November 25, 2021 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
thecatholicspirit.com
Picturing saints ‘Cloud of Witnesses’ at Nativity of Mary highlights saints’ diversity — Page 8 CATHOLIC CHARITIES’ WARMING HOUSE 5 | SYNOD SMALL GROUPS 6 | BYRNE RESIDENCE RENOVATIONS 7 USCCB AND EUCHARIST 9 | DIACONATE CANDIDATES 12-13 | ARCHDIOCESE’S FINANCIAL REPORT 22-23
2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
PAGETWO NEWS notes Bishop Andrew Cozzens, bishop-designate of Crookston, will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at noon Nov. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, followed by a 1–4 p.m. reception. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1997, and its auxiliary bishop in 2013. On Oct. 18, Pope Francis appointed him the eighth bishop of Crookston. His installation will take place Dec. 6 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston. The Mass will be livestreamed at crookston.org/newbishop. The Year of St. Joseph will close Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will celebrate Mass 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul to commemorate it.
COURTESY FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN
TEAM CHAPLAIN HONORED Retired Father Michael Van Sloun stands Oct. 25 with a framed Minnesota Vikings football jersey bearing his name and the number 20 honoring his 20 years of service as team priest and chaplain. General Manager Rick Spielman presented the gift on a balcony overlooking the practice field at TCO Performance Center/Vikings headquarters in Eagan, marking Father Van Sloun’s retirement from service with the team. In addition to presiding at Mass for coaches and players the evening before home games, Father Van Sloun made a number of road trips and presided for several funerals of Vikings personnel, one player’s wedding and a number of baptisms. He also provided spiritual advice, direction and support. Father Nels Gjengdahl began as the team priest this fall.
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Edina held its first Zoom call Nov. 8 with students at a school in Ghana that for eight years has been an outreach of OLG’s sister-parish partnership with St. Joseph parish in Mamponteng, Ghana. Seventhgraders in Edina piled into a social studies class to share questions and answers with eighth-graders at Our Lady of Grace Senior High School in Mamponteng. Questions ranged from what is the weather like to how many languages students speak to what sports they play. “It was an opportunity for us to learn a bit more about the school we are supporting and for them to learn about us,” said Ginger Vance, head of school at OLG in Edina. Responding to concerns raised by religious leaders about undue land use restrictions on religious institutions for ministries such as assistance to the homeless and the hungry, St. Paul city planners substantially rewrote a proposed zoning ordinance. A City Council public hearing and vote are expected in January to meet a Feb. 1 deadline for the new ordinance. Participant reaction in a Nov. 16 Zoom call with City Planner Bill Dermody, organized by Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul, indicate the city’s changes alleviated some worry. After the meeting, Joseph Kueppers, an attorney and chancellor for civil affairs at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said the revised ordinance is a step in the right direction that eliminates the most objectionable portions of the original proposal. “We are still studying this new ordinance to make sure it protects the rights of religious institutions in St. Paul, including 27 Catholic churches,” Kueppers said. The Osseo/Maple Grove Knights of Columbus Council No. 9139 donated 1,440 new coats and 500 pairs of snow pants to 13 elementary schools, including public schools in Osseo, Milaca and Onamia, and St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Brooklyn Park, as well as the Osseo Police Department, St. Vincent de Paul parish’s Giving Tree and Open Doors for Teens, which helps homeless teens in the Rogers and Elk River area. Over the past seven years, the council has raised more than $100,000 and provided 4,568 new winter coats and 2,460 pairs of snow pants, with the help of local businesses and civic organizations. This year, the council purchased half of the coats, and the Knights’ Supreme Council matched its gift. One school shared with the council that a first-grader cried when he found a new jacket and snow pants in his locker.
BARB UMBERGER | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
PRAY, PAY RESPECTS Thirty-eight religious sisters from several Latin American countries stopped at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis Nov. 15 on their way to Winona for a week of activities at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. The sisters prayed and sang at the site where Floyd, an African American, was killed during a police encounter in May 2020 that touched off nationwide protests and riots. Enrolled at St. Mary’s via distance learning in health and human services degree programs, the sisters also serve as missionaries in impoverished Latino communities across the U.S. Sister Felipa Santos Tapia, 29, a Missionary Daughter of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima and a Spanish-speaking native of Veracruz, Mexico, said she prayed for Floyd’s soul and was reminded that life is important and a gift that needs to be respected. She also felt moved to be a voice for the poor, and open her heart to give 100% every day, she said.
PRACTICING Catholic
The Catholic Spirit wishes a very happy Thanksgiving to our readers. We are deeply grateful for you!
DEATH NOTICE
On the Nov. 19 “Practicing Catholic” show, host Patrick Conley interviews Allison Spies, archives program manager at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who discusses the arduous travel conditions faced by early missionary priests in Minnesota, including the story of a priest who made international news in 1860 because of his harrowing ordeal of being lost in a blizzard. Also featured are Father John Ubel, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, who discusses the meaning of Advent and ideas for celebrating it well, and Sister Lynore Girmscheid, who describes the Retirement Fund for Religious. Listen each week Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com, soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic or tinyurl.com/practicingcatholic.
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
United in Faith, Hope and Love
“Sister Celeste” is getting in the Christmas spirit with tours of St. Louis, King of France in downtown St. Paul followed by singing classic carols in the former St. Agatha’s Conservatory Chapel, now the Celeste of St. Paul Hotel+Bar Dining Room. The “Sing-A-Long Advent Tour” takes place 7 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 28. Named for Mother Celestine Howard, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet who ran the conservatory, “Sister Celeste” is portrayed by actor Michelle Myers Berg, who gives regular in-character tours of downtown St. Paul. The Catholic Spirit featured Berg and her humorous and informative tours in the July 15 issue. Tickets range from $20-$27. Tour reservations can be made at celestial-tours.com.
Vol. 26 — No. 22 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor
Father Kenneth LaVan died Nov. 12. He was 89. He was ordained in 1958 and was an associate priest at St. Michael, St. Paul (1958-1964); St. Anne, Minneapolis (1964-1965); and St. Raphael, Crystal (19651970). He also served at Guardian Angels, Oakdale (1970-1973), before being appointed its pastor (1973-1983). He was also pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, Lake St. Croix Beach (1983-1985), and St. Richard, Richfield (1986-1987). In 1987 he was named co-pastor of St. Joseph, Lino Lakes, for 18 months, and then served there as an associate priest until his retirement in 1998. In December 2013, Father LaVan was removed from active ministry due to a substantiated claim of sexual abuse of a minor.
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 semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (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, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3
FROMTHEMODERATOROFTHECURIA ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER
‘Law of the Gift’
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hortly before he retired, Pope Benedict XVI said, “One receives one’s life precisely when one offers it as a gift.” He was referring to St. John Paul II’s The Law of the Gift: “Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” As a law, the generosity of sacrifice is required for the life of faith. It is also true for all human beings. While it is popular to say, “Tis better to give than to receive,” there is a spiritual reason for this saying. The more we truly give of ourselves, the more we become truly ourselves. It is one of the joys of our faith that when we work hard to serve a parish community, in whatever work of the apostolate we do, we receive back so much more than we gave. This is why we are more defined by what we give away than by what we have. Our sacrifices, great and small, are in the imitation of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. The cross is our symbol for the life of faith. We strive to offer our very being to Christ by sacrificing what it takes to live out the Gospel. It is understandable that most people hold back on giving away that which we value the most. Sometimes
‘Ley del Regalo’
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oco antes de jubilarse, el Papa Benedicto XVI dijo: “Se recibe la vida precisamente cuando se la ofrece como regalo”. Se refería a La ley del don de San Juan Pablo II: “El hombre no puede encontrarse plenamente a sí mismo si no es a través de un don sincero de sí mismo”. Como ley, la generosidad del sacrificio es necesaria para la vida de fe. También es cierto para todos los seres humanos. Si bien es popular decir: “Es mejor dar que recibir”, hay una razón espiritual para este dicho. Cuanto más nos damos verdaderamente de nosotros mismos, más nos convertimos en nosotros mismos. Es una de las alegrías de nuestra fe que cuando trabajamos duro para servir a una comunidad parroquial, en cualquier trabajo de apostolado que hagamos, recibamos mucho más de lo que damos. Por eso nos define más lo que regalamos que lo que tenemos. Nuestros sacrificios, grandes y pequeños, son imitación de Jesucristo, quien dio su vida por nosotros. La cruz es nuestro símbolo de la vida de fe. Nos esforzamos por ofrecer nuestro propio ser a Cristo sacrificando lo que se necesita para vivir el Evangelio. Es comprensible que la mayoría de las
Our sacrifices, great and small, are in the imitation of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. it is a prudent saving for future needs, or a practical realization that we cannot do everything. Other times, it is simply greed. In the well-worn stewardship focus of time, talent and treasure, it is not an option to choose between them. To truly be a gift of the self, we offer from each of them. Particularly in the 21st century, financial gifts come from where we have put much of our time and talent. When it comes to our involvement in the life of the Church, we cannot just donate financially and remain a spectator in the pew. Likewise, active involvement is not a pass from a financial contribution. When we truly experience the Law of the Gift, then we trust with humility that God will not be out-given. When we don’t think we have a dime to spare, give it away and we will receive even more. When we don’t think we have a moment to spare, give it away and we’ll
personas se abstengan de regalar lo que más valoramos. A veces es un ahorro prudente para necesidades futuras o una comprensión práctica de que no podemos hacer todo. Otras veces, es simplemente codicia. En el gastado enfoque de mayordomía del tiempo, el talento y el tesoro, no es una opción elegir entre ellos. Para ser verdaderamente un regalo de uno mismo, ofrecemos de cada uno de ellos. Particularmente en el siglo XXI, los obsequios financieros provienen de donde hemos invertido gran parte de nuestro tiempo y talento. Cuando se trata de nuestra participación en la vida de la Iglesia, no podemos simplemente donar financieramente y seguir siendo un espectador en la banca. Asimismo, la participación activa no es un pase de una contribución financiera. Cuando realmente experimentamos la Ley del Regalo, confiamos con humildad en que Dios no será superado. Cuando pensamos que no tenemos ni un centavo de sobra, regálelo y recibiremos aún más. Cuando pensamos que no tenemos un momento libre, regálelo y tendremos todo el tiempo que necesitemos. Y cuando pensamos que ninguna de nuestras habilidades es necesaria, ofrezcamos lo que tenemos de todos modos y nos sentiremos como la
have all the time we need. And when we think that none of our abilities are needed, offer what we have anyway and we’ll feel like the most gifted person on earth. In every gift offered, sacrifices from the heart share love. Giving ourselves as a gift is echoed in a variation of an old African story. A non-native missionary was frustrated after weeks of begging his penniless congregation to find the money to fix a leaky roof. It was the rainy season and the drips seemed to be more plentiful above the pulpit. Disappointed that no one had come forward with any money, a young man walked toward the altar, emptied the large gift basket of vegetables that couldn’t be used to fix a roof and stepped inside. He offered his very self. The Law of the Gift is even expressed in an old children’s song. The music and lyrics were written by Malvina Reynolds. Called “The Magic Penny,” the opening lines (condensed here) beautifully express one of the deepest truths of who we are as God’s children: “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more. It’s just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won’t have any. Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many they’ll roll all over the floor.”
persona más talentosa del mundo. En cada regalo ofrecido, los sacrificios del corazón comparten el amor. Darnos a nosotros mismos como un regalo se repite en una variación de una vieja historia africana. Un misionero no nativo se sintió frustrado después de semanas de rogarle a su congregación sin un centavo que encontrara el dinero para arreglar un techo con goteras. Era la temporada de lluvias y las gotas parecían ser más abundantes sobre el púlpito. Decepcionado porque nadie se había presentado con dinero, un joven caminó hacia el altar, vació la gran canasta de regalo con verduras que no se podían usar para arreglar un techo y entró. Se ofreció a sí mismo. La Ley del Regalo se expresa incluso en una canción infantil. La música y la letra fueron escritas por Malvina Reynolds. Llamado “El centavo mágico”, las primeras líneas (condensadas aquí) expresan bellamente una de las verdades más profundas de quiénes somos como hijos de Dios: “El amor es algo que si lo regalas, terminas teniendo más. Es como un centavo mágico, sujételo fuerte y no tendrá ninguno. Préstalo, gástalo y tendrás tantos que rodarán por el suelo”.
ON THE COVER This icon of St. Josephine Bakhita is among the eight saint images in “Cloud of Witnesses” displayed at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington. The brainchild of parishioner Ben Heidgerken and backed by pastor Father Nathan LaLiberte, the project came to life this year with the work of parishioner and artist Erin Wee. Wee was already working on an image of St. Josephine last year when she received the project commission, she said. “What really drew me to her was that throughout her whole life was just one driving force, and it was a closer connection to God,” said Wee, who created the images digitally. “So, her looking upwards, it’s like a little bit of surrender and a little bit of ‘all glory to God.’ I think the Holy Spirit really took over for a lot of these (images in the series), because it just really quickly came to me in that way.” Read more about the series on page 8.
Advent during COVID-19 pandemic remains a season of compassion, Pope Francis says By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service With Advent coming during an ongoing pandemic, Christians are called to hold on to hope and foster a season of compassion and tenderness, Pope Francis said. During Advent this year, too, “its lights will be dimmed by the consequences of the pandemic, which still weighs heavily on our time,” he said Nov. 22. “All the more reason why we are called to question ourselves and not to lose hope.” The First Sunday of Advent is Nov. 28. “The feast of the birth of Christ is not out of tune with the trial we are going through because it is the quintessential feast of compassion, the feast of tenderness. Its beauty is humble and full of human warmth,” the pope said during an audience with organizers and participants in a Christmas music contest. “The beauty of Christmas shines
through in the sharing of small gestures of genuine love. It is not alienating, it is not superficial, it is not evasive,” he said. The beauty of Christmas “expands the heart, opening it up to gratuitousness — gratuitousness, a word artists understand well! — to the giving of self,” and it can also foster cultural, social and educational life and activities, he added. Pope Francis quoted what St. Paul VI told artists during Advent in 1965: “This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair.” It must not be the false beauty “made of appearances and earthly riches, which are hollow and a generator of emptiness,” Pope Francis said. It must be the real beauty “of a God made flesh, the one of faces — the beauty of faces, the beauty of stories” and the beauty of “creatures that make up our common home.”
REMO CASILLI, REUTERS | CNS
Pope Francis touches a Marian image at the conclusion of Mass for the feast of Christ the King in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 21.
4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
LOCAL
SLICEof LIFE
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Oven ready Pete Wolff of St. Mary of the Lake in Plymouth takes a turkey out of a roaster on its way to the oven Nov. 22 to complete the process of cooking a bird that he and his family are donating to Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis for Thanksgiving. For about 30 years, he has participated in the parish Thanksgiving project, which involves people cooking turkeys in their homes and donating them to Sharing and Caring Hands, which serves the homeless. Wolff and his wife, Catherine, started cooking one turkey per year, then pushed it to two. This year, they are doing three; their son, Brady, brought a bird over for cooking that evening. “It’s a great way to give back,” Wolff said of the parish Thanksgiving project. “I think Mary Jo (Copeland, founder and director of Sharing and Caring Hands) does an outstanding job. She’s got her hands full and she needs all the help she can get.” Wolff said the parish will donate about 175 turkeys this year.
Retirement Fund for Religious Please give to those who have given a lifetime. Like the women and men religious shown here, thousands of elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests spent decades ministering in Catholic schools, hospitals and more—usually for little pay. Today, many religious communities struggle to care for aging members due to a lack of retirement savings. Your gift to the Retirement Fund for Religious helps provide nursing care, medicine, and other necessities. Please be generous.
retiredreligious.org Visit retiredreligious.org/2021photos to meet the religious pictured.
©2021 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC • All rights reserved • Photo: Jim Judkis
Please donate at your local parish December 11–12 or by mail at:
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Attn: Sister Lynore Girmscheid, SSND 777 Forest Street St. Paul MN 55106-3857 Make check payable to Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis/RFR.
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
LOCAL
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5
Catholic Charities’ Warming House to celebrate the holidays, community impact By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit The expansive parking lot just north of the Mall of America in Bloomington will soon be transformed into a festive holiday experience highlighting Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Catholic Charities Warming House, set for 4–8 p.m., Dec. 10-11 will feature s’mores, hot drinks, winter crafts and activities, train rides, a petting zoo and more, all while focusing on the impact of Catholic Charities on the people it serves and the broader community. “Catholic Charities had hosted our St. Nicholas Dinner each December, which brought together members from all parts of our community — business, nonprofit, government, volunteers, advocates, donors — to learn more about the work of our organization,” said Hayley Mueller, 33, the nonprofit organization’s vice president of development. “Even pre-COVID, we had been thinking about our strategy, and then last year, of course, there was no inperson St. Nicholas Dinner,” Mueller said. “We really wanted to explore doing an event — free, inclusive and open to the public — that brings people in to celebrate the holidays, but also introduces Catholic Charities,” she said. “A lot of people know our name, but not what we do. We can often be mysterious in some ways.” Catholic Charities provides housing, emergency shelter and direct services for more than 23,000 men, women, children and families, focused on achieving and maintaining housing stability for those most in need — a vision and mission grounded in Catholic social teaching. Direct services include a daytime Opportunity Center in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul for adults seeking meals, health care, hygiene and other services; youth programs such as the Northside Child Development Center in Minneapolis; aging and disability services. “I don’t think people really know or appreciate what a big impact Catholic Charities has in our local area,” said Jon Van Wyck, 39, managing director and partner, Boston Consulting Group, who serves on Catholic Charities’ board. “The Warming House provides a great opportunity for people to be able to engage with Catholic Charities in a fun, festive way and learn a little about the organization
WARMING HOUSE For more information on the Warming House experience, including the $50 All-Access Package which includes two, two-piece s’more kits from North Mallow, two free admissions to the Crayola Experience at the Mall of America, a commemorative Warming House hanging ornament and reserved parking, go to cctwincities. org/our-organization/events/warming-house.
GIVING TREE For a full list of items needed this holiday season, go to cctwincities. org/giving tree. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Hayley Mueller, vice president of development at Catholic Charities, stands in front of the Mall of America in Bloomington. and the amazing work it does,” Van Wyck said. Van Wyck, a parishioner of St. Hubert in Chanhassen, plans to attend with his wife and three children. “My kids will love the train, all the Christmas trees and of course, the animals,” Van Wyck said. “I think it’s the perfect way to kick off this holiday season.” A free, outdoor event presented by Luther Automotive, the Warming House will take place within a perimeter of 200 lighted Christmas trees. Activities will include face painting, visiting with reindeer and llamas, a coloring activity, performing choirs, photo opportunities and s’more making, as well as some speed volunteering opportunities. “Inside the heated tent, families can help assemble the sock and roll, our annual Christmas gift for our clients — socks, handwarmers and Chapstick — as well as the very practical laundry packets,” Mueller said. “We’ll have signage up about Catholic Charities and also project facts onto the tent’s exterior,” she said. “We’ll feel successful if attendees walk away with one or two facts about our impact in the community and who we serve.” The event will also incorporate the Giving Tree, a Catholic Charities tradition for the past 30 years at the Mall of America, located just outside the mall entrance to Macy’s. And a $50 package includes two s’more kits from North Mallow, two free admissions to the Crayola
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Catholic Charities needs volunteers for the Warming House event for setup, takedown, greeting guests and helping with activities. “This is a great opportunity for parish youth groups and men’s groups to volunteer for a two- or three-hour shift,” said Hayley Mueller, vice president of development for Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. To volunteer, go to ccwarminghouse2021. cctwincities.volunteerhub.com. Experience at the mall, a Warming House hanging ornament and special, reserved parking. “Last year during the pandemic, we did the Giving Tree as a drive-through event, and this year the tradition continues at the Warming House Giving Tree station, ensuring that children and adults have access to essential items as they receive supportive services from Catholic Charities,” Mueller said. “The most significant items needed include new, unused and unwrapped adult underwear, men’s winter jackets, adult winter boots and waterproof mittens and gloves, in all sizes, plus larger-sized adult hooded sweatshirts,” she said. Mueller noted that parking for the Warming House is plentiful on the north surface lot, next to Ikea. “You could come for the entire four hours, for one hour, or just stop in to drop off your Giving Tree items,” Mueller said. “We would love to see this as a new holiday tradition.”
Generous giving honors generous living: Retirement Fund for Religious By Debbie Musser For the Catholic Spirit It’s a startling statistic: today, Catholic sisters, brothers and priests past age 70 outnumber those in religious orders under the age of 70 by nearly 3 to 1. Even more surprising is that for most of their lives, these elder religious worked for little to no pay. And there were no retirement plans or options such as a 401(k) or pension. But parishioners in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis can help Dec. 11-12 while showing their gratitude for aging members of religious communities — close to home and across the country — through the Retirement Fund for Religious annual appeal. At Assumption in St. Paul, which numbers about 2,700 families, the appeal provides parishioners a chance to say thank you and help care for the religious who have cared for the Church for so many SISTER LYNORE years, said Father Paul Treacy, GIRMSCHEID pastor. “I have to say that Assumption parishioners are very generous to all causes, but this collection does stand out from others; we do not collect a similar amount with other national appeals,” Father Treacy said. “I believe parishioners are compelled to donate from the understanding that the religious of a certain generation didn’t have an opportunity to plan for their own retirement; they served selflessly, without thoughts to their own future,” he said. The U.S. bishops established the Retirement Fund
RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS For more information, go to retiredreligious.org.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Father Paul Treacy, pastor of Assumption in downtown St. Paul, and Julie Malecha, administrator, work together to coordinate the parish’s donations to the Retirement Fund for Religious. for Religious in 1988. To date, more than $786 million has been distributed to support day-to-day care of elderly religious, and an additional $102 million has been allocated for collaborative health care facilities and other projects initiated by religious communities. “Last year’s appeal in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis totaled $420,300 — the fourth largest of the 169 dioceses participating,” said School Sister of Notre Dame Lynore Girmscheid, archdiocesan coordinator of the fund. “‘Generous giving honors generous living’ as we like to say; people want to support the good that was done for so many years,” she said. “We are very blessed in this archdiocese to have
had such strong Catholic education and hospital systems,” she said. “And a lot of people have priests and other religious who are friends or members of their families.” Personal connections inspire many to give, said Father Tom Walker, pastor of St. Michael in Prior Lake, which has 2,800 registered households. “The School Sisters of Notre Dame founded our school in 1960 and have always been a key part of our community,” Father Walker said. “Many members have long-term relationships with one or more of the sisters, even long after they left St. Mike’s or retired, and I suspect both those relationships and an overall respect for the work done by religious is behind the strong support for the appeal.” According to Sister Lynore, local parish contributions to the Religious Retirement Fund range from an annual gift of $5,000 up to those giving in the $25,000 to $28,000 range. Assumption and St. Michael are among the highest giving parishes, and a total of seven parishes have collected $10,000 or more annually in recent years, she said. Several local donors have earmarked Retirement Fund for Religious donations through the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota as part of their inheritance, she said. “That’s remarkable to me, and it’s grown,” Sister Lynore said.
6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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NOVEMBER 25, 2021
Synod Small Groups complete, but experience continues to resonate By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit When Trenny Greuel walked into her first Synod Small Group session at her parish, St. Michael in Farmington, she was prepared to discuss and give feedback on topics affecting the local Church. What she didn’t expect, she said, was to leave each session feeling spiritually renewed, with ideas for evangelization and excitement about her role in building up the Church. “We’re all on a journey, and we’re all trying to work on our faith, work on our prayer life and deepen our relationship with God,” said Greuel, 47, an attorney, wife and mother. “I was just blown away at how much the Synod Small Groups helped me do that as an individual, and how I was able to carry that into my family.” Nearly all parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis participated in the Synod’s Parish Consultation with Small Groups, six small-group sessions held between mid-September and midNovember, drawing an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people to at least one session, said Father Joseph Bambenek, the Synod’s co-director. The feedback he’s received — both in the feedback forms and participant testimonies — has “been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. While the conversations yielded valuable data for the Synod process, “it seems like (Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s) objective of growing into unity was met, and we’re well on our way towards more vigorously proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ,” he said. At each 2-hour session, a video produced by archdiocesan staff guided participants through prayer, talks on Church teaching and personal testimonials that presented the session’s theme. At each session, participants spent two 30-minute periods discussing questions related to that theme at table-based small groups, and completed feedback forms that indicated their own experience with the topic, expressed where they wanted to see the archdiocese put resources related to the topic, and included a short answer with “my best idea” — a chance to share something specific that they wanted Synod leaders to know about the topic. The topics were based on three focus areas Archbishop Hebda identified for the Archdiocesan Synod: 1. Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, 2. Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’s love and respond to his call, and 3. Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young. The archbishop discerned those topics following the 30 Prayer and Listening Events he held throughout the archdiocese in 2019-2020, which drew more than 8,000 participants and 35,000 comments.
Congratulations to Deacon Mike Engel
From their inception, the Synod Small Groups’ organizers envisioned the events as an opportunity to receive feedback on the focus areas and foster smallgroup faith sharing. Archbishop Bernard Hebda personally visited at least 10 Synod With an estimated 320 participants — including Small Group sessions, and his experiences “were consistently 40 confirmation students — the parish with the positive and confirmed my intuition that the Holy Spirit is working largest turnout for the first session was Assumption in among the faithful of this archdiocese,” he said. Richfield, which also drew from nearby St. Richard and “I found that the participants had a seriousness of purpose and a St. Peter. Other parishes with more than 150 attendees healthy desire to rebuild the Church. They were quick to develop that first session were St. Stephen in Minneapolis, a ‘listening ear’ and were respectful of their fellow participants, St. Odilia in Shoreview, Holy Name of Jesus in Medina even when their views were quite divergent,” he told The Catholic and St. Paul in Ham Lake. Spirit. “The questions and comments that I received all point At St. Odilia, each Synod Small Group session was to the fact that an amazing number of our parishioners have offered twice, once in English and once in Spanish. been thinking and praying about our future and are looking for Gizella Miko, St. Odilia’s director of discipleship opportunities to contribute their insights and experiences as and formation, said the parish’s Spanish-speaking we set a course for our Church. Wherever I went, I found folks community participated in similar numbers to its Anglo community, but Latino participants’ average age skewed expressing gratitude for the team that put together the excellent videos for the Small Group process.” younger, with more people in their 30s and 40s. “After the first (session), people were really excited to hear each other’s stories. People were really touched by being able to hear about parishioners that they hadn’t really known before and … how God has worked in The six Synod Small Group videos are available to watch at their life,” Miko said. archspm.org/synod. Also available is the music video for the song As a 30-year-old, she appreciated her table conversation with older Catholics, including an 80-year- “Look up” that was commissioned for the final Synod Small Group old who described her experience of forming a Christian session. group as a public high school student decades ago. The experience was so positive at St. Odilia that Miko representatives from each parish. Those discussions will is launching three new small groups, including ones on prayer and the Creed. “I feel like it kickstarted the rest of then shape the June 3-5 Synod Assembly in St. Paul, which will include about 500 people, who will make the initiatives that we want to do in the parish for adult recommendations on the focus areas to Archbishop formation,” she said. At St. Joseph in West St. Paul, Douglas Bushman, Hebda. Those recommendations will shape a pastoral director of parish formation and mission, said the small plan he expects to release in November 2022, followed groups met their mark. Bushman, 67, recently returned by a pastoral plan in early 2023. to his native Minnesota after a career teaching pastoral Louise Gerken, 79, said the small group experience theology, most recently at the Augustine Institute in was better than she had hoped. “It fired up my Denver. He said he was impressed by the Synod Small desire for evangelization,” she said. The Small Group Group materials and process, and, like Miko, he’s conversations also led to some immediate changes leveraging their momentum. After the Small Groups at her parish, St. Paul in Zumbrota: a program for ended, he began a lectio divina series, and about threewelcoming new parishioners, resuming fellowship fourths of the Synod Small Group participants returned. following Sunday Mass and improving the process for The Synod Small Group conversations were sharing prayer requests. “energetic, vibrant,” he said. “I thought the archdiocese At St. Edward in Bloomington, Janet Gorshe, 54, did an excellent job of preparation and anticipating the director of parish life and discipleship, said that the small group dynamics. And the impression I had was Small Groups were ultimately “very fruitful.” Because that everyone was respectful. There was a lot of listening the parish’s population is aging, the final sessions on to one another.” youth and young adults were especially important, she The Synod Small Groups provided the widest said. Overall, “I think people really enjoyed it.” opportunity for consultation as the Archdiocesan Synod process continues. The information gathered Read more testimonials about the Synod Small Groups will inform the next step, Synod deanery meetings CathSpMM-July-Sept-2021.qxp_Layout 1 6/30/21 10:5 in January and February, which will include up to 10 at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
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NOVEMBER 25, 2021
Retired clergy residence begins fundraising for renovations By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Well before his 2006 retirement, Father Michael Erlander knew he wanted to live in the Leo C. Byrne Residence in St. Paul. “There were other (retired) priests here, people I could connect with,” he said. And he knew all of them. A resident for 15 years and self-described introvert, Father Erlander, 79, appreciates having his own apartment but also the opportunity to have community with other retired priests. The four-level Byrne Residence, located along the Mississippi River in St. Paul next door to The St. Paul Seminary, provides apartments for 29 priests and a small guestroom. Designed for independent living, tenants share dining facilities, an exercise room, community room and chapel, where Masses are celebrated twice daily. Each resident has an underground parking space. As with any home, repairs and upkeep are inevitable, said Father Michael Tix, episcopal vicar for parish and clergy services at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. And the Byrne Residence, built 26 years ago and owned by the archdiocese, needs roofing and exterior work; upgrades to lighting, heating and cooling systems; repairs for water damage and other issues, plus door and window replacement, in part to improve energy efficiency — and it needs the money to do it. “Essentially, this is a home ... and it’s at that point in time where it needs regular maintenance and upkeep in a variety of ways, to keep it a warm and welcoming place for our priests, who choose to live here as they enter retirement,” Father Tix said. Noting the need, Michelle and Patrick Fox, parishioners of St. Olaf in Minneapolis, are leading a fundraising effort through a capital campaign titled “Gratitude,” a nod to the priests’ service and generous donors. Both have led and participated in other fundraising campaigns. Patrick Fox is principal at St. Bartholomew School in Wayzata. “Many of the priests have fostered our faith journey, and we are grateful to them,” Michelle Fox said. Father Patrick Kennedy, a resident who has been involved in a working group addressing the need for repairs, said there is “a great community of priests here and the building augments the quality of life.” Repairs and upgrades will cost about $6.5 million, organizers said, and a formal bid process will be completed. Repairs will be prioritized as funds allow. The number might seem high, Father Tix said, but in effect it covers 29 homes. Funds also could help with maintenance after renovation, he said.
As COVID-19 infections increased in Minnesota the last few months, at one point marking it as the worst outbreak in the nation, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ COVID-19 Anointing Corps visited more patients as well. From Aug. 29 to Oct. 9, the number of people gravely ill from COVID-19 who received anointing of the sick by priests never rose above 20 per week. By Nov. 14-20, that number had nearly doubled. Instituted early in the pandemic in 2020 and organized by Bishop Andrew Cozzens, a varying number of priests of the archdiocese, many wishing to remain anonymous, have volunteered for the corps. A network of volunteer nurses evaluates requests for anointings and ensures that those who are dying are connected with a priest for the sacrament. People who wish a loved one to be anointed request it through their parish, or at a medical center, through a nursing director or spiritual care director. Priests involved are specially trained in COVID-19 protocols. However, pastors may make their own visits to parishioners, as well.
Courts place OSHA workplace COVID-19 vaccine rules on hold By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
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The Leo C. Byrne Residence, next door to The St. Paul Seminary, is visible from Mississippi Boulevard in St. Paul.
‘GRATITUDE’ CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Checks payable to CCF/Byrne Residence Renovation Project can be sent to the Catholic Community Foundation: CCF/Byrne Residence Renovation Fund Court West Suite 500 2610 University Ave. W. St. Paul, MN 55114 Donate online at ccf-mn.org/byrneresidence Rent at the Byrne Residence is based on a percentage of each priest’s pension, said Deacon Phil Stewart, the building’s administrator. Meals, laundry and housekeeping are provided. When necessary, home care services can be arranged for an additional level of care, until there is need for assisted living at a different facility, he said. Deacon Stewart said about 80% of the priests at the residence remain active in ministry, such as helping with Masses and confession. “Or they might do special Masses or services for friends or relatives or other parishioners they’ve known over the years,” he said. Father Erlander continues to celebrate Masses on weekends, funerals and other services. Over the years, he has provided spiritual direction to seminarians, priests, deacons and laypeople. “Think about what these priests have given over time — and for those living (at the Byrne Residence) now — how many collective years of service to the Church have been given,” Father Tix said. “This is an opportunity to provide for them in a spirit of appreciation for their service to our local Church.”
COVID-19 anointings increase with new cases statewide By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7
With the delta variant increasing infections nationwide this year, Minnesota reported the worst seven-day rate of infections in the country Nov. 15, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The state dropped to second the next day, surpassed by Michigan. The most recent numbers, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, show the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections in the state, including reinfections, for the week ended Nov. 11 reaching 836,787, and rising to 866,055 Nov. 18, an increase of 29,268, or 3.5%. From Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, five priests from the Anointing Corps anointed nine people suffering from COVID-19. The next week, seven priests anointed 19 people. That jumped to eight priests anointing 31 people in the week of Oct. 10-16, then dropped to eight priests anointing 16 people from Oct. 17-23 and four priests anointing eight people from Oct. 24-30. But, the numbers rose again Oct. 31 to Nov. 6 and Nov. 7-13, with priests anointing 31 people each of those weeks. From Nov. 14-20, 10 priests anointed 38 people.
With the Occupational Safety and Health Administration suspending implementation of COVID-19 vaccination requirements in the workplace effective Nov. 17 because of legal challenges, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, its parishes and schools are doing the same. “The archdiocese will not be taking further action regarding the OSHA mandate until the courts resolve the legality of the ETS (Emergency Temporary Standard),” Bill Lentsch, chief operating officer, said in a Nov. 17 email to staff at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul. Parishes and schools received a similar notice, Lentsch said. OSHA said it was waiting for court rulings as at least 34 lawsuits from states, employers and others were consolidated Nov. 16 with the Sixth U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. On Nov. 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans ordered that OSHA take no steps to implement or enforce the ETS “until further court order.” President Biden announced the mandate in September and asked OSHA to draft workplace rules to implement the order, which would mandate that by Jan. 4 every company with 100 or more employees either require they get the COVID-19 vaccine or get tested weekly and wear face masks. A limited number of parishes in the archdiocese and the Archdiocesan Catholic Center would be impacted by the federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements if they went into effect, archdiocesan officials have said. Under OSHA’s initial order issued Nov. 4, all provisions of the ETS and its requirements other than testing unvaccinated employees would have to be complied with by Dec. 5. Masking and testing requirements would apply to all unvaccinated employees, even those receiving exemptions. “I appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these challenging times,” Lentsch said in the email to ACC staff. “I will ensure we keep you posted as we learn more.”
8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
LOCAL
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
‘Cloud of Witnesses’ features saints as a focus of racial reconciliation By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit Nativity of Mary in Bloomington is home to a special display of artwork undertaken after the death of George Floyd that emphasizes the diversity of saints and the unity of the faith they shared. “Cloud of Witnesses,” located in the church’s gathering space, features eight framed images of men and women representing various ethnicities, each accentuated with a hand-painted gold halo symbolizing their sainthood. “The saints reveal to us the reality that the Christian message is about conformity to Christ,” said Father Nathan LaLiberte, 36, pastor of Nativity of Mary. “The fact that they have come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and races, and yet have pursued a singular focus, is amazing in itself,” he said. “Then, reveal some of the heroic things that these individuals did, and they truly are inspiring witnesses for us to follow.” The project began after the May 25, 2020, police-involved killing in Minneapolis of Floyd, who was Black, and the protests that followed. “A parishioner, Ben Heidgerken, contacted me about his desire to have some sort of a response that was ‘Catholic’ to our community, which has a racial background that is largely white, with a minority of African, Hispanic (and) Asian members,” Father LaLiberte said. The two brainstormed about an art series depicting saints, and Heidgerken, 37, identified eight saints whose lives involved cultural misunderstanding and conflict: St. Juan Diego, St. Martin de Porres, St. Pedro Calungsod, Blessed Christian de Cherge, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Teresa of Kolkata and Venerable Henriette Delille. “By telling their stories, we learn to imitate the virtues that they displayed in the BEN HEIDGERKEN face of the conflict they experienced,” said Heidgerken, adjunct professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield, and an associate professor at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. ERIN WEE For the past five years, he has also taught an American religious history course at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. The course influenced his desire to see Cloud of Witnesses brought to fruition. “In my teaching of American religious history at The St. Paul Seminary, I have often championed the stories of saints as a central means to building up the body of Christ,” Heidgerken said. “Yet I realized that I had never concretely worked to tell these stories in my own parish community.” “Helping our parish to build up to the fullness of the body of Christ is the goal of the Nativity of Mary ‘Cloud of Witnesses,’” he said. The 11-by-14-inch saint images were created by parishioner Erin Wee, 28, an artist who serves as the director of
SAINTS’ STORIES St. Juan Diego was a member of the Chichimeca people in what today is Mexico. He converted to Christianity 10 years after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the center of the Aztec Empire, in 1521. He received visions from the Blessed Virgin Mary, culminating in Our Lady’s gift of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He spent the rest of his life serving pilgrims at the site. St. Martin de Porres was a mixed-race (African and possibly indigenous) lay Dominican in what has become Lima, Peru. He was denied full membership in the Catholic religious orders of his day because of his racial heritage. He worked in the infirmary of his religious community and was known for his miraculous healings there. St. Pedro Calungsod was a Filipino lay catechist of the 17th century. At a very young age, he left his people to study and mission with the Jesuits in the Marianas Islands. He was martyred on the island of Guam when he was 17 years old. Blessed Christian de Cherge was a Frenchman whose Trappist religious community lived in northern Algeria. During the Algerian Civil War, Islamic extremists endangered the peace of all peoples in the country; Father de Cherge’s community remained in solidarity with the Muslim community there. He was martyred by these extremists in 1996. COURTESY NATIVITY OF MARY
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639), a mixed-race lay Dominican in what has become Lima, Peru; St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), a Mohawk laywoman who was baptized and devoted her life to Mary; St. Juan Diego (1474-1548), a member of the Chichimeca people in what today is Mexico, who received visions from Our Lady of Guadalupe; and St. Teresa of Kolkata (1910-1997), an Albanian religious sister who founded the Missionaries of Charity to care for the poorest of the poor. The digitally created icons are in a series called “Cloud of Witnesses,” created for Nativity of Mary in Bloomington by artist and parishioner Erin Wee. admissions and marketing for Nativity of Mary Catholic School. She worked from photos of the saints, and when reference photos were not found for some, she suggested that parishioners serve as models for her work. “I delegated that to Father LaLiberte, who reached out to parishioners with similar ethnic backgrounds of the saints,” Wee said. “He took a few photos of each person in different poses and sent them to me.” Parishioner Weldon Makori, 23, received the invitation from Father LaLiberte; his face became the image of St. Martin de Porres, a native of Peru who experienced persecution because of his race. Makori, who came to Bloomington from Kenya 15 years ago with his family, said he was “extremely honored” to participate in the Cloud of Witnesses. “My spiritual journey has not been a simple one; I’ve had lots of ups and downs,” Makori said. “Erin’s artistic ability is incredible, and I was speechless when I saw myself in that realm. I could envision that spiritual life that I’ve been discerning and praying about.” “The whole experience continues to have an impact on me and my faith,” he said. Wee, who graduated from the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville with a degree in communications and art, used digital art for the Cloud of Witnesses, creating each piece on an iPad Pro tablet computer. “Digital art is great for me as an artist
and also the mother of three young children as I don’t have to take out paints, etc., to work,” Wee said. “It also gives me some flexibility for reproducing the images.” She started the project at the end of February and completed it in May, often working at her table with her children coloring next to her, she said. “I would talk to them about each saint and who they were as people; that was really powerful.” “Cloud of Witnesses” was unveiled at Nativity of Mary on Pentecost Sunday, May 23. In his homily, Father LaLiberte noted that the feast of Pentecost “reveals to the world that God is not bound to one culture, race or location, but is desiring to be experienced by every people.” “‘Cloud of Witnesses’ comes from the Book of Revelation text that speaks about there being, in heaven, a cloud of witnesses from every nation, tongue and people, who are before the throne, praising God for all eternity,” Father LaLiberte said. The installation has led to “new and unexpected conversations” with members of the parish community, Heidgerken said. He plans to take a traveling set of the images to other parishes during Advent and Lent, beginning with St. Bonaventure in Bloomington. His presentation on the collection will include breakout time for prayer, small group discussion, and a history of Catholicism and slavery, he said. The original images remain on display
St. Josephine Bakhita was a Sudanese woman who was held as a slave in the late 19th century by Turkish Muslims and Italian Christians. While still a slave, she was brought to Italy, where she embraced Christianity while living with the Canossian Sisters. She fought to gain her legal freedom in Italy and spent the rest of her life in prayer and service with her religious community. St. Kateri Tekakwitha was a Mohawk laywoman whose family died of smallpox when she was very young. At the age of 20, she accepted baptism and devoted her life to Mary. She died separated from her tribe when she was 24. St. Teresa of Kolkata was an Albanian woman who spent most of her life in missionary endeavors in India. Inspired by Christ in 1946, she started her own religious order called the Missionaries of Charity, who were dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor in India. For much of her life, she experienced a deep spiritual union with the poor and Christ known as the Dark Night of the Soul. Venerable Henriette Delille was a mixedrace woman born in the stratified society of antebellum New Orleans. She became the first mother superior of the Sisters of the Holy Family, a religious order for mixed-race women who educated slaves prior to the Civil War, when it was illegal to do so. She died in 1862, the year before the Emancipation Proclamation. — Ben Heidgerken at Nativity of Mary. “Now, when we gather for fellowship in our gathering space, we are surrounded by examples who pray for us and inspire us on our journey toward the kingdom of God,” Heidgerken said. For more information on the Cloud of Witnesses, including short videos on each saint, go to nativitybloomington.org/about-us/ nativitys-cloud-of-witnesses. To host the art or presentation, Heidgerken can be reached at catholicsfaithculture@gmail.com.
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9
NATION+WORLD U.S. bishops’ Communion statement aims to ‘retrieve and revive’ understanding By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service The U.S. bishops approved their statement on the Eucharist with 222 “yes” votes Nov. 17, the second of two days of public sessions during their Nov. 15-18 Fall General Assembly. Their OK came a day after their discussion of the document — a discussion that took a drastically different tone than their previous debate about what the document could potentially contain during their virtual assembly five months ago. At that June gathering, a major focus highlighted whether it would address denying Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion. Some bishops said a strong rebuke of President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, should be included in it because of Biden’s recent actions protecting and expanding abortion access, while others warned that this would portray the bishops as a partisan force during a time of bitter political divisions across the country. The document the bishops discussed and approved does not specifically call out Catholic political leaders, but it does more generally point out the seriousness of the sacrament. The discussion, just prior to the vote, focused on some of the statement’s wording. Specific amendments were approved and additional comments about wording changes, which were raised on the floor, were not. One of the bishops, for example, wanted to add the word “etcetera” after a list of vulnerable people the Church was responsible for in order to show its broad inclusion, but the bishops, who had already added to the list the unborn, chose not to add the additional descriptor. As points of discussion, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, outgoing chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, stressed the prelates must not forget the responsibility they have to “take care of the souls” of Catholic politicians who do not publicly support Church teaching on abortion.
U.S. bishops focus on young people, moms in need Catholic News Service Meeting Nov. 15-18 in Baltimore, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops not only approved a statement and other activities on the role of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. The bishops also assigned a Sept. 5 feast date to St. Teresa of Kolkata as an optional memorial on the U.S. liturgical calendar; agreed that the sainthood causes of three laypeople — Auguste Robert “Nonco” Pelafigue, Charlene Richard and Joseph Dutton — should be advanced by their respective dioceses; were invited to a national Church gathering in Chicago in June with young Catholics to dialogue about faith and issues of culture, racism and inclusion; and heard an update on “Walking with Moms in Need,” where parishes connect with pregnant or parenting mothers in need with life-affirming assistance.
And Bishop Donald DeGrood of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, noted that there is a healthy tension for the bishops to call out what isn’t right but to do so in love and to be united as they find ways to apply this new document in their dioceses. The document on the Eucharist states: “One should not celebrate Mass or receive holy Communion in the state of mortal sin without having sought the sacrament of reconciliation and received absolution.” It also says that if a Catholic in his or her personal life has “knowingly and obstinately” rejected the doctrines of the Church or its teaching on moral issues, that person should refrain from receiving Communion because it is “likely to cause scandal for others.” Back in June, at the end of the bishops’ discussion of the document, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, chairman of the bishops’ doctrine committee, said the draft would not focus on denying Communion to people but would emphasize the importance of the sacrament. And in his Nov. 16 presentation of the 26-page statement, titled “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” Bishop Rhoades said it “addresses the fundamental doctrine about the Eucharist that the Church needs to retrieve and revive.” In his short presentation to U.S. bishops, followed by just a handful of comments from the floor, the bishop said the document is addressed to all Catholics in the United States and “endeavors to explain the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.” He also said it is intended to be a theological contribution to the bishops’ strategic plan and to the bishops’ planned Eucharistic Revival “by providing a doctrinal resource for parishes, catechists and the faithful.” (See related story on page 10.) Just after the bishops voted to approve the document, which had eight dissents and three abstentions, a few bishops spoke with Catholic News Service about the process from the virtual June meeting — where the proposal to draft this statement was presented — until now.
Baltimore Archbishop William Lori said the June discussion was a valuable one and that “even on Zoom, I think the Holy Spirit can operate.” He said the lengthy discussion at the time led the bishops to “what kind of a document we actually needed and wanted, and it emerged clearly, for me at least, that it was to be a pastoral document.” Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, said it was “hard to have a good debate virtually” and that in the months between the two meetings, the document’s language “changed from being about the presidential election to about the introduction of a Eucharistic Revival.” “I don’t think anyone wants to see the division in the conference being headlined, and unfortunately that became the narrative,” he said. The lack of debate on the document during the November meeting didn’t surprise him because, he said, “it’s been moving in that direction.” He also said there was a desire among the bishops for unity and that their executive session before the public sessions gave them the chance to discuss and work things out among themselves. “Some of us are simply relieved that we’re not getting into the debate about who can receive Communion,” he added. Archbishop Lori said many media outlets portrayed the document as one that would “deny holy Communion to politicians who oppose the Church’s teaching on abortion.” “Certainly, we are very cognizant of that challenge,” he said, “but at the same time, this had an eminently pastoral intent and it deals with the question of worthiness to receive holy Communion in a way that applies to all of us.” “It’s something all of us ought to be thinking about, myself very much included,” he added. Discussion from the floor included a request from Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico, that the document include more about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, wondered how the document
would be understood by college students, high schoolers or children, noting that “a lot of it’s over their heads” and they would have to have some kind of theological foundation to grasp it. “We have these beautiful, beautiful documents that sometimes are just ignored,” he said, suggesting that it should be made “more readable and understandable.” In response, Bishop Rhoades said the document “as it stands is really meant for adults,” but he could see it being used in high schools with a teacher who would explain it better. He also said it could be developed by publishers as a resource for catechesis for grade school students. It explains the importance of Communion, often calling it a gift, and uses references from Scripture, prayers of the Church and Second Vatican Council documents. It also explains, citing words of the saints, how Communion is not just a symbol but the real presence of Christ. This transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, it says, is “one of the central mysteries of the Catholic faith,” a “doorway through which we, like the saints and mystics before us, may enter into a deeper perception” of God’s presence. It notes, almost halfway through, that the Vatican II document “Lumen Gentium” (The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) describes the Eucharist as “the source and summit of the Christian life.” It also says that as Catholics understand what the Eucharist means, they should more fully participate in Mass and also reach out to serve those in need, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which says: “The Eucharist commits us to the poor.” It concludes with examples of saints who were transformed by their reception of the Eucharist and their deep understanding of what it means. It also has a pastoral message urging those who have left the Church to come back, quoting St. Teresa of Kolkata, who said: “Once you understand the Eucharist, you can never leave the Church. Not because the Church won’t let you, but because your heart won’t let you.”
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10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
Bishop Cozzens likens Eucharistic Revival to a lamp ‘on a hill’ By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Asked how the Church can deepen understanding of the Eucharist in a national, three-year Eucharistic Revival culminating in a National Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Andrew Cozzens referred to Jesus saying a lighted lamp does not belong under a bushel basket. “Set it up on a hill so that people can see it and be attracted to it,” Bishop Cozzens said. “And I think that’s what we want to do with our teaching on the Eucharist.” Bishop Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis and bishop-designate of the Diocese of Crookston, described the Eucharistic Revival, set to begin next June, and the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in 2024, at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Fall General Assembly in Baltimore. Leading the effort as chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, Bishop Cozzens said he sensed the Holy Spirit “was really moving” among the bishops, especially on the topic of the Eucharist. In a half-hour interview with The Catholic Spirit broadcast live on the The Catholic Spirit’s Facebook page, Bishop Cozzens said the assembled bishops showed unity and excitement about the revival. “It seems to me it’s actually a real work of the Holy Spirit,” he said, “and you could sense it throughout
the week and in the conversations … and the gratitude and the excitement of the bishops who feel like there’s a pastoral need that we’re fulfilling.” In the same interview, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said that as the faithful participate in the revival and the Eucharistic Congress, the Holy Spirit will draw people who need to have that experience. The first year of the three-year revival will have a diocesan focus that could include eucharistic processions, adoration and prayer, Bishop Cozzens said. The second year will focus on parishes, with catechetical resources being prepared that will help train leaders in parishes to share the meaning and depth of the Eucharist, he said. Parishes might set up small group opportunities, parish eucharistic days and days of eucharistic service, with parishioners bringing the Eucharist to the homebound and inviting young people to that kind of service, Bishop Cozzens said. During the interview, Bishop Cozzens envisioned a pilgrimage of sorts to Indianapolis that could involve processing a monstrance to various regions and provinces in the U.S., with Catholics gathered at events with their bishops. The last National Eucharistic Congress in the U.S. occurred in 1976, drawing more than 1 million people, he said. Watch the full interview at facebook.com/thecatholicspirit.
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HEADLINES u Pope sends condolences to victims of Waukesha parade attack. Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the victims of an SUV driven through a crowd Nov. 22 at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, claiming the lives of five people and leaving dozens injured. In a message sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, to Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee, the pope assured “his spiritual closeness to all affected by the tragic incident that recently took place in Waukesha.” The pope “commends the souls of those who died to Almighty God’s loving mercy and implores the divine gifts of healing and consolation upon the injured and bereaved. He joins you in asking the Lord to bestow upon everyone the spiritual strength which triumphs over violence and overcomes evil with good,” said the message released Nov. 23 by the Vatican. u Milwaukee archbishop calls for ‘process of healing’ for community after verdict. The head of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which includes Kenosha, urged calm in the days ahead after a jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse Nov. 19 of all charges against him. Archbishop Jerome Listecki invited people to join him in praying for and promoting peace. u Cleveland priest sent to prison for life for sexually exploiting children. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi handed down the sentence Nov. 9, saying the public needed to be protected from Father Robert McWilliams, 41, because he had preyed upon youths who turned to him for help. The priest in July pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of youths younger than 18, three counts of sexual exploitation of children, and three counts involving child pornography. u Bishops encourage cooperation to address Church’s past in tribal schools. In a Nov. 8 letter addressed to all U.S. bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop James Wall of Gallup, New Mexico, chair of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Native American Affairs, told prelates that “if the government asks for any records you may possess, we encourage cooperation.” The letter comes in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s June 11 announcement of an investigation to look into the history of the government’s administration and funding of so-called “Indian boarding schools.” Some, but not all of the schools, were operated by entities affiliated with the Catholic Church, and others were operated by other churches. A report on the investigation is due for release next April, the letter said. The painful history of the country’s tribal schools has come to light recently as researchers have been focused on uncovering what many American Indians long have shared in their communities: abuses and deaths of American Indian children at boarding schools in the U.S., from the 17th century to the 20th century. — Catholic News Service
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NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11
Papal spotlight: Migration is major theme of trip to Cyprus and Greece By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Pope Francis will draw the world’s attention to migration once again as he visits Cyprus and Greece in early December. The number of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos — where Pope Francis will fly Dec. 5 — is a fraction of what it was when he visited in 2016 and took 12 Syrian refugees back to Rome with him. But people are still there, living in a temporary camp, often after surviving “pushback” attempts on the part of the Greek or Turkish military, supported by European Union policies. And no one could say the situation is better on Cyprus, even if migrant arrivals there seldom make the international news. Pope Francis will visit Cyprus Dec. 2-4 and Greece Dec. 4-6. Since late 2018, Cyprus has received more asylum-seekers per capita than any country in the European Union, but has been slow to react to the influx, said Elizabeth Kassinis, executive manager of Caritas Cyprus. “Ninety-nine percent of our beneficiary population now are migrants.” Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ overseas aid and development agency and a partner in the Caritas network, has given Caritas Cyprus a grant to help care for the asylum-seekers, many of whom are homeless, Kassinis told Catholic News Service Nov. 22.
Besides being an E.U.-member country geographically close to Lebanon and Turkey — way stations for migrants — Cyprus is seen as a gateway particularly for those coming from Turkey because there are no real borders to cross. The migrants and refugees go by boat from Turkey to what only Turkey recognizes as the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” the northeastern third of the island. Cyprus has been divided between the Greek Cypriots in the South and Turkish Cypriots in the North since 1974. U.N. troops continue to patrol what Kassinis described as a very “porous” buffer zone between the two parts of the island, but since the government of Cyprus does not recognize the North as a separate country, it does not run border controls along the buffer zone. “Incendiary” rhetoric is increasingly common, Kassinis said. Many people believe Turkey is not only allowing the migrants to cross the sea but may be encouraging the crossings. “They use terms like ‘the third invasion’ and make it seem like this is an orchestrated attempt by Turkey to change the demographic character of Cyprus,” she said. A big part of Pope Francis’ visits to Cyprus and Greece will be meetings with the heads of the Orthodox Church in both countries, where Catholics are a small minority. However, in Cyprus the Maronite- and Latin-rite Catholics are recognized in the country’s constitution and are seen as part of the fabric of a
proudly multicultural society, Kassinis said. Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said that CatholicOrthodox cooperation in Cyprus is good, both in helping the poor and in helping each other. In fact, he said, “in some cases the Catholic priest is authorized to use an Orthodox Church for the celebration of the sacraments,” something that is not common elsewhere. In Greece, the situation is a bit more complicated, although no one expects there to be the kind of Orthodox protests of a papal visit that were seen when St. John Paul II went to the country in 2001. “Relations between the Holy See and the Church of Greece have grown ever closer down the years and are very good,” Bishop Farrell said. And despite the protests, after the visit of St. John Paul “more intense collaboration began between the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and the Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece, a department of the Holy Synod that deals with pastoral, cultural and missionary issues.” The visit in 2016 to Lesbos by Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all of Greece “showed how Catholics and Orthodox have common concerns and how important it is to work together in the service of the most needy,” he said. “As in all Churches — including the Catholic Church —
there are some voices opposed to any ecumenical openness. These voices represent a small minority, albeit a rather noisy one.” When the refugee crisis began in Greece in 2015 — with some 1.2 million arrivals that year — Caritas Hellas, the Greek Catholic agency, mobilized and started to grow into a large, professional, stable relief agency that was no longer focused only on parish-based responses to people in need or to emergency responses to earthquakes and brush fires, said Maria Alverti, director. While most of the full-time employees are either Orthodox or Muslim, official relations between Caritas Hellas and Orthodox agencies are “not that great,” she said. Especially in smaller towns and villages, Catholics are looked at with suspicion. But, Alverti said, Pope Francis is “an amazing personality,” and he makes the Catholic community proud. Even Orthodox citizens listen to the pope, she said, “because he speaks to people’s hearts. He speaks about things we can all relate to. He speaks for the elderly, for the poor, he speaks for refugees, he speaks for the excluded, and he does that in a very consistent and very persuasive way.” Caritas Hellas hopes the pope will help the Greek government see that its increasingly “military approach” to migration — using the army or coast guard to push migrants back to Turkey — is not the way for a civilized society to respond to people in need, she said.
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12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
YADIRA & ADELMO GRACIA ADELMO GRACIA, 59, first heard DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Posing for a photo outside The St. Paul Seminary chapel in St. Paul Nov. 20 are, from left, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Philip Grisez, Michael Braun, Victor Susai, Michael Lane, Adelmo Gracia and Michael Engel.
‘Undercover clergy’ Seven men to be ordained permanent deacons Dec. 4 By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit
W
hat stands out to Deacon Joe Michalak about this year’s class of deacons is how culturally diverse it is for its small size, seven. Three of the candidates are immigrants, natives of Colombia, El Salvador and southern India. Five are married, one widowed, and one never married. “The Lord just blessed us, in such a smallish group, (with) such a great range of life experience and diversity, which is great for the Church,” said Deacon Michalak, director of the Institute for Diaconate Formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. He noted Victor Susai, a parishioner of Pax Christi, Eden Prairie, will likely be the first Indian man ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which has a sizable Indian Catholic community. In addition to Susai, this year’s ordinands are Michael Braun of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maplewood; Michael Engel of St. Michael, St. Michael; Adelmo Gracia of Assumption, Richfield; Philip Grisez of Our Lady of Grace, Edina; Michael Lane of Holy Spirit, St. Paul; and Jose Luis Rodriguez of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis. They will be ordained by Archbishop Bernard Hebda 10 a.m. Dec. 4 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The men — and for the married, their wives — have been involved in a formation process for five years. All are graduates of the seminary’s Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute, a requirement for application. The application process itself is rigorous with several stages, Deacon Michalak said. When men are accepted, Archbishop Hebda invites them into an aspirancy year (which, going forward, will be two years, due to program changes) before they are formally admitted as candidates and continue human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation. After ordination, the permanent deacons (as contrasted to “temporary” deacons, men who will go on to be ordained priests) will minister for six months in their home parishes before receiving a new ministry assignment. Besides this year’s ordinands, 18 men are in formation, with ordination anticipated in 2023. And he expects soon to admit around 15 to 20 more men to the program, he said. But, the local Church still needs more deacons, Deacon Michalak said, and he encourages men who are interested to learn more about the vocation. Applicants must be 30, but he encourages men as young as 25 to attend one of the institute’s discernment days. “It’s a mature man’s ministry, not an old man’s ministry,” he said. “If God is calling you, he’ll give you what you need to respond.” Deacon Michalak said that deacons are “sort of undercover clergy” — ordained men in a lay lifestyle, able to go places a priest often doesn’t or can’t. “A deacon is a deacon 24/7, so he’s a deacon in the boardroom or he’s a deacon on the building site. He’s a deacon in his family. He’s a deacon in the parish, he’s a deacon shopping at Home Depot,” he said. He noted that as men who may be married with families, deacons are especially suited for relationship-based ministries, such as those for married couples, divorced men and women, or parents. Deacon Michalak would love to see more deacons ministering in Catholic education, but he also observed the importance of having deacons who are doctors or construction workers, “places where the priest and the Church isn’t as penetrating or isn’t as active.” “My hope is that we pay more attention to fostering diaconal ministry … in the marketplace,” he said.
the call to a religious vocation after a prayer group meeting when he was 18. “I escaped as far as possible like the prophet Jonah; however, unlike them, (I also escaped) from the mission and the calling,” he said. Years after marrying his wife, Yadira, he encountered a deacon, and their conversation “reminded me of my fears years back and how I did not respond well,” he said. That deacon invited him to consider the diaconate, but Gracia shelved the idea under the guise of already having “too many commitments.” A decade later, his mother asked him the same question: Have you considered becoming a deacon? Again, he said he was too busy, and continued to put off the idea. But, after a men’s retreat, he began to get deeply involved in his parish, Assumption in Richfield, especially in a retreat ministry and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. One day, Yadira’s best friend asked if he had considered the diaconate. “I thought, I better do something about it; this is the third time the Lord is calling,” said Gracia. He enrolled in the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute at The St. Paul Seminary and then began the “lengthy” diaconate application process, followed by five years of formation and discernment. An electrician at Trystar in Faribault with more than 20 years in the construction industry, the Burnsville resident and Colombia native said that his work has led to encounters with people from various backgrounds and beliefs who have shared their hopes and griefs. “I invite them to see a different way of life,” Gracia said. “Although not without trials, it is a compelling and beautiful journey to bring other men to Christ. Not all received it well. However, it is always invigorating to work with men.” He is most interested in corrections ministry, he said. “The person in these circumstances is a dismantled man whose identity has been stolen and become dull, trivial, sometimes even immoral due to his shallowness,” he said. However, “the summary of one’s mistakes do not define who one is. … I would like to invite him into this new life and facilitate the encounter with the God of second chances, who will restore his identity and dignity.” The Gracias have two adult children, Adelmo Jr. and Mariajose.
MARLENE & JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ
DEBBIE & MICH
JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ, 43, said
MICHAEL BRAUN, 6
he had his own plans, “but I told the Lord, if you want me to be a deacon, show me the way, and he did so, because every year (in the formation process) he reaffirmed that was the way through the scrutiny,” an evaluation of his formation and discernment with diaconate program leaders. A truck driver for Guillen Trucking in St. Paul, Rodriguez was already serving his parish, Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Minneapolis, when he learned about the diaconate vocation and decided to discern it himself. Formation was challenging, he said, because, as an immigrant from El Salvador, English is his second language. But he persevered, and the language barrier lessened over time. His aim is to “help people to draw close to God, configured in Christ the servant,” he said, especially through sharing the Church’s teachings through catechism and evangelization. He and his wife, Marlene Rodriguez Batres, have three adult children — Aricela, Marlon and Antonio — and four grandchildren. He said his family will support him “morally and spiritually through prayer and collaborating in whatever is necessary.” He especially looks to two saints as models — St. Therese of Lisieux, “because she considers herself a small soul that needs a lot of help; I identify with her,” and St. Teresa of Kolkata, “for serving those most in need. I want to follow her example,” he said. “I want to offer my life in service to the Church, in order to collaborate with the mission of the Church in the world.” Formation for the diaconate has been rewarding “since I have grown more as a person and my spiritual life has taken a considerable turn towards the knowledge of the divine,” Rodriguez said. As to advice for others who might be discerning the diaconate, he suggests that they “bring all concern to prayer and be attentive to the call of God that sometimes comes through someone in the parish, or a direct and deep touch to the heart.” Among needs of the Church are spiritual support in the different life circumstances of the growing Spanish-speaking community, he said.
mechanical designer a Presentation of the Ble Mary in Maplewood, se the Church to be more missionary. And he hop as a deacon will help m hope that I can witness Jesus and his Church a others to enter more de in order to have a perso relationship with Jesus need to live radically di than the rest of the wor radical lifestyle is what people to the Gospel in Church. People saw the life of the early Christia to be part of that same Learning about God an love with him and his C of the most rewarding a formation, Braun said. encouraged those who a call to the diaconate prayer, especially with Eucharist. “Spend time listening for God in you “The fruit of this prayer charity in your life, your your neighbors that ma service.” Braun said he responded to God’s cal including participation years in the Knights of “Prayer and the sacram important to me and my discerning a call to the a good fit,” he said. Ser and proclaiming the Go aspects of his service a most looks forward to, look forward to serving God, listening to them a them,” he said. “Listen voice in my heart provi gentle assurance that t was my calling.” Braun support of his wife, Deb daughters, Katherine a his pursuing the diacon family has been very su through my formation,” attended all his classes except those related to liturgy. She also took ca home as he studied, pa retreats or attended so classes by himself. “I e continue to play a supp ministry as I go forward
Editor’s Note: Debbie Br available for a couple’s po
NOVEMBER 25, 2021 • 13
HAEL BRAUN
STACY & MICHAEL ENGEL
62, a retired and member of essed Virgin ees a need for apostolic, more pes his ministry meet that need. “I s my love for and encourage eeply into prayer onal, intimate s,” he said. “We ifferent lives rld. This type of t attracted n the early e faith, love and ans and wanted lifestyle.” nd falling more in Church was one aspects of his And he o might consider to take that to time before the e in silence ur heart,” he said. r should be ur family and for anifests itself in e has long ll to service, for nearly 40 Columbus. ments were very y family, and so e diaconate was rving at the altar ospel are two as a deacon he Braun said. “I g the people of and praying with ning to God’s ided the quiet, the diaconate n credits the bbie, and adult and Elizabeth, in nate. “My entire upportive ” he said. She s with him, o training for the are of details at articipated in ome of the expect she will portive role in my d,” Braun said.
MICHAEL ENGEL, 49, has felt the pull
raun was not ortrait.
of the diaconate since entering the Church at age 23 after years of trying to find happiness. Not long after marrying his wife, Stacy, people began asking him if he thought about becoming a deacon. “Honestly, I had no idea what a deacon was, yet there seemed something fitting about it,” he said. “In many ways, it seems as if God has always been leading me toward diaconate. For me, it is a small way I can give back to God, who has done so much for me.” Entering formation, Engel said, he found increasing joy and peace, for himself and his family. As a retail accounts manager and the father of four children between the ages of 21 and 10 — Katelyn, Olivia, Elizabeth and Peter — balancing the needs of his family with the call and responsibilities of the diaconate can be challenging, but when taken to prayer it can be worked out, he said. “Thus, at times I have to say no to family for the good of Holy Mother Church. At times I have to say no to Holy Mother Church for the good of family,” he said. “There is not a phone app that tells you when to say yes or no. Only through continual prayer and listening can you navigate these waters.” A member of St. Michael in St. Michael, Engel said priests who have served there, past and present, have been instrumental as models for his ministry. Aspects of ministry he looks forward to include serving at the altar at Mass, youth ministry and helping men, particularly those working to overcome the effects of pornography. The greatest need of the Church, Engel said, is discovering ways the body of Christ meets people in the world. “We now live in a largely post-Christian society, and I find meeting people in their pains and struggles is the most effective way to bring Christ to them,” he said. Among the most rewarding aspects of formation was the way it encouraged him and his wife to grow closer, as well as their family. “The other aspect of formation which has been transformational for me is spiritual direction,” he said. “I cannot thank my spiritual director enough for the gifts received in spiritual direction.” The Church can inspire other men to answer the calling to the diaconate by openly discussing in parishes the ministry and vocation, including how the deacon and priest work together, in cooperation, to serve the people of God, he said.
MICHAEL LANE MICHAEL LANE, 61, said after the
death of his beloved wife, Tracy, he asked God what he wanted of him. “I told my children that ‘I’m your father, I could be a Father.’ Then the words that entered my head were, ‘No. A deacon.’” He talked with his pastor, Father Dan Haugan at Holy Spirit in St. Paul, then to a deacon, who encouraged him as a first step to sign up for the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute at The St. Paul Seminary. Deacon Joe Michalak was introduced as a staff member, and later Lane learned that Deacon Michalak is the director of diaconate formation in the archdiocese. “Then I knew God had a sense of humor and wanted me to start down this path,” Lane said. As a deacon, he looks forward to serving the faithful with the sacraments and reaching out to those who are lost and want to know God more. Proclaiming the Gospel, serving at Mass and helping people on the margins would be part of that service, he said. Having his adult children, Andrea, Austin and Alec, all work in service areas including helping people overcome chemical addictions, providing nutritional meals to people battling terminal diseases and taking care of children whose parents are working, already augment the mission of the Church and his own ministry, Lane said. The greatest need of the Church is being more intentional with the mission of Jesus, such as welcoming people on the margins and bringing the mysteries of the faith and beauty of the Mass “to a level that all can assent in mind and grow in spirit,” he said. Models for his ministry include his late wife and his grandmother, Carmel Harlan (Spano), “who was 100% Italian and 200% Catholic, and Deacon Joe Michalak.” Semi-retired, working part-time at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, Lane said the most challenging part of his vocation has been himself. “Through a struggle in faith and being a prideful individual, I have been my own worst enemy,” he said. “To die to oneself and have Christ live in you is the best gift God can give and offers the most struggle.” Promoting vocations to the diaconate can include the Church continuing to hold diaconate inquiry sessions for people who might be interested, Lane said. Men considering the diaconate should pray about it, he said. “Let God direct you. If married, pray with your wife. Dialogue with other deacons and priests. Pray. And then pray some more. After that … pray!”
PHILIP GRISEZ
SORUBA & VICTOR SUSAI
PHILIP GRISEZ, 56, was inspired to
VICTOR SUSAI, 63, a native of India
pursue the diaconate after friends from Bible studies and the retreat ministry Cursillo suggested he consider it. He put it off for a time — “with a church merger and parent illnesses, life was too busy to think about it,” he said. But, a few years later, he enrolled in the Catechetical Institute and felt drawn to the diaconate. “Throughout diaconate formation, I continually experienced a clear sense of encouragement during prayer. Plus, the excitement and affirmation from many people were both of great help in discerning this call,” said Grisez, a software developer for Rural Community Insurance Services in Anoka. He noted that the most challenging part of his formation has been “my own doubts and fears and limitations.” “I can easily lose hope when I focus on myself. But it is not me, but Christ who dwells in me. When I focus on Christ, there is a sense of peace and joy.” A parishioner of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, he has made many mission trips to his parish’s sister parish in Honduras, and he considers that welcoming community a model for his anticipated ministry. “I experienced the love of Christ that burns bright in their hearts and have always been inspired by their charism of service, he said. “The way they joyfully serve their parish and neighboring community continues to be a great role model for me.” The greatest need in the local Church, he said, “is to continue facilitating a loving and merciful encounter with Jesus Christ through his word, his Church and his sacraments.” “I desire to be an example to others as a man of prayer, a man of God’s word, and a humble and simple servant, through which I hope to lead others to friendship with Jesus Christ,” he said. Never married, the St. Louis Park resident has sponsored three girls at the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos Home for Children in Honduras. “In my heart, they are my daughters,” he said. For other men considering the diaconate, he offers simple advice: “Trust the Holy Spirit, and trust the process.”
who tests software in Eden Prairie and is a parishioner of Pax Christi, had a simple but profound response when asked what inspired him to pursue the diaconate: “Weekly adoration at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Bloomington.” What made him certain this was his calling? Same thing. And he will be anxious to begin serving in a parish with the liturgy, the Gospel and charity. “All three are interconnected,” he said. His family — wife Soruba, adult children Steffi, Prabhu and John — have supported him in his calling and formation and that support will continue, he said. The Church’s greatest need is catechetical work with children, he said, and the most rewarding part of his own formation has been the way it integrates human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions. The visibility of permanent deacons will continue to attract men to the vocation, he said. “Also, the formation provided by our archdiocese is really good,” Susai said. A model for his ministry were several Jesuits and nuns serving with missionary zeal and selflessness in parishes and schools where he grew up in India, Susai said. Men discerning the diaconate should pray regularly, get involved in a ministry at the parish or community level, and “have and show genuine love on all the people around you, knowing well that charity is not possible without the other two theological virtues of faith and hope,” he said. The most challenging part of pursuing his vocation has been integrating his responsibilities at work, in his family and his formation, Susai said. And the most rewarding has been “learning about self as well as learning more (about) Scripture, Church, Fathers of the Church, prayer, beatitudes, understanding the concepts and finding the connections,” he said. Expressing his gratitude for the teachers, deans, deacons and priests who taught and continue to teach the deacons, Susai said, “Finally, everything is for the greater glory of God.”
Stories by Joe Ruff ad Maria Wiering Portraits by Dave Hrbacek
14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
FAITH+CULTURE
Empty nester trains Catholic leaders, awaits grandchild By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
leading that student to Christ. Being intentional about validating students — going to their games, their school performances, thanking them for making a contribution in class, standing outside the classroom to greet them.
It’s been an eventful year for Pam Patnode, who became director of the Catholic School Leadership Graduate Certificate Program at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul this past summer, became an empty nester this fall and will become a grandma this coming winter. “Oh, I’m so excited!” said the 52-year-old, a longtime member of Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata. “I have all kinds of games and activities and field trips and projects that would be just a delight to do with grandchildren.”
Q Is the Catholic Church leading the way in educating Latino students?
A It is. I came across a statistic that said Hispanic/
Latino students who attend a Catholic school are 42% more likely to graduate (from high school) on time and they’re two-and-a-half times more likely to graduate from college. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Q After raising five kids in your home, you recently downsized. Was it a tough move?
A As we were packing and purging, I joked that I was
embracing minimalism. We started the process a few years in advance, which gave us time to prayerfully discern what do we need, what can we bless others with. I decided I didn’t need to hold onto multiple sets of dishes that were rarely getting used. I can finally admit to myself — and accept — the fact that I will not become a pastry chef nor a gourmet cook. I cleaned out several gadgets, tools, small appliances and cookware that were not being utilized.
Q Do you feel lighter? A Yes! You feel like you’ve lost 20 pounds. It’s freeing.
women at Chesterton Academy. That sounds like an important role.
Q What makes a great Catholic leader? to have faith. They need to have training and continual learning. They need to focus on relationships. They need humility. And they need joy.
peer pressure, academic pressure, cultural pressures. And social media can amplify those pressures because students can’t ever turn that off. Their phone is right there. It’s a pressure that doesn’t seem to relent. It can affect their mental health, their physical health, their relationships and their academics.
Q Has COVID taken a toll on our Catholic school
Q It’s such a widespread issue. Thankfully, G.K.
A Five things jump out. A great Catholic leader needs
principals?
A Yes. As I talk with principals — both local and those
Q What did you hang onto?
outside our archdiocese — I hear two things. One is that they’re continuing to strive to nurture relationships and provide excellence in education. And number two, they’re tired. Yet even though they’re running on empty, they’re committed to the mission. It’s amazing.
A Books! I have inherited old books from my
Q What advice would you give a principal who has a
But it takes time to get into the deep, deep corners of the closet.
grandparents and parents over the years. Many of our children’s books hold wonderful memories of snuggling with my kids on the couch or in bed, turning the pages, laughing together and even crying together as we experienced the adventures of Ramona, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Aslan and the characters from “Narnia,” Billy Coleman and his dogs Little Ann and Old Dan, lives of many of the saints, “Goodnight Moon.”
Q Do the programs at the School of Divinity feel like a well-kept secret?
A Yes — and yet they’re growing like crazy. So, I think
the secret is starting to get out! We have record numbers in the (Archbishop Flynn) Catechetical Institute and we see growth in the seminary and lay programs.
Q You’re directing a new certificate program for
leaders of Catholic schools that enrolls about 20 participants a year and is currently in its second year.
A We’re seeing a tremendous momentum. The majority are teachers who are poised to become leaders in some
Q Before accepting your new job, you were dean of
capacity. We have directors, deans, vice principals and principals who are all part of the program as participants or mentors. It’s really intense in its community building.
veteran teacher who’s struggling — a larger class size, a shorter fuse, feedback from concerned parents.
A It’s important to listen to the teacher and come from
A Young women are facing so many pressures today:
Chesterton’s trademark wit seems to permeate the school.
A As Christians we have hope. We have faith. And
hopefully we have wonder, so we can maintain a sense of joy despite the chaos unfolding in our world. A good, hearty, belly laugh can do a lot to lift one’s spirits.
Q What do you love about being Catholic? A I love the Eucharist. I love the communion of saints. I love the universality of the Church. And I do love the promise of eternal life with Christ.
a place of empathy. And then I’m finding that principals who are having some success in this are encouraging self-care. You get so busy and then you quit taking care of yourself.
Q What do you know for sure?
Q It’s the first thing to go!
Q What are you still learning?
A One Catholic school, in another diocese, is giving
A Everything! I’m finding that, the older I get, the more
teachers three mental health days they can take. That’s a great idea! It’s such a challenging time. There’s no onesize-fits-all solution. And gosh, we need constant prayer to give us the energy to continue.
Q Ave Maria Press recently published your research paper “A Guide to Educating Hispanic/Latino Students in Catholic High Schools.”
A The main takeaway I found aligns perfectly with
what every Church document on Catholic education says: The mission is to form the whole student while
A I know for sure that I love the Lord.
I realize what I don’t know. So, I continue to learn about faith. I continue to learn about education. I’m also learning about brain health and gardening.
Q What helps you learn from other people? A I tend to have a lot of questions, and they come from
a place of curiosity and interest. I have a daughter who’s a chemist, and when I read her published research, I often have to say to her: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I just love learning. The older I get, the more I realize there is to learn.
“You come to serve, not to be served… Transform us through your Holy Spirit, so that we may transform the world.”
Blessings to you Victor as you follow God’s call!
Everyone at The Church of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul, offers a prayer for, and heart-felt congratulations to,
“May the eyes of your heart be enlightened, that you may know what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones,”
Deacon Michael Lane on his ordination into the Permanent Diaconate.
– Ephesians 1:18
FAITH+CULTURE
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15
Full moons and second chances: Local priest shares his harrowing story By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
suspect it was harder for people to call you out because you’re a priest?
A Yes. Only one person did, and it
At 59, Father Shane Stoppel-Wasinger is ready to tell his story: of priesthood, of alcoholism, of second chances. He selfpublished a book last year titled “The Turtle Priest,” which takes a clear-eyed look at decades of loneliness and addiction. “This is the path I was given, and now I’m making the best of it and using it to help others,” said Father Stoppel-Wasinger, who is pastor of St. Gregory the Great in North Branch and Sacred Heart in Rush City.
took a long time for her to talk to me about it.
Q Did your position of power hurt you, in this case?
A I think so, because people respect their priests and they don’t want to believe it.
Q You write about your brush with
death and landing in a coma. Yet months later, you started drinking again. The turning point wasn’t the coma. It was a conversation with a friend who voiced his confidence that you could beat it, that it would eventually click for you.
Q Let’s start on a light note. As a
boy, you developed a love of letter writing.
A When I write letters, it’s more of a
personal giving of yourself. It feels like I’m giving someone more attention. I use a wax sealer. When I go to graduation parties, kids are always fascinated by it.
A And it did; it clicked. Seldom now
do I get any urges (to drink). I like being clear. It’s amazing. I didn’t think I could live without alcohol. Now I don’t want to live any other way.
Q Letters play a unique role in your personal history, too.
A My mother gave me letters my
father had written to her when he was in Germany, in the Army. I feel like I’m just getting to know him. I’m grieving now even though he died nearly 60 years ago.
Q You were 3 when he was killed in a car accident, which you chronicle at the start of “The Turtle Priest.” It takes humility to write a book like this! What has helped you develop humility?
A I suppose my illness was a big
thing. I had to ask for help. And my alcoholism, and the fact that I kind of have a speech impediment — I don’t always speak clearly. I’m not very athletic and grew up in a rural area where athletics were important.
Q How does that humility pave the way for good things?
A Now that I’ve been sober, I can
use that in the confessional to create healing. I’m not afraid to share. I give a lot of examples. My confessional life has changed a lot. I feel like I can relate to the sinner a lot better and I can advise them a little better.
Q Learning to love yourself is the
big discovery in your book. Do you ever wonder what purpose your alcoholism served, as a priest?
TS
A Our illnesses or addictions or T& S
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
sadnesses always serve a purpose. Maybe God didn’t think I was doing enough the first 20 years. Now it’s like I have a new life. It’s a second chance. My preaching has gotten a lot better. Parishioners think I’m more energetic and more inspiring. I feel more confident.
Q That must help all your relationships!
A I’m not afraid of people anymore.
I can handle conflict a lot better. Up until recently, I was afraid to order a pizza. Today, I had to deal with a staff member, and I had to be very direct and honest because we had opposing views, and we both came away OK from the situation, even though we’re as far apart as can be.
Q Several times in your path to
priesthood you were stopped from advancing and asked to receive counseling. Once, your supervisors said you weren’t “priest material.”
A Alcoholics are very good liars. I did
a pretty good job at my parish. Most people didn’t know — or claimed they didn’t know.
Q You turned to alcohol to combat
boredom and loneliness. Soon you were drinking vodka nearly four hours every night. What might have helped you address your addiction sooner?
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Q What do you do for fun? A I garden. I travel. I take pictures
Q Does that make the case for
Q What is it about the moon that
providing fraternity for priests?
A Yeah, and I think they’re doing
Q Your alcoholism didn’t feel out
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my therapist, who is Catholic. I know a couple have gone to her. I went back maybe nine months ago. We’re almost done, I think. It was kind of a tuneup. I keep on learning things. New discoveries.
It didn’t seem to affect many people. Had I been in a normal environment with a lot of friends or family who saw me regularly, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get away with it. But I’ve been living alone for the last 17 years.
Q The psychologist who assessed
you before entering The St. Paul Seminary cautioned you about being
A Oh yeah. I’ve even referred them to
of full moons. Every month, if it’s not cloudy, I’ll go and take pictures out in the country, and I use the pictures for cards. I order them from Photographer’s Edge in Colorado Springs and they come with a sticker. It looks like a professional greeting card.
something wasn’t quite right. Now I know it was that I was never encouraged to express my emotions as a boy. I didn’t relate well.
A They couldn’t pinpoint why
crucial in your journey. It didn’t happen on the first try. Have you encouraged any parishioners to seek therapy?
A I didn’t have many relationships.
that a lot more. That’s important. In my generation that didn’t happen, especially for those farther from the city. Nowadays, the Companions of Christ is a popular organization for priests who wish to live in fraternity.
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prone to addiction, but you lied and said you didn’t drink often.
Q Finding a good therapist was
of control because you didn’t think you were hurting anyone. Do you
stirs you?
A The amazing colors and how it
changes. When there are clouds, how it goes in and out of the clouds so gracefully, and you can see different shapes and shadows.
Q It sounds like you have an artist’s eye.
A I’m not much of an artist. Just grateful.
16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER JOSEPH BAMBENEK
Growing in gratitude and love For the first two decades of my life, the song “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go” meant, among other things, being treated to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of my maternal grandmother. Grandma P. came to mind not only because this article will appear in the Thanksgiving Day edition of The Catholic Spirit, but also because her saying “eternal vigilance is the price of peace” is one of her ongoing legacies in our family, now almost two decades since her death. Grandma’s mantra reminds us that many of life’s challenges that rob our peace could be preventable, if we live intentionally and with foresight. Sadly, not all of life’s adversities are preventable. We cannot control certain life events, most notably our death and the end of time. Jesus tells us that in today’s Gospel passage. But as he does so, we hear Jesus also say to be vigilant. How can we be vigilant about what we cannot control? We can be vigilant in our preparations for the consequences of such events. Most notably, will we be prepared for when we stand before the Son of Man to give an account for our life? How do we prepare? The prophet Isaiah gives us a clue. He prophesizes the coming of the Messiah, who we now know is Jesus. Isaiah says, “In that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just
ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ
How do I forgive myself? Q I messed up in some pretty big ways in my
life. I made some decisions that have wrecked relationships and have done significant damage to myself. I’ve been to confession, and I know that God in his mercy has forgiven me. But I can’t seem to be able to forgive myself. What do I do?
A This is a fantastic question. Not only are you asking about
something that is experienced by nearly every person who takes sin and the effects of sin seriously, but you also have clearly taken God’s mercy seriously. You noted that you know that God has forgiven you; this is so critically important. Too often, one of the obstacles to receiving forgiveness is the fact that we miss how much forgiveness has cost God. Before looking at your question, I think that it might be worth it to look at this a little more closely. I will often speak to people who observe that going to the sacrament of confession is “too easy.” All a person has to “do” is show up, name all of their sins, and Christ forgives us through the ministry of the priest. It isn’t painful, and it rarely costs a person more than the slight discomfort of coming faceto-face with our sins and admitting them to the priest. But we realize that truth. Being forgiven by God is easy — for us. It costs Jesus everything. The only reason we can be forgiven is because Jesus Christ willingly embraced his suffering, death and resurrection for our sakes. It is this mystery (what we call the “Paschal Mystery”) that makes forgiveness possible. Without Christ’s allowing himself to be overwhelmed by death and conquering it, we would still be dead in our sins. Therefore, when someone experiences God’s mercy as coming a bit “too easily,” they do not understand what they are saying. God’s mercy is free, but it is not cheap. It was purchased at a price. You were purchased at a price.
in the land.” As his disciples, we are to participate in Jesus’ saving mission; we are to follow in his footsteps: to be people who do what is just and right in our land. Furthermore, just as Jesus came at a particular time in history, God also created each one of us in a certain time, with specific people and events in our lives. Our archdiocesan patron, St. Paul, adds to the answer when he writes “may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.” Love for God and love for the others who God intentionally places in our lives — the great commandment of Jesus — is key. How do we grow in love? This Thanksgiving Day, I propose gratitude: that when we are grateful, we cooperate with the Holy Spirt to increase the virtue of love in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Holiday family gatherings can be a blessing; they can also be unpleasant. We can be vigilant. We can choose to focus on past hurts or the ongoing shortcomings of our relatives, or we can choose to follow Jesus’ example. On Thanksgiving Day, let us strive to be grateful for the people God has placed in our lives, for the gifts God has given them, and given us. Perhaps we can take time in our celebration to share one way that we each have been blessed this past year; one way that we are grateful to God and to the people around us, and see what impact that has on our love for God and one another. For when we live justly, when we live with gratitude that spurs us to love, we can have joy in our hearts as we sing about going to grandmother’s house and, more important, as we face the tribulations that life brings our way. We can even approach our eternal judgment with hope. Father Bambenek is assistant director of the Archdiocesan Synod. He can be reached at bambenekj@archspm.org.
And you understand this. You know that it is not your resolution to do better that makes you better. It is not your desire to be made new that makes you new. And it is not you who has to be the first to forgive, it is God himself who forgives us first. But now it is your turn. You now need to forgive yourself. But how? The Second Great Commandment is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is quite a bit to unpack in this commandment (it is, after all, “great”), but I want to highlight two aspects. First, when Jesus affirms the command to love your neighbor as you love yourself, he is implying that you would first actually love yourself. Could it be that you need to grow in this area? Could it be that God is inviting you to begin seeing yourself as someone worth taking care of? Second, you are being called to love yourself (and others). What is love? The classic definition of love is “willing the good of the other.” In this case, we could alter the definition to include yourself: willing your own good. We don’t always like the person we’ve become. We definitely do not always like what we’ve done. But we must love ourselves. This is to say that you must will your own good. How would you treat yourself if you a) were someone worth caring for and b) truly chose the good for yourself? At times, the most important way to move forward is to make whatever restitution we possibly can. If I can pay back what I’ve cost, I need to try that. If I can heal what has been hurt, I need to try. I believe that the heart of being unable to forgive oneself has other realities that are hidden from us. For example, we feel shame that others know our sins. We know that the consequences of our sins are real and that others have to pay for them. We know that the wounds that have resulted from our sins are self-inflicted. When there are situations that cannot be made right, I place them under Christ’s dominion. Essentially, I try to say, “Jesus, there is nothing more that I can do to undo what has been done. There is so much out of my control. But I place all of this under you and your will. Use this — even this brokenness — for your glory and for the health and help of all of the people who have been hurt by me.” Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Nov. 28 First Sunday of Advent Jer 33:14-16 1 Thes 3:12–4:2 Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 Monday, Nov. 29 Is 2:1-5 Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday, Nov. 30 St. Andrew, apostle Rom 10:9-18 Mt 4:18-22 Wednesday, Dec. 1 Is 25:6-10a Mt 15:29-37 Thursday, Dec. 2 Is 26:1-6 Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday, Dec. 3 St. Francis Xavier, priest Is 29:17-24 Mt 9:27-31 Saturday, Dec. 4 Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8 Sunday, Dec. 5 Second Sunday of Advent Bar 5:1-9 Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 Lk 3:1-6 Monday, Dec. 6 Is 35:1-10 Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday, Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Is 40:1-11 Mt 18:12-14 Wednesday, Dec. 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gn 3:9-15, 20 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Lk 1:26-38 Thursday, Dec. 9 Is 41:13-20 Mt 11:11-15 Friday, Dec. 10 Is 48:17-19 Mt 11:16-19 Saturday, Dec. 11 Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 Mt 17:9a, 10-13 Sunday, Dec. 12 Third Sunday of Advent Zep 3:14-18a Phil 4:4-7 Lk 3:10-18
KNOW the SAINTS BLESSED CHARLES DE FOUCAULD (1858-1916) Born in Strasbourg, France, Blessed de Foucauld strayed from the faith during his adolescence, but during a trip to Morocco, he saw how devoted Muslims were to their faith, which inspired him to return to the Church. He joined the Trappists, living in monasteries in France and in Syria, before seeking an even more austere life as a hermit. After his ordination to the priesthood in 1901, he lived among the poor and finally settled in Tamanrasset, Algeria. In 1916, he was killed by a band of marauders. His writings inspired the foundation, after his death, of the Little Brothers of Jesus and the Little Sisters of Jesus. On Nov. 9, the Vatican announced that Blessed Charles will be canonized — declared a saint — along with six others May 15, 2022. His feast day is Dec. 1. — Catholic News Service
FOCUSONFAITH
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
CUPPA JOE | DEACON DAN GANNON
Patron of a happy death
There’s a fourth-century prayer to St. Joseph that concludes, “St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you with Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him close in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.” It’s a tender image, and the ancient sentiment resonates today: Joseph as protector, even to death. Death will come for us all, so how does one prepare for what the Church has long called “a happy death” — a death in friendship with the Lord, with hope of eternal life? St. Joseph, known as the patron of a happy death, is our guide. First, we can imitate St. Joseph’s love and faithfulness to God’s will in his daily life. Second, we can cultivate the sacramental life of grace through daily prayer and detachment from sin. Third, we can practice devotions that dispose us to a happy death. St. Joseph has become perhaps the Church’s bestknown figure associated with a happy death. There’s a pious tradition that St. Joseph must have died in the arms and care of his beloved Jesus and Mary, whom he’d given his life to day by day, moment by moment. It’s hard to imagine a better death than his, but we can accept our death with the same trust, in the merciful love of Jesus and the motherly intercession and care of
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17
the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph’s privileged role that God willed for him was to care for and raise Jesus, and be the most chaste spouse of the immaculate Virgin Mary. God the Father granted Joseph the holiness and perfection needed to fulfill his will in the simplicity of his ordinary daily life, as husband and father. It was especially St. Joseph’s perfect abandonment to God’s will for him that made him the greatest saint after Our Lady, and the secret to a happy death for us is the same. The example of St. Joseph reveals the best preparation for a happy death is a welllived life. That consists of being faithful to God’s will revealed in his Commandments, handed down to us through the Church, her teachings and revealed in the duties of the present moment. Pope Benedict XV said sanctity consists in the conformity to God’s will, expressed in a constant and exact fulfillment of the duties of our state of life. This is the life St. Joseph led. That is truly exciting — holiness is attainable! That is not to say holiness is easy, but the means to holiness is provided right there in front of us in the present moment if we recognize it in faith as St. Joseph did. Holiness consists in doing God’s will and in the perfection of charity — they are inseparable. With the help of grace, we can become saints. That said, Jesus reminds us that becoming a saint (his disciple) requires that we “die to self” for the love of God. We live out this “martyrdom” day to day, moment to moment in acts of faith and selfless love: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). We cannot imitate St. Joseph and prepare for a happy death unless we also live the sacramental life of grace: holy Eucharist, monthly confession, daily silent prayer from the heart, and renunciation and detachment from worldly attachments. As St. Teresa of Avila said, detachment means not paying attention to what doesn’t lead us to God. Finally, the Church offers us devotions and prayers
“Cuppa Joe” is a series of 10 talks by 10 theologians on the 10 wonders for St. Joseph taking place at 10 locations in our archdiocese entrusted to the patronage of our spiritual father. These talks premiere the first Tuesday of the month through December at 4 p.m. — just in time for afternoon coffee. The 10th and final presentation, “Terror of Demons” by Father Jon Vander Ploeg, will be posted Dec. 7. It was recorded at St. Joseph in Taylors Falls. Watch the full “Cuppa Joe” series at archspm.org/cuppajoe. that help ensure a happy death. The apostolic pardon remits all temporal punishment (purgatory) and is imparted by the priest when death is imminent. The First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus promises the grace of final penitence. The First Saturday devotion to Our Lady promises graces necessary for salvation at death. The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary, recited daily, promise her visible help at the moment of death. Practicing these devotions and many others leads us to conformity to God’s will, and cultivates the sacramental life of grace and prayer through the Eucharist and confession. Let us pray that St. Joseph will intercede for us, that we will be prepared for and experience a happy death. Deacon Gannon is the director of the Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.
Sisters of St. Joseph have deep devotion to their silent patron Editor’s Note: This is the ninth story in a monthly series of 10 places in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis with connections to St. Joseph. By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit The chapel in St. Paul where the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have traditionally prayed and made vows isn’t named for their patron, St. Joseph, but they say St. Joseph’s spirit has been with them during important events there. In the 170 years since their arrival in St. Paul, Jesus’ earthly father has silently guided and protected the community and their many ministries. Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, located near St. Catherine University, “is our sacred space, and so many of the sisters received the habit in that chapel, many of us made our vows in that chapel, our funerals are celebrated in that chapel,” said Sister Carolyn Puccio, who is celebrating 60 years in the community and serves as delegate for consecrated life in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Rather than reciting many devotions to St. Joseph, the sisters’ relationship with him is more interior. “That’s who we are,” Sister Carolyn said. “He is our patron, we look to him for guidance, for protection.” Dedicated in 1927, the Spanish Renaissance-style brick chapel, with white oak décor, seats about 200, according to the sisters’ archives. It features a stained-glass image of Mary’s presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem. Though less used during the COVID-19
pandemic, the chapel remains a place for spiritual events and the funerals of sisters, their consociates who live their mission, and others, said Sister Cathy Steffens, who entered the community in 1962 and is a member of its leadership team. Devotion to the Holy Family was fairly new around 1650 when the Sisters of St. Joseph were founded in Le Puy, France. The new community cared for plague victims, and St. Joseph’s association with a happy death may have inspired the local bishop to choose his name for them, Sister Cathy said. In 1853, two years after four St. Joseph sisters arrived in Minnesota from Carondelet, Missouri, to form the congregation’s St. Paul Province, they also cared for the sick during a cholera epidemic. The sisters converted their log school, formerly the first St. Paul cathedral, into a temporary hospital. Now, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are felt in underserved communities, the sisters are providing support and resources through their ministries St. Mary’s Health Clinics and Learning in Style, said Sister Jill Underdahl, who professed vows in Our Lady of the Presentation chapel in 2001 and who co-directs the sisters’ young adult ministry, Celeste’s Dream. In all the ways they’ve served, the sisters’ mission has been to move toward the love of God and neighbor without distinction, she said. Before COVID-19, the sisters showed their love for St. Joseph on his March 19 feast day by celebrating the Eucharist and commemorating jubilees in their chapel, singing songs about him, and reading
A statue of St. Joseph with the Christ Child, right, stands outside the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet’s Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, located near St. Catherine University in St. Paul, in this undated photo. COURTESY ARCHIVES OF THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET, ST. PAUL PROVINCE
Scripture and their documents, Sister Jill said. During the pandemic, they’ve celebrated at nearby Carondelet Village senior living facility where many retired sisters live. Often present at community events is a roughly 10-foot-tall, full-bodied St. Joseph puppet, which Sister Jill animated for about 12 years. Through an
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opening in the costume, she saw sisters’ “intuitive, meditative and inspirational” devotion to their patron. “When I witnessed that I thought, ‘That’s what it looks like after a lifetime of focus, celebration, wondering, prayer and companionship,’” Sister Jill said. “It’s not devotion in a pious sense, it’s devotion in a relational sense.”
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18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
COMMENTARY FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI
This holiday season, remember it’s not about you Remember last year when we wanted nothing more than to celebrate with family and friends like usual? Now we’re on the brink of a holiday season with hopes as bright as Christmas lights. But with the return of traditions, travel and time together, we may also encounter the gripes, grudges and jostles of family gatherings. Could a change in perspective make the difference between disaster and delight at your holiday table? A deacon at our parish once preached a homily that’s stuck with me for years. He offered three short truths meant to ease interactions between family members. When we got home from Mass that Sunday, I scribbled them down in my journal so I wouldn’t forget his wisdom. It’s not about you. You have to expend energy. Meet people at their level. Our deacon was preaching about Mary and Martha, drawing from the Gospel of John where the sisters serve Jesus in contrasting ways, one in the kitchen and one at his feet. My husband and I listened on that hot July morning, five months after our twin daughters had died. While still in deep grief, we were starting a
YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY
The only battle that matters I was reaching for the toothpaste when a muscle in my back spasmed. I let out a shriek and my husband came running to find me contorted, only to end up laughing, because, seriously, who strains their back while reaching for the toothpaste? I was traveling to Texas to give a three-day women’s retreat in a few days, and it was extremely painful to sit or lie down. The pain kept me up at night, so I was becoming exhausted. My prayer team said, “The devil doesn’t want you in Texas!” While alternating heat and cold compresses, I gobbled ibuprofen and prayed. By the day of my flight, it would be painful to travel but hardly unbearable — if I was careful. So, I did something I never do: I packed everything I could in my checked luggage. My meds, my talks, chargers, toothbrush, change of clothes, makeup, everything I could so that I would not strain my back while stowing something in the overhead bin. I limped onto my seat feeling rather superior and lithe at having no carry-on, until . . . Standing in Houston at baggage claim, after one of the worst flights I’ve ever taken due to terrible weather, I watched as everyone on the plane gathered their bags, except me and one other weary
When particular plans don’t suit your fancy, take other perspectives into consideration. How might God be inviting you to grow in humility or compassion by serving others?
iSTOCK PHOTO | MIZINA
cross-country road trip to visit relatives and friends — and we wondered how to navigate all the twists and turns of family reunions. Turned out the deacon’s words gave us exactly the fuel we needed. First, it’s not about you. The Christian life is a call to love and service, not an ego boost. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride or set aside our preferences to remember we are here for others. When particular plans don’t suit your fancy, take other perspectives into consideration. How might God be inviting you to grow in humility or compassion by serving others? Second, you have to expend energy. Waiting for someone to read your mind or make the first move will often lead to disappointment. But if you anticipate that effort and energy will be required, you
traveler. Our bags, the apologetic agent told us, “didn’t make the plane.” “But don’t worry,” she said, “They’ll be on the next flight, and we’ll bring them to you. What’s the name of your hotel?” But I wasn’t staying at a hotel in town; the retreat center was almost three hours away out in the country. My first talk was at 6:30 p.m. My bags wouldn’t land until 7 p.m., which put them at the retreat center, at the earliest, at 10 p.m. The delightful woman who picked me up at the airport declared in true Texas fashion, “Old Red Legs, he’s up to his tricks!” I managed to get my first talk printed at the retreat office. And though I would look rather rumpled and the batteries in the microphone kept dying and had to be replaced several times, the retreat launched well. My bags did indeed land at 7 and a courier was going to drive them the threehour pilgrimage to the retreat center. He would call me when he arrived so we could arrange where to meet. The retreat center grounds were very large with numerous buildings. But the call never came. Instead of calling my cell phone, the driver called my work number, which is odd because I didn’t give them my work number, and he left a very unhelpful message there. In the meantime, he deposited my luggage at the first building he saw. By 11 p.m., I still had no idea where my toothbrush was. On top of which, there was extreme heat and humidity, which is killer for someone with multiple sclerosis. In my case, it makes my walking clumsy. So, after an exhausting day of painful travel PLEASE TURN TO YOUR HEART, HIS HOME ON PAGE 21
can prepare for challenges that may arise. Relationships require hard work. Every family knows this, and our relationship with God is the same. If we want to grow in closeness, love and understanding, then we have to put in the effort. Third, meet people at their level. You might wish your relatives behaved or believed more like you. But unless you try to meet people where they are, you’ll end up exasperated. As you pass plates round the table this holiday season, ask questions to learn why people think the way they do. Let yourself delight in discovering something new about a relative you’ve known your whole life. Remember that ours is a God of surprises. The deacon’s three pieces of wisdom speak to family life as a whole, too. It’s not about you: By definition, a family has more than one person. Even newlyweds quickly learn they need to adapt to their spouse’s quirks if they’re going to survive under the same roof. You have to expend energy: Family life requires give and take. At every age, we offer what we can to fill each other’s needs. Meet people at their level: Beyond the years when we’re bending down to speak with young children, parenting always asks us to meet our children where they are — even when we try to lead them where we hope they might end up. Before you reach your holiday gatherings this year, tuck these three truths alongside your presents and platters of food. The more mercy we bring to the table for others, the more we will find for ourselves. Jesus Christ — who gave his life for us, who pours out love abundantly and who meets us where we are — promised us exactly this. Fanucci is a writer, speaker and author of several books including “Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting.” She is a parishioner of Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove. Her work can be found at laurakellyfanucci.com.
Give the gift of a generous heart. You work hard to give your children good gifts — a loving home, a quality education, memorable experiences. Do they, too, know how to give good gifts to others? With a donor advised fund, you can teach your children how to give generously by giving together – as a family. Call us to learn how a donor advised fund can help your family build a legacy of charitable giving. Call 651.389.0300 or visit ccf-mn.org
Catholic Community
FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA
COMMENTARY
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC
Entertainment or enslavement? Legalizing sports betting, already a prominent topic of legislative discussion, has been pushed to the front of the 2022 session chatter, with both Republicans and Democrats signaling their support, and State Rep. Zack Stephenson’s (DFL-Champlin) announcement that he would lead a bill in 2022 to legalize sports betting. He can give the bill momentum as the chair of the House Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over gambling and gaming laws. The Catholic Church does not strictly prohibit Catholics from participating in games of chance. But modern sports gambling, particularly when available through one’s smartphone, is like an addictive drug that has and will harm lives, families and the common good. We must make a common sense distinction between low-stakes fundraising events sponsored by charitable organizations, and the normalization of a vice industry whose revenues depend upon those who are (or will become) problem gamblers. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2413) warns that “the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement,” and that wagers “become morally
unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others.” The allure of quick, easy, big money through sports wagering will be a trap for people searching for a way out of an already precarious financial position. Gambling addiction causes severe financial, emotional, and even physical problems for gamblers and their families. Coping with the negative consequences of gambling can be overwhelming, leading to feelings of shame and hopelessness. The National Council on Problem Gambling reports that about 20% of those diagnosed with disordered gambling attempt suicide — a higher percentage than any other addictive disorder. Recent efforts to legalize sports gambling began in 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a federal law that banned sports gambling everywhere outside of Nevada. Since then, several states have expanded gambling laws to permit betting on sporting events. Sen. Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove) and Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) introduced a bill during the 2021 legislative session to legalize on-site and mobile betting, but only in and around tribal casinos. Their bill did not receive a hearing. The legalization of sports betting would be the biggest change in Minnesota gaming since compacts were signed with Minnesota’s Native American tribes in 1991. Gov. Tim Walz has said he would sign a sports betting bill only if it has been agreed to by
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19 the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association. Tribal communities have opposed previous attempts to bring sports gambling to Minnesota, but their stance may be changing. Now, Chair Stephenson says he will hold informational hearings and consult with the state’s Native American tribes before introducing a formal bill. We should not unleash this addictive and destructive activity on our people so that a privileged few can have more excitement during the increasingly boring spectacles offered by the professional sports leagues. The Minnesota Catholic Conference will be working closely with stakeholders, such as the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling, to ensure that, to the extent possible, families, the poor and the vulnerable are held harmless by this latest effort to expand gambling. Urge your legislators to commission a study on the current prevalence of problem gambling in Minnesota and ensure any gambling expansion makes available the proper resources for prevention and treatment of problem gambling. “Inside the Capitol” is an update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff. For more MCC resources, join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org. In this month’s “The Catholic Watchmen” column, Deacon Gordon Bird urges time for silence and prayer over the holidays, with a reminder that Jesus “is the baby our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph raised in wisdom and strength in the first, holy domestic church.” Read it only on the web at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
LETTERS
Racial injustice I don’t know where to start in response to Archbishop Gomez (“Archbishop Gomez: Church must proclaim Christ ‘boldly’ in response to ‘woke’ movements,” Nov. 11). His letter filled me with such a lack of hope, I don’t even want to go to church tomorrow. Why does he have a problem with “social justice”? Is it the word “social”? Better change the name of ice cream socials. Is it “justice”? Now there’s something wrong with justice? Isn’t it in the Bible? He literally says George Floyd’s tragedy “became a stark reminder that racial and economic inequality are still deeply embedded in our society,” yet in the very next paragraph he is critical of movements that want to “build ... a society that expands opportunities for everyone, no matter what color their skin is or where they come from, or their economic status.” Is he saying you can only do this if you’re Catholic, and how dare all those pagans out there think they can just willy-nilly love their neighbor and take care of them, like Jesus said to? I believe that if Jesus were to come
to us today, we would excommunicate him up for daring to preach the same things as those “woke” movements. If all we do as Catholics, as Christians, is go to church, go to confession, go to Communion, talk about how much Jesus loves us, and then don’t go out and practice social justice, what is the point? Actions speak louder than words. And Archbishop Gomez’s words were politically charged, holier-thanthou, and empty of love. Elizabeth Rosenwinkel St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis
Missed opportunities We are about midway through the Archdiocesan Synod. While I have hope for this process, many have shared with me frustration with the recent small group sessions. Portions of the synod videos were disappointing and, for many, alienating. First, insufficient attention was paid to issues of race. For example, while St. Monica was explicitly referred to as a North African saint, all images depicted her as a white woman. The message some received: “To be a saint is to be made
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white.” Second, “the secular world” discussed was often a caricature. One video warned about the prevalence of “secular moral relativism” among our youth. But today’s youth — and “secular society” generally — are highly moralistic, with objective standards on issues from racism to sexual consent. Third, the videos treated tendentiously the dynamics of disaffiliation. The clergy abuse crisis received virtually no attention. While one video referenced a 2017 finding that the median age for Catholic young adult disaffiliation was 13, the video did not mention that many of those disaffiliated took issue with the Church’s approach to homosexuality. My own struggle with the Church includes an internship offer from St. Thomas’ Catholic Studies department which was rescinded after I disclosed that I was gay (and supported Church teaching). At times, the videos did not so much explain why people leave the Church, as they manifested the attitudes and dispositions that often drive us away. I share this because I believe we can do better. Chris Damian St. Thomas More, St. Paul
Bishops’ document Dear U.S. Catholic Bishops, thank you for your love, restraint and humility in declining to chastise Joe Biden and others. You have inspired me with your humility. I have been very proud in dealing with my own divided family and others. I have the sin of pride, which is very unbecoming along with so many other sins. I am especially unaware. I can point out the problems of others but I fail to call everyone back to the table in my own divided family. We don’t always have to agree but we have to love each other. Thank you!! Please pray for me and I will pray for you! Nancy McLaughlin St. Cecilia, St. Paul
ADD YOUR VOICE Share your perspective by emailing CatholicSpirit@archspm.org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary page does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.
Find out.
Theology Day events 2021-2022 Theology Day is a chance for people in our communities who are seeking a deeper understanding of their faith and its place in their everyday lives to learn from and interact with the theologians of Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary.
Emmaus Hall events are synchronous. Webinar events are live. Participation is FREE, but registration is required. Go online to CollegevilleMN.com/Theologyday or call 320-363-3560.
Theologies of Disability and Aging: Becoming a Vulnerable Communion
Truth-telling, Testimony, and Prophecy: Hearing and Bearing Witness to God’s Active Presence in Our Lives in a Secular Age
by Audrey Seah, Ph.D.
Audrey will discuss the growing field of disability theology and how God, church and society can be reimagined when the experiences of people with disabilities become a locus for theological development on:
Saturday, December 4 - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Webinar
December 2021
by Fr. Dale Launderville, OSB
Fr. Dale will discuss testifying about God’s presence in our lives and facts we can bring forward to support our faith claims on:
Friday, December 10 - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Emmaus Hall, Saint John’s University
COMMENTARY
20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
GUEST COMMENTARY | ANNE CULLEN MILLER
It’s time to discuss family philanthropy
In this holiday season, extended families are preparing, at long last, to gather around the table. After a year and a half of separation and isolation, we’re all eager to be together again. Families will be catching up on the latest happenings, exchanging ideas and expressing gratitude for their many blessings. Perhaps it’s a good time to discuss giving back — and passing on blessings received — as a family. Family philanthropy can help cultivate generosity, connect generations and pass down values. As parents discuss their own philanthropy, they’re also learning about how the next generation approaches philanthropy and what motivates them to give. As views on philanthropy evolve, it’s important for families to have thoughtful discussions about what this means for the future. At the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF), we often have these discussions as we help families achieve their philanthropic goals. Many choose to open a donor advised fund. These funds are easy to establish and offer flexibility in grantmaking. And members of the next generation can be named as the fund’s successors to carry on grantmaking. Donors who establish this fund through CCF do so to ensure their charitable giving aligns with their Catholic faith now and for years to come. Through the fund, you can set guidelines and
Family philanthropy can help cultivate generosity, connect generations and pass down values.
iSTOCK PHOTO | SCYTHER5
parameters for giving grants. In this way, you can preserve your faith-based, philanthropic intentions but also allow for creativity and latitude in how your vision will be implemented by your descendants. CCF suggests three ways to minimize the challenges of intergenerational giving — and maximize its benefits. uFocus on your Catholic values. Our Catholic faith is based on values — protecting human dignity, reaching out to the vulnerable and caring for those in need. How we live out these values may evolve over time and across generations, but the core values stay the same. uState your intentions. You can explicitly state your beliefs and objectives in your fund agreement but make room for how these are actualized. We’ve seen parents include language in their agreement, such as “This fund will support organizations that help people with urgent and unmet needs. We support faith-based organizations, particularly Catholic and Christian. Our giving supports education, parenting, faith development, housing, healthcare, food insecurity and other basic human
needs.” Their children will uphold the spirit of the fund but fill in the details of how it’s accomplished. uIntroduce philanthropy at an early age. Generosity begins at home. From the beginning, children should see the joy that comes from extending a hand. They should feel the responsibility to support the humanitarian needs of the community. Cultivating a culture of giving makes families stronger. We’re on the cusp of the “great wealth transfer.” In the next 20 years, Baby Boomers are expected to transfer $30 trillion in wealth to younger generations. This year, as we gather around the Thanksgiving table to thank God for our blessings and imagine ways to share them, there’s no better time to discuss Catholic-inspired philanthropy. Miller is the president of the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota. CCF’s mission is to support financially the spiritual, educational and social needs of our Catholic community. CCF partners with individuals, families, and parishes to meet their philanthropic goals and steward their charitable gifts.
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warming house start a new holiday tradition Celebrate the holiday season with friends and family, find respite from the December cold and show your support for Catholic Charities and our shared impact on the community.
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Food, winter crafts, train rides—even a petting zoo! Pop-up volunteer activity to provide essentials to families in need. Over 200 trees with holiday lights. Giving Tree station where you can deliver gifts to neighbors in need.
Do good and have fun while learning more about Catholic Charities!
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NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 21
CALENDAR PARISH EVENTS Christkindlmarkt — Nov. 27: Noon–8 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul, 150 Railway St. E., Loretto. German Christmas festival with live music, Bavarian grill, St. Nicholas, crafts, silent auction, cafe and bakery, local artisans and vendors, free kids’ games and more. facebook.com/ss-peter-paul-christkindlmar kt-103643472012546 St. Ignatius Christ Child Luncheon Drive-Thru — Dec 3: Order 8-by-8 hot dishes and desserts online by Nov. 28. Pick up 2–6 p.m. at St. Ignatius, 35 Birch St. E., Annandale. Sponsored by St. Ignatius CCW. Proceeds go to pro-life charities. stignatius.com St. Vincent de Paul CCW Christmas Bazaar — Dec. 4: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at 9050 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. More than 50 crafters, Slice of Heaven Bakery, lunch, raffle and music. saintvdp.org/christmas-bazaar Guardian Angels Christmas Boutique — Dec. 4-5 at 8260 4th St. N., Oakdale. Dec. 4: 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. lunch, Santa and carolers. Dec 5: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. More than 70 vendors with handmade holiday gifts. Cookies, Christmas trees and wreaths sales. White Elephant sale, Santa Shop. guardian-angels.org/boutique St. Hedwig Christmas Fair and Bake Sale — Dec. 4-5 at St. Hedwig, Guminga Hall, 129 NE 29th Ave., Minneapolis. Dec 4: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Dec 5: 10:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Items for sale and door prize drawings. Also “Room for Children” shopping. Donations accepted. carolynkraskey@gmail.com Advent Evensong — Dec. 5: 7–8 p.m. at St. Cecilia, 2357 Bayless Place, St. Paul. Sing the Psalms, Magnificat, table prayer and more with the choir and strings. stceciliaspm.org Cathedral Christmas Tree Contest — Dec. 5 deadline: Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Deadline for parishes and schools to enter a Christmas tree contest at the Dec. 15-19 Cathedral Festival of Lights show and Christmas Market. Vote during the festival. Winning school or parish awarded a reserved pew for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Cathedral. Winner announced Dec. 19. cathedralheritagefoundation.org Come to the Stable: A Living Nativity — Dec. 12: 3–6 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace, 5426 12th Ave. S., Minneapolis. The Nativity scene offers the opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. olpmn.org/come-to-the-stable.
PRAYER+WORSHIP Advent Days of Prayer — Dec. 1, 8, 15: 9:30 a.m. at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center,
16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Reflection, prayer time, with a presenter and guided prayer experience. Confession, Stations of the Cross and Mass. Bring a lunch, beverages provided. Attend all three or individually. franciscanretreats.net Women’s Advent Morning of Reflection — Dec 11: 9 a.m.–noon at Good Shepherd, 145 Jersey Ave. S., Golden Valley. Women ages 13 and up. Liz Kelly presents “Love Like a Saint,” a theme from her book, “Love Like a Saint: Cultivating Virtue with Holy Women.” goodshepherdgv.org/reflection Practicing Presence Advent Morning of Reflection — Dec 11: 8:30 a.m.–noon at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, New Hope. Mothers of young children, live in the moment to receive the gift of God’s grace. eventbrite.com/e/spm-cana-adventmorning-of-reflection-registration-199905210867 Secular Franciscan Informational Meeting — Jan. 16, 2022: 2–4 p.m. at St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 3949 Clinton Ave. S., Minneapolis. Follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi to live the Gospel life. tauhouse70x7@hotmail.com
OTHER EVENTS
CALENDAR submissions
CEND presents an evening with Chris Stefanick — Nov. 30: 7–9 p.m. at St. Patrick, 6820 St. Patrick’s Lane, Edina. Discuss joy, love and inspiration for everyday life. Also, a VIP opportunity to meet Stefanik and ask questions. catholiccend.org
MUSIC “La Noche Azul” Advent and Christmas Concert — Dec. 6: 7:30–8:30 p.m. at St. Victoria, 8228 Victoria Dr., Victoria. Professional orchestra and local vocalists, including St. Victoria parish youth. Concert $10. 6 p.m. dinner and concert $25. Tickets online. stvictoria.net/lanocheazul Advent Lessons and Carols — Dec. 18: 7 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave., Minneapolis. Salvation history with Scripture, carols and choral selections sung by the choirs of Holy Cross. ourholycross.org/musical-events
YOUR HEART, HIS HOME CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
RETREATS Serenity Retreat — Dec. 3-5 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. People in recovery from addictions. Inspiring presenter in a setting conducive to healing and growth. franciscanretreats.net Spiritual Exercises Retreat for Men — Dec. 3-5 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 1st Ave. S., Buffalo. Weekend silent retreat for men 16 and older. Spiritual talks and personal meditation, preached by priests of Miles Christi according to method and principles of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Confession, the rosary, Mass. mileschristi.org/event/ buffalo-mn-1
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions
in dangerous weather and no bag, with nothing but the angels and armadillos to keep me company, with 40 precious souls in my charge for three days, I stumbled around the darkened grounds like a drunken soldier looking for my luggage. Some days you feel like you have a target on your back the size of Texas. And as hard as that might be, believe me, this is the kind of target you want. “Old Red Legs” might win the battle for your baggage or kill the batteries in your
microphone while you’re proclaiming God’s word, but he will lose the only battle that counts, for your soul. Friends, let’s stay in the fight. Your name is above all names, oh Lord! At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:9-11). Amen. Kelly is the award-winning author of nine books, including “Love Like a Saint” and “Jesus Approaches.” She travels speaking and leading retreats throughout the country. This article was adapted from Kelly’s award-winning book “50 Reasons I Love Being Catholic.” Visit her website at lizk.org.
Men’s Retreat Weekend — Dec. 10-12 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Four conference talks, scheduled and open time. Confession, anointing, Mass, Holy Hour and prayer sessions. Meals cooked on site. franciscanretreats.net NET Ministries Confirmation Retreat Weekend — Dec 11-12: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. at NET Ministries, 110 Crusader Ave. W., West St. Paul. Confirmation retreats for Catholic youth in grades 8-12. Adoration, reconciliation and Sunday Mass; large group talks/ presentations, small group discussions. meredithm@ netusa.org or 651-450-6833. netusa.org/confirmation
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22 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
ARCHDIOCESAN CHANCERY CORPORATION ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT • 2021 Financial Officer Report By Thomas Mertens Chief Financial Officer, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
INTRODUCTION Fiscal year 2021 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis began July 1, 2020, and ended June 30, 2021. This fiscal year arrived with the challenges of navigating through the pandemic. Discipline around spending allowed us to generate a surplus from operations of $3 million, and to strengthen our balance sheet through our payoff of the remaining $3 million of debt associated with the Bankruptcy Settlement and successfully obtaining forgiveness of our Paycheck Protection Program loan of $2 million. Fiscal year 2021 saw a limited return to in-person worship in Minnesota. In late May of 2020, the Catholic bishops of Minnesota TOM MERTENS convinced Gov. Tim Walz that in-person worship was essential to the health of Minnesotans and could be conducted safely with the proper precautions. While outdoor Masses and other creative worship practices continued, many parishes in the Archdiocese resumed in-person celebration of the Eucharist indoors. Paired with increased use of electronic giving during the pandemic, parishes were able to limit the decline in parish offertory giving. The Archdiocesan Catholic Center (ACC), once again significantly trimmed its budget and kept a close eye on costs. Directors continued to closely monitor and manage expenses, which allowed the ACC to quickly adjust to financial challenges and adapt its mission to serve parishes, schools and other Catholic entities in the 12 counties of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. One blessing to emerge from the pandemic is a clearer focus on how the ACC can better serve the clergy, parishes and schools; this focus will continue as we move forward. We realize the faithful of the Archdiocese, and the many who count on parishes and schools for both temporal and spiritual support, interact at the local level and not with the ACC. It is our ministry to serve our parish partners, so that they in turn can best minister to those who need it most. That is why Archbishop Hebda agreed with the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Corporate Board (AFCCB) to reduce the parish assessment during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Reducing parish payments to the ACC will enable them to use those additional funds for operations at a difficult and uncertain time. I am profoundly grateful for the support of the women and men of this local Church, and I promise that we will continue to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.
OPERATING RESULTS For the year ending June 30, 2021, we generated a surplus from operations of $3.0 million as compared to $10.2 million in 2020. The current year decrease is the result of the two estate gifts totaling $9.6 million that were made in 2020, partially offset by an increase in Parish Assessments of $1.4 million and an increase in Investment Income with donor restrictions of $800,000. The increase in Investment Income is due to favorable market conditions in fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. The current year increase in Parish Assessment revenue is a result of the prior fiscal year assessment discount of $1 million to financially assist parishes during the pandemic. In furtherance of our support to parishes, the AFCCB, which is comprised mostly of lay men and women, recommended, and Archbishop Bernard Hebda agreed, that parishes receive a discount on their fiscal year 2020 fourth quarter assessment —i.e., money contributed to the ACC to fund support programs and other efforts. Total Operating Revenue in fiscal year 2021 was $21.8 million, down from $29.0 million in fiscal year 2020. The decrease is primarily due to the $9.6 million in estate gifts recorded in fiscal year 2020, offset by increases in Parish Assessments Revenue and Investment Income, as noted above. Parish Assessments, our primary source of revenue, increased by $1.4 million from 2020. Parish Assessments are generated from the 186 parishes within the Archdiocese and are calculated and billed on a two-year lag, which means the parish financial results for the years ending June 30, 2019 and 2018 formed the basis for the parish assessment revenue for the years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Our Operating Expense in 2021 totaled $18.8 million, and was flat as compared to 2020. We saw expense increases in Catholic Education as we expanded school leadership support and Clergy Services as a result of a priest attending graduate education in Rome, the bi-annual assembly of priests in 2021, and an increase of priests taking paid leave. Additional increases included expansion of the Communications office as well as an increase in Community Services as we provided support to a struggling Catholic inner-city
school. Overall decreases in other areas were the result of reduced activities, whether it be hosted events, training, or travel due to the pandemic and our continued focus on good stewardship of the funds provided to us to operate the ACC.
NON-OPERATING ACTIVITY: GENERAL INSURANCE PROGRAM The General Insurance Program of the Archdiocese provides comprehensive, uniform insurance coverage to all of the parishes, Catholic schools, the Archdiocesan Catholic Center and certain other Catholic entities within the Archdiocese. The coverage provided by the program includes commercial property, casualty, general liability and workers’ compensation. The program is maintained for the benefit of the participants who contribute funds in exchange for obtaining insurance coverage. On July 1, 2019 (start of fiscal year 2020), the program was renamed the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Participants’ Restated and Amended Irrevocable Trust and, as a result, all insurance assets totaling $12,882,000 and liabilities totaling $5,349,000 were transferred to the new trustee. This change formalized the rights, duties and obligations of the trust and trustee and protects the recipient’s rights from obligations of the participating entities. The net impact to the statement of activities in fiscal year 2020 was a non-operating loss of $7,533,000. The activities of the trust were recorded in a separate legal entity for fiscal year 2021 and are not included in the financials of the Chancery Corporation for the 2021 fiscal year.
NON-OPERATING ACTIVITY: PRIEST BENEFITS The Archdiocese coordinates a self-insured health and dental benefit fund for active priests, seminarians, and certain religious order sisters within the Archdiocese with stop-loss coverage. The Archdiocese invoices parishes, Catholic schools and other Catholic entities based on clergy assignments and pays benefit providers directly for any claims. Priest Benefits generated a loss of $97,000 in 2021 and income of $129,000 in 2020. The loss in the current year was the result of increased claims as a result of COVID-19. The results of the Priest Benefits program fluctuate annually based on claims amounts, and is designed to be a break-even program and has been over time.
FINANCIAL POSITION Net Assets of the Archdiocese were approximately $24.8 million as of June 30, 2021 as compared to $19.9 million on June 30, 2020. The $4.9 million increase was due to the $3.0 million surplus from operations during the fiscal year and the $1.7 million of surplus generated from non-operating activity which consisted mainly of the $2.0 million Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness. The total cash balance as of June 30, 2021 was $17.6 million, an increase of $8.5 million from June 30, 2020. Approximately $3.0 million of the increase was provided by operations, $9.5 million received from Estate Gifts, and $4 million used to pay-down the Note Payable in the Bankruptcy Settlement. The cash balance consists of $9.7 million of Cash Without Donor Restrictions, $7 million of Board Designated Cash, and Cash With Donor Restrictions of $859,000. The Board Designated Cash represents funds set aside for capital projects. The other significant changes to the balance sheet as of June 30, 2021, include the collection of Estate Gift funds, reduction of the Paycheck Protection Program Loan of nearly $2 million due to loan forgiveness, and elimination of the Note Payable Bankruptcy Settlement as a result of $4 million in payments during the fiscal year. The AFCCB had designated these estate gifts for specific future uses, one of which was the full repayment of the Archdiocese’s remaining $3 million bankruptcy settlement obligation to a fund for victim compensation (after giving effect to an October 2020 installment payment of $1 million). The estate gifts and their use for full repayment of the bankruptcy obligations assures victims/ survivors and their families and friends of continuation of our outreach services and healing as part of our operating budget. Our balance sheet is strong as a result of cash received from Estate Gifts and pay-off of the bankruptcy debt.
CONCLUSION As I reflect on the impact of the pandemic on this Archdiocese during fiscal year 2021, I am amazed and grateful to the parish and school staffs who have persevered and taken on greater responsibility during the pandemic, and the priests, deacons, and religious who have continued their ministry to serve the Church through these unprecedented and challenging times. It is with great trust in our Lord’s providence and guidance that we look forward to the year ahead and enter the year with great strength as an archdiocese, to serve amid the ongoing pandemic and other societal challenges. I am confident that if we all continue to work together for the common good of the Church, we can make great progress towards our mission of making Jesus Christ known and loved in our local Church and beyond.
Unending gratitude By Archbishop Bernard Hebda The publication of the Annual Financial Report provides me with the opportunity to once again express my gratitude to you, the faithful of the Archdiocese, for your steadfast support of this local Church through your generosity, prayers and service, even in the midst of the challenges we have faced in the last year. I am grateful as well to the thousands of women and men — lay and clergy — who staff our more ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA than 180 parishes, our nearly 100 Catholic schools, and the countless ministries that serve you and so many others in our communities. In the course of my visits to parishes during the recent Synod Small Groups process, I was repeatedly reminded of the need to give thanks to the staff and volunteers who have served with such generosity during this ongoing pandemic. I know that the uncertainties of these last 20 months have been incredibly difficult for our parish and school leaders and for so many of you. More than a few of our brothers and sisters have spoken of this experience as testing or even shaking their faith. I have been inspired that even in these most challenging of circumstances, however, our clergy, parish and school staff have persevered, trusting in Divine Providence. They have also persevered by strengthening the bonds that unite us in our faith, working collaboratively with those from other parishes and schools where helpful, all the while focusing on the essence of our Church and our ministry. I am grateful that the collaboration and consultation that we have seen in our parishes, schools and ministries have served as a powerful example for me and for the staff here at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, as we strive to serve you more effectively. I consider it a great privilege to serve with them in this great mission and am inspired by their commitment to good stewardship. Be assured of my gratitude and prayers.
Supporting the Church’s mission
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis serves Catholics and the greater 12 county Twin Cities community. The following narrative briefly explains the function of each department and the funding level for FY 2021. Total department expense below includes allocations of depreciation, occupancy and archbishop expenses. uCatholic Education — $1,104,053 The Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) provides vision, support, and direction to Catholic schools and parish catechetical programs so that they can achieve their mission to proclaim Christ and form authentic disciples of Jesus Christ through an integrated Catholic education developing the spirit, mind and body. OMCE is divided into a Department of Parish Catechesis, Department of Educational Quality and Excellence, and Department of Catholic Schools. Major responsibilities for Catholic schools and parishes are aligned with the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education and include strategically assisting pastors, principals and parish catechetical leaders; implementing a comprehensive talent management framework; encouraging and acknowledging quality and excellence in Catholic education; serving as a resource for those involved in the essential work of parish catechesis; maintaining policies that support the work of Catholic education; representing the interests of Catholic CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
The Archdiocese’s fiscal year 2021 Financial Statements along with the Independent Auditor’s Report will be posted at archspm. org at the Finance and Accounting page prior to Nov. 30.
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 23
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS Chancery Corporation • Statements of Financial Position As of June 30, 2021 and 2020
Chancery Corporation • Statements of Activities Years Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
2021 (Audited)
2020 (Audited)
2021 (Audited)
2020 (Audited)
ASSETS Cash - Unrestricted and Board Designated $16,752,463 $7,986,235 Cash - Donor Restricted 858,940 1,120,493 Contributions Receivable 325,114 525,303 Estate Receivable 140,000 9,617,810 Accounts Receivables, Net of Allowances 2,327,218 2,863,669 Loans Receivable 663,066 669,066 Investments with Donor Restrictions 1,325,870 1,064,216 Beneficial Interest in Perpetual Trusts 1,831,976 1,424,738 Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets 144,840 183,642 Land, Property and Equipment, Net 3,117,905 3,285,124 Total Assets $27,487,392 $28,740,296 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS LIABILITIES Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities 1,701,595 1,722,193 Amounts Held for Others Under Agency Transactions 331,726 247,606 Deferred Revenue 382,664 262,012 Reserve for Priest Benefit Claims 101,287 266,056 Paycheck Protection Program Loan - 1,980,300 Lease Payable 16,686 33,929 Other Liabilities - 196,433 Deferred Rent 163,958 150,321 Note Payable Bankruptcy - 4,000,000 Total Operating Expense 18,827,812 18,816,490 Total Liabilities 2,697,916 8,858,850 Change in Net Assets from Operations 3,018,275 10,214,274 NET ASSETS NON-OPERATING ACTIVITY Gain on Sale of Assets 6,000 - Without Donor Restrictions - Undesignated 13,416,739 5,486,755 Paycheck Protection Program Revenue 1,980,300 - Without Donor Restrictions - Designated 6,957,415 10,617,810 General Insurance Program Expense - (7,532,506) With Donor Restrictions Priest Benefits Revenue 3,164,277 3,087,145 Restricted by Time and/or Purpose 2,346,196 2,114,993 Priest Benefits Expense (3,260,822) (2,958,228) Restricted in Perpetuity 2,069,126 1,661,888 Change in Net Assets from Non-Operating Activities 1,889,755 (7,403,589) Total Net Assets 24,789,476 19,881,446 CHANGES IN NET ASSETS $4,908,030 $2,810,685 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $27,487,392 $28,740,296 OPERATING REVENUE Contributions $2,557,305 $11,983,565 Parish Assessments 15,835,019 14,397,351 Fees and Program Revenues 2,539,989 2,542,185 Investment Income, Net 808,525 4,163 Other Income 105,249 103,500 Operating Revenue 21,846,087 29,030,764 OPERATING EXPENSE Program Services: Catholic Education 1,104,053 867,124 Central Services 5,054,102 5,024,142 Clergy Services 5,262,238 4,842,315 Communications 2,044,528 1,929,255 Community Services 460,382 112,926 Evangelization 29,162 313,381 Marriage, Family and Life 665,085 979,432 Parish Services and Outreach 1,262,555 1,421,580 Latino Ministries 362,289 449,255 Total Program Services 16,244,394 15,939,410 Support Services: General and Administrative 2,389,059 2,650,175 Stewardship and Development 194,359 226,905 Total Support Services 2,583,418 2,877,080
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE education to a diverse set of stakeholders; and working with community partners to ensure the sustainability of programs, including the Drexel Mission Schools, which serve those in most need. uCentral Services — $5,054,102 The Department of Central Services provides support and services to the archdiocesan staff and the parishes. The department includes the offices of the chancellors for civil and canonical affairs, information technology services, the metropolitan tribunal, human resources and benefits, records and archives, the office of financial standards and parish accounting. Also covered in this category are the payment of assessments to the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. uClergy Services — $5,262,238 The role of this office is to provide support and formation for priests and deacons in all aspects of ministry and pastoral care. Services provided by this office include the following: Seminary Formation: There are currently 51 men in formation for the priesthood for service of our Archdiocese. While the number changes throughout the discernment process, our Archdiocese has one of the largest enrollments of seminarians of any diocese in the country. The Archdiocese funds the medical and dental insurance coverage of the seminarians at The St. Paul Seminary, as well as tuition, room and board not covered through donations from the Catholic Service Appeal Foundation. The Archdiocese also covers the cost of tuition, room and board of those attending the PontificalNorth American College in Rome. Center for Clergy Formation: Institute of Ongoing Formation for Clergy and the Institute of Diaconate Formation comprise the Center for Clergy Formation. Each entity of the center provides an integrated approach to priestly and diaconate formation, including gatherings and support for newly ordained priests and deacons, programs to assist new pastors in their role and ongoing formation opportunities for priests and deacons throughout the Archdiocese. Continuing Education: This includes continuing education opportunities, a sabbatical program, international enculturation, and the biennial presbyteral assembly. Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment: The mission of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment is to work with our community to prevent the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults through a number of initiatives including implementing abuse prevention programs, immediately reporting allegations of abuse to law enforcement or child/adult protection officials and cooperating fully with their investigations, and helping those affected by abuse in their healing journey.
Priest Support: This includes support for priests who are not in ministry due to personal health issues or leave of absence, and those who have been permanently removed from ministry who do not have other means of support. Chaplaincies: There are several priests in full- or part-time ministry at hospitals and correctional facilities throughout the Archdiocese who are supported by the Archdiocese. There are many other priests throughout the Archdiocese who provide pastoral care at health care, correctional facilities or schools, either as a ministry of their parish or through their outreach work. They offer the sacraments and spiritual support during some of the most difficult times in peoples’ lives. Last year, a large number of people throughout our community, experiencing COVID-19, were served by chaplains. Specialized Ministries: This includes the Office of Vocations, support for international clergy and retired clergy, which includes the operation of the Leo C. Byrne Residence for retired priests. uCommunications — $2,044,528 The Office of Communications helps convey the teachings of the Church and fosters communications between the Archdiocese and the faithful, parish and school leaders and staff, and others in our community. It does this through The Catholic Spirit, multiple websites, social media, e-newsletters, printing services and other communications. The office also conducts media consultation and training for clergy, parishes and other representatives of the Archdiocese, and works with secular TV and radio stations, as well as print and online publications. uCommunity Services — $460,382 The Archdiocese helps men, women and children most in need within our local community, including the poor, hungry and homeless. In addition, during FY 2021, the Archdiocese provided support to a struggling Catholic inner-city school. uEvangelization — $29,162 The Office of Evangelization seeks to bring each person into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, equip them as a missionary disciple and help them more fully participate in the mission of the Church, to “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” The office is dedicated to assisting and serving the evangelization efforts of the parish, with a particular focus on young adults while also reaching those who do not yet know the love of Jesus. It also provides ministries for men, women, grandparents and young adults. The Office of Evangelization and its future operational plans is currently being assessed based on feedback as part of the Archdiocesan Synod. uMarriage, Family and Life — $665,085 This Office of Marriage, Family and Life assists the laity and
parishes through programs supporting marriage preparation, family education programming, respect life, pro-life groups, biomedical ethics, and outreach for people with disabilities. The office also sponsors the annual Archdiocesan Youth Day that brings together hundreds of local high school-aged teens to praise God, grow in the faith and find fellowship. In addition, this office helps coordinate local representatives attending World Youth Day, the National Catholic Youth Conference, and the March for Life and other youth events. uParish Services and Outreach — $1,262,555 The Office of Parish Services provides consultation, planning, and leadership development opportunities to parishes throughout the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese supports outreach ministry to various groups and members of the Archdiocesan community, including Indian ministry, Delegate for Consecrated Life, the Venezuelan mission, the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, and other groups and coalitions. uLatino Ministries — $362,289 The Office of Latino Ministry serves the Spanish speaking faithful and leadership at 24 parishes across the archdiocese through outreach and diverse programs. Areas of emphasis include evangelization and formation, with programs and events like International Women’s Day, biblical, catechetical and pastoral leadership institutes. The office focuses much of its outreach on families and youth by providing and supporting prolife activities, marriage retreats, and local and national youth conferences. Special days of celebration of the faith and family, and the annual Mass of Solidarity are also overseen by this office to provide opportunities of encounter for people of all ethnicities and nationalities. SUPPORT SERVICES uGeneral and Administrative — $2,389,059 The offices of the retired archbishops, auxiliary bishop, vicar general, accounting, finance, and general administration are included in the General and Administrative category. Over half of this category of expense supports salaries and benefits of staff. uStewardship and Development — $194,359 This office works with parishes and Catholic schools to help grow a culture of stewardship in local communities and to support parish and school development efforts. The office also engages in outreach to benefactors who wish to support specific ministries or programs of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center. This office was significantly downsized prior to the Archdiocese bankruptcy filing and is currently being re-evaluated to determine the best structure as we move into the future.
24 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
THELASTWORD Joseph song an inspired collaboration between two Minnesota dads By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
I
t was a tall order, even for an experienced musician: compose a Christmas song. Something fresh, that differs from all the classics yet deserves a place among them. Timothy Takach was intrigued. “Christmas is like the best and the worst thing for composers because everything’s been done,” said Takach, a 42-year-old composer and father of two from Minneapolis now living in Big Lake. “It’s super hard to figure out how to add something new.” But he was determined to rise to the challenge five years ago when Una Vocis Choral Ensemble in Mason City, Iowa, commissioned him to compose a Christmas piece. “In thinking about the Christmas story, there are many characters. The kings get their own song and they show up for 15 minutes. But I realized we don’t hear a lot about Joseph,” he said. Joseph was thrust into a bizarre circumstance, Takach mused. “He kind of got a raw deal. He was told: ‘This child is coming and you’re not the father but you’re going to be his father figure.’ He didn’t have much choice. There’s something interesting to dig into.” Being a father himself heightened Takach’s interest. So did his general interest in spirituality, first cultivated by his Presbyterian upbringing. Then he considered a way to make this novel approach even more original. He could compose music for a pre-existing poem or he could enlist someone to write something new. With a green light from Una Vocis’ conductor, Takach called on Michael Dennis Browne, an acclaimed Minneapolis poet whom he had collaborated with before. Browne didn’t think twice. “As soon as he said Joseph, it rang a bell,” said Browne, 81, a father of three who belongs to St. Cecilia in St. Paul and whose middle name is Joseph. “I knew I wanted to explore that. My name is Michael Joseph. I was raised in Catholic schools by Josephites — a Belgian order.” Scripture provides scarce information on St. Joseph, but like Takach, Browne began searching for clues. A verse from the Old Testament book of Hosea resonated with them, when God describes the father-like protection that he extends: “I was like a father holding you in my arms.” It became an anchor point for the song, conveying the uncertainty Joseph must have felt as he assumed a role that was not biologically his. That feeling was familiar to both Takach and Browne. “There’s something so poignant about Joseph’s situation: ‘I’m like a father.’ He doesn’t feel authentic, and I identify with that,” Browne said. The poet tapped into layers of fatherhood as he meditated on Joseph. He recalled his own early days as a father, a blur of joy and doubt. And he thought of his own father, who died when Browne was 19. He was a playful man, a devout Catholic and a church organist, introducing his son to the music that would be central
‘JOSEPH’ A starry sky is in my arms I hear my breathing — now not only mine each dawn is different now that you are here sometimes I stare at you, sometimes I tremble I stand above you, my head a moon and you down there on the sweet straw each dawn is different now that you are here I hear my breathing, now not only mine all my dreams for you, wondering who you might be, how far you may have come to be with us each dawn is different now that you are here sometimes I feel among waves too steep, my boat too small for these wide hands to have made when I’ve been working, when the sun is low, I sink into the stream and lie there, pale as stone and still this burning that I feel so deep inside me how are you mine, child? how are you ever mine? I am like a father I am like a father so let the old Joseph die, the new be born hold high this lantern for the world to see — this child, this light, this saving one a starry sky within my arms (O heart) each dawn is different now that you are here — Michael Dennis Browne to his distinguished writing career. For years, Browne used his father’s old typewriter. Six decades later, his father’s influence remains profound. “I’ve never quite absorbed all the love I learned from him.” Browne keeps a picture of his father in a tiny writing shed in his backyard. He retreated there after Takach asked him to write the lyrics for their Joseph song — notebook in hand, tea at his side. “I love the ink and the paper,” he said. The words emerged slowly. He landed on five-beat lines without rhyme, like Shakespearian blank verse. His words capture Joseph’s bewilderment: “How are you mine, child?” They also convey his renewed sense of wonder as a parent, repeating the line “each dawn is different now that you are here.” When it came time to compose music for Browne’s lyrics, Takach tried to honor the tension between the fear and the joy — and shift toward the latter as the song progressed. The song begins in a minor mode,
feeling “ungrounded,” and Joseph’s statements start on the offbeats, as if he is hesitant, Takach said. As the new father focuses on Jesus’ future, the music shifts to the major mode, and Joseph’s statements start on the downbeat, expressing his growing confidence. Takach worked on blank paper, pencil in hand, before he approached the computer. “The computer part tends to shut down my creative process,” said Takach, who runs Graphite Publishing and composes choral music by commission. He wrote the song for an a cappella choir and tried to capture the “accessibility” of pop music by repeating the same chord progression. As he composed, he reminisced about his first days as a father 12 years ago. “I remember, in the middle of the night, holding him quietly until he fell asleep. That stillness, plus the feeling of Christmas, all those elements went together to create this mood.” His hope was that the song would illuminate Jesus’ father. “Music gives us a different lens to view the world,” Takach said. “If we can be open to receive a story and let it change us, we are better through art, through the stories we tell and the stories we hear.” Browne has a similar view, relating his Catholicism and his creativity. “The imagination is our birthright,” he said. “We were born in the image of God, and we were meant to create. But you must have a practice, which is why I do a 20-minute meditation in the morning. Get out of your head and into your heart. Invite the presence of God and realize you are more than the sum of your fears. There’s joy below the floor of your fears.” The song is titled, simply, “Joseph.” It made its premiere in Mason City for Christmas 2016 and was later performed by a choir at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. It has been very well received, gaining additional traction when the Catholic Church declared the Year of St. Joseph, a happy coincidence Takach and Browne never could have anticipated. “You never know,” Takach said. “I had the highest hopes for this song. When I finished, I thought I had something special. But I’m not the one to decide that. All I can do is put it out into the world and see what the reaction is.” Those high hopes were met. “I’m really proud of this,” Takach said. “It has the two things: the music and the poem. It’s a sacred piece of poetry in disguise as a secular piece of poetry. Sometimes there’s a divide between church music and concert music, and what makes me the happiest is that this is a piece that spans those two genres.” The experience of composing “Joseph” encouraged both men to continue turning to the stories of saints and Scripture for inspiration. “I’m more open now,” Takach said. “There are so many old stories waiting to be told in a new light.” To watch a video of “Joseph” being performed by the Vox Nova Chorale in St. Mary’s Chapel at The St. Paul Seminary, go to bit.ly/3kweI22.
Deacon Michael Braun!
With great love from your parish family at Presentation of Mary Catholic Church