The Catholic Spirit - May 22, 2014 by The Catholic Spirit Publishing Co.

Youth Day 4B • Lourdes pilgrimage 10B • Memorial Day 11B-13B May 22, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

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Listening to abuse survivors, building trust important for healing, vicar general says By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit

In Holy Land, Pope Francis will focus on unity, not ignore conflict

Palestinian peace process and the plight of the Middle East’s shrinking Christian population. The Vatican has emphasized that the pope’s main purpose on the trip is to meet in Jerusalem with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, considered first among equals by Orthodox bishops. The official logo for the papal visit is an icon of the Apostles Peter and Andrew, patron saints of the churches of Rome and Constantinople, joined in a fraternal embrace. Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew are scheduled meet four times during the pope’s threeday visit. Their private meeting May 25 will mark the 50th anniversary of the encounter in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, which opened the modern period

of ecumenical dialogue. At an ecumenical service that evening, representatives of the three churches who share custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher — Catholic, GreekOrthodox and Armenian — will pray together at the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. The event will be “extraordinarily historic,” according to the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, since the three communities normally observe strict separation when they worship in the church. Despite the focus on relations among Christians, Pope Francis’ brief visit will not take in the northern Israeli region of Galilee, where most of Israel’s Christians live. Both St. John Paul and Pope Benedict included the region on

Search for Christian unity

Christians in the Holy Land

Israeli-Palestinian peace

The pope will meet four times with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The region’s Christian population has sharply diminished in the last decade.

The pope will likely address the issue in his speeches and private remarks.

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service On Pope Francis’ first trip to the Holy Land, May 24-26, his agenda will focus on the search for Christian unity, particularly between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. But inevitably, in a region so rich in history and so fraught with conflict, he will address other urgent issues, including dialogue with Jews and Muslims, the Israeli-

Please turn to MINNESOTA on page 9B

The Issues

A goodwill gesture by parishioners at St. Paul in Ham Lake has brought together a leader of the local Church and victims of clergy sexual abuse. Father Charles Lachowitzer, vicar general of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, attended the gathering that parishioners hosted at the church in early May. It included prayer, song and members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests sharing their stories. It’s listening to survivors’ stories that will help forge relationships and guide the Church in creating and maintaining safe environments, Father Lachowitzer said. “Safe environments,” he added, “include those of survivors’ networks that serve to empower victims.” “For the last seven months or so, so much of my work has been pieces of paper and files and reports and meetings . . . which bring to reality that this is a serious issue in our local Church,” said Father Lachowitzer, who also met with abuse victims when he served as a pastor. “But to have faces, to have people standing there and speaking so courageously, honestly, with passion, anger — that was my biggest experience there. The faces on it really gave a sense of what kind of impact, lifelong, this type of tragedy has on people.”

Hearing with the heart Among SNAP members present was Bob Schwiderski, the group’s state director. Father Lachowitzer had met with Schwiderski last fall and again after the parish gathering. He said that in the meetings, Schwiderski has taught him to create an “even playing field” by asking victims to help the Church. “And so that’s what I say now through Bob to SNAP: We need help. And we need you to help us. You need to tell your stories and keep being a voice in our ears so it goes to our hearts, so that what we do Please turn to PASTOR on page 19B

ALSO inside

Becoming better, not bitter

Putting faith into action

Rosary comes alive

Bob Labat reaches out to other parents who have lost children after losing four of his own. — Page 5B

The Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute is shaping new leaders, disciples for the Church. — Page 6B

Dire hospital situation leads man to deep devotion to Mary. — Rediscover: center section

Page Two

2B OVERHEARD

in PICTURES

“Going to school means opening your mind and heart to reality in all its richness and various dimensions. If one learns how to learn — this is the secret, learning to learn — this will stay with you forever.” — Pope Francis, speaking to about 300,000 Italian students May 10 in St. Peter’s Square

NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit MORTGAGE BURNING Father Michael Miller, left, pastor of St. Michael in Stillwater, watches as the mortgage certificate burns during a special ceremony at the parish May 18, which also included Archbishop John Nienstedt. Under his leadership, the parish recently was able to retire a $8 million renovation debt. The project started in 2001 when Father Michael Skluzacek was the pastor. When Father Miller arrived in 2005, the remaining debt was $5 million for the project, which consisted of an atrium to the church, a three-level building containing a social hall, parish offices and meeting rooms, a middle school and a gymnasium. Photo by Jeanne Crea

Father Joncas honored with national award The National Federation of Priests’ Councils has awrded its 2014 Touchstone Award to Father Jan Michael Joncas. Father Joncas has been a member of the faculty at the University of St. Thomas since 1991, teaching classes in liturgy and worship. In 2012 he was named an artist in residence and research fellow in the university’s Center for Catholic Studies. The Touchstone Award is presented to the priest, who in the view of the president and board of Father directors of the National Federation of Priests’ Jan Michael Councils, is one whose service in the Gospel of Jesus JONCAS Christ exemplifies the purpose and goals of the Federation, “his leadership enhances the ministry of others and his words and deeds support the life and ministry of priests; thus he, as it were, is a touchstone for genuine, quality priesthood.”

Father Svobodny celebrates 65th anniversary

WOUNDED WARRIORS U.S. military personnel walk in procession during a pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southwestern France May 16. About 60 wounded U.S. military personnel, together with family members and caregivers, were a part of the annual Internatio nal Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Read more on page 10B. CNS photo/Paul Haring

Nominations open for St. John Paul II Champions for Life

WHAT’S NEW on social media A Catholic Spirit Facebook post this week asks: What do you hope Pope Francis will accomplish during his trip to the Holy Land May 24 to 26? Follow the latest news about the local and universal Church by following The Catholic Spirit on Twitter @CatholicSpirit. Two books for young readers are reviewed by Bob Zyskowski, ‘Brother Hugo and the Bear’ and ‘Jesus.” Visit CatholicHotdish.com to read about them. Check out a short promo video for the upcoming Archdiocesan Youth Day on You Tube at http://bit.ly/1o2Cccw.

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 19 — No. 11 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT, Publisher ANNE STEFFENS, Associate Publisher JOE TOWALSKI, Editor

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Al Svobodny will celebrate the 65th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood June 1 at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo. A prayer service begins at 2 p.m. with an open house to follow. There will be a short program at 3:30 p.m. RSVP to (763) 682-1394. Father Svobodny was ordained June 4, 1949, at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. He has served as the public relations director at Christ the King Retreat Center for the past 20 years. Previously, he served as a teacher in Carthage, Mo., pilgrimage director at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill., vocation director, worked at Holy Family parish in Duluth and was the editor of OMI Communications for his order’s former central province.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is looking to honor those who work tirelessly for life at its annual St. John Paul II Champions for Life Awards. To submit a nomination online, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/ C4L2014. The nomination deadline is Aug. 15. Nominees must be a member of a Catholic parish or Catholic affiliated group within the archdiocese. Award Categories include: adult – pro-life professional, adult – volunteer, youth/young adult (individual or group), couple, family or Catholic affiliated group. The awards will be presented at the St. John Paul II Champions for Life Awards Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 16 at St. Peter in Mendota.

CORRECTION The caption for the “Walking with our Blessed Mother” rosary procession photo on page 7 of the May 8 edition incorrectly identifies the parishioners as being from Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul. They are from St. Francis de Sales and St. James in St. Paul.

Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published bi-weekly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: catholicspirit@archspm.org • USPS #093-580

3B At 8 a.m. on the morning of March 14, 2013, a single unmarked car — a Volkswagen, not a Mercedes — slipped out of the Vatican and drove across town to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the most beautiful churches in the world, dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. In that vehicle rode Pope Francis, who had been elected to the throne of St. Peter the very day before. He had come to this shrine to place a bouquet of flowers and to say a prayer before one of the most ancient icons of Mary, entitled “Salus Populi Romani,” the Protectress of the Roman People. It is said that the icon had been written by St. Luke himself while Mary was still alive. Tradition also holds that while St. Luke painted, the Mother of Jesus spoke about the life of her son, which the evangelist later recorded in his Gospel. In making this visit the first priority of his pontificate, Pope Francis was declaring his deep and personal love for the Blessed Mother, who is the surest guide for leading one to Jesus. Surely, Pope Francis was saying by this symbolic act that he was placing all of his trust, all of his ministry under the protection THAT THEY MAY of this powerful patroness. A few months later, ALL BE ONE in October 2013, the Holy Father articulated the confidence he has in the Madonna: Archbishop

John Nienstedt

“Mary points to Jesus. She asks us to bear witness to Jesus. She constantly guides us to her Son, Jesus, because in him alone do we find salvation. He alone can change the water of our loneliness, difficulties and sin into the wine of encounter, joy and forgiveness. He alone.” Now it is not surprising that a pope — any pope — would have a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother, but this pope’s affection for her seems very personal and very intense. And that is a helpful witness to us, especially during this month of May, traditionally dedicated as Mary’s month. Providentially, this year’s priestly ordination will fall on the feast of the Visitation. In preparing my homily for that occasion, I learned that there is a vital connection between this feast and that of the Annunciation. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he communicated not one but two revelations: first and foremost that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah and, secondly, that her elderly and until then barren cousin, Elizabeth, was six months pregnant. This latter news provides a kind of divine hint to Mary that she should make the four-

“In the blessed encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, we discover the role of the Blessed Virgin as bearing Christ to the world. But as baptized believers, we, too, share in that noble vocation, and we, too, are bound to bringing Christ to others, giving birth to him by lives of compassion, service, and witness.” Archbishop John Nienstedt

From the Archbishop

Mary is surest guide for leading us to Jesus

day trip from Galilee to Ein Karem to not only assist Elizabeth, but to share her own good news with her cousin. But no sooner does Mary greet her cousin than Elizabeth, prompted by the Holy Spirit, has a vision of her own, calling Mary the “Mother of my Lord” and praising her for her great faith in God. Indeed, the very child in Elizabeth’s womb, St. John the Baptist, senses the proximity of the God-man and immediately becomes his herald while not yet even born. With this encounter, Mary, then, begins the mission she is to have in God’s plan for salvation by giving public praise to God in her beautiful Magnificat. Her words, an echo of the words of the holy woman Hannah whose own hymn of praise is recorded in the First Book of Samuel, summarize the hope-filled desire of the chosen people for the fulfillment of a promised Messiah, now come true. Here on the lips of that anointed’s Mother are found the first ringing endorsement for the Gospel of the poor. While recognizing her own lowliness, Mary gives the credit of her blessedness to God, her Savior. In her hymn, she describes the wonderful world of grace as the Kingdom of God’s love, overturning the logic of this present world with the logic of God’s love and mercy. Every night at Evening Prayer, the Church repeats Mary’s words of praise, asking us to make them our own. In the blessed encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, we discover the role of the Blessed Virgin as bearing Christ to the world. But as baptized believers, we, too, share in that noble vocation, and we, too, are bound to bringing Christ to others, giving birth to him by lives of compassion, service, and witness. Let us ask Mary’s intercession that we might do so as faithfully in our world as she did in hers. God love you!

Pope to beatify Pope Paul VI at end of synod on the family

Mingling with NFL greats Archbishop John Nienstedt, right, talks with former NFL players Matt Birk, left, and Rich Gannon during Relevant Radio’s annual Christ Brings Hope Banquet May 15 in Bloomington. Birk, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and later the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, was this year’s Christ Brings Hope award winner. Gannon also played for the Vikings and later the Oakland Raiders, with his team reaching the Super Bowl in 2003. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Catholic News Service Pope Francis will beatify Pope Paul VI Oct. 19 during the closing Mass of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family. Pope Francis signed a decree May 9 recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope Paul, who led the Church from 1963 to 1978, and authorized publication of the Oct. 19 beatification date, according to a Vatican statement May 10. The miracle involved the birth of a baby in California in the 1990s. The family’s name and city have not been released, but according to news reports, a pregPope PAUL VI nant woman whose life was at risk along with the life of her baby was advised by doctors to terminate the pregnancy. Instead she sought prayers from an Italian nun who was a family friend. The nun placed a holy card with Pope Paul’s photograph and a piece of his vestment on the woman’s belly. The baby was born healthy. For Pope Paul’s sainthood cause, physicians continued monitoring the child’s health up to the age of 12, and everything was normal.

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Local

Know a good Catholic boss? Archdiocesan Youth Day

Nominations open for 2014 Leading With Faith awards The Catholic Spirit

Nominations are now being accepted for The Catholic Spirit’s 2014 Leading With Faith awards, presented by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Each year, the awards recognize Catholic business owners, managers, and supervisors who work in the 12-county archdiocese and bring their Catholic faith into the marketplace. Award honorees are men and women who influence their workplaces through business practices that reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church and who share their time and talent with parishes and the wider community. During the past 13 years, The Catholic Spirit has honored more than 100 people with a Leading With Faith award. Honorees represent a range of professions. In past years, for example, they have included a gas station owner, social work supervisor, bus company president, restaurant owners and advertising agency vice president. Last year’s winners included people like Jeff Berg, president/owner

of Integrated Wealth Advisors and a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park; Christopher Zeman, vice president/co-owner of Zeman Construction and a member of St. Joseph in New Hope; Dan and Barb Massman, station owners of KDWA Radio and parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings; and Tom Redman, director of parks and recreation for the City of Chaska and a parishioner at Guardian Angels in Chaska.

Nominate someone today To nominate someone, all it takes is filling out a short form. • Go to TheCatholicSpirit.com, click on the Leading With Faith box, and then download a copy of the nomination form to print. • Or call (651) 251-7709 or email gibbsm@archspm.org to request a nomination form, and one will be mailed to you. A panel of judges will choose winners in three categories: large business (50 or more employees), small business and non-profit organizations. Archbishop John Nienstedt will present the awards at a luncheon Aug. 14 at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. The deadline for nominations is June 20.

set for Saturday, Oct. 25 The Catholic Spirit Teenagers in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are invited to the third annual Archdiocesan Youth Day Oct. 25. The theme, “Thirst for Happiness,” is inspired by Pope Francis’ message to “be blessed [by being] happy.” The event is for students who will be in grades nine through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. It will take place from 1:30 to 9 p.m. at the Anderson Athletic & Recreation Complex (Field House) on the University of St. Thomas campus, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. With Dave Rinaldi of NET Ministries as emcee, Archbishop John Nienstedt will spend the day with participants and celebrate Mass. Keynote speaker Sister Miriam James Heidland, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, will speak about the

Congratulations to Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for raising over

theology of the body, authentic love, the healing power of Christ, vocations and the dignity and beauty of women. Sister Miriam’s ministry ranges from coaching high school volleyball to co-hosting a Catholic radio show. The event also includes music (featuring Twin Cities band Sonar), dinner, opportunities for reconciliation and eucharistic adoration, activities and service projects. At last year’s event, 1,600 youth gathered for the day. The cost is $10 per student. Registration is by group only, so those interested should contact the youth minister or pastor at their parish or campus minister at their school. Groups registered by June 1 are guaranteed attendance. For more information, call Sonya at (651) 291-4515, or visit the events page at www.archspm.org.

St. Paul’s Monastery names new prioress The Catholic Spirit The Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery in Maplewood announced May 12 that they have elected Sister Paula Hagen to be the 11th prioress of the monastery. She will be installed during a Mass on Pentecost Sunday, June 8.

As the sole sponsor of the Catholic Schools Raffle, we helped 85 schools in the Upper Midwest raise more than $1 million for Catholic education this spring. This is another way we unite faith and finances. Learn more about this terrific fundraiser: www.catholicunited.org/links/raffle or www.facebook.com/catholicschoolsraffle Denise Degerstrom, FIC 320-384-0339 Braham,

Rick Mathiowetz, FIC 952-447-2546

Jon Ginther, FIC 612-644-0563

Roger Bauer, FIC (651) 437-6026

Peter Ryan, FIC 763-972-8283

Jim Suek, FIC 612-788-8051

Cambridge, Isanti, Mora

Scott County

Hastings and surrounding area

Delano, Waconia, Victoria and Norwood

Kevin Downie (507) 202-5304

Ryan Selleck, FICF, LUTCF 952-933-0780

Cannon Falls, Red Wing, Hampton

Mary Harens, FIC 651-295-2040 St. Paul area

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

W. Minneapolis Suburbs

N. Minneapolis, Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Fridley

Catholic Schools Raffle!

Sam Welter, FIC 952-448-4865 Chaska, Cologne, Glencoe, Winsted

Contact your local representative today

Sister Paula HAGEN

She also has worked as a family therapist for Catholic Charities and family ministry consultant to parishes around the country. She co-founded Ministry of Mothers Sharing and served as its national director. The Sisters of St. Benedict invite the public to join them in a celebration of service from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 22. St. Paul’s Monastery was founded from St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, on June 22, 1948, to serve God’s people in the area.

S. Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, Minnetonka

Mike Skillrud (612) 750-5885

Burnsville, Cottage Grove, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights

Sister Paula is known nationally for her retreat ministry with women and families. During her more than 50 years as a Benedictine sister, she has set up occupational therapy departments in various nursing homes, including St. Therese in New Hope.

www.catholicunited.org 1-800-568-6670

During the celebration, people are invited to work with the sisters on projects ranging from writing cards to members of the Armed Forces to planting a butterfly garden. RSVP by calling (651) 777-8181 by June 13.

5B Bob Labat credits priests with healing, seeks to support them in new Serra role By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit If you have experienced the death of a child during the last 10 years, chances are you have met Bob Labat. Funerals, especially of children, can be downright heart-wrenching. An event most people would shy away from when they could. Not Bob. He looks for them, scanning the obituaries in newspapers and then stopping to read when he sees that the deceased is a youth. He then writes down the name of the church so he can attend the funeral. Doesn’t matter that he has never met the family. In almost all of the nearly 100 instances where he has come to the church before the start of the funeral, he is a stranger to the parents. Most of the initial encounters with moms and dads last less than 30 seconds. But that’s often all it takes to bring them the kind of comfort Bob is able to give. He knows their pain. He has felt this loss himself. Four times.

Healing after heartbreak The first came just 16 months after he married his wife, Dixie, on Aug. 9, 1960. Their daughter Frances Ann was born on the last day of 1961. She never made it to the new year. The day she was born, Dec. 31, 1961, was also the day she died; the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. Fast forward to Thanksgiving Day 1985. By that time, Bob and Dixie had brought four more children into the world, all boys — Paul, Tim, David and Patrick. The oldest three had graduated from Wayzata High School in the western suburbs, and two of them were coming home for the holiday to join Bob, Dixie and Patrick, the youngest, who was a sophomore at the time. Those years were glorious, Bob recalled. “For 25 years, my life revolved around my boys.” The bubble burst on that Thanksgiving morning as Bob and Dixie were getting ready for the meal with three of their four sons. Only their oldest son, Paul, was not joining in the feast. Just out of college, he was in Detroit working for General Motors and had decided not to travel that day because he was coming back later that weekend for a friend’s wedding. An avid duck hunter, he decided to spend the morning on a lake with a friend. Paul never made it home. A wave created by a large vessel coming through the lake where they were hunting caused the boat to capsize. Although both men were wearing life jackets, Paul died of hypothermia. “We talked the day before

Local

Becoming better, not bitter, after deaths of children

Bob Labat visits Holy Name of Jesus Cemetery in Wayzata May 12. Four of his children are buried there with the graves in the shape of a cross. Dianne Towalski/The Catholic Spirit Thanksgiving. That was our last conversation. It was the first holiday he was not going to be home with the family,” said Bob, 77, who recently became the new president of the U.S. Serra Council, an organization of Catholic men and women working to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. “A good friend of ours from St. Bart’s [St. Bartholomew in Wayzata] and the chief of police from Wayzata came to our home early Thanksgiving morning. We were all prepared to sit down and eat. They told us our son had died, which was totally unexpected. We, frankly, have never had a Thanksgiving dinner at home since. It’s just been impossible to do so.” But, what Bob vividly remembers are the words of Father Arnold Weber during Paul’s funeral Mass a few days later at St. Bartholomew, where they were parishioners at the time. “Father Arnold stood there, and we were sitting in the front row,” said Bob, who with Dixie now belong to both Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata and St. Therese in Deephaven. “And, he pointed his finger at us and he said, ‘Bob and Dixie, you now have a choice to make. And, the choice is all up to you. You can either be better or you can be bitter.’” Despite the heartache of losing their oldest son, Bob and Dixie chose to turn to God and deepen their faith. They resolved to be better. Less than a year later, the words of Father Weber would be needed again after their No. 2 son, Tim, died in a motorcycle accident. There was more. Seventeen years later, in 2003, they got a call from David that their youngest son, Patrick, had been found dead inside his

barn in Corcoran. They were not given a clear reason why Patrick died. But, a bouquet of roses on the dining room table of Patrick’s home offered some spiritual comfort that day and beyond. “It was Mother’s Day weekend, and when I went back to the house, I thought Dixie would be just a basket case, crying and everything else,” Bob said. “But, she really wasn’t. . . . She told me right then and there, ‘I know Patrick is with Paul and Tim because there were roses on the table.’ My wife has a very close devotion to St. Therese [of Lisieux, known as The Little Flower], and just feels that since those flowers were there, that was another sign that that’s the way it was supposed to be [for the three boys].” Though their grief was compounded by the multiple losses, Bob said Paul’s death was by far the toughest. “I was feeling like, two days before [Paul’s] funeral, what Job went through in the anguish,” Bob said. “I could not sleep, I could not do anything other than help get photos together of Paul. It was just unfathomable to me. Basically, my faith was really tested.” Eventually, as Bob and Dixie worked to become better, which included professional counseling, life got better and their grief lessened after Tim’s death. They took consolation in the heavenly reunion between Tim and Paul that they believe continued the strong bond the two had on earth. The two boys shared the same room growing up, and at times were inseparable. That fact is reflected in a discovery made shortly after Tim died. Bob and Dixie cleaned out the room he shared with Paul, and they

found a pair of items that triggered shock, and then joy. Two pocket Bibles containing the New Testament and the Psalms, one belonging to each of the two boys, each had one small bookmark at the exact same spot: 1 John 4:20, which proclaims how one can’t love God, who is unseen, if one doesn’t love his brother, who is seen. Bob said discovering the two Bibles is “one of many signs” that indicates the two are together in heaven, along with Patrick and Frances Ann. It’s this belief that fuels Bob’s desire to reach out to parents at funerals. “I simply tell them who I am, and that I’m sorry for their loss,” Bob said.

Reciprocating support Now, Bob is turning his attention to Serra, which he believes is connected to how well he has handled losing four children. He stresses the importance of the priesthood by simply bringing up the impact Father Weber had on him back in the 1980s. He thinks priests and all who have chosen a religious vocation should get more support from those in the pews. “Priests and religious really do a phenomenal job that we don’t appreciate anywhere near as much as we should,” he said. “I want to concentrate more on thanking priests and religious for their vocations. “I’m excited about the opportunity to show some leadership, but mostly to motivate people to not take for granted what they have, be excited about it, offer more help, encourage more people to consider vocations, because it’s a gift.”

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Local

Local Catholics learn to put faith into action Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute shapes leaders, disciples By Bridget Ryder For The Catholic Spirit

When Mark Joerger of St. Joseph in West St. Paul addressed his fellow graduates in a commencement speech for the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute on May 13, he told them it was “game time” — time to let the light of their faith shine for others. “You’re on fire. You want to go. You just want to run a marathon, a marathon of sharing your Cindy faith,” Joerger said. CASEY Joerger was one of 152 graduates in the class of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Started five years ago, the Catechetical Institute is a two-year program that takes students through the Catechism of the Catholic Church in four, 11-week modules based on the four sections of the Catechism — the Creed, prayer, the sacraments and morality. Each class meets weekly for lectures and small group discussions, as well as eight Saturdays for formation. The Catechectical Institute is a program of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. Kelly Wahlquist, program manager for the institute, sees its unique effects. “So often when people are looking to grow in their knowledge of the faith, they’ll go Visit cistudent.com to register through a for the next session of the program, Archbishop Harry J. Flynn listen to a Catechetical Institute (fall 2014 CD set or to spring 2016). perhaps go to a conference, and usually when they are finished, they will look for the next program, the next CD set, the next conference, all in an effort to continue to feed their need to go deeper,” Wahlquist said. “What has been inspiring for me is that the graduates of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute eagerly become the ones who want to actively teach, share and live the

have started to see the gifts he has given me. I have more of the confidence to use the gifts and say yes,” she said. Just days after graduation, Joerger, who is already involved in St. Paul’s Outreach and other ministries, is still discerning new outlets for his zeal in daily life. “It’s trying to discern, what do you do going forward? How do I integrate my faith more into my work life?” he said.

Advocates for the Church

Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn, right, congratulates Arturo Urbina after the graduation ceremony for the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute May 13 at the St. Paul Seminary. Urbina, a member of Risen Savior in Burnsville, was one of 152 graduates to receive certificates from Archbishop Flynn during the ceremony. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit faith in order to bring others to Christ.”

Answering the call Cindy Casey, 60, a parishioner at St. Peter in Forest Lake, graduated a year before Joerger. She retired at age 55, envisioning she and her husband, Chuck, would serve as missionaries in chemotherapy rooms at hospitals. That dream took on a different reality when he was diagnosed with cancer. After Chuck’s death, she attended daily Mass at her parish even though she struggled to believe in the Eucharist. “I had fallen away and had a conversion experience,” she said. “I remained Catholic, but my family is evangelical, and I had adopted some of their way of thinking, that it’s symbolic. I had been praying as I went up to Communion, ‘Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.’” At the same time, she felt she had lost not only her husband, but also her vocation as a married woman, and she sensed the Lord calling her to something new that she couldn’t articulate. Her pastor, Father Don DeGrood, suggested she enroll in the Catechetical Institute. There, she found the answers to her questions.

“I felt the Lord calling me to not date, not marry, but for Him to be my beloved. One of first things I read about in the first pillar is consecrated virgins and consecrated widows. All of a sudden, I had a name for what I felt he was calling me to,” Casey said. Through her study, the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist also became real to her. She also informally consecrated her life as a widow to God. Since graduating from the Catechetical Institute, she has been sharing her faith as a small-group leader for NET Ministries and as a co-coordinator for the widow/widowers ministry at her parish. “After I graduated, I felt like the Lord had some ministry for me, and I assumed it was going to be a ministry to widows,” Casey said. “I was surprised when one of the women asked if I would be part of a formation team for NET,” she said. The call to minister to her fellow widows came just a few months ago when she was asked to help start the new ministry at her parish. “Through the knowledge I have gotten of God, I have started to see myself the way God sees me and

The integration of a deeper faith can take many forms. Father Mike Skluzacek, pastor of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, has 44 graduates from the Catechetical Institute in his parish, and 15 parishioners currently in the program. Whether they take on leadership roles or use their formation in their families, he sees how the rising tide of the graduates’ faith lifts the entire parish. “They have a deeper spiritual life. They are more committed Catholics, more committed parishioners,” Father Skluzacek said. “I used to think from the start this would be a good way to get more volunteers in the parish. I guess that’s a side benefit. I’m starting to see the Catechetical Institute’s graduates as just having a real effect on the rest of the parish in that they bring to whatever they’re involved in a deeper understanding and appreciation of the faith.” Father Skluzacek has also observed that not only are they better able to articulate the Church’s teachings and advocate for them in society, but they also are compassionate. “I’ve seen them have a specific zeal for making newcomers feel welcome and getting them involved in the life of parish,” he said. “I see them reaching out to people who are hurting in various ways. It’s not just a head faith they have, they are able to apply it.” And for Casey, her formation at the Catechetical Institute also inspired a schedule of early morning Scripture reading and meditation. “I can’t wait to get up in the morning; I was never a morning person,” she said.

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Faith formation student helps coordinate Postal Service food drive By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit Presentation Church’s ministry to the hungry in Maplewood just got a big boost, thanks to an 8-year old faith-formation student and the U.S. Postal Service. Six Postal Service trucks pulled up to the parish school May 10 to deliver bags of food they had collected that morning during the U.S. Postal Service’s nationwide Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Alexis Lamprecht volunteered to be a food drive ambassador at the request of her great-aunt, Pam Donato, who serves as the National Association of Letter Carriers director of community services in Washington, D.C. “My aunt asked me to do this and I really wanted to,” Lamprecht said. As an ambassador, she worked to get the word out about the food drive and helped carry, unpack and organize the food. She even made cookies and bars for her volunteers. Lamprecht, a second-grader at Oakdale Elementary School, has been concerned about others going hungry for a long time. “Last year, she asked for food items instead of birthday gifts and collected 164 items,” said Benedictine Sister Kathleen Rademacher, the parish faith formation director. “She is an extraordinary child.” “Sometimes, if I don’t finish my food, I think about others that are going hungry,” Lamprecht said. Helping like this makes her feel really good, she added. There will be more families in need of food during the summer months because kids aren’t getting lunch at school. This comes just in time, Sister Kathleen said. “I know its a band-aid — they call charity a bandaid — but we need band-aids too,” she said. “Lexi is a shining example of a kid with will and what they can accomplish,” said Dan Garhofer, a representative from the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 28. “It was an honor for us to help her.”

Alexis Lamprecht helps unload one of six U.S. Postal Service trucks that delivered food from the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School, in Maplewood May 10. Dianne Towalski/The Catholic Spirit

At left, volunteers Erwin Radoc, right, his daughter Ana, 12, and Tim Koran help organize the food that was delivered. Above, Alexis Lamprecht receives a special award from the National Association of Letter Carriers, presented by Joe Malkush, left and Dan Garhofer of Branch 28.

Two Catholic schools celebrate Teachers of the Year By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit Two Catholic school teachers have been honored with Teacher of the Year awards by the Minnesota Independent School Forum. Josh Nutter, who teaches middle school social studies at Carondelet Catholic School in Minneapolis, and Steve Vopatek, who teaches advanced placement science at Academy of Holy Angels in RichSteve field, were recognized VOPATEK at the School Forum’s 2014 awards celebration May 13 at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota Independent School Forum is an organization serving Minnesota’s independent and private schools with the goal of strengthening Minnesota’s independent schools through advocacy and advancement. The award recognizes excellence in Minnesota’s private and independent school community, and is the only state-wide awards event for nonpublic education.

Josh Nutter, a middle school teacher at Carondelet Catholic School in Minneapolis, checks on eighth-graders Julia Hart and Jack Hower during their U.S. History class May 15. Nutter was named the K-8 Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Independent School Forum. Dianne Towalski/The Catholic Spirit “It was an honor,” said Nutter. “As teachers, you don’t want to be the center of attention, but it was nice to be recognized.” The real recognition comes when former students come back and you get to see what great people they turned out to be, he added. Getting to know your students and making a personal connection with each of them is key to being a good

teacher, Nutter said. “When you know what their interests are, you can teach to that,” he said. “Especially with history, you can use real life examples and really make history come alive for them.” Earlier this month, Nutter also was recognized by the National History Day program as a nominee for the Patricia Behring Junior Division Teacher of the

Year, a national-level award. The High School Teacher of the Year award was an unexpected thrill for Vopatek, who came to Academy of Holy Angels nine years ago after retiring from a 35-year career teaching in public schools. “I was just thrilled to be a finalist, let alone a winner,” Vopatek said. “I am so fotunate,” he said. “I have all the tools I need, a well-equipped lab, a generous budget, highly motivated students... It’s kind of a teacher’s dream.” Vopatek plans to retire from teaching at the end of the current school year and he has learned a lot about being a good teacher in his years in front of a classroom. “You have to be a motivator. That’s probably the single most important aspect of teaching,” said Vopatek. “You need to inspire kids to believe that they can be more than they ever thought they could be.” Both schools have been honored with Teacher of the Year awards before. In 2012, Academy of Holy Angels teacher Pam Boston won the honor and Carondelet School’s Brigid Berger won in 2011.

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Local

Grassroots efforts aid Catholic Conference at 2014 Legislature The Catholic Spirit Every state legislative session presents its own challenges and opportunities, and the 2014 session was no different, said Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference. “We were pleased by the passage of some bills, particularly in the area of economic security,” he said. “But we were disappointed in the passage of other bills. Just like any session, it’s a mixed bag of positives and negatives.” One of the biggest positives emerging from the session that ended May 16 was the growing participation of Catholics in the pews through the MCC’s Catholic Advocacy Network, an initiative that invites people to sign up online to receive updates on policy issues and information about how to take action on specific legislation. The network currently numbers in the “tens of thousands” and complements MCC’s lobbying work at the Capitol, Adkins said. “It was a really big component of our advocacy efforts this year,” assisting the MCC, for example, in its efforts to stop a bill that would have legalized surrogate birth contracts, he said. “As I always tell people, it takes as few as 10 calls to a legislator to make a difference,” Adkins said. “On a number of issues, legislators were getting 30, 40, 50 emails, not including calls. It was a big boon to our efforts.”

What passed? What didn’t? The MCC is the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops. The following are among the bills it tracked this session and how they fared: • Payday lending reforms: Payday lenders are businesses that offer short-term loans due on a borrower’s next payday. The loans are typically more expensive than other methods of borrowing and, if unpaid, can put borrowers in serious debt trouble. The MCC supported a proposal to create underwriting standards and cap the number of payday loans that a person could take from a payday lending institu-

tion. “We’re very concerned about people in difficult economic circumstances, particularly in these challenging economic times, getting caught in that debt trap,” Adkins said. Different versions of the legislation passed the House and Senate and legislators failed to pass a final version before the session ended. • Minimum wage increase/economic security issues: The MCC was supportive of an increase in the minimum wage, which legislators voted to increase to $8 an hour in August, then $8.50 in August 2015 and $9.50 in August 2016. “Raising the minimum wage was one of the key recommendations of the bipartisan Legislative Commission to End Poverty, and it’s really exciting to see that recommendation come to fruition,” Adkins said. “A number of important pieces of research show the economic benefits the legislation will have for lowincome families.” The MCC also supported key provisions of the Women’s Economic Security Act, specifically those supporting parental leave and accommodations for nursing mothers. The act was signed into law on Mother’s Day, May 11. • Surrogacy contracts: The MCC opposed efforts to legalize surrogate birth contracts in the state. Commercial surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries to term a child who is not hers biologically for the intended parents. “Our opposition to surrogacy is focused on our desire to not allow women in difficult economic circumstances to be exploited,” Adkins said. “We were able to successfully stop the legalization of a commercial surrogacy business in Minnesota.” The Catholic Advocacy Network was very effective in educating legislators about the broad implications of the proposal and the “ethical minefield” it would create, he said. “It’s an issue that will remain a priority — helping people understand that women are not for rent and children are not for sale.” • Felon disenfranchisement: The conference supported efforts to re-

store voting rights to Minnesotans with past felony convictions who are no longer incarcerated. “We were disappointed that piece of legislation . . . fell by the wayside this session despite bipartisan support,” Adkins said. “It’s an important issue with regard to fostering community participation and helping people rebuild their lives. It’s important that the Church speaks to such issues. We’re very confident that next session this is something that will pass.” • Religious liberty and conscience protections: “These issues remain a priority for us, and we spent a lot of time this session on education,” Adkins said. “That conversation will continue, particularly in the context of schools, health care and the provision of business services related to weddings.” With last year’s passage of a law legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, the MCC has advocated for strengthening religious liberty and conscience protection laws for those who object to the solemnization or celebration of such unions. • Anti-bullying: The Legislature passed a controversial anti-bullying bill that supporters hoped would stem the tide of bullying in schools but which opponents said would remove local control from school districts and usurp the authority of parents to teach their children in areas such as gender and sexuality. “This was a deeply unfortunate piece of legislation that passed this year,” Adkins said. “We were, of

course, supportive of efforts to strengthen Minnesota’s anti-bullying laws. Unfortunately, this is the wrong approach that undermines the rights of parents to be the first educators of their children.” Requirements that would have included Catholic schools were removed from the final bill. • Affordable housing: Lawmakers included $100 million for housing initiatives as part of this year’s bonding bill. “We’re a part of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, so that’s exciting,” Adkins said. Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis was seeking part of the funding for its Dorothy Day Center ReVision initiative, which includes three new buildings to provide a longer-term solution to homelessness in the Twin Cities. • Non-public school aid: A bill seeking to repeal non-public pupil aid for transportation, textbooks, counseling and health services, and telecommunications and Internet access services was introduced, but failed to advance.

Looking ahead The MCC is looking forward to continuing the conversation around religious liberty during the observance of the next Fortnight for Freedom set for June 21 to July 4. “I’m delighted by this year’s theme: ‘freedom to serve,’” Adkins said. “It’s all about our ability to serve others in accord with human dignity and the Church’s teaching.” He encourages people to use MCC as a resource in their preparations for the observance (find out more at mncc.org). The MCC will continue its education efforts around a variety of issues including conscience protections, voter restoration, educational choice, and surrogacy ahead of next year’s legislative session. The conference also will pursue efforts on the pro-life front. “We’re exploring a couple of different pieces of legislation outside of just banning abortion that we believe could help advance the culture of life,” Adkins said. Details about the efforts are forthcoming.

Lynne and Riley say:

“Come in and Feel Special Like Us!”

If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, your first call should be to law enforcement. The archdiocese’s office of Advocacy and Victim Assistance is also here to offer you help and healing if you have been abused by a Catholic priest or another person in Church ministry. Please call Greta Sawyer confidentially at 651.291.4497 or email sawyerg@archspm.org. May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Lynne attends Faithful Shephard in Eagan and Riley attends St. Joseph’s school in West St. Paul.

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TheCatholicSpirit.com

As 50th anniversary of historic document approaches, local Catholics and Jews celebrate, seek to deepen dialogue By Father Erich Rutten and Steve Hunegs

Anti-Semitism has been condemned as a sin against God; deicide — collective Jewish responsibility for his week, Pope Francis is making the death of Jesus — has been a historic pilgrimage to the Holy repudiated; the uninterrupted Land. The visit comes as we Jewish Covenantal relationship approach the 50th anniversary of with God has been the Catholic reaffirmed. Church’s affirmation Indeed, Jews are of kinship with the recognized with Jewish people in the “As pope, honor as the older document “Nostra brothers in faith Aetate” (“In Our [Francis] with Christians. Time”) promulgated at the Second Vatican continues to With increasing Council. confidence and boldly call for We write as joy, every pope brothers to invite since 1965 has friendship and Catholics and Jews helped to give across the Twin tangible life to the dialogue among Cities to celebrate words of “Nostra this special moment Pope people across the Aetate.” and to deepen your Francis is following engagement in in these papal globe and of all interfaith dialogue. footsteps. As cardinal “Nostra Aetate” faith traditions.” archbishop of inaugurated a Buenos Aires, he remarkable upward Father Erich Rutten presided over the trajectory of and Steve Hunegs annual friendship between commemoration our two faith of the Kristallnacht traditions. Meeting and authored with in the shadow of the Rabbi Abraham Skorka, who will Holocaust, and only 20 years after accompany Francis to Israel, a the end of World War II, “Nostra Catholic-Jewish dialogue on Aetate” formally established a new baseline of respect among Catholics theological issues. He is also well known for his personal for Judaism. Not surprisingly, the relationships with Jewish friends in impact of this has reached Argentina. Protestants and other Christians as well. As pope, he continues to boldly call for friendship and dialogue The impact of this document in among people across the globe and the years since merit consideration:

Upcoming projects and programs The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at the University of St. Thomas and St. John’s University are partnering on the following projects and programs: • The archdiocese and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas are hosting a special banquet on Oct. 28, 2015, to mark the anniversary of the promulgation of “Nostra Aetate” and to celebrate our local relationships. • The Jay Phillips Center is sponsoring an academic symposium to explore the interreligious legacy of “Nostra Aetate.” Papers will be presented on a variety of subjects related to the last 50 years of dialogue among all faiths. • The archdiocese, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and the Minnesota Council of Churches is coordinating a series of community exchanges that are anticipated to take place in the fall of 2015 between Christian and Jewish congregations. • The archdiocese, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, and the Minnesota Council of Churches are encouraging communities throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas to honor this anniversary at the local level. of all faith traditions. He is demonstrating this in his plans to meet in significant ways with Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians during his trip to the Holy Land. Here in the upper Midwest, the impact of “Nostra Aetate” continues to be felt. Ongoing relationship building has borne fruit in religious, academic and neighborhood settings. These include the founding of the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, the visit of Catholic Bishop Lee Piché to Beth El Synagogue, and the 2011 “Standing Together” interreligious event at the State Capitol, just to name a few. In celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate” and

Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to Israel, we have a wonderful opportunity to give thanks for this interreligious fruit and to build for the future. We invite you to join the Roman Catholic community of Minnesota and the Dakotas — partnering with the Jewish community — to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “Nostra Aetate” and the future of interreligious relations in the upper Midwest. Father Rutten is the Archdiocesan officer for ecumenical and interreligious affairs. Hunegs is the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Minnesota pilgrims hope to catch glimpse of pope in Holy Land Continued from page 1B their much longer visits, respectively, in 2000 and 2009. About 1,000 Galileans, out of a total congregation of about 9,000, will attend Pope Francis’ Mass in Bethlehem May 25. Christians from Lebanon and Iraq are expected at the other public papal Mass of the trip, in Amman, Jordan, May 24. The predicament of Christians throughout the Middle East will be “among the principle concerns” that the pope discusses with Patriarch Bartholomew, the patriarch recently told Catholic News Service. The region’s Christian population has sharply diminished and grown increasingly precarious over the last decade, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring revolts against authoritarian regimes and the Syrian civil war. Pope Francis has been especially vocal about Syria, and if he addresses that conflict during the trip, he is most likely to do so in Jordan, where he will meet with Syrian as well as Iraqi refugees following a visit to a possible site of Jesus’ baptism. The pope’s encounters with non-

Christian religious leaders are scheduled for the last day of his visit, when he meets with the Muslim grand mufti of Jerusalem and the two chief rabbis of Israel in separate events. In contrast to the visits of St. John Paul and Pope Benedict, this papal trip to the Holy Land will not feature any event with representatives of the three major monotheistic faiths. Rabbi David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee, calls that omission a “missed opportunity” for promoting peaceful coexistence, and speculates it could reflect the Vatican’s desire to avoid a repeat of an embarrassment during the 2009 papal visit. On that occasion, an interreligious event in Jerusalem involving Pope Benedict was cut short after a Muslim cleric who was not scheduled to speak took the microphone and criticized Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. The interreligious dimension of the upcoming trip was enhanced May 15 when the Vatican spokesman announced that, for the first time in history, a papal entourage would include Muslim and Jewish leaders: Omar Abboud and Rabbi Abraham Skorka, two friends of the pope from his

days as archbishop of Buenos Aires. All of the events on Pope Francis’ schedule will unfold against the sobering background of the latest breakdown in peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. The pope is most likely to address that problem in his speeches and private remarks to Palestinian and Israeli political leaders. His meeting with Palestinian refugee children May 25 will also serve as a poignant illustration of the need for a resolution. In a larger sense, the pope’s support for the unity and well-being of the region’s Christians serves the cause of peace among other groups as well, says Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who will accompany the pope in the Holy Land. “We build bridges, not walls,” said the cardinal, noting that much of Palestine’s Muslim leadership was educated in Christian schools. “The presence of Christianity in the Middle East, even though a minority presence, is and has been for many years a very important ingredient for peace and harmony,” the cardinal said. “But it’s facing extinction right now.” Jeff Cavins, director of evangelization

for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is currently leading a 12day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The group hopes to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis and looks forward to seeing the enthusiasm of the crowd in response to the papal visit, Cavins said in a May 19 email to The Catholic Spirit. “His visit is just another example of how Pope Francis is in solidarity with the disenfranchised,” Cavins said. “The Christian population in the Middle East is dwindling rapidly. Bethlehem used to be nearly 90 percent Christian a few decades ago, but now [it is] around 20 percent. He seems to have a sense of who in his vast flock needs some encouragement, and Christians definitely do. “Several years ago Israel built a wall around Bethlehem in response to the terroristic bombings,” Cavins added. “This was not the fault of the Christians, but they have felt the results in a big way. For Pope Francis to walk through those walls with a message of hope and mission will mean so much to our brothers and sisters in the faith.” The Catholic Spirit contributed to this story.

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

U.S. & World

10B

Soldiers seek healing at Lourdes By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service It looked like any other military parade with bands playing, flags waving and thousands of men and women marching in colorful uniforms decorated with medals and ribbons. But instead of impressive displays of tanks and trucks, troops from dozens of nations fell in line behind religious banners, a large wooden cross and a rosestrewn statue of Mary. Candles and rosaries — not weapons or rifles — were held aloft in soldiers’ hands. Such scenes were common during the 56th International Military Pilgrimage to the sanctuaries of Our Lady of Lourdes May 16-18. More than 12,000 retired and active duty military personnel, their families and compatriots from 36 nations took part in the annual encounter to pray for peace and the spiritual healing of nations and individuals. A large number taking part, and given special prominence in the many processions, were those wounded in the line of duty. Among the military personnel tackling disabilities were about 60 retired or active duty U.S. soldiers together with another 60 caregivers, family members, chaplains and support staff. They were participating in the “Warriors to Lourdes” pilgrimage, sponsored by the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and the Knights of Columbus. The Knights covered the costs for the wounded personnel for the May 13-19 encounter of prayer, healing and friendship in Lourdes. “It’s really been great for both those who have come with a petition in their heart — suffering in some way, and those who are helping them,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson told Catholic News Service. With Memorial Day on the horizon and foreign military operations set to wind down, “We don’t want to forget those who have sacrificed so much and still need our attention and support — our wounded warriors. So this is a way of increasing consciousness of their situation,” he said.

Offering support Expanding their initiatives, last year the Knights began the “Warriors to Lourdes” pilgrimage as another way to offer “spiritual support and spiritual development, and these pilgrimages, we think, are a wonderful way of doing that,” Anderson said. The weeklong program provided opportunities for

Catholic News Service

U.S. Sgt. Daniel Woodley, who was wounded in Afghanistan, places a candle near the grotto at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southwestern France May 16. About 60 wounded U.S. military personnel, together with family members and caregivers, took part in a “Warriors to Lourdes” pilgrimage sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. CNS photo/Paul Haring prayer, the sacrament of reconciliation, personal reflection during a Way of the Cross procession, eucharistic adoration and celebrating Mass. “We come to this holy ground to pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother,” said Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. The prayers are for “the healing that is so necessary with our men and women who have worn courageously our uniform in battles, especially during the last 12 years of these wars, and now are suffering from their wounds. We pray for healing, patience and understanding,” he said.

‘Black mass’ outcry leads to cancellation, prayers Catholic News Service A Harvard University student group’s plan to conduct a satanic ritual “black mass” May 12 on campus brought a public outcry, leading to its formal cancellation and an apparently impromptu off-campus version of the event, as well as a well-attended alternative Catholic holy hour. The planned event had drawn wide criticism from religious leaders as well as students, alumni and faculty at Harvard. As the organizers of the black mass scrambled to find an off-campus venue for their event, an estimated 2,000 Catholics and others gathered at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology before a eucharistic procession down Massachusetts Avenue to join the holy hour at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. Father Michael Drea, the senior Catholic chaplain at Harvard, thanked the participants in the holy hour, saying the light of

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Bishops to hear reports on marriage, family, sex abuse at June meeting

Christ, represented by an Easter candle on the altar, invited believers to joy and peace in union with God. “And that, my friends, is why we are here tonight praying, with trust and worship, in the presence of our risen savior under the appearance of bread,” Father Drea said. A threat to the Eucharist in an act of sacrilege “demands our prayerful and firm response,” he said. Harvard University President Drew Faust had said earlier that she would attend the holy hour “to join others in reaffirming our respect for the Catholic faith at Harvard and to demonstrate that the most powerful response to offensive speech is not censorship, but reasoned discourse and robust dissent. Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley had told reporters May 12 that the archdiocese and the Catholic community took offense to the planned black mass but that “we have no way to prevent it other than to try and explain to people how evil this

is,” he said. The cardinal said one could find out why it offends Catholics simply by looking up the phrase “black mass” on Wikipedia. “A black mass is a ritual performed as a sacrilegious parody of the Roman Catholic Mass,” the first sentence of the Wikipedia entry read. “That says it all,” the cardinal said. He added that he was disappointed in Faust’s statement, saying he hoped she would ask the group not to perform the ritual on university property. Harvard’s student newspaper reported that the Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club dropped its sponsorship of the reenactment of the satanic ritual shortly before it was scheduled to take place in the on-campus Cambridge Queens Head Pub. The club first announced that afternoon that the event would be held off campus, then that it was canceled altogether.

The U.S. bishops, meeting in New Orleans June 11-13, will discuss today’s economy and its impact on marriages and evangelization. They also will review their efforts in preventing sexual abuse of children, strengthening marriage, helping typhoon victims and preparing for church-sponsored events on family life. The bishops will hear presentations on “Marriage and the Economy” and the “New Evangelization and Poverty” on the second day of their gathering. The first day will be filled with reports on upcoming events, including presentations on the Oct. 5-19 extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family and the World Meeting of Families, set for Sept. 22-27, 2015. October’s synod at the Vatican will bring together presidents of bishops’ conferences, the heads of Eastern Catholic churches and heads of Vatican offices to discuss “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization.” Pope Francis has said the synod will take up the subject of Church teaching and practice on marriage, including the eligibility of divorced and civilly married Catholics to receive Communion. The bishops will also hear a report from Catholic Relief Services regarding efforts in the Philippines in the wake of last November’s Typhoon Haiyan.

Other business Other items include: • An update and vote on a proposal by a working group on the bishops’ statement linking Church teachings to political responsibility. • The progress report of the bishops’ efforts to protect children and young people from sexual abuse, presented by Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board. • Debate and vote on the renewal of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, formed in 2011. • An update on the work of the USCCB subcommittees on the Catechism and the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. • Debate and vote on the request for renewal of the “recognitio,” or Vatican approval, for the national directory for the formation, ministry and life of permanent deacons.

11B The Catholic Spirit Throughout the Memorial Day weekend, Calvary Cemetery, Resurrection Cemetery, St. Mary’s Cemetery, St. Anthony’s Cemetery and Gethsemane Cemetery will have extended hours: • 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24; • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 25; • 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, May 26. Memorial Day Masses are scheduled for May 26 at the following cemeteries with refreshments served afterward.

Calvary Cemetery 753 Front Ave., St. Paul 10 a.m. rain or shine with Father Kevin McDonough of St. Peter Claver and Sagrado Corazón de Jesús; dedication of the new columbarium.

Resurrection Cemetery 2101 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights 10 a.m. rain or shine with Archbishop Emeritus Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

St. Mary’s Cemetery 4403 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis

10 a.m. rain or shine with Father Joseph Gillespie, O.P., of Church of St. Albert the Great.

At Resurrection Cemetery and Gethsemane Cemetery, a local Boy Scout troop and a veterans group will place American flags on grave sites of veterans marked by gravestones provided by the Veteran’s Administration.

St. Anthony’s Cemetery

For families visiting the graves of veterans not marked with a VA-provided gravestone, flags can be purchased for a minimal charge at the outdoor flower stands in both cemeteries. In addition, a limited supply will be available in the cemetery offices one week prior to Memorial Day.

2729 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis 10 a.m. rain or shine with Father Earl Simonson of Church of St. Clement.

Gethsemane Cemetery 8151 42nd Ave. N., New Hope 10 a.m. rain or shine with Bishop Lee Piché of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Recognizing veterans The Catholic Cemeteries, a corporation of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will offer a special salute to all veterans as part of the Masses at the cemeteries: • Pins honoring veterans for the Masses will be distributed; • Cards will be available to write names of veterans, both living and dead, who will be remembered in prayer during Mass. Cards are available in the cemetery offices a week before Memorial Day or on Memorial Day, prior to Mass.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day Masses planned at cemeteries in the archdiocese

Grave decorations During the days before and after Memorial Day, artificial flowers, potted plants, decorations or other ornaments are allowed. These types of decorations can be placed on graves beginning at noon on Thursday, May 22, and remain until Sunday, June 1. Cemetery staff will begin pickup on Monday, June 2. After that time, only fresh-cut flowers are requested during the growing season.

Purchase flowers at cemeteries Over the Memorial Day weekend, a variety of floral bouquets are available for purchase at Resurrection, Gethsemane, St. Mary’s and Calvary cemeteries. Flower stands are located near the entrances of each cemetery. For more information, visit www.catholiccemeteries.org.

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Memorial Day

12B

Planning a Catholic funeral? Choice of sacred hymns and readings should provide comfort, Christian hope to loved ones left behind By Bob Zyskowski I wish I could be at my own funeral. Before you send for the men in the white coats, hear me out. What I mean to say is, I wish I would be alive to enjoy my own funeral. Not getting any better, is it? How’s this? Even though I will be dead and not able to enjoy my own funeral, I hope it has meaning to anyone who might attend.

“Whatever the readings and whatever the songs at our funerals — ones that, remember, we won’t hear because we’ll be in the casket — they should give comfort and give a certain hope to those who will be able to hear them.” Bob Zyskowski

The knowledgeable among you will realize that the subject of this editorial is prompted by the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. The extremely perceptive reader, on the other hand, will conclude that this editor is beginning to acknowledge his own aging, comfortable to the point of thinking of planning his own funeral. Yes, I’m eligible for Social Security now — have been for a year. Yes, I’ve lately been observing older people, watching the difficulties some of them have just getting around, seeing the health issues some of them are dealing with and finding myself thinking, “That could be you someday, and soon.” And, yes, death hasn’t been a stranger. Another of my high school classmates has passed on, and I just attended the funeral of a terrific Catholic woman who was five years my junior. To top it off, my wife mentioned that she wanted to have “On Eagles Wings” and Schubert’s “Ave Maria” sung at her funeral. The combined effect of all these incidents led me to the Internet to research Catholic funeral planning.

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Do a Google search for “planning a Catholic funeral” and you’ll find volumes of helpful websites from parishes and dioceses. Many take a very pastoral approach, walking one gently through the Church’s philosophy about death and eternal life. They not only list what happens when someone is to be buried from a Catholic church, but explain the purpose behind the rites. One place to look for context is the site of the U.S. bishops: www. usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/ bereavement-and-funerals/index. cfm. Several websites I looked at included complete texts of a variety of Scripture passages that are options for both the first and second readings and for the Gospel as well. Almost all include lists of options for hymns that are appropriate for the various parts of the funeral liturgy. I liked the caveat one website used about the music, explaining that it should be “sacred and reflect the idea of resurrection and hope.” That leaves out Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” should you have wondered, as well as AC/DC’s

“Highway to Hell.” But the lists of hymns that are appropriate for funerals are lengthy and include both traditional and relatively new (post-Vatican II) songs for worship. You’re sure to find more than you can use, those that console, those that uplift. Personally I thought it extremely apropos that “When the Saints Come Marching In” was both the processional and the recessional hymn — complete with drums — for the funeral of a friend who truly was a saint. Planning to have that particular song at my funeral would be more than a bit presumptuous on my part. Whatever the readings and whatever the songs at our funerals — ones that, remember, we won’t hear because we’ll be in the casket — they should give comfort and give a certain hope to those who will be able to hear them. Hopefully, whatever funeral we plan, whether for ourselves or for a loved one, will be a liturgy that truly celebrates the great gift of a life that God has given us or allowed us to share in and enjoy. Zyskowski is editor of The Visitor, newspaper of the St. Cloud Diocese.

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Memorial Day

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St. Vincent de Paul to expand parish cemetery The Catholic Spirit

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St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park will celebrate the dedication of an addition to the parish cemetery with a 9 a.m. Mass on Memorial Day, May 26. The expansion will serve northwest suburban Catholics, offering both traditional and cremation burial sites. The first phase of the expansion will include more than 300 traditional gravesites, 70 cremation gravesites, and beautiful columbarium with more than 300 niches. The expansion also will include an area for outdoor Masses and liturgies, walking paths and areas for reflection. The St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Cemetery has served as the final resting place for nearly 3,500 people and has been in existence since 1856. “At St. Vincent de Paul, we are blessed to have a cemetery which, like the parish church and school, is a vital part of Catholic life,” said Father Paul Treacy, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul. “Burial in consecrated ground, among fellow believers, is the final expression of our faith as Catholics, and it is a sacred right, and privilege.” The parish of St. Vincent de Paul includes the church, parish school and Catholic cemetery and serves more than 3,586 families. The St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Cemetery is located east of the church at 8601 93rd Ave. N. in Osseo.

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Focus on Faith • Scripture Readings

14B SUNDAY SCRIPTURES

Readings Sunday, May 25

Deacon Timothy Gapinski

Sixth Sunday of Easter • Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 • 1 Peter 3:15-18 • John 14:15-21

Seeing Jesus through the eyes of faith At two different points in this week’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes a distinction between the way the world sees and the way his disciples see. He says that in a little while, the world will not see him, nor will it be able to see the Spirit of truth whom he sends. But he assures the apostles that they will see him, and that they will see and know the Spirit. What makes this possible? How can we see spiritual things using only our physical eyes? Jesus says that we will see him “because I live and you will live.” He is talking about his divine life and our participation in that life with him by grace. Thanks to this participation in the divine life, our souls are perfected and given the virtues and gifts needed to live a supernatural life. By grace we are given the theological virtue of faith. It is this virtue of faith that gives us evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Faith enables us to “see” what otherwise could not be seen. Jesus is no longer physically

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, May 25 Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 1 Peter 3:15-18 John 14:15-21

present on Earth, but he promises to always be spiritually present to us. Though we cannot see his spiritual presence with the eyes of the body, we see him with the eyes of faith. When we gaze upon the Eucharist, our physical eyes can only see the appearance of bread and wine, but our eyes of faith perceive Jesus Christ truly present. However, just as our physical eyes can suffer from defects and cause us to be nearsighted or color blind, so, too, can our spiritual eyes be weak or defective. People with optical defects see the world differently, and it affects the way they act in the world. A person who is red-green colorblind might have difficulty knowing whether the traffic light is indicating they should stop or go. If they act in a way contrary to what is true, there will likely be repercussions. In the same way, people with defects in their spiritual vision are more likely to act contrary to what is true. A spiritual nearsightedness might mean that the person has a hard time seeing God, but focusing

Wednesday, May 28 Acts 17:15, 22 – 18:1 John 16:12-15 Thursday, May 29 The Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20

Tuesday, May 27 St. Augustine of Canterbury Acts 16:22-34 John 16:5-11

Saturday, May 31 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Zephaniah 3:14-18a Luke 1:39-56

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on the self is easy. This person is then more likely to choose the lesser good of self over the greater good of God. Fortunately, just as most deficiencies in our physical sight can be corrected, so, too, can our spiritual sight be improved. We hear Jesus telling his disciples to keep his commandments, and that the one who does so is the one to whom he will reveal himself. Jesus is promising us that if we always act in accord with true faith, we will “see” him present with us by faith. Faith and action are interconnected. Acting against the commandments, on the other

Monday, June 2 Sts. Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs Acts 19:1-8 John 16:29-33

Friday, May 30 Acts 18:9-18 John 16:20-23

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How can we improve our spiritual sight so as to see Christ in our lives?

Sunday, June 1 Seventh Sunday of Easter Acts 1:12-14 1 Peter 4:13-16 John 17:1-11a

Monday, May 26 St. Philip Neri, priest Acts 16:11-15 John 15:26 – 16:4a

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Tuesday, June 3 St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs Acts 20:17-27 John 17:1-11a Wednesday, June 4 Acts 20:28-38 John 17:11b-19

hand, separates us from the faith and leaves us unable to clearly see Jesus in our lives. So, follow his commands — love God and one another, celebrate the Eucharist in memory of him — and your eyes of faith will be strengthened to see Jesus present in all that you do and in everyone you meet. Deacon Gapinski is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of St. Cloud. His teaching parish is Our Lady of Lourdes in Little Falls. His home parish is Sts. Peter and Paul in Gilman.

Thursday, June 5 St. Boniface, bishop, martyr Acts 22:30; 23: 6-11 John 17:20-26 Friday, June 6 St. Norbert, bishop Acts 25:13b-21 John 21:15-19 Saturday, June 7 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 John 21:20-25 Sunday, June 8 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23

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15B

Father Kenneth Doyle

Explaining the crucifix to a child; receiving Communion Q. Recently, I took my 4-year-

old grandson to Mass. I noticed that while looking at the crucifix, he was visibly shaken and upset. How does one explain Jesus on the cross to a 4-year-old?

A. Recognizing that I know precious little about child pedagogy, I will nevertheless venture an answer. First, there is no way to prevent children from seeing a crucifix and asking their elders about it. Many years ago, our seminary class was studying sign language so we could transmit the Scriptures to the hearing-impaired. I recall very little from that time, but what I do remember is that the sign for

“Jesus” was to point to the center of both palms. So ingrained in our consciousness is the suffering of Christ that his nail prints identify him. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal stipulates, in No. 308, that on the altar of every church, or near it, there should be a cross with the figure of Christ crucified, clearly visible to the congregation. I do take your concern as a helpful caution against display or descriptions that are overly graphic. In explaining the passion of Christ to your grandson, there is no need to highlight the nails, the scourging, the crown of thorns. I think that I would say

something like this: Many years ago, they used to punish people who had done something very wrong by hanging them on a cross. Jesus didn’t do anything wrong at all. In fact, he was the nicest and the kindest man there ever was. But other people have done many wrong things, and Jesus still loves them. So he told his father that he wanted to offer his own life to make up for those other people, so that they could one day be with him in heaven. Jesus suffered a lot on Good Friday, and he died because he loved all of us so much. But the nice thing is that three days later, his father brought him back to life again. He saw his friends and his mother some more after that, and now he is very happy and lives in heaven.

Q. Is there a best way to receive Jesus, or does it matter? A. The guidelines for the reception of holy Communion are expressed most clearly in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. It says that the host may be received either on the tongue or the hand, and the choice belongs

entirely to the communicant. If Communion is taken in the hand, it is done in the following way: If the person is right-handed, let’s say, he or she should open the left hand fully and place it over the right hand, creating, as the theologian Tertullian said, a “throne for the Lord.” The priest places the host in the left palm and then, using the fingers of the right hand, the communicant puts the host into his or her mouth. (Never should a communicant reach out to the priest and grab the host.) The U.S. bishops have determined that Communion is to be received while standing, following a simple bow of the head. However, the general instruction clearly states that an individual communicant may opt instead to receive while kneeling. There is no need to genuflect before receiving or to make the sign of the cross before or after.

Focus on Faith • Seeking Answers

SEEKING ANSWERS

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.

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This Catholic Life • Commentary

16B COMMENTARY Ginny Kubitz Moyer

What we say and how we say it My mom has always been an exclaimer. When she sees a beautiful flower, she immediately voices her delight, punctuated with an almost audible exclamation point. “Look at that rose!” she’ll gush, bending in for a sniff. “Gorgeous!” My dad is also quick to share his enthusiasm for awe-inspiring things. I remember car trips as a teenager when he would play and replay his favorite song from “Les Misérables,” exclaiming at the singer’s ability to hit and sustain a high note. “Listen to that! Amazing!” he’d say every time. These memories make me smile. They also invite some personal reflection: Now that I’m an adult myself, what inspires me to speak in exclamation points? To be honest, it’s not always the good things. I often use exclamation points to express my frustration with fellow drivers. (“That wasn’t even close to a stop, Bud-

dy!”) Occasionally, I use them when complaining to my husband about annoyances at work. (When the fire alarm is accidentally triggered for the third time in a month, you simply can’t punctuate that story with a period.) But there are two little boys who hear most of what I say, which is a good reminder to think about whether I’m spending more energy complaining or celebrating. Kids may not seem to be listening to what we say, but they are. The things that get us excited often become the things that get them excited — both the good and the bad.

Excitement for my faith As parents, we have a unique power: the power to pass on our enthusiasm for awe-inspiring, beautiful things. We can help our children see which things in life are worth our energy and our attention, both

OPINION Father William Byron

Encyclical on water would be a great gift A world without water would be a world without life. So it is urgent that attention be paid to serious water shortages in many parts of the world. The moral principle of solidarity brings the entire world together around water. Everyone depends on water. No one anywhere is untouched by the need for life-giving, life-sustaining water. The present water crisis is a challenge that must be met by religious conviction (we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers), moral action (it would be morally wrong to stand by and do nothing), scientific and engineering ingenuity (we have the knowledge and we know how to apply it), diplomacy (solving a problem of international magnitude requires international cooperation) and political will (we — leaders and led — must choose to act). The dimensions of the present crisis are enormous: Nearly 900 million people in the world have no access to clean water, and 2.5 bil-

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

lion people have no safe way to dispose of human waste (hence the need for civil and sanitary engineering). Dirty water and lack of proper hygiene kill 3.3 million people around the world annually (hence the need for education and medical care). In industrialized nations, individuals use about 100 gallons of water at home each day, yet millions of the world’s poorest subsist on less than five gallons a day. About half the people on earth do not have water piped to their homes. And where water is piped, the pipes are often leaky, rusty and in need of replacement. In much of the developing world, lack of water is at the center of a vicious cycle of inequality. Where clean water is scarcest, fetching it is almost exclusively women’s work. The water issue is a justice issue. Without clean water, the people will perish. Our faith-based respect for life and our commitment to the preservation and protection of hu-

in what we choose to say and in how we say it. I try not to take this power for granted. Just as my mom did, I frequently exclaim over the colors of a rose or the scent of lavender. In the car with my boys, I point out the deer grazing on the grass or the impressive bank of fog creeping over the hills. I sometimes show my kids video clips of great dancers, and I see wonder creep into their eyes: Wow, that really is cool. These days, I’m trying to vocalize my enthusiasm for my faith, too. After some lapsed years in my 20s, I now love being Catholic, but do my kids know that? Do they know that I get a thrill from the sight of sun coming through the jewel-tones of stained glass? Do they know that I’m a huge fan of the saints, all those women and men who showed us so many different ways to live a life of meaning? Do they know that I’ve finally realized that Mass isn’t boring, but a chance to have a close encounter with Jesus every single week? I’m not sure they do, and that’s something I want to change. Because if there were ever anything worthy of exclamation, it’s this: Jesus shows up every single Sunday, without fail. And he doesn’t show up in some abstract, vague way, but as something we

“Because if there were ever anything worthy of exclamation, it’s this: Jesus shows up every single Sunday, without fail.” Ginny Kubitz Moyer

can see and touch and taste. Even with all my pettiness and messiness and faults, he becomes present as bread for me, as if to say that he will connect with me however he possibly can. It’s the central mystery of our faith, and it’s enough food for a lifetime of thought. So this is my new challenge: to share these ideas with my kids, and to do so with an audible exclamation point. “Jesus makes himself food for us! Every single time! Isn’t that cool?” They may not fully grasp the words, but they’ll hear my excitement — and that’s a very good start. Kubitz Moyer is the author of “Random MOMents of Grace: Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood.” She blogs at RandomActsofMomness.com.

“Nearly 900 million people in the world have no access to clean water.” Father William Byron

man life call for action now, for without water there can be no human life or any life at all.

Metaphor for grace It would be wonderful, I think, if Pope Francis chose to write an encyclical letter on the material and spiritual dimensions of the water crisis. We Catholics know that the waters of baptism initiate the life of grace within us. In the sacrament of baptism, both the life-giving and death-dealing potentials of water are made manifest. In baptism, we are “plunged” (that’s what the Greek verb “baptize” means) “into the death” of Jesus so that we can rise with Jesus to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-5).

Water is a metaphor for grace. To understand the theological reality of grace, ponder the physical reality of water, its necessity for life, its tendency to seek its own level (thus suggesting the tendency of divine grace to follow us always), its ability to hold a body afloat (thus signaling the ability of grace to sustain our spiritual lives and our effort to work for justice in the world). An encyclical on water could highlight the justice issue associated with water. It could also serve to remind us of the reality of grace in our lives. An encyclical on water would be a great gift to the world. Jesuit Father Byron is university professor of business and society at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia. Email: wbyron@sju.edu.

New book serves as manual for praise and thanksgiving When faced with a problem, it’s natural to want to find the easiest, fastest solution. But even in today’s quick culture, instead of turning to Google, people should turn to the Bible. Jeff Cavins’ new book, “Praise God and Thank Him: Biblical Keys for a Joyful Life,” sets out to teach people the biblical origins of praise and thanksgiving and provide practical ways to adopt the practice — in just 130 pages. “Typically, people look for answers that are outside of God, just wisdom for living,” said Cavins, who serves as director of evangelization for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “But first, we need to turn our hearts to God and begin to praise him. Once [God] shared this with people and they put this into practice, it made a difference in their lives.” As a former counselor and pastor, Cavins has observed how people often respond inadequately or inappropriately to life’s problems. Through his work as a Bible teacher, he discovered patterns: When people in the Bible are faced with difficulties, they respond with praise and thanksgiving. “We put all the characters of the Bible on a pedestal where there’s no way we could walk like that,” Cavins said. “And God did not reveal himself to them so that we would be discouraged and say, ‘Well, we’ll never be there.’ He revealed himself to them so that we would learn and be encouraged and walk this way.”

Buy the book “Praise God and Thank Him: Biblical Keys for a Joyful Life” (Servant Books) is available at all Catholic and major book stores. An audio version is available at franciscanmedia.org and where books are sold. The book is also available on Kindle, as paperback and audio CD. To help readers make a complex topic easy to understand, Cavins explains the overarching story of the Bible. Through examples like King David, Cavins shows how the words of the Bible fit into traumatic situations in people’s lives. While people might not have the same problems as biblical characters, they do cry out to God for deliverance. “We’re not going to have a life that’s void of problems, but we can certainly do something about the way we respond,” Cavins said. “It’s within [the Bible] that you learn

who God is, who we are, and how we interact with God. In this case, in the difficult situations, when we know the Bible, we come to a place where we know God, we understand God, and we can count on him. He’s predictable in some ways.” Along with the Bible, the book draws from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; neither are prerequisites for reading the book. But when people read “Praise God and Thank Him,” Cavins hopes it will drive them to read both. For immediate reference within the

book, however, Cavins includes notes and appendices. He also seeks to help readers move beyond the catchphrases of “Praise God!” and “Hallelujah!” and expand their praise vocabulary based on the content of Scripture in salvation history. Both sections of the book — one on praise, one on thanksgiving — conclude with 10 tips offering practical ways people can foster praise and thanksgiving in their daily lives and come to know who God is. “They’re not things that you do as though God were not there,” Cavins said. “You have to be in a relationship with God in order to do them. The more you put them into practice, the more you know God and the tighter you get. If you read the book and don’t do anything, you’ll be in the same situation you were prior to reading the book.” Cavins acknowledges that trust is an obstacle for many people because they might have struggled in a relationship with their earthly father. The good news, he said, is that Jesus gives people the perfect image of who the heavenly father is. “Part of praising God and thanking him is learning to trust him and learning a new way of responding in relationship to God in these difficult times,” he said. “For anyone going through trials, this could be a short guidebook to help get our thinking and our actions straight, which corresponds to God’s will. We do that through praise. And thanksgiving is the attitude of gratitude.”

Faith & Culture

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit

17B

Documentary takes viewers around globe to examine ‘what is family?’ By Bill Howard Catholic News Service For decades, Focus on the Family, a global ministry based in Colorado Springs, has been an ally of the Catholic Church with its many outreaches to build stronger Christian families. The organization’s latest effort, “The Family Project,” is its most ambitious yet and will include a dozen feature-length documentaries with study guides. The opening documentary of this project, “Irreplaceable,” was screened at theaters across the country for one night only May 6. For more information or to order a copy of the film, visit www. IrreplaceableTheMovie.com. The host, Tim Sisarich, travels the globe to answer the question: “What is Family?” The film explores the desire to belong that each person has and how that longing is fulfilled in the family. Sisarich interviews a variety of experts and cultural commentators, including Eric Metaxas, author of several best-selling biographies, including ones on abolitionist William Wilberforce and anti-Nazi activist and minister Dietrich Bonhoeffer; and law professor Helen Alvare, former spokeswoman on pro-life issues for the U.S. bishops and founder of “Women Speak for Themselves.” Each commentator offers their own insights into the factors that have contributed to the breakdown of the family. The film was co-written by Glenn Stanton, director for family formation studies at Focus on the Family

Tim Sisarich, the host of “Irreplaceable,” the first in a series of documentaries called “The Family Project,” travels the globe to answer the question: “What is Family?” Photo courtesy of Focus on the Family and a member of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Colorado Springs. He told The Colorado Catholic Herald, the newspaper of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, that the film heavily draws from Blessed John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” “The teaching in this project is very influenced by the glorious picture of God and humanity presented to us in the deeply biblical ‘Theology of the Body,’” Stanton said. “We start by looking at what is common

to all people through all times because it’s these that point to whose image we are created in. “Any human being can be lavishly cared for with the finest foods, drink, clothes and housing, but if they don’t have access to intimacy and closeness with another human being or a sense of significance in their life and work, they will either actually die or actually go insane.” The film then traces the ways in which the concept of the family has changed in the past 50 years or so and makes the argument that the changes have largely been for the worse. For example, the film examines the so-called “hook-up” culture on college campuses and shows evidence that many students, rather than feeling “liberated” by the sexual revolution, feel pressured into sexual promiscuity. “What we do know, indisputable from the social sciences, is that none of these changes in the form of family — divorce, cohabitation, fatherlessness, sexual expressiveness — have been able to provide personal or community well-being like the married mother/ father model does and has. In fact, they each fall far short in dramatic and harmful ways,” Stanton said. “Indeed, an a la carte approach to family rules the day — take whatever appeals to you, disregard what doesn’t,” he continued. “Nothing except personal desire matters — ‘to thine own heart be true.’ Culturally, this view is absolutely novel and experimental.” The movie also shows Sisarich, a father of five young children, grappling with his own family history, which includes an emotionally distant father and a mother who struggled to keep the family together even while her husband was in prison.

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Calendar

18B Parish events

Prayer/ liturgy

Rummage sale at Transfiguration, Oakdale — May 30 and 31: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 6133 15th St. N.E. Saturday is $5 bag day from 2 to 4 p.m. Sponsored by the Transfiguration Council of Catholic Women.

Healing Mass at St. Michael, St Michael — May 23: Rosary at 7 p.m., Mass at 7:30 p.m. at 1300 Frankfort Parkway. Father Peter Richards and Father Nathan LaLiberte will concelebrate.

Yearly Sale of Perennial Plants at St. Rita, Cottage Grove — May 31: from 9 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by St. Rita’s Outreach Commission. St. Rita’s is located at 8694 80th St. S. Rummage sale at St. George, Long Lake — June 5 and 6: Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 133 N. Brown Road. Check out the “Better Goods” room. Friday is Bag Day at $4 per bag, and large items and “Better Goods” are half price. Five large rooms full and outdoors, too. Snacks are available. For information, call (952) 473-1247.

Music Saint Mark’s Acoustic Cafe at St. Mark, St. Paul — May 31: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 1983 Dayton Ave. Features food, board games and live music from: Brother Adam, Autumn Irlbeck, Dan Purkapile, Mauricio Carranza, and Diana Rose. Cost is $5.

Chanhassen — May 27: 6 p.m. social time, 7 p.m. debate at 8201 Main St. Topic is: Parents vs. State? Who gets to raise our children?

Don’t miss More events online

The Annual Marion Movement of Priest Cenacle meeting at St. John the Evangelist, Little Canada — May 29: 7 p.m. at 380 East Little Canada Road. Includes the rosary, Consecration, Mass followed by readings in the MMP book and fellowship afterward.

Additional parish and school events in the archdiocese can be found at TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendar.

Charismatic prayer and worship night at St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis — May 29: 7:30 p.m. at 3200 E. 29th St. One Body and One Spirit sharing the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit of healing, teaching, exhortation, testimony and evangelizing. Fellowship and refreshments will follow. For information, visit www.NewLifeCrm.org. Charismatic Pentecost Vigil Mass with Bishop Andrew Cozzens at St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony — June 7: 7 p.m. at 2739 Stinson Blvd. N.E. The evening, sponsored by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office (CCRO), begins with praise and worship and concludes with refreshments in Doran Hall after Mass. Call (763) 571-5314 for more information. www.ccro-msp.org.

Retreats 5 Day Silent Retreat — Healing by the Holy Spirit at Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo — June 25 to 29: preached by Father Mathew, Father Antony and Sister

Teresa. For information, call (651) 303-0532 or email ritahanson2004@gmail.com.

Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50-plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays: For Catholic singles to meet and make friends. The group usually meets in St. Paul on Sunday afternoons. For information, call Mary at (763) 323-3479 or Al at (651) 482-0406. Singles group at St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park — ongoing second Saturday each month: 6:15 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N. Gather for a potluck supper, conversation and games. For information, call (763) 425-0412.

Young adults

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event. • Full street address of event. • Description of event. • Contact information in case of questions. E-MAIL: spiritcalendar@archspm.org. (No attachments, please.) FAX: (651) 291-4460. MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave., • St. Paul, MN 55102.

West Metro Young Adults Theology on Tap at Mozza Mia, Edina — May 27: Doors open at 6:15 p.m. at 3910 W. 50th St. Bishop Andrew Cozzens will be on hand for “Grill the Bishop.” For information, visit www.facebook.com/ events/300905480063264/ Cathedral Young Adults Theology on Tap at O’Gara’s, St. Paul — Wednesdays, June 18 to July 23: Social time at 6:30 p.m., speaker at 7:30 p.m. at 164 N. Snelling Ave. Topics focus on faith and contemporary issues that directly affect the lives of young adults. All evenings are free of charge. For more information, visit www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/cya.

Other events

Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair at the University of St. Thomas — May 30 and 31: Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2115 Summit Ave. Keynote speaker is Dr. Meg Meeker, author of “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.” Workshops, curriculum sale, used book sale, vendor presentations, Mass, and complimentary breakfast. $35 per person at the door.www.mnconference.org Fourth annual Widow’s Day of Reflection at Our Lady of Grace, Edina — June 7: 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 5071 Eden Ave. The theme of this year’s reflection is “Transformed by Grief, Transformed by Grace.” Bishop LeePiche is the featured speaker. The cost for the event is $20 and includes lunch. Archdiocesan Marriage Day Celebration at the Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul — June 7: 10 a.m. at 239 Selby Ave. The event includes Mass with Archbishop Nienstedt and renewal of vows, followed by a short reception. Sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life. For more information, call (651) 291-4488. Prenatal Partners for Life eighth annual benefit dinner at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul — June 10: 6 p.m. at the Anderson Student Center, 2115 Summit Ave. Jack and Judy Cozzens will share their powerful story, and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens will also speak. 2013 Super Bowl champ and co-author of the new book, “All-Pro Wisdom,” Matt Birk, also will speak. To purchase dinner tickets for $75 and for further details, visit prenatalpartnersforlife.org.

Argument Club for Women at St. Hubert,

Military chaplain brings Boston Marathon to Afghanistan By Rick Snizek Catholic News Service Father Lukasz Willenberg, a military chaplain who ran in last year’s Boston Marathon, decided to make the base where he is stationed in Afghanistan an official extension of the famous 26.2mile race this year. And when the race ended, he managed to beat his last year’s time while a world away and under unique conditions. The priest joined more than 500 runners representing all branches of the Armed Forces in the officially sanctioned Boston Marathon Afghanistan. They began running at 3 a.m., under the cloak of darkness necessary to maintain operational security. “I think I have God on my side,” the priest joked after the race in a telephone interview from Afghanistan, noting that his finishing time of 2 hours,

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

44 minutes and 59 seconds was about 11 minutes faster than his finish last year. When the runners circled the sprawling Bagram Airfield northeast of Kabul and about 100 miles from the Pakistan border, they also had to contend with the location’s 5,000-foot elevation, where the air is thinner than at sea level, and is also filled with dust. Father Willenberg finished second in the marathon, behind Josh Peterson, a civilian working for the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. “The timing of the race was the most difficult part for me. The 3 a.m. start time really messes with your sleep cycle, so you have to decide whether you want to stay awake, or try to catch some sleep before the race,” said Peterson, from Plymouth, Minn., in a phone interview with The Rhode Island Catholic, diocesan newspaper. Father Willenberg, 32, a native of

“I think I have God on my side.” Father Lukasz Willenberg

Poland who was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Providence in 2008, is a veteran runner who has competed in Ironman and triathlon events. He ran last year’s Boston Marathon so quickly that he even had time to drive back home to St. Luke Parish in Barrington, where he was assistant pastor, to rest before celebrating a confirmation that evening. It was then, as he stretched out on the sofa in the rectory that he heard the news that explosions had torn through the marathon’s finish line area killing three and wounding and disfiguring more

than 250. He anxiously telephoned friends who were racers to make sure they were all right. Days after the race, as Boston began its long healing process, the priest began to think about the next race. His strong 2013 finish qualified him to run in the 2014 race, but he was planning to enter the U.S. Army in the next few months to serve a four-year tour of duty as a military chaplain. In January, he was assigned as captain to the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, and he began a one-year deployment with his unit to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. The chaplain presented his idea of a Boston Marathon in Afghanistan to his commanding general, Major General Stephen Townsend, who gave it the green light. Then he petitioned the Boston Athletic Association for permission to host a Boston Marathon outside of the Bay State.

19B

Pastor encourages others to pray, listen to abuse victims Continued from page 1B and how we act from that point forward is with a deepening understanding not [just] of the issue, but of the people involved.” The gathering was a result of parishioners sending “spiritual bouquets” of prayer intentions to SNAP members, Archbishop John Nienstedt, and Jeff Anderson and Associates, the St. Paul firm representing many people who file lawsuits related to clergy abuse. Father Tim Norris, pastor at St. Paul, helped organize the outreach because of parishioners’ concerns regarding recent media reports related to clergy sexual abuse. “A big part of the priesthood is about reconciliation,” he said. “And, reconciliation around the abuse issue is very important. There is a lot of hurt on all sides of it, so anything we can do to bring people together and help heal the wounds [is beneficial].” Father Norris said the gathering opened up a sense that everyone needs to listen to each other compassionately. “Sometimes we take the two extremes of either fighting about it, or we just don’t talk about it,” he said. “We need to give people an opportunity to address their anger, hurt and sorrow, and do so respectfully.” Although Father Lachowitzer attended the gathering as a listener, he spoke briefly to the group, apologiz-

ing for the Church’s mistakes: “As long as there is one person on this earth who has experienced sexual abuse by a priest, those apologies will continue,” he said. Maribeth Barbato has been a parishioner at St. Paul for nearly 20 years. She said all the news reports about clergy sexual abuse have made her heart heavy for abuse victims, priests and the lay faithful. She attended the gathering in hopes of being better informed. She left with a deeper desire to pray for cleansing of the Church and do true penance and sacrifice for change. “Our Church is beautiful,” Barbato said. “God is so good to us. God doesn’t want [abuse] in our Church; he wants it gone. That’s when we just pray, and that [the Church] is able to hold the people, especially the abused, with the highest regard.” Parishioner Frank Maixner attended the gathering with some understanding of abuse victims, but gained more empathy in hearing people’s experiences firsthand. “I think as a Church, we just need to push ourselves, in spite of the difficulties, to realize that we’re all sheep, and we all need care,” Maixner said. Fred Schilling, a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis, wasn’t at the gathering, but read press reports about it and said those are the types of meetings people need. Schilling said he was sexually abused by his parish

priest when he was a teenage altar server in the Bismarck, N.D., diocese more than 45 years ago. “The parish in Ham Lake was preparing for a lot of tears,” Schilling said. “There was a lot of emotion involved, [which is good] if it’s emotion toward healing. I like going toward healing [rather] than blame.” Father Lachowitzer said the conversations between survivors and the Church will help people heal, but they need to result in some kind of action steps forward. “There’s the program director in me that wants to come up with all sorts of plans, and I think what [Schwiderski] has helped me to understand is that we will come to those next steps together through further conversation,” he said. “It’s not a program, it’s not something I can roll out. But if I’m asking for help and asking those who have experienced this tragedy to help us better handle this tragedy for the long haul, I need to be patient and let the steps forward together lay out what the next steps are.” Having only been in the vicar general role since last November, Father Lachowitzer said the gathering shed light on a new way of looking at people affected by clergy sexual abuse. “It’s challenging us to find continued ways to be a voice for those who were made voiceless by the fact that, in one too many instances, we have been

deaf and haven’t quite heard the full impact of clergy sexual abuse,” he said. “Any way we are giving people who have gone through this — family members or the individuals themselves — a voice through us, that’s true to who we are, that’s true to the mission of Jesus Christ, that’s true to our character as the Catholic Church.” But that has also been the irony, he said. “Sometimes we’re mute, unfortunately,” he said. Father Norris encourages people to continue to pray and look to how they might be able to follow in what his parish modeled — to reach out and not be afraid to listen to those who have been abused. The opportunity to listen to victims gave Barbato a new perspective. “There was no court system, there were no lawyers, just a simple meeting,” Barbato said. “And maybe those are the meetings that we have to have. When you’re face-to-face with people who have been abused, it’s different from just knowing it’s out there. Your heart just wants to do more.” Going forward, Father Lachowitzer said much can be accomplished from working together. “Institutions don’t relate to each other, people do,” he said. “And so, it’s expanding the number of people who get to know and trust each other so that we can do what’s best for the safety of children and for the healing of victims.”

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May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Tell us about a really good Catholic business owner, manager, supervisor, boss, and we’ll tell everybody else. Every year for the past 13 years, The Catholic Spirit has honored people in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for bringing their faith to the marketplace. More than 100 people — from bankers to gas station owners to social work supervisors — have received The Catholic Spirit’s Leading With Faith Award.

Nominating is easy. Contact Mary Gibbs, 651.251.7709 or gibbsm@archspm.org and we’ll send you a nomination form. The form is available online, too. Click on the Leading With Faith logo on TheCatholicSpirit.com or www.Archspm. org and print one for yourself. Fill out the nomination form as completely as you can, and we’ll take it from there.

DO IT NOW! DEADLINE is June 20th Give a GOOD Catholic boss a pat on the back!

thecatholicspirit.com

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Meet our new

PRIESTS

Deacons Marc Paveglio, Joseph Kuharski, Marcus Milless, Paul Shovelain, Kevin Manthey and Michael Barsness will be ordained priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis at 10 a.m., May 31 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Photo courtesy of St. Paul Seminary

Read more about the men who will be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in this special wrap-around section

thecatholicspirit.com

May 22, 2014 Newspaper for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

2A • ORDINATIONS

Archdiocese to welcome six men to the priesthood May 31

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

The Catholic Spirit

with your local cable provider to confirm dates and times.)

Archbishop John Nienstedt will ordain six men to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis at 10 a.m. May 31 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. They are: Marc Paveglio, Joseph Kuharski, Marcus Milless, Paul Shovelain, Kevin Manthey and Michael Barsness. (Read more about them in this special section.) The men to be ordained priests range in age from 25 to 29. Five of the six are native Minnesotans. This year, the theme at The St. Paul Seminary has been, “Be calm, be of good cheer, fan the flame.” “Our new priests leave The Saint Paul Seminary with an ardent desire to evangelize,” said Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, rector. “In their years of formation they have engaged in creative initiatives including an organized ‘Evangelization in Action’ program in local parishes. “They now take these words to heart as they go forth to serve God’s people,” he said. The ordination will be streamed live online; visit www. archspm.org, and click on the ordination event page. It will also re-air at 1 p.m. May 31 and 1 p.m. on all Sundays in June on Metro Cable Network/Cable Channel 6 (check

Across the country Nationally, according to a survey by the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, the median age of the 2014 ordination class is 32. Eight in 10 are between 25 and 39. The distribution is slightly younger than last year, but follows the pattern in recent years of average age at ordination in the mid-30s. Five men are being ordained to the priesthood after age 60, including one 70-year-old. Catholic education stands out as a strong factor in the background of the new priests, with half having attended a Catholic elementary school, 41 percent a Catholic high school and 45 percent, a Catholic college, the survey found. Three out of 10 of the new priests were born outside the U.S., with the largest numbers from Mexico, Vietnam, Colombia, Poland and the Philippines. The survey also found that ordinands on average report that they were about 17 when they first considered a vocation to the priesthood. Seven in 10 (71 percent) say they were encouraged by a parish priest.

Bonding with priests over pizza helped form vocation What were you doing before you entered the seminary? I entered the seminary as soon as I finished high school. When was the first time you thought about the priesthood? At a very early age, perhaps about 4 years old. Were there any reasons why you had not considered the priesthood earlier in your life? Any earlier and I think my aspirations and dreams wouldn’t have gone beyond being able to tie my shoes! Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? My parents as well as priests that I got to know growing up, especially Father Rolf Tollefson, Father Joseph Johnson and Father Francis Kittock, although there were others as well. My mom would invite priests over for pizza quite often — or, I should say, since the word got out about her homemade pizza, they would invite themselves! We had many good relationships with priests, which was important in my vocation. Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at my home parish, St. Charles, was essential. What excites you most about becoming a priest? Hearing confessions and celebrating the Mass, as well as spiritual direction. I also very much look forward to getting to know families in the parish, and helping to build up family life. How would you like to answer the call to evangelization in your priestly ministry? I feel that my call to evangelization is primarily a call to build up marriages and families and to assist parents in their vocation to raise their kids in the faith and in virtuous living. The love of my own big and boisterous family as well as my theological studies in marriage and family at the John Paul II Institute have given me a burning desire to help carry out the work begun by St. John Paul II for the renewal of family life. I believe that any plan of evangelization must begin with the family, the “domestic Church.” What concrete ways have you answered the call to evangelize up to this point? My work with the Legion of Mary in St. Peter’s Square is perhaps my most concrete and unique way I have evangelized during my time at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Our goal each time

Deacon Joseph Kuharski, 25 Home parish: St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony. Hometown: St. Anthony. Parents: John and Mary Ann Kuharski. Family: Christine Klaesges, Tim Kuharski, Charlie Kuharski, Tina Weiss, Tony Kuharski, Vincent Kuharski, Theresa Kuharski, Mary Urdahl, Angie Johnson, Kari Domeyer, Michael Kuharski, Dominic Kuharski. Pastoral learning experiences: A summer teaching English with the Maryknoll Missionaries in China, “street evangelization” in St. Peter’s Square with the Legion of Mary, chaplaincy with the Bernardi campus of the University of St. Thomas (Rome) as well as summer experiences at St. Stephen in Anoka and St. John the Baptist in New Brighton. Hobbies: ping pong, baking, sports and lifting weights. Favorite book: “The Story of a Soul” (autobiography of St. Therese). Favorite movies: “Moonstruck” and “Braveheart.” Person you admire most: I very much admire and have learned a great deal from the former rector of St. John Vianney Seminary, Father Bill Baer. His magnanimous vision for the priesthood and his great pastoral heart continue to inspire me. In the seminary, he fostered strong and lively fraternity and a culture of outward-focused service, which kept us from the self-centeredness and sloth that Pope Francis warns us about as ministers of the Gospel. Moreover, the attention and guidance he personally gave to me have been among the greatest blessings of my seminary days, and I know that many others are in great debt to him for this as well. Favorite saint: St. Therese of Lisieux. Thanksgiving Masses: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 1, at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton; and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 13, at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony. we went into the Square was just to get to know the pilgrims and tourists there and to be open and intentional about bringing the conversation to a discussion about faith and their experiences in the city, and to do so while promoting devotion to Our Lady. Conversations might start just from hearing English spoken or helping someone if they needed directions or a picture taken, but then it often would lead to a point, if the time was right, to something like the following: “Which sites in the city struck you most?” or “What has been your experience of God in Rome?” Of course, wearing clerical dress made it at least a little easier and natural to bring this up, and sometimes people would even come up to us and start to ask us questions about the Basilica. Many encounters were brief and limited somewhat to superficial details of their visit or of our time in the seminary, but many others were 20, 30 or even 45 minutes, and they were the ones that kept talking and bringing up more questions. Also, my work with the Maryknoll Missionaries in China was formative. Since it was against the law there to speak openly about the faith unless first asked by our students, this experience was mainly a lesson in how the faith can spread simply by the witness of joy and the building up of relationships. Indeed, by the grace of God, the program has resulted in many Chinese students entering the faith.

What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood? Be brave, and leave behind your preconceptions of what the seminary will be like. That was probably my biggest obstacle, and now I can honestly say that the guys I’ve met in the seminary are some of the men I look up to the most — and the ones that really know how to have a good time together. I would encourage you to schedule regular prayer into your day — every day — as well as daily Mass, if possible. When I was preparing for the possibility of entering seminary, one of the priests I looked up to told me to pray for 30 minutes every day. As a high school kid, that seemed like a lifetime. But it was certainly instrumental in making that leap of faith in entering seminary by growing in trust in our Lord and his plan for me. What will you miss most about your time at the Pontifical North American College? I will be returning to PNAC for one more year to finish my licentiate studies at the John Paul II Institute for Studies of Marriage and Family. However, I would say that I will certainly miss the fraternity of the men who will not stay for this fifth year, which has been a wonderful source of support during my time here.

ORDINATIONS • 3A

The Catholic Spirit • May 22, 2014

Trust in God’s will opened door to priesthood What were you doing before you entered the seminary? I attended Penn State University (Class of 2007), where I was involved with the Newman Catholic Student Association and Students For Life. I also spent a summer doing urban outreach in inner city Harrisburg, Pa., and spent another summer evangelizing and catechizing in North Dakota. When was the first time you thought about the priesthood? The summer after I graduated high school the Lord began to put the thought in my mind. I thought it strange, since I was in a healthy and long-term relationship with my girlfriend. But I kept the door open because I knew that my happiness was in God’s will alone. When I was worshiping at Mass in January 2004 the Lord spoke powerfully to me and called me to follow him as a priest. Were there any reasons why you had not considered the priesthood earlier in your life? Lack of awareness about different kinds of vocations and the importance of asking the Lord whether he had a special plan for my life. Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? Benedictine Father John Peck, my home pastor (2004 homily); Father Peter Hahn (my first real disclosure to another priest about the call I felt); and Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks (my college spiritual director). Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? I had a powerful encounter with Christ during Mass on Jan. 10, 2004. What excites you most about becoming a priest? Being a sacrament through which the presence and

Deacon Marc Paveglio, 29 Home parish: St. Stephen, Minneapolis. Hometown: Palmyra, Pa. Parents: Mario and Sandra Paveglio. Family: brother Chris, married; sister Adriana, married. Education: Penn State University (B.S. in human development and family studies). Teaching parish: St. Lawrence and Newman Center, Minneapolis. Pastoral learning experiences: Our Lady of Peace, Minneapolis (teaching parish for two years); six months at North Memorial Hospital under supervision of Father Jim Livingston; and deacon summer spent at Holy Name of Jesus, Medina. Hobbies: Cooking, racquetball, volleyball, cross country skiing, classic literature. Favorite book: “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo. Favorite movie: “Forrest Gump.” Person you admire most: Bishop Andrew Cozzens. He is a person who has totally given his life to Jesus Christ and loves his priesthood. He is thoroughly in communion with God and yet so very human and kind, and very at ease with his own weaknesses. Favorite saint: St. John the Apostle Thanksgiving Mass: 2 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata. power of Jesus Christ flows! Living as priest, prophet, and king for the kingdom of God. Preaching, the sacraments, teaching families how to pray. How would you like to answer the call to evangelization in your priestly ministry? By letting the Lord turn the parish into a school of prayer and discipleship, a hub for mission, and a place of healing. What concrete ways have you answered the call to evangelize up to this point? Participating in the annual street evangelization

outreach at the University of Minnesota. What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood? To hear the voice of the Lord, one needs prayer and silence. These are not easy, and sacrifice is necessary. To make room for them means some other part of your day or week has to die. But in the silence, away from the noise of the world’s concerns, the Lord speaks. And the delight and joy that comes from responding “yes” to his invitation will go beyond all your imaginings and expectations.

Congratulations Fr. Marc Paveglio, Fr. Joe Kuharski, Fr. Marcus Milless, Fr. Paul Shovelain, Fr. Kevin Manthey, and Fr. Michael Barsness From the priests, faculty and staff of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity

www.saintpaulseminary.org

4A • ORDINATIONS

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Faith conversations with brother helped discern call What were you doing before entering the seminary? I entered seminary halfway through my freshman year of college. I was working with children with special needs and going to school full time at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. When was the first time you thought about the priesthood? My senior year of high school. Were there any reasons why you had not considered the priesthood earlier in your life? I wanted to date and was afraid that I wouldn’t be happy until I had this experience in my life. Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? My brother Mitch helped me to see that I had what it took to be a priest. We often had conversations about the faith. Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? There wasn’t “an experience” but many little experiences of joy that affirmed the call. I found that when I thought about being a priest there was a deep abiding joy, even in the midst of turmoil. When I thought about marriage, I would have a fleeting joy, which would give way to turmoil and sadness. Over time I came to be aware of this pattern. What excites you most about becoming a priest? Being a spiritual father to many souls, helping people encounter the Father’s love in and through the sacraments of Christ Jesus — this is how the priest participates in the creative act of fatherhood. How would you like to answer the call to evangelization in your priestly ministry? Sacramental preparation is the primary time to

Deacon Marcus Milless, 26 Home parish: Epiphany, Coon Rapids. Hometown: Coon Rapids. Parents: Michael and Mary Jane. Family: brothers and sisters: Melissa, Mindy, Mitchel, Matthew, Monica, Martin, Margaret, Marie, Mary Ann, Michael, Marshall. Education: University of St. Thomas. B.A. in philosophy, minor in Catholic Studies. Teaching parish: St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo. Pastoral learning experiences: Visiting the Little Sisters of the Poor, religious education at Lumen Christi in St. Paul, working with the Missionaries of Charity as a part of the Rome program through Catholic Studies, Faith and Light program for those with special needs in West St. Paul, North Memorial Hospital chaplain training. Hobbies: Camping, hiking, Frisbee and cross country running. Favorite book: “Saint Among Savages, The Life of St. Isaac Jogues.” Favorite movie: “The 10 Commandments.” Person you admire most: My dad and mom. They qualify as one person due to Mark 10:8 — the two become one (in marriage). They have both been excellent witnesses of Christ’s sacrificial love. My dad always told us kids that he would rather have us then a nice car or a cabin in the woods. I knew he meant it, because he would go out of his way to be at my sporting events, stay at the hospital when I was sick or pick me up when I had fallen in sin. My mom taught me how to pray and how to have a real relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother. She always said that her main priority was to get us kids to heaven. Favorite saint: St. Phillip Neri. Thanksgiving Mass: 11 a.m. Sunday, June 1, at Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids. evangelize. This is truly the time to have them encounter Christ and his Church in an intimate way. Yet, the priest’s whole life should be evangelistic.

with relationship. We have to listen to their story, so we can discern how the Holy Spirit has been preparing them in some mysterious way for this encounter.

What concrete ways have you answered the call to evangelize up to this point? I helped with the St. Paul Seminary’s evangelization effort at the University of Minnesota. I also did door-todoor evangelization at Ireland Hall on the University of St. Thomas campus when I was at Saint John Vianney. Through these experiences, I learned that it all starts

What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood? You will have a bride (the Church), you will have children (the members of the Church), and you will be joyful! Spend time in adoration asking Christ and his mother if they want you to lay down your life.

The Church of St. Michael Farmington

Congratulates

Fr. Dennis Thompson “...stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.” (2 Tm 1:6)

Congratulations to Father Paul Shovelain

on the

25th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood June 9, 1969

From the parishioners of St. Michael Catholic Church May your priestly ministry be truly blessed

CONGRATULATIONS

FATHER MARCUS MILLESS

Father Joseph Kuharski

On your ordination to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your ministry from your teaching parish! Church of St. Francis Xavier – The Buffalo Catholic Community

Church of St. Charles Borromeo St. Anthony, Minnesota

ORDINATIONS • 5A

The Catholic Spirit • May 22, 2014

‘The Lord captured my heart’ at formation retreat What were you doing before you entered the seminary? I entered St. John Vianney College Seminary after graduating from Farmington High School. When was the first time you thought about the priesthood? At Boy Scout camp in sixth grade, the priest chaplain encouraged all of us at Mass to think about the priesthood even if we didn’t think we could speak in front of people. I was very shy at the time, and his words hit home for me. Were there any reasons why you had not considered the priesthood earlier in your life? I had never thought of it as a real option for me, even though I was an altar server and people had mentioned it to me before. Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? My mother encouraged me to visit the seminary and inspired me by her desire to learn more about the faith and grow in holiness. My grandparents have been praying the rosary for vocations since long before I was born. Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? The Lord captured my heart on a retreat at the Institute for Priestly Formation: This was a deep confirmation of my call to celibacy and to the priesthood. Also, I remember reading a guide concerning the life and ministry of Emmanuel Community priests and thinking: This is beautiful! This is the kind of priest I want to be! What excites you most about becoming a priest? I am most excited about seeing conversion in

Deacon Kevin Manthey, 26 Home parish: St. Michael, Farmington. Hometown: Farmington. Parents: Jim and Ann Manthey. Family: brother, Greg Education: B.A. in philosophy and Catholic Studies, University of St. Thomas. Teaching parish: two years at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, then two years at St. John Neumann in Eagan Pastoral learning experiences: discernment year with the Emmanuel Community in Belgium, including a month with L’Arche (founded by Jean Vanier) — homes for people with mental handicaps; chaplain’s aide at Gundersen Lutheran hospital in La Crosse, Wis.; deacon at St. Joseph in West St. Paul Hobbies: racquetball, playing the drums, camping, watching movies and tinkering with graphic design Favorite book: “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis. Favorite movie: “Of Gods and Men.” Person you admire most: I’ll never forget when Father Thierry Quelquejay explained to a group of us seminarians in the Emmanuel Community that he sees his identity as being a beloved son of God the Father and a “fisher of men” and that his hobby is street evangelization. Also, he would sometimes see homeless men on the street and invite them to have lunch with us. Favorite saint: St. Joseph. Thanksgiving Mass: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 1, at St. Michael in Farmington. people’s hearts, seeing people touched by Jesus and responding to his immense love. I am very much looking forward to being a minister of the Lord’s mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation and to being a minister of the Eucharist. How would you like to answer the call to evangelization in your priestly ministry? I want people to see in me the joy of knowing Christ. What concrete ways have you answered the call to

evangelize up to this point? With the Emmanuel Community, I have often gone out evangelizing on the street, two by two (of course, this is just one of many ways of evangelizing). What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood? Pray, seek to follow Jesus in your daily life, go to Mass and confession regularly, and don’t hide it (speak to a priest, your family, etc.).

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Congratulations SJV Alumni! Fr. Paul Shovelain (Saint Paul & Minneapolis), Fr. Tim Gapinski (St. Cloud), Fr. Timothy Lange (Duluth), Fr. Kevin Manthey (Saint Paul & Minneapolis), Fr. Blake Rozier (Duluth), Fr. Marcus Milless (Saint Paul & Minneapolis)

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6A • ORDINATIONS

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Preschool days spent thinking about priesthood What were you doing before entering the seminary? Before I entered St. John Vianney Seminary, I attended St. Michael-Albertville High School. I played football and ran track and field. I also worked on my brother-in-law’s dairy farm and worked for a landscape company. When was the first time you thought about the priesthood? I first started thinking about the priesthood when I was 4 or 5 years old. The first priest I ever wanted to be like was Father Denny Dempsey. I remember him giving me high fives on his way out of Mass on Sundays. Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? The priests that served in my parish were heroes to me. I looked up to them as role models and wanted to follow their example. Also, my family was always very positive and encouraging. The youth program in my parish was very strong. By being involved with it, I was given opportunities to share the faith and I really enjoyed speaking about Christ. Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? When I was in seventh grade, I attended a retreat called Extreme Faith Camp. During the retreat, I discovered anew the personal love of Jesus Christ and God, my Father. I had been looking for my identity

Hearing an additional call to serve In addition to studying for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Deacon Paul Shovelain is a co-sponsored seminarian for the Archdiocese for the Military Services. He said he first considered military chaplaincy in high school after reading the book “The Shadow of His Wings” about a German priest during World War II. “During my time at St. John Vianney College Seminary we had several chaplains visit, and I felt the Lord tug on my heart through them,” he said. “I went on two retreats sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services and both helped to give me a better understanding of military chaplaincy. “I asked Archbishop [John] Nienstedt for permission to do a co-sponsorship with the AMS during my senior year at SJV and he gave me permission,” said Deacon Shovelain, who will not enter the military until 2019 as part of the agreement.

Deacon Paul Shovelain, 26 Home parish: St. Michael, St. Michael. Hometown: St. Michael. Parents: Jim and Marie Shovelain. Family: sisters Theresa and Emily, (Theresa is married to Brian Beaudry and they have six children: Jalyssa, Ethan, Maria, Leah, Evan and Gianna. Emily is married to Lukas Stevens. Brothers Brian and Dominic. Brian is a pilot in the Air Force. Dominic is applying to St. John Vianney Seminary. Education: St. John Vianney College Seminary, University of St. Thomas, majored in philosophy and Catholic Studies. Teaching parish: St. Patrick, Oak Grove. Pastoral learning experiences: Most recently, I served as a chaplain intern at the V.A. in Minneapolis. Last summer I served my diaconate placement at St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony. Before those, I had many pastoral learning experiences particularly in the area of the youth ministry. Hobbies: Farming, landscape work, fishing, skiing. Favorite book: “The Three Ages of the Interior Life : Prelude of Eternal Life” by Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. Favorite movie: “For Greater Glory” Person you admire most: I greatly admire my parents. They have always been very supportive of my siblings and me. I could go on and on about all the things that I admire about them, but I will only mention that they gave me the Catholic faith. For this I am incredibly grateful. Favorite saint: St. Paul. Thanksgiving Mass: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 1, at St. Michael in St. Michael. from my friends, sports and my grades, but they were not satisfying me. During the retreat, I experienced the love of God and grew to know God as my Father. It is in that relationship where I find my identity, as a beloved Son of God. From that retreat onward, I began to take my faith more seriously and became active in the youth ministry program in the parish. This coming summer, I will be returning to Extreme Faith Camp and serving as its priest chaplain. I am very much looking forward to helping lead EFC this year; it has brought so many teens closer to Christ throughout our archdiocese. (I went on the retreat in 2001, which was the first year they held it. Now, in its 14th year, it has grown from the three original parishes to around 20, and this year, there will be four different EFCs.) What excites you most about becoming a priest? I am excited to help others encounter the love of God and be nourished by him. Christ is everything to me, and to participate in his priesthood and share his love with others is going to be such an honor. I really look forward to youth ministry and working with families as well as visiting the homebound and elderly. I gained so much from the youth program that I was a part of in middle

school and high school and I want to give back. What concrete ways have you answered the call to evangelize up to this point? Last summer, while assigned to serve at St. Charles as a deacon, I participated in door-to-door evangelization. It was a great blessing. I met an elderly woman who was homebound. She had not been able to receive holy Communion in a very long time. I ended up bringing her holy Communion every week for the rest of the summer. Also, during my time at St. Charles, I helped form a middle school youth group. We met twice a week for games, and then I would give a teaching on the Sunday Scriptures, or I would give a teaching about a relevant Church topic. At my teaching parish, I have assisted in many different areas. The confirmation retreats the past few years have been a real blessing for me as I have seen Christ enter the lives of many teens. What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood? Be open. Be real. Be prayerful. Be not afraid. Archbishop John Nienstedt always says, “God will always outdo us in generosity.” So, whatever you give to him, be assured that he will give you more back.

Congratulations and God Bless You

KEVIN MANTHEY ON YOUR ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD FROM ST. MICHAEL CATHOLIC CHURCH FARMINGTON

NOTICE Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

ST. PAUL SEMINARY AND SCHOOL OF DIVINITY in all copies of this issue.

ORDINATIONS • 7A

The Catholic Spirit • May 22, 2014

‘Desire for holiness’ came from friends, St. Teresa of Avila What were you doing before you entered the seminary? I worked the night shift at Gemini, a manufacturer, the year I got out of college.

Deacon Michael Barsness, 29 Home parish: Annunciation, Hazelwood. Hometown: Northfield. Parents: Joel and Ritva. Family: Brother Ian and sister Hanna. Education: Dana College in Blair, Neb. Teaching parish: Holy Family, St. Louis Park. Pastoral learning experiences: Teaching fifth-grade faith formation. Hobbies: I watch movies and play basketball. I like to fish and desire to go hunting one day. Favorite books: “The Soul of the Apostolate,” “Christ the Ideal of the Priest.” Favorite movies: “Les Miserables,” “Lord of the Rings.” Person you admire most: Pope Benedict XVI because of his holiness and great contribution to theology. Favorite saint: Sts. Francis Xavier, Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross. Of these, my favorite is probably Thomas Aquinas because I believe without his teaching and clarity we would have fewer saints. Favorite Scripture verse: “When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” — 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Thanksgiving Mass: 9 a.m. Sunday, June 1, at Holy Family in St. Louis Park.

When was the first time you thought about the priesthood? My roommate in college told me one day that I should stop dating because I was going to be a priest. I was not open to it at the time so I told him that, if it were so, God would have to give me the desire to be a priest. I knew little to nothing about the priesthood. Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? My friends and especially Father Jay Kythe, who became my spiritual director that year out of college. He introduced me to the priesthood through Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s book, “The Priest is Not His Own.”

How would you like to answer the call to evangelization in your priestly ministry?

relationships and natural conversations where Christ encounters the people through you.

What concrete ways have you answered the call to evangelize up to this point? I try to make it a point to get to know people who work around the seminary, the Binz refectory, etc. It was a joy to go twice to the University of Minnesota campus to speak to students and get to know some people. The Gospel is spread through concrete

What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood?

2014

The fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, The fruit of love is service, The fruit of service is peace. -BLESSED mother teresa

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We Are Blessed By your commitment Thank You for your service

Drawing close to Christ is the path to knowing yourself. This means prayer and spending time with priests! The priesthood is one of the most dynamic lifestyles. Get to know what their life is like.

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What excites you most about becoming a priest? I think the idea that I will take part in Jesus’ healing ministry as I hear confessions, teach and feed with his body and blood. I have received so much healing in my own life and want to share the healing of Christ.

Every encounter with people is a chance to evangelize. Share the joy of Christ by the love of each and everyone.

ON CAT TI

Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation? Several things happened, my good friends and Teresa of Avila taught me the desire for holiness. Daily Mass, prayer and reading “The Priest is Not His Own” were also instrumental.

8A • ORDINATIONS

May 22, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Pope gives future priests some advice: Stay close to Mary, be humble and make sure to work on those homilies, he says By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Pope Francis told seminarians not to become “orphan priests,” who are motherless without Mary; “businessman priests,” who are after money; or “prince priests,” who are aloof from the people. He also warned them not to give “boring homilies,” saying their reflections should be brief, powerful and address the problems and concerns people are really going through. In a private audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall with thousands of seminarians and priests from around the world who are studying in Rome, the pope spent 70 minutes answering the questions of eight pre-selected participants. The pope told them that he already had seen the prepared questions, and urged them to feel free to change the questions and go off-script if they wanted. However, the men, who were from the United States, China, Lebanon, Cameroon, Mexico, Philippines and Poland, appeared to stay with the prepared questions. In his off-the-cuff replies, the pope addressed questions about formation; difficulties living in a religious community; advice about being far from home and living in Rome; how to balance the many duties of being a priest or bishop; what a real leader must be; and what the new evangelization entails. “There is only

Staying vigilant

one path to leadership: service. There is no other way.”

The pope peppered his serious and detailed advice with a number of humorous anecdotes and sarcasm, like when he warned the men to never forget they have a mother in Mary. “But if you don’t want Pope Francis Our Lady as a mother, you will have her as a mother-in-law, and that’s not good,” he said to laughter and applause. The comment was part of a lengthy response to a Mexican student’s question about remaining faithful to one’s priestly vocation. The key, the pope said, is vigilance — keeping watch over one’s heart and feelings, and finding peace during times of personal “turbulence.” Just like a stormy sea, it’s impossible to see what’s going on inside one’s heart when life is in turmoil, he said. The only way to calm the waters and be able to reflect intelligently on what’s going on is to turn to Mary for help, he said, and to “seek refuge under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God.” “Some of you will say, ‘But Father, in this era of so many modern benefits, in psychiatry, in psychology, I think it would be better during these times of turbulence to go to a psychiatrist to help me.’ I’m not eliminating that [possibility], but go to the mother first before anything else.” When there’s trouble, children “always go to their

Pope Francis smiles next to Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the papal household, during a special audience with members of religious colleges in Paul VI hall at the Vatican May 12. CNS photo / Max Rossi, Reuters mother. And we are children in our spiritual life,” the pope said. “To forget a mother is a terrible thing,” he said, and when a priest forgets Mary or does not have a good relationship with her, “something is missing. He is an orphan priest.”

Service and humility The pope later warned against becoming a “businessman priest” or a “prince priest” in response to a question from a Filipino student about the qualities needed to best lead the people of God. Parishioners are usually very forgiving of a priest’s missteps, except when they are sins of greed and vanity — the “two hazards” that St. Augustine warned about that come with the priestly office. The people of God “don’t forgive you if you are a pastor who is attached to money, if you’re vain and don’t treat people nicely, because the conceited don’t treat people nicely.” He said the early monastic Desert Fathers used to say that “vanity is like an onion”: the vain keep peeling back and showing off all their layers until “you end up with nothing,” but the repelling “smell of onion.” Instead, “humility must be the weapon of the priest,” who is close to his people and lives a life of sacrifice, poverty and service. “There is only one path to leadership: service. There is no other way,” the pope said. A priest can be a great communicator and have other wonderful talents, “but if you aren’t a servant, your leadership will collapse, it won’t matter, it won’t be able to summon” others or guide them. Service is always being available to others, responding to their needs, and helping them “grow and walk” with Jesus. When asked about the “new evangelization,” Pope Francis said it requires “going out of one’s self” and “getting closer to the people, to everyone.” “You can’t evangelize without being close” to others, which means being “cordial” as well as being physically present and aware of what others are going through.

Brief and to the point One of the reasons why there are so many “boring homilies” is because priests aren’t “close” to their people, he said. The measure for seeing how close a priest is to his parishioners is his homily, he added. Pope Francis lamented long homilies, telling the students he knows the 40-minute homily “isn’t something made up. It happens!” Homilies also should not be “about abstract things,” he said. While it expresses “the truth of faith,” a homily shouldn’t be a classroom lesson, a conference or an academic reflection, but be “something else,” that borders on the sacramental, and is “brief and powerful.” He said “we are late” in picking up on this problem and that the Church has a lot to do to ensure homilies are under 10 minutes and done well “so that people understand” the word of God. The pope urged seminarians not to let their academic studies take over their spiritual growth, apostolic work and community life. “Academic purism is not healthy,” he said, and it carries the risk of “slipping into ideologies,” which harms the priest and people’s conception of the Church.

Sacraments and adoration When asked about balancing all of the demands of being a priest or bishop, the pope said the secret is prayer and always making room for the sacraments and eucharistic adoration. The ideal day is to go to bed tired “so you won’t have to take any [sleeping] pills,” he joked. But he underlined the difference between the “good tired” of a productive day versus the exhaustion of being run ragged. He told his audience that he could see his papal assistant “giving me a look right now,” suggesting that the pope does not exactly follow his own advice in that regard. “It’s true. I’m a sinner,” guilty of overwork and being disorganized, he laughed.

The rosary 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 June 5: What does it mean to pray constantly?

A prayer that incorporates both body and soul

HEART OF THE MATTER Jeff CAVINS

he rosary is one of the most popular prayers among the faithful. One reason is that it is a quick way to enter the world of Jesus and meditate on the greatest Gospel mysteries, from the Annunciation to the death and resurrection of our Lord, concluding with the crowning of Our Lady. In Pope Paul VI’s “Marialis Cultus,” he said the rosary is a “compendium of the entire Gospel.” It is an orderly and gradual unfolding of the way God entered human affairs. The entire rosary consists of 20 sets of Hail Marys (see box on back page of section), referred to as decades, with an Our Father prayed at the beginning of each decade. During the praying of each decade, one of the central mysteries of the Gospel is meditated upon. Each prayer is coupled with — mark this — vocal prayer (at least a movement of the lips). Why the insistence on that? Because the whole prayer is about the drama of the Word made flesh, not the Word made thought. So we “enter into the spirit of the prayer” paradoxically, with our bodies, just as Jesus entered into our salvation with his body.

The Catholic Spirit • May 22, 2014

This “incarnational” aspect cannot be stressed too much. You and I are created in what may be called a “dynamic unity.” We are spirit and body. The rosary reflects this dynamic unity by incorporating both spirit and body in the mysteries and the beads. It involves the body in the fingering of the beads just as it involves the spirit in meditating and praying about the mysteries of Jesus Christ. Head and heart, soul and body therefore participate in the rosary. The rosary is also a practical prayer. As we count with the hands, the soul is freed from the practical distraction of counting. The physical involvement of the body, coupled with the physical formation of the words, keeps the body at the disposition of the soul. Prayer can be tiring, but there is something about the touching of the beads that keeps our bodies focused. I like what one author, Maisie Ward, once said: “The beads are there for the sake of the prayers and prayers are there for the sake of the mysteries” that one is meditating upon. Please turn to ROSARY on back page of section

Rediscover-faith.org

“Prayer can be tiring, but there is something about the touching of the beads that keeps our bodies focused.” Jeff Cavins

Grandpa’s rosary This story is inspired by the life of my grandfather, Dayton Kjonaas, who passed on April 12 at the age of 92. A member of the “Greatest Generation,” he was a member of the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division during World War II. Grandpa was a quiet, patient Minnesota Norwegian. Grandma “Jo,” his wife of 63 years and mother of 10, was a stout German-Bohemian who brought out the best in Grandpa. I never knew Grandpa “Guy” prayed the rosary, even though Grandma’s rosary collection would cover the dining table! In 2005, my newly married wife Tiffany and I visited their home in North St. Paul. Visits to Grandpa and Grandma’s house always involved visiting at the dining GUEST table. In the middle of small talk, Grandpa said he wanted to give me something. He taught me how to be COLUMN a pack rat, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Aaron When he returned, he had tears welling in his big blue eyes. “I want you to have my rosary,” he said. I had SINN never seen him cry before, and with a lump in my throat I thanked him for it. It is a simple wooden bead rosary, with a dark brown tarnished finish and a slender crucifix. Each bead is worn and faded from years of prayer. He continued: “When I was in Italy [during the war], there was an old woman who offered an extra bed to me. When I left her house, she gave me this rosary and said it would protect me. I wasn’t Catholic then, but I figured it couldn’t hurt and I [had] it the rest of the war.” By this time, I had tears welling, too, and the story was etched into my memory forever. That was his first experience with a rosary, and I’m sure that devoted old woman said a few extra decades for Mary’s intersession during those terrible years.

Vatican encounter After hearing more about his war experience, I have no doubt our Blessed Mother was with him. In another chapter of his WWII memories, his unit split up to search the Vatican for German soldiers. Grandpa searched room by room and found a clergyman sitting at a desk. Speaking basic Italian with rifle in hand, Grandpa asked where the German soldiers were. The startled “Grandpa didn’t appear clergyman stated there were no present. He asked Grandpa if to be a devout Catholic Germans he knew who he was, and obviously in my memories, but his Grandpa didn’t think he was a German or there would have been trouble. The quiet devotion to the man was Pope Pius XII, who offered his blessing and thanks to my grandfather. rosary and Grandma’s With that well-used rosary and the rosary collection inspired papal blessing, Grandpa survived his WWII campaign from Italy all the way me to learn and practice to Germany. His account of near-death experiences is astounding; he was surely it with my family.” blessed and fortunate. At the end of the Aaron Sinn war, he tried returning to thank the old woman, but her home was destroyed. He never saw her again. Bringing the rosary back to Minnesota, Grandpa soon married my grandmother while still a Lutheran. He converted to Catholicism and they raised eight children, buried two little babies and became lifelong members of St. Peter in North St. Paul. Grandpa didn’t appear to be a devout Catholic in my memories, but his quiet devotion to the rosary and Grandma’s rosary collection inspired me to learn and practice it with my family. On the Saturday of his passing, he was at the V.A. Hospital and was only given 24 hours to live. I went to visit as soon as possible. His rosary didn’t enter my mind until my wife put it in my hand before I left my house. He was surrounded by most of his children and many grandchildren. At his bedside, I asked my mom if we could pray a decade with his rosary, and she invited others to join in. We struggled to get the words out; it was sorrowful and beautiful at the same time. My mom put the rosary around his hand just before he quietly passed away. This sacramental will forever be a piece of our family’s history and Grandpa’s faith. Each Hail Mary prayer is like a rose given to the Virgin Mary and ultimately to Jesus. Gathering our roses like a master florist, Mary creates perfect bouquets to honor Jesus. Knowing the mysteries of the rosary means knowing the life of Jesus. Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma. Sinn and his wife Tiffany have four children. They are members of St. Peter in North St. Paul.

The Catholic Spirit • May 22, 2014

Dire hospital situation leads to d By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit The rosary came alive for Paul Putzier in a hospital waiting room while his friend’s son lay dying in the E.R. A 16-year-old classmate of Putzier’s son had been in a car accident on July 3, 2010 and was feared dead when he arrived at Region’s Hospital in St. Paul. Family and friends were gathered in the waiting room early the next morning wondering about the fate of the boy, and hoping for a miracle. “There were quite a few uncles and aunts and cousins, probably about 15 or 18 of us in this room waiting,” said Putzier, 55, a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul with his wife Veronica and children. “It was early morning. We were trying to talk and be hopeful and [were] saying some prayers. But, it was very uncomfortable. It was sad. And, I really didn’t know what to do.” Finally, a woman in the room suggested

praying the rosary. Everyone quickly agreed. Then, the entire mood changed. “So everybody ducked down their heads and she led us through a rosary,” Putzier said. “It was 20, 25 minutes of all of us being of one heart and one mind in that room in prayer together. “We were able to join together and bring the situation to God and to our Blessed Mother. The rosary brought focus and hope to that hospital waiting room. It was at that powerful moment of grace that my relationship with the rosary changed. I made a personal commitment to learn and pray the rosary, and never be ‘empty handed’ in a situation like that again.” Within a matter of days, Putzier began praying the rosary regularly, which he has done ever since. He has found a way to build it into the routines of his life. “We started saying the rosary on the way to Mass because it’s a 20-minute drive for us [from Burnsville],” he said. “So, having all the kids in the car is a perfect period of time. I say

Mother of Mercy

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

to deep devotion to Mary the rosary myself on the way to work, which is also a 20-minute drive. I started leading the family more in that prayer. It’s been powerful. I say the rosary probably two or three times a week now.”

Bringing peace Although praying the rosary did not result in the miracle of saving the boy’s life — he died later that day — Putzier has seen the fruits of this iconic prayer nonetheless. He notices a greater peace in his family. He notices that his children are finding the path God has for them. And, he is experiencing a deeper relationship with Mary, who had to helplessly watch her own son die, just like Putzier’s friends had to do with their son. “I love Mary. I know she loves me and that she’s a powerful intercessor,” he said. “Our friendship is growing through saying the rosary.” Putzier takes a practical approach to the ro-

sary, offering decades for various intentions. For example, when he prays it on the way to work in the morning, he offers one decade for each of his five children, three of whom have graduated from high school and moved on. He also has a list of five intentions he will pray a decade for: 1. Pope Francis; 2. bishops; 3. priests; 4. deacons; and 5. those called to religious life. He also knows that another emergency could arise, and therefore, the urgent need to offer a rosary to seek Mary’s intercession. “I’ve never had to use it again in a dire situation like that, thank goodness, but it is a beautiful gift to us at those moments,” he said. “And, I know that sometime in the future there’ll be a time that I’ll need to reach down and lead that prayer for a group of people that are in a difficult spot. I just know it. I think it’s good to learn it ahead of time, so it’s ready when you need it.”

On the 26th day of my life, my parents had me baptized at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen, S.D. Perhaps this was the beginning of my love of Mary. At home there would sometimes be a votive lit in front of the statue of Mary. Even though my mother would tell us that it was lit for a special intention and to let it burn, often I just had to stop and, with a little puff, extinguish it. Looking back, I think Mary smiled at the little girl who loved to blow out candles. In fifth grade, my grandma helped me to memorize the “Hail, Holy Queen.” There was something in the way she said it — even then, I understood she was praying each phrase. My sister had the most beautiful statue of Mary. I used to pretend it was mine, which was easy because we GUEST shared a bedroom. Mary was everywhere. COLUMN Unfortunately, my first week of college was also the beginning of 17 utterly dark years. Jesus Christ and his Alyssa Church had nearly no place in my life then. It was only BORMES on the very worst days that I prayed. Then, I just wanted the motherly comfort of Mary. I remembered the Hail Mary, but it saddened me a bit that I could only remember the first line of the prayer my grandma had taught me: “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy.” Now I understand that it was a great line to remember. We are greeting the Queen of Heaven; she is the mother of the king, the mother of mercy. Jesus Christ is mercy, and mercy was what I was begging for during the dark years. I needed Christ, but I had given up on him and was certain he had given up on me. However, there is something about moms and their willingness to hold their Hail, Holy Queen wayward children. Mary held me. Sometimes it was only for Hail, holy Queen, a moment; sometimes she Mother of mercy, held me for days, as I lie in our life, our sweetness and our hope. bed not even able to cry. To thee do we cry, Years later, my own mother poor banished children of Eve: told me of her constant to thee do we send up our sighs, prayers. She beseeched Mary mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. to be with me. At the time, I Turn then, feared letting my own mom most gracious advocate, know of my wounds — even thine eyes of mercy toward us, though the wounds were so and after this our exile, evident. Both my mom and show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, my Mother had the same Jesus, intention, to lead me to the O clement, O loving, Son. They persevered in O sweet Virgin Mary! prayer. Amen. I met mercy himself in confession with my spiritual ©2005 Catholic Book Publishing Company. Catholic Book of Prayers. father, Bishop Paul Dudley. Then, I met him in the Mass. One May, a priest explained the title, Mary, Star of the Sea. In the middle of the sea, in the oppressive darkness of night, her star shines. Using her to help navigate, she leads us to her son. During one midnight hour in adoration, I prayed the rosary again. Remembering the Hail Mary, the Our Father, and Glory Be, the other prayers and mysteries were found using the pamphlet in the chapel. At the end of the rosary, I realized I still only remembered that first phrase: “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy.” The tears began to pour as I felt my grandmother, my mother, and my mother Mary spiritually re-teaching me the prayer. Each line was more heart wrenching; it was everything I had ever begged for during the dark years. With the final “Amen,” I understood that Mary met me at my baptism all those years ago, and led me to this moment, as I sat in adoration of her beloved son, Jesus Christ. May she continue to lead all of us to him in heaven! Bormes, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, is the author of the book “The Catechism of Hockey.”

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Children can journey through the Bible at fall celebration By Emily Cavins For The Catholic Spirit The 2014 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration will include a K-6 children’s program that will take participants on a journey through the Bible. The celebration is slated for Friday, Oct. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The children’s program, which includes the Latino breakout group, takes place on Saturday. Focusing on the celebration’s theme “Horizon of Hope,” the program will aim to help children understand that the Bible contains a message of hope for them and for the world. They will learn why the Catholic Church respects this book so much that every week it is read aloud in Mass. With music, activities, games and lesson time, children will trace the hope that God has offered humankind, starting in Genesis and culminating with Jesus and his Church. Using the story of the Road

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Visit www.rediscover-faith.org. For those without access to the Internet, call the Rediscover: Program Support Helpline at (651) 291-4411. to Emmaus as a springboard, the children will learn how Jesus revealed

the salvation story to the disciples on the Emmaus road, causing their hearts

Rosary can serve as a sanctuary in time Mary’s world view One of the things I appreciate most about the rosary is its flexibility. No matter how simple or complex we are in our life with Christ, we can grow with the rosary and never exhaust it. It has been said that the rosary is shallow enough that an ant can wade in it and deep enough that an elephant can drown in it. If you are just beginning your walk in Christ, the rosary will offer you the simplest walk through his life. But if you are like St. Paul and you have been walking with Christ for years, you still will not exhaust the mysteries of Christ. It’s a very flexible way to pray. St. John Paul II once said, “The rosary is my favorite prayer, a marvelous prayer; marvelous in its simplicity and marvelous in its depth.” He added that the rosary “beats the rhythm of human life.” What does he mean by that? If you think about the way the rosary is put together, no matter what condition or circumstance you are in, you can find yourself in it. And so, no matter where we are in life, we can find ourselves somewhere in the rosary. As St. John Paul II also said, “At the same time our heart can enclose in these decades of the rosary all the facts that make up the life of the individual, the family, the nation, the Church and mankind. Personal matters and those of one’s neighbor, and particularly of those who are closest to us, who are dearest to us.”

Repetition and the rhythm of life Some Christians will object that, according to Scripture, Jesus was against repetitious prayer. However, Jesus warned against meaningless repetition, not meaningful repetition. Meaningless repetition is indeed not God’s will. Merely rattling off prayers like a parrot will not move the hand of God. But not all repetition is meaningless. Romano Guardini wrote in “The Lady of Our Rosary”: “Repetition can have a real meaning. Is it not an element of life? What else is the beating of the heart but a repetition? Always the same contraction and

expansion, and yet it makes the blood circulate through the body. What else is breathing but a repetition? Always the same, in and out. By breathing we live. And is not our whole being ordered and sustained by change and repetition? Ever anew the sun rises and sets. Night follows day. The round of life begins in the spring, rises, reaches its summit, and sinks. What objection can one raise against these repetitions and so many others? They are the order in which growth progresses. The inner kernel develops and the form is revealed. All life realizes itself in the rhythm of external conditions and internal accomplishment. If this is so everywhere, why should it not also be so in religious devotion?” That’s the beauty of it. God enters the mundane and repetitious with his power. The divine intersects the mundane! So if I find the rosary boring, it’s probably because I’m not entering into the rosary. I’m just repeating words and not entering into it and meditating on the life of Christ through the eyes of Mary. That’s why I like to think of each bead as the heartbeat of Jesus, and my goal is that my heart would beat in unison with his. As soon as the person begins praying the words of the creed, Guardini says, “He has built for himself a home by his speech.” Think of the endless possibilities to experience intimacy with the Lord. We can pray on the way to work, transforming traffic jams into a meaningful time of prayer. We sit down in the doctor’ s waiting room, take out our rosary and we build ourselves a home, a sanctuary in time. There is no place or situation which we cannot erect a place of pondering. We need such a place of holy tranquility. We need a place were we can go to get away from it all, where the breath of God pervades, and where we can meet the great figures of the faith: Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles. It’s not some task that we busy Americans have to accomplish, but a lingering in the world of Mary whose essence was Christ. 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.

The Catholic Spirit • May 22, 2014

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to burn within. With these concepts fresh in their minds, the children will join their parents for the Mass, which culminates the Rediscover: Celebration. The K-6 program will be taught by qualified archdiocesan educators and carefully supervised during the twohour morning and afternoon sessions planned for them. All volunteers who work with children are screened using the archdiocesan guidelines that include a background check, Virtus training and a signed code of conduct. Since there is a limit to the number of children that can be registered for the program, please register early so no one has to be turned away at the door. Cavins is the author of several books, including “Lily of the Mohawks: The Story of St. Kateri,” and the developer of the“Great Adventure Kids” Bible study materials. She also leads tours of the Holy Land with her husband, Jeff.

Praying the rosary • Make the Sign of the Cross. • Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles’ Creed. • On the first bead, say an Our Father. • Say three Hail Marys on each of the next three beads. • Say the Glory Be • For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery (see below), then say the Our Father. • While fingering each of the 10 beads of the decade, next say 10 Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be. • After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, followed by this dialogue and prayer: V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: O God, whose Only Begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The mysteries The Five Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on the Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays of Advent: The Annunciation; The Visitation; The Nativity; The Presentation in the Temple; The Finding in the Temple. The Five Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on the Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays of Lent: The Agony in the Garden; The Scourging at the Pillar; The Crowning with Thorns; The Carrying of the Cross; The Crucifixion and Death. The Five Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on the Wednesdays and Sundays outside of Lent and Advent: The Resurrection; The Ascension; The Descent of the Holy Spirit; The Assumption; The Coronation of Mary. The Five Luminous Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Thursdays: The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan; The Wedding Feast at Cana; Jesus’ Proclamation of the Coming of the Kingdom of God; The Transfiguration; The Institution of the Eucharist. Source: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops