From left, Hilary Lien, Lucy Friedrichs and her mom, Jackie Friedrichs, dance, sing and worship to the music of Seph Schlueter during an outdoor concert at Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria July 10. The event was called His Name Hallowed and featured performances by Schlueter and Aly Aleigha, plus a talk by Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Eucharistic adoration at the end of the concert. Organizers hoped to attract Catholics and non-Catholics to the event. Lien and Friedrichs attend a Lutheran church in Mankato and drove to Victoria for the concert because they are fans of Schlueter’s music. Several hundred people came, including people from the school and nearby parishes St. Hubert in Chanhassen, St. Joseph in Waconia and St. Victoria in Victoria.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
PAGETWO
ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ PRAYERS Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and some 25 Knights of Columbus members of Knights on Bikes International pray the rosary July 20 for detainees at the entrance to Alligator Alcatraz, a controversial immigration detention facility some 55 miles from Miami in the Florida Everglades. The archbishop posted images of the gathering to his X account. In his post, Archbishop Wenski noted that the Archdiocese of Miami “is still waiting for approval to access” Alligator Alcatraz “to provide Mass for detainees.” According to a recent report by organizations affiliated with Catholic and evangelical Christian churches, Christians account for approximately 80% of all of those at risk of deportation. Christians most at risk of deportation are Catholics, 61% of the total. Alligator Alcatraz has drawn condemnation from clergy and Democratic lawmakers for its conditions and location. President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Catholic, touted the hostile environment as a security feature and immigration deterrent during their July 1 tour inaugurating the opening of the facility.
Practicing CATHOLIC
New ‘Practicing Catholic’ co-hosts named as host Patrick Conley steps down
The Catholic Spirit
Patrick Conley, host of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for nine years, has announced he is stepping down from the role; two new co-hosts of the show have been named.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it a ‘retirement,’ but as I enter my final year of formation for the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of La Crosse (Wisconsin), continue hosting ‘The Inner Life’ on the Relevant Radio network, teaching religion classes at Thorp Catholic School (in Thorp, Wisconsin), and being a husband, I prayerfully discerned it was time,” Conley said, in part, in a statement. “I am thankful to have been part of the Practicing Catholic team since 2021. I am certainly going to miss working with the great producers I’ve had — Susanna Parent, Cami Berthiaume, Kayla Mayer, and Rachael McCallum — and technical producer Paul Sadek, of course, but I look forward to listening to the show with new hosts.”
Starting in August, Father Tom Margevičius and Leah Heselton will serve as co-hosts of “Practicing Catholic,” produced by Relevant Radio and the archdiocese, said Tom Halden, who oversees the show as director of the archdiocese’s Office of Communications. Father Margevičius has served as a priest of the archdiocese for over 25 years and is director of worship for the archdiocese. A lifelong Catholic, Heselton is operations coordinator for the Office of Communications. Both have been guests of the show.
“To say I am ‘replacing’ Patrick Conley does not give him enough credit; he’s irreplaceable, and we are all indebted to him for his pioneering work,” Father Margevičius said in a statement. “I am delighted to take the reins that he is entrusting to Leah and me so he can concentrate on formation as a permanent deacon. Who knows, maybe one day we can interview him!” Heselton added, “Patrick’s willingness to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit is an inspiration to all those who get the chance to know him. While we will all miss Patrick and his incredible hosting skills, I am grateful for the opportunity to host the show with Father Tom and continue to share the stories of this archdiocese.”
Tune into “Practicing Catholic” Friday evenings at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm.org/faithand-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
The July 18 “Practicing Catholic” radio show included a discussion with Paul Wagner, a parishioner of Epiphany in Coon Rapids and a father of eight, who suggested ways to rely on a sacramental life in parenthood, and Zach Jansen, digital content producer for the archdiocese, who explored Christian themes in “The Sound of Music.” The program also included Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit photographer, as he recounted the story of newly ordained priest Father Zachary Ochsenbauer and his family. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/ practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
NEWS notes
Staff of the St. Paul nonprofit Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative announced in its July newsletter that the nonprofit Solid Ground has been selected as the service provider at a proposed affordable housing project in St. Paul. Beacon has proposed building the Aragon 53 “apartment homes” for individuals and families below certain income thresholds on parish-owned property opposite St. Pascal Baylon, across White Bear Avenue. According to Beacon, Solid Ground “will offer a range of services from case management, parenting and educational support as well as budgeting, career development, and financial literacy.” Learn more about the Aragon online at tinyurl.com/2p9v35vx
The Hmong American National Catholic Association (HANCA) will hold its national convention Aug. 15-17 at Presentation of Mary in Maplewood, with an optional leadership training Aug. 14. The theme is Who Do You Say I Am? from Matthew 16:15. Established in 1985 in cooperation with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, HANCA is based in the Twin Cities, which is home to the largest Hmong population in the country. Last year, many Hmong Catholics transferred to Presentation from then-St. Vincent de Paul of the Cathedral of St. Paul. Another large Hmong Catholic community worships at St. Patrick, also in St. Paul. The convention is held every two years. Hmong Catholics and people from the broader community can register at hanca.us
Elizabeth Cibuzar, 9, and a soon-to-be fourth grader at Westwood Elementary School in Prior Lake, placed second in her division and received the Excellence in Spelling award during the annual Braille Challenge Finals, which took place June 26-29 in Los Angeles this year. Developed by the Los Angeles-based Braille Institute of America, the challenge is an academic competition for students who are blind or visually impaired. Participants in the challenge tested their knowledge in reading comprehension, spelling, speed and accuracy, proofreading, and tactile charts and graphs, according to the institute. This year, 1,300 students from Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States competed in regional Braille Challenge events, with the top 50 earning a place at the finals, the institute reported. “I really wanted to win at least one award, and I was a little nervous during the contest,” Cibuzar, a member of St. Michael in Prior Lake where she sings in the children’s choir and attends faith formation classes, said in an email. “I was actually a little surprised when I got Excellence in Spelling because I thought that you had to get all the spelling words right and I knew that I got one word wrong. It turns out that you don’t have to get them all right, you just have to be the best speller. I loved getting the awards and meeting new friends throughout the weekend.” Meanwhile, Colton Reinhart, from the Diocese of New Ulm, placed third in his division and received the Excellence in Reading award during the challenge. Cibuzar and Reinhart participated in the challenge as patrons of the New York-based Xavier Society for the Blind, which develops faith formation materials in braille to aid in learning about and practicing the Catholic faith, including braille textbooks for children in Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes and adults participating in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Cibuzar’s mother, Gina Cibuzar, said in an email, “Xavier Society for the Blind provides Elizabeth with braille Mass books (readings and prayers) and her faith formation books free of charge. We are so grateful for their organization and the books we receive from them for Elizabeth.” Learn more about the annual Braille Challenge online at brailleinstitute.org/ braille-challenge. More information about Xavier Society for the Blind can be found online at xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at an all-staff outdoor Mass on the grounds of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul July 10 to help mark the 175th anniversary of the archdiocese. The Mass preceded an all-staff picnic and opportunity to visit and compete in a bean bag tournament. Another bean bag tournament highlighted a special 175th anniversary Mass and celebration July 19 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul (see page 5).
St. Agatha in Coates will host an event called “A Holy and Living Sacrifice: Revitalizing Our Participation in the Eucharist” on Aug. 3 at 8 a.m., hosted by the parish’s pastor, Father Brian Lynch, and Father Ryan Glaser, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The morning will begin with a primer by Father Glaser on the topic of sacrifice. Following Mass, Father Lynch will host a fellowship and a 45-minute presentation on the sacrifice of the Eucharist and its connection to the Old Testament with a Q&A to finish. The presentation is part of the Archdiocesan Passport Adventure. Father Glaser and Father Lynch said they hope this experience will bring people to the southern Minnesota town to experience Mass at St. Agatha.
Anne Cullen Miller, president of St. Paul-based Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, announced July 21 that she will retire in January 2026, after 17 years with the foundation. A search committee has been formed and a search firm has been retained to guide the transition process, Cullen Miller said in an open letter. The foundation stewards the financial resources of Catholic individuals, families, parishes and institutions and assists clients who wish to reinvest in the Catholic community. “It is difficult to put into words what this journey has meant to me,” Cullen Miller wrote. “I have been profoundly shaped, stretched, and lifted by the people I have met and served alongside our extraordinary staff and board, Archbishop (Bernard) Hebda, generous donors, passionate ministry and community leaders, and countless individuals who believe in the power of shared purpose.”
OSV NEWS | ARCHBISHOP THOMAS WENSKI
FROMTHEBISHOP
ONLY JESUS | BISHOP KEVIN KENNEY
Smells and bells of summer
As summer winds down we tend to cram activities into the month of August. Schools are preparing to reopen, the days are getting shorter and we know what the months ahead will bring. Summer cabins, summer festivals and summer fun are still present, but planning begins for autumn activities.
One of my summer memories is spending a week each August at the Veterans’ Camp at Big Island on Lake Minnetonka. Big Island had many sleeping cabins, community restrooms and shower rooms, and a lodge where meals served three times a day sent an aroma through the campgrounds that alerted us to what was on the menu. Then the bell sounded, calling us to eat. At dawn we set out to fish, sometimes before breakfast. We rarely caught anything, but the mist on the lake and the sunrise were worth waking up to see. The smell of minnows and earthworms lingered on our T-shirts and hands until we landed ashore in time for breakfast. After breakfast, we leisurely prepared for the beach by slathering Coppertone suntan lotion on our bodies. Between the smell of the suntan lotion and the baby oil, we could tell who was ahead of us on the path to the beach. The sounds of music on shore and from boats filled the air; joyful screams and splashing water sounded the alarm to fun, and occasionally the nagging of a sibling to share a towel or to move farther away turned heads and rolled eyes.
After lunch, we had a quiet time, when we sat in our cabins for an hour or two. Do you remember the rule that you could not swim until one hour after eating? I figured out that it was also to keep us out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, protecting us from terrible sunburn. After the midday break, we returned to the beach until it was time for the dinner bell to ring. One of the older children stayed with us as the adults disappeared to prepare for dinner. Many evening activities took us to the lodge or around campfires. It was a fun and relaxing week. We still have lots to look forward to in August. The Minnesota State Fair is not far away, that “Great Minnesota Get-Together.” It has been one of my favorite events to end summer vacations, and it still is today. In addition, many summer and fall festivals will be held in the coming months, so there is plenty of food and fun
I make a pilgrimage once or twice a week in Minneapolis by walking from St. Olaf to the grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes. I make this a time of prayer, exercise and renewal. Now, with a renovated Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, it will be an even easier walk. Check out what might be close to you and make your own pilgrimage.
yet to be shared. The smell of deep-fried food, barbecue and mini donuts can lure us to where the sound of music and carnival rides fill the air. Check out the Fall Festival Guide in this edition of The Catholic Spirit and make summer and fall festivals at our parishes part of your Archdiocesan Passport Adventure and pilgrimages this summer.
Pilgrimages are more popular than ever today. The Camino de Santiago in Spain hosts thousands of pilgrims each year, as does Rome, particularly during this Jubilee Year with its theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Many of us have on our bucket list to make a pilgrimage to a holy site. But for some, it might be too intimidating or expensive. Why not plan a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, or the Basilica of St. Mary in
Olores y sonidos del verano
A medida que el verano se acaba, solemos concentrar las actividades en agosto. Las escuelas se preparan para reabrir, los días se acortan y sabemos lo que nos depararán los próximos meses. Las cabañas, los festivales y la diversión de verano siguen presentes, pero ya empieza la planificación de las actividades de otoño.
Uno de mis recuerdos de verano es pasar una semana cada agosto en el Campamento de Veteranos de Big Island, en el lago Minnetonka. Big Island tenía muchas cabañas, baños y duchas comunes, y un albergue donde las comidas, servidas tres veces al día, enviaban un aroma por todo el campamento que nos alertaba sobre el menú. Entonces sonaba la campana, llamándonos a comer.
Al amanecer salíamos a pescar, a veces antes del desayuno. Rara vez pescábamos algo, pero la niebla del lago y el amanecer merecían la pena despertarse para verlos. El olor a pececillos y lombrices de tierra se nos quedó en las camisetas y las manos hasta que llegamos a la orilla a tiempo para el desayuno. Después del desayuno, nos preparamos tranquilamente para ir a la playa untándonos bronceador Coppertone. Entre el olor del bronceador y el aceite de bebé, podíamos distinguir quién iba delante de nosotros en el camino a la playa. Los sonidos de la música en la orilla y de los barcos llenaban el aire; gritos de alegría y chapoteos anunciaban la diversión, y ocasionalmente, la insistencia de algún hermano para que compartiéramos
una toalla o nos alejáramos un poco más, se sumaba a la atmósfera.
Después de comer, tuvimos un momento de tranquilidad, sentados en nuestras cabañas durante una o dos horas. ¿Recuerdan la regla de no nadar hasta una hora después de comer? Descubrí que también era para protegernos del sol en las horas más calurosas del día, protegiéndonos de quemaduras solares terribles. Después del descanso del mediodía, volvimos a la playa hasta que sonó la campana para cenar. Uno de los niños mayores se quedó con nosotros mientras los adultos desaparecían para preparar la cena. Muchas actividades nocturnas nos llevaron al albergue o alrededor de fogatas. Fue una semana divertida y relajante. Todavía tenemos mucho que esperar en agosto. La Feria Estatal está a la vuelta de la esquina, esa “Gran Reunión de Minnesota”. Ha sido uno de mis eventos favoritos para terminar las vacaciones de verano, y lo sigue siendo. Además, en los próximos meses se celebrarán numerosos festivales de verano y otoño, así que aún queda mucha comida y diversión por compartir. El aroma de la comida frita, la barbacoa y las mini donas nos atrae a un ambiente donde la música y las atracciones de feria inundan el aire. Consulta la Guía de Festivales de Otoño en esta edición de El Espíritu Católico e integra los festivales de verano y otoño en nuestras parroquias en tu Aventura del Pasaporte
Minneapolis? They are official pilgrimage sites for this Jubilee Year.
There are other pilgrimage sites around Minnesota and throughout the country. I make a pilgrimage once or twice a week in Minneapolis by walking from St. Olaf to the grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes. I make this a time of prayer, exercise and renewal. Now, with a renovated Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, it will be an even easier walk. Check out what might be close to you and make your own pilgrimage.
Enjoy the month of August. Revel in the sunshine, the heat and summer fun. There still is time to do what is on our summer lists. “May Jesus, Mary and Joseph be with you on your way,” as my mother always used to say!
Arquidiocesano y tus peregrinaciones este verano. Hoy en día, las peregrinaciones son más populares que nunca. El Camino de Santiago en España acoge a miles de peregrinos cada año, al igual que Roma, especialmente durante este Año Jubilar, cuyo lema es “Peregrinos de la Esperanza”.
Muchos tenemos en nuestra lista de deseos peregrinar a un lugar sagrado. Pero para algunos, puede resultar demasiado intimidante o costoso. ¿Por qué no planificar una peregrinación a la Catedral de San Pablo en St. Paul o a la Basílica de María en Minneapolis? Son lugares oficiales de peregrinación para este Año Jubilar.
Hay otros lugares de peregrinación en Minnesota y por todo el país. Peregrino una o dos veces por semana en Minneapolis, caminando desde San Olaf hasta la gruta de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes. Hago de este un tiempo de oración, ejercicio y renovación. Ahora, con la reapertura del puente Stone Arch en Minneapolis, que se ha renovado, la caminata será aún más fácil. Descubre qué lugares podrían estar cerca de ti y haz tu propia peregrinación.
Disfruta del mes de agosto. Disfruta del sol, el calor y la diversión del verano. Aún hay tiempo para hacer lo que tenemos en nuestras listas de verano. «Que Jesús, María y José te acompañen en tu camino», como siempre decía mi madre.
iSTOCK PHOTOS
ARISE and sing
Lidwine Suijkerbuijk, front left, and Brechje De Greeuw, front right, perform a musical number July 17 during ARISE Summer Camp at Maternity of Mary in St. Paul. Suijkerbuijk’s parents, Cissy and Bas Suijkerbuijk, who are from the Netherlands, ran the camp, which went from July 14-18, with musical performances July 19 and 20. The Suijkerbuijks moved to the United States and St. Paul a year ago. Bas Suijkerbuijk serves as music and choir director for Maternity of Mary and teaches religion at Maternity of Mary-St. Andrew Catholic School. In the Netherlands, the Suijkerbuijks helped form a musical group for youth in 2009 as part of their ministry with the Emmanuel Community, a Catholic lay international community founded in France. They were invited to move to the U.S. and continue their ministry in the Emmanuel Community. All five of their children, two of whom still live in the Netherlands, either participated in or worked at the ARISE camp at Maternity of Mary. The name of the camp comes from words that appear in the Old and New Testament like “rise up” and “arise.” “We really want to help children to rise up as persons, to know their talents, to know the Lord, to love the Lord (and) also to rise up to the world to tell the good news,” Cissy Suijkerbuijk said. There were 30 registered campers, plus young adults from the Netherlands, including De Greeuw, who flew to the Twin Cities to volunteer at the camp.
Community Foundation?
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) stewards the charitable resources of Catholic individuals, families, parishes, and schools.
CCF offers charitable funds like donor advised funds, donor designated funds, and perpetual endowments to help you achieve your giving goals — and establish an enduring legacy of generosity. CCF also supports the financial goals of Catholic parishes and schools through prudent, faith-aligned investment funds and perpetual endowments.
Contact CCF to learn how we can help you.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Bishops launch 175th anniversary celebration of archdiocese
By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
More than 1,000 people joined Archbishop Bernard Hebda to celebrate Mass July 19 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis marked its 175th anniversary. The festivities continued after the 5:15 p.m. Mass and well into the evening with a robust party that included food, fellowship and a bean bag tournament.
“My brothers and sisters, what a great pleasure it is to have so many of you here on a warm Saturday afternoon in July,” the archbishop said, as he began his homily during the Mass. “It seems fitting that we would gather on the actual anniversary of the erection of this diocese.”
Auxiliary Bishops Michael Izen and Kevin Kenney, and Minneapolis native Bishop Emeritus John LeVoir of New Ulm, concelebrated the Mass with the archbishop, along with several priests of the archdiocese. The archbishop thanked them and the deacons who served at the altar, the music ministers and others who made the celebration possible, as well as the many women religious, permanent deacons, families with young children and others who were in the congregation.
“I hope that these children will be here for the 200th anniversary and maybe the 225th,” the archbishop said. “Who knows? But it’s important for us to be able to pass on the faith and to experience the liturgy and its beauty.”
After Mass, the congregation flowed onto the Cathedral grounds. People lined up at food trucks and children’s games and participated in the inaugural Archbishop’s Bean Bag Tournament, which drew 104 participants on 52 teams.
Cathedral young adults planned the party. Young adult members Jack Healy, 24, and Thomas Stokman, 23, fashioned a set of two bean bag boards for the occasion. One board held an etching of the Cathedral and the words “Cathedral of St. Paul,” and the
Archdiocese
From left, Bishop Michael Izen watches his bean bag throw land on a board as Katie Stambrosky of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis and Monica Butler of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul react during festivities outside the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul after the July 19 Mass celebrating the archdiocese’s 175th anniversary.
other depicted the crest of the archdiocese along with the words “Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis, Celebrating 175 Years, Est. 1850.”
Winners of the bean bag tournament were 42-year-old twin brothers James Ondrey of Holy Cross’ St. Clement Church in Northeast Minneapolis and John Ondrey of Holy Family in St. Louis Park. Among the founders of the Catholic Softball Group in the archdiocese, the brothers christened their bean bag team with the same name.
“I’m honored,” James Ondrey said as he prepared for the championship match, which was held as the sun set on the Cathedral. “God is good.”
In his homily, Archbishop Hebda traced some of the archdiocese’s history, with its growth from about 3,000 Catholics on July 19, 1850, to its present size (about 750,000 Catholics in the 12-county Twin Cities metropolitan area).
He noted his own recent prayers at the gravesite of the archdiocese’s first leader,
Bishop Joseph Crétin, at Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to give thanks to God for his life, and to certainly pray for his soul, but also to ask him for that same courage and confidence of being willing to take on great challenges,” the archbishop said.
Reflecting on the readings for the Mass, Archbishop Hebda began with the story in Genesis of Abraham waiting in hope outside his tent in the heat of the day and being rewarded with words from three strangers that he and his wife, Sarah, would have a son, Isaac.
In the Gospel of Luke, the archbishop said, Martha is “running around making sure that everybody is well taken care of. And there’s Mary who sits at the feet of the Master. When Martha asks Jesus to correct her sister, Jesus makes that great line, ‘There is need of only one thing,’ and that’s to be able to listen to the word of God, to allow that word to penetrate our hearts and to go forth then and to be able to share it.”
“We hope, brothers and sisters, that we will be an even larger Church, that even more perfectly reflects that love that’s in the heart of Jesus, our savior. It’s the Lord’s plan,” the archbishop said. “We listened to him attentively this evening. We’re nourished by his Body and Blood, and we have that confidence that he has a plan that’s even greater than anything we can imagine.
“This evening, we give thanks,” the archbishop said. “We offer ourselves to the Lord as his humble servants. We, in this Jubilee Year of hope declared by Pope Francis, offer our hope to the world.”
celebrates its 175th anniversary with a commemorative book, graphic novel
Catholics might have seen them in their parishes this summer: books with 529 pages of photographs, words and illustrations outlining the 175-year history of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and an accompanying graphic novel.
“In Everything, Give Thanks, A History of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis” includes 13 chapters tracing the archdiocese’s earliest beginnings to the present day; 386 pages are devoted to each of the 189 parishes in the archdiocese, eight pages are on Catholic universities and regional schools, 14 pages honor convents and monasteries, seven pages are on service organizations, and there is a comprehensive index.
The 35-page graphic novel — plus a three-page timeline — courses through the archdiocese’s history and is titled “Catholics in the Northland, The History or the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.”
“Anniversaries are privileged opportunities for counting blessings,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda writes in the introduction to the 529page book. “In this year in which Catholics around the world are at (the late) Pope Francis’ direction marking a year of Jubilee, we in the Archdiocese are at the same time celebrating the 175th anniversary of the establishment of this local Church.”
Blessed Pope Pius IX established the creation of the Diocese of St. Paul on July 19,1850. He named Joseph Crétin, a missionary priest from France, to be the first bishop. He led a diocese that at that time covered the Minnesota Territory, which encompassed present-day Minnesota
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Pages of the graphic novel, “Catholics in the Northland, The History of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.”
David Riehl, administrator of the French company that published the archdiocese’s 175th anniversary book and graphic novel, looks over the anniversary book at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul.
Story and photos by Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
Pilgrims explore archdiocese with Archdiocesan Passport Adventure
By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit
For the past three years, on Holy Thursday, Susan Heselton, 19, has visited seven St. Paul churches with her friend Teresa Kracht, a tradition often attributed to St. Philip Neri, who led groups to the seven major basilicas in Rome to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice.
After visiting St. Mark in St. Paul as one of the seven parishes on Holy Thursday this year, Heselton and Kracht realized they miss being at the church at other times throughout the year. Just a month later, on Memorial Day weekend, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis initiated the Archdiocesan Passport Adventure.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda has invited every Catholic in the archdiocese to become an “Archdiocesan Jubilee Pilgrim” by visiting seven or more parishes through Oct. 12, such as the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, or any parish, such as the oldest or most recently renovated churches in the archdiocese.
The purpose of the Passport Adventure, said Laura Haraldson — project manager in the archdiocesan Office of Project Management — is “(t)o see the beauty that is different in every church that you enter but is still the same in our faith.”
“One way to facilitate or encourage doing that is this idea of a passport,” Haraldson said. “If you were to take a trip through Europe, for example, you would, in every country, get a new stamp. (It’s about going) from parish to parish and having a way to document that you were there through an activity that makes you look and see and feel and experience liturgy.”
A QR code is available in each parish to access a digital passport, Haraldson said. A printable copy can be found at archspm.org/passport
Since May, Heselton and Kracht have checked off over 10 parishes on their passports. The two friends live 40 minutes apart but they both work in St. Paul. Together, they attend daily Mass at different churches in the city. Heselton and Kracht seized the opportunity of the Passport Adventure to visit and experience the beauty of different churches, Heselton said. She first learned about the Passport Adventure from her sister, Leah, the operations coordinator for the archdiocese’s Office of Communications.
“My parish (St. Nicholas in Elko New Market) is really
beautiful, and I love it, but I didn’t really understand that there were so many other parishes that are also really beautiful,” Heselton said. “I always had the mindset (that) when I go to Rome, that’s when I’ll see all the super beautiful churches. But St. Mark in St. Paul ... I love that one. I think it’s so beautiful. And then St. Louis (King of France in St. Paul). I didn’t realize that there is (such) beauty right here in our archdiocese.”
Heselton’s favorite parish so far is Sacred Heart in St. Paul for its mosaic of Jesus behind the altar. She also appreciates the paintings in St. Bernard, also in St. Paul. Though Heselton and Kracht don’t have their next parish picked out, Heselton is considering parishes near Belle Plaine. However, Heselton still attends St. Nicholas for Sunday Mass to be with her family.
Haraldson differentiated the Archdiocesan Passport Adventure from parish shopping or parish hopping — attending a different Mass from week to week.
“(Parish hopping) is not what this is about,” Haraldson said. “It really is about experiencing our faith in our archdiocese in a way that is not typical for us. ... It is not meant to take us out of our parish community. It’s meant to bring us all as Catholics, as a local church, together.”
The parishes she visits as part of the Passport Adventure
don’t replace Heselton’s parish. But they give her and Kracht the opportunity to explore the archdiocese together. Heselton’s favorite part of the adventure is seeing her friend.
“We don’t get to see each other very often,” Heselton said. “But we’re both making a big effort to go to Mass with each other. Getting to pray with her is great because that’s the only time we really see each other, so it’s amazing that we get to see each other at Mass.”
Following the morning and noon Masses at the Cathedral of St. Paul on Oct. 12, ice cream socials will be held on the lawn of the Cathedral to celebrate completion of the Passport Adventure with the congregation and jubilarian pilgrims. Archbishop Hebda and Bishops Michael Izen and Kevin Kenney will be present at the Masses and the ice cream socials that follow.
Plenary indulgences — special graces given by God through the Catholic Church to remove temporal punishment for sins already forgiven — can be obtained this Jubilee Year as Jubilee Indulgences. These are offered during a Holy Year to Catholics who are truly repentant, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the pope’s intentions and perform a spiritual act.
On its website, the archdiocese defines a spiritual act as pilgrimages, acts of mercy and charity, or prayer from home for those who are unable to travel due to illness, age or confinement.
For pilgrims, visiting the Basilica of St. Mary, St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church in Minneapolis or the Cathedral fulfills the spiritual act requirement.
The project, Haraldson said, was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but took shape through several archdiocesan entities. The liturgical commission, Haraldson said, helped suggest that the effort be part of implementing year two of Archbishop Hebda’s pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room,” with its emphasis on the Mass and the Eucharist. The Archdiocesan Blue Ribbon Commission on parents as primary educators of their children suggested that it be part of reclaiming Sundays for the Lord.
“It just really culminated in a beautiful way, I think, with Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Hope,” Haraldson said. “But really, just that idea of going from church to church, from parish to parish, to come and see we are all united in the faith, and yet every parish in our archdiocese has its way and its space of the church and how beautiful (that is).”
Emmaus Partners celebrates road it travels with Catholic schools, parishes and organizations
By Dave Hrbacek
The Catholic Spirit
Sister Maria Ivana Begovic will be entering her seventh year as principal of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater. A few years ago, the school was struggling financially and she made a call that helped not only finances but also enrollment. She called Catholic Finance Corp., which helps Catholic parishes, schools and organizations on the business and financial side. Last fall, the organization changed its name to Emmaus Partners to more accurately reflect its mission of walking alongside leaders and administrators to help them continue to carry out the mission of the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The new name reflects the Gospel story in Luke 24 when Jesus after his resurrection walked alongside the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
In honor of more than two decades of finance work, Sister Maria Ivana joined dozens of other leaders at a gathering to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Emmaus Partners July 15 at St. Peter in Mendota. Archbishop Bernard Hebda celebrated Mass, along with Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen and seven priests, all of whom have worked with Emmaus Partners.
“Emmaus Partners has helped us tremendously through their work in analyzing our financials, helping us to do some future planning to make sure that things are fiscally stable, and working
really close with us not so long ago when we were in some really rough straits,” said Sister Maria Ivana, a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia. “Thankfully, we’re in a different place right now (due to Emmaus Partners) helping us navigate those waters and really get to a place of stability.”
In 2021, the preK-8 school had an
enrollment of 275 students. When school opens this fall, there will be between 435 and 440 students at St. Croix Catholic. Some grades are at full capacity, but there are a few openings in other grades. Sister Maria Ivana said Emmaus Partners, based in Inver Grove Heights, played a key role in the school’s growth.
“Their support really was quite foundational in helping us to make good decisions as our increase in enrollment happened,” she said. “We’re so grateful.” That gratitude is shared by other parish and school leaders in the archdiocese, along with Archbishop Hebda, who praised Emmaus Partners during his homily at the July 15 Mass.
“Month after month, I hear how it is that Emmaus comes in, even to the most difficult of situations, and they help our pastors and principals and my colleagues to find hope,” he said. “Not only am I happy to offer our gratitude on behalf of the archdiocese — that’s one of the privileges of being an archbishop — but also to really pledge our prayers to the work that they’re doing. It’s important, it’s significant, it’s what gives us life, it’s what gives us hope.”
One of the main services of Emmaus Partners is providing loans to parishes and schools. Over the last 25 years, they have given nearly 100 loans totaling almost $84 million. Another service is financial consulting. They do so in a way that is affordable for parishes and schools that are struggling financially. Emmaus Partners even offers pro bono work, about 3,300 hours a year. Beyond that are some intangibles, particularly building relationships that can help leaders through difficult times.
“In my opinion, what we bring is
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Susan Heselton stands by an Archdiocesan Passport Adventure sign at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
From left, Judy Logan, managing director at Emmaus Partners, talks with Al Erickson, previous managing director at Emmaus (2011-2021), and Sister Maria Ivana Begovic, principal of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, before Mass July 15 at St. Peter in Mendota to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Emmaus Partners.
Archdiocesan apostolates brought together in first Partners in Mission meeting
By Josh McGovern
The Catholic Spirit
A gathering under one roof of evangelization apostolates and mission groups in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been part of Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s vision for unity in the archdiocese since his 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room,” said Deacon Joseph Michalak.
The Partners in Mission gathering took place July 16-17 at St. John Neumann in Eagan, said Deacon Michalak, pastoral letter and formation adviser for the archdiocese. It was the first such meeting in the archdiocese’s history, Deacon Michalak said in an interview.
The mission partners discussed how to be missionary disciples — which the archdiocese’s Office of Discipleship and Evangelization defined as daily formation through Jesus’ “intentional relationship with us and our commitment to walk with him.”
Over 40 mission organizations had representatives at the meeting, including St. Paul’s Outreach in Mendota Heights, Twin Cities Prison Ministry, the Institute for Diaconate Formation at The St. Paul Seminary and the archdiocese’s Latino Ministry and Office for the Mission of Catholic Education, all in St. Paul.
During the 2025 Archdiocesan Synod Assembly, held June 7 at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, adult formation and discipleship in daily living were among the propositions
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that received the most votes in each of the three rounds of voting. The voting results were a Holy Spirit moment because the comprehensive gathering was planned well before the assembly, Deacon Michalak said.
“(People) are hungering: ‘Give us more formation,’” Deacon Michalak said. Referencing organizations such as NET Ministries in West St. Paul and the Catechetical Institute at The St. Paul Seminary, Deacon Michalak said, “For all of our riches, we actually don’t have a practical way of working together. (In) one aspect of
the confidence that a parish (or school) is looking for, specifically regarding finance,” said Judy Logan, managing director of Emmaus. “It’s not always a troubled situation, although that’s sometimes what we’re known for. But we help on all spectrums of the financial (aspect): those parishes and schools that are struggling and also those parishes that are doing really well and they want to be strategic and move forward.”
Mike Langer, principal of Maternity of Mary-St. Andrew Catholic School in St. Paul, was looking for help adjusting to the changing demographics of the neighborhood surrounding the school. The increasing ethnic diversity meant he needed to adapt the school’s mission and focus to serve these different communities.
“We live in a community that has changed greatly
COMMEMORATIVE BOOK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
and stretched into North Dakota and South Dakota.
“By God’s providential hand, and the hard work of dedicated clergy, zealous Religious and faithful laity, the local Church that Bishop Crétin planted has grown and flourished,” the archbishop wrote.
The books and graphic novels are available in nearly every parish; prices may vary, said Leah Heselton, operations coordinator for the archdiocese’s Office of Communications, which spearheaded the production of the book.
“This book unites the archdiocese,” Heselton said. “It helps us see that our Church is more than our local parish.”
Maternity of Mary and Holy Childhood parishes in St. Paul ordered books, asked volunteers at weekend Masses to help sell them and sold out in two weeks, said Siena Schmitz, office administrator for the parishes, which share a pastor and parish staff.
“I think a lot of people were excited to see what other parishes there are in the archdiocese,” Schmitz said, adding that she was intrigued by the many architectural styles represented among the churches.
St. Nicholas in Elko New Market honored volunteers by giving them the books May 3 at the parish’s annual
increasing our unity, we recognize that we need to begin building those relationships amongst all these different groups and apostolates. They all share a common mission: Evangelization and missionary disciple formation. … They have different focus areas, but an incredible commonality of vision. We want to build relationships. We want to pray together. We want to begin a conversation around a shared language, common language for mission and evangelization. And then we want to start getting really concrete.”
over the last 20 years,” Langer said. A year ago, Emmaus Partners stepped in to “help us with a pastoral vision for our overall campus, as well as looking at our mission and identity within our community.”
“Emmaus Partners just did a fantastic job guiding that process,” he said. “Everything begins with prayer and offering up to the Lord and the Holy Spirit and just letting the process be in God’s hands. And they just did a fantastic job of guiding us.”
Emmaus Partners helps parishes and schools with projects big and small. Joe Hermerding, business administrator at St. Agnes parish and school in St. Paul, had trouble uploading budget data to a software program. He turned to Emmaus Partners, which sent an expert to help him.
“He spent hours with me, on site even, trying to help me figure this thing out,” said Hermerding, who
appreciation dinner, said Rochelle Ibarra, the parish’s administrative assistant. Ibarra said she and Father Michael Rudolph, the pastor, and Karen Johnson, communications director and bookkeeper, brainstormed and came up with the idea.
“We had lots of compliments, with people saying it was great,” Ibarra said of the 42 volunteers who came to the dinner. Several of the volunteers were inspired to purchase books for their family members, she said. The books and the graphic novels were made available as well to people receiving their first Communion, she said.
Heselton and Tom Halden, communications director for the archdiocese, helped coordinate the two-year effort to obtain archival photos and illustrations, facts and figures. The archdiocese chose a company in France to develop the book, Editions du Signe, a major player in religious, historical, heritage and cultural publishing.
David Riehl, administrator at the French company, which his father, Christian, founded in 1987, spent six weeks in the archdiocese to help marshal photos and facts from each parish, school and other Catholic entities in the archdiocese, and a year on the layout.
Riehl was quick to credit others at his company, including Maria and Corinna Laughlin, writers who flew to Minnesota to conduct interviews and work with Allison
The meeting on July 17 sought to answer two questions: What is a missionary disciple, and how to form missionary disciples?
At the meeting, the Office of Discipleship and Evangelization defined a missionary disciple as “one who participates by grace in the Divine Life and mission of Jesus Christ and who therefore as priest, prophet, king endeavors to bring all dimensions of life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. One in whom Jesus is living his divine life anew (Gal 2:20).”
“How do we help pastors get a vision for this, and practically, concretely?”
Deacon Michalak said. “What exactly that implementation is going to be remains to be seen. The archbishop and people are discerning that right now. That discernment goal will go into fall. … But regardless of what the concrete application or implementation looks like, whatever it is, it’s going to need the wisdom of, ‘How do you actually, in a parish and with staff, form missionary disciples?’”
Father Brian Fischer, a spiritual director with the Bethany Center for Prayer and Renewal in Scandia, shared during a large group discussion that unity in the room “was already there.”
“God was working in the different groups,” Father Fischer said. “I was amazed at how quickly we had a common understanding of conversion, giving your life to Jesus. … This was already happening, and it’s beautiful that we came together as (it was) a long time coming. Perhaps, really, the only thing to do is just to do it again.”
previously worked at St. Mark in St. Paul, also as a business administrator. “It’s good to have someone to call. It actually helped me decide I needed to get different accounting software.”
When Hermerding was a new business administrator at St. Mark six years ago, he said Logan came to help him “onboard” to that role. He said she was “a real partner” in carrying out his new position and noted that she “brings just such a breadth of knowledge of Catholic schools.”
Several leaders said Emmaus Partners offers help that is personal and tailored to individual needs of parishes, schools and their leaders.
“Our tagline is ‘Your mission is our mission,’” Logan said in a video that was shown during a gathering after the 25th anniversary Mass. “And we really do believe it. If you’re successful, that helps the Catholic Church grow and be stronger.”
Spies, archives program manager in the archdiocese’s Office of Archives and Records Management. Photographers Karine Faby and Patrick Bogner also worked on the project, Riehl said.
“It is very complete, you know,” Riehl said of the history provided in the book, much of which came from the archdiocese’s archives.
The first U.S. project for Editions du Signe was 35 years ago, with the late Cardinal John O’Connor in New York desiring a history of that archdiocese, Riehl said. His father visited all 400 churches, said Riehl, who is Catholic.
Riehl’s company also produced the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ commemorative book for its 150th anniversary and has done work for other dioceses and Catholic organizations around the country.
Prior to founding his own company, Riehl’s father worked for a Catholic publishing firm in France. In his father’s travels through France and Germany, he began visiting parishes, dioceses and archdioceses and found many were interested in having a book about them, Riehl said.
Any recounting of history is important, Riehl said, to learn from the past, better live in the present and plan for the future.
JOSH MCGOVERN | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Corey Manning, the director of the archdiocese’s Office of Discipleship and Evangelization, speaks to over 40 evangelization apostolates and mission groups on July 17 during the Partners in Mission gathering at St. John Neumann in Eagan.
Fort St. Charles and ‘Minnesota’s Forgotten Martyr’
Editor’s note: As the Church celebrates a Jubilee Year a special time of grace that has been celebrated every 25 years for centuries St. Paul native Luke Larson writes about five pilgrimage destinations on pages 8-10. Two of the destinations the Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye, the Loretto Park Way of the Cross in New Ulm and the tomb of St. Peregrine at St. John’s Abbey and University Church in Collegeville are official jubilee pilgrimage sites in this Jubilee Year. All five sites help illuminate the Catholic faith and history of the Church in Minnesota.
There are more than a dozen official jubilee pilgrimage sites in Minnesota that the faithful can visit as part of the Jubilee Year and the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence. Three of the official sites are in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and the Basilica of St. Mary and St. Maron Catholic Maronite Church, both in Minneapolis.
By Luke Larson For The Catholic Spirit
At the very northern tip of Minnesota, tucked in the woods on a remote island, sits an unassuming log chapel. Its story is almost as old as the story of the Catholic faith in Minnesota. It is the northernmost place of worship in the contiguous United States and is located on the same spot as the original chapel of Fort St. Charles, an 18th-century French fur trading post.
While still not widely known, Fort St. Charles is one of the most historically and spiritually valuable Catholic sites in Minnesota. It stands as a testament to the great evangelistic courage of the state’s forefathers in the faith, who risked their lives because of the hope they had in eternal life in Christ and because of their commitment to passing on the good news of that life with the land’s Indigenous people and the future generations to come. During this Jubilee Year, with its theme Pilgrims of Hope, a pilgrimage to Fort St. Charles can be a powerful encouragement in that hope.
Founded in 1732 by French Canadian voyageurs, the fort offers a window into the earliest days of Christianity in Minnesota and stands as a testament to the life of Jesuit Father Jean-Pierre Aulneau, one of Minnesota’s earliest heroes of the faith.
Fort St. Charles — located on Magnuson’s Island just off the north shore of the Northwest Angle — is only accessible by boat or snowmobile. From the Twin Cities, the trip by car takes seven hours, not including the required border crossings into and out of Canada along the way. It is an ambitious trek, but nothing compared to the voyageurs’ journeys through the inhospitable wilderness centuries ago.
French Canadian adventurer Pierre La Vérendrye established the fort as part of his effort to find the Northwest Passage. That mission was unsuccessful, but the fort became an important fur trade site and a launching point for some of the farthest expeditions west at the time.
La Vérendrye also introduced the Catholic faith to the region. Minnesota’s first Catholic church — St. Michael’s chapel at the French Fort Beauharnois near modern-day Lake City — had been built only five years earlier. The chaplain at Fort St. Charles ministered to the voyageurs’ spiritual needs and evangelized local Native American tribes.
Father Aulneau was one of the first chaplains. He arrived in Quebec in 1734 at the age of 29 and set off from Montreal by canoe with La Vérendrye on his next journey west. Despite the dangers of missionary work found in uncharted wilderness, extreme weather and violence, Father Aulneau was filled with Christian hope. In his journal, he wrote, “I should deem myself happy if I should be worthy of laying down my life for the One from
whom I received it.”
While seeking help during a desperate food shortage at the fort, Father Aulneau and 21 others were captured and killed during a time of frequent conflict between Indigenous people and Europeans. A search expedition recovered their bodies on what became known as Massacre Island just across the modern Canadian border. Father Aulneau’s body was in a kneeling position as though in prayer. Their bodies were brought back to the fort for burial.
The French fur trade ceased in the 1750s and the fort was abandoned. It was nearly lost forever. In 1889, a chance encounter in France between Jesuit priests and a relative of Father Aulneau led to the discovery of some of Father Aulneau’s letters. Jesuits at St. Boniface College, a French-language university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, took an interest in rediscovering Fort St. Charles. In 1908, after decades of searching, they uncovered the ruins, now completely overtaken by the elements. Father Aulneau’s body was taken to Winnipeg, where it now rests at the Cathedral of St. Boniface.
In 1949, members of the Knights of Columbus set out to preserve this treasure of Minnesota’s Catholic heritage. The Knights worked in tandem with the late Father Emmett Shanahan, pastor of St. Mary in nearby Warroad and author that same year of “Minnesota’s Forgotten Martyr,” a book on the life of Father Aulneau. The Knights estimate working 250,000 to 300,000 total hours in the roughly 75 years since they took on the project. Visitors to the site today will find reconstructed
PHOTOS COURTESY FATHER GREGORY MASTEY
ABOVE Father Gregory Mastey celebrates Mass in the chapel. TOP LEFT The entrance to Fort St. Charles, with the new chapel inside the stockade. BOTTOM LEFT A view of the fort from the lake.
versions of the original stockade and bastions. Markers on the grass show outlines of the site’s original buildings. In 2019, the Knights finished construction of a new chapel.
The site features several cabins as well. Part of the Knights’ goal in reconstructing the fort was to offer priests a vacation getaway. Priests can book stays at the fort for themselves and accompanying groups of guests for free.
One priest who has made good use of the opportunity is Father Gregory Mastey, pastor of three churches near Holdingford in Stearns County in the Diocese of St. Cloud. He’s visited Fort St. Charles with friends almost every summer for nearly 30 years. While there, he enjoys fishing, campfires, conversation and prayerful relaxation. “It’s a beautiful area that’s unlike anything right here (in this area),” he said. “God who created us is found in beauty, and it’s a place for us to really go and connect with that beauty.”
Eight groups visited last year, said John Leesch, a Knight from Alexandria who readies the site for visitors every spring and prepares it for winter every fall. Another Knight, Jim Andrie, estimated that 1,200 to 1,500 people sign the guestbook each year. The Knights hope that the word spreads so that more people can take advantage of the opportunity. While the cabins are reserved exclusively for priests and their guests, the fort is open for all.
Priests can reserve a stay at Fort St. Charles by contacting Andrie at jim.andrie@hotmail.com. For more information, visit fortstcharles.com.
The first prayer in America? The mystery behind Our Lady of the Runestone Church
Some 130 years before Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic, America may have been visited by other Catholic explorers. They may have traveled to, of all places, what is now Douglas County in west-central Minnesota. Our Lady of the Runestone Church in Kensington — the world’s only church with this name — is a testament to a unique and enigmatic piece of Minnesota’s Catholic heritage.
In 1898, Swedish immigrant farmer Olof Ohman was clearing an old tree on his farm near Kensington when he found something remarkable. Wedged deep in the roots was a large flat stone covered on one side with ancient Norse runes. It was an account of a journey by 30 Norsemen who arrived in the area in 1362. The stone commemorated 10 of the explorers’ companions whom they had found “red with blood and dead.”
Some speculate that the Norsemen, skilled navigators who had already established themselves in Newfoundland and Greenland hundreds of years earlier, could have traveled across Hudson Bay, through modern-day Manitoba by lake and river, and into Minnesota via the Red River.
The Kensington Runestone, as it came to be known, became a source of fascination and controversy around the world. One line of the strange text, however, proved especially interesting to Catholics. After recounting the discovery of the fallen explorers it reads, “AVM, save us from evil.” The letters “AVM” stand for “Ave Virgo Maria,” or “Hail Virgin Mary” in Latin. The title “Our Lady of the Runestone” refers to Mary not as she appeared in any particular apparition, like Our Lady of Lourdes in France or Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. It refers instead to the Blessed Mother as called upon by the runestone explorers during their hour of need. It is the only Marian title originating in Minnesota.
While opinions on the runestone are divided, many researchers consider it a fake. Despite the ridicule Ohman and his family faced, though, he insisted to his dying day that he did not forge the stone.
As David Krueger explains in his 2015 book “Myths of the Rune Stone,” some Minnesota Catholic leaders, including Archbishop John Ireland, found the story, if not fully convincing, at least worthy of interest and consideration.
In his 1952 history “The Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Paul,” Msgr. James Michael Reardon wrote that the Norsemen’s visit “conferred baptism on the state by the shedding of Catholic blood” and that the runestone contained “the first prayer of which we have any extant account in the western world.” The runestone gave Catholics in predominantly Protestant Minnesota a historic claim to the land and reminded the state’s Scandinavians of the Catholicism of their forefathers.
At a 1957 dedication of a shrine to Our Lady of the
Stories
Our
Alexandria.
Runestone at St. Mary School in Alexandria, Bishop Peter Bartholome of St. Cloud (who served as bishop from 1953 to 1968) encouraged those present to take up this distinctly Minnesotan devotion. During the planning for a new church in Kensington, he supported the name “Our Lady of the Runestone.” Mass was first celebrated there in the spring of 1964. Today, Mass is held on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
In addition to its historical significance, the little A-frame church has a warm community. “We have always felt more than welcomed as many people approach us and thank us for coming,” said Kay Keller, a member of St. Michael in Kenyon who has visited many times with her family on trips through the area. “We feel at home there, because we are members of a small parish.”
Just outside of nearby Sauk Centre is the “Viking Altar Rock,” believed by early runestone promoter Hjalmar Holand to be one of the sites where the Norsemen celebrated Mass. The original runestone is on display at the Kensington Runestone Museum in Alexandria.
If the story is true, it might mean that Minnesota has the honor of being the first place in the United States touched by the Gospel. It suggests that the first prayer, Mass, and martyrdom all might have taken place in the state.
If it is not true, then, as Father John LaFarge wrote in his 1932 article “The Medieval Church in Minnesota,” it can still provide inspiration. If nothing else, it is a reminder to turn regularly in hope to the Blessed Mother who, 1362 journey or not, watches over and protects us by her prayers. This Jubilee Year, with its theme Pilgrims of Hope, reminds us that we too are pilgrims on a great adventure of life in Christ. Just as with Norse adventurers of old, our Mother cares for us through all the trials and uncertainties we meet along the way.
The story of an early Christian martyr buried in the North Star State
While Minnesota may be relatively new on the scale of Church history, it does hold the remains of one of the Church’s first saints.
In the reliquary underneath St. John’s Abbey and University Church in Collegeville is a tomb containing the bones of St. Peregrine, an early Christian martyr. The Shrine of St. Peregrine is a window into the early Church and a special place of grace in the state.
St. Peregrine, martyr — not to be confused with St. Peregrine Laziosi, the patron saint of cancer patients — lived in Rome in the second century. One day in the year 192, the Emperor Commodus dressed himself in a leopard skin, paraded down the streets of Rome, and demanded that the people worship him as the god Hercules. St. Peregrine, just a boy, was troubled by this. He and three young men — Eusebius, Vincent and Pontian — took to the streets to proclaim Christ and denounce the emperor’s blasphemy. Their message was this: “Give honor to the one God; the Blessed Trinity; the omnipotent Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Do penance and be baptized, lest you perish together with Commodus,” according to an account of their martyrdom found at saintjohnsabbey.org/peregrine on the addey’s website.
Their preaching inspired the Roman senator Julius to
convert. He began speaking about Christ and giving of his wealth to the poor. When Emperor Commodus heard of this, he commanded Julius to worship him. Julius refused and was put to death. Emperor Commodus later had St. Peregrine and his companions tortured. They remained faithful. According to accounts of their martyrdom, an angel appeared to protect them, causing one of the torturers to flee and be baptized. After they had endured great suffering, the emperor gave the youths one final chance to renounce their faith in Christ. They refused and were put to death.
The body of St. Peregrine remained in Rome for over 1,500 years before making a very roundabout journey to Minnesota.
In 1731, Benedictine Abbot Kilian Kneuer brought the relics of St. Peregrine and St. Aurelian to his monastery in Neustadt am Main, Germany. Their side altars became popular places of veneration in the abbey church. The church burned in 1854, but the relics of the two saints were saved. In 1895, Benedictine Father Gerard Spielmann of St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota took a trip to his homeland in Germany. While there, he requested the relics from the prince of Loewenstein-Wertheim, the owner of the monastery properties at the time. The prince agreed on the condition that St. Peregrine always be kept by Benedictines. Father
Gerard brought the relics across the Atlantic to his parish, St. Anselm in New York City. They remained there until 1927, when St. John’s Abbot Alcuin Deutsch requested that they be transferred to St. John’s Abbey.
Today, the Shrine of St. Peregrine is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. To access the crypt, visitors can enter the abbey church through the main entrance and walk down the steps to the left and right of the baptismal font. St. Peregrine is buried underneath the shrine’s altar and his bones are visible through openings in the stone tomb. The underground shrine, built for him, also contains many other smaller relics. During the Easter season, there is a tradition of visiting the shrine to pray to St. Peregrine for the vocations of young people. The abbey venerates him on the fourth Sunday of Easter every year.
The Shrine of St. Peregrine reminds those in the Church’s newest frontiers — like Minnesota — that the saints are not merely stories from faraway lands. They were real people who, in a wide array of different circumstances, devoted their lives to Jesus.
“It really shows the universality of the Church and serves as a reminder of the universal call of holiness,” said Peter Brown, a recent master’s degree graduate of St. John’s University and the incoming music director of St. Joseph in West St. Paul.
COURTESY ANTHONY GREEN
Lady of the Runestone church sanctuary in Kensington.
PHOTO BY LORIE SHAULL | LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 2.0.
The runestone on display at the Kensington Runestone Museum in
by Luke Larson for The Catholic Spirit.
Jubilees abound at the Jubilee Family Shrine
The Minnesota Schoenstatt community’s Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye isn’t special for being one-of-a-kind. Quite the opposite, in fact. What makes it remarkable is that it’s exactly identical to more than 200 other shrines around the world. The tiny chapel is an ideal spot for Minnesotans seeking a quiet pilgrimage of prayer and reflection and, during this Jubilee Year with its theme Pilgrims of Hope, it is an official jubilee pilgrimage site in the Diocese of New Ulm.
It traces its story back to an abandoned medieval chapel in a cemetery in rural Rhineland, Germany. Father Joseph Kentenich, then 28, began holding meetings with a group of students in the chapel. In 1914 they sealed a “Covenant of Love” with the Blessed Mother. It was a new form of Marian consecration aimed at deepening one’s relationship with Mary and participating in, as Father Kentenich put it, a mutual exchange of hearts, goods and interests. The meetings eventually developed into Schoenstatt, a global lay movement that promotes strong Catholic family life and devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Like all other Schoenstatt shrines around the world, the shrine in Sleepy Eye is a precise replica of the original chapel near Vallendar, Germany.
Father Kentenich spent three years in the Dachau concentration camp during World War II, lived 14 years in Milwaukee while the Church examined the Schoenstatt movement, and died in 1968. The Church recognizes him as a Servant of God.
New Ulm’s Way of the Cross
A peaceful place of prayer, a window into Minnesota’s German Catholic past
New Ulm is known for its German landmarks: the Glockenspiel, the Schell Brewery, the statue of Hermann the German. One of these landmarks — the Loretto Park Way of the Cross — is a sign of the deep Catholic faith of the town’s German forefathers.
The Way of the Cross is reminiscent of the many outdoor Stations of the Cross found throughout the Germanspeaking countries of Europe. The 14 stations are located along a walking path running along a wooded hillside. The statues at each station come from Bavaria, crafted at the Royal Academy of Art in Munich. The niches (the small structures containing the statues) are the work of August Puhlmann, a New Ulm German. Inscriptions on the stations appear in both German and English. The walking path runs 700 feet and culminates with a small chapel dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother of Jesus.
While Stations of the Cross are generally found inside churches today, New Ulm’s Way of the Cross hearkens back to the roots of the devotion. Stations of the Cross date back to roughly the 12th century, when veterans of the Crusades set up small outdoor places of prayer to reflect on the mysteries of Christ’s passion. These original ways of the cross contained anywhere from seven to 30 stations, unlike the standard 14 stations familiar to Catholics today.
The first Catholic landmark on the site was the Lourdes Grotto, constructed in 1903. Built of local stones, the grotto depicts St. Bernadette kneeling before the apparition of the Blessed Mother. It was the idea of Sister Flavia of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. She was the mother superior of the St. Alexander Hospital (later Loretto Hospital and now the New Ulm Medical Center) just down the hill. The Poor Handmaids are not to be confused with the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, an order founded in New Ulm in 2007 whose motherhouse is located next to Holy Trinity Cathedral. The Poor Handmaids are a German
In German, “schoenstatt” means “beautiful place.” The Jubilee Family Shrine lives up to the name. It sits on the shores of Sleepy Eye Lake surrounded by woods, grassy fields and farmland. The chapel itself is cozy, with four rows of pews that can hold about 30 people.
“(The shrine) offers a quiet space where the soul can experience and be renewed in the love of Jesus and Mary,” said Sister Deanne Niehaus, a member of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary community that resides next to the shrine. Schoenstatt is present in 35 countries around the world and its shrines are most concentrated in Germany and the
order, founded in Dernbach in the Rhineland in 1851. The first four Poor Handmaids arrived in New Ulm from the American motherhouse near Fort Wayne, Indiana, called to serve the local German immigrant population.
The Way of the Cross was the joint initiative of Sister Flavia and another important local Catholic leader, Father Alexander Berghold. An Austrian missionary to Minnesota’s German Catholics, Father Berghold arrived in New Ulm in 1868 and founded New Ulm’s Holy Trinity parish. Shortly after a devastating tornado in 1881, he established St. Alexander’s Hospital. His ministry in New Ulm was not easy. The town was largely settled and — until the early 1900s — dominated by German immigrants involved in Turner associations. The Turners were a movement originating in early-1800s Germany that had
Southern Cone region of South America. The Jubilee Family Shrine is one of 11 in the United States. Schoenstatt has been active in Minnesota since 1968 and today counts 200 participating families across the state.
While growing up in rural Rice County, Anne Halbur often made trips to Schoenstatt on the Lake for retreats. “(It) helped cultivate a personal relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen and Mother, which I cherish,” she said.
The Jubilee Family Shrine gets its name from the fact that several important anniversaries landed on the year it was dedicated, 1976. It marked 50 years since the founding of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, 100 years since the founding of St. Mary parish in Sleepy Eye, and 200 years since the founding of the United States. From early on, the Schoenstatt community in Ivanhoe had a desire to build a shrine near one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. In December 1974, they held a crowning of the Mother Thrice Admirable — Schoenstatt’s principal image — and asked for Mary’s intercession in finding a suitable location. Two hours later, someone suggested the Sleepy Eye site. Shortly thereafter they acquired it from the Diocese of New Ulm.
“We like to say that Mary herself chose to have her Schoenstatt Shrine in Sleepy Eye,” Sister Deanne said.
The shrine is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. yearround. During the months of May and October, visitors can join a daily rosary at 4 p.m. Schoenstatt on the Lake’s retreat center hosts a variety of retreats and youth camps throughout the year. On Sept. 20, 2026, Schoenstatt Minnesota will celebrate yet another jubilee year: the 50th anniversary of the Jubilee Family Shrine. All are invited to attend the celebration.
strong atheist, socialist and anticlerical tendencies. Father Berghold was also a prolific German-language writer who published poetry, an account of the 1862 Dakota Uprising that nearly ended in the destruction of New Ulm, and a book detailing his travels through Europe, America, the Holy Land and Egypt. His work to preserve German language and culture in Minnesota sometimes put him at odds with Archbishop John Ireland, who encouraged immigrant Catholics to assimilate into a unified American identity. A statue of Father Berghold stands in Loretto Park near the Way of the Cross today. In 2020, the Way of the Cross was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pilgrims can visit the Way of the Cross at any time throughout the year. The Sorrowful Mother chapel is open from April through October.
COURTESY SCHOENSTATT SISTERS OF MARY
The Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye.
COURTESY EVA LARSON
The chapel dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother of Jesus stands at the end of the Loretto Park Way of the Cross in New Ulm.
COURTESY EVA LARSON
Jesus meets his grieving mother in the Stations of the Cross at the Loretto Park Way of the Cross.
Stories by Luke Larson for The Catholic Spirit.
FAITH+CULTURE
Healing starts at home, one mom at a time
By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
Hallie Rogers was once a new mom, crying in the bathtub with stitches and a landline, asking her mom, “What did I get myself into?” Now the 42-year-old Maplewood mother of four is helping other moms ask the same question. She founded Better Beginnings (BetterBeginningsMN.com), a postpartum support company that has served nearly 1,500 families since 2013. It currently employs a dozen people and contracts with eight others.
“I was praying and asking God to help me figure out my next path,” said Rogers, a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. “This emerged as a strong pull, to create a solution for what I saw as a real problem: lack of professional support for parents after the birth of their baby.”
Q Better Beginnings was founded from your own experience as a new mom. Tell me about your postpartum months.
A I felt very alone. I had so much support, and I still started to experience postpartum anxiety and then full-blown postpartum depression. If I’ve got all this support and am still struggling, then what are moms who don’t have this support doing?
Q You genuinely wanted to help others. How did you turn that earnest desire into an actual business?
A The specific impetus was prayer. I was very excited, and I had no idea what I was doing, but I had a role model in my own mother. She worked as a travel agent for decades and then she started her own travel business. I had this sense growing up as a girl: You can make your own path forward. This is something people do!
When our daughter was 6 months old, I created a website, registered it with the state and started offering free support to families I knew who were having babies. After starting the business, I then realized: Oh, there’s this thing called a postpartum doula, that’s what I am! So, I went and trained and got certified.
Q You were ahead of your time, weren’t you?
A For sure. When I started Better Beginnings 12 years ago, nobody knew what a postpartum doula was. I didn’t even know what it was. Now people are Googling for it before they even have their baby. So many people know that this type of support exists now, which I view as a really positive sign.
Q What does postpartum doula care look like?
A We wear two hats. One is the expert knowledge: newborn care education, lactation support, perinatal mental health. The other hat is really practical. We do laundry, we do dishes, we prep food, we take the baby while you nap.
I try to remind our staff: Even when you feel like you’re doing mundane things that maybe anyone could do, you’re actually changing life for this family, because the rest and peace in this home is worth everything.
If I could give this support to every family for free, I would. It’s something I believe every family should have. I think it should be built into the system. Assuming Medicare isn’t too unchanged in Minnesota, we’re almost ready to be able to bill Medicare. Minnesota has a really pro-life Medicare program in terms of their coverage for families — not only through pregnancy, but postpartum support, too.
Q You’ve been able to provide free services at times by enlisting your community.
A Last year we supported a 14-year-old who had a baby and was in a family that wasn’t able to provide any support. … And we also supported a mom of five who was having a C-section while her husband was going through very intense cancer treatment. That’s the kindness and generosity of our community.
Q Do people ever buy your services as a gift?
A We’ve had a number of people buy the services as a gift. Sometimes it’s a baby shower gift where people pool together to give it to the mom or the parents. Sometimes
it’s like, “Hey, I love my sister so much, but I can’t be there because I live in D.C., so I want to pay for her to get some support from you guys.” We’ve had a number of situations where grandma or grandpa are able to pay for it for their daughter or son because maybe they’re 70 and they just don’t have the energy to do a lot for them (the couple), but they want to make sure they get some support.
Q How does your Catholic faith inspire your work?
A As Catholics, we understand the importance of the family as that building block of society. If we can help that mom — or ideally, both parents — to be well, then the baby is well, and the whole family will be well. If I can walk the walk and show Christ’s love in how I operate, then that’s the best way for me to live the Gospel.
Q Mental health is a key pillar of your work.
A There’s been a big shift in the last decade of being a lot more open to talk(ing) about mental health. I still think there’s a way(s) to go.
Q What are a few ways to help a new mom?
A Check in. Ask, “What has been the best thing this week? What has been the hardest thing?” Don’t say, “Let us know if we can help.” Instead say, “Can I bring you dinner on Wednesday?” Or, “Can I come over Friday after work and hold the baby while you nap?”
Q Has launching this successful business emboldened you?
A I think so. I’ve always been the sort of person who’s like: I want to do that! If I see a problem, I want to fix it. I probably will want to start another business one day or a nonprofit … but right now, I still feel pretty sure that this is where God wants me to be.
Q What’s your go-to prayer?
A The Litany of Trust. There’s so much in my life that I need to entrust to God — not only my business, but my life. Every month I question: Should I still be doing this? Should I throw in the towel? That’s probably true of every smallbusiness owner.
Q How are you shaping your summer to allow for recreation and renewal?
A We (my family and I) just got back from a 19-day road trip. We were all crammed into one minivan with no hitch and no car-top carrier. We are a camping family. We love the national parks.
As far as spiritually, I just love having more time in the summer to go to adoration. At St. Ambrose, they have a perpetual adoration chapel and it’s gorgeous and it’s 24/7 — such a gift.
Q What do you know for sure?
A God loves me! That’s pretty much it!
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FALLPARISHFESTIVALS
Planning your late summer and fall weekends?
We did it for you!
The Catholic Spirit reached out to parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to bring you this 2025 late summer and fall parish festivals guide, a comprehensive listing of carnivals, picnics and family-friendly fun hosted by our parishes.
Please note: The information represents parish submissions by press time. For updates, find the list online at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
AUGUST
St. Raphael, Crystal 73rd Parish Festival: Aug. 1, 5-10 p.m.; Aug. 2, 2:30-10 p.m.; Aug. 3, 8:30-11 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Mass Aug 3. 7301 Bass Lake Road. Food, beverages, live bands, kids’ games and bottle blast, inflatable obstacle course, kiddie train ride, cash prize bingo, raffle ticket and pull-tab sales, softball tournament spectating and a cornhole tournament on Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. New this year: Outdoor Mass on Aug. 3 and cleanup. Food options include famous roast beef sandwiches, State Fair corn-on-the-cob, hot dogs, St. Raphael brats, corn dogs, french fries, authentic-style tacos, walking tacos, nachos, mini donuts, popcorn, soda, water and beer truck. saintraphaelcrystal.org/parish-festival Nativity, Cleveland Grill and Chill: Aug. 2, 5-7:30 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 200 W. Main St. Food, beverages, live music, cash raffle, silent auction, family yard games and kids’ games. Food options include hamburgers, hot dogs, cash bar and bloody mary bar. Freewill offering. 507-357-6633. maryschurches.com
Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale
AugustFest: Aug. 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 202 Alabama St. SE. Food, beverages, kids’ games, bakery, country store, bingo, bucket raffle drawings, cash raffle, live music and more. Food options include chicken dinner, Knights of Columbus grill, fresh cookie stand and ice cream. 507-744-2829. icchurch.cc/augustfest
St. John the Baptist, Dayton Parish Festival: Aug. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 9 a.m. Mass. 18380 Columbus St. Food, beverages, children’s and adult games, bingo, flea market, theme basket silent auction and grand raffle. Food options include broasted chicken dinner (served from 10:30 a.m.2 p.m.), beer, hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, chips and soft drinks. Adults: $17, ages 3-10: $8, ages 3 and under: free. 763-428-2828. sjbdayton.org
St. John Vianney, South St. Paul SJV Feast Day: Aug. 3, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass. 840 19th Ave. N. Food, beverages, pie baking contest. Food options include pig roast, corn on the cob, potluck picnic, lemonade, iced tea and coffee. Freewill offering. 651-451-1863. sjvssp.org
St. Gerard Majella, Brooklyn Park Corn Fest: Aug. 8, 5-10 p.m.; Aug. 9, 3-10 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Aug. 9. 9600 Regent Ave. N. Food, beverages, Pat Balder’s Super Duos Band (night of Aug. 8), Vietnamese Band (night of Aug. 9), basket auction, bingo, raffle, kids’ games and more. Food options include Asian and American food booths, corn on the cob, mini donuts, ice cream, soda and beer tent. 763-424-8770. st-gerard.org
St. George, Long Lake Corn Days: Aug. 9, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 133 N. Brown Road. Food, beverages, Chamber of Commerce parade, live music, beer tent, inflatables, petting zoo, car show, wine pull, bingo and silent auction. Food options include Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast, fiesta dinner, food carts and booths including corn
booth with roasted and Mexican corn, BBQ booth, and brat booth, beer tent, Greek food, snow cones, mini-donuts, ice cream, iced coffee and more. 952473-1247. stgeorgelonglake.org/corn-days
St. Joseph of the Lakes, Lino Lakes Summer Festival: Aug. 9, 5-10:30 p.m.; Aug. 10, 11 a.m.4 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Aug. 9. 171 Elm St. Aug. 9 events include food, beverages, outdoor Mass, live music with Java Soul, games and Joe’s Bar; Aug. 10 events include food, beverages, live music with Saints of Swing, games, car show, silent auction, Joe’s Bar, bingo and more. Food options for Aug. 9 include pulled pork with baked beans, coleslaw and a corn muffin or Father D’s steak bites. Food options for Aug. 10 include chicken picnic. Other concession options include pretzels, french fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, wine, wine coolers, margaritas, soda, water and more. 651-792-6478. mystjoes.me
St. Wenceslaus, New Prague St. Wenceslaus Festival: Aug. 10, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 8:30 a.m. Mass. 215 Main St. E. Food, beverages, merchant mart shopping, kids’ games, bingo, bucket raffle, split the spot, cash raffle, pull tabs, beer tent, and live music by Colton Tupy, the Trouba Troubadours and Mitchell Hall. Food options include chicken dinner, food trucks, pork burger and hot dog stand, baking booth with kolacky and T-rings, ice cream, beer, wine and soft drinks. 952-758-3225. npcatholic.org
Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis
Annual Summer Festival: Aug. 16, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. 1315 Second St. NE. Food, beverages, DJ, live music, raffle, kids’ and adults’ games and ecuaboli. Food options include Mexican and Ecuadorian food, food stands and beer. 612-379-9736.
St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake Parish Festival: Aug. 16, 6-8 p.m.; Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 4690 Bald Eagle Ave. Food, beverages, live music, kids’ games, jewelry sales, bake and craft sale and grand raffle tickets. Food options include Fellowship Dinner the night of Aug. 16, food trucks, beer, wine and soft drinks. Fellowship dinner pricing: adults: $15, ages 10 and under: $10. stmarys-wbl.org/event/ parish-festival
Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee JACS JAM: Aug. 16, 4-10 p.m., Aug. 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. St. Mary
of the Purification, 15850 Marystown Road. 4 p.m. polka Mass Aug. 16. Food, beverages, silent and live auctions, bake sale, kids’ games and entertainment, bingo, Chicken Plop, DJ, live Polka music and raffles. Food options include hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, french fries, pulled pork sandwiches, elote/corn on the cob, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, beer, wine and more. 952-445-1319. ssjacs.org
Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul FunFest: Aug. 17, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. 11 a.m. Mass. 2119 Stillwater Ave. E. Food, beverages, bingo, La Loteria Mexicana (Mexican bingo), music, games for all ages, Take a Chance and silent auction. Food options include pancake breakfast with sausages, carne asada tacos, burgers, brats, hot dogs, fresh fruit, corn on the cob, beer, margaritas, soda and aguas frescas. 651-7380677. blessedsacramentsp.org
Holy Trinity, Veseli 58th Annual Ho-Down: Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 11 a.m. polka Mass. 4939 N. Washington St. Food, beverages, games for all ages, prizes and cash drawings, home-baked goods (including many Czech favorites), church tours, silent auction and continuous music until 6 p.m. Food options include grilled pork and dumpling dinner, hamburgers, hot dogs, malts, popcorn, beer and soda. “Na Shledanou Ve Veseli!” We hope to see you in Veseli! 507-744-2823. mhtveseli.com
St. Genevieve, Centerville Annual Parish Festival: Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 6995 Centerville Road. Chicken dinner, beverages, silent auction, country store, bingo, raffles, kids’ games and refreshments. Pricing: adults: $14, ages 10 and under: $6. 651-429-7937. stgens.org
St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran Parish Festival and Turkey Dinner: Aug. 17, 11:30 a.m.4 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass. 2000 County Road 10. Food, beverages, entertainment from the Jolly Ramblers, cash drawing, interactive kids’ area, beer tent, cash bingo, silent auction, craft sale, farmers market, bake sale, cake walk, hula hoop contest, music and more. Food options include turkey dinner, concessions, beer tent and more. Pricing: ages 11 and over: $16, seniors and veterans: $13, ages 4-10: $12, ages 3 and under: free, family max: $55. 763-420-2385. churchofstthomas.org/parish-festival
St. Luke, Clearwater Parish Festival: Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 17545 Huber Ave. NW. Food, beverages, silent auction, quilt auction, grand raffle, quilt raffle, DJ, cake walk, bingo, kids’ and adults’ games, craft booth and country store. Food options include chicken dinner, pork chop on a stick, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, nachos, snow cones, pie, ice cream, candy, soft drinks and beer. Pricing for chicken dinner: ages 12 and over: $12, ages 5 to 11: $5, ages 4 and under: free. 320-558-2124. churchofstlukes.com
St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindstrom Block Party: Aug. 30, 6-10 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass. 13060 Lake Blvd. Food, beverages, live music, kids’ games, silent auction, marketplace and cash raffle. Food options include turkey dinner, burgers, hot dogs, brats and beer tent. 651-257-2424. stbridgetofsweden.org/ blockparty
St. Mathias, Hampton Fun Fest: Aug. 31, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 23315 Northfield Blvd. Food, beverages, live music, kids’ games, bingo, silent auction, live auction, raffle and country store. Food options include pulled pork, hot dogs, German potato salad, beer, seltzers and soft drinks. 651-4379030. stmathias-hampton.com
SEPTEMBER
St. Mary, Stillwater Germanfest: Sept. 5, 5-10 p.m. 423 Fifth St. S. Food, beverages, polka band, live music and dancing. Food options include German food, beer, wine and soft drinks. Pricing: $5 entry, ages 21-plus only. 651-439-1270. stmichaelandstmarystillwater.org
Our Lady of Guadalupe Diocesan Shrine, St. Paul St. Paul: Sept. 5, 5:30-8 p.m.; Sept. 6, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 5:30 p.m. Mass Sept. 5; 8 a.m. Mass Sept. 6. 401 Concord St. Food, beverages, entertainment, music, dancers, kids’ games, face painting and more. Food options include authentic Mexican food stands, soft drinks and other beverages. Proceeds benefit the shrine. 651-228-0506.
St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi Cornfest 2025: Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m.; Sept. 6, 2-10 p.m.
Parish festival at St. Michael in Prior Lake
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FALL FESTIVALS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
700 Mahtomedi Ave. Food, beverages, Kid Zone, Glow Zone, bingo, bake sales, raffle and live music by the Rockin’ Hollywoods. Food options include offerings from local restaurants. 651-426-3245. stjudeofthelake.org
St. Timothy, Blaine St. Tim’s Carnival: Sept. 5, 5-10 p.m.; Sept. 6, 12-9 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Sept. 6. 707 89th Ave. NE. Food, beverages, bottle blast, bingo, silent auction, cake walk, inflatables, country store, face painting, teen activities, kids’ games, pull tabs, chuck a puck, live music, other entertainment and raffle with $10,000 grand prize. Food options include Knights of Columbus grill, catered chicken dinner, egg rolls, madeto-order mini-donuts, ice cream, popcorn, beer tent, beer, wine and soft drinks. 763-784-1329. churchofsttimothy.com
St. Odilia, Shoreview Fall Festival: Sept. 5, 6-10 p.m.; Sept. 6, 3-10 p.m.; Sept. 7, 12-4 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Sept. 6 with brass band. 3495 Victoria St. N. Food, beverages, music, kids’ games, bottle blast, cake walk, inflatables, book nook, live auction and silent auction. Food options include food trucks, men’s club burgers and hot dogs, Latino food, deserts, beer, wine and soft drinks. 651-484-6681. stodilia.org
St. Patrick, Oak Grove CountryFest: Sept. 5, 7-11 p.m.; Sept. 6, 2-9:30 p.m.; Sept. 7, 10 a.m.3 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Sept. 6, 9 a.m. Mass Sept. 7. 19921 Nightingale Street NW. Food, beverages, live music, car show, kids’ and teen games, bingo, pull tabs, fireworks, food, silent auction, live quilt auction, shopping and raffle. Food options include food tents, rib cook-off, pizza, popcorn, corn on the cob, sweet treats, craft beer and more. 763-753-2011. st-patricks.org/events/countryfest
Holy Family Maronite, Mendota Heights Fall Festival: Sept. 6, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 1960 Lexington Ave. S. Food, beverages, Lebanese music, kids’ games and bouncy house, adult games, silent auction, bake sale, raffle and heritage booth. Food options include freshly made Lebanese food, beer, seltzers, soda and water. Pricing: $1 per food ticket. 651-291-1116.
Holy Trinity, Waterville Fall Festival: Sept. 6, 3-8 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass. 506 Common St. Food, beverages, live music, kids’ games, silent auction, bingo, raffles and country store. Food options include chicken dinner with fixings; adult chicken dinner comes with potato salad, calico beans, coleslaw and Dianne’s Gourmet Desert; kids’ chicken dinner comes with applesauce, chips and a cookie. Wine, beer and soft drinks available. Pricing: adult dinner: $15, ages 12 and under: $5. 507-362-4311.
Our Lady of the Prairie, Bell Plaine Fall Festival: Sept. 6, 5-9 p.m. 200 E. Church St. Food, beverages, cash raffle, live music, silent auction and kids’ games. Food options include Fatbellies BBQ Food Truck, beer, wine and more. 952-649-7711. ourladyoftheprairie.com
St. Bonaventure, Bloomington St. Boni Fall Festival: Sept. 6, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Mass. 901 E. 90th St. Food, beverages, festival parade, live music, classic car show, kids’ games, interactive faith activities, inflatables, craft boutique, silent auction, bingo, games of chance and cash raffle. Day closes with Mass. Food options include grilled burgers, Vietnamese egg rolls, pork chops, fresh-cut fries, cold drinks and sweet treats. 952-854-4733. saintbonaventure.org/fall-festival.html
Holy Family, St. Louis Park Fall Festival: Sept. 6, 12-10 p.m.; Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Sept. 6. 5900 W. Lake St. Food, beverages, inflatables, silent auction, kids’ games, bingo, cash raffle, used book sale, cornhole tournament, petting zoo and pony rides. Food options include outdoor food, mini-donuts, sweet treats and beer. 952-929-0113. hfcmn.org/fall-festival St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove 2025
Family Reunion: Sept. 6, 5:30-9 p.m.; Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass Sept. 7. 7180 Hemlock Lane N. Food, beverages, kids’ games, minnow races, RC cars and face painting. Food options include food
FALLPARISHFESTIVALS
Parish festival at St. Michael in Prior Lake DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
trucks, beer, wine and soft drinks. 763-425-6505. sjtw.net
Sacred Heart, St. Paul Fall Festival: Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 11 a.m. Mass. 840 Sixth E. Food, beverages, live music, bailes folklóricos (folk dances), kids’ games, bake sale and raffle. Food options include tacos, burgers, pupusas, corn, raspados (shaved ice), beer and margaritas. 651-776-2741, sacredheartstpaul.org
St. Mary, Stillwater Wild Rice Festival: Sept. 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 423 Fifth St. S. Food, beverages, kids’ games, silent auction, cake walk, bingo, secondhand treasures, bakery, county fair and used book sale. Food options include chicken and wild rice dinner, including mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and a slice of pie, and snack booths with hot dogs, chips, popcorn, beer, soda and water. 651-439-1270. stmichaelandstmarystillwater.org
Guardian Angels, Oakdale Fall Festival: Sept. 12, 5-8:30 p.m.; Sept. 13, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Mass. 8260 Fourth St. N. Food, beverages, bingo, raffles, silent auction, fireworks, kids’ games, wine games, inflatables, craft and card sales, bake sale, pull tabs and live music. Food options include hot dogs, concessions, treats, beer and margaritas. 612-810-5566. guardian-angels.org/fallfestival
Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul Nativity County Fair: Sept. 12, 5-10 p.m.; Sept. 13, 12-10 p.m.; Sept. 14, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass Sept. 14. 1900 Stanford Ave. Food, beverages, live music, entertainment, carnival rides, games, bingo, cake walk, dodgeball, raffle and a collectible corner. Food options include food trucks, beer, wine and soft drinks. school.nativitystpaul.org/nativity-county-fair
Our Lady of the Lake, Mound Incredible Festival: Sept. 12, 5-11 p.m.; Sept. 13, 11 a.m.11 p.m.; Sept. 14, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 5:30 p.m. Mass Sept. 13; 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses Sept. 14. 2385 Commerce Blvd. Food, beverages, carnival rides, live music, kids’ games, silent auction, bingo, raffle, talent show, pennywise, bake sale and bean bag tournament. Food options include eight food trucks, sweet treats, beer tent, wine and soft drinks. Carnival wristband sales begin with special pricing in July. Watch website for special ticket bundles. 952-472-1284. incrediblefestival.com
All Saints, Lakeville All Saints Fall Festival: Sept. 12: 6-9 p.m.; Sept. 14, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 11 a.m. Mass Sept. 14. 19795 Holyoke Ave. Night of Sept. 12 events include food, beverages, bingo and pull tabs. Food options include food trucks, ice cream and beverages. Sept. 14 morning events include Mass on the lawn and family-friendly activities including inflatables for all ages, llama petting, kids’ games and a cash raffle. allsaintschurch.com/festival
Holy Name of Jesus, Medina Fall Festival: Sept. 13, 4-9 p.m. 4 p.m. outdoor Mass. 155 County Road 24. Food, beverages, live music by “The Covers,” kids’ carnival games and inflatables, Outreach Ministries tent, classic car show and more. Food options include Rock Elm Food Truck, Ascension School tamales, Knights of Columbus hot dogs and brats, Boy Scouts pizza, ice cream, candy, popcorn,
beer, wine, water and soft drinks. Pricing: $1 per ticket for food and drinks; $10 for kids’ games wristbands. 763-473-7901. hnoj.org/fallfest Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale Family Fun Fest: Sept. 13, 2-10 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 4087 W. Broadway Ave. N. Food, beverages, purse bingo (2 p.m.), regular bingo, kids’ games, live music by +45RPM, bottle blast, raffle (5-10 p.m.). Food options include pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, brats, pizza, popcorn, beer, wine, seltzers and soft drinks. 763-537-4561. shrmn.org
St. Edward, Bloomington Gather: Sept. 13, 5-10 p.m.; Sept. 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass on the Grass Sept. 14. 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S. Food, beverages, live music, kids’ entertainment, bingo, kids’ games, silent auction, bake sale, 50/50 raffle. Sept. 13 food options include spaghetti dinner; Sept. 14 food options include lunch; beverage options include beer, wine and soft drinks. Sept. 13 meal pricing: adults: $20, children: $10; Sept. 14 meal pricing: adults: $10, children: $5. Games and bingo: $1 per game. 952-835-7101. stedwardschurch.org
St. Maron, Minneapolis Annual Lebanese Festival: Sept. 13, 12-7 p.m.; Sept. 14, 11 a.m.6 p.m. 602 University Ave. NE. Food, beverages, live Lebanese music, Cedar Dabke Dance Group, silent auction, Lebanese market and gift shop, and kids’ games and activities. Food options include authentic Lebanese cuisine, beer and wine. 612-379-2758. festival.stmaron.com
St. Michael, St. Michael 2025 Fall Festival: Sept. 13, 2-10 p.m.; Sept. 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass. 11300 Frankfort Parkway NE. Sept. 13 events include food, beverages, kids’ and adult games, ninja course, antique tractor show, beer/bourbon/wine tastings, and live music with Midnight Rambler and the Fabulous Armadillos. Sept. 14 events include food, beverages, kids’ and adult games, arts and crafts, country store and more. Grand raffle: $10 per ticket, $10k grand prize. Sept. 13 food options include food trucks, cookout and beer tent; Sept. 14 food options include food trucks, booths, beer tent and traditional chicken dinner. 763-290-3834. stmcatholicchurch.org/fallfestival
St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights Fall Festival: Sept. 13, 4:30-7:30 p.m.; Sept. 14, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 3535 72nd St. E. Sept. 13 events include food and beverages, bingo, bottle shoppe, silent auction; Sept. 14 events include food and beverages, petting zoo, bingo, pull tabs, kids’ games, silent auction, bottle shoppe, country store and cash raffle. Food options on both days include dinner, beer, margaritas, soda and water. Dinner pricing: adults: $15, kids: $5. 651-455-6624.
Immaculate Conception (Marysburg), Madison Lake Fall Festival: Sept. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 10:30 a.m. outdoor Mass. 27528 Patrick St. Food, beverages, kids’ games, raffle, bake sale and farmers market. Food options include picnic-style fare. Freewill offering. 507-357-6633. maryschurches.com
St. Charles, Bayport Fall Festival: Sept. 14, 10:45 a.m.-2 p.m. 9:30 a.m. Mass. 409 Third St. N. Food, beverages, live music, kids’ carnival games,
inflatable obstacle course, silent auction, cake walk and more. Food options include food trucks, beer, wine, soft drinks and root beer floats. 651-439-4511. stcharlesbayport.com
St. John the Baptist, Jordan 2025 Fall Festival: Sept. 14, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 313 Second St. E. Food, beverages, marketplace, “SJB sports lounge” with two big screen TVs featuring live NFL games, kids’ games, ring toss, quilt auction, live music, raffle, pull tabs and more. Food options include chicken dinner, outdoor food stands, beer and soft drinks. Pricing: adults: $18, kids: $9. 952-492-2640. sjbjordan.org/fall-festival
St. Ambrose, Woodbury Fallfest: Sept. 19, 5:30-10 p.m.; Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 4125 Woodbury Drive. Sept. 19 events include live music by Top Shelf at 6-10 p.m. Sept. 20 events include 8:30 a.m. 5K run, family trivia at noon-1 p.m., talent show at 1-3 p.m., swing dancing at 3-4 p.m., and live music by Good for Gary at 6-10 p.m. Both days include food, beverages, carnival rides, games for all ages, bingo, silent auction and raffles. Food options include hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled chicken, pizza, nachos, corn on the cob, Culver’s frozen custard, carnival food, beer tent, wine and soft drinks. 651-768-3030. saintambrosecatholic.org/fallfest-2025
Annunciation, Minneapolis Septemberfest: Sept. 19, 5-10 p.m.; Sept. 20, 12-10 p.m.; Sept. 21, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 9:30 a.m. Mass. Sept. 21. 501 W. 54th St. Food, beverages, homerun derby, outdoor movie, live music, food, kids’ games, bingo, llamas and silent disco. Night of Sept. 19 food options include a fish fry; night of Sept. 20 food options include steak fry; food options both nights include a food tent, beer, wine and soft drinks. annunciationmsp.org/ church/septemberfest
St. Rita, Cottage Grove Fall Festival: Sept. 19, 5-9 p.m.; Sept. 20, 4-9 p.m.; Sept. 21, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 5 p.m. polka Mass Sept. 20. 8694 80th St. S. Food, beverages, bingo, silent auction and raffle. Food options include pig roast dinner, hot dogs, chicken wings, meatballs, popcorn, beer, soda and water. 651-459-4596. saintritas.org
Good Shepherd, Golden Valley Oktoberfest: Sept. 20, 5-9 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 145 Jersey Ave. S. Food, beverages, dunk tank, inflatables and more. Food options include pretzels, brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, beer garden and wine. 763-544-0416. goodshepherdgv.org/oktoberfest
St. Jerome, Maplewood Fall Festival: Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Mass. 380 Roselawn Ave. E. Food, beverages, car show staring at 11 a.m., events from 1-4 p.m. including silent auction, kids’ games, inflatables, craft boutique, cake walk and cherry tree, live entertainment by the Backyard Band starting at 5:30 p.m. Food options include hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, french fries, tacos, Filipino meat skewers and rice, Karen bubble tea, beer, wine and soft drinks. 651-771-1209. stjerome-church.org
St. Rose of Lima, Roseville St. Rose Block Party: Sept. 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Mass. 2048 Hamline Ave. N. Food, beverages, live music and kids’ games. Food options include food trucks, wine, beer and various non-alcoholic drinks. 651-645-9389. saintroseoflima.net
St. Albert, Albertville Harvest of Blessing: Sept. 20, 5:30-10 p.m.; Sept. 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 11400 57th St. NE. Food, beverages, live music, bean bag tournament, kids’ games, silent auction, theme basket raffles, bake sale, farmers’ market, bingo and cake walk. Food options include food, drinks, coffee shop, outdoor snacks and beverage window. 763-497-2474.
churchofstalbert.org/parishfestival
St. Peter, Forest Lake Fall Festival: Sept. 20, 12-9 p.m.; Sept. 21, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass Sept. 20. 1250 South Shore Drive. Food, beverages, all-star wrestling, inflatable obstacle course, silent auction, cribbage tournament, traveling zoo, country store, kids’ games, adult games, parish trivia contest, coloring contest, bingo and raffle drawing. Sept. 20 food options include hot dogs at noon, food truck at 1 p.m., popcorn, cotton candy, beer, wine and soft drinks; Sept. 21 food options include pork and turkey dinner. 651-982-2200. stpeterfl.org/fall-festival-2025
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER MICHAEL CREAGAN
Calling to the Father with confidence
St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater are beautiful churches. The former parish was established in 1853 and the latter in 1865. St. Mary has an ornate baptismal font decorated with 3D images. St. Michael has a simpler wooden font that was the place where Ignatius O’Shaughnessy and Bing Crosby’s mother, Catherine Harrigan, were baptized along with thousands of others.
Each time I celebrate the sacrament of baptism, I ask the family and friends gathered a simple question: Do you know your baptism date? Some will raise their hands, and I tell them to enjoy a few desserts in celebration of that day. For those who don’t know their date — I tell them to start researching it! We should rejoice in the gift of being God’s adopted children.
St. Ambrose reminds us of this change of reality. He writes, “O man you did not dare to raise your face to Heaven, you lowered your eyes to the earth, and suddenly
you have received the grace of Christ; all your sins have been forgiven. From being a wicked servant, you have become a good son. … Then raise your eyes to the Father who has begotten you in Baptism.”
St. Ambrose dramatically reminds us that baptism places us in a permanent relationship with God as his children. We can call to him in prayer with the endearing words “Our Father.”
This Sunday we hear from Luke’s Gospel offering a version of the Lord’s Prayer. Most of us are familiar with the version we use in the liturgy as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. Luke’s version seems shorter. Why is there a difference in the wording? Jesus taught his disciples about prayer on several occasions. He probably would have taught in Aramaic, yet the early Gospels were written in Greek, requiring some translation from the Aramaic spoken by Jesus. It is possible the version recorded in Luke was more of an abstract on the topic and the one in Matthew the more complete version.
Regardless of the differences, both versions teach us
COMMUNION AND MISSION | FATHER JOHN PAUL ERICKSON
Mass: ‘Where love bleeds for the beloved’
If you were asked to summarize the entirety of the Gospel into one sentence, how would you do it? I suspect that for some the answer might be “God loves you.” It’s a great answer, and I really can’t argue with it. At the heart of everything within Scripture lies the astounding claim that every single one of us has been intentionally woven together by a God who knows us by name and who has done that weaving so that we might be with him forever in heaven. “God loves you” summarizes this claim succinctly and accurately. It’s a perfectly good bumper sticker for a believer. (Though I would quibble that it’s rather less obvious than it may seem at times to us cradle Catholics.)
The Mass is a celebration and manifestation of that divine love, a foretaste of the life of heaven to which we are all invited, the communion of all things in the heart of the Father through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. But it is not a general idea of this love that we celebrate Sunday after Sunday. Rather, we remember a specific moment in time in which this love entered most deeply into the life of the world in all its darkness and fragility. You see, the Mass is an unbloody re-presentation of Calvary, or at least that’s the definitive claim of the Catholic Church. It is the same sacrifice made 2,000 years ago on Golgotha but made present to us through sacramental signs. And that sacrifice has saved the world, and still does, as it reverberates through time upon all the altars of the Catholic world.
Sunday, July 27
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gn 18:20-32
Col 2:12-14
Lk 11:1-13
Monday, July 28
Ex 32:15-24, 30-34
Mt 13:31-35
Tuesday, July 29
Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus
Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
Jn 11:19-27 or Jn 10:38-42
Wednesday, July 30
Ex 34:29-35
Mt 13:44-46
Thursday, July 31
St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest Ex 40:16-21, 34-38
Mt 13:47-53
Friday, Aug. 1
St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church
Lev 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37
Mt 13:54-58
Saturday, Aug. 2
Lev 25:1, 8-17
Mt 14:1-12
Sunday, Aug. 3
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23
But isn’t this understanding of the Mass as an unbloody sacrifice rather outdated? Maybe we need to reconsider all this talk of Calvary, and focus instead upon the Resurrection, and Pentecost, and all the great stuff that came after that dreadful day we call (ironically?) “Good Friday.” Do we really need to “proclaim your death O Lord, until you come again”?
To be sure, the mystery of the Mass is indeed the “Paschal Mystery,” which encompasses everything that touches upon the entire mystery of Jesus Christ. But at its heart, it seems to me, is his saving death, a sacrament of his complete commitment to the Father and to his will, which is of course the salvation of men and women. But why is this so necessary? Surely God does not demand blood sacrifice? How could a bloody, shameful death be pleasing to God and effect our friendship with the Eternal?
To understand this, it seems to me necessary to understand that we live in a fallen world. And because of that fall, to love demands a willingness to die. If we are not willing to suffer for the other, not just be inconvenienced, but to suffer, we only love so much. And this willingness to suffer, even unto death, flows from the decision made with love to place the other before oneself. “You matter to me, even so much that I will lay down my life for you.” I think we all want someone to love us like that, to see in us someone good enough to be put first. And God proclaims this on Calvary — I love you, unto death. Certainly, this is cause for a hearty alleluia and a great amen!
But there is more. This way of loving, of putting the other first, is also the way in which we are called upon
Col 3:1-5, 9-11
Lk 12:13-21
Monday, Aug. 4
St. John Vianney, priest
Num 11:4b-15
Mt 14:13-21
Tuesday, Aug. 5
Num 12:1-13
Mt 14:22-36
Wednesday, Aug. 6
Transfiguration of the Lord
Dan 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Pt 1:16-19
Lk 9:28b-36
Thursday, Aug. 7
Num 20:1-13
about persistence in prayer and God’s generosity. In the Old Testament, Abraham called out to God as Lord. Because of our baptism, we can call to him as our Father. This new way we can address God gives an entirely different tone as his children. Like Abraham, Jesus encourages us to be persistent in our prayer as we ask, seek and knock. The heavenly Father is always happy to hear from his children. While we may not always get what we want when we want, we can know that God responds with love to every prayer.
Perhaps this is the best way for us to reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel. Take some time to think of those first words we say in the Lord’s Prayer. What does it mean for us to be a child of God? How does this affect my prayer and how does this affect the way I relate to others? We can be confident as we address a Father who loves us and who cares for us.
Father Creagan is pastor of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater. He also serves as a chaplain for the Minnesota Army National Guard until October when he will leave the Army.
Mt 16:13-23
Friday, Aug. 8
St. Dominic, priest Dt 4:32-40
Mt 16:24-28
Saturday, Aug. 9 Dt 6:4-13
Mt 17:14-20
Sunday, Aug. 10
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wis 18:6-9
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19
Lk 12:32-48
to love one another. Here the cross becomes much less sentimental, I’d say. Because the crucifix, and so much more the Mass, invites us to love others when they reject us, when they misunderstand us, when they hurt us, and even when they put to death those things within us that give us life. None of this demands that the Christian become a door mat or endure abuse or offenses against our dignity. But it does demand that we abandon vengeance and that we pray for those who hurt us and ignore us. Like Jesus did.
The Mass is the source and summit of our faith. And it is the source and summit of the moral life, because it is Calvary, the place where love bleeds for the beloved.
I think it’s quite significant that one of the consequences of our parents’ first “No!” to God, recorded right there in Genesis, is birthing pains. To give birth in our fallen world is painful, or at least so I have been told. But I think there’s more to this part of the dark story of our fall than a mythologizing of a biological phenomenon. Its deeper meaning is found in the truth that now love will cost us, and at times, that price will be very high indeed. But it is the only way to love as Christ loves, and to find the true meaning of our lives.
God sent his only son, who knew no sin, to die for us so that we might live. And now we must do the same for others. Another way of putting this? God loves you.
Father Erickson is parochial vicar of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul and interim chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.
Monday, Aug. 11
St. Clare, virgin Dt 10:12-22
Mt 17:22-27
Tuesday, Aug. 12
Dt 31:1-8
Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
Wednesday, Aug. 13
Dt 34:1-12
Mt 18:15-20
Thursday, Aug. 14
St. Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr
Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17
Mt 18:21–19:1
Friday, Aug. 15
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab 1 Cor 15:20-27
Lk 1:39-56
Saturday, Aug. 16
Jos 24:14-29
Mt 19:13-15
Sunday, Aug. 17
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jer 38:4-6, 8-10
Heb 12:1-4 Lk 12:49-53
COMMENTARY
POURED OUT | JOSH McGOVERN
It begins with sponsorship
During confession one Wednesday, I confessed to a persistent craving for alcohol. The first thing the priest said to me was, “How are your relationships?”
My knee-jerk reaction was to say, “Fine.” But the priest allowed me to reconsider. It didn’t take long for the Lord to put one word on my heart: struggling. In the quiet room at the front of the church, I learned from an experienced priest that we crave sin, like addicts, and it is difficult to overcome our addictions without good, healthy relationships.
This is a fundamental truth in Alcoholics Anonymous: Addiction can’t be overcome alone. We’re told to seek the help of a higher power, but to recover, we need to attend meetings, shake hands, call people, volunteer and be part of a greater community. And we are called to seek sponsorship.
A sponsor is someone who walks with you in the recovery program. In its document “Questions & Answers on Sponsorship,” Alcoholics Anonymous defines a sponsor as: “A person who vouches for you, presents you as being suitable for membership (in AA).” The process of sponsorship is: “An alcoholic who has made some progress in the recovery program shares that experience on a continuous, individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to attain or maintain sobriety through AA.”
The Q&A document goes on to explain that those who have recovered in the program want to share what they have learned with other alcoholics. “We know from experience that our own sobriety is greatly strengthened when we give it away!” the document points out. But also, sponsorship can be the responsibility of the group as a whole to help newcomers.
What struck me was the first sentence in another document about sponsorship on Alcoholics Anonymous’ website at aa.org: “Alcoholics Anonymous began with sponsorship.”
It began with two alcoholics seeking a relationship, vouching for each other and setting off with the same end in mind.
Father Joseph Bambenek, who is leading the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for the Renewal of
FAITH AT HOME | LAURA
KELLY FANUCCI
Paul needed Ananias, not only to baptize him but to help him away from his broken past. And Ananias, likewise, needed Saul in order for Ananias to step out in faith and in courage to grow in love for Christ .
Structures, said to me, “We are not meant to be Christians alone. Healthy relationships with people help us brace against the lows of an appealing escape. ... It’s a sacrifice to stand in the breach and walk with somebody.”
Saul, walking blindly into Damascus, didn’t know what awaited him there. And Ananias, a Christian called by God, must have felt fear to be asked by divine authority to seek out Saul of Tarsus, the man known for persecuting, jailing and killing Christians. Yet Ananias trusted God, took courage, and went looking for Saul. It was his responsibility to “welcome the newcomer,” to “(l)ay his hands on him” (Acts 9:1-22) and vouch for Saul.
“He (Ananias) said, ‘Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes
Kids need lots of people who love them
I was sitting at work, eating my lunch alone, when I overheard a line from the next table: “Kids need lots of people who love them.”
At the time I was still far from parenthood, working at Catholic Charities as an intern for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development while I was in graduate school. But my husband and I were hoping for a baby, trying for a baby, and praying for a baby. Every day, my thoughts were consumed with children, even if my life was still far from them. So, when I heard the social worker at the next table pronounce this truth aloud, my ears perked up. She was talking about the children she worked with in foster care, many of whom lacked a consistent, healthy adult presence in their lives. When they connected with someone who could fill in where their parents were unable to provide, it brought such balm.
An attentive teacher, a supportive coach, a loving grandparent, a welcoming neighbor, or an encouraging mentor — any of them could change the life of a child. But none could do it alone. Kids need a constellation of caring adults to help them flourish.
For whatever reason — the longings of my own heart during infertility, the clear wisdom of a seasoned professional, or most likely the workings of the Holy Spirit — the words I heard that day in the lunchroom became a refrain that never left me. I’ve shared them with friends (or spoken them again to myself) a thousand times since.
Kids need lots of people who love them. This truth brings relief for overworked parents,
especially in today’s era of intensive parenting when we’re supposed to be, do and provide everything for our kids. Parents cannot do it all, despite what social media might tell us. What’s more, we were never meant to live this way.
Humans thrive in community, and we need the proverbial village to help us raise a child.
But as a mother, I often have to remind myself that I cannot be the end-all, be-all for my children. I’ll confess that a twinge of jealousy pricks my heart when one of my kids delights in a special activity or relationship with an aunt, uncle, grandparent or sitter. I secretly long to do everything fun and memorable with them myself.
That’s when I remind my all-too-human heart: “Kids need lots of people who love them.”
This wisdom also reminds the Christian community to love the children in our midst. Each one of us is called to be an adult who cares for children, whether or not we raise them.
Loving children might mean praying for the family with the fussy baby behind us at Mass instead of glaring with annoyance. Loving children might mean volunteering to teach faith formation classes long after our own kids have grown. Loving children might mean smiling at rambunctious toddlers in our pew, inviting children to participate in the parish ministries we lead, or praying for teenagers we see at Mass, trusting that God is working through their lives, too.
Kids need lots of people who love them: at home, at school and at church. If Jesus took a child upon his lap, against his disciples’ protests that kids distracted from their “real work,” are we not called to heed his words and welcome each young one in his name?
From lifelong commitments to the children we love,
and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength” (Acts 9:1-22).
Every program that uses the 12 steps — Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Food Addicts Anonymous, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon — is structured around relationships. Paul’s conversion and restoration reveal to us that our Catholic faith may begin with an encounter with Jesus, but it continues through relationships with others. Through relationships, we combat our cravings for sin, which are addictive in nature, like alcohol and other substances. Grace in accountability also goes both ways. Paul needed Ananias, not only to baptize him but to help him away from his broken past. And Ananias, likewise, needed Saul in order for Ananias to step out in faith and in courage to grow in love for Christ.
“Relationships don’t take away physical cravings, but they make it easier to take the next step,” Father Bambenek said. “Stepping out in faith strengthens us. Each step helps us trust God more the next time he asks us to trust him.”
Walking with others in their addictions — to sin or substances — allows Jesus, the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6) to glow like hot coals in the people with whom we share this journey. Paul and Ananias are saints in heaven, and their journey to God was marked by a moment in which they shared a relationship, were strengthened by it, and walked together away from evil and more deeply into their love for Christ.
McGovern is a reporter for The Catholic Spirit. He can be reached at McGovernj@archspm.org
to volunteering with kids who need extra support, to simply opening our hearts to the delightful (if sometimes distracting!) presence of the young Church with us at Mass, God gives us many ways to care for the children in our lives.
May we never forget our calling to love the youngest faces of Christ in our midst.
Fanucci, a member of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, is an author, speaker and founder of Mothering Spirit, an online gathering place on parenting and spirituality at motheringspirit.com.
PIVOTAL PECS
“I have formed a great support system with Catholics in my season of life, which is the type of community I have been looking for. I have a new appreciation for Scripture and I have been inspired to start ‘The Bible in a Year’ podcast in 2026.”
Nicole Schilling, 23, Transfiguration, Oakdale
Archbishop Bernard Hebda is encouraging the faithful to experience the small-group model Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS) in their parishes. Designed to strengthen parish life through small groups and encourage parishioners to share their faith and hope in Jesus Christ with each other and then the broader community, it is having an impact. At last count, there are nearly 1,800 groups and more than 16,000 participants in 138 parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. See the opportunities to join a small group at archspm.groupvitals.com/groupFinder
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SEDMAK
CATHOLIC OR NOTHING | COLIN MILLER
Mary and the revolution
Recent columns have addressed the background to Jesus’ proclamation of the “kingdom of God.” We’ve looked at the Old Testament, the Maccabean Revolt and popular revolutionary movements in Jesus’ day. But before we get to Jesus’ words about the kingdom of God, it’s important to point out that the Gospels indicate that the kingdom Jesus proclaimed was not only a spiritual reality but also a social and political community.
We see this first in what came to be called the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55). This is the song of praise that Mary sings when she visits Elizabeth. We are not used to thinking of Mary as the revolutionary type. But what she says suggests she is someone who is waiting for a new social order. She “proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” and this goodness is in, among other things, the fact that God has “scattered the proud in their conceit,” “cast down the mighty from their thrones,” “lifted up the lowly,” “filled the hungry with good things,” and “sent the rich away empty.” This is revolutionary language. These are provocative, subversive and certainly politically charged fighting words! Mary may as well have been one of the Maccabees.
How would the current king of the Jews, Herod, have reacted if he had heard Mary say this? What about Caesar, or his local governors? Mary doesn’t give us a ton of specifics here about exactly what kind of change she is expecting, or how it is to come about — we find that out later in the Gospels. But she says enough for us to locate her in that general line of kingdom expectation flowing from the Old Testament. She accordingly tells of a time when things will be turned upside down — and the key thing for her is that time is right now.
What is happening here with these two most unlikely pregnancies — Jesus and John the Baptist — is that God’s revolution is in the making. That fourth kingdom — God’s kingdom — referenced in the Book of Daniel that would replace the proud, the mighty and the rich, says Mary, was finally dawning.
This line of thought is then followed immediately by another revolutionary song of praise, the hymn Zechariah sings at the birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:68-79). Just like Mary, for Zechariah the births of John and Jesus mean that “the God of Israel” has “come to his people and set them free,” and “has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David.”
David, of course, was the king, and so this savior, too, will be king, implying a regime change in Israel. That,
CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD
after all, is what the announcement of a new “king-dom” is all about. This, Zechariah says, is the great time that had been “promised … to our fathers … through the holy prophets of old.” And what, for Zechariah, is the promise? Not an inward religious experience or a spiritual kingdom but, as prophets like Daniel said, “to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear … all the days of our life.” This liberation, like the great liberation that took place at the exodus, was not just an invisible or metaphorical freedom, but what we might call a historical event. It was happening on the world stage; you could point to it, and it would take a certain social form. It was, says Zechariah again, “the dawn from on high” which Israel longed to “break upon” them, “to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
Be alert to neighbors in need
“Air quality alert: Unhealthy for sensitive groups!”
Before I went to relax on my deck to do a little reading and writing, the aforementioned weather report popped up on my smartphone.
(Watchmen are always to be on alert, you know.)
Certainly, I am sensitive to sensitive groups, yet with a bit of humor and having just returned from a multidecade high school class reunion, I thought about this warning in connection to the class motto of our graduation commencement: “We are embarking on what will be the advancement or destruction of our civilization.”
I think maybe every class that graduates could have that for a motto. As a deacon, I needed to pay attention to the Gospel message of the weekend. It was a story that every good Bible-reading Christian has heard 100 times or more: the story of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10: 25-37). It’s a great story and presents a practical approach versus one-handedly trying to advance civilization so it doesn’t self-destruct. While we may not be able to change the world, we can help neighbors in need in our corner of it, by trying to be like this good man in this story of merciful works.
A testy scholar of the law asks Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” As Jesus does so often, he responds with a question of his own: “What is written in the law? How do you interpret it?” The scholar responds, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Having received Jesus’ approval, the scholar asks him, “Who is my neighbor?”
We know the story Jesus shares and how it ends. A man gets pummeled, robbed and left for dead. Of the three men who came across the poor soul, the most unlikely man — the foreigner, a Samaritan — was the only one who went out of his way to help. He was alert to the man in need and fulfilled the charitable commandment of loving his neighbor.
Our corner of the world may present such opportunities in extraordinary and ordinary ways. No matter the opportunity, helping the neighbor in need is one way to respond through the grace of God. We can support food centers and food shelves for the hungry; provide homebound Communion for the elderly and disabled; assist pregnancy centers for young mothers; help someone find a job; get behind youth and college missionaries; visit
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Clearly, the Gospel writers, and Luke in particular, are setting the stage for the proper way to interpret the story of Jesus, who will come announcing that Daniel’s kingdom of God was breaking in. And while this certainly will come to mean more than the kingdoms Daniel said it would succeed — Babylon, Greece and Rome — it would not mean less. This new kingdom would be the creation — or rather re-creation — of a visible, historical people, the new Israel. A new phase of history was breaking in. None of this was lost on Mary or Zechariah.
Miller is the director of the Center for Catholic Social Thought at Assumption in St. Paul. He is the author of “We Are Only Saved Together: Living the Revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement,” published by Ave Maria Press.
someone incarcerated; and share time, talent and treasure to keep our parishes and surrounding communities vibrant. We can certainly add to this list of alerts that remind us of neighbors in need. Even helping with activities like class reunions counts. Classmates we might rarely see but have known for years might need consoling, comforting, reconciling and healing.
God in his providence can put in our way opportunities to help one another — spiritually, physically, emotionally, materially. It does not have to be extraordinary. He takes care of that. Just be alert to his call — be on the watch. Selfsacrificial care fulfills the second greatest commandment Jesus taught, love of neighbor, which is inseparable from the greatest — loving God first and foremost. The Liturgy of the Hours periodically has us pray: “Be with the oppressed, free the captives, console the sorrowing, feed the hungry, strengthen the weak, in all people reveal the victory of your cross.” Renew the wonders of your love, Lord.
Deacon Bird ministers to St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville and assists with the archdiocesan Catholic Watchmen movement. See heroicmen.com for existing tools supported by the archdiocese to enrich parish apostolates for ministry to men. For Watchmen start-up materials or any other questions regarding ministry to men, contact him at gordonbird@rocketmail.com.
A fresco of the Visitation by Gersam Turri, in the church Santuario del Santissimo Crocifisso in Como, Italy.
The vocation of public service
Pope Leo recently echoed a phrase used by Pope Francis: “Politics is one of the highest forms of charity because it serves the common good.”
When considering how to best love our neighbor, becoming a politician or running for a local board or commission is not likely top of mind. But in these roles, we can live out the charge shared by our current and recent popes to help bring about the common good in our communities.
Surely entering political life can be messy and come with risks. Last month, Minnesota was shaken by political violence that raised sobering questions about the state of our public life. It reminds us that public service can demand extraordinary courage and sacrifice. In moments like this, it would be understandable to steer clear of entering public life. But now, more than ever, we need people of faith to step forward.
Separation of church and state
One of the most persistent misunderstandings in our civic life is the idea that faith must be left behind when one enters public office. Some believe that the “separation of church and state” means religious conviction has no place in public decision-making.
As Pope Benedict XVI reminded the U.S. bishops
during their 2012 ad limina visit, “the legitimate separation of Church and State cannot be taken to mean that the Church must be silent on certain issues ….” It does not require people of faith to check their values at the door. Our laws and institutions have always been shaped by citizens bringing their moral convictions to the public square. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “A religion that doesn’t interfere with the secular order will soon discover that the secular order will not refrain from interfering with it.”
Catholic social teaching gives us practical principles, such as caring for the poor, respecting life, and working for the good of everyone, that help shape just laws. Being a faithful Catholic in public office does not mean imposing beliefs; it means proposing ideas rooted in respect for life and care for the vulnerable.
Vocation of public service
These principles are desperately needed in our polarized political climate. When fear and division are on the rise, Catholics are called to be witnesses of hope, charity and courage. Public service is not reserved for subject matter experts or career politicians. It is a vocation — a generous response to God’s call to love our neighbors and promote the common good.
If you have ever felt a stirring to serve in public life, this is a moment to prayerfully consider it. Our communities
Supporting God’s gift of life
Editor’s note: July 20-26 is Natural Family Planning Awareness Week. In this column Renee Oakes, associate director of Marriage Ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, shares how her journey illustrates the effectiveness of methods couples can use to postpone or achieve pregnancy.
NFP, or natural family planning, is the result of decades of scientific research. That research shaped methods that effectively allow couples to licitly postpone or achieve pregnancy with discernment. It also provides the basis for restorative women’s health care, providing thorough treatment for underlying causes of subfertility.
When my husband and I were married in 2001, it was clear from the onset we might have difficulty conceiving. We learned Couple to Couple League’s method of NFP in marriage preparation. My chart was different than the other women in the class and looked a bit unusual, which was our first indication that something wasn’t right with my health. Still, we were able to clearly identify the times of fertility and infertility in the cycle.
Soon after we were married, we discerned God was asking us to be open to children. We followed in faith even while living in a tiny basement apartment with a modest income. I gazed at beautiful babies in Mass lovingly clutching their mother’s faces. I longed to be a mother.
More than a year later there was still no pregnancy. We sought medical treatment to uncover the cause. Hormone dysfunction was diagnosed, and we found my husband was clinically infertile. That time was very dark for us, heavy with thoughts of remaining childless. Thankfully, after two years of trying with bioidentical hormone replacement, we conceived and carried to term our oldest son. That was a miracle of miracles as my need for still more treatment was yet before me.
Years passed after our son’s birth. Dutifully charting and actively trying to conceive still led to infertility. Five years after the birth of our first, we began to conceive and miscarry. Each pregnancy lasted a bit longer than the last, which gave false hope that this would be the baby who would survive.
After three miscarriages in one year, my doctor said it was time to have full restorative reproductive treatment. She directed us to learn Creighton FertilityCare, a different NFP method, because it would provide the window to uncover the health issues causing infertility and recurrent miscarriages.
I underwent surgery with a surgeon trained in
NaProTechnology to remove endometriosis and to open and repair my fallopian tubes. NaProTechnology, or Natural Procreative Technology, is the collaborative medical protocol to Creighton FertilityCare. Treatment is based upon the Creighton chart, which allows for exact bloodwork and other testing based on each woman’s unique cycle. After two cycles charted with Creighton FertilityCare, patients are referred to an obstetrician-gynecologist who has completed a fellowship in the surgical approach of NaProTechnology. All testing and
need leaders to step forward who will protect human dignity and promote policies that uphold life, strengthen families and support those on the margins.
Discernment begins with honest reflection. Ask yourself: Is God inviting me to consider public office? Do I have the desire to serve, and the willingness to grow in virtue and perseverance?
If the answer is even a tentative yes, take a small step forward:
• Consider serving on a local board or state commission.
• Speak with a pastor or mentor about your interest.
• Reach out to the staff of the Minnesota Catholic Conference with questions or to learn more about the process of running for office.
August is the typical filing deadline for open seats in your communities, so now is a good time to start exploring this option.
Even if you are not called to run, you can play a vital role by supporting and encouraging faithful Catholics who do feel that call. Our communities and our state need leaders formed by conscience and guided by faith.
Join the Catholic Advocacy Network today at mncatholic.org
Be not afraid. Our world needs your light.
Inside the Capitol is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.
conceive. Restorative reproductive medicine is that good. Client after client proved over and again that the body is meant to conceive, and infertility and recurrent miscarriage are symptoms of a disease in need of treatment. NFP is so much more than planning families — it also empowers women to monitor and maintain their health.
NFP Awareness Week highlights the July 25 anniversary of the papal encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. ... The archdiocesan Office of Discipleship and Evangelization joins with the U.S. bishops to highlight the benefits of NFP to help married couples live God’s design for their marriages.
treatment is within the teaching of the Catholic Church. I was diagnosed with every disease that can cause infertility and recurrent miscarriage except for two. I have never been an underachiever! Six months, and many tests and treatments later, we conceived our second son.
Many more years of infertility and more losses followed until another surgery was indicated. Our daughter came after that surgery.
During these years I received solace in helping other women struggling as I was. It wasn’t long before God called me to return to school to do the work professionally. As a professional FertilityCare Practitioner, the inspiration I gave clients was this: If my husband and I could conceive eight times, with three full-term pregnancies, they could also
The theme for this year’s national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, July 20-26, is “Pursue a lasting love … Marriage. Create hope for the future! Natural Family Planning, Supporting God’s gifts of love and life in marriage.” NFP Awareness Week highlights the July 25 anniversary of the papal encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. Please spread the word about God’s design for married love and the gift of life as well as the different methods of NFP. The archdiocesan Office of Discipleship and Evangelization joins with the U.S. bishops to highlight the benefits of NFP to help married couples live God’s design for their marriages.
We have classes in several different methods of NFP available in the archdiocese: Creighton FertilityCare, Couple to Couple League, Marquette, Billings and Sympto Pro. The methods vary by which biomarkers are observed, but all are similar in effectiveness. Couples only need to select what works best for their lifestyles and goals.
Each method protects the unitive and procreative aspects of intercourse and provides an avenue of not only responsible parenthood, but development and practice of virtue. It is not easy, nothing worth doing is, but our instructors are there to accompany couples seeking health and ways to strengthen their marriage. The current NFP schedule of classes can be found on the archdiocesan NFP page at archspm.org/ marriage/natural-family-planning-nfp/
GUEST COLUMN | RENEE OAKES
FALL FESTIVALS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
St. Peter, North St. Paul Fall Festival: Sept. 20, 5-9 p.m.; Sept. 21, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass Sept. 20; 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Mass Sept. 21. 2600 Margaret St. N. Food, beverages, live music including the Express Band on Sept. 20 and The Backyard Band on Sept. 21, kids’ games, bottle lotto, bingo, craft market, silent auction, cornhole tournament, raffle, Vikings game on the big screen (Sept. 21 at noon), bake sale and pull tabs. Food options include food trucks such as the Green Mill Pizza truck, Eggroll Queen, Xtreme Cuisine and others, burgers, brats, hot dogs, beer garden, soft drinks and a pancake breakfast on Sept. 21. 651-777-8304. churchofstpeternsp.org/festival
St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park Harvest Festival: Sept. 20, 6-11 p.m.; Sept. 21, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 11 a.m. Mass Sept. 21. 9100 93rd Ave. N. Sept. 20 events include food, beverages, Oktoberfest celebrations with live music and a DJ; Sept. 21 event options include food, beverages, DJ, games for all ages, bingo, pull tabs and cash raffle with $10K prize. Sept. 20 food offerings include food trucks; Sept. 21 food offerings include pulled pork sandwiches or hot dog with chips, watermelon and dessert, as well as pizza, popcorn, beer, seltzer and soda. 763-425-2210. saintvdp.org St. Anne, Le Sueur Applefest: Sept. 21, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 511 N. Fourth St. 10:30 a.m. Mass at the church, 217 N. Third St. Pork loin roast dinner, beverages, cash raffle, prize raffle and bake sale. Pricing: adults: $15, ages 5-18: $10, ages 4 and under: free. 507-665-3811. stanneschurchlesueur.org
St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley Fall Festival: Sept. 21, 10 a.m.3 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 2323 Zenith Ave. N. Food, beverages, live music, silent auction, bingo, kids’ games, ring toss and raffle. Food options include Indian dinner and pulled pork dinner. Pricing: adults: $15, kids: $10. 763588-9466. smm-gv.org
St. Peter, Mendota Fall Festival: Sept. 21, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass. 1405 Sibley Memorial Highway. Food, beverages, bingo with cash prizes, silent auction, kids’ games (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.), inflatables, BEEP BEEP cars, country store, dice game (ages 21-plus), closest to the pin, live music and cash raffle with $5K grand prize. Food options include pulled pork sandwiches, brats, hot dogs, various sides, cheese curds, mini-donuts, pie, coffee and a beer and wine bar. 651-452-4550. stpetersmendota.org
St. John the Baptist, New Brighton FallFest: Sept. 26, 5-10 p.m.; Sept. 27, 2-10 p.m.; Sept. 28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 10:30 a.m. polka Mass Sept. 28. 835 Second Ave. NW. Food, beverages, live music from three different bands, fireworks, car show, grand raffle, grill the priests, silent auction, kids’ and adult games, fun run, bingo, purse bingo, inflatables, silent disco and more. Food options include a pig roast, traditional Booya, food trucks, hamburgers, pork chop on a stick, chicken, corn, hot dogs, ice cream, beer, soda, water, coffee and more. 651-633-8333. stjohnnb.com/fallfest
Holy Childhood and Maternity of Mary, St. Paul OctoberFest: Sept. 27, 5 p.m. at Holy Childhood, 1435 Midway Parkway. 5 p.m. Mass. After Mass stay for food, fun, beer, wine and live German music. Ages 21plus only. See website for ticket prices.
Guardian Angels, Chaska Fall Festival: Sept. 27, 12-8 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Mass. 215 W. Second St. Food, beverages, car show with DJ music, bingo, silent auction, country store, boutique store, mariachi band, karaoke, historic church tour and kids’ activities. Food options include American and Latino foods, homemade apple crisp, pie, ice cream, beer, wine, soda, water and coffee. 952-227-4000. gachaska.org
Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis LourdesFest: Sept. 27, 5:30-8:30 p.m. 1 Lourdes Place. Pulled pork, beverages, live music, kids’ games and silent auction. 612-379-2259. lourdesmpls.org
St. Hubert, Chanhassen Harvest Festival: Sept. 27, 4-10 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 8201 Main St. Food, beverages, live music, inflatables, bingo, raffles, face painting, caricatures, ministry representatives and more. Food options include pig roast, food trucks, beer, wine and soft drinks. 952-934-9106. sthubert.org
Presentation of Mary, Maplewood Fall Festival: Sept. 27, 5-10 p.m.; Sept. 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 9 a.m. Mass Sept. 28. 1725 Kennard St. Food, beverages, family games, raffle and pull tabs. Food options include pulled pork dinner, egg rolls, chicken wings, rice, hamburgers, fries, brats and slushies. 651-777-8116. presentationofmary.org/2024-fall-festival
St. Michael, Farmington Feast Day Family Fest: Sept. 27, 5:30-8 p.m.; Sept. 28, 11:30-3:30 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass Sept. 28. 22120 Denmark Ave. Sept. 27 events include food, beverages and bingo. Sept. 28 events include food, beverages, kids’ games, country store, bake sale, silent auction and live auction. Sept. 27 food options include a chicken dinner; Sept. 28 food options include hot dogs, walking tacos, ice cream and more. 651-463-3360. stmichaelfarmington.org
Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery Fall Festival: Sept. 28, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 206 W. Vine Ave.
St. Gregory the Great, North Branch 44th Annual Booya and Fall Festival: Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Mass. 38725 Forest Blvd. Food, beverages, silent auction, raffle tickets, children’s games, 50/50 raffle, bottle booth and country store. Food options include booya cooked on-site, hot dogs, chips, homemade bars, water, lemonade, wine booth and coffee. Booya also available in carry-out quarts. Pricing: $2-10 for food, $1-5 for activities. 651-674-4056. stgregorynb.org
St. John the Baptist, Vermillion Fall Festival: Sept. 28, 11 a.m.3 p.m. 10 a.m. Mass. 111 Main St. W. Food, beverages, kids’ games, tractor pull, meat raffle, silent auction, bingo, bake sale and raffle. Food options include BBQ, pork chop on a stick, pizza, German potato salad, beer, seltzers and soft drinks. 651-437-9030, stjohns-vermillion.com St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul Fall Festival: Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m.3 p.m. 1757 Conway St. Food, beverages, 60 different theme baskets, cash sweepstakes raffle, jewelry boutique, bingo, craft boutique, free kids’ activities. Food options include homemade lasagna dinner served 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; limited number of dinner tickets will be available at the festival, RSVP on parish website. Pricing: dinner: $12, raffle tickets: $5. 651-774-1585. stpascals.org
St. Timothy, Maple Lake 72nd Annual Fall Festival: Sept. 28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 215 Division St. E. Food, beverages, baskets of chance, bingo, bottle blast, cake walk, cash raffle, kids’ games, country store, meat raffle, pull tabs and more. Food options include a dinner, hamburger stand, popcorn, candy, beer and soft drinks. 320-963-3726. churchofsttimothy.org
OCTOBER
St. Joseph, New Hope Fall Festival: Oct. 11, 3:30-9 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Mass. 8701 36th Ave. N. Food, beverages, bake sale, silent auction, raffle tickets, kids’ games, bingo, live entertainment and wall of wine. Food options include turkey dinner, pulled pork, hot dogs, brats, pizza, chips, candy, popcorn, juice boxes, water, soft drinks, beer and wine. 763-5443352. stjosephparish.com/fall-festival
St. Joseph, Rosemount Harvest Festival: Oct. 11, 2:30-9 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass. 13900 Biscayne Ave. W. Food, beverages, live music, bingo, kids’ games and activities including inflatable archery, pumpkin painting, silent auction and raffle. Food options include chicken dinner, caramel apples, apple donuts, pumpkin bars, chips, beer, wine, soft drinks and apple cider. 651-423-4402. stjosephcommunity.org/specialevent/parish-festival
Holy Name, Minneapolis Fall Festival: Oct. 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 8:30 a.m. Mass. 3637 11th Ave. S. Food, beverages, kids’ games, bingo, raffle, pull tabs, music, silent auction. Food options include pancake breakfast until 11 a.m., food court and beer garden. 612-724-5465. churchoftheholyname.org
St. Stephen, Anoka Pumpkin Fest: Oct. 18, 5-9 p.m. 5 p.m. Mass. 525 Jackson St. Food, beverages, Trunk or Treat, chalk art, kids’ games and cash raffle. Food options include Mexican and American food, beer, wine and soft drinks. 763-421-2471. ststephenchurch.org
St. Agnes, St. Paul Fall Festival and Booya: Oct. 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 9 a.m. Mass. 535 Thomas Ave. Food, beverages, raffle for cash prizes, kids’ games, basket booth, country store and bake sale. Food options include booya for eat-in and takeout, brats and hot dogs, German potato salad, roast turkey dinner, soft drinks. 651-925-8800. churchofsaintagnes.org
NOVEMBER
St. Mary, New Trier Sausage Supper: Nov. 23, 12-7 p.m. 8 a.m. Mass. 8433 238th St. E. Food, beverages, silent auction, craft sale, kids’ grab bags and raffle. Food options include sausage, potato salad, German potato salad, pies, beer, seltzers and soft drinks. 651-437-9030, stmarysnewtrier.com
Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto Christkindlmarkt: Nov. 29, 12-8 p.m. 4 p.m. Mass. 150 Railway St. E. Food, beverages, local artisans and vendors, silent auction, free live music, Cafe Vienna Coffee House and Cakes, free kids’ games and crafts and more. Food options include a Bavarian grill, pulled pork, brats, franks, German potato salad, soft drinks, cookies, soft pretzels, beer and Gluehwein. Cafe Vienna offerings include specialty coffees and cakes. 763-479-0535. sspap.org/christkindlmarkt
CALENDAR
PARISH EVENTS
Solanus Hike and Bike July 26: 6:30 a.m. at St. Michael, 611 Third St. S., Stillwater. St. Michael and St. Mary have teamed up with the Franciscan Brothers of Peace to offer Solanus Hike and Bike: a multi-option pilgrimage ending at St. Michael for 4:30 p.m. Mass and a pizza party. stmichaelandstmarystillwater.org/solanus-hike-bike
Music and Arts Camp July 28-Aug. 1:
9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St. A choral and arts music enrichment camp for singers entering grades 4-8. Performance: Aug. 1. Tuition: $100. Scholarships are available for $75. Mary.org/musiccamp
All Saints Garage Sale July 30-Aug. 2: 12-8 p.m. July 30, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 31, 1-6 p.m. Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 2, at All Saints, 19795 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville. Thousands of items: antiques/ collectibles, clothing for all ages, baby items, household goods, furniture, sports equipment, lawn and garden, electronics and much more! $5 admission July 30, free admission July 31-Aug. 2. $5 bag day Aug. 2 ($15 for garbage bag). allsaintschurch.com/garagesale
St. Victoria Rummage Sale Aug. 14-15: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at St. Victoria, 8828 Victoria Drive, Victoria. Selling clothing, books, toys, shoes, garden, furniture, household, tools and miscellaneous items. stvictoria.net
WORSHIP+RETREATS
Silent Retreat for Men and Women: “Being Disciples of Jesus in Charity, Justice and Prophecy: Why being Good-Hearted is not Enough” Aug. 1-3: 8 p.m. Aug. 1-1 p.m. Aug. 3 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Church and civil communities have never been more divided about what constitutes charity, justice and prophecy. What does Scripture teach us on this? What is the Church’s authentic tradition? A spirituality of charity, justice and prophecy. Presentation by Father Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I. Private accommodations and meals included. kingshouse.com
August Silent Retreat Aug. 7-10: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Enter into prayer, reflection and learning. Four conference talks, guided prayer, spiritual direction, holy hour, free time for personal reflection, confession and rest. All meals are cooked on site. franciscanretreats.net
A Weekend Away Aug. 8-10: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S. Buffalo. The limited schedule offers personal time for prayer and reflection. Two nights in a private room. kingshouse.com
CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS
“Newman’s Priestly Ministry”: 2025 St. John Henry Newman Annual Conference July 24-26: 2 p.m. July 24-1 p.m. July 26, at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Spend 48 hours in a beautiful retreat setting growing in faith and understanding of St. John Henry Newman. Includes academic and devotional papers, worship and social time, lodging and meals. Commuter (no lodging) rates also available. stjhnaa.org
SPEAKERS+SEMINARS
Grandparents Feast Day Celebration with Father Erickson July 28: 8:45-11 a.m. at 1938 Stanford Ave., St. Paul. The Grandparents Apostolate of Sts. Joachim and Anne invites all grandparents and spiritual grandparents to celebrate its patronal feast and anniversary. “What Can the Young Saints Teach the Aged?” tinyurl.com/yn9k958z
SCHOOLS
Nativity of Mary School Summer Social July 16: 5-6:30 p.m. at Nativity of Mary, 9901 E. Bloomington Freeway, Bloomington. Join us for Nativity School’s Summer Social! Enjoy a picnic-style event with free hot dogs, root beer floats, yard games and tours for prospective families. RSVP encouraged to help plan for food. More details found on parish website. All are welcome! school.nativitybloomington.org/events/nativitysummer-social
OTHER EVENTS
Confirmation Classes for Persons with Disabilities Aug. 2, 16: 9:30-11:30 a.m. at St. Richard, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. Both classes are mandatory for guardians and candidates. Registration forms will be available at 8:30 a.m. prior to the first class on Aug. 2. For those who complete the classes, the sacrament of confirmation will be available at the Mass for Persons with Disabilities in September.
ONGOING GROUPS
Torchlight Readers: Book Study with Lay Dominicans Every other Thursday: 7:30 p.m.midnight. Virtual meeting. Explore the Christian life through the charism of St. Dominic in a book study. For questions and the Google Meet link, contact jordanhazel3@gmail.com.
Catholic in Recovery Sundays: 7-8 p.m. at St. Mark, 2001 Dayton Ave., St. Paul. Catholic sacramental recovery and fellowship for those seeking freedom from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. We overlap Scripture reading, liturgical themes and 12-step recovery topics. Questions? Call Eileen M. at 612-483-2973. catholicinrecovery.com
Calix Society First and third Sundays: 9-10:30 a.m., hosted by the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, Lower Level. Potluck breakfast. Calix is a group of men, women, family and friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. Questions? Call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.
Career Transition Group Third Thursdays: 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Medina. The Career Transition Group hosts speakers on various topics to help people looking for a job or a change in career and to enhance job skills. The meetings also allow time for networking with others and opportunities for resume review. hnoj.org/career-transition-group
Secular Franciscan Order: St. Alphonsa Fraternity July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 23, Dec. 14: Church of the Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Membership meeting of Secular Franciscans. We welcome all who are interested in living the Gospel life to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare. Meetings are in the Hearth Room. Contact Jean at 763-496-9369. queenofpeaceregion.org/coon-rapids-st-alphonsa
Gifted and Belonging Second Fridays: 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 8 at Harmon Park, 230 Bernard St., West St. Paul. Meet at the corner of Bidwell and Bernard. Gather on the second Friday of each month this summer for Catholic fellowship with young adults with disabilities seen and unseen. giftedandbelonging@gmail.com
Natural Family Planning (NFP): Classes teach couples Church approved methods on how to achieve or postpone pregnancy while embracing the beauty of God’s gift of sexuality. For a complete list of classes offered throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, visit archspm.org/family or call 651-291-4489.
Quilters for a Cause First Fridays: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Jerome, 380 Roselawn Ave. E., Maplewood. Join other women to make quilts to donate to local charities. Quilting experience is not necessary but basic machine skills are helpful. For more information, call the parish office: 651-771-1209. tinyurl.com/3fx64unf
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 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:
Time and date of event
Full street address of event
Description of event
Contact information in case of questions
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Prayers, providence and blessings on the Camino de Santiago
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
Ben’s lips and jaw trembled. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
In a small cafe on the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James — an ancient pilgrimage route from parts of Europe through Spain to what tradition holds are the remains of St. James the Apostle — my brother, Paul, and I were discussing with Ben the reasons we were on this journey.
As we talked, Ben paused before explaining that he was walking the Camino to sort out what had happened between him and his late brother, Peter.
“You must have loved your brother very much,” said Paul, and Ben replied, “Apparently, not enough.”
We didn’t ask. It appeared there had been a rift, and Peter died without Ben present. It might have been a violent death, or a death foreseen and Ben had not been invited to be there for his brother. Paul invited Ben to forgive himself, knowing the mercy of God and the difficulty we can have in accepting God’s mercy. Ben tried, then and there. He said he couldn’t. He was not ready.
We had met Ben briefly the day before, and as we entered the cafe on this sunny afternoon, he gestured broadly for us to join him at his table. And now we explained to Ben, who shared his first name and that he came from Germany, that back on the trail he was our St. Raphael, an angel come to take our photo.
Paul and I were preparing to take a selfie at a well-known marker showing 100 kilometers to go before reaching our destination, Santiago de Compostela, when Ben suddenly appeared, handling rosary beads and asking if he might take the photo. We accepted and volunteered to take his picture, an offer he declined as he moved on.
In the cafe, we thanked him for that unexpected assistance and talked about the divine providence of meeting up with him again. Ben interjected: “No, I think you were here for me. I needed this.” He excused himself, explaining he wanted to take all this in.
We didn’t see Ben again. But he remains in our prayers. That is an example of providence on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that encompasses many different routes to the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela and the relics of St. James. Backpacks, walking sticks, strong coffee, almond cake (Santiago cake) and great comaraderie with fellow seekers are part of being on the way. As he does always in every situation, the Lord walks with each pilgrim, or peregrino, providing guidance, grace and understanding. But that accompaniment seems to manifest in a more transparent way on the Camino, because that is the environment created by the effort. Hearts and minds are opened.
In our March 19 through April 1 trip this year, one woman shared that she was walking the Camino because she knew God in her head, but she hadn’t felt him in her heart. Another woman said she wanted to do the Camino because she was often too eager to please others, and she wanted the discernment and strength to do what the Lord seemed to be calling her to do. We spoke with people from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark, Australia, the United Kingdom and points in between who shared their own spiritual, physical and psychological reasons for doing the Camino.
Paul — assistant director of human formation and director of counseling services at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul — walked the Camino eight years ago on a route from France across northern Spain. He wanted to walk the Portuguese Way, and he invited me. I eagerly accepted.
My preparation included several walks of five to 10 miles that helped break in a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of hiking boots with special inserts that cushioned the blow to a long-ago broken toe. My brother gifted me with an interior frame backpack that carried just what we needed and that fit as carry-on luggage for the trans-Atlantic flights. We brought much-needed rain gear, light clothing, a hat and a wool sweater.
More important, I sought prayer petitions from family, colleagues and friends. I wrote them down in a prayer journal and prayed with them over and over. I was grateful to feel the Lord’s power through prayer in ways I had not experienced before this trip.
We had minor challenges, including a deeply embedded wooden splinter and infection in my right hand that required three stops to hospitals in Portugal and Spain for antibiotics to carry me through the trip and into surgery as soon as I got back to St. Paul.
The first of those stops led to a train ride partway up the trail so we could be sure to finish the pilgrimage on time. After disembarking, we walked six days of 10 to 15 miles each day, more than enough for the 60 miles needed to earn our certificate of completion, spelled out in Latin, at the cathedral.
On a practical note, the way is carefully marked for pilgrims with periodic stone markers indicating the number of kilometers remaining to reach Santiago de Compostela. The locals spray paint yellow arrows pointing the way on roads and highways, buildings and power poles. For sleeping, there are bunk bed arrangements in hostels or private rooms in pensions with shared restrooms, and even elegant hotels. Coffee shops and restaurants are readily found.
Paul and I walked through major cities and industrial areas. We walked dirt paths through eucalyptus trees and along swiftly running streams. We walked on cobblestone and gravel, grass and concrete. We found ourselves gazing at open vistas onto beautiful small farms, many growing grapes, with those working in the fields using shovels or at most small earth turners. There were roosters and chickens, horses,
sheep, cows, cats and dogs. Neighbors visited one another at all hours of the day. It seemed to be a healthy culture and economy of small farms. We attended Mass each day that we could — another wonderful gift.
At the end, we enjoyed the special noon peregrino Mass at the cathedral, which includes a giant thurible of incense hoisted up and swung back and forth by six men heaving on large ropes. Watching the joyful, crazy ride of the thurible, with the incense rising, we sent still more of our prayers to heaven.
Ruff is editor-in-chief of The Catholic Spirit.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
MORE ON THE WEB
A video of the thurible swinging in front of the altar at a noon Camino de Santiago pilgrims Mass at the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela can be seen at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
Joe Ruff’s April 11 interview about the Camino on the “Practicing Catholic” radio program is available at archspm.org/practicing-catholic/practicing-catholicapril-11-2025.
JOE RUFF | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Paul Ruff walks a country road in Spain along the Camino de Santiago.
COURTESY PAUL RUFF
JOE RUFF | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
LEFT Joe Ruff in front of one of the many countryside Catholic churches in Spain and Portugal. RIGHT Pilgrims at rest.
