiting the ing in surrogacy arequal transactions, events section of the MCC rangements, from amid the highly website: www.mncc.org. situations in which unregulated U.S. someone could fertility industry, take advantage of result in inadethem. Most important, we have a quate “informed” consent, low payments, coercion, poor health care, duty to protect children who are unand severe risks to a woman’s health able to speak for themselves. — risks that include ovarian problems, infection, future infertility, and Where we go from here cancer from the multiple injections To date (this edition of The Cathoof synthetic hormones and other lic Spirit went to press March 25), drugs such as Lupron, which is not legislative leaders have refused to FDA approved for fertility use. give full health policy hearings to the Commercial Surrogacy bill. But legis‘Best interest of the child’ lation laden with such important Another major problem of the bill moral and social questions, and is that the standard principle in fam- which could significantly impact the ily law with regard to fragmented women and children who are a part families and children — “the best in- of these arrangements, must be givterests of the child” — will not be en further legislative scrutiny and given any consideration in the sur- public debate. rogacy contracts. Before rushing into the surrogacy Unlike in the adoption process, business, Minnesota should follow there is no requirement that the “in- the lead of states such as New York tended parents” who receive the child and New Jersey, which established are “fit” parents. In fact, this bill cir- commissions to consider the human cumvents and undermines the adop- consequences of surrogacy and the tion process, and the safeguards pres- impact of a surrogacy business in ent within it, for protecting children. their state. Refusing to consider the Further, surrogacy is often con- consequences — on this or any nected to eugenics, where people issue — is a disregard of the legislaseek to create “designer babies.” Ad- tive duty to which Minnesotans vertisements for eggs often indicate should hold their elected officials. that they come from “smart, healthy, and beautiful donors.” Kathryn Mollen is policy and outBut what happens to those chil- reach coordinator for the Minnesota dren who have birth defects or other Catholic Conference.
Join MCC in talking with your legislators during the legislative session Join the Minnesota Catholic Conference in reaching out to state legislators this session
Here are talking points for SF 2627/HF 291, the Commercial Surrogacy Bill, which needs urgent consideration and action by Minnesota Catholics:
Legalization of commercial surrogacy “Say NO to the Commercial Surrogacy Bill, SF 2627/HF 291. The bill has many implications for women and children. It is irresponsible for the Minnesota Legislature to not fully examine the significant concerns surrogacy raises.” “Some states have created commissions to study the effects of commercial surrogacy on women and children. Other states, and many countries, have banned the practice of surrogacy altogether. The Minnesota Legislature should be taking the right steps to ensure we are protecting women and children from exploitation and commodification.” For more information about this advocacy issue, or to look up your legislators’ information, go to www.mncc.org and click on the Action Center under the “Take Action” menu tab. You can also call Senate Information directly at (651) 296-0504 for help in identifying your representative and senator. The Catholic Advocacy Network is an initiative of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
17 Author of ‘Forming Intentional Disciples’ to speak at Cathedral of St. Paul April 5 By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Parish staff and volunteer leaders can help fellow parishioners follow the Lord in a deliberate way as disciples in the Church, said Sherry Weddell, author of the book “Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus.” During the Cathedral of St. Paul’s First Saturday program at 8 a.m. April 5, Weddell will explain how parishioners can establish a culture of discipleship in their parish and encourage more Catholics to move from a cultural understanding of the faith to knowing Christ and bringing spiritual fruit into the Church. Weddell is co-founder and co-director of the Catherine of Siena Institute, an affiliated ministry of the Western Dominican Province dedicated to equipping parishes to form lay Catholic apostles. The challenge of forming disciples has far-reaching potential for parishes and the broader Church, Weddell said. “Will we be a generation of saints in our time who 50 years after the [Second Vatican] Council, after a long period of conflict, basically turn our attention back to this most essential thing, which is calling our people to that lived, transformative encounter with Jesus Christ? she asked. “And then fostering mature discipleship in our parishes, in our dioceses, and all the incredible fruits
Sherry WEDDELL
“Disciples will be active, but not all active people are disciples.”
— the gifts and the vocations and the new amazingly creative things that flow out of that — that change the culture, that change the direction of things?”
Reaching out One reason many Catholics lack a personal relationship with Christ, despite the significant number of people who are spiritually searching, is that they find out about faith from others, and no one is speaking about such a relationship in parishes, Weddell said. “Most Catholics do not read the Catechism,” she said. “They’re not reading the Bible.
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They’re not reading papal documents. They are reading one another.” Because of this silence about what’s at the heart of our faith, some of the estimated 3 million active U.S. parish leaders in a position to reach other parishioners for Christ also do not have a relationship with him, she said. “Disciples will be active, but not all active people are disciples.” Growing in that relationship, as the book describes, changes all aspects of a person’s faith life, she said. Weddell recommends parishes adopt the goal of doubling their
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number of disciples in five years through four steps that involve both group and one-on-one contact. Establishing a discipleship culture calls for a paradigm shift, she said. “We are talking about a vision.” The process is not difficult, but it works best with the collaboration of parish leaders who discuss the book together, Weddell said, adding that the efforts of even one parish leader can make a difference. According to Cathedral faith formation director Patrick Conley, the “double in five” goal “kind of moves the Church’s fundamental work of making disciples right out of Matthew 28 to front and center raise understanding and awareness of the goal.” Conley, who has been a facilitator for the Catherine of Siena Institute’s Called and Gifted Discernment Process, which helps Catholics discern their charisms, asked sponsors of the Cathedral’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program to read “Forming Intentional Disciples” as a way to understand and help those they sponsor. The response has been positive, and Conley hopes the Cathedral will continue to use the book in other ways to build awareness and participation in evangelization. Anyone who wants to help fellow Catholics know Christ should attend the First Saturday program, Conley said. “As we continue to see how the laity [are] in close partnership with our clergy and under the guidance of our shepherds — the bishops — that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “It’s being the hands and feet, being the body of Christ here in the world today and continuing his work.”
Faith & Culture
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March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Senior Housing Guide
18 The Wellington Senior Living and The Alton Memory Care The Wellington Senior Living and The Alton Memory Care are located in the Shepard Park neighborhood of Highland Park, just blocks away from the Mississippi River. The Wellington has been a part of this St. Paul community since 1985. The Highland Park area offers nearby retail shopping, various community centers, places of worship, and beautifully landscaped park areas. A free, scheduled transportation shuttle is provided during the week to locations in the area. The Wellington Senior Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living and 24-hour Care Suites. Our team is dedicated to providing an environment of comfort and dignity. We offer a variety of services from restaurant-style dining, housekeeping and a full array of social activities. Health care professionals, including licensed nursing staff and certified home health aides, are trained, dedicated and available to meet the needs of older adults. The Alton Memory Care is committed to providing the “person-directed” care that meets the specific needs of each individual while helping families spend quality time with their loved one and the peace of mind knowing they are well cared for in all aspects of their lives. When a loved one encounters memory issues, unique challenges arise for the person affected and their family members. At The Alton, we understand the emotions they experience and the importance that human kindness plays in helping. We also believe that assuring personal dignity is the cornerstone of providing care. For more information or a tour, please call The Wellington at (651) 699-2664 or The Alton at (651) 699-2480 or visit us online at www.ShepardPark SeniorCampus.com.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
St. Therese Southwest and the The Glenn by St. Therese Southwest — Two Communities, One Home. Offering the best in senior living in the Southwest Metro area. Whether it’s 14 acres of breathtaking scenery in Hopkins or the quaint, small-town feel of Glenn Lake, you’re sure to find your ideal retirement lifestyle. Our senior communities provide a spiritual environment in which people of all faiths are welcome. Mass, interfaith service, rosary, Bible study and beautifully designed chapels for quiet reflection and prayer are a few of the amenities supporting your spiritual journey. Gracious retirement living at its best is there for you with scheduled bus outings and numerous recreational activities, such as book club, baking group, craft class, card clubs and exercise class, to name a few. For more information or to schedule your personal tour, please call St. Therese Southwest at (952) 933-3333 or visit www.StThereseSouthwest.com. For The Glenn by St Therese Southwest, call (952) 352-1000 or visit www. TheGlennSeniorHousing.com.
MJ Properties of Saint Paul, LLLP Walk to daily Mass when you live at 1440 Randolph Ave. in St. Paul’s Highland Park. View our newly remodeled and value-priced apartments, perfect for today’s independent senior 55-plus. Adjacent to Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 1440 provides a quiet, simple, yet elegant living atmosphere for independent seniors of 55 and better who wish to “stay in the neighborhood” or live in close proximity to a Catholic church and the sacraments. Other features include: modernized elevator, underground heated parking and outside garages, stateof-the-art monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detection, new appliances, a friendly on-site management team, mini health clinic, fitness center and resident lounge with wireless access and cable TV — great for anyone on a budget for good value. For more information or to schedule a showing, please call MJ Properties of Saint Paul (651) 6904961.
19 The descriptions of senior housing and other services in this section were provided by the facilities and service agencies, which are responsible for the accuracy of the content. — The Catholic Spirit
“Where neighbors are friends, and people really care.”
Epiphany Pines Independent Senior Housing 1800 111th Ave NW. Coon Rapids
The Fountains of Hosanna! provides refreshing senior living. Our faith-based approach to independent living, assisted living and memory care puts comfort, care and compassion above all else. Engage life at The Fountains at Hosanna! in Lakeville. We offer a unique blend of independent living, assisted living and memory care services — all in one vibrant senior community. From an engaging social environment to compassionate care that adapts to your changing needs, The Fountains at Hosanna! has it all. Managed by Ebenezer, our facility is an experienced provider of residential and health care services for seniors since 1917.
St. Benedict’s Senior Community — Monticello
Senior Housing Guide
Fountains at Hosanna!
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St. Benedict’s Senior Community’s mission is: “Our actions are guided by the belief that ‘All Shall Be Treated as Christ.’” With foundational values and beliefs rooted in the tradition of the Catholic faith, St. Benedict’s Senior Community welcomes people of all faiths. Our campus features: retirement, assisted living and memory care apartments. Amenities include a chapel, theater, general store, fitness center, club room and enclosed outdoor courtyard. Call (763) 295-4051 for a tour.
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Indoor walkway to the Church of the Epiphany
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March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Senior Housing Guide
20 Our Lady of Peace At Our Lady of Peace, we believe it is our sacred duty to provide care, comfort and compassion to those in need — especially at the end of life — regardless of their social, religious or economic status. We offer a wide range of services — including free end-of-life cancer care, home hospice and home health care — to lighten the burden of daily caregiving for our patients and their loved ones. Our staff embraces a comprehensive approach coordinating services across all spectrums to provide optimal care results, as well as emotional and spiritual support. Providing personalized care is our passion. Protecting human dignity is our cause. We will work with you and your family every step of the way to ensure your time with us is as comfortable and peaceful as possible. For more information, please call (651) 789-5031.
Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels is the oldest familyowned funeral business in Minnesota. Established in 1857, before Minnesota became a state, Washburn-McReavy is a fifthgeneration business. Quality, personal service, and funeral and cremation services are available at all of our chapels. For a brochure, call (612) 3772203 or visit WWW.WASHBURN-MCREAVY.COM.
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March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
21 Epiphany Senior Housing
Cerenity Senior Care — Marian of Saint Paul is a Catholic continuum of care community in the East Metro offering all levels of senior care and housing. Cerenity Marian offers independent and assisted living, transitional care, therapy services, adult day services, skilled nursing, memory care assisted living, and enhanced assisted living. Mass is held six days a week in our beautiful Chapel of St. Mary. Cerenity Marian is across the street from Mounds Park in St. Paul. Join us for an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. For tours or more information, please call (651) 793-2100 or visit WWW.CERENITYSENIORCARE. ORG.
Epiphany Senior Housing is a nurturing and caring senior housing community located in Coon Rapids, just minutes north of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Our communities are linked to the Church of the Epiphany by an indoor walkway. We offer independent senior living at Epiphany Pines, while Epiphany Assisted Living and Memory Care have apartments available for those individuals needing extra care with their activities of daily living. Come soon to visit and sense the comfort of community again. Just like your old neighborhood, you can’t describe it…you have to feel it. Our health care services are tailored to meet an individual’s needs and are delivered with a loving spirit and a smile. Epiphany Assisted Living has created a distinctive memory care neighborhood for those with memory loss and dementia. We would love the opportunity to speak with you and learn more about your personal needs and share our many engaging features and services. Call to schedule a tour. For more information, call (763) 772-1066 or visit, www. EpiphanySeniorHousing.org.
Senior Housing Guide
Cerenity Senior Care — Marian of Saint Paul
Episcopal Homes Episcopal Homes has a variety of senior housing in St. Paul. For more information on any home listed below, visit www.episcopalhomes.org.
Episcopal Church Home Nursing and short-term rehab care in a faith-based, not-for-profit. Medicareand Medicaid-certified. Our mission is to support each individual’s physical, social and spiritual needs. Weekly Catholic Communion and rosary, plus monthly Catholic Mass. Call (651) 646-4061 for a tour.
Iris Park Commons “A Community of Heart” with 59 one/two-bedroom and studio apartments and a flexible menu of Assisted Living services for age 62-plus. Catholic Communion every Sunday, plus weekly Communion. Call (651) 646-1026 for a tour.
Cornelia House Gracious living for independent adults age 62-plus. We offer 47 one- or two-bedroom apartments, community spaces and a lively resident council that organizes social events. Call (651) 288-3931 for a tour.
Seabury Affordable independent living, age 62-plus. Recognized as one of the finest HUD subsidized senior housing facilities in the nation. Forty-nine onebedroom apartments with central air conditioning. Call (651) 379-5102 for a tour.
Carty Heights Affordable independent living for age 62-plus at University and Lexington. Forty-nine one-bedroom air conditioned apartments. Call (651) 288-1142 for a tour.
Kings Crossing Affordable independent living for age 62-plus, located above the shops of Frogtown Square at University and Dale. Residents have priority access to our programs and services. Forty-nine one-bedroom air-conditioned apartments. Call (651) 493-4606 for a tour.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Senior Housing Guide
22
John E. Trojack Law Office, P. A. A three-step strategy is used with each client. First, we emphasize counseling, taking time to understand each person’s needs. Second, we assist in keeping the plan current. Third, we show our clients how they can pass along their wisdom, as well as their wealth. John Trojack will work hard to help you give “what you own, to whom you want, when you want, and the way you want.” To ensure an “Estate Plan that works,” he maintains a formal updating program. And, the office assures you of fully-disclosed and controlled costs. For information, call (651) 451-9696.
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March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
23 St. Peter, Forest Lake — 5 to 7 p.m. at 1250 S. Shore Drive Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — Lenten Enchilada dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 401 Concord St.
St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove — 5 to 7 p.m. at 7180 Hemlock Lane N.
St. John the Baptist, Hugo — 5 to 8 p.m. at 14383 Forest Blvd.
Epiphany, Coon Rapids — 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 11001 Hanson Blvd. N.W. St. Peter, Forest Lake — 5 to 7 p.m. at 1250 S. Shore Drive. Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — Lenten Enchilada dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 401 Concord St. St. John the Baptist, Hugo — 5 to 8 p.m. at 14383 Forest Blvd. St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 1757 Conway St. St. Peter School, North St. Paul — 4 to 7 p.m. at 2620 N. Margaret St. Knights of Columbus Events Center, Shakopee — 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Guardian Angels, Oakdale — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 8260 Fourth St. N. Holy Cross, Minneapolis — 5 to 7 p.m. at 17th Avenue and Fourth Street N.E. Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 4087 W. Broadway St. Stephen, Anoka — 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 525 Jackson St. Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Holy Family Maronite Church, Mendota Heights — 4 to 7 p.m. at 1960 Lexington Ave. S. Fish and Lebanese side dishes. Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — 5 to 8
Prayer/ liturgy Living Stations of the Cross at St. Paul, Ham Lake — April 3 and 4: 7 p.m. each night at 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. Event involves more than 100 area teens. There is no cost to attend.
Retreats Lenten retreat at St. Agnes, St.Paul — April 5: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 535 W. Thomas Ave. Presenter is Father Robert Altier. Theme is “Every Saint has a Past and Every Sinner has a Future.” Register at www. catholicparents.org or for information, call (651) 705-5409. Women’s Morning of Reflection ‘A Heart for God’ at Immaculate Conception,
p.m. at 1900 Wellesley Ave. St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis — 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 2836 33rd Ave. S. St. Michael, Farmington — 5 to 7 p.m. at 22120 Denmark Ave. Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — 6 to 7 p.m. soup supper at 88 N. 17th St. St. Raphael, Crystal — 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 7301 Bass Lake Road Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road St. Joseph, Waconia — 4 to 7:30 at 41 East First St.
April 4 St. Peter School, North St. Paul — 4 to 7 p.m. at 2620 N. Margaret St. St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 1757 Conway St. Mary, Queen of Peace (St. Martin campus), Rogers — 5 to 7 p.m. at 21304 Church Ave. Holy Family Maronite Church, Mendota Heights — 4 to 7 p.m. at 1960 Lexington Ave. S. Fish and Lebanese side dishes. Epiphany, Coon Rapids — 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 11001 Hanson Blvd. N.W. Columbia Heights — April 5: 9 a.m. to noon at 4030 Jackson St. N.E. A morning to renew heart, mind and spirit with presenter Dr. Jackie Witter. $12 includes lunch. Info and RSVP to (763) 788-1897 or tiedendc@gmail.com. Men’s club Night of reflection at Guardian Angels, Oakdale — April 7: 7 p.m. at 8260 Fourth St. N. Deacon Thomas Winninger will show how to maintain control, develop better relationships and find ways to bring joy and satisfaction to life. Free will offering. ‘A Women’s Journey With God,’ weekend retreat at Villa Maria Retreat and Conference Center, Frontenac — April 11 to 13: Begins at 6 p.m. Friday at 29847 County Road 2 Blvd. Featured
Don’t miss More events online Additional parish and school events in the archdiocese can be found at TheCatholicSpirit.com/ calendar.
Calendar
Fish fries and Lenten dinners — March 28
St. Michael, Prior Lake — 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 16311 Duluth Ave. Holy Cross, Minneapolis — 5 to 7 p.m. at 17th Avenue and Fourth Street N.E. Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 4087 W. Broadway St. Stephen, Anoka — 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 525 Jackson St. Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. St. Richard, Richfield — 6 p.m. at 7540 Penn Ave. S. Meatless potluck followed by Taizé prayer. St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis — 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 2836 33rd Ave. S. St. Joseph of the Lakes, Lino Lakes — 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 171 Elm St. St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi — 5 to 8 p.m. at 700 Mahtomedi Ave. Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — 6 to 7 p.m. soup supper at 88 N. 17th St. St. Joseph, New Hope — 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 8701 36th Ave. N. Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road. St. Joseph, Waconia — 4 to 7:30 at 41 East First St. speakers: Sr. Pauline Lorch, OSU, and Sr. Adele Brennan, OSU. Mass on Saturday evening. Call (651) 345-4582. Triduum Retreat at Benedictine Center, Maplewood — April 17 to 19: Participants will experience the three most sacred days of the Church year with the Benedictine sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery. The $160 cost includes lodging and meals. To register, visit www.stpaulsmonastery.org and follow the link to the Benedictine Center. The Benedictine Center is located at 2675 Benet Road in Maplewood.
Singles Singles 50-plus Second Sunday Supper at St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis — April 13: 5 p.m. social hour, 6 p.m. dinner
and 7 p.m. entertainment at 4537 Third Ave. S. Cost is $10. Entertinment is guitarist Steve Kramer. For information, visit www. secondsundaymn.us.
Vocations Convent Living: A weekend sample at Holy Childhood Parish Convent, St. Paul — April 12 to 13: Noon Saturday to noon Sunday at 1427 Midway Parkway. Pray with the Sisters, help at a shelter, Mass together. For women 20-40 interested in a Sister’s vocation. Contact Sister Patricia Tekippe, FSPA, (612) 756.2508 or ptekippe@fspa.org.
Other events Quarterly meeting of the St. Paul Deanery Council of Catholic Women at St. John the Evangelist, Little Canada — April 10: Begins at 8:15 a.m. at 380 E. Little Canada Road. Bishop Paul Sirba of Duluth will speak. Cost is $12. RSVP by April 7 by calling (651) 261-2534.
CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: Time and date of event, Full street address of event, description of event and contact information in case of questions EMAIL: spiritcalendar@archspm.org (No attachments, please.) MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102
Path of most resistance is usually the path of greatest reward Continued from page 24 humdrum of daily existence, and this Lenten practice affirms that. I’m also learning that I tend to stubbornly resist what I know is most good for me. I always get so much out of my quiet sessions at the prayer desk in my room, but when I’m tired from a day of teaching and mothering, and the television is right in front of me, moving to the back of the house
seems like a herculean effort. But when I turn off the TV and turn on the prayer, I come away renewed and refreshed. Praying itself doesn’t take any work at all; it’s only that first step onto the path of most resistance that is hard. In fact, I’m finding that what looks like a difficult, steep path full of boulders is not so bad once you start walking it. Offering to do a chore for my husband is inherently
rewarding. Resisting those jelly beans means I get to avoid that “Blech, I had too much sugar” feeling. Football on the lawn is always more fun than I think it’s going to be, and I’m getting much better at catching the ball (though my wobbly passes will still keep me out of the NFL). I also get to see the delight on my son’s face when I say yes to his request. I can share his joy as he dives onto the
ground, laughing as he rolls onto his side with the ball held tightly in his arms. Even when Lent is over, I’m going to remember this truth: the path of most resistance is usually the path with the most rewards. Ginny Kubitz Moyer is the author of “Random MOMents of Grace: Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood.” She blogs at RandomActsofMomness.com.
March 27, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
The Last Word
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Lent and the path of most resistance Nearly every year, I praying a daily rosary. feel as though I’m not involved giving COMMENTARY Others doing enough to something up, such as celebrate Lent. Other junk food or social people seem to have media. (As a high profoundly meaningful school teacher, my Lenten experiences, favorite suggestion while I usually arrive at was to give up Easter thinking, “I grading.) They were didn’t do much with great ideas, but those 40 days, did I?” nothing seemed exactly right. This is why I found myself posting a A day later, I had a Facebook message on great idea. I decided Ginny Ash Wednesday, asking that for Lent, I would KUBITZ MOYER for ideas of what I embrace what I call should do for Lent. the Path of Most I got all kinds of Resistance. At least suggestions. Some involved once each day, I am consciously, adopting a new habit, such as deliberately choosing to do the
thing that I don’t feel like doing. Following the Path of Most Resistance means I’ve stretched myself in most areas of my life: the physical, the familial, and the spiritual. It means I’ve chosen not to have jelly beans when I really craved them. It means I’ve gone to exercise class even when I didn’t feel like it. When my 7-year-old asked to go out and throw a football with me, I said yes even though I really wanted to be alone and surf the Internet. Instead of settling in front of the TV, I’ve gone back to my quiet bedroom for a half-hour of prayer and silence with God. Every day it’s something different, and the variety is helpful. It makes
“When I turn off the TV and turn on the prayer, I come away renewed and refreshed.” Ginny Kubitz Moyer
me constantly mindful of all the little growth opportunities that are right in front of me. I’m a big believer that there are infinite opportunities for holiness in the Please turn to PATH on page 23
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Catholic School President: Aquinas Catholic Schools, an exemplary and growing preschool-grade 12 Catholic school system with 1,005 students located in La Crosse, WI, seeks a dynamic leader to serve as President, beginning July 1, 2014. The president is responsible to promote Catholic identity and serves as the chief executive, advancement, and financial officer of the school system. Aquinas Catholic Schools has been nationally recognized as a leader in Catholic identity and academic excellence, and has been admitted to the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. For a job description, system profile, and application instructions, please visit the system’s website at www.aquinascatholicschools.org. The deadline for application materials is April 15. Full-time custodial maintenance position: Nativity of Our Lord School St Paul. Custodial
experience preferred; good painting skills a must. Send resume to wkoepke@nativity-mn. org or fax to 651-696-5420. C5853 Hill-Murray is searching for a visionary educator whose leadership will ensure the continuation of an excellent academic program and who will promote the mission and values of the school. The ideal candidate for Principal would be a knowledgeable, practicing Catholic, who can demonstrate a genuine passion and enthusiasm for advancing the mission of Catholic education. The next principal will have a deep understanding of and experience in secondary education and the willingness to support a culture of continuous improvement and high expectations. For more information click the link below: http://www.hill-murray. org/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=182 C3530 Hill-Murray School Vice President for Development: Reporting to the School President, this Vice President (VP) for Development serves as a key member of the senior management team and is an active participant in making strategic decisions. This position provides leadership, direction and coordination for a comprehensive fundraising operation that secures financial resources from all donor segments. The VP for Development must build a multi-faceted revenue stream and will manage the Development team to meet short and long-term fundraising goals. He/she will build and maintain ongoing relationships with major donors and work hands-on to cultivate and solicit key top-level donations. Please see the Hill-Murray website for the Candidate Information Document: http://www. hill-murray.org/admin.cfm?tab=0 C3530 Saint John Vianney, Fairmont and Holy Family, East Chain is seeking a Director of Faith Formation for Grades 7-10 and Youth Minister for a parish of 850 families that is committed to the education and preparation of our youth. Minimum qualification would be
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praying with Scripture Learning more about our faith The Catholic Spirit’s 4-page Rediscover: pullout section in each issue highlights a new Rediscover: theme for you and discuss with others. Coming up April 10: Praying the Easter Triduum
Ancient prayer practice offers simple way to talk to God
D HEART OF THE MATTER Jeff CAVINS
eep down inside of every one of us is a desire to know God and enjoy a fruitful relationship with him. In times of distress or great need, we cry out to God and ask questions, express grief and beg for direction. But how does God answer us back in a way that we can understand? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to talk to God daily and listen to him and discuss with him not only your needs and cares, but for God to discuss with you his intentions, corrections and will for your life? The good news is that God wants to have a conversation, even more than you do. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer” (CCC 2567). One of the simplest ways to carry on a conversation with God, a way that you can speak to God and God can speak to you, is
The Catholic Spirit • March 27, 2014
the ancient practice of “lectio divina.” “Lectio divina” is Latin for “divine reading.” The catechism says that divine reading is a technique of prayer “where the word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer intended” (CCC 1177; see also CCC 2707).
Four-part process The practice of “lectio divina” was first established in the sixth century by St. Benedict as a monastic practice, but was later formalized in the 12th century by Guigo II, a Carthusian monk. Guigo established a four-step process that is used today. In “lectio divina” we come to understand that the Bible is not only to be read, it is to be prayed. The Church encourages prayer while reading the sacred text so that a dialogue takes place between God and man. The four-part process only takes a few minutes a day and can be enjoyed by Please turn to back page of section
Rediscover-faith.org
“In ‘lectio divina’ we come to understand that the Bible is not only to be read, it is to be prayed. The Church encourages prayer while reading the sacred text so that a dialogue takes place between God and man.” Jeff Cavins
The storyteller My grandfather’s tales were often humorous and had to do with fish. My grandmother told of the “old country” she longed to visit, although she only knew it from her parents. Now my mother is the keeper of the family stories, and we beg her, “Tell us that one about … again.” The great storyteller gathers all the ancestors into one voice. When my mother speaks of her grandmother’s cooking, that far away memory becomes present. As we sit at our own table, somehow we are lingering at our greatgrandmother’s table. It feels so natural to be in the farmhouse among all the relatives. Even though we were never there, we fit in and have become a part of all the comings and goings. The individual stories have such power because we know where they fit into the whole story. The Church, in her wisdom, has kept the stories for us, which are contained in Scripture and tradition. They reach back to creation, and Adam and Eve, and point to Jesus Christ, his Church and the reconciliation of all things at the end of time. PRAYER Since I was a child, I knew the individual stories, and had a vague idea where they fit, but it wasn’t until recently that JOURNAL I began to know the whole story. Alyssa In the summer of 2003, my spiritual father, Bishop Paul BORMES Dudley, of happy memory, insisted on two things: returning to school and participating in a Bible study with Jeff Cavins. His excellency was right on both counts. School opened the treasure chest of the Church, and Jeff put all the stories together in a coherent picture. As we followed the bloodline of Christ, there was a new family, and I could see how, through the Church, my own family and I fit into the whole story. It was At every turn, there was someone “As a lector, I attempt exhilarating! whose name I had known, but who, in a sense, to pray the story. was being introduced to me for the first time. During the reading, I Although there are so many favorites, perhaps my heart is closest to Moses, Rahab and the try to be unnoticed Israelites sent to her, and Mary. — instead allowing Although he may not remember it, I do. There was a day when I spoke with Jeff Cavins the writers and those about what I was to do with The Story. He who have told it for encouraged me to begin to tell it, even if it was to just one person at a time, perhaps over a millennia to be the He encouraged me to do what was utterly ones whose voices are meal. natural for me, to become a storyteller. heard.” There is always a story on my lips. However, the greatest honor comes when telling The Alyssa Bormes Story at The Meal — the Eucharist. As a lector, I attempt to pray the story. During the reading, I try to be unnoticed — instead allowing the writers and those who have told it for millennia to be the ones whose voices are heard. To know where the reading falls in the greater story, to know of the lives of those speaking, and those to whom they are speaking is all a part of the preparation. Understanding its context and content allows the words to have their own life. For me, there is a great joy in just letting the words of Scripture form in my mouth, and allowing them to fall off my lips. The joy is standing at the ambo among these many newfound family members, letting their voices be heard through mine, as they speak to those physically and spiritually present. It is humbling that for these 2,000 years, right before The Meal, the Supper of the Lamb, the nod is given to the storyteller. Bormes, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, is the author of the book “The Catechism of Hockey.”
The Catholic Spirit • March 27, 2014
Couple falls head ov St. Thomas grads say growing closer to God helped lead them to each other By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Archbishop John Nienstedt is not a matchmaker. Yet, he appears to have had a hand in bringing one Minnesota man and woman together for marriage. The tale centers on “lectio divina,” which the archbishop leads at the University of St. Thomas once a month during the school year. The practice involves taking a short biblical text, meditating on it and even imagining being in the scene. And, it was there at the UST “lectio divina” led by Archbishop Nienstedt that the seeds of love were planted between Kelly Blissenbach and Geoff LeCrone in October 2011. Blissenbach was making yet another of her regular “I hope this doesn’t visits to the event, which come off like, ‘Go to she had been doing for a year. LeCrone, on the other your mate.’ I think it’s hand, was trying it for the first time. When he walked just a really good into the campus chapel, illustration of when Blissenbach was already you have your focus there. His sharp eyes spotted on God, he’s going to her almost instantly. . . . lead you to “I noticed her pretty something better than much right away,” said 23, who graduatyou could have ever LeCrone, ed from UST with a degree imagined.” in economics and music in 2012. “I thought she was Kelly Blissenbach really beautiful. And, seeing her at ‘lectio divina’ showed me that she was a woman who was serious about her faith, and that definitely attracted me to her even more. When we started talking after [the ‘lectio divina’ ended], we hit it off right away.”
A perfect match Throughout the rest of the fall semester, they continued to have conversations, then started sitting near each other at daily Mass on campus. And they did not go their separate ways after exiting the chapel. “He would always walk me home from daily Mass,” said Kelly, 25, who graduated in 2013 after studying liturgical music and vocal performance. “And, I’d invite him over for tea, then we’d end up talking for at least another two or three hours after that. I lived in the Catholic women’s house on Grand and he lived in the dorms in Cretin.” The first official date came just before the start of the spring semester in 2012, near the end of what’s called the J-term. LeCrone was playing guitar in a musical at Park Square Theater in St. Paul, and he asked Blissenbach to come.
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Yet, though the a bach wasn’t sure wh became clear when L about two weeks aft Valentine’s Day.
“He asked me if I thought, ‘Oh crud, Oh boy, I don’t kno
ver heels over ‘lectio divina’ The grin remained, and grew even wider the day he proposed — Sept. 20, 2013, her 25th birthday. By that time, both were working, LeCrone at Best Buy and Blissenbach at three parishes in the Diocese of New Ulm as a liturgist and director of music — St. Pius X in Glencoe (where she belongs), Holy Family in Silver Lake and Holy Trinity in Winsted. They met after work in St. Paul and went to Mass at the Cathedral. Blissenbach had always wanted to light a candle inside the cathedral, so they did that after Mass, then went on to Kincaid’s for dinner. After that, they decided to go to the UST campus and take a walk along the river. “There’s a nice walking path right by the river, which we had been on,” said LeCrone, who belongs to St. John the Baptist in Excelsior, the parish he attended growing up. “So, I thought we could go do that. And, she wanted to put her purse in the trunk, but I wouldn’t let her because I had the ring in the trunk at the time. So, that tipped her off. “We were starting our walk, and there is a little grotto by one of the buildings where we had spent a lot of time together just talking and sometimes praying. And, that’s where I popped the question. The sun was just starting to set. It was nice.” The couple set a date of April 26 and will be married at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings, the parish Blissenbach attended growing up. In August, she made a call to Archbishop Nienstedt to let him know that “lectio” led to their nuptials. “He said, ‘You know, I’m very glad. . . . That makes me feel like I’m doing my job,’” Blissenbach said. “He had actually noticed that we were a couple earlier that year and he asked, ‘Are you two together?’”
Powerful prayer
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o divina’ is really special because it’s very personal. It’s time with God when he y to you. I thought it was really interesting the times that we went that there’d r 30 people there and no one person had the same insight that they drew from ng of a couple of sentences. I think it shows how deep God’s word is and how cares for each of us that he’s speaking to each of us personally through it.” Geoff LeCrone
attraction was obvious to both, Blissenhere the relationship was headed. That LeCrone stopped by her women’s house ter their first date, just two days before
I had a little time to talk,” she said. “I he’s going to ask me to just be friends. ow if I can do this.’”
She was wrong. In fact, as wrong as she could be. “He shut the door and the first thing he asked was ‘What do you think about us as a couple?’” she said. “And, I’m pretty sure the exact first word I said was, ‘What?’ It was just not what I was expecting. But he said, ‘You’re the most beautiful woman inside and out. And, I don’t want to see anyone else.’ I said yes and I hugged him. He went home, probably with a huge grin on his face.”
Of course, they both are adamant that “lectio divina” is not “a matchmaking thing,” LeCrone said. Rather, it was a way for both to learn Scripture more, deepen their faith and draw closer to God. Their romance just happened to be a very beautiful fruit of their serious effort to participate in an important prayer form of the Church. “I hope this doesn’t come off like, ‘Go to “lectio” and you’ll find your mate,’” Blissenbach said. “I think it’s just a really good illustration of when you have your focus on God, he’s going to . . . lead you to something better than you could have ever imagined.” Said LeCrone: “I think ‘lectio divina’ is really special because it’s very personal. It’s time with God when he speaks directly to you. I thought it was really interesting the times that we went that there’d be up to 20 or 30 people there and no one person had the same insight that they drew from this one reading of a couple of sentences. I think it shows how deep God’s word is and how much he cares for each of us that he’s speaking to each of us personally through it. “Whatever your vocation is, if it’s marriage [or] if it’s the priesthood, [“lectio divina”] is just a really powerful form of prayer. And, if you grow closer to God in that way, he definitely leads you where you’re supposed to be.”
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All you need to get started: Bible, notebook and good place to pray anyone. You don’t have to have theology degrees, be ordained or be particularly spiritually sensitive. So, what do you need to begin this long-awaited conversation with God? Very simply: a Bible, a notebook and a place. Since the Bible is the meeting place for this conversation with God, it’s recommended that you purchase a Bible that is approved by the Church. I highly recommend either the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, which is used in the catechism, or the New American Bible, which is used at Mass. Next, you will want a small notebook to keep notes during your time of prayer. Keeping track of your conversations with God is not only a good way to make clear what you believe God is saying to you, but in months and years from now you will enjoy going back and mediating on your spiritual growth. Third, it is good to establish a time and place where you can regularly meet with God. Some people enjoy a cup of coffee during their prayer time in the morning. Others like to pray during lunch break at work. It’s really up to you. The four steps to “lectio divina” are: • Reading • Meditating • Praying • Contemplating Step 1: Reading (“lectio”) Choose a small passage in the Bible as the source of your prayer for the day. Some like to take the Gospel reading of the day; others enjoy going through a Gospel passage or praying the psalms. Before reading the passage, pray and ask God for guidance and ask him to give you ears to hear. Read through the text slowly and
to God and incorporate in prayer the themes that got your attention in the first step. Ask God to help you live out what you are reading. Ask God to help you with the obstacles you are facing and ask him to speak to you about anything that you should do that day in response to his word. Remember to write down your findings, as this will become the blueprint for your day with Jesus.
The 4 steps to ‘lectio divina’ • Reading • Meditating • Praying • Contemplating
of your whole being. Thomas Smith, a colleague of mine, uses the acronym DIET. This stands for desire, imagination, emotions and thoughts. Through mediation you enter the story of the text and experience it. How can what you are reading become a reality in your life? What must it be like to experience what you are reading? What do you hear God saying to you in the text?
Step 4: Contemplation (“contemplatio”) Contemplation is the fruit of the first three steps. It is like enjoying the flowers that come up in the garden that you have planted and watered and tilled. Your mind is lifted to God, and you experience his presence with joy and peace. Spend a few minutes just enjoying your relationship with God, and thank him for his love and guidance. As you conclude this fourth step, make a resolve for the day. Think about what God was trying to show you in prayer and what you can do to respond to his word. I encourage you to give this wonderful exercise of prayer a chance in your life. If you long for a word from God, or for direction in your life or for insight into some of the difficulties you might be facing, then a dialogue of love with God is the answer. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that the practice of “lectio divina” would be the key to the “new springtime” for the Church. Here in Minnesota, are you ready a new springtime?
Step 3: Prayer (“oratio”) The third step is prayer. Your prayer can come in one of five forms: adoration, blessing, thanksgiving, intercession or petition. It is during this step that you can talk
Cavins is director of evangelization for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He is the founder of the Great Adventure Bible Study Series and director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute.
“I encourage you to give this wonderful exercise of prayer a chance in your life. If you long for a word from God, or for direction in your life or for insight into some of the God is the answer.” Jeff Cavins purposefully. Take notice of certain words or phrases that speak to you. In other words, there will be certain words that almost seem to be saying, “I’m for you today.” Write those words down in your journal. At this stage you don’t want to ask what they mean or why those words spoke to you — that comes later. Just record the words that are popping off the page. Step 2: Mediation (“meditatio”) During this second step you will begin to mediate on the passage. When we speak of meditation, it’s important to remember that the kind of mediation we are talking about is not an emptying of your mind but rather a full engagement
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FINAL OPPORTUNITY
Cor Jesu
prayer
This evening is a unique opportunity to experience Cor Jesu, meaning “Heart of Jesus,” as we worship Christ in community with the Church through Eucharistic adoration, confession, praise, benediction and fellowship. Tuesday, April 8. . . . . . . All Saints, Lakeville The Cor Jesu evening begins at 7 p.m. and ends around 9 p.m.
April 10 Praying the Easter triduum April 24 Why is it important to pray before meals, both at home and in public? May 8 What does it mean to pray with Mary? What are some Marian prayers? May 22 What is the rosary and why would I pray it?
The Catholic Spirit • March 27, 2014
June 5 What does it mean to pray constantly. June 19 How can silence help my prayer life? July 3 How is the Mass our greatest prayer? July 17 What is eucharistic adoration? How can it deepen my friendship with Christ?
July 31 How can I instill good prayer habits in my children and pray with them? August 14 How can music be a vehicle and aid for prayer? August 28 Who are models of prayer we can emulate in our own lives? September 11 Overcoming obstacles to
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prayer: How do I get out of a prayer rut?
seemingly go unanswered?
September 25 What are blessings, and how can I give them?
November 20 What are some popular Advent prayer traditions?
October 9 How has prayer healed or transformed lives? October 23 Why do we ask saints to pray for us? November 6 How do we remain faithful when our prayers
December 4 What are the psalms and how can they guide my prayer? December 18 What prayer customs do you celebrate during the Christmas season?