The Catholic Spirit - October 22, 2020

October 22, 2020 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Ahead of Nov. 3 General Election, MCC’s Adkins: ‘Politics cannot save us’ — Page 17

Holy ground Grief-stricken Twin Cities man finds peace, opportunities to serve in daily graveside visits to late wife, illustrating importance of Catholic cemeteries. — Pages 10-11

Imploring

Mary

Peace of Mind An ‘M’ can be added to today’s ABCs of schooling: mental wellness. Catholic Schools Center of Excellence’s new program offers resources for parents, teachers. — Page 5

‘Disturbing’ report Well-known composer of contemporary hymns, David Haas, responds to new abuse allegations. — Page 6

Millennial beatified Mother of Italian teen Carlo Acutis, who documented online eucharistic miracles, talks about son’s holy life. — Page 8

Communion of saints Relics room at St. Paul parish offers special connections to saints and a quiet place for prayer and reflection. — Page 13

Contemporary look Ahead of All Saints Day, an artist depicts saints with a decidedly modern twist — from a leatherjacketed Cecilia to a blue-haired Joan of Arc. — Page 14

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Third-grader Anabel Mutune of Transfiguration Catholic School in Oakdale prays during the Children’s Rosary Pilgrimage Oct. 7 at Transfiguration church. Bishop Andrew Cozzens led the event, and Transfiguration students led each decade of the rosary. Because of concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual event marking the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was moved from its usual venue, the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, with only Transfiguration students, teachers and staff participating in person. The event was livestreamed so that other Catholic schools could join in. Before the rosary, Bishop Cozzens led Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and Jenny Ubl, a Transfiguration parent and singer, sang “Ave Maria.” Principal Andy Jacobson said it was “such an honor to have Transfiguration host (the event). And, I told the singer (Ubl) that ‘Ave Maria’ touched my soul today. It was just an amazing experience, and we’re so happy that everyone could listen from Transfiguration Catholic School.”

Affirming life

Adoptive mom draws on personal experience in leadership role at Guiding Star Wakota

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

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enee Skidmore knows what it’s like to be young, pregnant and scared. In the fall of 1981, she was a sophomore at the University of Georgia with plans to get a nursing degree and work in the field. A birthday celebration that went too far changed her plans. Weeks after her 19th birthday, she learned she was pregnant. The father was her boyfriend, Tim, who later would become her husband. She felt pressure to get an abortion, but was too strong in her pro-life beliefs and Catholic faith. She chose to leave school and went to Illinois to take part in a program for unwed mothers run by a religious order of women. She delivered a girl, Christiane, May 26, 1982. The baby, born prematurely, died three days later. But the infant and the experience have not been forgotten. They fuel a desire to help women in the same situation get the help they need to carry their babies to term and keep them if that is their choice. Renee and Tim married in 1984 and adopted five children of different races. When they moved from Philadelphia to the Twin PLEASE TURN TO AFFIRMING LIFE ON PAGE 7

OCTOBER

Respect Life Month

NOVEMBER

National Adoption Month DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Renee and Tim Skidmore are using their time and resources to help women, including pregnant mothers, find life-affirming resources.

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

PAGETWO While proponents of legalization see enhanced revenues for the state through a new taxable marijuana industry, we are more concerned with consequences ranging from increased teenage use, harmful effects on developing brains, addiction, increased impairmentrelated transportation accidents and deaths, and other potential public health and safety issues. Bishop Austin Vetter of Helena and Bishop Michael Warfel of Great Falls-Billings, who urged Montanans to vote “no” on a pair of ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis. Their Oct. 12 statement was released in Helena by the Montana Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops. On Nov. 3, three other states — Arizona, New Jersey and South Dakota — also are asking voters to decide whether to legalize and tax recreational marijuana. Voters in Mississippi will consider legalizing medical marijuana.

NEWS notes

33 COURTESY THE REDEMPTORISTS OF THE DENVER PROVINCE

REDEMPTORIST ORDINATION Redemptorist Father Huy Vu, left, is ordained a priest by fellow Redemptorist Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, Oct. 4 at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center. Cardinal Tobin presided at the Mass with Denver Provincial Father Steve Rehrauer. A native of Houston who joined the Redemptorists in 2012, Father Vu is assigned to minister at St. Alphonsus, which has been in the care of the Redemptorist order since the Parish’s founding in 1959. Founded in Italy by St. Alphonsus Liguori in 1732, the Redemptorists, or members of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, focus on preaching God’s love and offer of redemption to all.

The number of days in the Consecration to St. Joseph. Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Andrew Cozzens are encouraging Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to pray the consecration from Nov. 6 until Dec. 8, the beginning of the Year of St. Joseph in the archdiocese (see “Only Jesus” on page 3). A guide to the consecration is available as “Consecration of St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” (Marian Press, 2020) by Father Donald Calloway, a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Virgin Mary. Consider buying the book from a local Catholic bookseller. Learn more about the Year of St. Joseph at archspm.org/synod.

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The number of months Minnesota senior living facilities restricted visitors, from the start of the pandemic in March to when Minnesota Department of Health policies eased somewhat Aug. 29. If a facility had not had an active case of COVID-19 in the previous 28 days, it could allow non-essential personnel to visit. Effective Oct. 17, the policy changed to 14 days. But each facility still decides if visitor access will be granted, including for priests and lay ministers. A group of about five women in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently formed a Sacraments for Seniors committee to spread awareness of Catholics living in senior care facilities who do not have access to sacraments. The women ask for prayers for those not able to receive sacraments and encourage parishioners with loved ones in care facilities to check frequently with the facility to determine if access to a priest or lay minister, using recommended precautions, is allowed.

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COURTESY ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE OF MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND LIFE

HELPING MOMS From left, Sue Stanich, chair of the northeast deanery, Betty Berge, president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Cathy Healy, president of the St. Paul deanery, pose for a picture at an ACCW event called “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service” at Guardian Angels in Oakdale Oct. 15. The day was designed to discuss ways individuals and parishes can help pregnant and parenting women in difficult circumstances. It featured Mass with Bishop Cozzens, a Rosary for Life, keynote speaker Nancy Kiolbasa, founder and director of Marriage Material, and representatives from local ministries. The event was part of an initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

REDISCOVER:Hour On the show that aired Oct. 16, Rediscover:Hour host Patrick Conley interviews Randy Haney about a solar panel project at St. Joseph in Rosemount. Brother Ken Apuzzo and Brother Matthew Warnez talk about the Brotherhood of Hope, which is marking 40 years, and its ministry at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. And, Father Joseph Bambenek speaks about the Healing and Hope retreat underway as part of the Archdiocesan Synod. Listen each week on Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. (Note some times have changed.) Find past shows at rediscover.archspm.org.

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The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 25 — No. 20 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor

The number of men who became candidates for the permanent diaconate Oct. 11 during a Mass at Transfiguration in Oakdale. It’s the largest class in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 1978. Prior to the Rite of Candidacy, the men, ages 37-62, completed the two-year Catechetical Institute program at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, including one year as “aspirants” for the diaconate program. They have threeand-a-half more years of formation before their ordination December 2023, and then will continue six more months of formal formation. Ordinations of permanent deacons in the archdiocese occur every two years, with the next ordination scheduled for Dec. 4, 2021. Currently 26 men are in permanent diaconate formation.

150

The number of years since the 1870 founding of Sacred Heart in Rush City. As the first Catholic church in east central Minnesota, the parish is considered the “mother church” of the region, said its pastor, Father Shane Stoppel-Wasinger. Archbishop Hebda is commemorating the anniversary by celebrating its 9 a.m. Mass Oct. 25.

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The percentage by which the Aim Higher Foundation beat its fundraising goal for its annual Night of Light, held virtually Oct. 9 and its ongoing campaign. The St. Paul-based organization, which provides need-based scholarships to Catholic school students, raised more than $500,000, which will directly help 50 students. In the 2020-2021 academic year, Aim Higher is supporting 1,965 students, up from 1,360 last year. “Because the scholarships follow the students through eighth grade, this amounts to a more than $7 million investment in the students and schools over the next eight years,” said Ricky Austin, Aim Higher’s vice president of advancement and operations, of the amount raised this year.

Materials credited to CNS copy­righted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Cath­olic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year; seniors, 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

OCTOBER 22, 2020

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

United — in charity — as family

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recently spoke to a former colleague of mine who has been assigned to an exciting ministry halfway around the globe. “It sounds like you’re doing great,” I said. “Too bad you’re so far from your family.” With the wisdom and insight that explains why I’ve considered him such a good friend for decades, he quickly responded: “Whenever we’re working for the Church, we’re never really away from family.” Our patron, St. Paul, reminded the members of the Christian community in Ephesus that they were “no longer strangers and aliens,” but family, “members of the household of God.” Through Christ, our common brother, we in the Church are all part of the same family. We don’t simply live in the same space, or worship God from the same pew. We’re called to love each other, care for each other and watch out for each other, all as brothers and sisters. Family is a very appropriate paradigm for understanding the Church. Most families that I know are colorful. I know that mine is. The fact that family members share DNA doesn’t mean that they necessarily cheer for the same teams, agree on matters of politics, have the same view on their pastors, or share the same priorities when it comes to our Church and our country. As family, however, we’re called to be supportive of one another, to listen deeply to one another and speak charitably to one another. Just as that is true for each of our individual families, it’s true for the Church as well. Charity has to be the hallmark of our community. In Antioch, they observed about the early Christian community: “see how they

Unidos en la caridad como una familia

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ecientemente hablé con un ex colega mío que ha sido asignado a un ministerio emocionante en la mitad del mundo. “Parece que lo estás haciendo muy bien”, le dije. “Lástima que estés tan lejos de tu familia”. Con la sabiduría y la perspicacia que explican por qué lo he considerado un buen amigo durante décadas, respondió rápidamente: “Siempre que trabajamos para la Iglesia, nunca estamos realmente lejos de la familia”. Nuestro patrón, San Pablo, recordó a los miembros de la comunidad cristiana en Éfeso que ya no eran “extraños ni forasteros” sino familia: “miembros de la casa de Dios”. Por Cristo, nuestro hermano común, todos en la Iglesia somos parte de la misma familia. No vivimos simplemente en el mismo espacio, ni adoramos a Dios desde el mismo banco. Estamos llamados a amarnos unos a otros, a cuidarnos unos a otros y a cuidarnos unos a otros, todos como hermanos y hermanas. La familia es un paradigma muy apropiado para entender la Iglesia. La mayoría de las familias que conozco son coloridas. Sé que el mío lo es. El hecho de que los miembros de la familia compartan ADN no significa que necesariamente animen a los mismos equipos, estén de acuerdo en asuntos de política, tengan la misma opinión sobre sus pastores o compartan las mismas prioridades cuando se

love one another” not “see how they criticize one another” or “see how they condemn one another.” What made the Church’s message credible was her love, a familial love that led to cohesion and unity. As archbishop, I’m charged with the task of promoting charity within our archdiocesan family. St. Augustine, who was an astounding theologian and an even better bishop, perceived the primacy of charity: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” I am convinced if we can get the “charity piece” correct, excelling in love of God and of neighbor, everything else will flow. I am convinced that this needs to be part of our prayer. I am increasingly attracted to the Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs I, which prays for “the Church on the Way to Unity.” I love the part of that prayer, right after the consecration, when we beg the Lord to renew his Church in this archdiocese, and strengthen the bond of unity between the faithful and their pastors, so that “in a world torn by strife, (God’s) people may shine forth as a prophetic sign of unity and concord.” That’s the goal of our family, to shine in that way, even in the midst of a pandemic or in the throes of an election year. In these days of preparation for All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we are mindful that our Catholic family goes beyond those of us in the pews today. We’re in a great familial communion of charity with our brothers and sisters who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith. To use the classical terminology, we (the Church militant) find hope and encouragement in those members of our family who lived the life of charity while on earth and are already enjoying life in heaven (the Church triumphant), while we lift up our

trata de nuestra Iglesia y nuestro país. Sin embargo, como familia, estamos llamados a apoyarnos unos a otros, a escucharnos profundamente y a hablarnos con caridad. Así como eso es cierto para cada una de nuestras familias, también es cierto para la Iglesia. La caridad tiene que ser el sello distintivo de nuestra comunidad. En Antioquía, observaron acerca de la comunidad cristiana primitiva: “ver cómo se aman”, no “ver cómo se critican” o “ver cómo se condenan”. Lo que hizo creíble el mensaje de la Iglesia fue su amor, un amor familiar que condujo a la cohesión y la unidad. Como arzobispo, tengo la tarea de promover la caridad dentro de nuestra familia arquidiocesana. San Agustín, que fue un teólogo asombroso y un obispo aún mejor, percibió el primado de la caridad: “En lo esencial, unidad; en lo no esencial, libertad; en todo, caridad “. Estoy convencido de que si logramos acertar la “pieza de caridad”, sobresaliendo en el amor a Dios y al prójimo, todo lo demás fluirá. Estoy convencido de que esto debe formar parte de nuestra oración; Me atrae cada vez más la Plegaria Eucarística para Necesidades Varias I que reza por la Iglesia en el Camino de la Unidad. Me encanta la parte de esa oración, inmediatamente después de la consagración, cuando le rogamos al Señor que renueve su Iglesia en esta Arquidiócesis, y fortalezca el vínculo de unidad entre los fieles y sus pastores, para que “en un mundo desgarrado por las luchas (Dios) la gente puede brillar como un signo profético de unidad y concordia ”. Ese es el objetivo de nuestra familia, brillar de esa manera, incluso en medio de una pandemia o

prayers for those brothers and sisters still on the way (the Church penitent, or suffering). I have been praying that our Archdiocesan Synod is going to strengthen our ties as a family so that we can more consistently shine forth as the prophetic sign of unity of concord that we pray for at Mass. So that we might achieve that goal, and drawing upon our beliefs about our ties with the Church triumphant, our Synod Prayer Team and Synod Executive Team have discerned and recommended to me that we seek the heavenly patronage of St. Joseph in this second year of our synod preparation. As the guide and protector of the Holy Family, as an exemplar of charity and as a model of discernment, St. Joseph certainly understands the importance of family unity, and I trust that he will be a fitting patron for our synod efforts. With that in mind, and joining with a number of dioceses throughout the U.S., we will be observing a Year of St. Joseph, beginning Dec. 8, 2020. On that date, the Church Universal will be marking the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church. Our hope is that the Year of St. Joseph will be a source of renewal in our local Church, most especially as we continue our preparations for the Synod of 2022. Hearing of the great spiritual fruits that are being harvested elsewhere in the United States, I’m hoping that some of you might be willing to join Bishop Cozzens and me in preparing for our Archdiocesan Year of St. Joseph, with a 33-day preparation period, beginning Nov. 6. Resources for that preparation and for the celebration of the year will be made available on our website as we approach the relevant dates.

en medio de un año electoral. En estos días de preparación para el Día de Todos los Santos y el Día de los Muertos, somos conscientes de que nuestra familia católica va más allá de los que estamos hoy en las bancas. Estamos en una gran comunión familiar de caridad con nuestros hermanos y hermanas que nos han precedido, marcados con el signo de la fe. Para usar la terminología clásica, nosotros (la Iglesia militante) encontramos esperanza y aliento en aquellos miembros de nuestra familia que vivieron la vida de la caridad mientras estaban en la tierra y ya están disfrutando la vida en el cielo (la Iglesia triunfante) mientras levantamos nuestras oraciones por aquellos hermanos y hermanas que todavía están en camino (la Iglesia arrepentida, o sufriendo). He estado orando para que nuestro Sínodo Arquidiocesano fortalezca nuestros lazos como familia para que podamos brillar más consistentemente como el signo profético de unidad de concordia por el que oramos en la Misa. Para que podamos lograr ese objetivo, y dibujando Nuestras creencias sobre nuestros lazos con la Iglesia Triunfante, nuestro Equipo de Oración del Sínodo y el Equipo Ejecutivo del Sínodo han discernido y me han recomendado que busquemos el patrocinio celestial de San José en este segundo año de preparación para el sínodo. Como guía y protector de la Sagrada Familia, como ejemplo de caridad y como modelo de discernimiento, San José ciertamente comprende la importancia de la unidad familiar, y confío en que será un patrón adecuado para nuestros esfuerzos sinodales. Con eso en mente, y uniéndonos a

varias diócesis en todo Estados Unidos, estaremos celebrando un Año de San José, comenzando el 8 de diciembre de 2020. En esa fecha, la Iglesia Universal celebrará el 150 aniversario del Papa Pío IX. proclamación de San José como Patrón de la Iglesia Universal. Nuestra esperanza es que el año de San José sea una fuente de renovación en nuestra Iglesia local, especialmente a medida que continuamos con nuestros preparativos para el Sínodo de 2021. Al escuchar los grandes frutos espirituales que se están cosechando en otras partes de los Estados Unidos, Espero que algunos de ustedes estén dispuestos a unirse al obispo Cozzens ya mí en la preparación de nuestro Año Arquidiocesano de San José, con un período de preparación de 33 días, a partir del 6 de noviembre. Los recursos para esa preparación y para la celebración del año estarán disponibles en nuestro sitio web a medida que nos acerquemos a las fechas relevantes..

OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective October 1, 2020 Reverend Daniel Bodin, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Joseph in Lino Lakes. This is a temporary assignment while the pastor, Reverend Michael Anderson, is on a leave of absence. More information about Father Anderson’s leave can be found at tinyurl.com/FMASAB.

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

LOCAL

Pumpkin pickers

SLICEof LIFE

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Men in Christ. Men of the Church. Men for Others.

semssp.org/vianney

William Quinn searches for just the right pumpkin with help from his mother, Laurie Quinn, and dog, Sam, in the Pumpkin Patch at Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis Oct. 18. The second annual event was started last year by Charlie Allen, parent of two students at Our Lady of Peace Catholic School. It is designed to raise money for the church and school and build community. Allen worked with an organization called Pumpkins USA to get 1,500 pumpkins, which went on sale beginning Oct. 17. Last year, the Pumpkin Patch raised $4,000 from sales of 800 pumpkins. This year, Allen is hoping to raise $10,000, with more than half of the money coming from the church’s non-Catholic neighbors. The price per pumpkin ranges from $4 to $50, with most selling for between $11 and $18. “Last year … we sold out early,” Allen said. “We had (people in) the neighborhood say, ‘You know, we need this. This is exciting.’” The Quinns, including Brian (background) and Ella, live two blocks from the church, and decided to go when they saw the signs. The Pumpkin Patch is open daily from noon to 7 p.m. until the pumpkins sell out.

LOCAL

OCTOBER 22, 2020

CSCOE links schools to mental health help By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Ashley Terpstra recently took part in a one-hour online seminar focused on helping parents deal with children’s anxiety, stress and perfectionism. Her children’s elementary school, St. Dominic School in Northfield, offered it to parents as the first in a series. “I was excited because I have a child with anxiety,” Terpstra said of taking the webinar. “Like everybody, the ability to help children who struggle with these things … is just fantastic. The speaker delved into how to help children deal with stress, she said, especially given challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was looking forward to the next topic, which addresses raising resilient children. “As a parent, I’m so happy that our school is putting focus on our kids’ mental health,” Terpstra said. “And I’m so grateful they’re taking the steps to make this available.” Edina-based Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) is offering all 79 elementary schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis mental health resources through its new initiative, Peace of Mind, to help the mental wellness of students, families, teachers and principals — all of whom face extra stressors during the pandemic. While planning the initiative was underway when the pandemic began, COVID-19 heightened its urgency. Launched this summer, the first sessions for parents started in September. Even if a Catholic school isn’t fully participating in the initiative, individuals such as school parents can access its resources. “Parents are dealing with things with their children they’ve never had to … before,” including distance learning and being home in that kind of challenging time, said Brian Ragatz, CSCOE president. Parents need to be in a good spot so they can be at their best for their kids, he said. CSCOE’s mission is to enhance excellence and increase enrollment for the schools it serves. Excellence is not just academic, however, Ragatz said. “Catholic schools educate the whole child, and we want schools to be excellent in all that they do for all those they serve,” he said. “Peace of Mind provides schools with an excellent approach to address the mind, body and spirit of all members of our school communities.” CSCOE is working with Twin Citiesbased Phoenix School Counseling to offer live webinars, recorded videos, slide

presentations and in-person meetings to support mental wellness. CSCOE cited statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that one in five students in U.S. classrooms have mental and behavioral health symptoms significant enough to warrant diagnosis and treatment. But only about 40% receive help. Of those, 80% get only what is available at school. Ragatz said Peace of Mind is a way to support schoolchildren by supporting their caregivers — parents, teachers and principals. Principals receive support via small group or individual consultation, he said, to give them the resources they need to recharge their batteries to be at their best. Teachers also can connect with a clinical psychologist via Zoom on specific topics. Physical education teacher Melissa Rogers recently participated in one on issues related to teaching during the pandemic. Rogers teaches at Presentation and St. Jerome Catholic elementary schools in Maplewood. The session was led by licensed psychologist Jules Nolan, an expert in mental health, parenting, and child and adolescent development. Rogers valued the reassurance it provided, that her schools were doing valuable things, such as setting up structured breaks for students and movement breaks. But she also appreciated learning new information. Because it was live, participants could ask questions during the webinar or submit them ahead of time. Another benefit, Rogers said, was that schools shared ideas with one another. Ragatz said another important component is educating and training up to four teachers or other staff members at each school so they can best address behavioral health situations that may come up. That could be a student being disrespectful, for example, or refusing to leave the family car in the morning. “It’s not a disciplinary issue; it’s a mental health issue,” Ragatz said. CSCOE offered to cover the expenses for up to four staff members per school to complete an online certification course in understanding and addressing the needs of children with anxiety or ADHD. When Terpstra was asked for feedback after the session, she replied, “All any parent wants is for their child to be happy and healthy, and to have the tools to process things in the future because we’re setting them up for their future life. So the more resources we have, the more tools we can give them.”

in BRIEF Former coach charged with criminal sexual conduct VICTORIA — Former Holy Family tennis coach Timothy Garin of Mound has been charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct after the Carver County police investigated a Sept. 4 allegation that he had sexually assaulted a student in 2015. He allegedly sent sexual text messages including nude photos, and touched the victimsurvivor inappropriately outside the victim-survivor’s clothes. He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 23.

Catholic Charities housing fraudster sentenced MINNEAPOLIS — A former Catholic Charities program manager was sentenced Oct. 5 to six years in prison and ordered to pay $684,081 in restitution after she pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making a false statement. Clarissa Combs, 49, defrauded the Twin Cities nonprofit over a seven-year period in a low-income housing scheme. Eleven other people pleaded guilty to being a part of the fraud.

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

FOUR RECOGNIZED FOR PRO-LIFE DEDICATION By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Four people will be honored Jan. 22 with the 13th annual St. John Paul II Champions for Life Awards, which recognize individuals who strive to protect life at all stages. Awardees are Kate Fischer, a parishioner of Nativity of our Lord in St. Paul; Art and Mary Lou Junker, parishioners of St. Mary in Stillwater; and Ruby Kubista, a parishioner of St. Agnes in St. Paul. A luncheon for the award winners usually is held in October, Respect Life Month. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s winners will receive their award at the Jan. 22 Prayer Service for Life at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The awards are an initiative of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Marriage, Family and Life. “We ask for nominations for those who love and respect and promote life, … St. John Paul II’s Gospel of life,” said Nancy Schulte Palacheck, the archdiocese’s family and laity outreach coordinator. “These award recipients deserve to be recognized for their tireless work on respect life issues.” Kate Fischer, 67, will receive the Pro-Life Volunteer Award. Raised in a pro-life family, she recalled her “encounter with life” started at age 20 in a college biology class. It prompted her to think about babies’ development in the womb. When Roe vs. Wade was in the news and abortion became legal in 1973, she felt called to get involved in promoting life. Fischer first worked at Birthright, where she learned that many women did not want an abortion but felt pressured due to a difficult pregnancy or crisis. Birthright counselors helped the women find needed resources. As a young wife and mother, Fischer started a 30-year commitment to volunteer at Cradle of Hope, which financially supports pregnant women in need. She started as a volunteer reviewing applications and approving funds because it was something she could do at home while raising young children. Moved to do more, Fischer took Pro-Life Action Ministry’s training for sidewalk counseling. Art and Mary Lou Junker, both 78, will receive the award for couple, family or Catholic-affiliated group. The Junkers were instrumental in starting the first crisis pregnancy center in Stillwater, where Mary Lou served as its first director. Staunch pro-life advocates at their home parish, they also initiated joining forces with parishioners of St. Michael in Stillwater and St. Charles in Bayport. They have both served in various roles for the three parishes’ Respect Life Committee. Mary Lou currently serves as secretary. The Junkers were among those who founded a Minnesota Citizens for Life (MCCL) chapter in the St. Croix Valley. Mary Lou was a volunteer for the local Birthright International pregnancy help line support organization and helped implement the archdiocese’s Community Caring for Life program at St. Mary. The couple provides many pro-life resources for the parish library and at the church entrances. During Respect Life Month, Mary Lou’s nominator said she creates “amazing displays on pretty much every topic pertaining to human dignity.” After serving as director of the St. Croix Valley Life Care Center for 12 years, Mary Lou received the Caritas Award for Christian Charity in 2001 from the life care center’s board of directors. Ruby Kubista, 84, is being honored as the person who embodies consistent life ethics. Her pro-life activities have included serving as a delegate to political conventions to champion pro-life causes. She also arranged for doctors and nurses to speak at churches and schools about abortion. Kubista started volunteering with Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life in 1979, paying her expenses to manage booths at a wide variety of pro-life, political and public gatherings. She became an MCCL employee in 1984, organizing the MCCL booths at all 83 county fairs in Minnesota, and is the main contact person for more than 200 chapters in the state. Kubista has served as chapter coordinator for more than 40 years. Kubista also coordinates the MCCL Fall Tour, motivating volunteers to host pro-life gatherings in dozens of towns across Minnesota. As a former teacher and mother of 10, she discovered a need for materials for children to learn about life issues. She authored “My Mom and Me,” a 36-page activity-coloring booklet about how babies grow in the womb and care they need after birth. She also authored word games and crossword puzzles. The materials are sold at county fair booths and on the MCCL website. Years ago, Kubista worked with St. Agnes’ high school English-speech teacher who trained students to become effective speakers, and encouraged them to enter pro-life oratory contests to spread the pro-life message to others.

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LOCAL

OCTOBER 22, 2020

New report describes sexual abuse, assault allegations against musician David Haas By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit A report detailing sexual abuse and assault allegations against Catholic musician and composer David Haas describes him using his influence as a faith leader in grooming victim-survivors and suppressing reports or concerns about his behavior. The report also alleges that Haas sexually abused minors, including the claim he raped a 13-year-old girl in 1979 during a confirmation retreat in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Advocacy group Into Account published the 22-page report Oct. 1. It includes graphic descriptions of victimsurvivors’ claims, including forced sexual acts and unwanted touching. The report alleges that, between 1979 and 1982, when Haas was in his early 20s, he targeted girls ages 13 to 17 for sexual acts, including rape. After 1982, reported allegations include grooming of girls under 18, and grooming, unwanted attention and touching, and forced sexual acts with women between the ages of 18 and 60. Haas is a well-known composer of contemporary hymns, including “You Are Mine,” “We Are Called” and “Blessed Are They.” From 1999 to 2017, Haas led Music Ministry Alive!, a liturgical arts camp independent from, but held at, St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Haas has led concerts and retreats and participated in conferences around the United States. He also directs The Emmaus Center for Music, Prayer and Ministry in Eagan and has worked in campus ministry in two high schools in the archdiocese. In an Oct. 11 email to The Catholic Spirit, Haas, through an attorney, said he reiterated his July 9 apology, and denied the claim he raped a 13-year-old girl. “The new allegation in the Into Account report as referenced in the archdiocese statement that I sexually abused and raped a 13-year-old girl is absolutely false. It is an anonymous allegation and an attempt to smear me with an outrageously false allegation. I have never had improper sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl,” he wrote. In an Oct. 8 statement, Tim O’Malley, director of ministerial standards and safe environment in the archdiocese, called Into Account’s report “disturbing.” “We affirm and emphasize the importance of courageous survivors of abuse telling their story publicly,” he said. “History has shown that confronting sexual abuse leads to a better future and promotes justice. Hopefully, that proves to be the case here.” O’Malley said that prior to Into Account’s report, his office was unaware of the 1979 rape allegation. The Into Account report claims that the alleged victim and an adult reported the incident to Church officials, including Archbishop John Roach, on three separate occasions. O’Malley said that professional investigators, all former law enforcement personnel, reviewed the archdiocese’s files and did not locate a report of the claim. The office has alerted law enforcement about the allegation, he said. In the Oct. 8 statement, O’Malley encouraged anyone with information about criminal behavior to report it immediately to police. He also reiterated information he shared in two prior statements this year, following a May 2020 letter circulated by Into Account first publicizing the allegations. In 2018, the archdiocese received reports that Haas had allegedly made non-criminal, sexual advances on two young adult women in another state. O’Malley said his office interviewed the women and allowed Haas to address the reports. The archdiocese then told Haas that he was not allowed to provide his services to Catholic institutions in the archdiocese without disclosing those complaints, and it declined to provide a letter of recommendation that Haas requested. In a June 16, 2020, statement, O’Malley also acknowledged a complaint the archdiocese received in 1987 that “Haas made unwanted sexual advances toward a young adult woman,” which Haas denied. The October Into Account report described the incident as a “sexual assault of an 18-year-old first-year woman student at the College of St. Benedict” in St. Joseph, for which Haas was required to write a letter to the victim-survivor’s parents.

MARIA WIERING | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A new report details sexual abuse and assault allegations against David Haas, a prolific Catholic composer of worship hymns including “Blessed Are They,” “We Are Called” and “You Are Mine.” In July 2020, after receiving additional complaints that Haas had “engaged in inappropriate conduct” with other young women at various locations around the country in the 1980s, the archdiocese notified Haas that he was no longer allowed to provide his services at Catholic institutions in the archdiocese. The archdiocese also discontinued using Haas’ compositions at archdiocesan liturgies, and encouraged parishes and schools “to consider the sensitivities involved with using Haas’ music.” Seventeen other dioceses and other Christian groups have made similar decisions. Liturgical music publisher GIA Publications announced in June that it had ended its longtime relationship with Haas, a prolific composer. Into Account’s report was based on reports of 44 women, including Haas’ former wife Jeanne Cotter, a fellow liturgical musician to whom he was married from 1988 to 1995. In a June 21 Facebook post, Cotter said they began a relationship when she was 16 and he was 23, and that they divorced because of Haas’ infidelities. The report’s authors described Haas’ sexual behavior toward his victims as aggressive and sudden, with a focus on vulnerable women. Women who raised alarms about signs of grooming — such as an abundance of personal communication, sexual conversations or excessive physical affection — said they were told by others that those behaviors could be dismissed as “That’s just David.” The report claims that women who resisted his advances received or feared Haas’ retaliation in their professional or social lives. The report also includes allegations that Haas spiritually manipulated girls and women, in part through Music Ministry Alive!, a five-day camp for teenagers ages 14 and older. According to the report, participants had “a cult-like reverence for Haas,” who created emotionally intense prayer and small-group sharing situations, where Haas gained information he could use to allegedly assess participants’ vulnerability. The report claimed that Haas groomed girls during the camp, and then would later assault them when they were young adults. “Haas blended religious devotion and abuse in a way that increased the vulnerability of his spiritually sincere targets and guaranteed it would be difficult for survivors

to disentangle themselves from his abuse without spiritual confusion or distress,” the report said. The report also called into question the role of Lori True, a liturgical composer, Music Ministry Alive!’s associate director and a former campus ministry employee at St. Catherine’s university. It stated that “many members of the MMA community noted times when they expressed concerns to Lori True in good faith about MMA in general or David Haas in particular only to be met with defensiveness accompanied by sobbing or shouting, leaving the person raising the concerns with intense feelings of guilt, shame and humiliation.” True told The Catholic Spirit Oct. 12 that she never received a complaint about Haas in regards to sexual predatory behavior or sexual misconduct. “As a survivor of sexual assault, and the mother of two grown daughters — one with severe muscular dystrophy — I have spent most of my life in protective mode, with a heightened awareness of potentially harmful actions against vulnerable and young people in my care,” she said via email. “If I had seen any such action by David Haas, I would have stopped it immediately. In my 19-year association with Music Ministry Alive!, I never received a complaint or report regarding sexual predatory behavior or sexual misconduct by Haas. If any such concern had surfaced, I would have taken prompt action and reported it. In having no such complaint, I have never intentionally ‘shamed’ a Music Ministry Alive! participant or team member.” In an Aug. 4 statement to its community, St. Catherine University said that while the camps were held on its campus, Haas has never been a member of the university’s faculty or staff. It said the university is investigating its relationship with Haas and allegations involving Music Ministry Alive! “If the investigation does find that any abuses have taken place, we will take action pursuant with university policies and legal guidelines,” it stated. In an Oct. 9 statement, the university said that the university “believes the victims who have come forward to share their experience” and that its investigation continues. In June, Haas denied Into Account’s allegations, calling them “false, reckless and offensive.” In July, he issued an apology that said he had “come to realize that I have caused great harm to a variety of people.” “I never, ever intended to hurt anyone,” he wrote. “I realize now that even well-intentioned actions may have hurtful impact and consequences. Through the help of professional intervention and treatment, I am at the beginning to a path toward greater self-insight, insight to help me face and truly understand how my actions violated trust.” In the Oct. 11 email to The Catholic Spirit, Haas said that he wants people whom he’s harmed to know he takes “full responsibility for my actions and am truly sorry.” “I am continuing with professional intervention to help me face and understand how my actions have violated your trust,” he said, speaking to those whom he’s hurt. “I have continued to give prayerful thought to my actions and ask for forgiveness from anyone I have harmed — those individually and those in the Church community who have been harmed because of these accusations,” he said. “I believe in the God who loves all of us and pray for anyone I have harmed and pray for God's forgiveness.” A native of Michigan, Haas completed music and theology degrees at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Haas has also previously served as an artist-inresidence at St. Thomas the Apostle in Minneapolis, The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, BenildeSt. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park and CretinDerham Hall high school in St. Paul. He is a member of St. Cecilia in St. Paul, where he has volunteered as a liturgical musician. Into Account is based in Kansas and led by Stephanie Krehbiel, who holds a doctorate in American studies. She authored the report along with Jay Yoder, Hilary Jerome Scarsella and Erin Bergen. The organization describes itself as providing “advocacy and up-to-date resources to survivors seeking accountability” and focuses on people who have been harmed in Christian settings.

OCTOBER 22, 2020

AFFIRMING LIFE FROM PAGE 1 Cities seven years ago, they envisioned getting involved in the pro-life movement here. Little did they realize that Renee not only would volunteer at a pregnancy help center, but help lead an organization called Guiding Star Wakota that would break ground on a new, 10,000-square foot facility in West St. Paul just days after she became president of its board of directors. The facility is part of a nationwide network of care centers called the Guiding Star Project, founded by Minnesotan Leah Jacobson in 2011 to provide what it describes on its website as “an empowering, wholistic healthcare alternative.” Renee, 57, is doing this while continuing to care for children ranging in age from 14 to 30, four of whom currently live in their West St. Paul home. One of them gave birth to a daughter in June. A single mother, she got in touch with Guiding Star Wakota, formerly called Wakota Life Care Center. Staff gave her referrals for both a doctor and a birth doula, in addition to supplies like diapers and clothing. The new facility, which had its groundbreaking Oct. 2, aims to be a comprehensive “womb to tomb” center that goes far beyond basic needs like diapers and clothing. Staff and volunteers will offer life skills classes, doula support, mental health counseling and support groups — and maybe even addiction recovery groups and programs. Wakota also plans to partner with a medical clinic to provide on-site, life-affirming health care services for entire families. Construction will be completed in about a year. “We want Guiding Star to be a household name, not Planned Parenthood,” Renee said. “You can’t fix it all. What you can do is walk alongside people. I never want to see someone walk alone in this journey (of being pregnant).” Skidmore said the face of the pro-life movement is changing, right down to the words used to describe it. She said people who support abortion can be

LOCAL triggered by the term “pro-life” when having a conversation about the subject. “I much prefer to use the word ‘lifeaffirming’ because it allows you to have a conversation with anyone, acknowledging that most people wish for everyone to have a happy, healthy life,” she said. “Although we may have different beliefs about how to help people, I think most people have good intentions.” Creating goodwill is especially important when the conversation happens with a pregnant woman who is scared and unsure about what to do with her unborn baby. “Once there is a sense of safety in that conversation, that they feel a RENEE SKIDMORE genuineness … and love, then that’s the atmosphere (where) good things can happen,” she said. It’s all part of what she calls a “very bold mission” at Guiding Star Wakota, which hopes to address not only the needs of pregnant women and their families, but also reach out to men and young girls to teach them about their dignity and about responsibility. “We want to help change the culture,” she said. “We want to build life-affirming networks to cover the entire United States.” One of the things that drives her to be involved with Guiding Star is her faith. Both Renee and Tim, members of St. Joseph in West St. Paul and Community of Christ the Redeemer, regularly go to eucharistic adoration. Tim, a retired CFO of CHS who now works for St. Paul’s Outreach, works in the financial realm to provide funding for a variety of life-affirming efforts, including affordable housing and job creation. He became Catholic in 1990 and started a fund in honor of Christiane, managed by the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota. Renee said that Guiding Star Wakota can be a way to share God’s love with those whom it serves, gently and without confrontation. “You want to welcome people right

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

ADOPTION DREAM FULFILLED Renee Skidmore was a middle child in a family of eight, and she traces her hope to adopt children to her younger sister, Michelle, who had Down syndrome. Michelle was 11 months younger and died when she was 9. “We were very, very close,” Renee said. “She taught me more about love than anyone else in the entire world has ever taught me.” This bond led to a desire she eventually fulfilled more than 20 years later. “I can remember as early as 11 years old having it in my heart that I wanted to adopt children,” Renee said. “It was just a desire placed in my heart.” Her wish came true just weeks after she and her husband, Tim, went to Medjugorje in fall 1989. He was in the process of becoming Catholic and had learned about the pilgrimage site in the course of taking classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). While in Medjugorje, Renee was encouraged to ask God for something specific. She was reluctant to do so at first, but eventually submitted a request. “I said, ‘I want a baby for my birthday (Nov. 8), And if not for my birthday, then by Christmas,’” she said. Renee and Tim, who were living in Delaware at the time, had tried to conceive for five years but were not successful. By that point, Renee had become “tired of waiting for a baby.” Things changed within days of getting back from Medjugorje, when the adoption agency they were working with notified them that a woman had chosen them as adoptive parents. Her due date was Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, but she delivered a boy on Renee’s birthday. Renee and Tim later adopted a girl in 1992, and three more children in 1996, 2006 and 2008. Renee called her oldest child “a very special young man who we are very grateful for in the

ways that he challenges us to grow in our faith.” She said she thinks he was one of the first African American children in Delaware to be adopted by a white family.

where they’re at,” she said, “and by your love, walk with them through that journey (of pregnancy) so that they can have a home for their heart.” She said adopting five children and helping one of them through an unplanned pregnancy have prepared her

to help lead Guiding Star Wakota. “Through all my life experiences, I know now that I was meant to step into this role as president,” she said. “He (God) prepared me to understand: What is it that’s needed here, on a human level? How do we reach out to lost souls?”

“Thirty years ago, adopting across racial lines was being fought by Black social workers,” she said. “The context was very different than what we think of today” with such adoptions now commonplace. In the course of raising their adopted children, Renee and Tim have grown in their faith and in their understanding of the types of emotional wounds some people carry throughout their lives. This gives them empathy for others, especially women in unplanned pregnancies. Renee’s compassion is further fueled by her own struggles, including seven joint replacement surgeries, four since moving to Minnesota seven years ago. The vulnerability of recovery, plus lots of time to reflect, deepens her desire to help create what she calls a “life-affirming” community at Guiding Star Wakota, where she serves as president of the board of directors. It is part of her mission — and that of Guiding Star Wakota — to serve and support “people who are deeply wounded and are so fearful of being known and being rejected.” “I want to create that community … that is welcoming to all people so that they can realize that, by our love, they’ll know that they can trust us,” she said. This is what she has tried to do in her own home, a journey that has been painful at times, but deeply rewarding. “We’re all broken,” she said. “Everyone is wounded in this journey. … At the end of the day, it’s about being loved and being welcomed.” — Dave Hrbacek

Father Wittman remembered as kind, humble, devoted to Catholic education By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Deb Myers, a parishioner at Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata, knew Father Peter Wittman when she was a high school student in 1974. And after decades of friendship, as a hospice nurse and lifelong friend, she was with him when he died in a care facility in Eden Prairie Oct. 15. His brother, Mark, the only sibling living in the Twin Cities, was also at his bedside. Father Wittman was 74. Father Wittman grew up in Richfield, but when he visited Myers’ family farm outside Montgomery, he would ride on the tractors with her brothers. Father Wittman served as a deacon at Most Holy Redeemer in those days, and Myers’ mother taught at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Montgomery. “She took him under her wing when he became a deacon,” Myers said. “He was like a member of our family.” When Myers was 20, she was diagnosed with a type of cancer that offered a poor prognosis and required

at least five major surgeries. “No matter where he was, he came to the hospital and anointed me before every surgery,” she said. She recalled him as always kind and humble. Father Wittman was ordained a priest May 31, 1975. He was first assigned to St. Michael in West St. Paul. He also ministered at St. Mark in Shakopee, St. John the Baptist in Savage, FATHER PETER All Saints in Lakeville WITTMAN and St. Joseph in West St. Paul before serving in the role of canonical administrator during the Shakopee Catholic Education Consolidation from 2008-2011. He then served the Shakopee area parishes, beginning in 2008 with St. Mary of the Purification, later adding St. Mark and St. Mary in Shakopee before overseeing their 2013 merger into Sts. Joachim and Anne. He served that consolidated parish until his retirement from active

ministry in July 2015. Father Wittman was a big proponent of Catholic education, said Julie Bennett, business administrator at Sts. Joachim and Anne. “He told school leaders he

wanted no student turned away because of tuition (cost),” she said. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will preside at the funeral Mass Oct. 23 at St. John the Baptist in Savage.

Find out.

Webinar Theology Day events 2020-2021 We are excited to announce that the new webinar format allows participation from the comfort of home while keeping everyone healthy. Q&A sessions will occur after each presentation to allow for some interaction with presenters. More information will be provided to registrants. Register five days in advance of the webinar or it might be closed for processing.

Registration is FREE, but Registration is required. Go online at CollegevilleMN.com/Theologyday or call 320-363-3560.

The Journey of Loss and Grief by Kathleen A. Chahalan, Ph.D.

Kathleen will share on how we can better understand the journey of grief and how to take it in a faithful way on:

Thursday, November 5 - 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Angels and Demons: What do Scripture and Tradition Say about Them? by Fr. Michael Patella, OSB

Fr. Michael will outline the Christian understanding of the devil, angels, demons, ghosts, and spirits in Scripture and Tradition on:

Friday, November 20 - 9:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m.

Callings of Women in the Church: A Young Feminist Perspective by Jessie Bazan, M.Div. ‘17

Jessie will discuss how to welcome people of all genders to consider how the church can grow into a more inclusive, empowering, commuity on:

Friday, December 11 - 9:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m.

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

NATION+WORLD Teen was ‘influencer for God,’ mother says on eve of son’s beatification By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

‘INCORRUPT’ REMAINS?

In early October along the pristine medieval streets of Assisi, a city ubiquitous with references to St. Francis, posters bore the image of a different modern saint-inthe-making: Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian tech whiz. Before his death from leukemia in 2006, Acutis was an average teen with an above-average knack for computers. He put that knowledge to use by creating an online database of eucharistic miracles around the world. For Acutis’ mother, Antonia Salzano, the heartbreak that all parents experience over the loss of a child has been mingled with serenity and joy as she prepared to see her son beatified Oct. 10 at the Basilica of St. Francis. “It’s unusual for parents to (be present at) the beatification of their son or daughter,” Salzano told Catholic News Service Oct. 9. “It’s very unusual because normally it takes a long time. But instead, for Carlo it took 14 years to have the beatification.” Acutis’ beatification, she said, is “an important step for us because we have so many devotees of Carlo all around the world. I think it’s a big sign for them, a great consolation.” “It’s very, very important that we have this recognition from the Church,” Salzano added. While looking at his body, which was exhumed ahead of his beatification (see sidebar), makes it seem almost like he is still alive, Salzano said she didn’t have “a particular reaction” to seeing his body again because she feels she has “a real, spiritual relationship with my son.” “He makes himself very much close to me. He gives a lot of signs. Sometimes I dream of Carlo, sometimes I hear inspiration. And, also, he gives a lot of signs to a lot of people around the world. I mean, I don’t really feel the lack of Carlo because he’s a silent presence, but he makes himself heard through many people,” she said. In his 2019 exhortation on young people, “Christus Vivit” (“Christ Lives”), Pope Francis said Acutis was a role model for young people today who are often tempted by the traps of “self-absorption, isolation and empty pleasure.” Pilgrims flocked both to the Basilica of St. Francis for

CNS

Blessed Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who used his computer programming skills to spread devotion to the Eucharist, was beatified in Assisi, Italy, Oct. 10. the beatification Mass as well as to the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major, where the newly beatified teen’s remains were on display for veneration. Ho Chi Minh City Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang presided at the beatification Mass. Italian Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the papal legate for the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, read Pope Francis’ apostolic letter proclaiming Acutis “blessed,” the step before canonization. “With our apostolic authority, we grant that the venerable servant of God, Carlo Acutis, layman, who, with the enthusiasm of youth, cultivated a friendship with our Lord Jesus, placing the Eucharist and the witness of charity at the center of his life, henceforth shall be called blessed,” the pope decreed. After the reading of the apostolic letter, Salzano and Acutis’ father, Italian businessman Andrea, processed toward the altar carrying a reliquary containing their son’s heart. The reliquary was engraved with one of the teen’s

As part of the sainthood process, Acutis’ body was exhumed and transferred to a place suitable for public veneration, the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi. Placed in a glass case, his body was dressed in jeans and a track suit jacket — the attire he was accustomed to wearing and what is seen in many of the photos taken of him during his life. The lifelike silicone mask placed on his face also sparked a debate as to whether the teen’s remains were incorrupt, prompting the Diocese of Assisi to issue a statement Oct. 1 that his face and hands were reconstructed in order to exhibit his remains “with dignity for the veneration of the faithful.” Acutis’ body, said his mother, Antonia Salzano, “was found intact. We cannot say incorrupt because the bishop doesn’t like it, because he says the only (ones who are) incorrupt are Jesus and the Virgin Mary.” “‘Intact’ means that the body was like it was when he died. The only thing is that the skin became a little bit darker. For example, if you go to visit the body of St. Rita in Cascia or St. Catherine in Bologna,” a 15th-century Poor Clare whose body is believed to be miraculously incorrupt, “you see that the body is intact but the skin is darker,” Salzano explained. She also said that his organs also were found intact and his heart was removed and placed in a reliquary that was displayed at the beatification Mass. — Junno Arocho Esteves well-known quotes: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” While Carlo created digital content when YouTube and Facebook were in their infancy, his life and example remain relevant in today’s fast-paced age of social networking, Salzano said. One of Acutis’ most famous quotes, cited by the pope in his exhortation, was, “We are all born original, but many die as photocopies.” “I think that Carlo was a bit of a prophet of his time,” Salzano said. “Because, of course, a saint is somebody who goes a little bit against the mainstream, the mentality of most people.” Carlo, she said, “is an influencer for God.”

Connecticut Catholic priests take pride ‘one of our own’ about to be beatified By Karen A. Avitabile Catholic News Service Msgr. John Bevins has been praying a long time that a miracle would be attributed to the intercession of Father Michael McGivney and move him one step closer to sainthood. “I’ve been praying I would live long enough to see it,” he said. “I was elated. We are praying harder now for the second miracle of canonization.” The miracle needed for Father McGivney’s beatification was approved by the Vatican last May. The founder of the Knights of Columbus will be beatified Oct. 31 during a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. He will be the first U.S. parish priest to be beatified and will be given the title “Blessed.” The Knights, a fraternal order for Catholic men, has become the largest lay Catholic organization in the world with 2 million members and sponsors a wide range of educational, charitable and religious activities. Knights members and their families have prayed for years for Father McGivney’s sainthood cause. Msgr. Bevins, who served as pastor of the Basilica of the Immaculate

Conception in Waterbury, Connecticut, from 1991 to 2014, said he holds “great pride” that a man considered for sainthood walked the streets of Waterbury. “I have great pride in the city,” he said. “Here, one of our own was raised.” Waterbury was once a city of parishes where hundreds of thousands of Catholics attended church and were educated in the teachings of the Church — and where many vocations are said to have originated. One of those vocations was for Father McGivney, the son of Irish immigrants, who was born in Waterbury. He attended local schools and developed his faith at Immaculate Conception Church, now the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where he was baptized, received the sacraments and said his first Mass as an ordained priest. In the Basilica office, Msgr. Bevins proudly showed a copy of Father McGivney’s baptismal record that hangs on a wall and a statue of Father McGivney that used to be located in the now-closed St. Mary School, which merged in 2018 with another Catholic school to form the Catholic Academy of Waterbury. “Father McGivney was baptized here, which shows that anyone can be a saint, too. ... This is great for the people

CNS

Father James Sullivan, rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, Conn., points up to a mural of Father Michael McGivney July 6. The beatification ceremony for Father McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, will be celebrated Oct. 31 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Conn. of Waterbury,” the monsignor said. Father McGivney was ordained Dec. 22, 1877, and a few days later, he said his first Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. His first assignment was as assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven. Established in 1832, St. Mary’s Parish

is the oldest Catholic church in New Haven and the second oldest in Connecticut. Father McGivney served at St. Mary’s from 1877 to 1884, and it was there he founded the Knights as a service organization to help widows and orphans. He died of tuberculosis and pneumonia in 1890 at age 38. On March 29, 1982, 100 years after Father McGivney founded the Knights and 92 years after he was buried in the McGivney family plot at Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Waterbury, his remains were re-entombed at St. Mary’s Church. The McGivney family gave permission for his re-entombment because that March, during the centennial observance of the official founding of the Knights, early plans were made to consider opening his sainthood cause. In December 1997, Archbishop Daniel Cronin, then head of the Hartford Archdiocese, opened his cause. The approved miracle attributed to Father McGivney’s intercession that paved the way for the priest’s beatification involved the 2014 cure of a U.S. baby, still in utero, with a lifethreatening condition that, under most circumstances, could have led to an abortion. In general, a second verified miracle attributed to the sainthood candidate’s intercession is needed for canonization.

OCTOBER 22, 2020

HEADLINES u In confirmation hearings, Barrett stresses commitment to ‘rule of law.’ On the fourth day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the Senate Judiciary Committee, with objections from Democratic members, said they would vote on Barrett’s nomination Oct. 22. The four days of hearings ended Oct. 15 and involved a day of introductory remarks, two days of questioning Barrett and a final day of witnesses brought in by Republicans, who emphasized her qualifications for the role, and a panel of witnesses assembled by Democrats who focused on the impact they said Barrett’s possible decisions could have on either dismantling the Affordable Care Act or overturning Roe v. Wade. During the two days of questioning from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Barrett made a clear distinction between policy preferences and legal precedents. She also did not give direct answers on how she would vote on top issues but assured the senators that she would follow the rule of law. After the committee’s vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Kentucky, will then determine when to move the nomination to the Senate floor for a vote, which is expected to take place the week of Oct. 26. u When looking to future, include most vulnerable, Catholics tell G-20 forum. COVID-19 provides an opportunity for people to prepare for the future, and religious leaders have an opportunity to make sure that preparation includes the world’s most vulnerable, said Catholic participants in the annual G-20 Interfaith Forum. Leaders and representatives of major religions and global policy institutions participated in the Oct. 13-17 meeting streamed from Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. Father Augusto Zampini Davies, an official at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told the forum that as well as causing enormous problems, COVID-19 is worsening existing inequalities and injustices and showing the “inability of the world to face a common problem together.” The Argentine priest said interreligious dialogue and cross-cultural cooperation are crucial in times of crisis. u Archbishops in Portland, San Francisco perform exorcisms in response to violence. Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample offered a rosary for peace and conducted an exorcism Oct. 17 for a city that has witnessed peaceful racial justice protests peppered with riots for more than four months. Catholics across western Oregon took part in the morning prayers, which included a procession from St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to a city park, via livestream. Meanwhile, on the same day, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco performed an exorcism at the site of a now-toppled statue of St. Junipero Serra at St. Rafael Mission Church in San Rafael. The vandalism took place Oct. 12 — Columbus Day, or Indigenous Peoples Day as the holiday is now called in some cities and states, including California. The statue was toppled during what was at first a peaceful protest held at St. Rafael Mission Church, the archbishop said, but then some participants became violent and destroyed the statue. u Demonstrators burn two churches in Chile on anniversary of protests. Demonstrators burned two Catholic churches in Chile, where gatherings to mark the one-year anniversary of mass protests against inequality descended into chaos. Church

NATION+WORLD officials and media reports described the Oct. 18 gatherings throughout the country as peaceful, but unrest broke out late in the day, with some protesters entering and vandalizing parishes in Santiago, the national capital. Videos posted on social media showed the spire of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Santiago burning, then crashing to the ground as a nearby crowd cheered. St. Francis Borgia Church also was vandalized, and religious items were stolen, a Church official said. The parish is home to institutional ceremonies for the “Carabineros,” Chile’s national police, a force unpopular with protesters over accusations it employs repressive tactics, including 345 eye injuries from pellets shot from anti-riot weapons, according to a U.N. report. u Armenian Orthodox leader warns of possible genocide in disputed territory. The patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, said escalating violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region has the potential to become another genocide of the Armenian people. “What else is it if not genocide to indiscriminately bomb civilians, churches, the historical monuments of a people in spite of all international laws,” he said in an interview with the Italian daily, La Repubblica, Oct. 19. Only by recognizing the disputed territory’s self-proclaimed independence can “a possible new holocaust” be avoided, he added, referring to the 20th-century Armenian Genocide when about 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in 1915-18. Since 1988, Armenia and Azerbaijan have had an undeclared war over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan, but has an ethnic Armenian majority. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the region proclaimed itself an independent state, leading to waves of conflict and relative stability as well as a broken cease-fire agreement. For decades, the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe has been trying to negotiate a permanent resolution to the conflict. u Pope, Council of Cardinals meet online to discuss Curia reform. Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals met virtually Oct. 13, discussing the updated draft of a constitution reorganizing the Roman Curia and steps to implement it, the Vatican press office said. The first draft of the document, provisionally titled “Praedicate evangelium” (“Preach the Gospel”), was sent to the heads of current Vatican offices, bishops’ conferences around the world and other experts in the spring of 2019. After receiving feedback and discussing possible amendments, “during the summer months the council was able to work via internet on the text of the new apostolic constitution, the updated draft of which was presented to the Holy Father,” the Vatican said Oct. 13. “In accordance with usual praxis, the competent dicasteries are now proceeding with the reading of the text.” u Pope: Time is running out to fix economy, protect the Earth, help the poor. The predominant global economic system is “unsustainable,” particularly in its impact on the environment, Pope Francis said. “We are faced with the moral imperative — and the practical urgency — to rethink many things” about the economy: “how we produce, how we consume, our culture of waste, its short-term vision, the exploitation of the poor, indifference toward them, the increase of inequality and its dependence on harmful energy sources,” the pope said Oct. 10 as part of the global TEDx Countdown on climate change. The event, broadcast live on YouTube, featured more than 50 speakers from around the world and looked at the state

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

of the environment, predictions about how little time is left to alleviate climate change and about the role of individuals, businesses and governments in taking action. u Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asks Pope Francis to apologize for the Church’s role in the conquest of the Americas. It’s the second time he has made such a request of the pope in less than two years. In a letter made public Oct. 10 — after it was personally delivered to Pope Francis during an audience with Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, López Obrador’s wife — the president once again insisted that “the Catholic Church, Spanish crown and Mexican state must offer a public apology to the indigenous people that suffered the most ignominious acts in order to loot their lands and subjugate them from the Conquest of 1521 until the recent past.” Pope Francis, meanwhile, apologized during a 2015 trip to Bolivia “not only for the offense of the Church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.”

drug’s distribution to “promptly consider” within 40 days whether this ruling should be withdrawn or amended. The FDA, in August, had asked the Supreme Court to block the district court’s order while it appealed it. The drug in question, Mifeprex, is the brand name for mifepristone, also called RU-486, which is used to end pregnancies during the first 10 weeks. FDA regulations have required patients to receive the drug in person after signing a form acknowledging risks associated with it. Catholic Church leaders have been vocal in their opposition to this drug since it was given FDA approval in 2000 and in 2016 when the FDA relaxed rules for its use, saying it could be administered with fewer visits to a doctor. Justice Samuel Alito dissented from the decision, noting in an opinion joined by Justice Clarence Thomas that there is “no legally sound reason for this unusual disposition” of the FDA’s request. He also said the federal appeals court judge “saw the pandemic as a ground for expanding the abortion right recognized in Roe v. Wade.”

u Supreme Court does not reinstate abortion drug restrictions. The U.S. Supreme Court is temporarily allowing drugs used to medically induce abortions to be mailed or delivered without requiring the recipient to make a doctor’s visit during the coronavirus pandemic. In an unsigned order Oct. 8, the nation’s high court rejected an emergency appeal from the Trump administration to reinstate a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule requiring in-person visits to a hospital or clinic to pick up these pills. The requirements were suspended by a federal district court judge this summer due to the pandemic. The high court ordered that the federal judge in Maryland who made the ruling on the

u Cause of 19th-century Tennessee priest who died of yellow fever at age 33 moves forward. On Sept. 28, at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, where Father Patrick Ryan once served, Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika presided at the opening session of an inquiry into the Irish-born priest’s life and the installation of a tribunal to examine evidence supporting his sainthood cause. His cause was officially opened in 2016, granting the priest the title “Servant of God.” As thousands of Chattanooga residents fled the city to escape its yellow fever epidemic of 1878, Father Ryan remained to serve those stricken with the illness and contracted it himself. — Catholic News Service

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Grave matters Grief-stricken husband nearing point of suicide finds help, hope and healing at St. Vincent de Paul cemetery By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

J

ust days before turning 65 in March 2018, Doug Eidem decided to end his life before the birthday candles could be lit. His wife of 40 years, Jean, had lost her 19-month battle with ovarian cancer two months earlier, and Eidem was torn apart with grief. He had visited her grave at St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Brooklyn Park every day since she died — often several times a day — and he just could not bear to go on. On a Wednesday night, he formulated a suicide plan he would carry out in the next 24 hours. That’s when a “miracle” happened. His phone pinged. It was a text from Father Paul Jarvis of St. Bridget in north Minneapolis. The priest had celebrated Jean’s funeral Mass at St. Bridget, where the husband and wife were attending Mass in recent years. The late-night message was a simple gesture of friendship to a man both grieving and burned out from months of caring for his dying wife, which included three major surgeries and 27 rounds of chemotherapy, Eidem recalled. He never left her side during those painful months, and he remained loyal in the weeks after she died, visiting her grave daily to leave flowers and read a love poem he had found online. “I wasn’t sleeping much for the first couple of months,” he said recently in an interview with The Catholic Spirit. “I had a recurring dream. I would actually hear somebody ringing the doorbell, and I’d open the door and then Jean would be standing there in the door(way). And, it would just startle me so much that I’d wake up instantly. My heart would just be racing, and I couldn’t fall back asleep. I’d sleep (only) an hour or two a night.” In the midst of these episodes, he spontaneously decided to drive to Pennsylvania to visit a priest who once had served at St. Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park, where the Eidems were members. The visit was meaningful and supportive, but short. Eidem left on a Friday, drove 12 hours, visited the priest Saturday and returned Sunday. The priest asked Eidem if he had thought about suicide, and Eidem said yes. But, he had backed off because he worried such a drastic move might put his soul in jeopardy and keep him from being reunited with Jean. Not long after coming home, those hesitations vanished in a pit of despair. “It didn’t matter what happened to me,” he said. “So, I decided I needed to take my life.” That’s where Father Jarvis stepped in. “I was laying there deciding how to do it,” Eidem said about his plan to commit

suicide. “And, all of a sudden, my phone went off and it was a text from Father Paul at St. Bridget’s wanting to know if I wanted to meet him for breakfast in the morning. I thought, ‘Well, if that isn’t a sign from God, I don’t know what is.’” He put his suicidal thoughts aside and accepted the invitation. Actually, it was a re-invitation. After Jean died, Eidem had started going to a weekly meeting of about 10 people at Emily’s F&M Café in north Minneapolis, not far from St. Bridget. The group would go to 8 a.m. Mass on Thursdays, then afterward head over to the restaurant, affectionately known as the “culinary chapel,” Father Jarvis noted. Eidem, whom Father Jarvis described as “a little shy,” seemed to take a liking to the group, and soon became a regular. Then, after a few weeks, he stopped coming. Father Jarvis, noticing that Eidem was taking Jean’s death hard, decided to make what he thought at the time was “an innocuous call.” The timing of that simple text seemed to be divinely inspired. “I think it was a beautiful miracle,” Father Jarvis said. Eidem agreed, and called that moment a major shift in his journey through grief. Thoughts of suicide gradually subsided — with one more episode a week after his text from Father Jarvis — as he continued to frequent the “culinary chapel” of Emily’s, and also remained faithful to his graveside visits at St. Vincent cemetery. He would buy flowers for Jean every day at a nearby Hy-Vee supermarket, and eventually became well-known to store employees. His was also a familiar face to cemetery caretakers and parish employees, among them Tess Eiden, whose family has worked at the parish cemetery for decades. As the cemetery coordinator, Eiden, whose father once was the caretaker, or sexton, of St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery, knows the value and comfort of being able to come to the place where a loved one is buried. “It’s very important,” she said of visiting a grave. “It lets them move on (in life), but they can still come back and know that their loved one is in a safe space.” Eidem established some traditions at the cemetery, like going out on Christmas Eve and spending Christmas Day there, too — from dawn to dusk. He even puts up Christmas lights to create a festive mood. The heart-shaped stone and picture of Jean — a “glamour shot” done years ago as a gift for her — placed on the front of the stone make for an intimate setting. On nice summer days, he sits on the ground with his back against the stone and silently reads a book. Or, he may lie on the ground and look up at the clouds breezing by. If he feels particularly sad or reflective, he will stand on the back side of the stone, lean over and place his elbows on it. Deep thoughts will come, and tears often follow. His long vigils have sometimes brought criticism from people who think he needs to “get over it and let go.” But, there is deeper meaning to visiting a cemetery and spending time at the grave of a loved one, according to one expert who has

Doug Eidem visits St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Brooklyn Park regularly to spend time at th heal from grief, and now he helps others do the same as he cares for the areas around grave seen and helped many people through the burial process of their loved ones (see sidebar). “It’s like carrying on that relationship,” said Sister Fran Donnelly, director of LifeTransition Ministries at Catholic Cemeteries in Mendota Heights. “We need, as human beings, that physical connection (to loved ones). So, when the person is no longer physically right there, we’ve got to find ways to make that real — their presence. What that does for us is it allows us to, step by step, let some things go, but not everything. We don’t want to let everything go. We want that person to remain in our lives. And so, for many of us, it’s helpful to see their name somewhere, to know that their remains are there — safe, sound, secure, forever. That’s really reassuring for people.” Eidem has taken full advantage of the opportunity to maintain his connection to Jean at the cemetery, with his thoughts and actions gradually turning outward. It started when he met a woman whose husband is buried near Jean. The woman commented on what a neat freak her husband had been, then Eidem noticed that the grass was not well trimmed around his stone. He soon remedied that by bringing in trimming equipment and tidying up the gravesite. Her immediate gratitude warmed his heart. This started a ministry. Eidem remained attentive to the grave of the woman’s husband, then started noticing others

nearby that needed attention. Casua offers to loved ones coming to visit t were well received. The list grew, and Eidem became a reliable, volunteer caretaker. Not to say the cemetery isn’t well Its beauty is apparent to those walki driving its narrow, intimate roads. T point of Eidem’s self-appointed min is not so much about tidiness as it is extending comfort to the grieving, pastoral care without being a pastora minister. “Absolutely,” said St. Vincent’s Eid who works on the accounting side o parish and cemetery and worked wit Eidem on the purchase of side-by-sid plots for Jean and, eventually, himse “Sometimes, you just need to talk ab (with another person). You need to g People just need to cry. They need to angry. There’s not always a good ans Yet, Eidem’s grieving process — he greatly by a grief support group at St. Vincent that he has attended and praises highly — has led him to an answer of sorts, one that creates ever increasing connections at the cemet he spends countless hours tidying up graves and, maybe more importantly listening to people who are hurting. “Everybody’s different,” he said. “ people that approach me out there a just like me. I know when they want start talking about it, not to interrup just let them keep going.”

OCTOBER 22, 2020 • 11

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A PLACE FOR CONNECTION For people like Sister Fran Donnelly, a cemetery is not so much a place to be sad as it is a place to be human. It’s a place designed to foster the same kinds of connections that people have throughout their lives. Even though their loved one is no longer physically present, they nevertheless can maintain a meaningful relationship by taking regular time to visit the cemetery. As director of LifeTransition Ministries at The Catholic Cemeteries in Mendota Heights and a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sister Fran helps people understand the new reality and new relationship they are able to have with their loved ones whose remains are interred at a cemetery. For her, it is grounded in Catholic teaching about death — and resurrection. “I have a real thing about the communion of saints,” she said. “Whatever it is that connects us as human beings is very real and is not broken in death. It remains somehow. And, the more we have reminders of that, the more real it is to us.” Cemeteries help grieving people by offering tangible reminders of a connection some fear may have been lost in death. “We need those physical, those tangible, real things to help us because we don’t know what the heck heaven means, and we don’t know what it means to have someone die and not be here with us, but still be somewhere and be somehow connected,” she said. “The human brain, spirit needs something I can touch, something I can see. And, I think cemeteries provide that unlike anyplace else.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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A funny thing happens when he extends a listening ear: He walks away feeling better. Each conversation, each grave fussed over, becomes a dose of medicine that brings healing. But, Eidem isn’t keen on getting recognition for his service. Nor does he try to pontificate great wisdom on grief and helping the bereaved. He merely offers a simple explanation for why he attends to others’ graves. “I enjoy helping people,” he said. “I just do it because it’s the right thing to do. … If it makes a person happy for just a few minutes, why not do it?” Recently, Eidem has taken his ministry on the road. He temporarily is staying at a resort near Alexandria while he tries to close on a townhouse near McGregor, about two hours north of the Twin Cities. He began visiting a Catholic cemetery near Alexandria and has been tending graves there, too. Once in McGregor, he will keep doing the same. Nevertheless, he won’t forget about Jean. Far from it. He will continue going back and forth from McGregor to the Twin Cities, with a stop at St. Vincent cemetery always on the itinerary. And, for the rest of his time on earth, he will anticipate the day when his grief will end. “The happiest day of my life,” he said, “will be when I leave this world and I can be with my wife again.”

An important tangible component, she said, is a permanent marker with the person’s name engraved on a stone. “That’s a real, real crucial part,” she said. “My name will be there forever. That kind of memorialization is not true anywhere else.” It makes a difference even when the people who visit the cemetery have never met the person who died. Perhaps, it’s a relative they never met or an ancestor who died before they were born. “To see names that are connected to me is about as real as it gets,” said Sister Fran, who once had a moving experience going to Ireland and visiting cemeteries where her ancestors are buried. “It says something about connection — I am somehow connected.” Another tangible element of a cemetery is its sacredness, something visitors feel when they visit the graves of their loved ones.

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“This is a big thing with me,” said Sister Fran, whose office is located at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. “I really, really am passionate about this, that there’s something about the sacred space (of a cemetery). Ours is blessed, so it’s holy ground. And, where better would you want your loved one to be?” In turn, that motivates people, like one man she has observed at Resurrection Cemetery who goes to his wife’s grave every day, even holidays. Some people might criticize such faithfulness, but she understands his motivation and affirms his — and anyone’s — choice to keep coming regularly. “Why wouldn’t they be here every day?” she asked. “It makes perfect sense to me. … People go to where their loved ones are. My father and brother are buried in upstate New York. Do you think I’d ever go there and not go to the cemetery? I can’t imagine doing that.” — Dave Hrbacek

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12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

The cost of a final resting place involves more than the grave By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit

BEYOND THE BURIAL

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fter a loved one passes away, there are many decisions to be made by the family, including the most everlasting: the burial location. Catholic cemeteries throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis offer options for traditional ground, above-ground and cremation burial. “The Catholic Church has identified burying the dead with dignity as a corporal work of mercy,” said Mark Dittman, 53, parish business administrator at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, who oversees St. John the Baptist Cemetery. “This cemetery ministry is a way to honor someone and their survivors.” The first burial at St. John the Baptist was in 1909. Dittman said that of the 4,207 burial spaces — full body lots, cremation lots, columbarium (a place with niches for cremation urns) and infant lots — 500 are available. “We built a columbarium plaza in 2017 to help meet the growth of cremation, and planned that for future expansion,” Dittman said. “Our cemetery is relatively small — half a city block — and we want to continue to serve the needs of our people as far into the future as possible.” Columbarium fees per niche at St. John the Baptist Cemetery begin at $2,200; cremation lots are $700, full-size lots are $1,000, and there are no fees for lots for children age 2 and under. Additional cemetery costs include grave opening and closing, markers, engraving and vases. “People are purchasing a right to burial in a specific location — a promise of perpetual care for that space and that cemetery,” Dittman said. “When operating a cemetery, we must always think long-term with pricing, improvements and maintenance, which include mowing, tree planting/trimming/ removal, landscaping, city water fees, plowing, fence upkeep and, if there is a building on-site, its upkeep.” “In cases of financial hardship, we work with the family to accommodate their needs as best we can,” Dittman said.

The National Funeral Directors Association estimates the median cost of a funeral with viewing and ceremony followed by burial to be $8,123 for the West North Central region of the U.S., which includes Minnesota. The median cost of a funeral with viewing and ceremony followed by cremation is $5,673. — Debbie Musser

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

One option for burial is at a parish-owned cemetery such as St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Brooklyn Park (above). “Our gravesites are for sale at need or pre-need.” Burial fees are just part of the overall costs after a loved one dies; there’s also embalming or cremation, the use of facilities for a visitation and a funeral, transportation and more. “I strongly encourage families to visit a couple of funeral homes and pre-plan their funeral with one of their choice,” said Denny Farrell, 76, parish administrator at Guardian Angels in Oakdale who sells burial space in the parish cemetery. The earliest burial documented at Guardian Angels dates back to 1871. Today the cemetery averages 35 to 40 burials a year, with 320 total spaces available: 170 in-ground plots, 90 single niches and 60 double niches. Reserved areas on the property can accommodate an additional 400 plots and 800 niches. Prices range from $450 for a cremation lot burial to $3,700 for a top row columbarium double niche. The Catholic Cemeteries is a corporation managing five cemeteries: Calvary in St. Paul, St. Anthony of Padua in northeast Minneapolis, St. Mary in south Minneapolis, Gethsemane in New Hope, and Resurrection in Mendota Heights, the largest Catholic cemetery in the archdiocese. “We offer a resting place that will hold and care for the deceased forever in holy

ground,” said Joan Gecik, 66, executive director. The organization also provides consultation support to the 124 parishowned cemeteries in the archdiocese, offering education as well as assistance with navigating Minnesota rules. “Because of population growth and escalating land values, it became impractical for every parish to have its own churchyard cemetery,” Gecik said. “Calvary, established in 1856, became the official cemetery for St. Paul parishes; St. Anthony of Padua, established in 1857, became the official cemetery for the northern part of Minneapolis, and St. Mary’s, established in 1873, for south Minneapolis.” Family counselors at The Catholic Cemeteries “pastorally walk with a family at the time of death and assist them with the number of decisions that must be made,” Gecik said. “We work in conjunction with the funeral home they have chosen and their church.” Patricia Marcon, 55, a family counselor at The Catholic Cemeteries, said the organization offers a variety of interment options.“Depending on what type of burial space and how many family members you are planning for, we offer a lot of choices at many different price ranges that will fit into most families’ budget,” she said. Space is available at all five cemeteries. For traditional ground burials at The

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Catholic Cemeteries, full-body grave prices begin at $1,590 and cremated body grave prices start at $950. Aboveground mausoleum options for full-body interment begins at $5,375. The Catholic Cemeteries’ additional options for cremation burial include mausoleum niches and columbaria, beginning at $2,140, and the Garden Abbey at $1,490. Other fees in addition to the purchase of the final resting place include opening and closing fees, monument or marker, final dates, recording fees and vases. Interment costs are $1,540 for either a traditional, full body or cremated body. “Pre-planning for burial alleviates a family from making a lot of tough decisions at what is most likely the worst time of their life, as well as the financial burdens that arise when a loved one dies,” Marcon said. “We offer many pre-planning discounts throughout the year and also offer 0% financing on burial spaces.” At all Catholic cemeteries, assisting families with a final resting place for their loved ones is a true ministry, Gecik said. “We offer all a place where they know that we respect the breath of God, the soul that is within all of us.”

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OCTOBER 22, 2020

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

Parish’s relic collection offers prayerful connection to Christ and saints By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

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fter Bob Berendt retired from teaching high school English, one of his missions during the 1970s and ’80s was tracking down saints — acquiring bits of their bones, teeth, hair and other relics for his parish, Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. Through connections at the Vatican and elsewhere, Berendt obtained most of the more than 100 relics the parish maintains, including of the true cross, Mary’s veil and Sts. Peter and Paul. “He was trying to get relics for every saint that he knew,” said Patt Berendt, wife of the now-deceased collector. “I won’t say that he got all those, but he got the majority of them.” Each month, Nativity displays the relics of saints whose feast days fall within that month in a room near its narthex. Called the “Heritage Room,” the former baptistry also has information about the parish’s founding. Whenever the church is open, parishioners and passersby can venerate the relics as tangible evidence that the saints who intercede for them are human. The word “relic” comes from the Latin “relinquo,” which means “I leave or abandon.” The Catechism considers relics a form of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life that extends its liturgical life but doesn’t replace it (CCC 1674-75). All Saints Day, the day the Church calendar commemorates all saints, is Nov. 1. Bob Berendt had several of his own relics before he began his great hunt. While volunteering at Nativity, he decided to get more for the parish, Patt Berendt said. Many were sent from the Vatican by a cardinal he knew, for which fellow parishioners paid Mass stipends, she said. (The Church doesn’t permit the sale of relics.) Bob also acquired relics from religious houses and other locations. Along with major saints such as Teresa of Avila, Patrick and Ignatius of Loyola, Nativity has many relics of lesser-known saints. Isaac Huss, Nativity’s marketing and communications director, said its main altar also has a relic of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a 17th-century Visitation nun who had visions of Christ and spread a devotion to his Sacred Heart. Most of the parish’s relics are first class, Huss said, meaning that they are parts of a saint’s body or items directly involved in Christ’s life, such as pieces of the cross. Second-class relics consist of clothing or other items the saint touched or used often, and third-class relics are other items the saint touched or that have touched a first-class relic. The relics were mostly stored in

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COMMUNION OF SAINTS All Saints Day – Nov. 1 The Church honors all people who have obtained heaven — saints — canonized and uncanonized. All Souls Day – Nov. 2 The Church honors the dead and remembers in prayer the souls of all who have died and who may be suffering in purgatory.

the church’s sacristy until 2011. After parishioners John and Catherine Michel had the former baptistry renovated, they saw a place in the new Heritage Room for the relics. The Michels asked fellow parishioner Dia Boyle to organize them and create labels to display with them. The displayed relics’ authenticity has been certified, she said. “The ‘Heritage Room’ is truly a ‘Reliquary Room’ for meditation and quiet prayer time,” the Michels wrote about the room, which contains several kneelers for prayer. Parishioner Barb Bowman frequently brings out relics for the month and places them in individual metal reliquaries in two display cases. Her favorite is of her confirmation patron: St. Bridget of Sweden. “Catholics think (relics are) kind of a thing of the past,” she said. “At least in our church we’ve got them out there.” While parishioners show interest in the relics, Huss said he doesn’t know of anyone who’s received a grace, gift or blessing by praying with them. Saints’ relics are preserved because they’re holy, but they were human beings, not storybook characters, Boyle said. “I don’t think that the saints listen to us more because we have a relic … but it helps our faith that we are praying to somebody,” she said. “We’re asking for the intercession of somebody who really did exist, who really does have an interest in our world and in our church, in our profession and our efforts. They’re going to listen to our prayers, and they’re going to intercede for us.”

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This St. Teresa of Jesus relic and eight others are on display at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul in the church’s Heritage Room.

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14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

FAITH+CULTURE

Artist gives modern (and multiracial) face to Catholic saints By Gina Christian CatholicPhilly.com

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young artist is giving a fresh face to some of the Catholic faith’s most beloved saints, using college roommates for models and painting on thrift shop wood. “The Modern Saints” collection by Gracie Morbitzer features icons of more than 70 canonized persons, from the perennially popular St. Therese of Lisieux to lesser-known figures such as St. Lidwina, patron of ice skaters. While saints have historically been portrayed with European features, period costume and otherworldly gazes, Morbitzer reimagines them as Black, Latino, Indigenous and multiracial, as well as white. T-shirts take the place of tunics, tresses are often tousled, and many of the images — including a blue-haired St. Joan of Arc, a leather-jacketed St. Cecilia and a Virgin of Guadalupe in Chuck Taylors — evoke a kind of hip holiness. Furrowed brows and wistful expressions render the figures as vulnerable, approachable beings. Recasting the saints as “modern, everyday humans” is the whole point of Morbitzer’s project, which was initially sparked by a desire to decorate her art school dorm room. “I’d just moved in, and I didn’t have any spiritual artwork,” said Morbitzer, an Ohio native who recently completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Columbus College of Art and Design. A lifelong Catholic, Morbitzer decided to create her own designs using “two tiny wooden plaques” she’d found in “a box of free things.” After “scrolling online for hours” for an image to replicate, however, she found herself frustrated. “There were all kinds of styles, and I couldn’t decide what way to go,” she said. “Then I thought, ‘Why don’t I paint Jesus in a white T-shirt?’” An image of Mary in a leather jacket soon followed, along with icons of the archangels and of Morbitzer’s confirmation saint, Genevieve. After seeing the images in her room and on social media, friends began asking for icons of their own saints, said Morbitzer, who ended up “painting all (her) roommates.” “When they were interested, they’d ask me about the stories of these real people,” she said. “It was a way of

“Holy Family” is one of some 70 icons in Morbitzer’s “The Modern Saints” collection.

It’s important to comprehend the humanity of the saints, and how real they were. If they were here today, what would they tell us in our current anguish? Gracie Morbitzer evangelization, a way in without me trying to force faith on anyone. Really good conversations started.” The icons also “show us that we can all be saints just like them,” said Morbitzer, while “(correcting) ethnicities to show the Church’s more widespread, though hidden, diversity.” Aside from “a few art history courses,” Morbitzer did not study iconography specifically; instead, she relies on research, intuition and her deeply held faith to create the portraits. Morbitzer first investigates a given saint’s life, “finding all kinds of stories” from which she “picks out the most important parts of the personality and character,” she said. She then sketches the icon according to what she calls “a mix of references,” from people she knows to general images of various ethnicities. Acrylic paints are her preference, she said, although “a few commissions have

COPYRIGHTED IMAGES COURTESY GRACIE MORBITZER

Artist Gracie Morbitzer, pictured with several images from her “Modern Saints” collection, recasts Catholicism’s holiest men and women in a new and approachable light. required the use of gold leaf.” Among the commissions have been icons of St. Hildegard of Bingen, St. Jane Frances de Chantal (“she’s one of my favorites; I’ve waited so long to paint her,” said Morbitzer), St. Gianna Molla and, for a bishop in England, St. Mechtilde. Prints of most of Morbitzer’s works are available for order through her website, themodernsaints.com, where she also provides short biographies of each figure. Morbitzer, who is also a full-time curator, said that with the Holy Spirit’s help, she plans to continue bringing the saints to new and updated life. A client’s heartfelt response to a recent commission of St. Clare sums up Morbitzer’s artistic mission. The finished icon “gave her an image not of a faceless person, but someone who could be a friend and give her real advice,” said Morbitzer. “It’s important

A guitar-wielding St. Cecilia by Morbitzer. to comprehend the humanity of the saints, and how real they were. If they were here today, what would they tell us in our current anguish?”

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16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

FOCUSONFAITH DAILY Scriptures

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER PETER LY

‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ Have you ever asked yourself why the greatest of the commandments is to “love the Lord, your God”? I know this is something that I’ve never asked myself, and that’s only because I’ve not thought about it before. It wasn’t until I started to get this question from others that I really began to reflect on it, and I thank God for that, because it has helped me to come to a greater understanding of why we are called to love the Lord, our God, above other things. To help understand this, I’d like to ask another question. What should you love more: a gift received or the one who gives the gift, the gift-bearer? If you chose gift-bearer, you’re correct! If you’ve ever given a gift to another person, you typically try to find something that they can use, something to bring them joy and happiness. Sometimes that gift might not seem so significant, while other times it is. Regardless of the gift’s “worth,” it’s all the more special because it is from you, the gift-bearer. That is the hope a gift-bearer has: not only that the gift would be appreciated, but also that the person would love you more for it. Without the gift-bearer, there would be no gift. The same can then be said of “loving the Lord, our God” as the greatest of all commandments. Because if we truly believe and understand that God is who he says he is, and that without him nothing would exist, then it should follow that all the blessings we have in our lives are gifts from him, including our family and friends! But if we’re called to love God above all things, does this lessen our love for our family and friends? Not at all. Continuing with the image of gift giving, as the gift-bearer, your hope is that the gift you have given will be cared for and used as intended, and not abused

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

It’s a beautiful reminder to us to prioritize our love and thanksgiving: to God first, the ultimate gift-bearer; then to each other, the gift we have received from him.

Sunday, Oct. 25 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Ex 22:20-26 1 Thes 1:5c-10 Mt 22:34-40 Monday, Oct. 26 Eph 4:32–5:8 Lk 13:10-17

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nor set to the side in neglect. That will give you, the gift-bearer, the most joy. Thus, our Lord’s continued response about the greatest of the commandments: “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If our Lord, in his great love for us, has provided us with the great gift of family and friends, then to make sure we acknowledge that we have received this gift from him, it is our duty to care for and love this gift, as we would desire to be cared for and loved. This is how we show our appreciation to him, by loving him above all things and by caring for the gifts he has given to us. This should help us understand why the Ten Commandments were put in a specific order when they were first given to Moses on the stone tablets, and then the reason why Jesus responds to the scholar of the law in that same way. It’s a beautiful reminder to us to prioritize our love and thanksgiving: to God first, the ultimate gift-bearer; then to each other, the gift we have received from him. There is no contradiction to the commandments as Jesus has shown us in his “Cliff Notes” of the Ten Commandments. Let us love the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, soul and mind, for he has blessed us with great gifts in our lives. Let us remember to also take care of this gift, by truly caring for and loving each other, especially during conflict. Thank you, Jesus! Father Ly is pastor of Presentation in Maplewood.

differences are tolerated, the disadvantaged receive help, hurts are forgiven and the common good is upheld. Patience. Patience is the virtue of suffering interruption or delay with composure and without complaint; to suffer annoyance, insult or mistreatment with self-restraint, refusing to be provoked; and to suffer burdens and difficult tasks with resolve and determination. In the reception of the sacrament of It is also the willingness to slow down for another’s benefit, to set confirmation, the person receives the seven gifts aside one’s personal plans and concerns, to go at another’s pace, and of the Holy Spirit, wisdom and understanding, to take whatever time is necessary to address their need. counsel and strength (fortitude), knowledge and Kindness. Kindness is a warm and friendly disposition toward fear of the Lord (Is 11:2), and piety. These gifts are another. A kind person is polite and well mannered, respectful and not to sit idle or be kept in storage. Rather, they are considerate, pleasant and agreeable, cheerful and upbeat, caring and to be put to good use so they will bear much fruit. helpful, positive and complimentary. In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul lists the Generosity. Generosity is a bigheartedness grounded in an nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, abundance mentality. It is unselfish and peace, patience, kindness, generosity, expresses itself in sharing. It is extended faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to family and friends, strangers, and (Gal 5:22-23). These fruits emanate or particularly those in need, and is offered not proceed from the Holy Spirit and reveal only as money, food and clothing, but also what the Holy Spirit is like. These are the as time shared and assistance provided. Holy Spirit’s character traits. And because Faithfulness. Faithfulness is demonstrated the Holy Spirit is a Person of the Most by loyalty to friends, duties performed, Holy Trinity, and because the three Persons promises kept, commitments fulfilled, are one, the fruits reveal what God is like. contracts completed, vows observed and The grace and power of the Holy Spirit being true to one’s word. COURTESY FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN give increase to these fruits. A confirmed Gentleness. Gentleness is sensitivity A representation of the Holy Spirit in St. Louis, King of person cooperates with this grace, and with for another person. It is concerned with France, in downtown St. Paul shows a dove emanating growth in holiness, these fruits expand and another’s welfare, safety and security. It nine rays representing the nine fruits. intensify. is grounded in humility. The approach is Love. Agape love is the highest form careful, tender, considerate, affectionate and of love, love for both God and neighbor. It is selfless, focused on mild-mannered, free of all pushiness, roughness or abrasiveness. the other person, given freely and gladly without condition or the Self-control. Self-control is self-mastery regardless of the expectation of repayment, expressed in service, and willing to suffer circumstances, to be in control of one’s self rather than to be on another’s behalf. controlled by temptations, events or other people, especially when Joy. Joy is an interior contentment that comes from being under pressure or in times of crisis. It is to remain calm, cool and close to God and in right relationship with others. Joy also comes collected, reasonable and even-tempered; to be alert and conscious, with speaking and upholding the truth, honesty and integrity in to proceed with caution and prudence, and to avoid an impulse or relationships, enduring hardships and decent conduct. kneejerk response; to be a moderating influence; and to have the strength and courage to reject evil and choose good. Peace. Peace is the harmony that occurs when justice prevails. It happens when resources are shared equitably, power is used for service, interdependence is fostered, information is shared openly Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. This column and honestly, the dignity of each person is respected, legitimate is part of an ongoing series on confirmation.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit

Tuesday, Oct. 27 Eph 5:21-33 Lk 13:18-21 Wednesday, Oct. 28 Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles Eph 2:19-22 Lk 6:12-16 Thursday, Oct. 29 Eph 6:10-20 Lk 13:31-35 Friday, Oct. 30 Phil 1:1-11 Lk 14:1-6 Saturday, Oct. 31 Phil 1:18b-26 Lk 14:1, 7-11 Sunday, Nov. 1 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Solemnity of All Saints Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 1 Jn 3:1-3 Mt 5:1-12a Monday, Nov. 2 Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Wis: 3:1-9 Rom 6:3-9 Jn 6:37-40 Tuesday, Nov. 3 Phil 2:5-11 Lk 14:15-24 Wednesday, Nov. 4 St. Charles Borromeo, bishop Phil 2:12-18 Lk 14:25-33 Thursday, Nov. 5 Phil 3:3-8a Lk 15:1-10 Friday, Nov. 6 Phil 3:17–4:1 Lk 16:1-8 Saturday, Nov. 7 Phil 4:10-19 Lk 16:9-15 Sunday, Nov. 8 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 6:12-16 1 Thes 4:13-18 Mt 25:1-13

OCTOBER 22, 2020

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

COMMENTARY YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY

When stupidity is behind the wheel, Lord, have mercy

I was 23 and on my way to graduate school in Alaska. The plan was to drive from Minnesota to Washington, put my car on a ferry in Bellingham, take that for three days through the Inland Passage, disembark in Haines, Alaska, and then drive two more days along the Al-Can, through the Yukon mountain range, the interior of Alaska, and then into Anchorage. In a hatchback. In 1990, when hundreds of miles of the Al-Can remained unpaved. Driving to Washington was the easy part. Then, there was the ferry. I was a poor graduate student, so I didn’t bother to rent a sleeping cabin. I’d sleep in a deck chair. Of course, I had not counted on how cold it would get at night. I had no sleeping bag, so I rented a blanket from the desk clerk for $10. It was cotton and did absolutely nothing to abate the cold. So I shivered each night in my coat and boots and prayed for the heat of day. After I disembarked, I made my way to the Canadian border, and into the Yukon. It was breathtaking — mountains’ majesty unlike anything I had ever seen. At one point, nature called so I pulled over. I hadn’t seen another car for at least an hour, so I nonchalantly walked into the woods and situated myself for the delicate task at hand. Just then I looked up to see this sign: “Do not stop here! Grizzlies feeding on salmon 100 meters ahead.” It was another moment that took my breath away. Once out of the Yukon, I entered the interior of Alaska. The Al-Can had just reopened that day. It had

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA | JASON ADKINS

Citizens of the heavenly city

“In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation” (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 13). Early voting has begun in Minnesota. Voting is an important component of representative government. Those chosen for elected office are entrusted to make decisions that should protect the life and dignity of the human person from conception to natural death and advance the common good for all. Politics, says Pope Francis, is one of the highest forms of charity because it serves the common good. We should be grateful that courageous people step forward, sometimes at great personal sacrifice, to run for public office. That said, it is a tremendous responsibility to be entrusted with the public good, and candidates for office should reflect on their role as one of service and not merely holding the reins of power. In other words, they are elected to do something, not to be someone. Often, we are asked to clear up confusion about the right way to vote. In many cases, however, we must be candid that those requests are less interested in hearing us enunciate the principles of the Church’s social teaching, but instead they hope we shame their

Father, how we need your guiding hand. Protect us when we step into unknown dangers. Help us learn from our mistakes and to place you in the driver’s seat.

iSTOCK PHOTO | MARCHELLO74

been closed due to forest fires, and smoke still hung in the air. The day I drove through, it was more than 90 degrees and my car had no air conditioning. I couldn’t roll down the windows because the smoke was too thick. By the time I arrived in Tok, where I would spend the night in a youth-hostel (basically a cot with a mosquito net thrown over it), I was completely dehydrated and literally still buzzing from the unpaved portions of the highway — if you could call it that. There was no water to be found. All the public drinking fountains were closed due to a water shortage, and it was completely sold out at the store. I settled for a shriveled orange, for which I paid several dollars, to serve as my hydration for the evening. That night, I learned, Tok, Alaska, is the sled dog capital of the world. First there was one woof and howl, and then, every sled dog in the greater Tok vicinity was howling and barking and woofing, all … night … long. By the time my hatchback and I did arrive in Anchorage, I had lost several pounds from sweat, anxiety and dehydration. I was exhausted and shaking and overwhelmed by my own stupidity. I marvel that God puts up with me. That I wasn’t

friends, family and fellow parishioners into voting a certain way. The Church, however, is principled; she is not partisan. As Catholics apply the principles of the Church’s social doctrine, they will sometimes come to different conclusions about the best policy prescriptions or best candidates. Indeed, many Catholics have strong opinions about different candidates, and about which party will best improve the lives of Minnesotans. Such differences reflect the judgment of people of goodwill and should be treated as such by fellow Catholics. It pains us to see Catholics fostering division among the body of Christ by calling into question the faithfulness of others who vote differently. We are all responsible for our moral choices, including voting, and we must do so in accordance with a well-formed conscience. On the day of judgment, we will all have to answer for how we formed our conscience and informed our vote. Whenever the results of this election are determined, roughly half the country and half the state will be disappointed. Many will be deeply upset. Here again, the Church must be a voice of reconciliation. We can disagree, but we need not be disagreeable. For the republic to stay together, we must see ourselves as friends and not as enemies. That has become increasingly difficult, but the Church can and should be a model to the whole community of both legitimate diversity and reconciliation. Being Christ to one another should be our priority. We are Catholics first and foremost, not Americans of one political stripe or another. We should see all people through that lens and treat them accordingly. The citizenship to which we must be most faithful is the City of God, not the city of man. Doing so is made easier by recognizing that politics cannot save us. We have one savior, and it is not an

mauled by a bear or killed while sliding down an unpaved mountain pass, or that my ridiculous car wasn’t swallowed by one of the car-sized potholes on the Al-Can can only be a testimony to God’s mercy. So, when I see others — neighbors or maybe leaders in the Church or government — doing really stupid things, I remember my trek through the Yukon and pray God protects us — especially from ourselves. Father, how we need your guiding hand. Protect us when we step into unknown dangers. Help us learn from our mistakes and to place you in the driver’s seat. Kelly is the award-winning author of nine books, including “Jesus Approaches.” Visit her website at lizk.org or follow her on Instagram at lizktoday.

LETTERS iSTOCK PHOTO | MARCHELLO74 School choice silence A quote from your article on the American bishops’ pastoral letter against racism struck a chord with me (“Racism is a struggle in law and the human heart,” Sept. 24). Lannette Turicchi states that “lack of education is the systematic racism of today.” I am not one who believes our country is systematically racist. While individual racists exist, I don’t see these supposed racist systems in 2020 America. If one such system does exist, however, it would be in education. Parents living in poor minority neighborhoods are usually forced to send their children to underperforming schools. This greatly reduces the odds these children will receive the quality education needed to break the cycle of poverty. An effective antidote for this problem is school choice, which gives economically underprivileged children a better opportunity to succeed. Why then are Catholic social justice advocates so silent on this issue? Is the reason for this silence political? If so, their cry for social justice rings hollow. Michael Barg St. Edward, Bloomington PLEASE TURN TO LETTERS ON PAGE 18

ELECTION RESOURCES Visit the Minnesota Catholic Conference election resources page at mncatholic.org/election. There you will find resources to help you form your conscience, inform your vote and transform our state including: documents from the USCCB faithful citizenship, tools to find out what is on your ballot and where/ how to cast your ballot, and more. elected official or any group of them. It is Jesus Christ. Any time spent around legislators should help foster the detachment we propose — they are a cross-section of the population and suffer from original sin like the rest of us. “Put not your trust in princes ...” (Ps 146). Holiness is indeed the best antidote to the troubled times in which we live. Imagine how many problems could be solved if more people sought to conform their lives to Christ and live by his Holy Spirit? Let it not be said that no saints emerged during this time. Grace surrounds us; it is up to us to respond. Let us cultivate a proper detachment from electoral results. We must keep our eyes fixed on loving God and our neighbor, thus fulfilling our responsibility as citizens of the heavenly city. Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

COMMENTARY

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

Rosary resonance

We give it special attention this month. It is a journey through the Gospel story. Yielding only to the Mass, arguably the favorite prayer of many saints, popes, monks and mystics. And, of all of us sinners who desire to love Jesus more than our sins. In spiritual warfare, it “is the weapon for these times,” proclaimed St. Padre Pio. While growing up, some cradle Catholics confessed its repetition helped digest their evening meal before the TV came on. Even Elvis — the “King of Rock & Roll” — sang to “The Miracle of the Rosary”: Oh, Blessed Mother we pray to thee; Thanks for the miracle of our rosary. Only you can hold back, your holy Son’s hand; Long enough for the whole world to understand. Mary pursues and leads us yet today to a life of intimacy with Christ. We reverence her holiness through the rosary — praying, meditating and contemplating — the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, “The King of the Universe.” Her last words recorded in the New Testament, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5), delivered a profound message then and is one which resonates in hearts today. Her last quote in Scripture was at the wedding in Cana, but the Blessed Mother’s active role to bring others to her Son did not cease in those days. The power of her prayers and the impact of her apparitions pressed on through the centuries, and her “Seat of Wisdom” continues to guide us. St. Padre Pio prayed the rosary daily and fought spiritual battles unimaginable to most of us. He preached of the Blessed Mother, touting that “her rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.” Perhaps today more than ever the rosary has become “the weapon for these times.” It is a good idea to keep a spiritual armory of rosaries

by the lampstands, under pillows, by the “big book” on the coffee table, etc. Our battles may not be as intense or terrifying as those afflicting Padre Pio; however, the crafty, subtle ways of the cunning adversary need to be curtailed regularly. This is true especially in our “ordinary” lives of today that smack with division and lack of unity among family, friends and colleagues. Mary understands how the greatness of God lives at the level of ordinary life, and she teaches us through the mysteries of the life of Jesus via the rosary. Speaking to the calmness, the selflessness, the consolations and healing power of this prayer that the Mother of God and her Son bring, Pope Emeritus Benedict expresses: “They touch you in a meditative way, so that the repetition allows the soul to settle into tranquility and holding fast to the Word, above all to the figure of Mary and to the images of Christ that pass you by, make your soul calm and free and grant it a vision of God.” The rosary of the Blessed Mother — its meditative nature, scriptural references, virtuous fruits of each mystery — sanctifies, instructs and guides us in our walk with Jesus. As watchmen — at the heights and the breach of the watchtower of the family — it is our duty to pray this prayer with persistence. Starting in our own homes, parishes and communities, let us seek paths to holiness, settle past grievances and untruths, mend spiritual wounds and serve the needs of others. It’s a tall order as we pray daily with many others across the country for the needs of our Church and our nation. Let Our Lady — Tower of Ivory — and the resonance of her prayers heal and strengthen us. Oh, Holy Mary, dear Mother of God; Please pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death; And give thanks once again; For the miracle of your rosary. Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount, All Saints in Lakeville, and assists the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen movement. Reach him at gordonbird@rocketmail.com. Learn about the Catholic Watchmen at archspm.org/faithcommunities/men or at facebook.com/thecatholicwatchmen.

GUEST COMMENTARY | FATHER TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK

Is mandating a vaccine ethical? Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver told a local news station in August that he planned to mandate COVID-19 immunizations for Virginians once a vaccine becomes available to the public. The following day, the governor, Ralph Northam, pulled rank on the commissioner and announced there would be no vaccine mandate after all. The health department walked back the commissioner’s earlier comments while the governor’s office issued a statement focusing on vaccine accessibility and fair distribution, not a mandate. Virginia law, nevertheless, does empower the commissioner to issue a vaccine mandate under certain conditions. Virginia has a religious exemption for vaccines generally, but not if the state declares an “emergency or epidemic of any disease of public health importance for which a vaccine exists.” In the emergency situation, the only exemption would be for serious medical reasons, i.e. the vaccine would be detrimental to the health of the recipient, as certified by a physician. State legislators have been pushing to update the Virginia law to include a religious exemption in an emergency declaration. The contentious discussions in Virginia raise broader questions about

vaccine mandates and exemptions. It can be helpful to distinguish local vaccine mandates from universal ones. A local mandate means an immunization is required for services or employment, insisting, for example, that children be vaccinated prior to admission to the local school, or workers in a hospital system be compliant with Centers for Disease Control immunization schedules as a condition for employment. A universal mandate, meanwhile, involves a demand that all residents of a particular geographical area, such as a township, county, state or country, be immunized. Generally speaking, vaccinations should not be universally mandated, considering the unique manner in which a vaccine can impose itself upon the inner workings of the human body, and in consideration of the potentially complex set of risks that may accrue. Especially for newly developed vaccines with uncertain profiles of efficacy, adverse events and long-term consequences, universal mandates are ethically problematic. Only in the face of a highly virulent and deadly pathogen, with few or no alternative treatments available — and it would be doubtful whether any vaccine for COVID-19 could ever qualify in this way — might a broader, universal-type mandate become justifiable. Even in such high-risk situations, however, only a “soft universal

mandate” would be justifiable, one that allowed for at least three exemptions to be liberally available to the populace: a conscience exemption, a religious exemption, and, as noted earlier, a medical exemption. These exceptions provide the basis for appropriate “opt outs” to occur, and for basic human freedoms to be duly safeguarded. A local vaccine mandate to ensure the safety of a school or work environment can be acceptable, and not unduly coercive, in part because no one is compelled to seek employment in the field of health care, nor to be educated in one specific school setting. Also, exemptions are oftentimes available within schools or certain health care settings. How would a religious exemption differ from a conscience exemption? A religious exemption would apply if the teachings of the faith of the individual to be vaccinated held that vaccines in general were immoral and contrary to God’s will, as might be the case for members of the Christian Science Church founded by Mary Baker Eddy. Since there is no Catholic teaching that the reception of vaccines, including those that rely on fetal cell lines from abortions that happened long ago, is sinful, Catholics cannot claim a religious exemption from the requirement of immunization. A conscience exemption, meanwhile, would refer to the situation in which an individual in conscience believed that it was immoral to be vaccinated. Some individuals might claim a conscience exemption if they were convinced, even following extensive safety and efficacy testing, that the risks of being inoculated outweighed the potential benefits.

OCTOBER 22, 2020

LETTERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Building a culture of life Abortions will decline only to the degree to which our religious and civil leaders embrace all the Catholic social teaching from womb to tomb, replacing the culture of death with the antidote of a culture of life. This is not a single partisan issue, rather, we need to build a solid foundation of a multicultural democracy where all can participate in local and global governmental policies for the common good. We need to be stewards of God’s creation, ensuring that people have fair wages, so that basic needs are met for all — including and especially the poor. This economic justice could eventually lead to the disarmament of the weapons of war. When the fundamental needs of all are met, we will then have a culture of life. Vote your conscience for a culture of life from womb to natural death. Jeremiah Blume St. Cecilia, St. Paul Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@archspm. org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

It is Catholic teaching that one must follow one’s informed judgment of conscience even if one is in error because the conscience is our last best judgment about what is right or wrong. Some Catholics might claim a conscience exemption out of a mistaken but sincerely held conviction that vaccinations themselves are always wrong, or that it is always immoral to receive vaccines made out of cell lines from abortions when that is the only option available. Some states and jurisdictions do not distinguish between religious and conscience exemptions. They only make available a religious exemption, by which they often intend to include and subsume under the same heading the exercise of conscientious objection. In sum, state-sponsored or legislative coercion through a universal vaccine mandate raises ethical concerns, especially when appropriate exemptions are unavailable. Health officials should instead seek to educate those under their authority, through careful and patient explanation, about the importance of receiving a vaccine, so they might freely choose to do so on their own initiative. Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did postdoctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and serves as the director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. Read more of his writing at ncbcenter.org and fathertad.com. His monthly column “Making Sense Out of Bioethics” appears at TheCatholicSpirit. com.

OCTOBER 22, 2020

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR PRAYER+RETREATS

Men’s silent weekend retreat — Oct. 30Nov. 1 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. The theme is “A Listening Heart: All is Grace. All is Gift.” $160 suggested offering. $30 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a room. kingshouse.com

Archdiocesan Synod: Healing and Hope retreat series — Oct. 18-Nov. 21: Virtual five-part retreat encountering Jesus’ love and mercy. Videos online through the Archdiocesan Synod app beginning Oct. 18. Livestreamed 7 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Oct. 20 on Facebook and YouTube. archspm.org/synod Spiritual Exercises for men — Oct. 23-25 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. The Spiritual Exercises are a weekend silent retreat for men 16+ and are preached by the priests of Miles Christi according to the method and the principles of St. Ignatius of Loyola. mileschristi.org/event/prior-lake-mn-3 SoulCollage Retreat on Resilience — Oct. 23-25 hosted via Zoom by St. Paul’s Monastery, Maplewood. Participants aim to rediscover joy, meaning and purpose in their lives during this time of adversity. benedictinecenter.org Women’s silent midweek retreat — Oct. 27-29 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Theme is “A Listening Heart: All is Grace. All is Gift.” $160 suggested offering. $30 nonrefundable deposit is required to reserve a room. kingshouse.com “Walking the Sacred Path” with Dan Schutte — Thursdays Oct. 29-Nov. 19: 7–8:30 p.m., virtual retreat hosted by St. Joseph, New Hope. Free. Online materials included. Watch live or recorded sessions. stjosephparish.com/retreat Rachel’s Vineyard Twin Cities Healing Retreat — Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Coon Rapids. For people who are grieving the loss of a child to abortion to experience the healing mercy of Jesus Christ. For more information, contact Nancy at rachels@rvineyardmn.org or call 763-250-9313. rvineyardmn.org

Discernment Day with Bishop Cozzens — Oct. 31: 9 a.m.–9 p.m. at the Office of Vocations, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Retreat for Catholic men who are discerning priesthood and pursuing or have completed a college degree. Registration required. 10000vocations.org/discernment-day “Speaking Truth with Robust Love” — Nov. 6: 9–11 a.m. hosted online by St. Paul’s Monastery, Maplewood. Participants will explore the most healthy and life-giving ways to talk about sensitive or important issues with candor and love. The session includes reflection, discussion and summary of insights. benedictinecenter.org “Forgive Me, Lord”: Women’s Retreat — Nov. 7: 7:20 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Peter, 6730 Nicollet Ave. S., Richfield or via livestream on St. Peter’s Facebook page. The morning starts with the rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet followed by Mass. Father Jerry Dvorak will give a presentation on forgiveness. $10 registration. stpetersrichfield.org

MUSIC All Souls’ Day Organ Recital — Nov. 2: 7:30–8:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Christopher Ganza, Cathedral choirmaster and organist, will present a free organ recital on the historic pipe organs of the Cathedral. Repertoire will include “Les Paroles Finales de Saint Louis” by Richard Proulx, “Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain, Op 7” by Maurice Duruflé, and two elegies, one by George Thalben-Ball and one by James Biery, former director of sacred music at the Cathedral. The public is invited to attend; COVID-19 protocols will be followed. The concert

will be simultaneously livestreamed at cathedralsaintpaul.org.

FOOD+FESTIVALS Our Lady of Peace Pumpkin Patch — Oct. 17-30: Noon–7 p.m. daily at Our Lady of Peace, 5426 12th Ave. S., Minneapolis. More than 1,500 pumpkins, warm cider, lawn games, crafts. olpmn.org/pumpkinpatch

BENEFITS Quilters for a Cause Holiday Sale — Nov. 21: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at St. Jerome, 380 E. Roselawn Ave., Maplewood. Items for sale include kitchen items, table runners, pillow cases and baby items. Proceeds of the sale will be used to further the charitable work of the Quilters for a Cause. COVID-19 precautions will be followed.

SPEAKERS+CONFERENCES Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office Fall Conference: “New Growth in the Holy Spirit” — Oct. 24: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. at All Saints, 19795 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville. Keynote speaker Father Mathias Thelen. In-person and online. ccro-msp.org

CALENDAR submissions 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: T HECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM/ CALENDARSUBMISSIONS

“Listening to Our Brothers and Sisters: Stories of Experiences with Racism” — Oct. 24: 9– 11:30 a.m. online. Hosted by the parish council of St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center. 9 a.m. Mass of Unity. 10 a.m. parishioner-led panel discussion. First in discussion series on racism. Livestreamed at facebook.com/stalphonsusmn. “What do we know about the real history of Native Americans?” — Nov. 9: 7–8:30 p.m. hosted virtually by St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis. Linda LeGarde Grover, UMD professor of American Indian Studies, will discuss ways in which federal policies have adversely impacted Native Americans living in Minnesota. cabrinimn.org/tegeder-talks

Does your CATHOLIC SPIRIT just show up in your mailbox? It’s not divine intervention. Did you know that most of The Catholic Spirit readers receive free subscriptions through their parishes? That’s because parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis can send the paper to 40% of their parishioners at no cost to them. To receive each issue of this award-winning newspaper for free, contact your parish office.

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20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 22, 2020

THELASTWORD

Sister Carrie Link poses at St. Henry in Monticello Oct. 13 with an icon she created called Mary, Undoer of Knots.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Unraveled devotion With this year bringing one bind after another, sister paints icon of Mary, Undoer of Knots By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

I

n a year when a pandemic has entangled lives across the globe, Presentation Sister Carrie Link painted an icon that may help Catholics straighten them out. The icon — and a devotion — is called Mary, Undoer of Knots. People needn’t be alone in untangling life’s “knots,” she said. “We lean into the heart of Mary, our Blessed Mother, who, through her intercession with her son, loosens them and gives us hope.” Sister Carrie said the devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots — also known as Our Lady, Undoer of Knots — originated in the time of St. Irenaeus in the second century. “He wrote of how Mary, ‘the second Eve,’ untied the knots handed down to us by our first parents,” she said. Pope Francis is among its fans. When the pope was a student in Germany, Sister Carrie said he was taken by a 17th-century painter, Johann Melchior Schmitdner, and one painting in particular. It recalls an image that St. Irenaeus described — showing the Blessed Mother untying knots. Sister Carrie, 79, is semi-retired but works at two parishes. She leads formation for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Henry in Monticello and, one day a week, oversees liturgy at Our Lady of the Lake in Mound. She spends much of her free time painting. Sister Carrie studied and practiced various forms of art for many years — from classical realism to still life and portrait work, using various media. She was introduced to the prayer and art of iconography in 1995. She learned of this icon prototype in a class conducted by iconographer Debra Korluka at the Basilica of Mary in Minneapolis in March 2020, and then commenced

making her own. Working on it as she had time, she finished it in June. “It’s like a rich gold mine when you talk about iconography,” Sister Carrie said, noting her appreciation for “the history, how (the icons) came to be stories, how each person is drawn to them in different ways and which aspect of a particular icon seems to speak to them, how people like to sit in their presence.” Working on Mary, Undoer of Knots gave Sister Carrie hope and confidence that Mary will untie the knots that bind humanity and bring people to freedom and harmony. “Writing” is the proper way to describe what the iconographer does, Sister Carrie said, but acknowledged that those unfamiliar with the term are used to works of art being “painted.” One reason writing is used is because icons have been described as Scripture in visual form. Sister Carrie creates icons in the acrylic method, she said. Mary, Undoer of Knots is about the 10th icon Sister Carrie has made. She has kept some and parted with others. Brent Aitchison, a parishioner at St. Henry, bought the icon from Sister Carrie as a present for his wife, Lanette, on her 60th birthday in September. Lanette was taken by complete surprise when she opened her gift. As someone who has experienced, from a young age, very difficult situations with family members and the heartbreak of infertility, Lanette knows about the need for healing. She also knows to turn to Mary’s intercession in times of need. The Aitchisons have a statue of Mary on their deck overlooking a koi pond. “Often, when someone is struggling, we invite the person to sit by our pond,” Lanette said. “Mary has special healing powers.” The Aitchisons are narrowing options for the best place for the icon to adorn their home and inspire. One thing they know for sure is that it is meant to be shared. “It would be selfish not to share it with other people,” Lanette said. “You never know when something like that is going to speak to somebody. I want her to be shared and be out where people can see her.”

RETREAT VISUAL The icon will be used on a booklet cover for a novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots, available during a free, five-week virtual retreat called “Healing and Hope” that started Oct. 18 as part of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Synod process. A link to the retreat is at archspm.org/synod. As “Healing and Hope” was being developed, Archdiocesan Synod Assistant Director Father Joseph Bambenek said that Our Lady, Undoer of Knots was a key part of “the whole spirituality” of the retreat. “When we first started announcing the retreat, … bringing our wounds to Mary, Undoer of Knots was one of the discussion titles,” he said. At the time, retreat planners were unaware of Sister Carrie’s icon. She happened to read about it after she finished the icon. “She contacted us to let us know that, if we wanted, we might be interested in the icon as part of the retreat,” Father Bambenek said. In conversations with parish directors of religious education this past summer, Father Bambenek heard that people are craving connection with others in the archdiocese, starting with their pastor, the archbishop and the bishop. “But also … other local public speakers,” he said. “And so, in this case, a local artist.” — Barb Umberger Lanette said she wants to share the icon because Mary is so generous and has given up so much. “I’m getting emotional thinking about what she did because she gave up her son. I want to give her up so other people can enjoy her,” she said. Lanette got to know Sister Carrie in 2014 when she started the RCIA process to become Catholic. “She’s forever, ever, ever touched my life,” Lanette said. “She is definitely a spiritual mentor for me.” Not one to “retire herself” nor her brush, Sister Carrie presently is painting Andrei Rublev’s icon of the Holy Trinity.