Mahalia Marcelin of Maternity of Mary in St. Paul talks in a small group during the Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly June 7 at Cretin-Derham Hall high school in St. Paul. Marcelin was one of more than 400 Synod members from across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who gathered with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishops Michael Izen and Kevin Kenney to discuss, pray and continue discerning and listening to build unity and evangelization in the archdiocese.
HMONG BLESSING Kristy Lor of St. Patrick in St. Paul greets Archbishop Bernard Hebda after attaching a string to his wrist during a special hand-tying ceremony following Mass at the church June 14. Archbishop Hebda celebrated Mass for the Hmong community, then stayed to take part in the hand-tying ceremony, a Hmong cultural tradition (called Khis Tes in the Hmong language). Father John Paul Erickson, parochial vicar of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, blessed the strings and also said a prayer in Hmong. “In our tradition, it’s a protection against all evil spirits and harms,” said Deacon Kou Ly, who serves at the parish. “When these strings are blessed, they represent the protection of God.” At the center is Father Toulee Perer Ly, pastor of Presentation of Mary in Maplewood, which also serves the Hmong Catholic community.
PILGRIMS OF HOPE Karenni choir band members of St. Bernard in St. Paul play drums and flutes and guitarists strum and sing as the musicians help lead a June 14 pilgrimage of hymns and prayers from St. Bernard to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. More than 150 people, including children and infants, participated in the 5-mile pilgrimage, despite the rainy morning. The musicians in red were wearing traditional Karenni clothing. St. Bernard is a multicultural parish, and prayers during the pilgrimage were shared alternating English, Spanish and Karenni. The evening before, people prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and went to confession as part of the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence in this Jubilee Year with its theme Pilgrims of Hope.
No one can turn a deaf ear to the palpable cries of anxiety and fear heard in communities throughout the country in the wake of a surge in immigration enforcement actions.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), wrote in a June 16 reflection ahead of the conference’s triennial weeklong retreat in California. This year’s gathering replaces the bishops’ usual spring plenary session. Archbishop Broglio commended law enforcement actions “aimed at preserving order and ensuring community security” as “necessary for the common good”; however, Archbishop Broglio said, “The current efforts go well beyond those with criminal histories.” Following through on a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump has cracked down on immigration to the United States.
Terri Pontious, the recently appointed president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, was featured on the cover of the 51st volume of Catholic Woman, the official magazine of the National Council of Catholic Women, based in Fairfax, Virginia. Inside the magazine, writer Mary Kay McPartlin explores Pontious’ life, career and faith. Pontious is quoted as saying, “I made a solemn promise to God that I would work for the Catholic Church to do whatever God wanted me to do.” Pontious is serving a two-year term as president, having been installed on May 2 at the ACCW’s 92nd annual convention at St. Michael in St. Michael. Also in the magazine are articles from Debbie Keller and Kathy Zweber, members of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake.
Some 300 people from Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan and Minnesota attended the June 12-14 We Are the Beacon meeting in Bloomington of The North Central Region of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Michael Acaldo, CEO of the National Council Society of St. Vincent de Paul, was the keynote speaker June 12, followed by general sessions with Catholic musician Connor Flanagan and Father Larry Snyder, a retired archdiocesan priest who served at Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 1991 to 2004. Archbishop Bernard Hebda celebrated a special Mass for the gathering June 13 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield are among the top workplaces in Minnesota identified by the Minnesota Star Tribune in its annual survey. The survey by Energage, an employee engagement and brand-building company, asked employees to rate their workplaces using statements including “My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful” and “I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company.” In a special section of its June 15 edition, the newspaper noted 47 large companies, 73 midsize companies and 80 small companies. In addition to those making the lists, another 109 companies, including the archdiocese and the academy, were cited as meeting Energage’s national standard as Top Workplaces.
The Diocese of Duluth celebrated a Mass of Entombment June 9 at the Cathedral of the Holy Rosary in Duluth for the diocese’s patriarch, Msgr. Joseph Buh, as another step in his cause of sainthood. Msgr. Buh was an early missionary in northeast Minnesota who established many parishes in the region and served the Slovenian and Native American peoples. In a news release, the diocese said Msgr. Buh created deep relationships of trust, learned to speak the language of those he served and was passionate in his writings and preaching about the healing, hope and joy that is found in Jesus. When Msgr. Buh was buried in 1922, he was considered a saint by Bishop John McNicholas and his peers, diocesan officials said. Msgr. Buh is now enshrined in the cathedral, allowing public veneration as the diocese pursues his sainthood cause.
The Catholic Spirit is taking a three-week break for summer. Please watch for the next print edition July 10.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the June 13 “Practicing Catholic” radio show featured a discussion with Archbishop Bernard Hebda about the 2025 Archdiocesan Synod Assembly, and Synod members shared some of their experiences at the June 7 gathering. The program also included Nikelle Morris and Steve Broszko from Missed the Boat Theatre in St. Paul discussing their roles and the company’s vision. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
ONLY JESUS | FATHER MICHAEL TIX
One way people refer to this time of year is, “The good old summertime!”
We love the longer days of this time of year, and the many activities that characterize it. These are the days of graduation open houses, family reunions, and games of baseball and softball for all ages. In the sometimesslower pace of summer days, I can often be found watching our grade school students play Little League, cheering on the local town ball teams whether it be the Hampton Cardinals or Miesville Mudhens, or sitting in the stands at Target Field to watch Minnesota Twins baseball.
I love baseball. While I never played much organized baseball, I coached Little League in my hometown for many years. I also coached softball at Blessed Trinity in Richfield. One thing I enjoyed about coaching was the opportunity to make connections with the team members, while encouraging the spirit of teamwork. It wasn’t long ago that a young woman stopped me at an Academy of Holy Angels event to ask whether I remembered her. She quickly reminded me that I had coached her in softball. It was good to hear how a former player has learned, grown and today is a parent coaching her own kids. From years of coaching and watching many innings of play, there are lessons of faith to be learned from America’s pastime. Let me offer three lessons to consider. The first lesson is that baseball is a team sport. Earlier this month we celebrated Pentecost. In a reading used for the solemnity, St. Paul writes, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord.” In the world of baseball, we are reminded of this truth as we think about the nine players who populate the field. Each player takes up a different position based on their individual gifts and talents for the overall good of the team. Everyone on the team belongs and is needed. Baseball aside, all of us are invited to be a part of God’s team through the sacrament of baptism and to use our gifts on the playing field of life. We all belong as part of God’s team, and our gifts are needed in the world.
The key is our being open to listening to the coach who knows the game and wants only the best for us. In our lives of faith, this coach is Jesus who teaches, encourages and even challenges us to play the game in a way that reflects God’s love to our world today, and ultimately brings us safely across the plate home to him.
Another lesson can be found in looking at the trust that must be built between the pitcher and catcher to move the game forward. It is that trust that reminds us of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit as the Advocate to lead and guide the Church until the end of time. When we place our trust in the Holy Spirit, it enlivens our hearts and moves us forward like the first apostles and disciples from fear to faith, that sends us out on a mission of making Jesus Christ known and loved as we put faith into action in our lives.
The third lesson is found with the batters who step up to the plate to take their swings at the pitches coming their way. Much like a batter in baseball, life throws many things our way as we journey in faith. There are times when we might swing and miss, other times we might hit the ball out of the park. In the times of
Una forma en que la gente se refiere a esta época del año es “¡El buen verano viejo!”. Nos encantan los días más largos de esta época del año y las muchas actividades que la caracterizan. Son los días de las jornadas de puertas abiertas para graduaciones, las reuniones familiares y los partidos de béisbol y sóftbol para todas las edades. En el ritmo a veces más lento de los días de verano, a menudo me pueden encontrar viendo a nuestros alumnos de primaria jugar en las ligas infantiles, animando a los equipos locales, ya sean los Hampton Cardinals o los Miesville Mudhens, o sentado en las gradas del Target Field para ver el béisbol de los Minnesota Twins. Me encanta el béisbol. Aunque nunca jugué mucho al béisbol organizado, entrené a las Pequeñas Ligas en mi ciudad natal durante muchos años. También entrené sóftbol en Blessed Trinity en Richfield. Una de las cosas que disfrutaba de entrenar era la oportunidad de conectar con los miembros del equipo, a la vez que fomentaba el espíritu de equipo. No hace mucho, una joven me detuvo en un evento de la Academia de los Santos Ángeles para preguntarme si la recordaba. Enseguida me recordó que la había entrenado en sóftbol. Fue agradable escuchar cómo una exjugadora ha aprendido, crecido y hoy es madre y
entrena a sus propios hijos. Tras años entrenando y viendo muchas entradas de juego, se pueden aprender lecciones de fe de este pasatiempo estadounidense. Permítanme ofrecerles tres lecciones para considerar. La primera lección es que el béisbol es un deporte de equipo. A principios de este mes celebramos Pentecostés. En una lectura para la solemnidad, San Pablo escribe: “Hay diversidad de dones espirituales, pero el Espíritu es el mismo; hay diversidad de servicios, pero el Señor es el mismo”. En el mundo del béisbol, recordamos esta verdad al pensar en los nueve jugadores que pueblan el campo. Cada jugador ocupa una posición diferente según sus dones y talentos individuales, para el bien común del equipo. Todos en el equipo pertenecen y son necesarios. Dejando de lado el béisbol, todos estamos invitados a formar parte del equipo de Dios mediante el sacramento del bautismo y a usar nuestros dones en el campo de juego de la vida. Todos pertenecemos al equipo de Dios, y nuestros dones son necesarios en el mundo.
Otra lección se encuentra al observar la confianza que debe construirse entre el lanzador y el receptor para que el juego avance. Es esa confianza la que nos recuerda al Espíritu Santo. Jesús envía al Espíritu Santo como Abogado para guiar a la Iglesia hasta el fin de los tiempos. Cuando depositamos nuestra confianza en el Espíritu Santo, este aviva nuestros corazones y nos impulsa, como a los primeros apóstoles y discípulos, a pasar del miedo a
swinging and missing, we are reminded that we have a God of second chances who forgives us when we miss or strike out and always gives us another opportunity to step up to the plate. There are also times when we will meet the challenges thrown our way with the success of hitting a single, double or even home run. It is those times when we focus on the opportunity in front of us and connect with a swing rooted in strong Gospelcentered values to make solid contact for the good of the team, the good of everyone. The key is our being open to listening to the coach who knows the game and wants only the best for us. In our lives of faith, this coach is Jesus who teaches, encourages and even challenges us to play the game in a way that reflects God’s love to our world today, and ultimately brings us safely across the plate home to him.
la fe, lo que nos envía a la misión de dar a conocer y amar a Jesucristo al poner la fe en práctica en nuestras vidas. La tercera lección se encuentra en el bateador que se acerca a ls base de bateador para recibir los lanzamientos que se le presentan. Al igual que un bateador en el béisbol, la vida nos presenta muchos obstáculos en nuestro camino de fe. Hay momentos en que podemos fallar el swing, otras veces podemos batear la pelota fuera del parque. En esos momentos de fallar el swing, recordamos que tenemos un Dios de segundas oportunidades que nos perdona cuando fallamos o nos ponchamos y siempre nos da otra oportunidad para volver a la base del bateador. También hay momentos en que superaremos los desafíos con el éxito de batear un sencillo, un doble o incluso un jonrón. Son esos momentos en los que nos enfocamos en la oportunidad que tenemos frente a nosotros y nos conectamos con un swing arraigado en sólidos valores centrados en el Evangelio para hacer un contacto sólido por el bien del equipo, el bien de todos. La clave es estar abiertos a escuchar al entrenador que conoce el juego y solo quiere lo mejor para nosotros. En nuestras vidas de fe, este entrenador es Jesús, quien nos enseña, nos anima e incluso nos desafía a jugar de una manera que refleje el amor de Dios a nuestro mundo de hoy y, en última instancia, nos lleve sanos y salvos a casa con él.
Diana and Chris Smith of St. Joseph in West St. Paul portray Ermengarde and her suitor, Ambrose Kemper, in the play “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder during a dress rehearsal at St. Agnes School in St. Paul June 14. This 1954 play is a production of Missed the Boat Theatre, a nonprofit theater company in St. Paul founded by Father Kyle Kowalczyk, pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano, and Mary Shaffer, a parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater and St. Anne in Somerset, Wis. Performances began June 19 and run through June 28. The Smiths made a spontaneous decision to audition in early March and got the two roles, despite Chris having never been in a full-length play and Diana having been out of theater since her freshman year of college. “I was framing it (the audition) as just a crazy date night,” said Diana, 29. The couple thought there was “no way” they would get cast for the two roles, but after a callback, they landed the two parts. Rehearsals began the day after Easter, April 21. “For me, it’s such a testament of how far my husband will go to show his love for me,” Diana said of Chris, 34. “This is so outside of his comfort zone. He’s a construction worker. He’s not a performer.” For information on upcoming performances and to purchase tickets, visit missedtheboattheatre.com.
We often hear about family legacies in athletics and politics. What about a legacy of generosity?
Start by identifying your favorite causes and nonprofits. Then, make a plan to generously support them.
Learn more about how your family might create a legacy of giving.
Call 651.389.0300 or visit ccf-mn.org Make giving part of
By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
Hoping to bring Christ’s love into more lives, Catholic singersongwriters Seph Schleuter and Aly Aleigha will perform July 10 at the Holy Family Catholic High School football stadium in Victoria at a concert billed as His Name Hallowed.
Dale and Karyn Willenbring, parishioners of St. Joseph in Waconia, were inspired to suggest and help drive the concert forward, along with a trove of volunteers. They hope to draw 2,500 people to the field from 4 to 10 p.m. with an event that will include Archbishop Bernard Hebda offering a brief address on the family and will close with Eucharistic adoration.
The sun will have set, and a spotlight will shine on a monstrance holding the Eucharist, “allowing people to take in the face of Jesus,” Dale Willenbring said. “We’ll invite people to adore the Lord.”
The Willenbrings credited help from media experts, a website builder, graphic artist and others in making the event happen. “If it weren’t for the team, we wouldn’t be where we are,” Karyn Willenbring said.
Teddy Colling, marketing and engagement manager at St. Joseph Catholic School, thought of the name His Name Hallowed and has put in countless
hours updating social media and establishing a following for the event, Dale Willenbring said.
Meghan Hathaway, director of communications for St. Hubert in Chanhassen, and Kirstin Bularzik, youth ministry and faith formation coordinator at St. Joseph, are among those on the planning team. The Willenbrings also credited a friend at St. Victoria in Victoria, Brenda Reddan, with spreading the word.
“The goal for the concert is to make it a big Catholic celebration,” Hathaway said. “One of those concerts that put people on fire with the faith and bring in non-Catholics, too.”
The Willenbrings said they were inspired by Bularzik kicking off school last year with a Sonar Worship concert and speaker for middle and high school students at St. Joseph Catholic School gym that included Eucharistic adoration.
“Karyn and I got to witness 200-plus kids in our gym, listening to music and dancing. Then they were on their knees looking at the face of Jesus” in the Eucharist, Dale Willenbring said. Bularzik said she plans to hold a similar event this fall, with the start of a new school year.
Schleuter has been part of Ohio-based Damascus Worship and its efforts to promote worship and revival in the Church. In 2024, he released the album, “Counting My Blessings” and was
recognized as Christian Music Broadcaster’s Breakout Artist of 2024. He recently was named Billboard’s No. 2 New Christian Artist, according to his website.
Aleigha, a local indie-folk Catholic artist recently featured on the Hallow prayer app who has worked with Father Mike Schmitz of the Duluth diocese, among others, will open the concert.
“It was important to have Catholic artists, so it has that authenticity,” Dale Willenbring said.
During a break between the artists’ performances, Archbishop Hebda will talk about the importance of the family.
The concert is a response to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ efforts to bring to life the archbishop’s 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My
Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room,” said the Willenbrings, parishioners of St. Joseph for more than 20 years. The archbishop’s letter grew out of the Archdiocesan Synod 2022 Assembly and the Willenbrings are involved in St. Joseph’s efforts to carry out initiatives inspired by the letter.
Year three of implementing the letter focuses on forming parents as primary educators of their children in the ways of the faith, which goes to the heart of every family, Dale Willenbring said.
In addition, Dale Willenbring said, he feels a groundswell of interest in the Catholic Church, particularly among youth, young adults and families.
“I just get that sense, seeing these young families in Mass,” he said. “You get this sense of a desire
By Tim Montgomery For The Catholic Spirit
In the spirit of the Jubilee Year, a special time of grace and renewal in the Catholic Church, the Hmong community at Presentation of the Virgin Mary in Maplewood is giving $100,000 to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The idea grew out of a desire to tithe from funds that were gifted to the Hmong Catholic Community of St. Vincent de
(among) young families to have faith again. You see guys sitting in Mass together, these young kids.”
Support for the concert has been strong from pastors and others at St. Joseph and nearby parishes, and volunteers continue to step up, including 80 people who will assist at the stadium, the Willenbrings said.
Posters about the Holy Family concert have been distributed to 20 parishes, social media efforts to promote the event are increasing, and radio advertisements are set to begin, with the hope that people will fill the stadium. The Willenbrings have decided, with the help of about a half-dozen volunteers, to call each of the archdiocese’s 185 parishes to tell them about the concert.
From there, the plan is to hold annual concerts that allow the event to grow and catch on in the region, Karyn Willenbring said. “It’s just an idea that God put in our hearts.”
Tickets for the event are available at hisnamehallowed.com. Individuals or groups unable to afford the concert can send an email for assistance to tickets@hisnamehallowed. com. At the same email address, Minneapolis-based Catholic Schools Center of Excellence has offered to cover the ticket costs of any Catholic school that would like to send a group of students to the event.
Paul, a Cathedral community, following their transfer to Presentation of Mary last year, said Father Toulee Peter Ly, pastor of Presentation.
When the St. Vincent de Paul campus was sold by the Cathedral of St. Paul to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Community from India (Eparchy of Chicago), 90% of the proceeds from the sale was gifted to the Hmong Catholic Community at Presentation of Mary to support Hmong Catholic Ministry. The Hmong Catholic Community is gifting a portion back to the Cathedral of St. Paul through the Cathedral Heritage Foundation in gratitude for all the church has done for them, said Father Ly, so that the Cathedral will continue to be a beacon of faith and hope for future generations and people of all nations.
PLEASE TURN TO HMONG GIFT ON PAGE 6
By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
A man suspected of killing Democratic Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, was arrested June 15 after a nearly two-day manhunt that authorities described as the largest in state history.
MELISSA HORTMAN
Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested in a field near his home in Green Isle, officials said.
Before the Hortmans were killed in Brooklyn Park, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were each shot multiple times in nearby Champlin, law enforcement officials said. They underwent surgery and have been recovering.
Boelter has been charged in Hennepin County with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. He also faces federal charges including murder and stalking.
At a news conference June 14, Gov. Tim Walz said the shootings that morning appeared to be “a politically motivated assassination.” He said the state had lost a great leader and “I
lost one of the dearest of friends.”
Melissa Hortman, 55, had recently finished serving her 11th term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she served as the House Democrats’ leader from 2017 to 2019 and as speaker of the House from 2019 to 2025.
Father Joseph Whalen, pastor of St. Timothy in Blaine, said the Hortman family had been part of the parish community and Melissa Hortman at one point had volunteered in the children’s faith formation program.
“We mourn the tragic deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the grievous injuries sustained by Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette,” Father Whalen said in a statement posted June 14 on the parish website. “Our parish community feels deeply this loss and we offer our prayerful support and condolences to the Hortman and Hoffman families.”
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis issued a statement June 14 calling for prayers for those killed and injured and for law enforcement, and for civility in all discourse.
“I ask all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the repose of the souls of Minnesota House Speaker-Emerita
Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with prayers of recovery for Senator John Hoffman and his wife,” the archbishop said.
Police first responded at about 2 a.m. June 14 to a report that Hoffman and his wife had been shot. Out of caution, police checked on the Hortmans and confronted the suspect, who was impersonating a police officer and driving what appeared to be a police SUV with emergency lights. They exchanged gunfire, the gunman retreated into the home and fled on foot out a back door, officials said at the news conference.
A notebook was found in the suspect’s vehicle that identified “many lawmakers and other officials,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley at the June 14 news conference with Walz and other officials.
Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, said in a June 14 statement that he was “deeply saddened and angered by the cold-blooded assassination” of Hortman and her husband and the attempted murder of Hoffman and his wife.
Adkins described Hoffman as “a champion of vulnerable people in our communities,” “a person of deep conviction” and “also a friend.”
Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Father Joseph Whalen of St. Timothy in Blaine and Jason Adkins of the Minnesota Catholic Conference issued statements June 14 calling for prayers, peace and civility following the shootings of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA
I ask all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the repose of the souls of Minnesota House SpeakerEmerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with prayers of recovery for Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
I also ask you to pray for the members of law enforcement who are putting themselves at risk hunting down the person, or people, who inflicted this violence and terrorized communities. There is absolutely no reason for someone to commit such senseless violence on anyone, particularly those who are involved in public service.
The Catholic bishops of Minnesota and I met annually with Speaker-Emerita Hortman and I knew her to be an honorable public servant. Although we disagreed on some issues, we worked collaboratively to find common ground on others in pursuit of the common good.
Senator Hoffman is always generous with his time, as well, meeting with the bishops whenever they are at the Capitol. He is a strong advocate for the most vulnerable, and Minnesota continues to need his leadership.
It is wrong for our elected representatives to have to live in fear of violence and we must do everything in our power to regain a sense of civility in our discourse, especially when we disagree. We cannot maintain our representative republic if our lawmakers fear violence for themselves and their family members.
At this time of fear and uncertainty, we need to rely even more on our loving God and that begins with prayer both privately and communally.
May the Prince of Peace lead us away from such senseless violence.
FATHER JOSEPH WHALEN
Today we have learned of a senseless act of violence committed against four Minnesota state legislators and join people around the world in grief. We mourn the tragic deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the grievous injuries sustained by Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. The Hortman
GIFT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
“There’s a beauty in how both St. Vincent’s and the Cathedral were originally built by immigrants,” said Father Joseph Johnson, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul and former pastor of St. Vincent de Paul. “The Cathedral’s Shrine of the Nations testifies to those original immigrant groups who sacrificed to build it. This gift from the Hmong community is just the latest chapter in the story.”
Father Johnson said that just as everyone’s sacrifices helped originally build the Cathedral, the Hmong community’s generous gift is a reminder that the whole Catholic community’s support is needed to maintain and preserve the Cathedral.
Father Johnson said it will eventually take more than $70 million to repair damage inside the Cathedral from decades of water intrusion before the restoration of the dome and exterior. The fundraising effort will also include replacing the century-old boiler system and adding restrooms. Officials with the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, which helps preserve the Cathedral, hope that a better understanding of the pressing restoration needs will lead to broader support.
Since the transfer of the Hmong community from St. Vincent de Paul to Presentation last summer, a Hmong
family had been a part of the St. Timothy parish community and Melissa had volunteered in our children’s faith formation program. Our parish community feels deeply this loss and we offer our prayerful support and condolences to the Hortman and Hoffman families.
This attack on dedicated public servants deeply wounds our entire community. Those who dedicate themselves to public service should be acknowledged for their generosity and commitment to service. As a Catholic community dedicated to outreach and peace, we pray for God to strengthen all people of good will to remain faithful witnesses of justice and peace. And we pray the Prince of Peace embrace with his eternal love our friends Melissa and Mark Hortman, as well as surround John and Yvette Hoffman with his healing strength and presence.
JASON ADKINS
I am deeply saddened and angered by the cold-blooded assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the attempted murder of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Serving in a position of leadership requires making difficult choices and sticking to one’s word, while not abandoning one’s principles. I can personally attest from working with Representative Hortman that she was such a leader. We disagreed on key issues but still found opportunities to collaborate and solve difficult problems that mattered to Minnesotans generally and Catholics, specifically. We will be praying for the repose of her soul.
Senator Hoffman is a champion of vulnerable people in our communities and is a person of deep conviction. He is also a friend. Minnesota cannot afford to lose his presence in state government and our staff is praying fervently for him and for his family.
Resorting to violence in public life is never acceptable and begets more violence. Unfortunately, we, as a society, have increasingly embraced violence as a means of solving problems because we have lost a sense of the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God. Until we recover a deeper sense of our common humanity and fraternity, we will continue to see the collapse of both civic discourse and the ability of our political process to mediate conflict and achieve the common good.
and English bilingual Mass was added at Presentation on Sundays at 11:45 a.m. It typically draws more than 100 people, numbers consistent with St. Vincent de Paul attendance before the transition, Father Ly said.
Father Ly said he hopes that strong faith formation programs and community-building activities such as group pilgrimages and “Sunday Funday” socials will help grow and unite the parish community.
“I want to make sure everyone here feels that we are one community and one family,” said Father Ly, “Not two communities living (in) one house.”
Like St. Vincent de Paul, Presentation is a destination parish for many Hmong Catholics in the diocese seeking to worship in community, said parishioner Eric Ly of Lake Elmo, who is active in the parish school and youth ministry.
When Father Ly first came to Presentation in 2019, there was one Hmong family in the parish. Several more joined, and with the addition of congregation members from St. Vincent de Paul, the Hmong community at Presentation grew to about 50 families, many traveling long distances to participate.
Parishioner Houa Her travels from Coon Rapids to Sunday Mass at Presentation. He supports Father Ly’s efforts at Presentation and supports the gift to the
Cathedral. Her was a member of the original Hmong Cathedral congregation established at St. Vincent de Paul when he moved to Minnesota from Fresno, California, in 1995. Before he came to Fresno, he was living in the Chiang Kham U.N. refugee camp in Thailand after escaping from war in Laos in 1984.
In Laos, Her’s father was a traditional Hmong shaman, engaging in spiritual bargaining via animal sacrifice on behalf of someone who was sick or suffering. Yet even in the sacrificial traditions of Hmong shamanism, there is belief in a higher spiritual power, Her said. Now a Hmong Catholic, he believes that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of all.
“In some ways, I think the shaman tradition is like the time before Jesus, when the pagan tradition offered animal sacrifice,” Her said. Hmong Catholic ministry, he feels, has worked hard to help him and many others in the Hmong community overcome the mindset that people only need religion when they are sick — an aspect of the shaman tradition.
As the Hmong Catholic community settles in at Presentation, Father Ly said, he hopes it continues to grow in faith.
“It’s easy to bring others to Christ when you look at what Jesus did for us,” Father Ly said.
By Josh McGovern
The Catholic Spirit
Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) and Maggee Hangge, policy associate at MCC, invited The Catholic Spirit into the conference’s offices in St. Paul to talk about Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session, which concluded in May and was followed by a special session June 9. The conference is the public policy arm of Minnesota’s Catholic bishops, which includes Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishops Michael Izen and Kevin Kenney of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This interview has been edited for length.
Q Jason and Maggee, thank you for inviting us to the MCC. The 93rd Minnesota Legislative session recently concluded, followed by a special session. Among leading moral issues during this session were proposed cuts to nonpublic school pupil aid. Responding to these proposed budget cuts, many Catholics gathered in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda May 7 as part of a rally protesting Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed budget. Nonpublic school pupil aid was ultimately retained in the two-year budget. What is this aid and why was it so important to retain?
ADKINS
The state of Minnesota makes a commitment to all students, irrespective of where they go to school, to provide essential services. That includes transportation such as busing, nursing, counseling services, textbook aid and other instructional aids as well, such as standardized test funding. Now these aren’t subsidies to private schools. These are funds that are administered by public school districts in collaboration with nonpublic schools and Catholic schools for the benefit of students. The state funds all students in these essential services.
We thought cutting those services simply because you go to private schools or Catholic schools was discriminatory and unfair. And these are essential services. We shouldn’t be balancing the budget on the backs of our students.
Because of the great work of our principals and the people in the pews and people in our Catholic schools standing up, educating legislators about what those aids are and why they’re important, we were able to win the day, and those cuts were removed. They were taken off the table and that funding was retained for the next two years.
Q Your office has advocated against the legalization of online gambling, even saying, “sports gambling is addictive and often leads to problem gambling.” This year, online sports gambling suffered a second defeat in committee. Minnesota remains one of 12 states to not have legal online sports gambling despite attempts to push the bill forward. But the attempts to legalize online gambling failed to pass even one committee this session. What are lawmakers saying about this issue?
ADKINS Lawmakers and the public generally are waking up to the reality that online sports gambling is a consumer fraud scheme. The house really does always win. There are legal forms of betting, but what we’re against is the creation of commercial sports books — ‘the house,’ if you will — because those really are consumer fraud schemes.
We think it’s addictive. We think putting a sports book on everyone’s cellphone 24/7 and giving them access to sports gambling combines both the highly addictive nature of gambling with all the things that we’re learning about the addictive nature of cellphones and social media. That’s a toxic brew. It would amount to a massive multibillion dollar wealth transfer from Minnesotans into the gambling entities without any benefit to the state of Minnesota because the tax revenue that’s generated would actually go into a gaming fund that is then redistributed among gaming entities. The state loses. We bear all the costs of family fragmentation, addiction, bankruptcies and everything else. The state gets no benefits.
Q Another victory your office announced on June 10 was an in vitro fertilization (IVF) proposal not being included in legislation that would have required insurance coverage for IVF. If passed, how would this proposal have impacted Catholics’ religious liberty in the state?
HANGGE We were fortunate this year that the IVF insurance mandate did not get a hearing, but there was an attempt to get it into the one of the omnibus bills towards the end of session, which fortunately did not prevail.
We have a lot of concerns surrounding IVF. First, I’ll say that we have a lot of sympathy for couples who are struggling with infertility. That’s a huge cross to bear and really hard for those couples. But IVF simply is not the answer. Of course, it’s expensive. We know that it can cost between $15(,000) and $30,000 per cycle. People often need more than one cycle. But on top of that, it often leads to eugenic practices. They start with genetic testing and try to see which embryo was going to be the most viable.
More embryos are discarded or are aborted at IVF clinics than at Planned Parenthood. We have a lot of concerns with the practices surrounding that. We don’t want that to go into all of our insurance programs to be mandated by the government. What we’re proposing as the alternative is restorative reproductive medicine. IVF, like I said, isn’t always the most successful. Its success rate is actually pretty low. Being fertile is a marker of good health. If you’re infertile, something is off in your body and we should be exploring that. … We have proposals to actually explore that from the restorative reproductive medicine side.
Because IVF has a lot of ethical concerns because of the way it discards humans, we don’t want to be paying for that at a minimum in our insurance plans. We have looked into religious liberty exemptions for that and had those prepared during the floor debate, for example, but beyond that we don’t think we should just get a carve out, so that’s why we’re working to stop the mandate itself.
Q A major point of contention was health care access for undocumented adult and child immigrants. While access for adults, which began five months ago, was dropped as potentially increasingly expensive, children retained access to MinnesotaCare.
ADKINS This is something that’s raised a lot of concern. The simple fact is that we’re all stewards of the gift of life. That is an important aspect of who we are in our human dignity. To be a good steward of the gift of life, you have to have access to health insurance and health care. We have a system that’s based around insurance and so people need access to the insurance.
Now we’re disappointed that the access for adults was cut this legislative session. We are encouraged, though, by the fact that both parties recognize the moral imperative of giving health care access to undocumented children, something that we didn’t even have before 2023.
The reality is that undocumented immigrants are here for both political and business reasons, as the Minnesota bishops highlighted in their statement on immigration enforcement this February. The only just thing to do is to provide access to those who are here, who are residents, who are contributing to our community, giving them access to health insurance, health insurance that they can pay for as well.
Q Your office commissioned a report to highlight the economic impact of the Catholic Church in Minnesota. The report estimates that the Church contributes more than $5 billion annually in economic benefits to the state. How have lawmakers been receiving this report?
ADKINS (The Fruits of the Vine report) shows that the Catholic Church in Minnesota and her associated ministries create $5 billion in economic impact.
You might not be a Catholic. You might not even like the Catholic Church, but you can’t deny from an objective econometric standpoint that the Church creates serious benefits to the broader community simply because of the jobs that we create. We’re an employer; our parishes employ people; our schools employ people; our places like the Cathedral (of St. Paul) create magnet effects, economic magnet effects for the broader community. You come to St. Paul and you visit the Cathedral. You might go to a wedding, for example, or a funeral. Those all create magnet effects that impact the broader community. Then you’re going to restaurants, you’re getting a hotel, you’re buying a coffee in St. Paul.
(We) really encourage people to read that report. This is part of the good news of what the Church is bringing to the broader community simply because of our large institutional footprint. And that footprint matters.
Q There have been efforts in Minnesota to enact measures that would allow physician-assisted suicide.
ADKINS We just saw it passed in the New York legislature. Hopefully that will get vetoed by the New York governor, but we are not sure. It passed the Illinois House; it was miraculously not brought for a vote in the Illinois Senate. We work in an alliance. It’s called the Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare (ethicalcaremn.org). But we have been effective in ensuring for the last 11 years when that bill has been introduced, every single year, we’ve been able to keep that from passing. That’s because of the dedicated work of so many people across the ideological spectrum, across different groups, disability advocates, people who are concerned about racial disparities, health care advocates. We believe, just as the American Medical Association (believes), that medical aid in dying is a euphemism — that this really is physician-assisted suicide. It is not consistent with sound medical practice and it will impact the most vulnerable in our community.
Q What other issues were covered this session?
HANGGE One of the big issues we were working on was the child tax credit. That’s something that passed in 2023. We were strong advocates and had a good coalition working on that and working to expand that this session. While it didn’t get expanded, there were a lot of proposals on the table to do that.
The child tax credit gives a tax credit to low-income families. We all know that families are struggling. We look at gas prices, we look at grocery prices; how can we provide for families and really put families first? That’s been our goal. How can we put families first in tax and budget discussions? The child tax credit was a great victory in 2023.
We continue to work on building off that and getting it expanded so that more families can become eligible, or like was proposed this session, if there can be different avenues to expanding it, like offering a baby bonus to families who are welcoming a new child into their family.
ADKINS The big advocacy win on the child tax credit was the fact that not only were there bipartisan proposals to expand the child tax credit this year in a tight budget year, and if you look at the bills, you have a very diverse group of authors across the ideological spectrum. It’s a huge advocacy win to generate bipartisan support for that important families first initiative. And at the same time, the proposals to cut the child tax credit were not even given any serious attention. In a tight budget year, we think that was a real advocacy win for us and generating continued momentum to expand the child tax credit and make sure that the people who are doing the most important work of raising the next generation are supported by the state by removing barriers to family formation and having children and helping them flourish.
Q What legislative topics will your office be paying close attention to as the next session approaches? Might one be the Equal Rights Amendment, which would guarantee equal rights under the law to protect against discrimination but as recently proposed would include language protecting decisions about one’s own pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation? If lawmakers passed the amendment, the state’s voters would have to approve it as an amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution.
HANGGE This is something we’ve seen come through in the past year as it passed in the Senate in 2023 (and) a different version passed in the House in 2024. We know that that one is still around, and we’ll continue to monitor, talk with legislators, talk with Catholics about the impacts that the Equal Rights Amendment — so-called Equal Rights Amendment — would have on our state.
ADKINS It’s like dropping a bomb on parental rights and religious liberty. It’s really the ‘Erosion of Rights Amendment.’ This is not your grandmother’s Equal Rights Amendment from the 1970s. This is the imposition of gender ideology, the constitutionalization of abortion, and then a threat to the parents and religious institutions that object to the imposition of both abortion and gender ideology. It’s really a radical proposal. We think it’s harmful. We think it’s dangerous and we think it’s discriminatory.
HANGGE These are just a few of the bills we’ve worked on this session. We have a bill tracker on our website at MNCatholic.org/billtracker.
A U.S. bishop calls for ardent prayer and robust diplomacy, as Israel and Iran trade strikes. “We urge the United States and the broader international community to exert every effort to renew a multilateral diplomatic engagement for the attainment of a durable peace between Israel and Iran,” said Bishop Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, in a June 16 statement. The plea comes as hostilities between Israel and Iran preceded by decades of tension and occasional clashes continue and threaten to become a wider regional conflict, following concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s preemptive June 13 strike. “In the midst of this escalation, Pope Leo XIV has reminded us that ‘It is the duty of all countries to support the cause of peace by initiating paths of reconciliation and promoting solutions that guarantee security and dignity for all,’” said Bishop Zaidan, who heads the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. “I call on Catholics and all men and women of goodwill in the United States and around the world to ardently pray for an end to hostilities in the Middle East.”
The Vatican presents ongoing plans to further reduce its carbon footprint. St. Peter’s Basilica and some of its surrounding buildings are working to reduce their environmental impact by becoming more energy efficient and promoting sustainability. The Fabbrica di San Pietro, the office responsible for the basilica’s upkeep, launched a project in 2022 to lower the environmental impact of the basilica, which welcomes an average of 45,000 visitors a day. A scientific committee established by the office to develop a concrete, data-driven plan presented several of its findings and suggestions during a Vatican news conference June 16. Immediate changes were planned in the sacristy: replacing old radiators with state-of-the-art “water loop systems and the installation of heat pumps,” which should reduce energy consumption between 48% and 57% and emissions between 65% and 72%. The same is planned for the mosaic studio, including LED lighting and giving workers improved ventilation, which will filter out dust and particulates from their work. Other suggestions included buying supplies in bulk and with non-plastic packaging as well as cooling the basilica, which heats up during the day, by letting in cooler air at night.
The USCCB and Catholic Charities are among 200 NGOs in a House probe on migrant aid. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities USA are among more than 200 non-governmental organizations named in a U.S. House of Representatives probe for aiding immigrants its leaders call “inadmissible aliens” during former President Joe Biden’s administration. House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, MD (R-TN) and Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) announced their investigation June 11. Catholic Charities has long denied claims it facilitates illegal immigration. Before the Trump administration suspended a federal refugee resettlement program and froze federal reimbursements, prompting the USCCB to significantly reduce its staff, the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services described itself as “the largest refugee resettlement agency in the world,” and said that in partnership with its affiliates, it resettled approximately 18% of the refugees that arrived in the U.S. each year legally through its refugee programs.
Over 20,000 permanent deacons serve the Church, but death and retirement bring the overall number down. The nation’s Catholic permanent deacons were estimated to number more than 20,000 in 2024 but “as is the case with priests in the United States, there are
not enough new permanent deacons being ordained to make up for the numbers who are retiring from active ministry and dying each year,” according to a new report. “A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2025” was released June 12 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “Deacons serve an invaluable role in bringing the hope of the Gospel to all members of society,” said committee chair Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan. In the U.S., most permanent deacons in 2024 were at least age 50, married, white and college educated. The average minimum age for acceptance into formation was 32. Just 10% of permanent deacons were compensated for their ministries in 2024. “By their witness in the parish, within their families, at the workplace, and while serving the poor, the life of a deacon displays the servant heart of Christ in their faithful, and often hidden, acts of charity,” said Bishop Boyea.
Pope Leo XIV is “deeply saddened” by an Air India plane crash. Pope Leo XIV offered heartfelt condolences after an Air India flight en route to London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, on June 12. In a telegram, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope was “deeply saddened” and commended the souls of the deceased “to the mercy of the Almighty,” assuring prayers for victims and recovery workers. Air India confirmed the passengers included nationals from India, the UK, Canada and Portugal. Video footage shows the aircraft flying low before an explosion and smoke filled the sky. Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster also expressed sorrow, offering prayers for grieving families across the UK and India. Both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident heartbreaking, pledging support. Authorities continue rescue efforts, with over 200 bodies recovered and more casualties feared on the ground.
Pope sets Sept. 7 for joint canonization of Blesseds Acutis and Frassati. Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati together Sept. 7, the Vatican announced. Meeting with cardinals living in and visiting Rome for an ordinary public consistory June 13, the pope approved the new canonization date for the two young blesseds and set Oct. 19 as the date for the canonization of seven others. He announced the dates in Latin. The canonization of Blessed Acutis, a teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and creating an online exhibition of Eucharistic miracles, had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Jubilee of Teenagers. It was postponed following the death of Pope Francis April 21. Born in 1991 and raised in Milan, Blessed Acutis used his tech skills to evangelize and was noted for his joyful faith and compassion for others before dying of leukemia in 2006 at age 15. Blessed Frassati, born in 1901 into a prominent family in Turin, Italy, was admired for his deep spirituality, love for the poor and enthusiasm for life. A member of the Dominican Third Order, he served the sick through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He died at age 24 after contracting polio, possibly from one of the people he assisted.
Vatican bank reports increased profits and charitable giving. The Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican bank, reported increased profits in 2024 and gave a slightly larger dividend check to Pope Francis, who used the entire amount for charity. The bank released its 2024 financial report June 11, detailing in almost 200 pages its goals, achievements and ethical investment criteria. Its net income for 2024 was 32.8
million euros (about $37.6 million), up 7% over 2023, the report said. The institute gave Pope Francis a dividend payment of 13.8 million euros ($15.8 million), it said. The dividend for 2023 was 13.6 million. “The Holy Father decided for the first time to use the entire amount of the dividend paid to charitable work,” Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the institute, wrote in the report’s introduction. Further details about the charitable activities supported by Pope Francis were not included.
On a day of “national tragedy,” Austria mourns nine victims of a high school shooting. Austria is reeling after one of its deadliest school shootings in Graz on June 10. A 22-year-old former student opened fire at Dreierschützengasse high school, killing nine people mostly teenagers and injuring 12 before taking his own life. The victims included six females and three males. Authorities say the shooter claimed to seek revenge for bullying, using legally owned firearms. Bishops of GrazSeckau expressed deep sympathy for the victims, while Cardinal Christoph Schönborn called the tragedy “insane” and urged prayer for the grieving families.
In a move called a “dark day” for residents, the New York Senate passed an assisted suicide law. The New York Senate has voted to legalize medically assisted suicide, a move that one Catholic bioethicist told OSV News marked “a dark day” for the state’s residents. The act will now head to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. State senators passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act 35-27 in a June 9 evening session that, after two hours of debate, wrapped up with a 35-27 vote in favor. The bill had narrowly cleared the state Assembly in April. Hochul’s office told the New York media outlet Advance/Staten Island Live that the governor “will review the legislation.”
Charles Camosy, professor of medical humanities at Creighton University’s School of Medicine, said the measure endangers “especially New Yorkers who are at risk for coercion.” He noted “there is nothing new about the debate over physician-assisted killing,” with New York managing to defeat the prospect over the past decade. But, said Camosy, “what’s changed is that the arguments on the side of privileged populations who want the illusion of control have now defeated those who were standing up for the most vulnerable.” Catholic teaching states that “intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder.”
Father Rupnik’s mosaics disappear from Vatican News. In a quiet but powerful move, Vatican News has begun removing artwork by Father Marko Rupnik the once-renowned mosaicist now accused of abusing over two dozen women and at least one man from its website. His mosaics, long used to mark major feast days online, were recently replaced or left blank a shift many survivors say is long overdue. “I simply felt relieved,” said one abuse victim, calling the move a sign that victims’ pain is finally being heard. The action follows growing pressure from abuse survivors and amid an ongoing Vatican investigation into Father Rupnik’s decades-long abuse. Though Vatican officials initially hesitated, citing presumption of innocence, Cardinal Seán O’Malley emphasized pastoral prudence: not displaying Father Rupnik’s art to avoid suggesting exoneration or indifference. Experts say the case is among the most urgent facing Pope Leo XIV. A verdict is expected soon and many are watching, calling it a test of the Church’s credibility on abuse. CNS and OSV News
‘Unity
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
“How can our hearts not be moved?” Archbishop Bernard Hebda asked the congregation at the Extended Vigil Mass of Pentecost June 7 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
With five Scripture readings and a Gospel reflecting on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the faithful, “How is it that we can’t be excited with that gift of the Holy Spirit that was first manifested to the Apostles on that first Pentecost, 50 days after the Resurrection?” the archbishop asked.
Opening his homily like a prayer, Archbishop Hebda brought to a culminating close the one-day Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly, with many Synod members joining hundreds of the faithful, many dressed in red to symbolize the fire of the Holy Spirit, at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
“That event changed everything for the Apostles,” the archbishop said. “Brothers and sisters, we gather this evening to pray that the gift of the Holy Spirit might be manifest in this local Church as well, in a way that is transformative, that changes us, that gives us new hope, that brings to us the unity about which Bishop (Michael) Izen spoke this morning.”
The archbishop called the June 7 Synod assembly to help him discern pastoral priorities for the years ahead in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis (see pages 10-12). The assembly, with its more than 400 members, followed a similar gathering held in June 2022.
Both assemblies ended with the Vigil Mass of Pentecost. Even the night before the assembly began, Archbishop Hebda and Bishops Izen and Kevin Kenney — with Synod assembly members and all parishioners of the archdiocese
invited — held a Holy Hour of Adoration at the Cathedral to pray that the gifts of the Holy Spirit might flow through the proceedings.
In a homily at the Holy Hour, Bishop Kenney referred to the Gospel for the day’s Mass, John 21:15-19, when the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to the disciples, eats breakfast with them and asks Peter three times, “do you love me?”
“Jesus asks us the same question,” Bishop Kenney said. “Do you love me after having denied me? Do you love me after running from me? As we stand at the brink of the Synod (assembly), Jesus asks us: ‘Do you love me?’”
“Then the question will be, ‘How will you feed my sheep?’” Bishop Kenney said. “How will we tend the sheep? ... The outpouring of the Holy Spirit comes to us and feeds us, so we can feed the sheep. We do it when we accept the Holy Spirit coming to us, forgiving us, renewing us.”
The next morning, Synod assembly members gathered at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul for a full day of prayer, discussion, sharing and discernment. Bishop Izen led morning prayer and adoration of the Eucharist. He urged attendees to work and pray for unity in a challenging world.
“Unity is different than uniformity,” Bishop Izen said. “Community is about respecting what one another says, loving them, even if we disagree.”
“We are the Lord’s,” the bishop said. “You are the Lord’s, I am the Lord’s, we are the Lord’s. We’re united in the Lord. St. Paul reminds us of that. Scripture reminds us, the Eucharist reminds us, that we are one in Christ. Pray for that communion among ourselves today that we might be one, as (are) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
In his homily at the vigil Mass, Archbishop Hebda also stressed unity in the Spirit. “Our prayers even focus on that unity that only the Spirit can bring,” the archbishop said. Referring to the first reading from the Book of Genesis, when people built a high tower to make a name for themselves
but to prevent further presumption were thrown by the Lord into a confusion of languages and scattered all over the Earth, the archbishop said, “To correct that, God divided our languages. And yet we hear, brothers and sisters, of how it is that in the new Israel, the Holy Spirit gathers people from many tongues and nations and unites us once again.”
A reading from Ezekiel spoke of the Lord’s spirit giving life to dry bones, and the archbishop told a story about recently receiving a telephone call from a man from Wisconsin, who brings loads of scrap metal to a scrapyard in St. Paul.
“After he brings in the scrap, he always walks a little bit through the yard to see if there’s anything of value there,” the archbishop said. “He said as he was walking through, something caught his eye. He said, ‘bishop, I have to tell you, I haven’t been much of a churchgoer in many years, but when I saw the top of this crosier, I knew that wasn’t scrap metal. I knew it had value to the Church.”
He and the owner of the business decided the crosier should be returned to its rightful use, the archbishop said — as he held the very ornate, golden crosier, or staff, that was found in the scrapyard.
“We don’t know whose crosier it was, but how magnificent that in the midst of that scrapyard — maybe like that field of dry bones — that there was that sign of hope, that glimmer of hope, that we can celebrate this evening,” the archbishop said.
“We hope, my brothers and sisters, that we might be like that gentleman who found this crosier in the scrapyard. That we might be able to recognize the treasure that God has in our midst,” the archbishop said.
“Those of you who labored so hard this day with your Synod work, you, I think, were really working hard to discover that treasure that’s in our Church, that treasure that comes from the Holy Spirit, recognizing that that gift is the people of God.”
By Rebecca Omastiak
The Catholic Spirit
Prayerful listening and idea sharing were highlights of the Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly, as members of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis sought to assist Archbishop Bernard Hebda in discerning the archdiocese’s trajectory in upcoming years.
In his 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room,” the archbishop indicated that he viewed the Archdiocesan Synod 2025 as a way to continue discerning and listening to build unity and evangelization in the archdiocese.
Noting that the June 7 gathering was in the midst of the Jubilee Year and the archdiocese’s 175th anniversary, the archbishop spoke of sharing “the ways in which the Lord has blessed us” and being called “to be men and women of hope.”
“I spoke many times in the pastoral letter about hope,” the archbishop said to those gathered at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul during the afternoon session. Reciting a portion of his pastoral letter, he said: “The experience of being your shepherd these past years has deepened my confidence that Christ our king has wonderful plans in mind for us in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, plans to give us ‘a future of hope.’”
“I can tell you, brothers and sisters, that that sense has only been strengthened in the three years since” the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod Assembly and subsequent pastoral letter release, he said.
The day’s events drew roughly 450 people, including volunteers, to the school. There was a morning and afternoon session. In the afternoon, assembly members individually voted on the eight remaining propositions from the 12 that received the highest number of votes during the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod Assembly and were included in the archbishop’s pastoral letter.
The results are being processed and shared with the archbishop, for his continued prayer and discernment.
Discipleship in Daily Life, Adult Faith Formation and Welcome and Hospitality were among the propositions that rose to the top of discussion among assembly members during two large group sharing opportunities that followed prayerful small group discussions. In the 2022 assembly, Discipleship in Daily Life received the seventh-most votes, Adult Formation received the second-most votes, and Welcome and Hospitality received the sixth-most votes.
In the materials provided to assembly members, the Discipleship in Daily Life proposition was defined as: “Teach individuals and families the art of Christian living in the modern world to be a witness of the abundant life for which God created us.” The Adult Faith Formation proposition was defined as: “Create or strengthen an intentional formation plan at every parish to help adults and families in all stages of life to live and witness to the faith in our culture today.” The Welcome and Hospitality proposition was defined as: “Foster an intentional culture of welcoming and hospitality that seeks to encounter people where they are and open wide the doors to Christ for them.” Assembly members also discussed the importance of fostering vibrant youth and young adult
communities in the local Church.
Efforts in the archdiocese will continue for four propositions that were among the top vote-getters in the 2022 assembly: sustaining small groups via the Parish Evangelization Cells System, education on the Mass and fostering active participation in it, and forming parents as the primary educators of the faith to their children.
During the two large group gatherings in the afternoon session, roughly 50 assembly members talked about the propositions that most touched their hearts as well as their ideas for implementing those propositions at the parish level. Archbishop Hebda listened and responded, as Auxiliary Bishops Michael Izen and Kevin Kenney sat listening nearby.
One assembly member, who said the Discipleship in Daily
By Josh McGovern
The Catholic Spirit
Through small and large group sharing, breakfast, lunch and dinner, Archdiocesan Synod Assembly 2025 members dove right into sharing their thoughts and prayers for the pastoral priorities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Every vocation in the archdiocese was represented, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said, with lay people, clergy and men and women in consecrated life discussing what they hope will come out of the Synod, such as a focus on evangelization, youth ministry, daily discipleship or additional faith formation for all ages.
Fruits of the Holy Spirit continue to be unpacked from initiatives already underway since Archdiocesan Synod Assembly 2022, including small groups formed in the model of the Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS), Archbishop
Hebda said. Parishioners have told him that small groups have reignited their spiritual lives, the archbishop said.
“These fruits give context for our discernment today,” the archbishop said. “And they should give you some confidence; they certainly give me confidence.”
Archbishop Hebda’s efforts to listen to parishioners and discern pastoral priorities have been ongoing since he was appointed apostolic administrator to the archdiocese in 2015, then installed as archbishop in 2016. He held prayer and listening events and offered other opportunities to strengthen the community and the faith across the archdiocese from 2019 to 2022, leading up to the first Synod assembly.
Sarah Moon, a parishioner of St. Peter in Richfield, attended Archdiocesan Synod Assembly 2022 and returned for the 2025 assembly. She accepted Archbishop Hebda’s invitation without hesitation, Moon said.
Her hope from the Synod, she said, is that the faithful will recognize they have a place in their parish. “We do need
them,” Moon said. “God doesn’t call perfect people. We need everyone to help our archdiocese grow and be successful in the future.”
Jim Moorhouse of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake said he was a member of the first Archdiocesan Synod, and at first, he didn’t know why a second assembly was needed.
“Now that I’m here, I’m thinking that the archbishop is still asking people what we need,” Moorhouse said. “And I’m excited to see what’s next.”
One suggestion that resonated with him, Moorhouse said, was discipleship in daily living. “Programs for faith formation are great,” he said. “But how do we get them there? For me, it’s relationships; to cultivate relationships.”
Moon noted that reaching people after they are confirmed is important.
“It’s been 22 years since I had my confirmation and because my mom was a lector, I knew that there were more roles that I could take within the Church once I was confirmed,”
they will help us, just even hearing those things, as we try to chart a course for moving forward.”
During the Exhortation and Next Steps portion of the afternoon session, Archbishop Hebda said, “I once again have this deep sense that we have a God of surprises and that only the Lord knows what surprises he’s going to bring.” He added that “it’s a blessed time for us” to discern what is ahead for the archdiocese.
“As an archdiocese, we’ve been walking together in synodality for many years ... that journey over these years does not end today, but in my opinion, needs to continue,” Archbishop Hebda said.
“We need to have a regular pattern of coming together as we did today,” said the archbishop, adding he would look to feedback from those gathered on holding regular Synods in the archdiocese, what the frequency of those Synods might be, and how to maintain continuity while also bringing new members of the archdiocese into the process.
“How do we build upon your good work of witness and evangelization?” the archbishop said.
The archbishop expressed his gratitude for those gathered: “I’m so grateful that you’ve given so selflessly of yourselves in this time ... I recognize the weeks and months of your time and prayer that you’ve invested and that’s such a great gift,” the archbishop said, adding that this gift has “been one of the greatest sources of hope for me” during the Jubilee Year.
Several members of the Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly talked about its impact. Their comments:
“I’m really excited about the outcomes from the last Synod. But in particular, the one on the deaneries really interested me. The grouping of parishes, collaboration, unification. I’d love to see more collaboration across the different parishes in the archdiocese.”
Sunoh Choe, 34, Holy Family, St. Louis Park, a member of the Archdiocesan Blue Ribbon Commission on Parents as Primary Educators of the faith to their children.
Life proposition moved his heart, said, “Everything that we do needs to have that Christocentricity, needs to have Jesus at the center.” Another who also mentioned this proposition suggested an idea for implementation could be discerning ways to personalize prayer, fasting and almsgiving “within our own life, within our own structure. How do we encounter God in our daily circumstances?”
One assembly member, who said the Adult Faith Formation proposition moved her heart, said, “How can I be a disciple if I don’t know the faith?” Another who also mentioned this proposition, suggested an idea for implementation could be “large formation events with time to discuss” as well as “mentoring processes for adult formation.”
One assembly member, who said the proposition of Welcome and Hospitality touched her heart, said “this is the invitation of Jesus Christ; he gives the invitation first.” Another, who also referenced this proposition, suggested that members of the local Church can be Christ-like in the way hospitality is extended: “We are the face of God. … God uses me to talk to the people — uses my mouth, uses my ears, my eyes.” One assembly member who mentioned this proposition, suggested an idea for implementation could be to develop training “for the people in the pews” who are interested, “to reach out, and be invitational, beyond the church door.”
Many assembly members talked about ways the series of propositions are connected; one assembly member shared his appreciation for “the ways in which these propositions reinforce one another and different aspects of the issue of Christian life.”
In addressing the ideas shared, Archbishop Hebda said, “I always appreciate when you’re giving those best ideas, that’s always so helpful for me ... they were very concrete, they were doable, that’s very helpful for me as your shepherd. And I think
she said. “Having adult formation opportunities available after confirmation will hopefully give youth a reason to keep coming and saying, ‘Confirmation isn’t the end. There is more for me afterwards.’”
Synod assembly members assigned randomly to tables of six discussed topics in small groups, and attendees selected at random were asked to share with the archbishop and the assembly what they believed the Holy Spirit was inviting the archbishop to prioritize.
Sunoh Choe, a 34-year-old parishioner of Holy Family in St. Louis Park and a member of the Archdiocesan Blue Ribbon Commission on Parents as Primary Educators of the faith to their children, said he had joked to his wife that of the many people present, the odds of him being selected to share were astronomical. During the first large group discussion, Choe was one of the first people called.
“Something that came to my heart was actually the deanery proposition, of leveraging and grouping parishes to make
Before his closing prayer, Archbishop Hebda encouraged those gathered to consider God’s continued call in their lives. “We know that through our baptism, we are always called to more. ... It’s our Lord, Jesus Christ, who’s inviting you, who’s inviting me, who’s inviting us.”
“It’s the Lord who invites us to be the Church that he intends; he calls you by name, he has knit you together in your mother’s womb — we read about in Scripture — for times such as these. And only he, and perhaps you through prayerful cooperation, can know where it is that he’s inviting you next,” the archbishop said.
To close, the archbishop prayed, “Loving God, we thank you for the ways in which you’ve reminded us of the forceful presence of your Holy Spirit. We thank you for the respect that our brothers and sisters showed to one another in the course of this day. We thank you for helping us to hear you in their voices and in their needs. We ask you to bless all of us with a stronger sense of how it is that you’re calling us to move forward, how it is that we can be the Church that you desire us to be, building on these 175 years and preparing to pass on the faith to our younger generations. We ask that you might always keep us united to Mary, our mother, and to give us the evangelical zeal of St. Paul, our patron, and help us to relate with the joyful commitment of soon-to-be St. Carlo Acutis so that, in all things, we might be able to be that Church that you desire.”
After the morning and afternoon sessions June 7, assembly members traveled to the Cathedral for the 7 p.m. Extended Vigil Pentecost Mass, followed by a prayer service.
The evening prior to the assembly, Archbishop Hebda, Bishop Izen and Bishop Kenney led a Holy Hour of Adoration at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Members of the Archdiocesan Synod 2025 and the faithful were invited
better use of retreats that one parish might host, or other events,” Choe told the archbishop.
Choe mentioned the 2025 Archdiocesan Men’s Conference at Epiphany in Coon Rapids, noting that he had not heard about the event before it happened.
“I realized, if I’m not hearing about it, how many others aren’t hearing about it?” Choe asked Archbishop Hebda. “Maybe (deaneries) is a creative strategy for us to really fire on all cylinders and impact all the propositions.”
Celeste Donlon, 56, a member of Divine Mercy and a teacher of English and theology for 17 years at Bethlehem Academy, both in Faribault, said there was “great synergy” at the assembly.
“Archbishop Hebda is a great leader and we’re ready to follow,” she said.
Joe Ruff of The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report.
“I’m excited to play my small part in maintaining the positive momentum in the archdiocese. A lot has happened since the last (Archdiocesan) Synod (2022). I am looking forward to what the archbishop has in mind for the next few years.”
Rob Masloski, 32, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, a member of his parish’s Synod Executive Cell Team and the parish’s director of evangelization and catechesis.
“Having adult formation opportunities available after confirmation will hopefully give youth a reason to keep coming and say, ‘Oh, confirmation isn’t the end. There is more for me afterwards.’ Really, confirmation is not the end. It’s the next step of your faith journey.”
Sarah Moon, 38, St. Peter in Richfield, a catechist for her parish.
“I participated three years ago in the Synod, and I’ve seen the amazing fruits that the Holy Spirit has brought into our archdiocese. I’ve seen in my parish, Holy Name, how small groups and many other initiatives and the difference they are making in people’s lives. I’m really excited to see what is coming next.”
Luis Rojas, 49, Holy Name of Jesus, Medina.
“It’s a response to our baptismal call and a shared wisdom that exists in all vocations. Every voice matters. Together, we form a rich tapestry of wisdom shaped by diverse experiences. The Synod extends especially to our youth, who we are called to invite not just into the Church, but into belonging, valued for who they are.”
“These propositions, all the things we’re doing, they’re all ways to try and get the laity to get stirred, get moved and just feel the (Holy) Spirit and move the Spirit and grow with the Spirit. That’s the hope. We implement things and then people grow.”
“I joined this Synod as a member to understand what the Synod is, as well as what we can do from the Korean Catholic Community to be a better part of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. What I learned throughout this Synod assembly was very interesting, as the Korean community also feels a lack of adult formation, as well as young adult formation, is limited. (I hope to) understand what they’re looking for and what they can actually execute in the next few years, and we can be part of the overall Synod activities.”
The Catholic Spirit
More than 400 laypeople, clergy and men and women in consecrated life participated in the Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly June 7 at CretinDerham Hall in St. Paul. Archbishop Bernard Hebda and assembly organizers extend their gratitude to participants for the many hours spent in preparation and discernment. Organizers compiled participants’ names, parishes and affiliations to publish in the following list:
Geralyn Aanonsen, St. Joseph, Taylors Falls
Sarah Albright, St. Francis Xavier, Franconia
Mark Allen, St. Michael, Stillwater Evangelina Alvarado, Assumption, Richfield
Lisa Amman, St. Thomas More, St. Paul
Father Lenny Andrie, Vicar of Evangelization
Mary Antilla, Risen Savior, Burnsville
Ricardo Arcienega, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis
Lucero Arellano Castaneda, St. Francis de Sales, St. Paul
Tammy Arndorfer, St. Bonaventure, Bloomington
Wayne Arnold, St. Mary, Waverly
Father Paul Baker, Deanery 3 Father Joseph Bambenek, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Father Austin Barnes, Misc/Other (alternate, invited)
Andrea Barrett, St. Casimir, St. Paul
Father Michael Barsness, Presbyteral Council
Sharon Baudler, Holy Name of Jesus, Medina
Deacon Randy Bauer, St. Katharine
Drexel, Ramsey
Luke Bearth, St. John the Baptist, Savage
Deacon Terry Beer, Permanent Deacon
Father Terry Beeson, Misc/Other
Melissa Beissel, St. Mary, New Trier
Theresa Bennett, St. Joseph, West St. Paul
Sam Bertrand, St. Mary, Stillwater
Nicole Bettini, Religious
Jim Bittner, St. Bonaventure, Bloomington
Corey Block, St. Mary, Le Center
Elda Bloemendal, Transfiguration, Oakdale
Brian Bloemendal, Transfiguration, Oakdale
Michelle Boris, Lay Ecclesial Minister
Father Brent Bowman, Misc/Other
Deacon Dan Brewer, Permanent Deacon
Chip Brink, Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis
Father Andrew Brinkman, Presbyteral Council
D’Ann Brosnahan, Christ the King, Minneapolis
Valerie Broughton, Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis
Julie Brown-Micko, St. Albert the Great Cindy Buckland, St. Francis of Assisi, Lake St. Croix Beach
Angie Budin, Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery
Elias Budke, St. Patrick, Oak Grove (Cedar Creek)
Phillip Burza, St. Bartholomew, Wayzata
Father Alex Carlson, Deanery 10
Paul Carlson, Pax Christi, Eden Prairie
Barbara Carnes, St. John the Baptist, Dayton
Ruth Caron, Misc/Other
Anne Carraux, St. Hubert, Chanhassen
Cindy Casey, St. Peter, Forest Lake
Bill Casurella, St. Joseph, Rosemount
Andrew Cervenka, Annunciation, Hazelwood
Father James Chitteth, Presbyteral Council
Sunoh Choe, Blue Ribbon Commission
Cassandra Clark, St. Paul, Ham Lake
Mike Cole, St. Nicholas, Elko New Market
Father Tim Combs, Presbyteral Council
Father Joe Connelly, Deanery 1
Jackie Craigmile, St. Hubert, Chanhassen
Anne Cullen Miller, Misc/Other
Juan Cuzco, seminarian
Alison Dahlman, Blue Ribbon Commission
Deacon Mike Daly, Our Lady of the Prairie, Belle Plaine
Maureen Daly, Our Lady of the Prairie, Belle Plaine
Brother Gary Davis, St. Lawrence, Minneapolis
Sister Julieta del Caprio, religious Gordy DeMarais, Preparatory Commission-TPC
Gigi DesLauriers-Knop, Holy Name, Minneapolis
Deacon Mike DeWitte, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Delano
Lee Diedrick, Maternity of Mary, St. Paul
Hon. Christopher Dietzen, AFCCB
Peter Distelzweig, St. Mark, St. Paul
Celeste Donlon, Divine Mercy, Faribault
Linda Downie, Sacred Heart, Rush City
Dustin DuFault, All Saints, Minneapolis
Father Thomas Duffner, Presbyteral Council
Lan Duong, St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien, Minneapolis
Sue Dupay, St. Gerard Majella, Brooklyn Park
Gene Earhart, Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville
Adam Eberhard, Transfiguration, Oakdale
Father Douglas Ebert, Presbyteral Council
Teresa Edali Mendez Ortega, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Lee Eiden, St. Stephen, Anoka
Festus Ejifor, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul
Steve Ekeberg, St. Bernard, St. Paul
Keyona Elkins, Our Lady of Grace, Edina
Holly Ellingson, St. Joseph, Miesville
Father Joah Ellis, Presbyteral Council
Lisa Falconer, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli
Kathryn Falconer, Most Holy Trinity, Veseli
Yen Fasano, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Father R.J. Fichtinger, S.J., Deanery 2
Jill Fink, Preparatory CommissionExecutive Committee
Father Kevin Finnegan, Vicar of Evangelization
Tom Florczek, Misc/Other
Ken Forner, Guardian Angels, Chaska
Laurie Forner, Guardian Angels, Chaska
Charles Foster, St. Albert, Albertville
Peggy Fouts, St. Bonaventure, Bloomington
Dan Frederick, Annunciation, Minneapolis
Andrew Frenz, Our Lady of Peace, Minneapolis
Peggy Friedrichs, Holy Trinity, Waterville
Father Nick Froehle, Deanery 8 Tim Gagliardi, Annunciation, Minneapolis
Nora Galvan, Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee
Rikki George, St. Peter, Richfield
Karla Gergen, Blue Ribbon Commission
Nancy Giacchetti, St. John the Baptist, Excelsior
Allen Gieske, St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindstrom
Father Sam Gilbertson, Deanery 5
Father Derek Gilde, Deanery 12
Father Ryan Glaser, Liturgical Commission
LouAnn Goossens, St. John Vianney, South St. Paul
Cheryl Gores, St. Agatha, Coates
Paula Graff, St. Louis King of France, St. Paul
Lynette Graham, St. Peter Claver, St. Paul
Shirley Gregory, St. Paul, Zumbrota
Edward F. Gross, Misc/Other
Kayla Ha, St. Columba, St. Paul
Father Byron Hagen, Presbyteral Council
Father Nick Hagen, Deanery 2 Alanna Halloran, Preparatory Commission-TPC
Ian Handrigan, Gichitwaa Kateri, Minneapolis
Eva Hansen, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights
Laura Haraldson, Preparatory Commission
Gerri Hare, St. Bridget, Minneapolis
Father Bob Hart, Presbyteral Council
Father Daniel Haugan, Deanery 2 Katie Hays, St. Therese, Deephaven
Matthew Hazzard, St. Genevieve, Centerville
Jim Healy, St. Victoria, Victoria
Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Archbishop Anna Heebsh, Corpus Christi, Roseville
Nancy Heldberg, Nativity, Cleveland
Josh Hengemuhle, St. Peter, North St. Paul
Jennifer Hensley, St. Pius V, Cannon Falls
Elizabeth Herberg, Sacred Heart, Rush City
Kristi Herro, Our Lady of Grace, Edina
Elise Hilton, St. John Vianney, South St. Paul
Father Patrick Hipwell, Presbyteral Council Dean
Mary Hodgdon, Blue Ribbon Commission
Matt Holicky, St. Henry, St. Henry
Nancy Holovnia, St. Raphael, Crystal
Brittany Huebl, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague
Joe Huebl, St. Wenceslaus, New Prague
Mark Huschke, St. Therese, Deephaven
Vicky Iacarella, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Minneapolis
Anne Igo, St. Peter, Mendota
Bishop Michael Izen, episcopate
Chris Jacobson, Misc/Other
Gloria Janikula, St. Mary, Waverly
Rob Jensen, St. John the Baptist, New Brighton
Kathy Johnson, St. Patrick, Oak Grove (Cedar Creek)
Father Joseph Johnson, Preparatory Commission-TPC
Dave Johnston, Epiphany, Coon Rapids
Father Jan Michael Joncas, Liturgical Commission
Hazel Jordan, St. Odilia, Shoreview
Jason Kapsner, St. Edward, Bloomington
Father Randal Kasel, Deanery 6
Justin Kelly, Lay Ecclesial Minister
Mary Kennedy, Ascension, Minneapolis
Anita Kennedy, St. Jerome, Maplewood
Bishop Kevin Kenney, episcopate
Jodi Ketter, Lay Ecclesial Minister
Carol Kiihbauch, Misc/Other
Mary Kingsbury, St. Paul, Zumbrota
Sydney Kirchoff, St. Michael, Prior Lake
Peter Klatt, St. Boniface, St. Bonifacius
Tara Klatt, St. Boniface, St. Bonifacius
Cheryl Klisczc, Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto
Father John Klockman, Deanery 10
Tom Konrardy, St. Joseph, Waconia
Jaci Kopet, Nativity, Cleveland
Clint Kortuem, Immaculate
Conception, Marysburg
Chris Kostelc, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Father Kyle Kowalczyk, Deanery 11
Don Kramer, St. Olaf, Minneapolis
Cindy Krenik, Immaculate
Conception, Marysburg
Susan Kubat, St. Ambrose, Woodbury
Joseph Kueppers, AFC-CB
Peter Kurachek, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka
Bob Labat, Misc/Other
Mary Langan, St. Dominic, Northfield
Jack Lano, Ascension, Norwood
Young America
Terri Leary, Holy Cross, Minneapolis
Jay Lee, St. Patrick, St. Paul
Allison Lee, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul Park
Andy Leet, Pax Christi, Eden Prairie
Donna Lehmann, St. John the Evangelist, Little Canada
Osvaldo León-Valadez, St. Odilia, Shoreview
Dale Lieb, Lay Advisory Board Deanery 1
Father James Liekhus, Preparatory Commission
Craig Lietzke, St. Paul, Ham Lake
Joseph Lind, All Saints, Minneapolis
Mayka Lo, St. Patrick, St. Paul
Judy Logan, Misc/Other
Father Jack Long, Presbyteral Council Dean
Thomas Longar, Good Shepherd, Golden Valley
Beatriz Lopez, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Jean Lown, Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul BJ Ludwig, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Delano
Father Peter Ly, Presbyteral Council
Dean
Father Stan Mader, Presbyteral Council
Derek Maffei, St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo
Deacon Steve Maier, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Patti Maki, St. Mathias, Hampton
Jill Maki, St. Bartholomew, Wayzata
Father Matthew Malek, Misc/Other
Angie Malone, Assumption, St. Paul Jomar Manalo, Guardian Angels, Oakdale
Paul Mandell, St. Thomas Becket, Eagan
Corey Manning, St. Michael, Stillwater
Tricia Manuel, St. Timothy, Maple Lake
Mahalia Marcelin, Blue Ribbon Commission
Gerry Mareck, Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee
Father Tom Margevičius, Liturgical Commission
Nicholas Markell, Liturgical Commission
Father Luke Marquard, Vicar of Evangelization
Angeles Martinez-Giron, Assumption, Richfield
Rob Maslowski, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville
Jane Mathisrud, St. Helena, Minneapolis
Alyssa Matlon, St. Thomas Becket, Eagan
Anita May, St. Mathias, Hampton
Kelly Maynard, Lumen Christi, St. Paul
Father Tom McCabe, Misc/Other
Father TJ McKenzie, Presbyteral Council Deanery 1
Julie McNally, St. John the Baptist, Savage
Jose Mejia, Sacred Heart, St. Paul
Thomas J. Mertens, AFC-CB
Emily Meyer, Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul
Father Nate Meyers, Deanery 4
Deacon Joe Michalak, Preparatory Commission
Joe Miller, Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale
Jen Millikin, St. Edward, Bloomington
Julie Miriovsky, St. Francis, Buffalo
Alba Misner, Epiphany, Coon Rapids
Father John Mitchell, Presbyteral Council
Cathy Mohs, St. John Neumann, Eagan
Sarah Moon, St. Peter, Richfield
Jim Moorhouse, St. Pius X, White Bear Lake
By Rebecca Omastiak
The Catholic Spirit
New information about the sacraments is being collected in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, helping to provide a fuller picture of the sacramental life of the local Church and highlighting its members’ interest in, and commitment to, the Catholic faith.
This year, the archdiocese began collecting information from its 185 parishes about the number of non-infant baptisms and non-infant receptions into the Catholic Church during the Easter season.
Susan Mulheron — chancellor of canonical affairs for the archdiocese, who helped to gather the data — said interest in this archdiocesan data grew as various dioceses across the United States reported increases in the number of people seeking sacraments of initiation this year and as archdiocesan priests began sharing that “they’re seeing a lot of interest.”
To gather the information, a brief form was emailed to parish leaders to fill out. Mulheron said she couldn’t recall the archdiocese previously collecting this specific information. The chancellor’s office will collect this data going forward “so we’ll have data in subsequent years to compare,” Mulheron said.
This year, there were 502 non-infant baptisms and 620 receptions into the Church during the Easter season in the archdiocese, according to the data. Mulheron said a non-infant baptism is defined as an individual over the age of 7 being baptized in the Catholic Church. A non-infant reception into the Church is defined as a baptized Christian over the age of 7 coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.
“Just over the course of a couple weeks, we gained that many people who intentionally went forward and said, ‘I want to be Catholic adults,’” Mulheron said. “That’s exciting.”
This Easter season, Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul, Incarnation in Minneapolis, St. Odilia in Shoreview, St. Peter in Richfield, and the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul were the five parishes that reported the most non-infant baptisms, with 26, 19, 19, 17 and 16 people receiving the sacrament, respectively.
Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Minneapolis, St. Michael in St. Michael, Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul, St. Odilia and St. Vincent de Paul in Osseo were the five parishes that reported the most non-infant receptions into the Church this Easter season, with 27, 25, 25, 23 and 18 people being welcomed, respectively.
“It has been a true blessing at the Easter Vigil over the last couple of years to welcome so many boys and girls and men and women into our Catholic Christian faith,” Father James Peterson, pastor of St. Odilia, said.
“This year, we had people receiving the sacraments of Christian initiation who were English and Spanish speakers and those connected with the church and those connected with our parish grade school,” Father Peterson wrote in an email, reflecting on the 19 non-infant baptisms and 23 non-infant receptions into the Church welcomed at the parish this Easter season.
“The Holy Spirit has been very active in the hearts of folks within and from beyond our community,” Father Peterson wrote. “There is a culture at St. Odilia with joyfully sharing the good news and — as have been trends throughout the world — people have been responding generously to the promptings of the Lord.”
According to a Pew Research Center report released June 16, roughly 47% of adults in the United States say they have “some connection to the Catholic faith”: 20% responded they are Catholic when asked about their current religion, 9% said they are “cultural Catholics” (identifying as Catholic “ethnically, culturally or because of their family background”), 9% said they are former Catholics and 9% said they are connected to the faith in other ways (they have a parent or spouse who is Catholic, or they responded affirmatively when asked if they ever attend Catholic Mass).
The report which builds on data from the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study released this year indicated that among the 20% of U.S. Catholic adults, 50% said they pray daily, 28% attend Mass at least weekly and 23% participate in the sacrament of confession at least once a year.
The 2023-24 study, meanwhile, reported 82% of Catholics in the U.S. say religion is very important or somewhat important in their lives (compared with 64% of all U.S. adults and 83% of all religiously affiliated U.S. adults).
In terms of religious service attendance, 40% of U.S. Catholics say they attend religious services in person monthly or more often (compared with 33% of all U.S. adults) and 21% watch religious services online or on TV monthly or more often (compared with 23% of all U.S. adults), according to the study.
The 2023-24 study reports 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christian, indicating the decline of Christianity in the U.S.
During his homily at the Easter Vigil Mass April 19 at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Archbishop Bernard Hebda shared his gratitude with those who responded to this prompting and were being welcomed into the Church.
“Know how grateful I am for your witness — so grateful in your willingness to choose Christ, even when there are difficult circumstances,” the archbishop said. “You, brothers and sisters, are truly an answer to our prayers — not only to my prayers but to the prayers of the Church. We’ve been fervently praying that the Lord will renew his Church and he’s doing that through you.”
appears to be leveling off the percentage of adults identifying as Christian “has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%” between 2019 and 2024, according to the Pew Research Center. The study reports 19% identify as Catholic a number that has been relatively consistent in Pew Research Center surveys conducted since 2014, which have reported between 19% and 21% identifying as Catholic.
The Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook of the Church, released at the end of March on the sacramental life of the Catholic Church globally, reported that there were approximately 2.7 million adult baptisms registered worldwide in 2023. That number was roughly 20% of the approximately 13.2 million baptisms registered worldwide that year, according to the Catholic News Service (CNS) reporting on Vatican statistics. Generally, the Vatican reported total baptisms had declined from 2022 to 2023 (13,327,037 in 2022 to 13,150,780 in 2023), according to CNS.
The Vatican reported an increase in the number of confirmations and first holy Communions registered: Nearly 7.7 million people were confirmed worldwide in 2023 (compared with 7.4 million people worldwide in 2022), and 9.1 million people received their first Communion in 2023 (compared with 8.68 million people in 2022), according to CNS.
The Vatican did caution that the numbers published via the yearbook were based on responses it received from surveys it had sent; of 3,188 dioceses and other jurisdictions, roughly 140 did not send information, CNS reported.
The archbishop spoke of Christ’s faithfulness “to the promise that he made to us: that if we’re baptized into his death, we will share in his resurrection. That’s what makes this day greater than any other. Not only did Christ conquer sin and death himself, but he offers to us a share in that victory. I suspect that that is what motivates those who will be baptized here this evening and those who will be confirmed in such great number.”
Archbishop Hebda encouraged all those gathered for the vigil Mass to “pray as well for a deeper sense of the great gift that is the sacramental life of our Church.”
By Christina Capecchi
For The Catholic Spirit
For Karri Norris, being a lunch lady at East Ridge High School in Woodbury is an ongoing opportunity to pray for teens. And when she clocks out, she continues to seek “pray-tunities,” as she dubs them thanking cashiers, smiling at strangers and inquiring about people’s tattoos.
“Jeff Cavins calls it the tattoo ministry,” said Norris, 49, a mother of two who belongs to St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park. “I’ll say, ‘I really like your tattoo. Why did you choose it?’ It’s often about a parent who (died) or a friend who (died by) suicide. You can say, ‘I’m a Christian, and I’ll pray for you.’ Prayertunities are everywhere. It’s just a question of whether we’re taking them.”
Q You’re about to celebrate a milestone birthday. You don’t look 50! Your skin!
A It’s all that steam from the dishwashers in the kitchen! It helps with the wrinkles. Lunch lady facials every day!
Q The ending of a school year always reminds me of the passage of time. Does it hit you, too?
A This year, more than ever! Turning 50 makes me want to re-examine my life. Where am I going? At my age, I’m a little more secure so I feel like I can make the changes that need to be done. My oldest has two more years in the house.
Q Have you figured out how to slow time?
A I try to live in the moment. I think that’s what it comes down to. It doesn’t have to be the perfect moment. It doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy. It doesn’t have to cost money. It can be so simple. Since my oldest, Andie, started getting hours with her permit, we’ve started going on sunset drives. We’ll head out to Afton, and it always has to be sunset, and I let her drive and pick out the music. She plays Taylor Swift, and we take these random roads and see cows and deer. I’ll always, always remember our sunset drives.
Q St. Thomas Aquinas was your childhood parish, and now you coordinate liturgy there and prepare the first Communicants.
A It’s so welcoming. It just feels like home. I love getting to know the kids and how they learn. I’m really expressive. I get jazzed up about little things.
Q Your faith is contagious!
A We’d all strayed from the Catholic faith, but my mom’s faith remained strong. She (died) 11 years ago, and it pulled us all back in. It’s been incredible. It started with my dad. He was so thankful for the beautiful funeral service that he wanted to give back. He became an usher and got baptized and went through RCIA (now OCIA). We all followed suit behind him. It was bigger than us. My husband, Chuck, became Catholic and went through RCIA (now OCIA). He’s in his second year at the Catechetical Institute (in St. Paul). He’s a self-taught thurifer — he learned how to carry and swing incense at our parish. My brother-in-law just got accepted into the diaconate program. I said yes to the (Archdiocesan) Synod, and it just took off from there.
My mom is our guardian angel. She’s like, “This is what I wanted, and it took me going to heaven to get you guys where you need to be.”
Q You’re able to continue to bond with your mom — in new ways — through your spiritual growth.
A I keep picturing her up there with Jesus: “Yep, that’s my girl. That’s what I wanted her to do.”
You just have to say yes. Mary said yes to Jesus. That could be the Catholic slogan: “Just say yes.”
There’s something tangible about having a rosary in your hand and feeling that prayer. So, I’m there just asking for her wisdom and courage. Every morning, I pray a rosary with the “Rosary in a Year” Ascension app. Father MarkMary Ames leads the podcast, and he ends every lesson by
saying “poco a poco” — little by little in Spanish.
I’m like, “Oh! God is poking me!” I’m having a feeling that I need to learn Spanish. We have a Hispanic following at our parish, and I wish I could explain more in Spanish when I volunteer at the food shelf. Maybe I’ll start doing Duolingo on my walks. Something is happening!
Q It sounds like God is also working through you at the high school. What’s it like getting that wave of teens pouring in for lunch?
A It’s like a concert: They open the gates, and here they come! You can see these garage doors rising and all these tennis shoes. It’s overwhelming and awesome at the same time. You don’t know what kind of day they’re having. I always have a dad joke in my apron — the cheesiest jokes in the world. Sometimes they look anxious or like they just got done crying, so I’ll say, “Hey, I’m sending you positive vibes!” On the inside, I ask, “Jesus, can you lift her up?” I’m like, “Pray for Ashton, pray for James, pray for Ashley. Come, Holy Spirit!” It just takes one second.
We had one kiddo I’d see at the condiment table almost every day. Then he showed up in the faith formation room downstairs. He had a friend in our faith formation group, and she invited him. He started coming to church, and I invited him to sit with our family. I met his mom on Easter. I don’t know his story. He hasn’t been coming lately, but I’m praying for him.
Q Let’s talk about summer. It’s a time for rest and renewal.
A Yes! Rest your body! I don’t think people understand the physicality that lunch ladies endure every day. We have multiple deliveries a week of food on these 50-pound pallets. We’re slinging them into the freezers, stacking them, moving them, separating by date. Each sheet pan is 5 pounds, and then you’re adding food to it. All the lunch ladies need healing.
Walks are everything for me right now, and we live close
to the trails, so I just hop on and go. Sometimes I’ll listen to Catholic podcasts. I’m a huge fan of the WDGY app. It’s old rock ’n’ roll — anything from Chicago to Earth, Wind and Fire. I have a plant ID app. It’s a rabbit hole. I’m like, “Oh, what’s that plant? I love it!” So, I take a picture, and it identifies it. Sometimes I go and buy some!
Q Do you garden?
A I have a flower garden. It used to be a garden-garden, but it was stressing me out.
So, last year I changed it to just planting wildflowers. I got a box of seeds from The Dollar Tree, and I just poured them in. I was like, “What can go wrong? They don’t grow for $1.25?” And they grew! It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed!
Q They got to be in their wild glory.
A Yep, so I just sit back and enjoy them. Since they’re wildflowers and they usually grow in ditches, you don’t have to water them every day at a certain time.
Q No pressure, no timeline. This was about delight.
A It really was. I don’t know what’s going to pop up. I just let it be. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, that’s OK.
Q What do you know for sure?
A I think it would be the Nicene Creed. I believe in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. I believe in one holy, Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. I tell my first Communicants this all the time: You’re never alone. We have Jesus with us all the time! You get to receive him — and then go spread this love. The possibilities are bountiful.
SCRIPTURES | FATHER TIM TRAN
It was the August before my return to seminary after I had stepped away for a year and a half.
There I was, making my way to the barber shop I had been going to for the past 14 years on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, also known as “Eat Street.” The weather could not have been any better: a bright blue sky, popcorn clouds, low humidity, slight breeze. As I got out of my car and made my way out of the parking lot, I noticed across the street a familiar sight in this part of town: A nice couple seated, having lunch in front of a café engaged in conversation with a man, standing, who didn’t fit the picture. He was Black, with long dreadlocks, unkempt beard, cut up jean shorts, brown boots, red backpack, and a T-shirt that was either faded yellow or stained white. The couple waved him away. Turning his attention to my side of the street, our eyes locked and without hesitation, he made a beeline across traffic right toward me.
Before he could make his appeal, I blurted out in a rush, “I don’t have any money for you.” I was not lying. I had $20 and the barber shop
only took cash. Certainly, I had money, but “not for you.” His response struck me in the heart: “I don’t want your money. I just want something to eat.”
Taken aback, confused and ashamed that I had assumed the worst of the man, not to mention my slight annoyance in delaying my plans, I quickly thought of a solution. My barber shop is located above a grocery store. “There’s an (Asian) store here. How about I buy you something to eat?” We both entered and not knowing what he liked, I grabbed something I would have enjoyed: a bag of shrimp chips and a bottle of coconut water. What happened next in the checkout line I attribute completely to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
“Do you go to church?” I asked. He turned to me in surprise, brushing away the question. “Yeah… my mom took us to church when I was little and we prayed.”
“How about I make you a deal,” I said. “You see, I am going back to seminary to become a Catholic priest. I buy you some food and you promise to pray for me.” I had no idea what sort of “deal” I was getting myself into.
“Yeah… yeah…,” he said. I didn’t believe him.
As we walked out of the store, I began to
turn right, but he stopped me.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m going to get my hair cut,” I said.
“You told me to pray for you right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, how ‘bout we pray right now?”
“Right here?” I asked with shock and embarrassment.
“Yeah, right now.”
Sheepishly, I walked up to him and right there in the middle of the sidewalk we turned toward each other, bowed our heads, and held hands. He said one of the most sincere and heartfelt prayers I had ever heard. Deeply moved, I asked him, “Can I pray for you?” So, we bowed once again and after a spontaneous prayer, I offered an Our Father and a Hail Mary. He concluded with some consoling words which I will never forget.
“Where are you staying?” I asked. Note: never ask a man experiencing homelessness where he is staying.
Shyly he responded, “In the park close to here in front of the MIA (Minneapolis Institute of Arts).”
“Oh, I know where that is! There’s a Catholic church nearby called St. Stephen’s with a steeple. Tell you what. Next time you’re there, go into that church. You’ll find a red
The worthy reception of holy Communion is the fullest way to fulfill the divine call to consciously and actively participate in the Mass. It’s certainly not the only way. We are still obligated to attend holy Mass even when we cannot receive holy Communion due to grave sin. But all other ways point to and are fulfilled in the worthy reception of holy Communion, when that Communion is received and celebrated in the context of the public celebration of the Mass.
It’s important to understand what that phrase “worthy reception” means. It does not refer to any particular posture the faithful may assume when receiving holy Communion, or whether we choose to receive our Lord on the tongue or in the hand. We may choose to receive holy Communion on the tongue, but when we use that same tongue to defame our neighbor and spread gossip, do we really believe that our manner of reception is more reverent than anyone else’s? Likewise, when
we receive holy Communion on the hand but refrain from extending that hand to the poor and needy, do we truly believe that God will be fooled by our amen? We can fool ourselves. We cannot fool God.
To receive holy Communion worthily and well involves a heart that is striving to be shaped and conformed into the very One we receive. As the old adage goes, we are what we eat. This is doubly true of the Manna from heaven. A reverent reception of holy Communion makes us into the One we consume, or rather consummates the grace of baptism, that most foundational of sacraments when we were first grafted onto Christ. The amen of holy Communion is more than just an affirmation of belief in the real presence of Jesus. It is an affirmation of a way of life that is radically centered upon the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a life of sacrificial love, forgiveness and courage unto death.
What is more, it is also to grow ever more attached to those things that Jesus is attached to — the poor, the penitent, justice and the Church. This last one may not be something
we properly consider when we utter our amen at holy Communion. Jesus loves the Church. Scripture speaks of the Church as his bride. But don’t be fooled by those who make the distinctions between the institutional Church and the “real Church.” The Second Vatican Council explicitly rejects this easy divorce. We’re people of both/and. The Church is both human and divine, hierarchical and spiritual. You can’t separate the two any more than you can separate the human and divine natures of the Messiah. It is one thing with multiple realities coexisting in its mystery.
Scripture speaks of heaven as a wedding banquet, and the Mass begins this mystery on Earth. But weddings are not about two solitary individuals being joined in vows and life — it is a union of the totality of the other, which includes in-laws, the family history of the beloved and family trauma. So too with us — love of Christ necessarily means love of the Church, because he loves her. Put another way, to receive Jesus in holy Communion is to receive the whole Jesus, including his obnoxious friends.
None of us are fully conformed to this Jesus
lamp which tells you Jesus is there. Say a prayer for me,” I said.
With a smile, he said, “OK, yeah I’ll do that.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Kendall,” he said.
I choose to believe that Kendall kept his word.
Jesus invites his disciples, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they respond, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
“I don’t want your money. I just want something to eat…”
The food and nourishment we all need and which Jesus invites us to share is his true presence not only in the sacrament of the Eucharist but his living presence within and among us “for where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.”
Meeting Kendall was one of the most beautiful Eucharistic encounters in my life. The funny thing is that when we went our separate ways, another couple walking down our side of the street handed Kendall a box of to-go food. Truly, we both left fulfilled. “They all ate and were satisfied.”
Father Tran is parochial vicar of St. Stephen in Anoka.
Sunday, June 22
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
Gn 14:18-20
1 Cor 11:23-26
Lk 9:11b-17
Monday, June 23
Gn 12:1-9
Mt 7:1-5
Tuesday, June 24
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist Is 49:1-6
Acts 13:22-26
Lk 1:57-66, 80
Wednesday, June 25
Gn 15:1-12, 17-18
Mt 7:15-20
Thursday, June 26
Gn 16:1-12, 15-16
Mt 7:21-29
Friday, June 27
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Ezek 34:11-16
Rom 5:5b-11
Lk 15:3-7
Saturday, June 28
Gn 18:1-15
Mt 8:5-17
Sunday, June 29
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles Acts 12:1-11
2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18
Mt 16:13-19
Monday, June 30
Gn 18:16-33 Mt 8:18-22
Tuesday, July 1
Gn 19:15-29 Mt 8:23-27
Wednesday, July 2
Gn 21:5, 8-20a Mt 8:28-34
Thursday, July 3
St. Thomas, Apostle Eph 2:19-22 Jn 20:24-29
Friday, July 4
Gn 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
Mt 9:9-13
Saturday, July 5 Gn 27:1-5, 15-29 Mt 9:14-17
Sunday, July 6
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 66:10-14c Gal 6:14-18 Lk 10:1-12, 17-20
Monday, July 7
Gn 28:10-22a Mt 9:18-26
just yet. We fail constantly in love and that death to self that is the only road home. It is perfectly true to say that holy Communion is not for the perfect. But it does demand an effort and a choice — to become more like the One who is Bread for the world. And to love what he loves, including the Church.
Transubstantiation is a great mystery. How is it possible that the accidents of bread and wine remain and yet the substance has become Christ himself? And yet how greater still is the miracle of our own transformation into Christ, the awesome mystery of our own consecration. And so may the world look up and see only Jesus in us as we exit the church building and live the moment of holy Communion. May the Father, who sees the heart, recognize his Son in us on that day of judgment that will come to us all, whether we are kneeling or standing, with hand or tongue extended. May our very lives be a Eucharistic procession, challenging all who look upon it to question, to marvel and to follow.
Father Erickson is parochial vicar of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul and interim chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.
Tuesday, July 8 Gn 32:23-33 Mt 9:32-38
Wednesday, July 9
Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a Mt 10:1-7
Thursday, July 10 Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5 Mt 10:7-15
Friday, July 11
St. Benedict, abbot
Gn 46:1-7, 28-30
Mt 10:16-23
Saturday, July 12
Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a Mt 10:24-33
Sunday, July 13
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Dt 30:10-14
Col 1:15-20 Lk 10:25-37
God is love, and we are made in his image. Therefore, the perfection of the human person means becoming perfect in love. Lest we rationalize a way to lower the bar for ourselves, Jesus made this standard clear, saying, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The word perfect doesn’t refer to the absurd perfectionistic standards driven by our hypercompetitive culture. Rather, it means “whole and complete.” Our hearts are shriveled by sin and selfishness, weighed down by our fallen nature, and wounded by the failings of others. More than anything, we need the love of Christ to heal our hearts, to replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, and to fill and expand them.
Devotion to the Sacred of Heart of Jesus, which we celebrate on June 27 this year, speaks to the need to receive his love in its fullness and to imitate it. Consider the prayer, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto yours.” What does it mean to have a heart like Christ’s? Jesus’ sacred heart is portrayed with a flame burning on top — a heart like Christ’s burns passionately, and that kind of
SYNOD NAMES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Sheryl Moran, Preparatory CommissionExecutive Committee
Father Mark Moriarty, Presbyteral Council
Maggi Morse, St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake
Kay Mottaz, Misc/Other
Andy Motzko, St. Mary of Czestochowa, Delano
Kathleen Motzko, St. Mary of Czestochowa, Delano
Susan Mulheron, AFC-CB
Julie Mundy, All Saints, Lakeville
Ron Muntifering, St. Michael, St. Michael
Colleen Muntifering, St. Michael, St. Michael
Katherine Narog, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony
Michael Naughton, Preparatory CommissionTPC
Bao Nguyen, St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien, Minneapolis
Father Hoang Nguyen, Presbyteral Council
Mien Nguyen, St. Columba, St. Paul
Anh Tuyet Nguyen, St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien, Minneapolis
Mickey Nickelson, Misc/Other
Bruce Nolan, St. Bridget, Minneapolis
Chuck Norris, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul Park
Father Matthew Northenscold, Presbyteral Council Deanery 17
Mayra Nunez, St. George, Long Lake
Susan Nyvold, Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights
Santi Ocariz, St. Michael, Pine Island
Maria Ochoa Estrada, St. George, Long Lake
Joey Odell, St. Peter, North St. Paul
Marie Olaes, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights
Erin O’Leary, Holy Name, Minneapolis
Eileen O’Mara, St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindstrom
Kevin O’Neil, St. Olaf, Minneapolis
love takes action to protect and nurture the beloved. It’s also portrayed encircled with a crown of thorns — bound by love, the heart experiences sharp pain at the suffering of the beloved from sin and its fallout. Jesus truly loves the sinner and hates the sin. He sees the good in us, down to the smallest of details, and he’s pained by our sin because of its degrading and harmful effects. The more tender a heart is, the more intensely it feels. We often harden our hearts and become callous to remain unaffected. Sanctification involves softening. Having a tender heart is the opposite of weakness. Tenderness means the strength to endure pain without backing down, the humility to bend down and nurture even the smallest good, and the purity to rejoice in the simplest of gifts.
As disciples of Christ, we learn this love through our daily encounters with Jesus in prayer and in our lived experiences with one another illuminated by the light of the Holy Spirit. Though great sanctity can be found in the young (and the lives of so many young saints testify to this), there’s a beautiful witness to be sought from those mature in years, whose hearts have been seasoned and softened with much time and experience in the faith. I’m always inspired when I listen to the women in my parish small group and hear their stories and their perspective. Their hearts have been painstakingly and beautifully shaped and expanded by walking with Christ and their loved ones through times of hardships and
blessings. I always go home feeling my own heart stronger and fuller.
As we celebrate retired priests in this issue, consider as well the effect on their hearts from so many years of daily walking with Christ in prayer, the celebration of the Mass and the sacraments, and their ministry to parishioners — both in their consistent presence over the years, and their closeness at so many critical moments of significance in their lives. Moreover, as an alter Christus, “another Christ,” they make Christ’s sacred humanity, and especially his heart, seen and felt for us. Pope Francis, in “Dilexit Nos,” reflected on the sacramentality of Jesus’ heart, writing: “His human emotions became the sacrament of that infinite and endless love.” For example, “On various occasions, he demonstrated a love that was both passionate and compassionate. He could be deeply moved and grieved, even to the point of shedding tears. It is clear that Jesus was not indifferent to the daily cares and concerns of people, such as their weariness or hunger.” Christ continues to make God’s love visible through the hearts of his priests, through their faithfulness and attentiveness.
Let’s each pray for courage and faith to strive for perfection. May we allow the Lord to soften our hearts, that we might one day have a heart like Christ’s — full and bursting with love.
Jendro teaches theology at Providence Academy in Plymouth and is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. She’s also a speaker and writer; her website is taketimeforhim.com
Editors note: Please find Laura Kelly Fanucci’s “Faith at Home” column at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
Father Tony O’Neill, Vicar of Evangelization
Chris Opheim, St. Michael, Kenyon
Paul Pankratz, Risen Savior, Burnsville
Earle Parris, St. Raphael, Crystal
Father Marc Paveglio, Vicar of Evangelization
Father Mark Pavlak, Presbyteral Council
Deacon Frank Pavlick, St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi
Father Bryan Pedersen, Presbyteral Council
Deanery 9
Karl Pedersen, St. Agnes, St. Paul
Sandy Pelant, Sacred Heart, Rush City
Patricio Peña, Preparatory CommissionExecutive Committee
Marta Pereira Vindas, Preparatory Commission-TPC
Sheehan Perera, St. Peter, Mendota
Sister Dianne Perry, religious
Jeanne Pfeiffer, St. Mary of the Lake, Plymouth
Will Pittner, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul
Anna Grace Plotts, St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran
Father John Powers, Presbyteral Council
Father Jimmy Puttananickal, Presbyteral Council
Hannah Quense, Holy Spirit, St. Paul
Dean Rademacher, St. Joseph, New Hope
Julia Rajtar, St. Casimir, St. Paul
Roma Lee Rasmussen, St. Richard, Richfield
Dave Rauenhorst, Divine Mercy, Faribault
Keenan Raverty, PAC
Russell Ray, St. John the Baptist, Dayton
Pat Reardon, St. Ambrose, Woodbury
Deacon Mickey Redfearn, Permanent Deacon
Father Michael Reinhardt, Deanery 15
Beth Reisdorf, St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul
Jane Rezac, Annunciation, Hazelwood
Patti Ries, St. Lawrence, Minneapolis
David Rinaldi, Misc/Other
Jose Rivera, Guardian Angels, Oakdale
Beth Robertson, St. John the Baptist, New
Brighton
Martha Rodriguez, Incarnation, Minneapolis
“There’s something incredibly refreshing about being surrounded by people who share my values and beliefs. In corporate America and the so-called ‘real world,’ it often feels taboo — almost rebellious — to openly discuss faith, as if it’s an unspoken rule to keep those conversations behind closed doors. The pressure to conform, to filter yourself, to compartmentalize who you are can be suffocating. But here, in this space, there’s a freedom that’s rare. A chance to speak openly, without judgment, about what truly matters. It’s not just about faith — it’s about authenticity. About finding a community where you can be unapologetically yourself. And honestly? That’s powerful. That’s what keeps me coming back.”
Jordan Perttunen, 30 St. Hubert, Chanhassen
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
Kim Roering, St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul
Vic Roers, Our Lady of Peace, Minneapolis
Vivian Rogers, Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville
Michael Rogers, Misc/Other
Luis Rojas, Holy Name of Jesus, Medina
Amy Rondeau, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings
Mark Rueter, Presentation of Mary, Maplewood
Mary Rueter, Presentation of Mary, Maplewood
Eric Ryan, Holy Trinity, Goodhue
Nick Ryan, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale
Cecelia Ryan, St. Boniface, Minneapolis
Mary Rose Rynda, Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale
Wesley Sandholm, Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul
Shantel Schallenkamp, St. Francis de Sales, St. Paul
Bob Schilmoeller, Misc/Other
Mike Scholl, St. Michael, Farmington
Sherrie Schroeder, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis
Mary Schultz, St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis
Jonathan Schwartzbauer, Holy Family, St. Louis Park
Kelly Scott, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony
Father Seraphim Wirth, FBP, religious
Barry Shay, St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove
Deacon John Shearer, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Bloomington
Monica Shearon, Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis
Julie Sherman, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville
Father Paul Shovelain, Presbyteral Council
Deanery 12
Edgardo Silva, St. Gabriel, Hopkins
Carrie Simeon, St. Francis Xavier, Buffalo
Mark Simone, St. Jerome, Maplewood
Aaron Sinner, St. Thomas More, St. Paul
Del Sliter, Misc/Other
Marc Smith, St. Michael, Prior Lake
Amy Smith, St. Michael, Pine Island
Brother Robert Smith, religious
Lydia Sokoto, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Bloomington
Sister Linda Soler, religious
Joanie Somes, St. Joseph, Rosemount
Maureen Stanoch, Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale
Sister Cathy Steffens, religious
Jack Steffl, St. Albert, Albertville
Sonjae Stephen Yoo, St. Andrew Kim Korean Catholic Community, Minneapolis
Craig Stephens, Lumen Christi, St. Paul
Cyndi Stifter, Mary Queen of Peace, Rogers
Rachel Stinson, St. Stephen, Anoka
Art Stoeberl, St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis
Christina Stokman, Blue Ribbon Commission
Mary Jane Streiff, Holy Trinity, South St. Paul
Tim Streiff, Holy Trinity, South St. Paul
Ron Stuedemann, St. Katharine Drexel, Ramsey
Dawn Sundly, St. Gregory the Great, North Branch
Sandra Sutton, St. Helena, Minneapolis
Linda Swisher, Misc/Other
Mary Synstelien, St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center
Katherine Szepieniec, St. Joseph, Miesville
Amy Tadlock, Preparatory Commission
Kayleen Taffe, St. Margaret Mary, Minneapolis
Bridget Tangney, St. Gabriel, Hopkins
Father Eugene Theisen, Deanery 7
Kyungmee Theresa Choi, St. Andrew Kim
Korean Catholic Community, Minneapolis
Maria Therese, St. John the Baptist, Vermillion
Jane Thornton, St. Bernard, St. Paul
Mike Thornton, St. Vincent de Paul, Osseo
Father Michael Tix, Vicar General
Tracy Tourville, St. Charles, Bayport
Pam Tredeau, St. Peter, Forest Lake
Bobbi Turner, Holy Name, Minneapolis
Marj Tushaus, St. Pius X, White Bear Lake
Tom Valois, Corpus Christi, Roseville
CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD
In this month dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus, as I file away a meditation for a most ancient novena for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, I prepare for June 27, the last Friday of the month’s devotion, which falls on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
We Catholics could have novenas, meditations, dedications and consecrations going on 365 days a year. Some of us do, and that’s a good thing! Yet this age-old Christian novena to the Holy Spirit sinks into my mind and heart. Do I really hold and work these gifts for my good and the good of others? To what degree or intensity am I living these gifts and bearing the fruits of the Spirit?
On the weekend of Pentecost, although I didn’t preach, I heard a lot of preaching. Due to my deacon duties, I assisted at a couple of Masses in different venues. Although the homilies were diverse, they were instructive in their own ways on how the Holy Spirit can, has and will continue to work in the lives of the faithful.
Apparently, I didn’t have enough homiletics from the pulpit. In the evening, I tuned in to a couple more podcast versions while preparing an all-inclusive nutritional “breakfast smoothie.” I learned this nourishing habit from my grown-up, health-crazed kids and kids-in-law. I listened to the various messages and pearls about the Holy Spirit that the homilists were presenting to their listeners. They brought up questions that I inquire about: How do I know the Holy Spirit is at work in me? How can I talk with and encourage others about the gifts and fruits, so that in Catholic Watchmen language: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov 27:17).
We can learn by turning to the Acts of the Apostles to read about Pentecost and the activities that followed, which demonstrate the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that dwelled in the hearts of Jesus’ followers as they gained new disciples throughout the vast lands they traveled.
Kreeft, a philosophy professor at Boston College and a prolific Catholic writer, reminds us that the Acts of the Apostles has been called “the Gospel of the Holy Spirit.” He defines this empowerment of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost as the “secret of the Church” — giving the first Apostles the supernatural wherewithal to make more disciples for Jesus. Kreeft explains how we need to “recapture the forwardlooking optimism of the apostles in the Acts.” Dishonesty, hard-heartedness, viciousness, pridefulness, and many problems of the human condition exist today as much as back then. To endure, Christians need to use the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, which help provide the “staying power” we need until Christ comes again.
Many times the remedy offered to keep that staying power alive is simply to be Catholic. I’m not an expert defender of the faith and certainly not a biblical scholar, but that’s not a cop-out answer. It’s actually a pretty good
response. I would supplement that response — in Catholic Watchmen speak — with the basic disciplines of our movement that help nourish and express the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Catholic Watchmen keep daily practices of praying persistently and with devotions to the Holy Family, reading the Bible to know and encounter Jesus and striving to be a spiritual father like St. Joseph. These display gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially piety, knowledge, fortitude and wisdom, but also fear of the Lord, understanding and good counsel. Love is a fruit of the Spirit that our Lord and the Holy Family taught us by the way they lived, as well as joy, fidelity and kindness. Additional fruits are peace, patience, gentleness, goodness and selfcontrol. Do this as a family, because you want to emulate the Holy Family. As we speak, my wife and I are devoting 10 to 15 minutes each day to a double novena (i.e., 18 days) leading up to the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Weekly and monthly? We express many gifts and bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit by simply going to Mass and serving those in need — spiritually and physically — at least weekly. Monthly, it is fruitful for Watchmen to go to confession and to gather in fellowship with other men — keeping each other accountable. If you’re already in a small weekly group, all the better.
Read the fifth chapter of Galatians for insight on the fruits of the Holy Spirit. A quick internet search turns up some of St. Thomas Aquinas’ insight into the question: “What are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and why do they matter?”
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
In this column, we’re in the midst of exploring some background to Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God.
One key part of the story is the dozens of revolutions or minirevolutions different groups of Jews attempted exactly in those decades we read about in the Gospels, approximately 4 B.C. to 70 A.D. Most of these were concerned with throwing off the oppressive Roman rule and ushering in the true kingdom. We know about them primarily from the Jewish historian Josephus (who lived from 37-100 A.D.) and looking at a few of them helps us get the flavor of the tumultuous times in which the Gospels are set. (For the below, a good source is N.T. Wright’s “The New Testament and the People of God,” p.170-81.)
For instance, at almost exactly the time of the birth of Jesus (4-6 B.C.), some Jews became fed up with the Jewish King Herod the Great’s lifelong compromise with paganism. A few of them pulled down a golden eagle — a pagan image — that Herod had set up near the entrance to the Temple. The rebels were rounded up, tortured and killed, all the while cheerfully witnessing to their willingness to die for the honor of God.
We see here a pattern that is repeated throughout the lifetime of Jesus. A leader or a popular movement arises that is critical of the Romans and/or the current Jewish leadership, those in power see this as a threat, send in the troops, and scatter, kill, and often crucify, those
responsible. Revolutionary activity is treasonous activity, and punishable with the highest penalty. (This is what crucifixion was reserved for, and so, to look ahead just a bit, it should not surprise us that Jesus, convicted of treason — “The King of the Jews” — was crucified as well.)
Following the disturbance surrounding the eagle, a fuller revolt took place at Passover that same year. Herod had died, and his successor and son, Archelaus, refused to make amends for his father’s cruel treatment of those who tore the eagle down. The populace revolted, and Archelaus retaliated brutally, slaughtering thousands. Passover, as we see in the Gospels as well, was an especially touchy time for revolutionary activity, since it was the feast of the liberation of the Jews from Egypt.
About the same time, a man named Judas ben Hezekiah led a popular revolution in Galilee, gaining a substantial foothold against the Roman and official Jewish leadership there. The Roman governor was called in, and marched south through Galilee killing, punishing and retaliating. He ended his march in Jerusalem, where he finally put down the ongoing revolt there as well, and crucified some 2,000 rebels. The historian Josephus calls all these insurgents “revolutionaries” (in Greek, “lestai”), the same word used in the Gospels for those crucified alongside Jesus, and for Barabbas.
During the governorship of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, we know of no fewer than seven similar uprisings — sometimes involving a charismatic or “Messianic” leader — most of
which he put down in the usual summary fashion. Seven, of course, is all that we know about, and we must assume that there were others lost to history. Jesus’ own movement, and his own trial and crucifixion, then, would have seemed to Pilate as just another day’s work.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that these movements did not always rely exclusively on the sword. Some hoped for divine intervention to cast off the bad guys. For instance, we hear about one Theudas who led a band of followers to the river Jordan and predicted that, just like Joshua had in the Old Testament, he would part the waters and lead them across to liberate the Holy Land. The governor Fadus, however, “sent a troop of horsemen out against them; they took Theudas alive, and cut off his head, and carried it to Jerusalem.”
All this helps us see why it would both be worrisome and unsurprising for the Jewish and Roman leadership to hear of Jesus’ movement gathering speed in the countryside. Like other movements before and after him, Jesus called a large following, spoke of a kingdom, hinted that he was the real king, and performed actions — such as the feeding of the 5,000 — that clearly symbolized key moments in Israel’s political history. All this will help us understand Jesus’ own kingdom proclamation more clearly.
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.
As the gavel fell on another contentious legislative session, Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) is grateful to report that faithful, principled advocacy continues to make a real impact in shaping public policy at the Minnesota State Capitol.
In a year marked by budget shortfalls, partisan rancor and a compressed legislative calendar, the bishops of Minnesota, the staff of MCC, and Catholics across the state stood up to say that the growth of the family and care for the vulnerable still matter in public life. Together, we helped deliver key policy victories that affirm human dignity and promote the common good. These successes were made possible by the prayers, engagement and voices of Catholic Advocacy Network members.
This session, MCC focused its work on defending the poor and marginalized, protecting life and conscience rights, and advancing policies that promote human flourishing.
Among the highlights was stopping cuts to nonpublic school pupil aid. Despite the state’s fiscal constraints, approximately $55 million in annual funding for nonpublic school student services, such as busing, counseling and nursing was preserved. This amounts to more than $1,000 per nonpublic school student for essential services that uphold parental choice in education.
In addition, MCC helped stop legislation that would require insurance plans to cover in vitro fertilization. The conference raised concerns about the ethical implications of the proposal, its cost to taxpayers and the threats it posed to religious liberty. Lawmakers took those concerns seriously, and the mandate did not advance.
Efforts to legalize sports betting also failed to gain traction in either chamber of the Legislature. MCC continues
to emphasize that expanding gambling harms families, especially those who are financially vulnerable, and compromises the integrity of sports.
Another significant achievement was ensuring health care access for undocumented children. In a strong example of bipartisan cooperation, lawmakers recognized the moral obligation to make sure children, regardless of immigration status, receive basic health care outside of the emergency room.
Finally, the state’s new Child Tax Credit, a proven antipoverty measure, remained intact. No serious proposals were brought forward to cut it, and there was growing bipartisan interest in expanding this important support for families.
These victories are a testament to the enduring power of Catholic social teaching when shared clearly, respectfully
and persistently in the public square. MCC’s advocacy goal is to propose sound policies rooted in reality and right reason, and to foster common ground for the common good.
While not every goal was achieved, MCC remains committed to returning next year with data, testimony and a renewed moral appeal.
Whether you contacted your legislator, attended an event, or offered your prayers, you helped build a culture of life and dignity in our state. Let this session’s outcomes serve as a powerful reminder: When Catholics engage in the public arena with clarity and charity, we can move the needle toward a more just society.
To stay informed and act on issues that impact life, dignity and the common good, join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org/join.
Inside the Capitol is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.
Our Catholic tradition says time and again that how a society treats its most vulnerable members is a test of its moral character.
Our faith compels us to care for the poor, the sick and the marginalized.
And the central act of our faith, the Eucharist, is a sign of our incomparable dignity as human persons. Our equal dignity, regardless of our social or economic status or where we come from (Jas 2:1-9), causes us to recognize “what value each person, our brother or sister, has in God’s eyes, if Christ offers Himself equally to each one,” as St. John Paul II writes.
Most Americans want change. It is good to work for change! The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” currently pending before Congress, has many components and aspects, and my brother bishops and I have already commented on and commended several of them.
Here, I want to focus and insist on the reconsideration of some of the provisions that significantly harm the poor and the environment, failing to recognize the dignity of the weakest and vulnerable among us, especially children. These provisions should be changed before the bill moves forward.
Congress has the power to improve the lives of families and vulnerable individuals, but in many ways, this bill does the opposite. The bill raises taxes on the working poor, adds overly burdensome work requirements that will cause millions to lose access to health care, makes fundamental changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will result in families going hungry, and backs out of crucial investments in clean energy and jobs, air and water. This would be unacceptable and unconscionable. In Catholic social teaching, economic decisions must be evaluated, first and foremost, by how they affect the poor.
As we bishops have shared, “The way society responds to the needs of the poor through its public policies is the litmus test of its justice or injustice.” Caring for the poor is a Gospel mandate. When legislation weakens access to basic, undeniable needs like food, health care and a livable environment, it violates our commitment to one another.
This bill imposes burdensome and unnecessary work requirements that will not achieve the goal to promote employment and instead will strip health care and nutrition assistance from millions, many of whom are already working or are unable to work due to disability, caregiving responsibilities or economic forces beyond their control. It makes drastic programmatic changes that threaten the viability of food assistance through SNAP and will leave families and children without enough to eat. Meanwhile, the wealthiest among us stand to gain tax breaks, while families struggling to meet their daily needs are asked to pay more.
of the poor. Pollution, climate change and environmental degradation fall most heavily on those with the fewest resources to respond.
The social safety net is not charity; it is a matter of justice. It affirms the God-given dignity of every human being. As followers of Christ, we are called not only to serve the poor but to advocate for changing systems that create and perpetuate poverty. This bill, as it stands, falls significantly short in responding to the needs of our vulnerable sisters and brothers.
The bill raises taxes on the working poor, adds overly burdensome work requirements that will cause millions to lose access to health care, makes fundamental changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will result in families going hungry, and backs out of crucial investments in clean energy and jobs, air and water. This would be unacceptable and unconscionable.
Archbishop Borys Gudziak
Congress must make important changes to this legislation. Protect SNAP. Preserve Medicaid. Uphold environmental investments. You can take action by calling your senators. Every day, more decisions are being made that will impact the well-being of our most vulnerable neighbors, and we must speak up.
Let us, as Pope Leo XIV urges, become “truer and richer in compassion,” remembering that what we do for the least among us, we do for Christ.
We are also deeply concerned about the bill’s lack of environmental commitments. As Pope Francis taught, care for creation is inseparable from care for the vulnerable. We must respond to both the cry of the earth and the cry
Archbishop Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
Godspell — June 19-20, 21-22: 7-9:15 p.m. all nights at St. Joan of Arc, 4537 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis. Join the St. Joan of Arc community for Godspell — a joyful mix of music, laughter and faith. Come support our talented cast and crew in this heartwarming celebration of community. stjoan.com
40 Hours of Adoration — June 19-21: 8 p.m., June 19-5 p.m., June 21, at Ascension, 323 Reform St. N., Norwood Young America. A special 40 Hours of Adoration starting with Mass and Benediction on June 19 and ending with a Corpus Christi Mass June 21. Sign up for an adoration time via the website. ascensionstbernardparishes.org
St. Boniface Annual Rummage Sale — June 19-21: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. June 19, 7 a.m.5 p.m., June 20, 8 a.m.-noon June 21 at St. Boniface, 8801 Wildwood Ave., St. Boniface. Saturday bag sale. For more information, email: office@saintboni.org. saintboni.org
Catholic Hope in Uncertain Times — June 25: 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Paul, 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake. Join Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, and Tod Worner, managing editor of Evangelization and Culture, for an inspiring evening on living the Catholic faith with hope and courage. churchofsaintpaul.com/catholic-hope
June Silent Weekend Retreat — June 19-22: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Silent 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
Memory Care Mass (formerly Dementia Friendly Mass) — June 26, Aug. 21, Oct. 23, Dec. 11: 1:30-2:30 p.m. at St. Mary of the Lake, 4741 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. A special Mass for people living with dementia, family members, and their caregivers. The Mass is shorter in length and held in the chapel for a more comfortable environment. Hospitality and fellowship after Mass for important social time. stmarys-wbl.org
Damascus Partnership: Archbishop Nassar — June 26: 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Archbishop Samir Nassar, the Maronite Archbishop of Damascus, will share about the current situation in Syria and ways he finds hope in this Jubilee Year. Join us for this powerful event and learn more about the archdiocesan partnership with the Maronite Archeparchy of Damascus, Syria. Register at tinyurl.com/zzp9ysjt.
Spirit’s Cup Golf Tournament — June 27: 11 a.m. at Daytona Golf Club, 14730 Lawndale Lane N., Dayton. Join Holy Spirit Academy for our first golf tournament. Play will be a four-person scramble. holyspiritacademy.org/spirits-cup
The Matchmaker — June 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28: 7 p.m. at St. Agnes, 530 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. Catholic community theater Missed the Boat Theatre presents “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder. Enjoy this lighthearted, family-friendly farce about finding love, adventure and community in 1880s New York. missedtheboattheatre.com/matchmaker
Archdiocesan Marriage Day Celebration — June 21: 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Celebrating the beautiful mystery of the mutual self-gift between a man and woman in the sacrament of holy matrimony. Those celebrating their silver and golden anniversaries in the 2025 calendar year will be honored in a special way. For more information, contact Sonya Flomo at flomos@archspm.org, 651-2914488
“Putt” Life into Reach — June 23: 2 p.m. at Crystal Lake Golf Course, 16725 Innsbrook Drive, Lakeville. 18-hole round of golf, dinner and auction to support the mission of Elevate Life to ensure its 47 members’ pregnancy resource centers and clinics thrive and provide the best care for women facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies. elevatelifeusa.org/golf
Torchlight Readers: Book Study with Lay Dominicans — Every other Thursday starting July 17: 7:30 p.m.-midnight. Virtual meeting. Explore the Christian life through the charism of St. Dominic in a book study, starting with “St. Dominic’s Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God.” 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 612483-2973. 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/careertransition-group
Secular Franciscan Order: St. Alphonsa Fraternity — June 29, 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-stalphonsa
Gifted and Belonging — Second Fridays: June 13, July 11 and Aug. 8: 6:30-8 p.m., at Harmon Park, 230 Bernard St., West St. Paul. Meet at the corner of Bidwell and
Bernard. GAB in the park! 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
Restorative Support for VictimsSurvivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victims-survivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursdays. Visit archspm.org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@archspm.org or 651-291-4429.
Secular Franciscan Meeting of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Fraternity — Third Sundays: 2:15-3:45 p.m. at St. Olaf, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. General membership meeting of Secular Franciscans who belong to the Fraternity of St. Leonard of Port Maurice. Any who are interested in living the Gospel life in the manner of St. Francis and St. Clare are welcome.
SYNOD NAMES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
Johan Van Parys, Liturgical Commission
Deb Verber, St. Richard, Richfield
David Vessel, St. Rose of Lima, Roseville
Estela Villagrán Manancero, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Amanda Virnig, Good Shepherd, Golden Valley
Marge Virnig, St. Cecilia, St. Paul
Nancy Waldbillig, All Saints, Lakeville
Brandon Wanless, Preparatory Commission
Patti Watkins, Preparatory Commission-Executive Committee
Karrie Weber, St. Timothy, Maple Lake
Mike Weibel, St. Patrick, Edina
Kathy Wells, St. Cecilia, St. Paul
Doug Wentz, St. Nicholas, Carver
Vi Wentz, St. Nicholas, Carver
Brandy Wentzler, St. John the Baptist, Vermillion
Bob Wernimont, St. Pius V, Cannon Falls
Gregory Westerhaus, St. Mary, St. Paul
Chris Weyandt, Assumption, St. Paul
Mary Weyandt, St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul
David Whatmuff, Misc/Other
Beth Whittaker, St. Joseph, Waconia
Suzanne Wiatros, St. John the Evangelist, Little Canada
Rob Wickenhauser, St. Bernard, Cologne
Mary Wicker, St. Mary, Stillwater
Cindy Widmer, St. Henry, St. Henry
Jacob Wilson, St. Joseph, Lino Lakes
Joe Wistrcill, Holy Cross, Minneapolis
Father Benjamin Wittnebel, Misc/ Other
Father Robert Wotypka, Deanery 15
Sr. Emy Ychikawa, PES, Preparatory Commission-TPC
Christian Young, St. Thomas the Apostle, Minneapolis
Luz Zagal, St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center
Patrice Zangs, St. Gregory the Great, North Branch
Father Marcel Okwara, religious
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Father Murtaugh eager to spend more time with people who have blessed him in 53 years of priesthood
By Susan Klemond
For The Catholic Spirit
After Father Bill Murtaugh offers his final Masses as pastor of Pax Christi in Eden Prairie on June 22 and begins his retirement, one of his projects will be a jigsaw puzzle.
While he admits he lacks patience for traditional tabletop puzzles, Father Murtaugh — who in August turns 80 and also celebrates 53 years of priesthood — plans to spend more time fitting together the pieces of his life’s puzzle: family, friends and parishioners who have loved and affirmed him.
“After 80 years, I think it’s a pretty big puzzle,” Father Murtaugh said.
“There are so many blessings (from) wherever I’ve gone. The people are great,” he said, adding that he looks forward to catching up with them when no longer bound by a pastor’s full calendar. “I’m glad that they came into my life and I hope they’re glad that I came into their life, too.”
Bruce Koehn, a longtime member of Pax Christi and a parish trustee, said Father Murtaugh valued relationships.
“He worked hard on relationships in terms of growing people closer to God,” Koehn said. “He used humor, he used playfulness to be engaged. He really engaged with youth; he knew the importance of reaching out, getting to know youth, especially if we’re trying to maintain the youth in the Church. It was one of his priorities.”
Koehn said that parishioners of Pax Christi who have seen pastors come and go in the parish believe Father Murtaugh was the perfect person for the roles he served at the parish: pastor twice (2012-2018, then again 2022-2025), parochial administrator (2022), parochial vicar (2018-2019), senior associate pastor (2011-2012), and senior parochial vicar (2006-2011).
“We’ll miss him,” Koehn said.
As Father Murtaugh reflected on his priestly ministry in seven archdiocesan parishes — and others before that when he belonged to a religious order — he said getting to know his parishioners, assisting and learning from them have been highlights of his priesthood.
“I feel that I’ve really been blessed being a parish priest throughout the archdiocese and meeting wonderful people,” Father Murtaugh said. “I think the best part of being a priest is walking with people in their joys and sorrows. I’ve done my best.”
In the archdiocese, Father Murtaugh has served at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton; Minneapolis parishes of Basilica of St. Mary, St. Joan of Arc and Christ the King; St. Henry in Monticello; St. Thomas Becket in Eagan; and Pax Christi. Before that he served in Cleveland and New York City parishes as a member of the international Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, whose U.S. province is based in Highland Heights, Ohio.
Father Murtaugh brought a love of liturgy, an openness to serve wherever he’s asked and a willingness to set aside his todo list for the “ministry of interruptions.”
The sixth in a family of seven boys in Hastings, Father Murtaugh was initiated into the faith, served at the altar and was ordained a priest at his home parish of Guardian Angels, now part of the merged parish St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.
An avid reader from childhood, Father Murtaugh said he found inspiration for the priesthood from reading about the lives of the saints, especially St. Francis of Assisi. He learned about the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament when he attended Blessed Sacrament Seminary preparatory high school in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Discerning a call to the congregation, he later studied in Cleveland and Chicago.
Father Murtaugh was ordained at his home parish in 1972 by Bishop Raymond Lucker. For several years in the 1970s, priests were ordained in their home parishes, rather than at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
Father Murtaugh enjoyed doing parish work as he prayed. He shared meals and worked with congregation members in the community, but after 10 years he said he felt something was missing. Discerning that God was calling him back to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he was incardinated as a diocesan priest in 1982.
Since then, while doing parish work, Father Murtaugh has also served on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and as a dean. He served on the archdiocese’s Comprehensive Assignment Board for seven years, helping recommend placement of pastors in parishes to the archbishop. Familiar
with parishes that needed pastors, Father Murtaugh agreed to his Pax Christi assignments and to serve two separate times at St. John the Baptist.
“I have always said yes to what was asked of me and maybe I would have chosen other parishes, but this is the way it played out and it played out well for me, so maybe God knew what God wants,” Father Murtaugh said.
Though serving the poor in the inner city has long been one of Father Murtaugh’s desires, his assignments have taken him to more diverse parishes. “It matured me in many different ways, my different assignments. You mature in priesthood just like you mature in marriage or any other vocation,” he said.
When Father Murtaugh retires, he plans to minister to those experiencing homelessness at a Minneapolis drop-in center, where he hopes to learn more about detachment and surrender. He will also be a regular presider at Sunday Masses at Our Lady of Victory Chapel at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.
Father Murtaugh said he’ll probably still need a calendar for his retirement activities. He said he’s glad it won’t contain parish meetings, but more time with his canine companions — his golden retriever, Seamus, and golden doodle, Murphy.
“I feel at this time in my life I’m pretty peaceful (with) what the future will be,” Father Murtaugh said. “I’m just thankful for 53 years of ministry and I hope to help out in other places. You know, you don’t retire from priesthood. I’d like to be of service wherever I can be.”
Josh McGovern of The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report.