The Catholic Spirit - May 7, 2026

Cathedral, Incarnation host Madre Peregrina statue during national tour

By Josh McGovern

The Catholic Spirit

Bishop Kevin Kenney shared a message of peace, joy and healing during a Mass April 23 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul welcoming a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Mexico City — the Madre Peregrina — to the Twin Cities.

Translated in English to Pilgrim Mother, the Madre Peregrina is a three-dimensional, life-sized replica of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe left on St. Juan Diego’s tilma in 1531 in Mexico City. The statue is on a national tour from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City as the 500th anniversary of the apparition of Mary approaches.

The statue, which takes 18 men and six hours to install, was placed in the Cathedral April 22 and remained there until April 26, when it was moved to Incarnation in Minneapolis from April 27 to May 10.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe appears as an May 7, 2026 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Six of the 23 parishes with Latino ministry coordinated bus schedules for parishioners to travel to Incarnation to visit the Madre Peregrina statue. Estela Villagrán Manancero, the director of the archdiocese’s Office of Latino Ministry, said that on Mother’s Day, May 10, Incarnation is prepared to welcome thousands of people for the final Mass with Madre Peregrina. Mother’s Day in Mexico annually falls on May 10, she said. For this reason, the Madre Peregrina statue will remain at Incarnation until that day.

Manancero said some of the buses will arrive and depart May 9 because visitors will want to spend the next day, Sunday, in their own parish with their families but still wish to see Madre Peregrina while it’s at Incarnation, she said.

The statue’s hair was donated by a 13-year-old girl, Manancero said. The eyes on the statue were made by optometrists to accurately depict the eyes of a 13-yearold girl, about the age of the Virgin Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus.

Manancero said she was moved to tears seeing the veneration given to Madre Peregrina by people visiting Incarnation. At the parish, each day the experience was available, different groups of people carrying flowers processed to the statue, she said. One day, children prepared to receive their first Communion brought roses. Another day, couples brought flowers, and still another day families did the same.

Before coming to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the statue was in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the last of seven Wisconsin cities that were part of the tour. Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at Mass at the Cathedral, with Bishop Kevin Kenney doing the homily and concelebrating with Bishop Michael Izen. A local mariachi band provided the music.

In his homily, Bishop Kenney said the Madre Peregrina statue in the Twin Cities is like Mary visiting Elizabeth. She comes with news of hope and joy, the bishop said.

PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

ABOVE: From left, Daysi Carlson and Christina Cruz from St. Jerome in Maplewood, and Rita Hernandez, Blanca Sanchez and Lupita Becerra (with daughter Aitana) from St. Stephen in Anoka come into the sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul after Mass April 23 to venerate the Madre Peregrina, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was brought here from Mexico City. It was at the Cathedral for veneration from April 23 to April 26, then moved to Incarnation in Minneapolis, where it is scheduled to remain until May 10. This stop in the Twin Cities is part of a national tour. BELOW: The Madre Peregrina.

NEWS notes PAGETWO

From left, Archbishop Bernard Hebda; Cornelio Cardoso Sanchez; Ivan Cardoso Sanchez;

Sanchez Maldonado; Baltazaar Cardoso; Estela Villagran Manancero, director of Latino Ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; and Blanca Sánchez pose for a photo April 27 in front of a statue depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe at Gethsemane Cemetery in New Hope. The archbishop blessed the statue, which was placed in a newly dedicated section of the cemetery. The blessing was in English and Spanish and roughly 25 people attended. Jonquil Shipman, executive director of The Catholic Cemeteries, said the statue serves as a reminder “that Mary loves and cares for all people. Her appearance to Juan Diego brought hope and comfort to people who were suffering and became a special source of faith and identity for many people of Mexican heritage. Her image continues to inspire faith, compassion and trust in God’s love today.”

WONDROUS CREATION Catholic school students view artwork May 1 at the Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The viewing was part of the annual Archdiocesan Catholic School Visual Arts Exhibition for seventh through 12th grade students, hosted by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for the Mission of Catholic Education. This year’s theme was “Wondrous Creation: The Beauty of God’s Work in the World,” inspired by the poem “Pied Beauty” by 19th century Jesuit Father Gerard Manley Hopkins. Finalists and their families, art teachers, school leaders and pastors were invited to the reception and program with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, where the winning artwork was announced. This year, professional judges selected 32 student artworks from more than 100 submissions as finalists for the exhibition, which will be on display at the gallery through August. Then in September, the student artwork will be exhibited in the John XXIII Gallery at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. For more event photos and the list of winning artwork, visit spmcatholicschools.org

Practicing CATHOLIC

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the May 1 “Practicing Catholic” radio show included Bishop Kevin Kenney in an interview about the archdiocese hosting the Madre Peregrina (or Pilgrim Mother) statue depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe and what it means for the local Church. The program also featured Jim and Alison Dahlman, two local Catholic educators, in an interview about how their family seeks to reclaim Sundays as the Lord’s Day. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.

The Basilica Block Party music festival which began in 1995 and was a staple of the Twin Cities’ music scene had its final run in 2024, organizers recently announced on the festival’s website. The annual event raised funds for the Basilica of St. Mary’s structural needs and was held near the Minneapolis church. “For over 25 years, the Basilica Block Party brought together an extraordinary spirit of music and community in the Twin Cities,” the announcement read at basilicablockparty.org. “We are deeply grateful for the fans, the artists, and the support shown for our beloved Basilica. The final Block Party was held in 2024, concluding an incredible run and leaving a lasting legacy in our community.” Over the years, bands included Ryan Adams, Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack, Spoon and the Avett Brothers. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but returned in September 2021. Organizers said attendance was down that year as COVID-19 uncertainties continued. Organizers placed the festival on hiatus in 2022 and 2023 as they sought “to reimagine the event for future years.” According to organizers, the Basilica Block Party was one of the longest-running nonprofit music festivals in the United States.

Karen Martodam, a volunteer for more than a decade at Catholic Charities Twin Cities, was one of five finalists for Catholic Charities USA’s 2026 National Volunteer of the Year Award. On April 24, the national organization named Julie Abbott, a volunteer for 15 years on an emergency services hotline at Catholic Charities Maine, as this year’s award winner. Martodam, a member of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, began volunteering in 2015, after she retired from a career in corporate accounting. She soon brought her sewing skills to bear as she saw a need to repair coats, pants, gloves and more for people at Catholic Charities’ emergency shelter and opportunity center in Minneapolis. Martodam now sews dignity quilts, a longstanding Catholic Charities tradition of covering deceased clients as they are taken from the building, the nonprofit agency said in a news release. The tradition honors each person’s dignity and provides comfort to residents and staff.

The Pacem in Terris Hermitage Retreat Center near Isanti is undertaking a three-year, $5 million fundraising campaign to double the number of guests served each year. The campaign will help restore Pacem’s storm-damaged woods, renew its aging hermitage and campus infrastructure and strengthen its endowment. The retreat center’s individual hermitages serve about 1,200 guests annually, but the need is growing rapidly, Tim Drake, executive director, said in a news release. “In a world that grows louder, more frantic, and more fractured by the day, the call to stillness becomes not only countercultural but essential,” Drake said. “This campaign is about making that sacred silence available to more people who are weary, grieving, discerning or simply longing to be alone with God.” Nearly $1 million has already been raised through early gifts and commitments, Drake said. Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, will speak at the retreat center which is in east-central Minnesota in the Diocese of St. Cloud at 7 p.m. May 1 as part of the public launch of the campaign. To learn more or make a pledge, visit paceminterris.org/donate/capital-campaign

The Twin Cities Catholic Chorale which celebrated its 50th anniversary at St. Agnes in St. Paul in 2023 was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame April 10, in a ceremony at the hall of fame’s New Ulm headquarters. The chorale’s music director, Marc Jaros, and board president, Mark Pilon, accepted the award on behalf of the chorale. They were joined by half a dozen volunteer members of the chorale. The chorale was among several inductees this year, which also included Chan Poling, James “Cornbread” Harris, Rick Keane and Cathy Erickson. The Hall of Fame recognizes musicians from all genres. Previous honorees include Bob Dylan, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and retired Father Jan Michael Joncas of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The chorale presents its music as part of the sacred liturgy of the Mass. That tradition began when it was founded by the late Msgr. Richard Schuler in 1956 at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. When Msgr. Schuler was named pastor of St. Agnes, the chorale started singing at Masses there. Since 1974, the chorale has been presenting Masses by composers of the classical and Romantic traditions every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. from October to Pentecost, except for Advent and Lent. The chorale was a choir of St. Agnes parish until it was incorporated more than 20 years ago as its own nonprofit organization. Learn more about the chorale at catholicchorale.org

Father Michael Tix, chaplain of Academy of Holy Angels (AHA) in Richfield for 25 years, received the school’s St. Joseph Award for selfless service and commitment to the school’s community. He received the award April 25, at AHA’s annual Starfest fundraising gala. “Father Mike has faithfully served Holy Angels for 25 years, guiding students, faculty, staff, and parents to an encounter with Christ by being Christ to them,” said David Sorin, AHA’s president. “His wisdom, listening ear, and genuine care for everyone make him an inseparable part of the AHA fabric.” Commenting on the award, Father Tix, who also is vicar general of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said he is grateful for the opportunities he has been blessed with to be part of AHA’s community and history. “It’s very much an honor for me, especially when I think about past recipients,” he said. “They’ve been the hallmark people who have been involved with Holy Angels; to be a part of that is a little overwhelming.”

Two local men from Pro Ecclesia Sancta will be ordained transitional deacons for their religious order 10 a.m. May 9 at St. Mark in St. Paul. Brother Evan Steeves and Brother José Ignacio Rodriguez both work at St. Mark, which made the church a logical place for the ordination, also given the fact that they are the only two men in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who will be ordained transitional deacons this year. Brother Steeves works with the parish’s Ignite Youth Ministry and Brother Rodgriguez serves as master of ceremonies, according to the parish website.

CORRECTION

Helena Wiik is a member of St. Mary in New Trier. An incorrect parish for Wiik was published in the April 23 article on page 6, “7 young women awarded ACCW Golden Rose Award.”

STATUE BLESSING

Rosalba

COURTESY ESTELA VILLAGRÁN MANANCERO

FROMTHEVICARGENERAL

ONLY JESUS | FATHER MICHAEL TIX

Finding God’s plan in May’s graduations, ordinations, Mother’s Day celebrations

The week after Easter this year, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis hosted the annual convention of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention brought together educators and administrators from our own archdiocese and across the country for professional continuing education.

An enjoyable part of attending the convention for me was connecting with people. At one point early in the convention, someone called out my name. I stopped and turned, and the young woman with a big smile asked, “Do you remember me?” I responded that she needed to give me a clue, and the woman said, “You were my softball coach in fourth grade.” I’m sure my eyes got big at that point, and the woman told me her name. Much to her surprise, I responded with the name of her twin sister, parents and grandparents. Smiling and laughing with me and others at this point, the woman said, “You do remember!”

It was probably 25 years ago that I coached Jamie in softball at Blessed Trinity in Richfield. At the time, the school was looking for a softball coach and word got out that for at least my seminary years I had coached boys’ little league. I’m still not sure who started the rumor that I would coach the softball team, but whoever did surely knew that I couldn’t say no to the

Descubriendo el plan de Dios en las graduaciones, ordenaciones y celebraciones del Día de la Madre de mayo

La semana después de Pascua de este año, la Arquidiócesis de St. Paul y Minneapolis fue sede de la convención anual de la Asociación Nacional de Educación Católica (NCEA) en el Centro de Convenciones de Minneapolis. La convención reunió a educadores y administradores de nuestra propia arquidiócesis y todo el país para la formación profesional continua.

Una de las partes más gratas de asistir a la convención, para mí fue, conectar con la gente. En un momento dado, al principio de la convención, alguien gritó mi nombre. Me detuve y me giré; una joven, con una gran sonrisa, me preguntó: “¿Te acuerdas de mí?”. Le respondí que necesitaba que me diera una pista, y ella me dijo: “Fuiste mi entrenador de sóftbol en cuarto grado”. Estoy seguro de que en ese instante se me abrieron los ojos de par en par; entonces, la joven me dijo su nombre. Para su gran sorpresa, yo le respondí mencionando el nombre de su hermana gemela, así como el de sus padres y abuelos. Sonriendo y riendo —tanto conmigo como con los demás presentes—, la joven exclamó: “¡Sí que te acuerdas!”.

Probablemente hace unos 25 años que entrené a Jamie en sóftbol en Blessed Trinity, en Richfield. En aquel entonces, la escuela buscaba un entrenador de sóftbol y corrió la voz de que, al menos durante mis años de seminario, yo

God has a plan for all of us to use our individual gifts and talents in ways that make our world a better place. In this month of May, may we learn from Mary the Mother of God, and may we pray the Hail Mary in a special way as we try to be open to God’s plan in ways that reflect the love of God for our times.

kids. Coaching girls’ softball was fun, and I made connections with players and families alike. After reconnecting at NCEA, Jamie went on to tell me about graduating from high school, going to college, marrying, and now teaching kindergarten at one of our Minneapolis Catholic schools. It was fun to catch up, and to think of how Jamie had grown and developed her talents and interests in ways that are now being shared with others, whether it be her family or her students.

Among other things, the month of May marks the beginning of graduation season. Elsewhere in this edition of The Catholic Spirit, you will find a salute to our graduating seniors. Meeting Jamie at the NCEA convention reminded me of college, high school, middle school, kindergarten — even preschool — graduations. Young people learn and grow in what seems like the blink of an eye. Graduation provides an opportunity to celebrate young people,

with thanksgiving to God as they begin a new chapter in their lives. They can use what they have learned to make our world a better place. Congratulations to all of our graduates!

Another highlight of May is Mother’s Day, when we celebrate our moms and the love they share with us in their selfless care and concern. That kind of love helps us better understand something of God’s great love for us all. While celebrating Mother’s Day we also honor the example of Mary, the Mother of God and Mother of the Church. We honor Mary with May crownings and other devotions that include special recitations of the rosary. Key to the rosary is the Hail Mary that invites us to remember the words of the angel Gabriel, who came to Mary with the news that she would become the mother of God. Despite her initial shock and surprise at the angel’s message, we know that Mary responded in faith and trust with a wholehearted yes to

había entrenado a equipos de béisbol infantil masculino. Todavía no estoy seguro de quién inició el rumor de que yo entrenaría al equipo de sóftbol, pero quienquiera que lo hiciera sabía sin duda que yo no podría decirles que no a los chicos. Entrenar al equipo femenino de sóftbol fue divertido, y establecí vínculos tanto con las jugadoras como con sus familias. Tras reencontrarnos en la NCEA, Jamie me contó que se había graduado de la escuela secundaria, había ido a la universidad, se había casado y que ahora enseñaba en el jardín de infancia de una de nuestras escuelas católicas de Minneapolis. Fue muy grato ponernos al día y reflexionar sobre cómo Jamie había crecido y desarrollado sus talentos e intereses de maneras que ahora comparte con los demás, ya sea con su familia o con sus alumnos.

Entre otras cosas, el mes de mayo marca el comienzo de la temporada de graduaciones. En otra parte de esta edición de The Catholic Spirit, encontrarán un homenaje a nuestros estudiantes de último año que se gradúan. Conocer a Jamie en la convención de la NCEA me trajo a la memoria las graduaciones de la universidad, la escuela secundaria, la escuela media, el jardín de infancia e —incluso— el preescolar. Los jóvenes aprenden y crecen en lo que parece ser un abrir y cerrar de ojos. La graduación brinda la oportunidad de celebrar a los jóvenes, dando gracias a Dios, mientras inician un nuevo capítulo en sus vidas. Ellos pueden utilizar lo que han aprendido para hacer de nuestro mundo un lugar mejor. ¡Felicidades a todos nuestros graduados!

Otro acontecimiento destacado del mes de mayo es el Día de la Madre, ocasión en la que celebramos a nuestras mamás y el amor que comparten con nosotros a través de su cuidado y solicitud desinteresados. Ese tipo de amor nos

God’s plan for her and her life. Praying the rosary with its many Hail Marys invites us to imitate Mary’s faith and trust in God’s plan for us and our lives.

God has a plan for our graduates that we celebrate in these days. God’s plan might be a calling to be like Jamie to live as a wife or teacher. It could be a calling to share God’s love as a parent or grandparent. God’s plan might even include stepping forward to serve as a volunteer coach. God has a plan for all of us. Also in this month, we have young men who will be ordained as transitional deacons and priests to serve the Church. God has a plan for all of us to use our individual gifts and talents in ways that make our world a better place. In this month of May, may we learn from Mary the Mother of God, and may we pray the Hail Mary in a special way as we try to be open to God’s plan in ways that reflect the love of God for our times.

OFFICIALS

ayuda a comprender mejor, en cierta medida, el inmenso amor que Dios siente por todos nosotros. Al celebrar el Día de la Madre, honramos también el ejemplo de María, Madre de Dios y Madre de la Iglesia. Honramos a María mediante las coronaciones de mayo y otras devociones que incluyen el rezo especial del rosario. Un elemento fundamental del rosario es el Avemaría, que nos invita a recordar las palabras del ángel Gabriel, quien se presentó ante María con la noticia de que ella se convertiría en la Madre de Dios. A pesar de la conmoción y la sorpresa iniciales que le causó el mensaje del ángel, sabemos que María respondió con fe y confianza, entregando un “sí” de todo corazón al plan que Dios tenía para ella y para su vida. Rezar el rosario —con sus numerosas Avemarías— nos invita a imitar la fe y la confianza de María en el plan que Dios tiene para nosotros y para nuestras vidas. Dios tiene un plan para nuestros graduados, el cual celebramos en estos días. El plan de Dios podría ser un llamado a ser como Jamie: a vivir como esposa o como maestra. Podría ser un llamado a compartir el amor de Dios como padre o abuelo. El plan de Dios podría incluso incluir dar un paso al frente para servir como entrenador voluntario. Dios tiene un plan para todos nosotros. También en este mes, tenemos jóvenes que serán ordenados como diáconos transitorios y sacerdotes para servir a la Iglesia. Dios tiene un plan para que todos nosotros utilicemos nuestros dones y talentos individuales de maneras que hagan de nuestro mundo un lugar mejor. En este mes de mayo, aprendamos de María, la Madre de Dios, y recemos el Avemaría de una manera especial, mientras procuramos mantenernos abiertos al plan de Dios de formas que reflejen el amor de Dios para nuestros tiempos.

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

Effective

April 23, 2026

Reverend Aric Aamodt, assigned as chaplain for the Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting. This is in addition to his assignment as chaplain for Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria.

Reverend Michael Panka, assigned as chaplain for the North Minneapolis Serra Club. This is in addition to his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Odilia in Shoreview.

Effective April 24, 2026

Reverend Marcel Okwara, assigned as chaplain for the Catholic Women’s Association of CameroonMinnesota Chapter. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Bridget in Minneapolis.

Reverend Steven Urban, C.Ss.R., assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center. Father Urban was ordained to the priesthood on April 18, 2026.

Father Stan Mader, pastor of St. Joseph in Waconia, walks toward home plate at Target Field in Minneapolis April 30 as he prepares to throw out the first pitch for the Minnesota Twins game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Father Mader has been a lifelong fan of the Twins and has attended 16 or 17 Twins Fantasy Camps over the years. A St. Joseph parishioner came up with the idea last fall to bring a group of people from the parish to a Twins game and ask if Father Mader could throw out the first pitch. The Twins granted the request and the parish bought 250 tickets for the game so people could watch their pastor take the mound before the game and celebrate his 70th birthday, which was March 28. The group included Father Michael Tix, left, vicar general for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who was one of nine people to join Father Mader on the field. “It’s fun,” Father Mader said of the chance to throw a pitch at Target Field. “Baseball is a love of mine. I love the history of the game. I continue to play in an over-50 league, which this year will be an over-60 league. You know, I’ve never been good at the game, but I’ve loved the history, loved being able to talk baseball with people.” After Father Mader’s pitch, the Twins went on to defeat the Blue Jays 7-1.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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MCC: Human costs of an IVF insurance mandate would top financial costs

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

This spring the Minnesota Legislature has been considering legislation to require insurance plans in the state to cover costly in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments which, while attempting to help women achieve pregnancy, inevitably destroy human embryos.

MAGGEE HANGGE

Legislators weren’t expected to pass the mandate before the session’s scheduled end May 18. But if the legislation supported by some members of both parties passes in the future, the cost is likely to be passed on to insurance plan members through their premiums, said Maggee Hangge, assistant director for operations and family policy at the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota.

While scaling back some provisions of the proposal, lawmakers added an exemption to the mandate for religious organizations.

But they voted down an amendment to add restorative reproductive medicine to the insurance mandate. Restorative reproductive medicine is a comprehensive approach to fertility care designed to treat and cure underlying diseases, such as endometriosis, that can cause women’s infertility, Hangge said. That approach helps many couples conceive naturally, she said.

The mandate would also allow for commercial surrogacy if men wanted to conceive children through IVF, she said. The Catholic Church opposes IVF treatment and human surrogacy, MCC officials said.

Compassion for couples bearing the burden of infertility includes the call to help them with the best tools possible, Hangge said in her opposition to the mandate at an April 9 hearing of the Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee. “That is not through pushing expensive and ethically questionable treatments like IVF but rather by finding and treating the root cause of infertility through restorative reproductive medicine,” Hangge said.

Couples deserve real answers about their fertility through restorative reproductive medicine rather than IVF, Hangge said, and “Minnesota taxpayers should not be forced to fund this unethical and often ineffective practice.”

IVF is the most common type of assisted reproductive technology. It involves surgically removing eggs from a woman’s ovaries, combining them with sperm in the laboratory and returning them to a female patient or gestational carrier, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the IVF process, a woman’s ovaries are stimulated by medication to release as many eggs as possible to create embryos for more implantation rounds; embryos that are not used are kept frozen, said Renee Oakes, director of the Department of Marriage, Family and Life in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Discipleship and Evangelization. Oakes also founded and owns Integrated Fertility Care in Stillwater. In addition to Hangge, Oakes testified against the legislation at the April 9 hearing. For each embryo implanted, it is estimated that five to six are discarded, Oakes told lawmakers. Overall, 90 percent are either destroyed, donated to science or kept in storage, creating a tremendous loss of life, she said. The number of frozen embryos in the U.S. is estimated to be in the millions, she said.

The Catholic Church teaches that the conception of a child must be safeguarded by ethical boundaries. The fact it can be achieved through technological means does

not make it just for the parents, child or society, MCC officials said.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that, “Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple … infringe the child’s right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses’ right to become a father and a mother only through each other.” (CCC 2376).

In addition to the human cost, each IVF cycle can cost $15,000 to $30,000. Three to four cycles are often needed, so it could cost more than $100,000 for a woman to achieve a viable pregnancy, Hangge said.

The financial impact of the IVF mandate on Minnesota health plan members could grow to $28 million annually, according to an estimate released by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also quoted the Minnesota Council of Health Plans (an association of nonprofit health plans), which estimates a cost of $12 per member per month, or as much as $154.4 million, in the fully insured market.

Fully insured firms pay a fixed premium per enrollee to a health insurance issuer, with the health insurance issuer bearing the risk for paying claims, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services document.

Despite the cost, IVF’s overall effectiveness rate is just 37 percent, Oakes said.

“The desire for children is so strong that (couples) will try anything,” she said, noting that many of the couples she directs on archdiocesan engaged couple retreats approach her with fertility concerns. “And if they’re told this is your only hope, this is your only answer, women will just go through round after round after round after round.”

While IVF results in the destruction or abandonment of many human lives, it also increases the risk of cancer for both the mother and baby, Oakes said. In addition, many IVF providers seek

to treat endometriosis only enough for women to be free of its effects for six to 12 months, depending on the window to try to conceive, Oakes said.

In endometriosis, tissue similar to the endometrial lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, which can cause adhesions, scarring, internal bleeding, bowel or urinary dysfunction, constipation, painful intercourse, or infertility, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.

Nationwide, 12 percent of IVF-achieved pregnancies result in miscarriage if a woman is “struggling with a disease process in any way, shape, or form; the body will cut out fertility first,” Oakes said. “That’s what the body does to protect (itself). When you don’t treat the (underlying fertility) issue and when you try to force pregnancy to occur, the outcome is so poor.”

It doesn’t make sense from a health perspective to go around the fertility process, she said. “Rather, (one should) restore the health of the couple so that they can go on to live healthy lives and not have an increased cancer risk,” Oakes said. “Because even just the process of IVF alone, so many medications are utilized to stimulate the eggs and to go around hormones. It’s such a difficult process on a woman’s body.”

Couples can often conceive naturally by removing all endometrial tissue and treating other diseases that can cause infertility, as well as participating in approaches to fertility such as NaPro Technology (Natural Procreative Technology) or the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, which includes tracking a woman’s hormones, Oakes said. Having health insurance cover IVF treatments isn’t a guarantee that couples will have successful pregnancies, because it won’t help them with what they most need, Oakes said. Infertility is a sign that the body needs help, she said. “When you treat them, when they receive true care, then the babies come.”

Senators recall Annunciation as omnibus firearms bill passes, focus shifts to House

By Rebecca Omastiak

The Catholic Spirit

May 4, the Minnesota Senate voted 34-33 in favor of an omnibus firearms bill that introduced a series of efforts aimed at combatting gun violence.

Referenced by many legislators amid the debate of SF4067 on the Senate floor was the Aug. 27 shooting during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.

Before debate on the omnibus bill began, legislators held a moment of silence for 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, who died in the shooting.

Sen. Zaynab Mohamed (DFL-Minneapolis), an author of SF4067, said in introductory remarks that members of Annunciation families were present, as the floor session unfolded. “It is through their strength, faith, humanity and love for their children that got each other through impossible pain and got this historic, powerful legislation to where it is today,” Mohamed suggested. Mohamed said the bill would ban the sales of semiautomatic military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, invest in safety upgrades for public and

private schools, invest in mental health access for children in Minnesota, and reenact a binary trigger ban, among other efforts.

“This is a complex problem without a single solution,” Mohamed said in her introductory remarks. “The students and parents we have heard from do not want us to choose between banning weapons of war and investing in school safety. This isn’t either-or. We need both. When it comes to keeping kids safe, the only responsible choice is all of the above.”

The nearly four-hour portion of the May 4 floor session on the topic included emotional responses from legislators as well as debate regarding the bill’s proposed language.

Sen. Andrew Lang (R-Olivia), a critic of the bill, argued: “This is legislation that goes far beyond the public safety and strikes directly at the constitutional freedoms of law-abiding Minnesotans.”

“The bill raises a simple but profound question ... are we here to protect constitutional rights or are we here to erode them when it becomes politically inconvenient?” He went on to say that “this bill targets law-abiding citizens, not

the criminals. Criminals do not follow gun laws. They do not register firearms. They do not comply with bans. What this legislation does is it places new burdens on the people that have done nothing wrong.”

Other critics argued the debate had taken a partisan turn. Sen. Julia Coleman (R-Waconia) asked why legislation like SF4067 had not been put forth previously when Democrats recently “held a trifecta for two full years.”

“The timing of the vote today feels performative at best,” she said, in part, and suggested the bill as it stood would not have a chance of passing the Minnesota House. She also argued, in reflecting on Aug. 27, “When I look at this bill before us today, I ask myself the most important question before us: Would anything in it have stopped the horrors of that day? My heart breaks that the answer is no.”

Sen. Mark Johnson, the Minority Leader of the Senate, agreed in his criticism of the bill.

“(W)hat we’re here to do, is to help make this a better society, day in and day out as we show up to work. There’s one problem with that. This bill doesn’t do that. This bill will not be saving lives because this bill

does not have a chance of going forward as it is currently written. ... We need to be focusing on helping schools enhance their site safety ... we need to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals, and we need to increase access to the mental health services that Minnesota does have, but we need to have more provided for that.”

Johnson went on to say, “There are aspects within this bill that absolutely hit on those critical needs that we have in this state” but suggested that it is framed in a way “that we know isn’t constitutional.”

Other legislators focused on the ways in which they felt the bill could prevent future harm.

“We’re part of this generation that had to worry about mass school shootings. We had to do the drills in school, we grew up through Columbine, through Sandy Hook, through Parkland, through Uvalde,” said Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten (DFL-St. Paul), in part. “It’s unspeakable,” she said of what Annunciation parents experienced Aug. 27 and in the shooting’s aftermath. “And we can prevent that.”

Sen. Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley)

RENEE OAKES

SPRING & SUMMER PARISH FESTIVALS

pull. Beer, hot dogs and brats, soft drinks and water, food vendors, ice cream and more. 952-473-1247. corndays.com

St. Joseph of the Lakes, Lino Lakes Summer Festival, Aug. 8-9: 5-10:30 p.m. Aug. 8, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 9. 171 Elm St. Live music, raffles, concessions, bingo, games for all ages, outdoor Mass on Aug. 8 to open our Summer Festival, fireworks the night of Aug. 8, car show on Aug. 9. Food options Aug. 8 include pork basket, egg rolls, pretzels, hamburgers and hot dogs. Food options Aug. 9 include chicken picnic, corn on the cob, hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream bars. Beer, wine coolers, soda and margaritas available both days. Mass: 5 p.m. Aug. 8. 651-784-3015. mystjoes.me

St. Wenceslaus, New Prague St. Wenceslaus Church Festival, Aug. 10: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 215 Main St. E. Polka Mass, live music, cash raffle, bingo, welcome booth, bucket raffle, Split the Pot, kids’ games and Maker’s Market. Velvet Touch chicken dinner, food trucks, St. Wenc Grill, ice cream stand and beer garden. Mass: 8:30 a.m. 952-758-3225. npcatholic.org

Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis Summer Festival 2026, Aug. 14-15: 4-9 p.m. Aug. 14, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Aug. 15. 1315 Second St. NE. Live music, kids’ games, raffle, soccer and ecuavoley game matches. Ecuadorian and Mexican food options, beer and soft drinks. 612-379-9736. facebook.com/iglesia.san.cirilo

Parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis submitted their 2026 spring and summer festivals for this guide, a comprehensive listing of auctions, games, food and fun hosted by our parishes.

The Catholic Spirit will be back at it in our upcoming July 23 issue for the Fall Parish Festival Guide, for the months of August, September, October and November.

Please note: The information represents parish submissions by press time. For updates, find the list online at TheCatholicSpirit.com

MAY

St. Peter Claver, St. Paul Chicken BBQ Fundraiser, May 17: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 369 Oxford St. N. Silent Auction, bingo and raffle. BBQ chicken, soft drinks and sides. 651-646-1797. tinyurl.com/2rz9abhp

JUNE

Holy Childhood, St. Paul Corpus Christi Food Truck Festival, June 7: 3-8 p.m. 1435 Midway Parkway. Corpus Christi neighborhood procession and kids’ games. Food trucks, soft drinks and ice cream. 651-489-8825. holychildhoodparish.org/events

St. Nicholas, Elko New Market 56th Annual Chicken Cookout, June 21: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 51 Church St. Live music, kids’ games, bingo, fresh-baked pies, bake sale, cake walk and cash raffle. Grilled chicken dinner, burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks and beer. Mass: 10 a.m. 952-461-2403. stncc.net

Annunciation, Hazelwood Parish Festival, June 27-28: 7-10:30 p.m. June 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 28. 4996 Hazelwood Ave. June 27 events include 7:30 p.m. dance (The Underdogs Band), bouncy houses, 50/50 raffle and cash raffle tickets. June 28 events include concrete cowboy, Charlie Sticha Band, country store, cash raffle, 50/50 raffle, bouncy houses, laser tag, cake walk, sand pit, quilt raffle, bingo and historical cemetery tour. KC Food Truck, adult beverages and soft drinks. Mass: 7 p.m. June 27, 10 a.m. June 28. 952-652-2625. thechurchoftheannunciation.org

JULY

St. Patrick, Jordan Summer Festival, July 19: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 24425 Old Highway 13 Blvd. Live music, raffle, bingo, silent auction, pull tabs, kids’ games, country store and antique tractors. Grilled chicken dinner, snack bar, beer, soft drinks and water. Mass: 10 a.m. 952-492-6276.

St. Mary of Czestochowa, Delano 43rd Annual Festival, July 19: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 1867 95th St. SE. Beef or pork dinner, kids’ games and inflatable, live polka music by Blake Klaustermeier and Friends Concertina Band, country store, raffle, silent auction, bingo, pull tabs, bean bag tournament and cemetery prayer service with color guard at 2:30 p.m. Hot dogs, beef sandwiches, chips, beer, wine and soft drinks. Mass: 10 a.m. 952-955-1139. stmarydelano.org/our-parish/ festival

St. Michael, Stillwater Emerald Festival, July 26: Noon-4 p.m. 611 Third St. S. Arts, handcrafts and farmers markets, holy card photo booth, baptism and school history displays, kids’ games, mini golf, crafts, baby race, live Irish music, Solanus Casey Trolley rides and raffle. Food, beverages and ice cream treats. 651-439-4400. stmichaelandstmarystillwater.org/2026-emerald-festival

AUGUST

Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale AugustFest, Aug. 2: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 202 Alabama St. SE. Live music, food, kids’ games and inflatables, bucket drawings, country store, bake sale, cash raffle, bingo and much more. KC Grilling station, ice cream, VanDenCookies, baked goods, beer and other beverages. Mass: 10 a.m. 507-744-2829. facebook.com/ICLonsdale

St. John the Baptist, Dayton Parish Festival, Aug. 2: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 18380 Columbus St. Chicken dinner served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., theme basket silent auction, bingo, children’s games, adult games of chance, flea market, country store and raffles. Hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, chips, soft drinks and beer. 763-428-2828. sjbdayton.org

St. George, Long Lake Corn Days, Aug. 8: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 133 N. Brown Road. Live music, beer garden, kids’ games, petting zoo, kids’ inflatables, silent auction, bingo, raffle, 5K and kids fun run, parade, wine

Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul Annual Fun Fest, Aug. 15-16: 5-9 p.m. Aug. 15, 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Aug. 16. 2119 Stillwater Ave. E. Aug. 15 events include bingo and concessions with bidding opportunities for silent auction, take-a-chance and 50/50. Aug. 16 events include kids’ games, loteria, cake walk, plinko, silent auction, take-achance and book sale. Aug. 15 food options include Sloppy Joes and hot dogs with basket options available. Aug. 16 food options include burgers, brats, hot dogs with basket options, snow cones, cookies, pies and authentic Mexican food including tacos and street corn. 651-738-0677. blessedsacramentsp.org

Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee, MN JACS JAM, Aug. 15-16: 4-10 p.m. Aug. 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 16. 15850 Marystown Road. Polka Mass at 4 p.m. on Aug. 15, live music, games for kids and adults, chicken plop, bake sale, raffles, silent auction and quilt booth. Food options include burgers, brats, hot dogs, sides, quesadillas, tacos, elote/ corn on the cob, chips and queso, pie, ice cream treats, beer, wine, pop and other snacks. Mass: 4 p.m. Aug. 15. 952-445-1319. ssjacs.org/jacs-jam

Most Holy Trinity, Veseli 59th Annual Ho-Down, Aug. 16: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. 4939 N. Washington St. Polka Mass, continuous music, church tours, prizes and cash drawings, home-baked goods (including many Czech favorites), silent auction, games for all ages and shuttle service. Food options include grilled pork and dumpling dinner (11 a.m. until sold out), hamburgers, hot dogs, a fun food stand and refreshments. Mass: 11 a.m. 507-744-2823. mhtveseli.com/veseli-ho-down

St. Genevieve, Centerville Annual Parish Festival, Aug. 16: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 6995 Centerville Road. Silent auction, country store, kids’ games, bingo, raffles and refreshments. Food options include chicken dinner, hamburgers, soft drinks and beer tent. 651-429-7937. stgens.org

St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran Turkey Dinner and Festival, Aug. 16: 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 2000 County Road 10. Cash drawing, interactive kids’ area, cash bingo, silent auction, craft sale, farmers’ market, bake sale, cake walk, hula hoop contest and much more. Food options include a turkey dinner, beer tent and concessions. Mass: 11:30 a.m. 763-420-2385. churchofstthomas.org/parish-festival

St. Mathias, Hampton Fun Fest, Aug. 23: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 23315 Northfield Blvd. Live music, raffle, rip tickets, bingo, kids’ games, bake sale, silent auction and live auction. Food options include a food tent, beer, seltzers and soft drinks. Mass: 10 a.m. 651-437-9030. stmathias-hampton.com

PECS in Ireland: Spend time with the Lord, then speak

By Joe Ruff

The

Catholic Spirit

In a tranquil retreat center in Northern Ireland, Gizella “Gizzy” Miko and Regina Mancilla of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis were reminded to listen to the Lord, listen to people around them, and speak from a place of faith.

“One of the most striking realizations for us was that evangelization is not about adding more activities to the parish calendars. It is about relationships. It is about friendship. It is about the quiet influence of a life transformed by Christ,” Mancilla wrote in a reflection about their March 25-31 journey to Larne, north of Belfast.

There, they attended Ireland’s March 28-29 national seminar for small groups that are following the model of the Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS), which Archbishop Bernard Hebda has encouraged as part of implementing his 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.”

The seminar’s theme was From Encounter to Mission: The Lord God Has Given Me a Disciple’s Tongue (Is 50:4). Speakers stressed that mission begins with listening to God, then speaking, Mancilla said.

For example, Anne McFerran — a coleader of a PECS small group at St. Nicholas parish in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland — shared an encounter she had with the Lord. McFerran told those at the seminar that once when she was ill and in the hospital, she found herself praying and singing with a roommate. In a place of vulnerability God created an encounter, which led to evangelization expressed in prayer, Mancilla said.

COURTESY GIZELLA MIKO

At Ireland’s national seminar in March on the Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS), Gizella “Gizzy” Miko, second from the left, poses for a photo with, from left, Anne Stuart; Father Paul Fenech, president of the international PECS movement; Regina Mancilla and Gerry Stuart.

Miko and Mancilla learned that in Ireland, PECS has been around for more than 30 years. It is nurtured, and it grows — through evangelization — as friendships are built around prayer and sharing.

“Small groups aren’t about learning, and then you just share what you learned,” Miko said in a joint interview with Mancilla.

“It’s about your encounter with Christ. You spend time with Christ, and because of that relationship, now you share with others

what you heard God speak to you.”

“It is evangelization rooted in that encounter” with Christ, Miko said, allowing the Holy Spirit to find the right words when it is time to share God’s work in our lives.

A central part of encountering Christ is spending time in regular prayer before the Eucharist, such as a committed Holy Hour, Miko said.

In the archdiocese, Miko is the PECS and small groups facilitator in the Office of

Discipleship of Evangelization. Mancilla is small groups supporter for the archdiocese. The PECS model stresses seven moments in any small group meeting: Praising God with songs and prayers; sharing recent experiences of God and group members’ responses to him; a teaching element, with content depending on the focus of the group; discussing the teaching; parish announcements; intercessory prayer for people in and outside the group; and a healing prayer ministry within the group.

More than 2,000 small groups have been formed in the archdiocese since Archbishop Hebda encouraged that kind of relationship in parishes. More than 16,000 people are participating in 138 parishes.

In addition to her efforts in the archdiocese, Miko was elected in November as the English-speaking promoter of the global PECS movement. She and Mancilla traveled to Northern Ireland in part because the international organization is encouraging all countries to run a national seminar. Mancilla said they wanted to learn the essentials of running a national gathering as they prepare to make that happen in the United States — at some point down the line.

As the movement grows in the archdiocese, Miko and Mancilla said they plan to emphasize the importance of staying grounded in Christ and relationships, evangelizing through love and hope, which promotes peace and healing. It is not a program. It is a way of life — one lived by some people in Ireland for more than 30 years, Mancilla pointed out.

To read Mancilla’s reflection about the seminar in full, go to thecatholicspirit.com.

Chanhassen parish’s small group creates displays to help contemplate Jesus’ resurrection

By Aviana Kasal For The Catholic Spirit

At St. Hubert in Chanhassen, the Easter season is more than proclaimed — it is brought to life.

During a recent parish-wide prayer event, parishioners moved through 14 Stations of the Resurrection, reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus, guided not only by Scripture but by carefully crafted displays created by a small group of about 15 women in the parish called Women of Faith. Arranged on tables in the church narthex, the stations offered parishioners an opportunity to interact with the accounts of the Resurrection.

“We wanted to bring the stations to life, so we could see, touch, feel and enter into the story,” said Nancy Gahl, a parishioner who leads the small group and helped lead the project.

The Stations of the Resurrection, sometimes called the Way of Light, focus on Christ’s appearances after his resurrection. While many Catholics are familiar with the Stations of the Cross during Lent, Gahl said the Easter season often lacks the same depth of reflection.

“We are excellent at Lent,” Gahl said. “But we are Easter people. What does it mean to live in that joy?”

That question helped spark the creativity and action of Gahl’s small group at the parish.

The parish led the effort in 2023 when several small groups at St. Hubert studied the Stations of the Resurrection using short videos. As participants reflected on Scripture, they began incorporating simple visual elements, such as bread for the breaking of the bread and electric candles symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

“Our faith has grown exponentially in sharing what we’re learning and our relationship with our Lord. We have gained strength and confidence through hearing each other’s experiences,” Gahl said.

By 2025, members of the Women of Faith group

further developed the idea of a parish display, said Regina Mancilla, who helps support small groups through the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Discipleship and Evangelization.

“They didn’t feel like the Church was really expressing that joy of Easter. So, they decided to focus on the joy of Easter and bring that to life,” Mancilla said.

Using mostly household items, Gahl and three other women from Women of Faith, Carol Steeler, Julie Kreemer and Pat Adams, created items for the 14 stations, each designed to represent key moments from Christ’s resurrection.

“We would read through the Gospel passages and then ask, ‘What can we create that helps people enter into this?’” Gahl said.

Their solutions include a ball of light surrounded by cloudlike fabric and topped by a depiction of Christ rising into heaven, and a pair of sculpted hands to symbolize St. Thomas touching Christ’s wounds.

“It wasn’t just the four of us. Other people got excited and started contributing ideas,” Gahl said.

Mancilla said working on and displaying the artwork at the parish brought people together.

“The project reflects what small groups are meant to do,” Mancilla said. “It’s an example of a small group not only receiving formation but putting it into practice. By sharing their creativity and their gifts, they are helping others grow closer to Jesus.”

That sense of community reflects Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s call for renewal in his 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” In the letter, Archbishop Hebda encouraged parishes to foster deeper relationships, faith formation and evangelization through small group ministry.

“It has everything to do with relationships,” said Gizella “Gizzy” Miko, small group facilitator for the archdiocese.

Following an archdiocesan-wide push in 2024 to train small group leaders, parishes like St. Hubert have seen growth. The Resurrection initiative is one example of how

those groups are putting faith into action.

“It’s not just learning. It’s about encountering God,” Miko said.

That vision also inspired a new video series by two parishioners at St. Paul in Ham Lake on the Stations of the Resurrection, released this Easter and used by small groups throughout the 50 days of the season. The series is designed for discussion and reflection. It can be found at archspm. org/behold

For Gahl, the displays and the prayer experience point back to the heart of the Christian faith. “If it wasn’t for the Resurrection, our faith would be in vain,” she said.

Reflecting on the disciple’s journey from fear to bold witness, she said Jesus’ resurrection carries a message that remains relevant today.

“The first thing Jesus says to them is peace be with you. If we can learn from that, if we can let go of our fear, then we can share that joy with others,” Gahl said.

COURTESY REGINA MANCILLA

Nancy Gahl shows some of the artwork symbolizing the 14 Stations of the Resurrection at St. Hubert in Chanhassen.

flowers, and still another day families did the same.

Before coming to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the statue was in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the last of seven Wisconsin cities that were part of the tour. Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at Mass at the Cathedral, with Bishop Kevin Kenney doing the homily and concelebrating with Bishop Michael Izen. A local mariachi band provided the music.

In his homily, Bishop Kenney said the Madre Peregrina statue in the Twin Cities is like Mary visiting Elizabeth. She comes with news of hope and joy, the bishop said.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe appears as an Indigenous woman, pregnant, because she wanted the Church, the new world, to give hope to all peoples. She wanted peace to exist. She wanted people to see that they were all children,” Bishop Kenney said.

Having the statue travel to New York City, Chicago, Milwaukee and other cities in the United States indicates the nation needs the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession, Bishop Kenney said.

“(Madre Peregrina) has been traveling throughout the U.S. for the last few months,” Bishop Kenney said. “Back in October, we received an invitation for her to stop here. We accepted that invitation, but at the end of November, when (Operation) Metro Surge started in the Twin Cities, we decided that it wasn’t the time for her to come. So as temperatures went down in the area, she was in Wisconsin (and) we said yes.”

After Mass and a video that told the story of Mary appearing to St. Juan Diego, two long lines of people formed to venerate the statue. One volunteer, Marie Zellner, helped usher people up the stairs to the sanctuary and the statue. Zellner wore a broach on her collar depicting the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She got the broach while visiting the real tilma at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“She touches your heart, for sure,” Zellner said, admiring the statue from one of the front pews. “Especially if you’ve been to the basilica (in Mexico City). There’s nothing like it.”

Two friends, Aiden Schmidt and Luther Steen, attended Mass at the Cathedral April 23. Schmidt was confirmed on Easter 2026. Steen isn’t a practicing Catholic but said he attends a lot of events and Mass at the Cathedral with Schmidt.

“We were going to come to Mass anyways,” Schmidt said. “We completely forgot that there was going to be Our Lady of Guadalupe until we came in here,” he said. “We were caught completely by surprise.”

Together, after Mass, the two friends

wrote prayer petitions on a strip of white ribbon and brought the prayers to a basket set before the statue.

The strips of white ribbons were available to anyone who wished to write their prayer intentions. The ribbons will be delivered to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City where St. Juan Diego’s tilma is kept for veneration.

Manancero said she brought 10 spools of white ribbon thinking it would be enough for one night. But 10 spools were not enough.

“We can’t buy enough ribbon,” she said. Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a special place in Zellner’s life. She’s a parishioner of Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) in St. Paul and took pilgrimages to Mexico City — her parents’ birthplace — with Bishop Kenney when he was pastor of OLG. She’s visited the basilica and tilma throughout her life, often traveling with her husband.

“My husband died a year ago … it was one of the many beautiful things that we did together,” Zellner said. “As a Catholic family, we brought our kids every now and then, but mainly just he and I, we would go as often as we could to Mexico City. It holds very special meaning to me, because he was with me at that time.”

She looked up at the statue again, and said, “I know now she’s taking care of him up there. And my mom and dad. The four (of) us went a lot (to Mexico City). It was always beautiful.”

Zellner has four children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Dec. 12, honoring the Virgin Mary’s

appearance to St. Juan Diego. On that day at OLG, a statue of Mary is given a crown made of gold. Years ago, Zellner said, her uncle from Mexico City made that crown of gold. It was presented during a Mass with Bishop Kenney, then the pastor, presiding.

“My mom and dad presented it at the altar, and it was blessed,” Zellner said. “That same crown is at Our Lady of Guadalupe church now, and she’s crowned every year with that crown on Dec. 12.”

Zellner used to lead summer faith formation programs at OLG.

Schoolchildren from around the Twin Cities were bused to the parish. She shared the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe and told the story of the apparition.

“It was always a lot of fun to do,” Zellner said. “Our Lady is rooted deeply in me.”

Zellner recruited her coworker at the Minnesota Twins ticket office, Dawn Belko, a parishioner of St. Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park, to volunteer with her to help during the statue’s stay at the Cathedral. She told Belko, “OK, you’re going to learn about Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

In addition to the statue placed in the Cathedral’s sanctuary, a side chapel held two large paintings of St. Juan Diego and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his tilma. People were invited to pray there as well. Free rosaries were blessed and available for all who wanted one.

Zellner said she hopes to travel back to see the tilma but hasn’t been able to in recent years.

“With the troubles that this world is in these days, it’s a little difficult to travel. It’s

been kind of scary to travel, so that has stopped me these last probably four, five years, but I sure would love to (visit again),” she said.

“We know of the protection of Our Lady, we know of the love of her son, Jesus Christ,” Bishop Kenney said during his homily. “Let us pray for that peace, let us pray for that hope, the healing that so many in today’s world need, but especially here in our archdiocese.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

People come into the sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul after Mass April 23 to venerate the Madre Peregrina, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was brought here from Mexico City.

NATHAN SCATENA | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

The Madre Peregrina is placed in Incarnation in Minneapolis.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Rosa Figueroa and her son, Dylan, take rosaries from a basket that were offered to those coming for the Mass and veneration of the Madre Peregrina.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A local mariachi band plays in the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul after Mass April 23. The band also played during Mass.

NATION+WORLD HEADLINES

Bishops’ pro-life chair “urgently” encourages the FDA to proceed with a safety review on mifepristone. The head of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee has written a letter to Trump administration officials expressing concern about the status of their promised safety review of the drug. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that pro-life groups are growing concerned that review is being deliberately slow-walked. Pro-life organizations have pushed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to end a Biden administration policy permitting mifepristone to be distributed by mail. However, the Trump administration has thus far left that regulation in place despite the pro-life groups’ opposition and has sought to block state challenges to mifepristone, such as one from Louisiana. The status and timeline of the FDA’s promised safety review of mifepristone remain unclear; however, in court filings, the Department of Justice has indicated the review may come after November’s midterm elections. In a May 4 letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, wrote that he is concerned about “reports alleging a deliberate delay in the completion of that review.” He “urgently” encouraged the FDA “to proceed as expeditiously as possible” with its review.

“Polish Lourdes,” where Mary appeared to two girls 160 times, could soon draw global attention. A Marian sanctuary in Gietrzwald often called the “Polish Lourdes” could soon draw global attention, as Pope Leo XIV has been invited to visit the site where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared about 160 times. As the Church enters May, the Marian month, preparations are underway for the 150th anniversary of the 1877 apparitions. Polish bishops and President Karol Nawrocki have extended the papal invitation, raising hopes of a major pilgrimage moment. The apparitions, experienced by two young girls, are among the most intense in Church history and Poland’s only Vatican-recognized Marian apparition site. Unlike Lourdes or Fatima, they included extended conversations with Mary. “That’s a unique aspect,” filmmaker Jan Sobierajski said. The message from Mary centered on prayer and conversion: “Pray the rosary every day,” Sister Anna Wojciechowska said, adding Mary’s assurance: “Do not be afraid, for I will always be with you.” The story of Gietrzwald is inseparable from the two young visionaries at its center: Barbara Samulowska and Justyna Szafrynska. Both were children Samulowska was just 12 years old when they reported seeing the Virgin Mary. In March, the Church recognized the heroic virtues of Sister Barbara, granting her the title venerable and advancing her sainthood cause.

Papal trip put the spotlight on local injustices and the joy of Christian faith, the pope says. Pope Leo XIV wanted his journey to Africa to highlight the serious injustices continuing there and propose a message of peace to a world marred by conflict and violations of international law. “At the same time, the apostolic journey gave people in Africa a chance to make their voices heard and to express the joy of being God’s people,” he said. Pope Leo used his first general audience after his April 13-23 trip to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square April 29, Pope Leo said in English that his time there “was meant to offer the world a message of peace at a moment marked by conflicts and frequent violations of international law.” “Along with the call for peace, I also denounced the grave injustices that exist in those countries that are so rich in natural resources, urging the international community to overcome neo-colonial attitudes and engage in authentic collaboration,” he said. Whenever a pope visits a country, it is a chance

for the people to have their voices be heard and for Catholics to “express the joy of being God’s people and the hope for a better future, of dignity for each and every one,” he said. “I am happy to have given them this opportunity, and at the same time I thank the Lord for what they have given me, an inestimable treasure for my heart and my ministry.”

Msgr. Robert Coll, the creator of Rice Bowl, dies at 95 after a life “poured out in service.”

The priest who created Rice Bowl which became Catholic Relief Services’ annual Lenten program of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for humanitarian aid has died at age 95. Msgr. Robert J. Coll, a retired priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, died April 20 in Naples, Florida, according to an April 24 obituary published by Florida Catholic. Over the past five decades, Rice Bowl has raised “nearly $350 million for poverty and hunger alleviation programs around the world and here at home,” said CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan in an April 27 statement. Callahan expressed “deep sorrow” over the loss of Msgr. Coll, describing him as “a visionary priest whose legacy of faith and service will endure for generations through CRS Rice Bowl.” “We give thanks for a priest whose life was a gift poured out in service,” Bishop Alfred Schlert of Allentown said April 28, adding that “countless lives” were “touched by his compassion, leadership, and unwavering faith.” Msgr. Coll told OSV News in a 2025 interview following the Trump administration’s slashing of foreign aid that Rice Bowl was poised for “its strongest moment,” with “the idea of Operation Rice Bowl” an appeal “for the world.”

After an Easter surge in confirmations, college students look forward in faith. Universities across the country are experiencing a surge in students seeking the sacrament of confirmation this academic year. While these students many of whom were confirmed this Easter Vigil describe unique journeys of faith, all of them exhibited a newfound joy. “I just could not wipe the smile off of my face,” 20-year-old Brooklyn Garon, a junior studying at the University of Dayton in Ohio, said of her baptism, first Communion and confirmation this Easter. “The vigil was just filled with so much joy and I just felt like I received so much grace.”

Garon was one of several students who spoke with OSV News about receiving confirmation which, along with the Eucharist, completes the rest of the sacraments of initiation following baptism during the 2025-2026 academic year. Some of these students attend Catholic schools; others study at public higher education institutions. They shared

their stories and what comes next for them in their faith journeys. Many of them sought confirmation after encountering Catholics in their own lives. Others arrived at the sacrament while looking for meaning and purpose in life. “I decided to pursue confirmation, because I realized I did not feel fulfilled and I wanted to seek something greater,” Casey Rigel, a 21-year-old senior nursing student at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, said. All seven universities or Catholic campus ministries that spoke with OSV News confirmed a dramatic rise in students receiving confirmation this year. Jason King, Beirne Chair of Catholic Studies and director of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University, said that God’s love for people and God’s call to love others resonates especially with students who are looking for meaning in life while also experiencing a sense of loneliness. Marianist Father Bob Jones, university chaplain at University of Dayton, added that he sees students realize something is missing in their lives when they befriend other students living out their faith.



U.S. bishops’ head calls for prayer after a gunman attacks a White House press dinner attended by President Trump. Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, denounced violence and called for all to resort to prayer after a gunman’s attempted assault on the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington April 25 forced the evacuation of the president, first lady and members of the Cabinet. “We are grateful the lives of the President, those who protect him, and everyone in attendance last night were spared from serious harm,” the archbishop said in a statement April 26. “Let us all pray for our elected leaders and public officials that they may receive God’s blessings,” he said. “Because human life is a precious gift, there is no room for violence of any kind in our society.” President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet members were whisked out of the annual dinner with the White House press corps, after a man rushed toward the main ballroom where the event was held and briefly exchanged gunfire with law enforcement. The suspect, reported by The Associated Press and other media outlets as a 31-year-old California man, was in custody awaiting arraignment April 27 on several charges. Bishop David Bonnar of Youngstown, Ohio, and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, also issued statements following the shooting, with both deploring violence and calling for peaceful engagement in U.S. political life.

Pew: In the U.S. and other countries, Catholicism loses more members than it gains. A new analysis from Pew Research Center has found that Catholicism has lost more members than it has gained in most of the 24 countries surveyed, while Protestantism has seen net gains in several nations, especially Latin America. The shifts are due to religious switching, or leaving one’s childhood religious identity for another in adulthood. Pew published its findings April 23, based on data from its surveys of 24 countries spanning Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America and sub-Saharan Africa. Those who leave Catholicism “tend to join Protestantism or disaffiliate from religion altogether,” said Pew, noting that “disaffiliation is especially common in parts of Europe and Latin America.” In contrast, those who leave Protestantism “tend to become religiously unaffiliated,” said Pew, which defines “religious nones” as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Even with the losses sustained, Catholicism remains the majority religion in eight of the 24 nations studied, with Poland, the Philippines and Italy topping the list. In the U.S., where less than one third (30%) are raised Catholic, only 17% remain so in adulthood, with 13% leaving the faith.

A new national garden promises healing for abuse survivors and all Catholics. A national garden in the nation’s capital proposed by survivors of clergy sexual abuse promises to foster healing not only for survivors but also for the Catholic Church as a whole. “We can’t heal alone,” said Mike Hoffman, chair of the National Healing Garden Working Group. “We want to heal with you, with our Church, with the bishops, with the priests. We want to heal together,” added the executive director of the National Catholic Restorative Justice Initiative, a group dedicated to restorative justice for survivors of Catholic clergy abuse. Hoffman, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by clergy, and Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection, spoke with OSV News about the efforts behind the National Healing Garden, which will be on the grounds of The Catholic University of America in Washington. The garden is planned for the east side of Caldwell Hall by the St. Francis Peace Garden. The university is managing fundraising efforts as well as collaborating on the design. Organizers are seeking to raise $200,000 by spring 2027 to fund the initiative. The garden, which is currently being designed, will serve as a healing space for survivors of clergy abuse and for anyone who has been abused or impacted by abuse. CNS and OSV

MAKING HER POINTS

Providence Academy senior leads in scoring and faith

Story and photo by Dave Hrbacek

The Catholic Spirit

Maddyn Greenway, a senior at Providence Academy in Plymouth, was riding the team bus heading to Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus March 14.

The Lions were about to play in the State Class AA girls’ championship basketball game against Marshall School in Duluth. Seated next to Greenway was her younger sister, Beckett, a ninth grader.

The two girls — daughters of former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway — were crying as they made their way from Plymouth to Minneapolis. It had nothing to do with pre-game jitters — the Lions were trying for their fifth straight title, all with Maddyn Greenway in the backcourt directing an offense that had been unstoppable for the last six years.

Rather, the emotion had everything to do with knowing this would be the last time the two sisters would play on the court together. The wins, the drills in practice — and the prayers before every game — would end on this night, win or lose.

“It’s been a crazy ride,” said Beckett, who, like Maddyn, started her varsity career in the seventh grade. “She’s helped me with so much. ... She’s made me so much better, on and off the court. I think it’s a blessing. Not everyone gets to play with their sibling.”

Even fewer win five consecutive state championships, which is what the Lions did when they defeated Marshall in that championship game, 95-60. They became the first girls basketball team in Minnesota to win five straight titles. Beckett played on three of those teams.

If that were not enough, Maddyn Greenway became the all-time state scoring leader (boys and girls) with 5,621 career points. She capped her career by being named Miss Basketball 2026 by the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association.

But no one in the Providence Academy girls basketball program measures Greenway’s impact by wins, championships, awards or points. They look to things that are much deeper — character, selflessness and faith.

“The numbers only give you a small picture,” said girls basketball head coach Conner Goetz, who came to Providence nine years ago and coached Greenway in all six of her varsity seasons. “It’s who she is outside of basketball — that’s what makes her really special.”

One of the things Goetz notices and appreciates about Greenway is the role model she is to all students, including her younger sisters. She is the oldest of Chad and Jennifer Greenway’s four children, all girls. They all attend Providence Academy; the two youngest are fifth-grader Blakely and third-grader Carsyn.

“Her as a bigger sister, an older sister, I think, is the most special part that I’ve been witness to,” Goetz said. “You get to see them walk in the hallways and give hugs to each other.”

Maddyn Greenway doesn’t stop there, her coach noted. Often, friends of her younger sisters flock to her, both in school and after varsity home games.

“Maddyn is a celebrity amongst them,” Goetz said. “She’s so generous with her time. She’s willing to always take pictures

(with them) and find them in the stands and run up to them. They’ll wear little jerseys or shirts with Maddyn’s name on (them). She always signs them.”

One of Greenway’s teammates thinks she knows why. Shannon Healy, a senior classmate who has known Greenway since third or fourth grade and played basketball with her every year since they met, often walks to the lunchroom with Greenway and sees the interaction between big sister and little sisters.

“As we walk to lunch,” Healy said, “every single day, Carsyn (Greenway) comes over.”

Healy added: “Most of the time, Maddyn’s the one giving her a hug.”

This year, Healy and Maddyn Greenway were team captains along with junior Emma Millerbernd. An important part of team play was prayer before every game. Greenway would lead a prayer for the whole team plus a prayer for just the five starters. She embraced the practice and said faith is paramount to her.

“I think faith has always been a huge part of my life,” she said. “When I came to Providence, I really grew in my faith. Religion is one of my favorite classes. I just love being able to learn about it.”

She also enjoys putting it into practice. On Jan. 28, she took part in a service day led by Sister Amelia Hueller of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee, who serves at Providence. A group of 12 students went to visit the Missionary Sisters of Charity in south Minneapolis. They learned about the sisters, their order and their founder, St. Teresa of Kolkata. Then, after hearing about life in the order, they did what the sisters do every day — they went out onto the streets and served the poor and those experiencing homelessness. After making sandwiches, they brought them to encampments, with tents set up alongside

busy streets and under bridges.

“Maddyn and her friends were truly there to see the individual (person),” Sister Amelia said. “The 12 that we went with, (including) Maddyn, glowed. It’s like they caught a little portion of the Missionaries of Charity’s joy.”

At one stop, students handed out sandwiches and then were ushered back to the bus to visit the next impoverished neighborhood on the tour. But before Sister Amelia could assemble the group, Greenway spotted an open tent flap nearby and heard a voice asking if there was any more food left.

Greenway interrupted Sister Amelia’s bus boarding process with these words:

“One second, Sister.”

Greenway motioned toward the tent with the open flap. Sister Amelia gave her the OK to go over with a sandwich. That gesture spoke volumes to Sister Amelia about the young woman who is just as much a star off the court as she is on it.

“It says Maddyn has a heart for Jesus and the poor,” Sister Amelia said. “Mother Teresa would be proud.”

It is things like this that school administrators such as Kurt Jaeger will miss the most. He can throw all kinds of stats and accolades into any conversation about Greenway — she is also the state girls soccer all-time goals leader with 214 goals. But, when he explains to people who Greenway is, his description moves far off any sportsrelated script.

“For all the ways that Maddyn is certainly one of the two or three best female athletes Minnesota has ever seen, it just really pales in comparison to what kind of person she is,” Jaeger said. “I’ve been working in the archdiocese for 30 years as a teacher, athletic director, now Upper School director here, and she’s on a really short list of just high character, high quality kids.”

He recalled the time last fall during the soccer season when one of Greenway’s teammates was struggling academically. Greenway came to school early and walked with the girl to see the director of academics. The girl was new to the school and didn’t know where to turn for help. The director of academics met with both girls and went to see Jaeger after that meeting. Jaeger remembers what the director said to him: “What a kid.”

That description is something Jaeger already knew.

“She’s a kid who’s always going to have time for somebody,” Jaeger said. “That’s her reputation, that’s her character. And I’ll tell you, I had a situation like this with her once, and I called (the Greenways’) home. I just wanted to tell her parents how proud I was of her. And her dad’s response told me everything I needed to know about the family and how they’re raising this girl. He said, ‘Maddyn doesn’t need praise for doing the right thing. That’s our expectation of Maddyn.’

“And I thought, ‘Amen. That’s what we need in our world, that’s what we need in our society.’”

Greenway will take her athletic skill, her character and her faith to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where she plans to play basketball. Though she will be many miles from home and won’t have family surrounding her daily on campus, she will continue the same habits that were forged during a faith-filled upbringing and education at Providence Academy.

She knows that many college students lose their way and abandon their faith. She said she won’t be one of them.

“I just have to show up every day and do my work, and it’ll really all work out in the end,” she said. She will make sure to manage “the huge part of keeping your faith through it all.”

Maddyn Greenway, second from left, stands in a hallway at Providence Academy in Plymouth with her sisters Blakely, left, Carsyn and Beckett.

‘HE’S AS GOOD AS THEY GET’

STA

senior brings home Paralympic gold in sled hockey

and photo by Dave Hrbacek

The Catholic Spirit

When Liam Cunningham was a sophomore at St. Thomas Academy (STA) in Mendota Heights, a football coach at the school saw him walking down a hallway.

He noticed Cunningham’s athletic build and instantly visualized him in a football uniform.

The coach turned to Luke Marks — also a football coach and one of Cunningham’s teachers — and asked if Cunningham might be interested in playing football.

Marks suggested asking Cunningham directly.

The coach did. Cunningham replied, “Yeah, but I can’t.” Why? Although his arms and shoulders were strong and muscular, his legs weren’t, due to a degenerative bone disorder called polyostotic fibrous dysplasia that rendered them unusable for anything beyond walking.

The diagnosis came when Cunningham was about 6. He had started playing hockey a year before that, hoping to follow the path of his two older brothers, Bobby and Patrick, who went on to play varsity hockey at STA.

Instead, Liam Cunningham had to give up his dream of playing what he calls “standup hockey.” But he eventually found a way to keep a hockey stick in his hand. When he was around 7, he was introduced to the sport of sled hockey, which, as the name implies, involves maneuvering on the ice while seated in a sled with a set of blades attached to the bottom. The sport is designed for people like Cunningham who don’t have full use of one or both legs or have had an amputation. Cunningham worked to become a skilled sled hockey player, culminating in a trip to Italy in March for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, which were played right after the Olympic Winter

Games at the same location.

After turning 18 just before Team USA’s first game, Cunningham saw regular ice time in the competition as a defenseman on a team that won the gold medal for the fifth consecutive time. The Americans defeated Canada 6-2 in the gold medal game March 15, and Cunningham returned to his school to provide the ultimate version of show and tell with his gold medal. The last time an Olympic gold medal was carried into the school was after the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney by swimmer Tom Malchow, a 1995 STA graduate who won the men’s 200-meter butterfly at the 2000 Olympic Games.

On the day he brought his medal, Cunningham showed the entire school what kind of person he is. During morning formation in the school’s auditorium, Marks invited Cunningham up to the podium to show off his gold medal to the Cadets gathered there.

“He wouldn’t even take credit on stage when we tried to give him the credit he’s due,” Marks recalled. “He tried to take his medal off and put it on me.”

But Marks wasn’t having it. This was a proud moment for Cunningham and the entire school, and also an opportunity for cadets to see STA’s virtues embodied in a senior with a disability who will leave an impression on the school community long after his graduation on June 4.

Marks used the phrase “intense humility” to describe what Cunningham displayed on that Friday and over the last four years since he enrolled at the school his freshman year. Marks named other attributes: “thoughtful ... hard working, mature.”

“He’s a pillar,” Marks said. “He’s pretty special because he’s defined what excellence looks like to him and he’s pursued it to the 10th degree and done so with grace and humility.”

It took a while for Cunningham to define

7-1 win over China.

Back home, his classmates saw his games — and the goal he scored — on TV while in school. Although STA is noted for its strong discipline, another virtue is supporting one’s fellow cadets. That’s why Marks did not get upset when he walked down a hallway near the end of an economics class hour and heard a TV inside a classroom.

The students were watching the game against China. The teacher had finished that day’s lesson and turned on a TV so the boys could watch.

“I walked in. I was like, ‘What the heck’s going on in here?’” Marks recalled. “Then, two seconds later, (Cunningham) scores the goal and it (the classroom) erupted. It was like watching the Super Bowl. They were so excited.”

All along the way, faith has played a role in Cunningham’s life and sled hockey career. Although not Catholic, he has developed an appreciation for the Catholic faith and he took extra time to visit churches in Italy during the Paralympic games.

“I did get inside a couple of really big and beautiful churches, which is pretty cool,” Cunningham said. “It was really powerful. ... It’s kind of breathtaking when you walk in some of those places.”

what excellence would look like for him. The early years of his bone disorder were challenging and physically painful. It started with soreness when he was about 6, then escalated to broken leg bones coming from only slight stresses and movements. That led to numerous surgeries in hopes of repairing the bones and strengthening them. None of the surgeries brought the healing he hoped for.

Early on, he took his skates off for good and started using crutches. He used a wheelchair intermittently during elementary and middle school. In addition to the physical adjustments, he had to mentally adjust to his new reality.

“Every kid wants to play in the NHL (National Hockey League),” he said of giving up a dream he shared with his older brothers. “It definitely shook me mentally.”

But, like a hockey player trying to score, Cunningham grabbed a rebound in the form of a sport previously unknown to him. As it turned out, finding sled hockey a year later was “the biggest blessing ever,” he said.

When he went to his first practice in the sport at an indoor hockey arena in Richfield, he was impressed.

“Minnesota has a really big program, Minnesota Wild Sled Hockey,” he said. “I was the youngest kid out there, just trying it out. I remember after (the practice) I was super exhausted and I remember just crying to my mom that I hated it. But then, the next practice came around and I was ready to go, and I just loved it from there.”

Cunningham credits his parents, Becky and Joseph Cunningham, and his two older brothers for encouraging him through the ups and downs of his physical battles and sled hockey career. All of them made the trip to Italy to watch him play. Liam Cunningham was the youngest player on the team, but he played throughout the tournament. He notched his first goal in a

On the day before the gold medal game, Cunningham went with some teammates and family members to visit a few churches “just to kind of sit down and take a couple deep breaths and do some prayer,” he said. “In Italy, in a huge cathedral, (it) was just a good way to clear my mind and prepare for the game the next day.”

One of the things he often brings to his prayer routine is gratitude. He noted the support of his family and his school community at STA. He has learned independence through traveling internationally to play sled hockey, but he knows that the support of others — and God — is crucial.

“All the support I’ve had has helped me so much,” he said. “My family has been so supportive and we’re all believers (Christians). Going through all those surgeries and being under the knife for hours on end, there’s just a lot of prayer from my parents during those times. I think God helped us through those times, those tough times.”

As he looks ahead, Cunningham looks forward to attending the University of Denver in Colorado. He is considering a physical therapy program after he gets an undergraduate degree.

Oh, and he will keep playing sled hockey. He hopes to play for Team USA in the 2030 Paralympic Games.

Wherever his ambition leads him, Cunningham said, he will keep “leaning on the Lord.”

Marks is certain Cunningham’s life will be a success long after he leaves the hallways of St. Thomas Academy.

“We have a pretty idealistic mission — developing boys into men of character,” said Marks, a 2011 graduate of the school. “It’s a pretty big, tall order. I have no question in my mind that he’s going to be a really good father, a really good husband. Whatever he decides to do for a living, he’ll do really well because he knows what hard work looks like and he knows what type of resilience it takes to achieve what you want to do at a high level, and do so with kindness, respect and humility.”

Marks added: “He’s as good as they get. He’s gonna have a clear impact on those around him.”

Liam Cunningham, a senior at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, shows his gold medal and Team USA sled hockey jersey.

Story

FAITH+CULTURE

Globe-trotting pianist finds purpose in Minnesota

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

Donna Stoering has spent a lifetime at the piano. She is an internationally touring concert pianist, recording artist and cultural ambassador who has performed in major halls around the world. Over time, her faith led her to a deeper purpose.

“I feel extremely humbled and privileged to be used by God to be his vessel as we all are, in one way or another,” Stoering said.

In 1998 she founded Listen for Life (listenforlife.org), now based in Minnesota, a global nonprofit that uses music to promote healing, education and human connection. She’s also served as music director at various Catholic churches nationwide and worldwide most recently completing a three-year tenure this spring at Presentation of Mary in Maplewood to care for her husband, Andy, who has severe vascular dementia.

This month, Donna Stoering turns 71 and moves with Andy into a Catholic care center in Hopkins. She’s as determined as ever to serve God through music. She continues to perform concerts, host programs and coach advanced pianists. She also hopes to share her experience with music directors and liturgical accompanists across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Her website is donnastoering.com.

Q What are your earliest memories of music?

A Family lore has it that when my parents would visit friends who had pianos, I’d make a beeline, and they’d lift me up onto the bench. Apparently, from day one I used all 10 fingers and played melodies I’d heard on my parents’ classical or Big Band recordings. My parents couldn’t find a piano teacher who would take someone at age 2 or 3, so my mom signed up for lessons and then came home and taught me what she had learned.

Q That act of love set everything into motion for you, didn’t it?

A Yes. I think of that more today. From early on, my mom would also bring me with her on retreats, so I had a relationship with God from a very early age.

Q Have music and faith always been inextricably linked?

A They have. I offer all hours of practice as a prayer for the people who will be hearing that next concert. Each note is a Hail Mary.

Q Members of your audience sense that, don’t they?

A Fairly often someone will say: “I can’t explain it. I’ve never had this experience before, but when your hands touched the piano, I felt God’s presence come into the room, and for the whole concert I felt connected to God!” And these are not church-going people.

Q You went on to build an international career. What does this life look like?

A I went to many countries as an artistic ambassador, and I’d meet their master musicians. They’d all say the same thing to me: “Can you help us? We’re losing our culture because the global media only broadcasts rap

or pop, so now our younger generations want to learn what’s cool on TV.” I heard this from 28 countries in a row on a single trip.

Q What did you do?

A I raised some funds, returned (to) those countries, interviewed their master musicians and filmed them playing and sharing their stories. Fortunately, those films were shown on the BBC and other networks, eventually becoming an award-winning series called Travels With Music (TravelsWithMusic. com). If the kids in those cultures can see their own music masters and traditions on TV, I figured they’ll realize that it has equal value and maybe want to learn their own traditions. It worked! We managed to save several music cultures and launch the careers of many master musicians who up until then had been hidden in their remote villages.

Q After so much travel, you and Andy moved to Minnesota three years ago for his health. How has God blessed you in this new chapter?

A We love the lakes and people and (the) quality of life here. And I fell in love with the wonderful parishioners at Presentation of Mary (in Maplewood). During my time there, the Hmong Catholic community from St. Vincent de Paul merged with our parish, and as music director, I was given the opportunity to accompany the Hmong Mass each Sunday and learn to create and compose new music in their tradition and culture. This is a thrill — both spiritually and musically — and I am very happy to be continuing in that work, in a separate archdiocesan and nationwide venture, to create an entirely new anthology of Hmong Catholic music.

Q You’d been there just a year when that gift arrived!

A God has plans! I love getting up every day and thinking: “Well, what are your (God’s) plans for today?” Whether I end that day thinking his plans were truly not fun or absolutely brilliant, he knows I still love surprises.

Q You’re passionate about carefully selecting music for Mass. What does that process look like?

A You shouldn’t simply think “Oh, I love this Communion hymn next week! And here’s a lively entrance hymn!” It’s important to take time to prayerfully sit with each Sunday’s readings and meditate on them, maybe do some prayer journaling and work out God’s overall message. I go through the whole hymn book and find any and all songs that I feel tie in with that overall message. Then I choose from those songs, finding the one that best continues the flow of the liturgy. The song should continue the prayer and message from the previous reading and lead into the next reading or next part of the Mass. I absolutely love sharing this process with liturgical music students or graduates.

Q You’ve had more than 150 of your liturgical compositions, songs and Mass settings used in parishes worldwide. I heard buzz about the Advent service you created for Presentation. It sounds like you have a new version that you’re hoping to share more widely.

A Yes, it’s called Music as Prayer and Prayer as Music, and it’s a different, non-stop, wordsover-music service of the Lessons and Carols that I created the last few years at Presentation. Visitors found it a spiritually powerful experience for Advent. I’m hoping other parishes might like to have their choirs, cantors and lectors join me in putting this on at their churches in the coming years.

Q When you compose sacred music, what does it feel like?

A I basically take dictation. The music and words come together as fast as I can write them down. This only happens with sacred or liturgical pieces, not when I’m asked to compose a secular piece. Then it’s a struggle!

Q Tell me about your injury last winter.

A I slipped on black ice, broke my neck, damaged my central spinal cord and had a traumatic brain injury. Life changed in seconds. I had risky spinal surgery, and they

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Q&A CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

warned me that muscles and nerves would not reconnect for a while. They didn’t know when or if I could perform concerts again or play at all. They prepared me to be in either the hospital or a rehab unit for four to six months. Three days later, they were wheeling me to an appointment in the hospital when I saw a baby grand piano in the lobby. I asked them to place me at the piano.

Then the Holy Spirit nudged me: “Play them the Rachmaninoff prelude in C-sharp minor.” I launched into it, and my fingers, hands and arms played the whole thing with the needed power, as if I’d never had any problems.

Q They must have been shocked!

A One of the medical staff said to me: “You do realize that what you just did is neurologically and physiologically impossible?” And I said: “Yeah, but not for God.” One of the nurses took me aside in my wheelchair and quietly said: “We don’t tend to be religious here, but some of us have been praying the past 11 years for at least one miracle here that we could all see, and we got it today. Thank you for being here.”

Q Now you’re in a demanding season caring for your husband, who has suffered multiple strokes. What has that taught you?

A I have needed to learn many things, but God always leads us in baby steps. Patience was the biggest learning curve. I am by nature the world’s least patient person on the planet. Also, I keep growing in gratitude for each moment together and awe at the tremendous human being Andy is.

Q Despite this heavy burden, I sense a lightness in you. You joke around. You’re playful. You’re creative.

A I absolutely love the grand adventure of life, and love being alive. I always have. But it’s God. It’s not me. I go to adoration several times a week if I can.

Q What does that time do for you?

A Everything. I’m always talking to God, 24/7, except when I sleep. It’s an ongoing conversation. If I feel empty, that means I need to go to adoration. That fills my tank.

Q It sounds like you, at 70, you’ve learned the power of perspective.

A One of the things I’ve learned in recent years is to say: “Thank you for the things you want me to learn from this experience.” There’s never a day when there aren’t 100 things to thank God for. Learning the surrender novena has been life changing. Any time I have any decision to make, I’ll sit down and say: “OK, today, I surrender to you: this and this and this.” It’s amazing to look back and say: “Wow! You took care of each one.”

Q What do you know for sure?

A True joy in this life is found only through a heart of service, and service is fueled through love and a one-on-one relationship with God.

Gratitude and generosity and service are not the same things, but they are triplets of the soul. I honestly don’t know which comes first or which causes the other. But the seeds of all three are graces — unearned gifts from the Holy Spirit, who never denies us if we ask for them.

Open Window Theatre tackles complicated story of St. Joan of Arc

By Dianne Towalski

The Central Minnesota Catholic

Jeremy Stanbary’s career seems to have come full circle. The actor, playwright, founder and artistic director of Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights acted in his first play as a freshman in high school — a play about St. Joan of Arc. Now he has brought his own original production of “Joan of Arc” to the stage May 1-31.

The latest in his series of original plays based on the lives of saints, which includes St. John Paul II, St. Maria Goretti, St. Nicholas and St. Pier Giorgio Frasatti, St. Joan of Arc was the most challenging, he said.

The play had been planned for last year, season 11, but that was before he and his wife, Sarah, learned that baby number eight was on the way, expected right about the time the play would start production.

Because of the delay he was able to take some sabbatical time to really concentrate on the show, using a camper van as a “mobile office” for part of the time.

“So that was what I went on sabbatical with, and it just became a little hermitage for me,” he said. The time away, “was a really important, necessary time of recharge,” he added. “And then that also just helped with the creative juices.”

Stanbary said he chose St. Joan of Arc because he wanted to do a play with a female

heroine, about a female saint — but he also knew it would be a challenge writing from a female perspective.

“It was a really good challenge,” he said. “I’ve just always kind of felt intimidated by that idea. I didn’t know if I would be able to write in a female voice.”

To start, he did a lot of reading.

“At first, I thought, what have I gotten myself into? Because the history was so dense, with so many different storylines and so complex,” he remembered. “Just the context of the 100 Years War had so many elements to it, and they’re just very confusing.”

Once he got a handle on the context, he could focus on her story and where she fit in.

“When you read her story — and you’re reading serious historians — it just feels like a fairy tale,” he said. “How can this be real? But it was, and that’s part of why she’s such a universally fascinating figure.”

Faith Winship-Smith, a veteran Twin Cities actor, who will make her debut on the Open Window stage as Queen Marie, is excited to be a part of this production.

“I have not gotten to be a part of an original work in close to 10 years and so getting to step into this space and work with like-minded,

faith-based people, knowing that it’s going to be a script with material that’s powerful … is super cool,” she said.

While this is her first role in an Open Window production, Winship-Smith is not a stranger to the organization. She recently began teaching musical theater classes as part of the theatre’s Young Actors Academy.

Audryn Hegewald said she knew she wanted to play Joan as soon as the play was announced. Her mom advised her to pray about it and God heard her prayers, she said.

“The call of God on our life is so powerful, and it can be so scary, and it can be so intimidating,” she said. “But I hope (the audience) leaves feeling empowered to step into that call — whether they are young or old, female or male — and to continue with that call of God to their death. That’s really what my prayer is for this show, because it is so powerful and there’s so much truth to it.”

Stanbary said St. Joan of Arc’s story offers powerful lessons for people grappling with discouragement and despair in a broken world. He reflected on how her experience raises enduring questions about faith and purpose during times of suffering — betrayal, abandonment, personal failings and the presence of evil — and how people make sense of hardship while seeking reassurance that God is still present.

“I think that’s where Joan’s story is such a bright light in the darkness,” he said. “And I think why I’m so captivated by stories of the saints. As I struggle with living out the Gospel more fully in my own life, where do I turn for help? We have the examples of the saints.”

Open Window Theatre was founded in 2011 to bring multigenerational professional theater with a redemptive vision to Minnesota. For more information or to purchase tickets for “Joan of Arc,” visit openwindowtheatre.org

St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church Hopkins, MN

*Courtesy of Miller Dunwiddie

COURTESY DIANNE TOWALSKI | THE CENTRAL MINNESOTA CATHOLIC Jeremy Stanbary, the founder and artistic director of Open Window Theatre, has written and directed a play about St. Joan of Arc that is playing through May at the theater in Inver Grove Heights.

AND THE BEAUTIFUL | MADELYN REICHERT

Short story anthology about pilgrimage showcases Catholic authors

“Pilgrim Tales,” by Corinna Turner et al. Catholic Writers Guild. (Indianapolis, Indiana. 2025.) 225 pp., $12.95

The act of pilgrimage runs deep in Catholicism. From bread and wine to hard journeys over rugged terrain, ours is a very tangible religion, and there’s little more tangible than a pilgrimage. Whether on a short walk from our home parish to a local shrine, or a lengthier journey like the Camino or a trip to Rome or Jerusalem, pilgrims seek out God in those places where heaven has touched Earth. There is even a sense in which a pilgrimage is even sacramental — a symbolic action that makes the thing it symbolizes real. In the physical act of traveling from our everyday locales to a sacred space, a spiritual journey is also taking place.

In its inaugural short story anthology, the Catholic Writer’s Guild showcases many

read aloud portions of a packet of letters from Annunciation students, their families, and family of staff that legislators had received.

different authors and genres of contemporary Catholic fiction by collecting 15 stories centered on the theme of pilgrimage. The result is a delightfully diverse anthology that highlights the full — and sometimes surprising! — range of Catholic fiction. What fascinates this reviewer the most is the way in which “pilgrimage” is interpreted by each of the writers. Like a stained-glass window, in which the image becomes more beautiful as each part adds to the whole, the various stories bring out distinct aspects of the pilgrim experience.

Several authors chose to focus on the idea of pilgrimage and surrender, whether of best-laid

FIREARMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 to address the harm experienced by too many people by gun violence,” she said. “I have a deep and abiding faith in what we are capable of doing together in a chamber like this. … It is important for us to show Minnesotans that we understand that there’s a problem and that we have the courage to work to solve it and whenever we bring an issue like this to a chamber like this and we move the ball, we make progress until we solve the problem.”

“Aug. 27 wasn’t a one-day event; we are still struggling and recovering months after the worst days of our lives. ... Why do we allow weapons this destructive to tear apart our communities? ... We can act for the children who are still here and ensure that others never have to experience this. ... I am a seventh grader at Annunciation. As a school shooting survivor, I want it to be harder to get assault weapons. ... I’m a fifth grader. ... Aug. 27 was the scariest day of my life, and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else. I hope you will listen to my friends and me, to keep us safe, so no one has to go through what we went through.”

“This is the most heartbreaking packet of letters I have ever received in my entire life,” Maye Quade said. “We can’t do nothing.”

Sen. Erin Murphy, the Majority Leader of the Senate, agreed in her comments in support of the bill.

“This time, it’s different. Because my colleagues decided we shouldn’t wait any longer

“When we met with the Annunciation parents last week, they asked us to think about three things: prevention, intervention and harm reduction. And this proposal covers all of those,” Murphy suggested.

The focus on this topic in the Legislature now shifts to the Minnesota House, where some similar measures have failed, on party-line votes, to move forward.

Meanwhile, in its “Inside the Capitol” column (see page 17), the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), which represents the public policy interests of the state’s Catholic bishops, suggested its support of “a threepart Protect Kids Package” — “this package includes banning high-capacity ammunition magazines, expanding school safety funding

plans, hopes for a miracle or even one’s service to God. In the fittingly named “Surrender,” author Isabelle Wood meditates beautifully on the death of St. James and the many sacrifices of martyrdom; likewise, in “A Pilgrim’s Romance,” Nancy Bechel explores the frustrations and opportunities of vocational discernment. Other writers brought out the note of transformation in pilgrimage. In “Way Stations,” by Jane Leback, a guardian angel accompanies their assigned soul through purgatory, and realizes that they, too, must be transformed. In “Gold in Them Hills,” Karen Meyer shows by means of a quite literal via negativa how far an unwillingness to change can lead one down into the dark. And nearly all of the stories illustrate how one’s travelling companions are an integral feature of the pilgrimage: in Laura Ruberto’s “Pilgrim in Name Only,” for instance, the aid of others to a lost young man is spiritually and physically salvific.

Of course, no pilgrimage would be possible without the presence of hope — oftentimes,

for all students, and limiting Big Tech’s ability to target children with addictive social media algorithms,” MCC wrote.

In an April 30 letter to Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders, published by MCC, Archbishop Bernard Hebda thanked them “for your service to the people of Minnesota during a very difficult year in our state.”

“This session has appropriately been shaped by the need for a legislative response to the tragedy at Annunciation School,” he wrote, in part. “My hope is that you can come together in these last weeks and transcend the historical ideological divisions around matters such as guns and school safety. We need to make our children and our communities safer this year; we should

both hopes disappointed and hopes gloriously unexpected. A.R.K. Watson’s “The Promise,” set in the far future of space exploration, shows how God can unexpectedly make a path where there was none; and in “A Very Jurrasic Pilgrimage,” Corinna Turner’s young heroine must confront not only hungry dinosaurs and parental stubbornness, but also the possibility that God might answer her prayers not in the way she hopes, but rather in the way she needs.

These stories and more found in this excellent anthology demonstrate that there is not just one way of writing Catholic fiction: in “Pilgrim Tales,” contemporary romance and historical fiction fit frictionlessly beside sci-fi and ghost stories. So, if you haven’t yet found your niche in Catholic fiction, feel free to take a little pilgrimage of your own through the stories of this collection. You might just find one of them is the right path for you.

Reichert is publications administrative coordinator at The Catholic Spirit. She can be reached at reichertm@archspm.org

not cynically wait for a future election in the chance that one’s preferred legislative proposals might triumph. There is no one bill or one party that has all the answers to gun violence prevention and we need to come together now to bring the best ideas to the table.”

The archbishop outlined the bills “my brother bishops of the Minnesota Catholic Conference” think represent an “‘all-of-theabove’ approach to offer better protection to kids in Minnesota schools.”

Read the letter in full online at tinyurl. com/2ha6ffha

Learn more about MCC’s three-part Protect Kids Package online at mncatholic. org/protectourkids

FOCUSONFAITH

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER JOSEPH JEROME BAMBENEK

Inviting the Holy Spirit to be with us in every season of life

Jesus, at the Last Supper, prepares his Apostles, his closest friends, for his imminent passion and death, for him being with them intermittently for 40 days following his resurrection, and for his subsequent ascension into heaven. Although they do not know what lies ahead, Jesus proactively comforts them by promising that the Father “will give you another Advocate to be with you always … I will not leave you orphans.”

The fruitful, early missionary actions of Philip in Samaria are recounted in the first reading. Along the way we learn of the importance of baptism since the Church’s beginning. We also hear how the Holy Spirit was imparted by the Apostles Peter and John in a way that sounds much like the current sacrament of confirmation.

These readings, which will be proclaimed at Mass on Mother’s Day 2026, take on special meaning for me, in my life right now. Jesus’ words about not being orphans resonate deeply as my family and I will experience our first Mother’s Day since the death of my earthly mother in February after a relatively brief struggle with cancer. During Mom’s illness, and now as we mourn her loss, it has been comforting to know that God’s love and peace, through the Holy Spirit, is with us, and even still now connects us with Mom in eternal life.

In addition, on the Monday of the week I composed this reflection, I concelebrated at a

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL

During Mom’s illness, and now as we mourn her loss, it has been comforting to know that God’s love and peace, through the Holy Spirit, is with us, and even still now connects us with Mom in eternal life.

confirmation Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, at which my nephew received the sacrament from a successor of the Apostles, Bishop Kevin Kenney. For Zach, it was a moment of renewed spiritual life as the Holy Spirit was poured upon him in a deeper way. And then on Saturday, I am scheduled to baptize Anna, the 4-month-old granddaughter of my first cousin. It will be a time of new life, both physically and spiritually for Anna. Both are also joyful and hopeful moments for the family members present.

These varied experiences remind us that since the Holy Spirit was sent into the world at Pentecost, as we will celebrate two weeks from now, and in our personal lives, at our baptism and then strengthened at confirmation, the Spirit is there for us in the times of new life on Earth and in the times of transitioning to new life in eternity. We are invited to call upon the Spirit to be with us in the times that on the human level are joyful and hopeful, in the times that are naturally sad and discouraging, as well

Different kinds of bishops

Editor’s note: This is the fourth column in a series on the highest order of ordained ministry in Catholic teaching, that of bishop.

The word bishop is the general term for a member of the ordained clergy who possesses the fullness of Holy Orders and is a successor to the Apostles. A bishop exercises his pastoral office over the portion of the people of God who are assigned to him (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 886). There are different kinds of bishops with various titles based on their jurisdiction over a geographic area or their special form of ministry.

A diocesan bishop is the chief shepherd and spiritual leader of a diocese, a defined geographic area which constitutes a local Church. He is the Ordinary, the one with personal jurisdiction, entrusted with the power to govern the pastoral functions of the diocese and oversee and direct the affairs of the diocese.

An auxiliary bishop is appointed at the request of a diocesan bishop to assist him in serving the pastoral needs of a diocese (see Canon 403.1). Auxiliary bishops are more common in larger dioceses. There may be more than one auxiliary bishop in one diocese at the same time. An

KNOWtheSAINTS

auxiliary bishop is not an Ordinary and does not have personal jurisdiction, nor does he have the right to succession if his bishop is assigned to another diocese, retires or dies. An auxiliary bishop is often delegated responsibility for an area like education, seminary formation, diocesan planning, care for active or retired priests, or ministry to a language group.

A coadjutor bishop is appointed to assist a diocesan bishop in the governance of his diocese. Like an auxiliary bishop, he is not an Ordinary and has no personal jurisdiction. He “possesses the right of succession” (Canon 403.3). He is in waiting, becoming thoroughly familiar with the diocese, and upon the impairment, retirement or death of the diocesan bishop, he immediately inherits the See when it becomes vacant (see Canon 409.1).

An archbishop is the bishop of the foremost See or the Mother Church of an ecclesiastical province, a large geographic area comprised of a number of suffragan dioceses, collectively called a “metropolis;” thus the archbishop is also called a Metropolitan. The archbishop only has jurisdiction within his own archdiocese, yet he presides over his province by overall oversight, conducts visitations, convenes provincial meetings (see Canons 435-436), consecrates and installs new bishops, and presides for the funerals

as in all the moments in between.

If, on this Mother’s Day, we are in a season of life in which we are blessed to be able to celebrate the holiday joyfully (as I had done for the prior 55 years), let us express gratitude to our moms and to God for the gift of motherhood. Yet if Mother’s Day, or more broadly the circumstances of our lives, leave us in some way feeling orphaned — due, perhaps, to the death of our earthly mother or ways in which she, like all moms, was imperfect — may we ask for a deeper outpouring in our hearts of the Holy Spirit, who will never leave us orphaned and can truly console us.

With Pentecost on the horizon, two upcoming ways to seek a deeper outpouring of the Holy Spirit include: (1) praying a Pentecost novena and (2) attending the Pentecost Vigil Mass at our Cathedral on May 23 at 5:15 p.m., with a time of prayer and praise that follows. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Father Bambenek is the associate director of the archdiocesan Office for the Renewal of Structures.

of bishops in his province.

A suffragan bishop is the bishop of a diocese in an ecclesiastical province.

A titular bishop does not have responsibility for a specific diocese, is given the “title” of an ancient diocese that no longer exists and serves in a special leadership role as a Vatican official, foreign diplomat or an auxiliary bishop.

A cardinal is chosen by the pope to assist him in the care and governance of the universal Church, often as the prefect of a dicastery or another leadership position in the Roman Curia, or as an archbishop responsible for the care of an archdiocese and province, to serve individually and with the College of Cardinals as an advisor for the Holy Father. Cardinals under the age of 80 serve as an elector for a new pope, should the current pope become incapacitated, resign or pass away.

Bishop emeritus is a title of honor for a bishop who is retired, no longer an Ordinary, no longer governing or in office, yet retaining the rank of bishop and respected by the faithful for his years of generous service as their chief pastor and shepherd.

Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

ST. BERNARDINE OF SIENA (1380-1444) This renowned Italian preacher was canonized only six years after he died. He was born near Siena and studied at the university there. He was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1404. From 1417 until his death 27 years later, he crisscrossed northern and central Italy as an itinerant preacher who drew enormous crowds by focusing on honest and penitential living and on reverence for the holy name of Jesus which led to the spread of this devotion. He also preached against gambling and materialism and turned down three requests to become a bishop. His feast day is May 20.

Sunday, May 10

Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 1 Pt 3:15-18 Jn 14:15-21

Monday, May 11 Acts 16:11-15 Jn 15:26–16:4a

Tuesday, May 12 Acts 16:22-34 Jn 16:5-11

Wednesday, May 13 Acts 17:15, 22–18:1 Jn 16:12-15

Thursday, May 14 St. Matthias, Apostle Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 Jn 15:9-17

Friday, May 15 Acts 18:9-18 Jn 16:20-23

Saturday, May 16 Acts 18:23-28 Jn 16:23b-28

Sunday, May 17

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Eph 1:17-23 Mt 28:16-20

Monday, May 18 Acts 19:1-8 Jn 16:29-33

Tuesday, May 19 Acts 20:17-27 Jn 17:1-11a

Wednesday, May 20 Acts 20:28-38 Jn 17:11b-19

Thursday, May 21 Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Jn 17:20-26

Friday, May 22 Acts 25:13b-21 Jn 21:15-19

Saturday, May 23 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 Jn 21:20-25

Sunday, May 24

Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 Jn 20:19-23

VAN SLOUN

COMMENTARY

Seagull on the Sistine: A shared delight

In the end, after two days of breathless anticipation, the white smoke shared the stage with a seagull.

The whole world was abuzz. An American pope! A seagull! With so many eyes trained on the same chimney, the bird had appeared in exactly the right spot at exactly the right moment, amusing spectators across the globe.

Eric A. Clayton, a Catholic father of two, remembers the scene outside the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City fondly. “How rare in this moment in time that we can all see something delightful for us to smile at,” he said. “It is rare — a real gift, a real grace.”

As politics immediately entered the discussion — which way would Pope Leo XIV lean? How would he compare with Pope Francis? — the seagull became a source of levity and unity.

“To come to this moment from different places and have this universalizing

Finding grace in weak places

Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series of columns celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis by considering the travels and teaching of St. Paul.

St. Paul’s mission did not come without trials and struggles. In fact, he wrote a lot about his weaknesses and finding God’s strength precisely in the most vulnerable situations. He confessed his persecution of Christians. At least four of Paul’s letters were written from prison as a “prisoner for Christ.” He boasted about a thorn in the flesh that humbled him and being content with “insults, hardships, persecutions

experience is really beautiful,” said Clayton, 37, a writer who belongs to the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. “It speaks to our God, who desires to bind us together.”

A couple of days later, Clayton was waiting for a haircut when his friend Shannon K. Evans texted him. The children’s book on Mary they had cowritten had just been released, and they were in celebration mode. And a friend had told Evans that the story of the papal seagull would make a good children’s book.

“What do you think?” Evans asked. “Should we give it a go?”

Soon the two friends were brainstorming background stories for the seagull.

Their rapid-fire text exchange turned into a shared Google document, with one writer noodling it — playing around with new lines, tracking changes, adding questions — then passing the baton. They established a premise near and dear to Clayton’s heart: that the seagull, who yearned to be as special as a dove, lands in a sacred moment and is deemed worthy of God’s love.

“We all need to be reminded that God delights in us, and we’re beloved,” said Clayton, who works as deputy director of

and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:7, 10). Paul came to see this strength as God’s grace shining through his limits, vulnerabilities and failures. “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). He encouraged his hearers to join in the ministry of reconciliation to God and one another.

There are many reasons to hide our failings or not look weak to avoid any loss of position, prestige or possessions.

Paul’s experience of finding grace in weakness speaks to every generation of the Church to put trust in God’s power and not in our own. The Church has needed to admit its own failings and seek God’s grace in humble and weak places. It has also encouraged the most vulnerable in our world to seek God’s grace in being reconciled.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis faced times of weakness

Discover the benefits of pre-planning and get your questions answered so you can focus on the here and now. MAY 19 | 11:30 AM

communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

That message profoundly touched Clayton when his first spiritual director, a beloved Jesuit priest at his college, told him that as a sophomore.

“I was awed,” Clayton said. “He assigned the Scripture where Jesus was baptized. ‘I want you to pray with this and imagine God saying those words to you: You are my beloved.’ I go back to that all the time. It’s foundational in my spiritual life. It underpins all my writing. Man, if people knew God delighted in them — onward and upward!”

It’s still sinking in for Clayton — as is learning to accept who he is and who he isn’t.

“It’s a constant challenge,” Clayton said. “There’s always more you could be doing. There’s always more success you could be reaching.”

But Clayton is learning to embrace his unique and God-given path, like the seagull in his new book, “The Seagull on the Chapel.” Paraclete Press timed its release to mark the one-year anniversary of Pope Leo’s election. It was co-written by Evans and richly illustrated by Angela Edmonds, a

during its history. Its members have also stepped out in faith to serve and speak for those most vulnerable. In the 1980s, Catholics reached out in compassionate care to those suffering from the effects of the AIDS epidemic. The archdiocese’s strength through Christ has included reaching out to farmers and rural communities and creating a community of caring for the vulnerable at the beginning and end of life. In recent years, it has meant coming to terms with revelations of clergy sexual abuse and learning the truth about Native American children who lived in Catholic boarding schools and were mistreated. It has meant ministering to people suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, racial violence and school shootings.

One of the ways employed by the archdiocese to foster healing and reconciliation has been to follow a practice known as restorative justice. This process

Exchange, New Brighton MAY 21 | 11:30 AM Axels, Roseville MAY 22 | 11:30 AM

former Disney artist.

Celebrating one year of Pope Leo comes naturally to Clayton. “God provided the pope we need right now,” he said. “The humble way with which he reminds us of our shared call to live the Gospel is inspiring.”

Meanwhile, Clayton will keep hammering away on his laptop — emailing ideas to himself, mapping out the next book, finding fresh ways to express God’s love. The imaginative prayer used in Ignatian spirituality is “inherent to creativity” and a springboard for storytelling, he said. To really make it effective, Clayton tries to limit his use of social media and ground himself in prayer. It helps him embrace who he is today rather than chase after a more ideal, future version of himself.

“There’s this false image of ourselves that is always ‘beyond’ — after we’ve sold more books, made more money, done more push-ups,” he said. “But we are already God’s beloved. We can delight in who we are.”

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Grey Cloud Island.

goes beyond simple punishment by creating a circle of healing meant to bring light to the harm inflicted on victims and seek paths to be made whole again. In turn, it provides an opportunity for perpetrators to realize and accept responsibility for their actions and make amends for the harm they have caused.

A devotion that has found resonance in the archdiocese during recent periods of weakness is to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, the patron of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center’s chapel in St. Paul. An icon in the chapel portrays Our Lady holding a ribbon with many knots that she is untying. It reminds us again of the grace of weakness that can strengthen faith. It is painful to be honest about our failings and vulnerabilities, but as St. Paul says, when we boast of our weakness, God’s grace can shine through us in ways that unbind us, heal us, reconcile us and strengthen us to give witness to God’s glory and not our own.

Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission, which supports missionary outreach of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He can be reached at friesenm@archspm.org

JOE RUFF | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Mary, Undoer of Knots icon in the chapel of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul.

TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

BRIDGING FAITH | DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN

Protecting children from gun violence

After the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis last year, it is understandable to have passion and righteous anger in the political sphere. At the same time, we must remain prudent and non-ideological, ensuring this passion does not morph into partisan politics or one-size-fits-all policy solutions. Senseless gun violence is a complex issue with multiple factors at play.

New research from the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University in St. Paul presented to legislators this year made something clear: Multiple elements are needed to protect children from mass shootings in schools, and focusing only on one’s preferred approach — whether it be gun safety measures, looking at building security, or addressing mental health — is insufficient on its own to prevent more of these tragedies.

It is for this reason, as well as a keen understanding of the limits of politics this year, that the Church proposed a three-part Protect Kids Package at the beginning of the

It doesn’t have to feel profound

I am just over a month into fatherhood. The most startling thing about it so far is how straightforward and even ordinary it has felt. Let me explain. For a good while, I had been under the impression that life’s most monumental moments and experiences must carry with them some kind of epic feeling of grandeur and profundity. You know what I mean: Time seems to stop and things seem to glow.

It’s a sentiment captured in the film depiction of Harry Potter taking hold of his wand for the first time in Ollivander’s shop. A bright light illuminates the scene and a soft wind blows, signaling that some profound

May: The month of Mary

The month of May is one of two months of the year that we specifically celebrate the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, because it signifies new life and a renewal of the Earth after the winter months. Mary provided a holy home for Jesus to grow up in, for Joseph to work in, and for the family to experience and assimilate holiness. She is available to us today to help us create holy homes and relationships with our spouses that are filled with mutual love.

Mutuality is a positive, interactive relationship between two people, such as the relationship between husband and wife. Mutuality includes respect and caring, as seen when a husband and wife hold each other tenderly.

COMMENTARY

session. Designed to transcend the partisan divide, this package includes banning highcapacity ammunition magazines, expanding school safety funding for all students, and limiting Big Tech’s ability to target children with addictive social media algorithms.

As the legislative session nears an end on May 18, all three pieces of legislation are in the middle of negotiations and have a chance to reach the finish line:

Ban high-capacity ammunition magazines

Bills HF3402 and SF3714 would ban highcapacity ammunition magazines, devices capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition and designed for rapid firing without reloading. Statistics from Everytown Research show that in mass shootings with four or more people killed between 2015 and 2022, high-capacity magazines led to more than twice as many people killed, and nearly 10 times as many people wounded per incident on average.

Removing high-capacity ammunition magazines won’t solve the problem alone, but it’s a reasonable gun safety measure backed by evidence to ensure fewer fatalities in mass shootings.

Expand safe schools funding to include all students

alignment between our hero and the cosmos has occurred.

Or, in the case of the movie “500 Days of Summer,” when the whole town joins the protagonist in an impromptu song and dance routine to Hall and Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” after he experiences a romantic breakthrough with his love interest.

A defining characteristic of these moments is that one is self-aware that one is in such a moment. There is a sort of self-reflectiveness happening as one is focused less on the moment itself and more on the fact that they are partaking in it.

I thought I would feel something similar when I became a father. After all, I’ve been a sucker for such aesthetic experiences before, and I’d heard male friends describe the experience of holding their child for the first time as the most radically transformative event of their lives.

But when I held my daughter on the early morning of March 25, I didn’t hear Gregory Alan Isakov’s moody music swelling in the

Mary and Joseph provide an example of such a relationship for us: Joseph taking Mary as his wife, even though he realized she was pregnant before they were married. He trusted God and that God’s plan was perfect, even if that was not evident to him at that time. Joseph took care of his family, working alongside Jesus as a carpenter, and was a prudent leader and gentle example of love and commitment. Mary was a pious, Jewish wife who also trusted God and the plan he had for her life and the life of her family. She withstood skeptical glances from the people of Nazareth, and the statement from his cross as Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do,” was likely something he heard his mother say.

Trusting God in all things always, in all situations and for all reasons, might be difficult during times of trial, and yet those are the very times that our faith must come to the fore and encourage us. Following God’s plan is not called absolute, or without fail, or no pain. We have no guarantee of any of those, yet we do have a guarantee that in all situations, our God is with us,

Bills HF3493 and SF5111 would expand school safety funding to include private, charter and tribal schools. Public schools already receive this funding, and it should be extended to all students, regardless of which school they attend. The funding can be used for school safety improvements, school resource officers, and mental health support for students. This would undoubtedly help harden schools and provide resources to address security blind spots. When one school is vulnerable, all schools are vulnerable. Parents, students, educators and volunteers deserve a clear commitment from the state of Minnesota as a matter of public safety to invest in protecting every child.

Prioritize children over Big Tech algorithms

Children are spending excessive time on social media and it’s affecting their developing brains. The Stop Harms of Addictive Social Media legislation (HF4138 and SF4696) would put parents back in the driver’s seat in two simple but important ways.

First, it would require children under 16 to obtain parental consent before creating social media accounts.

Second, if the parent chooses to let their child sign up, it would prohibit the most addictive features Big Tech uses to glue children to their platforms, such as targeted

background. And when I change her diaper or rock her to sleep when she’s fussy at 1 a.m., I don’t necessarily feel like I’m starring in my own indie film.

Instead, what I have experienced and been aware of since the moment I picked her up is not so much a feeling, but an objective, undeniable fact. She is mine, and even more fundamentally, I am hers.

Of course, a radical transformation has taken place. I now do not exist apart from her and my responsibility for her. My entire life will be judged accordingly.

But what’s been astounding about being a new dad is how “non-reflective” the experience has been. It has been, first and foremost, something I do, rather than something I think about.

In other words, what’s striking is how quickly and completely this transformation has taken place, without a ton of navel-gazing. I change her diapers and soothe her when she cries without much in-the-moment reflection. I even say, “quit your bellyaching!” when my

helping us face any fears or uncertainties that arise.

During this month of May, let each one of us spend time with Mary and visit her in the rosary, sit with her son Jesus in the adoration chapel, or pray the “Salve Regina” or “Memorare.” If we want to be protected from the evil one, all we need to do is tell him to go away in the name of Jesus. Tell him you rebuke him, you reject his ways, and you resist his temptations in the holy name of Jesus. The evil one hates the rosary. Many priests have a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary and see her as their mother, clinging to her. If you have not said the rosary in a while, print out a copy of the prayers from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s website, which provides a beautiful guide to the four mysteries and fruits of each mystery.

To celebrate Mary in this month of May, you might want to attend daily Mass and offer specific intentions that Mary places in your heart. Ask her what she would like you to pray for and trust what she says to you, by way of your thoughts and feelings. She has every desire to help us and we must be

advertising, autoplay videos and infinite scroll. This could result in less time on screens and more time playing with friends, studying and getting adequate sleep. It could also mean happier children who are less anxious, less worried and more focused on the present moment.

The time to act is now

What’s needed now is for leaders to come together in this moment and protect children in a way that speaks to the urgency of the issue and the evidence. Statesmanship is approaching the work of public policy with wisdom, and it is needed following the Annunciation tragedy.

Fortunately, there is still time this year to act.

We remain hopeful that enough legislators are statesmen and women who will transcend the false binaries of our politics and push back on both gun absolutism and those school leaders who put systems ahead of students. All children deserve nothing less.

Please urge your legislators to support these pieces of legislation by visiting our action alert page at mncatholic.org/protectourkids, and be sure to join the Catholic Advocacy Network to be keep abreast of all important updates at the Capitol.

Inside the Capitol is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.

daughter is fussy, just like my dad to me, as if he passed it on to me in my DNA. And for someone who has tended to live in his head too much, I have experienced the concrete demands of fatherhood as a kind of liberation. To be clear, being a father is profound. I have experienced innumerable warm and fuzzy moments with my daughter and continue to adore her.

But reflecting on the experience of becoming a father, I am reminded that a Twin Cities Catholic author once wrote that “love does.” That is, love is not content with mere ideas or feelings. Instead, love is only proven in action — regardless of whether feelings of profundity accompany it or not.

This, of course, is true for all of us in all our vocations — and even in the simplest acts of love we are called upon to make every day. We are called to live for others; to give ourselves away as Christ did upon the cross — whether we feel like it or not.

Liedl lives in South Bend, Indiana, and is senior editor for the National Catholic Register.

open to her guidance in our lives. If you are married, ask Mary to bless your marriage and to keep the evil one far from you and your spouse. Ask her not to allow any thoughts, words or feelings to interfere with the holiness of your sacred, sacramental union. She desires peace and unity in all things, and as always, sends us back to her son. Just as she says in John 2:5, “Do whatever he tells you,” Mary will always encourage us to listen to Jesus’ voice in our hearts, minds and souls.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emerita and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.

ACTION STRATEGIES

• Take time during the month of May to say the rosary and other prayers devoted to Mary.

• Turn to her in time of need and ask for her help. Trust that she will help you and will always send you back to her son, Jesus.

CALENDAR

PARISH EVENTS

St. George Women’s Council Annual Rummage Sale May 13-14: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. May 13 and 9 -11 a.m. May 14, at St. George, 133 N. Brown Road, Long Lake. $5 pre-sale May 13, 9-10 a.m.; regular hours begin at 10 a.m. From 5-7 p.m. May 13 is half-price. May 14: $5 bag sale. Shop indoors and outside for many items such as furniture, household, tools, dishes, clothing, linens, toys, books and puzzles. tinyurl.com/4tn5s3hp

Blessed Sacrament Rummage Sale

May 14-16: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. May 14 and 15, 8 a.m.-noon May 16 at 2119 Stillwater Ave. E., St. Paul. Rummage sale with items including household goods, furniture, clothing, books, etc. tinyurl.com/46uwtcpe WORSHIP+RETREATS

Ignatian Men’s Silent Retreat

Thursday-Sunday most weeks at Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, 8243 Demontreville Trail, N., Lake Elmo. Let God meet you at a beautiful retreat location in Lake Elmo. The cost is a freewill donation. demontrevilleretreat.com

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS

Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair May 15-16: 4-5 p.m. both days at St. Joseph, 171 Elm St., Lino Lakes. Emily Wilson Hussem will be the keynote speaker for the fair, an annual event serving Catholic homeschooling parents through encouragement, formation and practical resources. mnconference.org

SCHOOLS

Cretin-Derham Hall Boys’ Volleyball Jamboree May 9: 2-4:30 p.m. at Cretin-Derham Hall, 558 Albert St. S., St. Paul. Cretin-Derham Hall Boys’ Volleyball Program will host its first volleyball

jamboree for any fourth-eighth grade boy attending a Catholic Athletic Association school. Play and learn in a pressure-free environment. No cost to play; preregistration is required. cretin-derhamhall.org

St. Joseph’s Nickle Dickle 3-on-3 May 13: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at St. Joseph, 41 First E. St., Waconia. 32nd annual Nickle Dickle 3-on-3 Tournament, 3-Point Shootout, and Slam Dunk Contest! 3-on-3 games begin at 11 a.m., with 3-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest kicking off at 6:15 p.m. All proceeds go to St. Joe’s school activities. Register today: nickledickle.com

Spring Choir Concert May 18: 7-9 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 MN-100, St. Louis Park. Join us for an evening performance by the BSM choir as they present a Spring Choir Concert for all to enjoy. tinyurl.com/mtcwsk4n

Spring Band/Orchestra Concert May 21: 7-9 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 MN-100, St. Louis Park. Join us for an evening performance by the BSM band and orchestra as they present a Spring Band/Orchestra Concert for all to enjoy.

OTHER EVENTS

Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists Members Recital: “Gregoriana” May 8: 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Come to hear excellent performances of new music in the awesome space of the Cathedral of St. Paul with its Skinner and AeolianSkinner/Quimby pipe organs. Free and open to the public. TCAGO.org

ONGOING GROUPS

Griefshare Support Group Every Monday: 12:30-2 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Lake Elmo. Griefshare video and in-person sharing for those who have experienced loss. guardian-angels.org Widowers Coffee Group Fourth Fridays: 9:30-11 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. Widowers of Grace is a newly formed Catholic group for men who have lost their wives. Join us as we learn together how to navigate life without our loved one. Contact olgwidowers@gmail.com for more information. olgparish.org

Cancer Support Group First Thursday: 11 a.m. first Thursdays at Guardian Angels, 8260 N. Fourth St., Oakdale. Contact Terry Quinn at 651-789-3181. guardian-angels.org

Torchlight Readers: Book Study with Lay Dominicans Every other Thursday: 7:30 p.m.-midnight. Virtual meeting. Explore the Christian life through the charism of St. Dominic through a book study. Our first book will be “St. Dominic’s Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God.” For questions and to get the Google Meet link, contact jordanhazel3@gmail.com

Catholic in Recovery Every Sunday: 7-8 p.m. at St. Mark, 2001 Dayton Ave., St. Paul. Catholic sacramental recovery and fellowship for those seeking freedom from addictions, compulsions and unhealthy attachments. We overlap Scripture reading, liturgical themes, and 12-step recovery topics. Questions? Call Eileen M. at 612-483-2973. catholicinrecovery.com

Faith and Recovery Every Wednesday: 6-7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist, 835 Second St. NW, New Brighton. We are a Catholic recovery group that meets weekly on Wednesdays after our 5:30 p.m. Mass. We combine classic AA with the sacramental life of our Catholic faith, using two national recovery programs for Catholics: Calix and Catholic In Recovery. stjohnnb.com

Bridge Club Last Saturdays: 7-8:30 p.m. yearround at St. Joseph, 13015 Rockford Road, Plymouth. All levels of players, from veteran to new, are warmly invited. Interested individuals can simply show up. Tables, treats and tallies are provided. For additional information, please contact Mike or Janet Malinowski 952-525-8708. stjosephparish.com/book-and-card-clubs

Calix Society First and third Sundays: 9-10:30 a.m. First and third Sunday hosted by Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, Lower Level. It also is a potluck breakfast. Calix is a group of men, women, family or friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. Daily meetings available at calixsociety.org. For more information call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.

Job Transitions and Networking Group

Tuesdays: 7-8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker, 7180 Hemlock Lane, Maple Grove. Are you

CALENDAR submissions

DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the issue date.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community. TheCatholicSpirit.com/ calendarsubmissions

unemployed, underemployed, looking to make a job change? Then join us to network, share ideas and learn about the job search process. This faith-based meeting will take place every Tuesday. For questions email Bob at bob.sjtw@gmail.com sjtw.net/job-transitionnetworking-group

Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors 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. Victimsurvivor 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.

Real Estate 600 Inwood Ave. N #130; Oakdale, MN 55128 (651) 631-0616 www.virgielaw.com. CATHOLIC BUSINESS

300 Local Catholic Owned Businesses stjosephslist.com SJBG

BUSINESS GUILD

sjbusinessguild.com 612-363-2905 Connections - Customers - Jobs - Mentors CEILING TEXTURE

Michaels Painting Popcorn Removal & Knock Down Texture TextureCeilings.com (763) 757-3187

CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE

Resurrection Cemetery: Double-depth companion crypt in Our Lady of Solace Mausoleum. 402-871-6446 / soster5@aol.com

Resurrection Cemetery: 2 single graves. Market Price: $2485/ grave. Selling Price: $1800/grave. Luann 859-644-9283

CHIROPRACTOR

Mind & Body Chiropractic * Dr. Kuznia

$80/mo. Indiv. * $120/mo. Family * SJBG mindbodychiropractic.com/ 651-600-3521 COFFEE

Edge Coffee Company 612-504-1954 Fair Trade & Organic - no mycotoxins edgecoffeecompany.com SJBG MBR

COWORKING SPACE

Quarry Catholic Coworking - SJBG quarrycoworking.com 612-363-2905

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Client Services Manager - Location: Pregnancy Center in Forest Lake. Hours: 24–30 hours per week. Requirements: Pregnancy center experience preferred. To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to jillking.llcc@gmail.com. For any questions, please contact Jill at 651-464-0262.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (cont.)

Trojack & Associate Law Office, P.A., located in West St. Paul, MN, is seeking a legal assistant/paralegal. This is a part-time position with responsibilities including drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, and tracking deadlines. To apply please submit a cover letter and resume to: John.Trojack@TROJACKLAW.COM.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Graphic Design, Branding & Marketing sophia@mcgoverncreative.me SJBG MBR GOLD & SILVER BULLION Verify, Exchange, Advise, Educate ⚖ Sølvency Bullion Exchange • SJBG 1128 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105 651-404-7712 • https://solvency.trade USE SILVER & GOLD AS MONEY TODAY! FINANCIAL PLANNERS Win-A-Key to Unlock Your Retirement Income yourretirementkey.com 763-290-1420 Susan Wieneke, financial advisor SJBG HARDWOOD FLOORS MintHardwoodFlooring.com Installation, Refinishing, Repairs Mark Schroeder: 612-987-5175 HEALTH CARE THE FAMILY CLINIC, LLC Direct Primary Care • Functional Medicine 651-400-1554 • info@mnfamilyclinic.com INSURANCE Home, Auto, Business, Life,

THELASTWORD

Totus Tuus is bringing 7 missionary teams to parishes

By Josh McGovern

The Catholic Spirit

Two parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, St. Ambrose in Woodbury and St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano, are bringing the Totus Tuus summer program to their parishes for the first time this summer. The parish-based catechetical program is for grade school children and junior and senior high school youth.

Seven teams of four college students and seminarians — two men and two women — will spend a week in 44 site parishes and lead children from 50 parishes over a sevenweek timeframe. Children and young adults will participate in daily Mass, praise and worship, and learning sessions.

This year will be the first year that Totus Tuus increases to seven total missionary teams with one parish bringing in three teams.

“The missionaries are living a life of grace,” said Nancy Schulte Palacheck, Totus Tuus manager and outreach coordinator for the archdiocese since 2013. “They’re doing Liturgy of the Hours, Divine Mercy, a rosary and the Angelus each day, keeping them close to the Lord spiritually,” Palacheck said.

“Totus Tuus is Catholic-driven” for the missionaries, children, youth and parish communities, she said.

Totus Tuus — Latin for “totally yours” — is a Catholic youth summer program operating in 50 archdioceses and dioceses in North America. The program offers a standardized curriculum for catechesis and Eucharistic adoration.

The junior-senior high school programs focus on developing a relationship with the Lord through adoration of the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation, catechetical instruction and a night of fellowship with team members.

“One fun aspect to it is on Thursday night each parish will do something fun” like laser tag or shaving cream whiffle ball, Palacheck said. “But the goal for this evening is to assist and introduce this age group in discerning their vocation. Many seminarians and women serving on the program are themselves discerning and therefore a good Christian witness.”

The grade school program spends time on catechetical instruction and reconciliation, but also features games, songs, daily Mass and recess and is more tailored to “imparting an understanding and love of the Eucharist, devotion to Mary … vocational discernment and an enjoyable experience” the Totus Tuus website said.

With the grade school students, the missionaries will dress as saints and answer questions. The Friday program is a water activity for grade school students. This could be a firetruck, squirt guns or a balloon toss.

There will be a human sundae, in keeping with a tradition that began in 1986 in Wichita, Kansas, with Father Bernard Gorges, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic school in Mount Hope, Kansas, and Father Andrew Beerman, now the pastor of St. Augustine and St. Edward in Austin, Minnesota. The missionaries will wear goggles and old clothes. The most behaved team of grade school students will then get the chance to squeeze chocolate or caramel syrup, sprinkles and other ice cream toppings on

the missionaries.

Kathleen Dierberger, the catechetical and sacramental coordinator for children at St. Ambrose, said bringing Totus Tuus to the parish took a couple years of discernment. She first had a conversation with Palacheck last spring. Due to scheduling conflicts, St. Ambrose couldn’t make it work.

“Totus Tuus kept coming up in conversations with our team, and it kept coming up in conversations with a dear friend who works at another parish, and it was clear that it was the Holy Spirit nudging us,” Dierberger said. “The words that I kept hearing from everybody who had hosted or participated was ‘fruits.’ The fruits were just beautiful, and that’s something that we desire for the children and the youth of our parish.”

Totus Tuus is taking the place of Vacation Bible School (VBS), which had been held at St. Ambrose during the summer. The parish is making other changes this year with faith formation.

“We transitioned as a parish from a traditional faith formation program to a family formation program for similar reasons — for fruits in families, to have parents join us in our program to be in that essential role as a primary educator,”

Mass, a deeper desire to pray, a greater understanding of the teachings of our faith,” Dierberger said. “Just knowing that the Holy Spirit’s working through this program, it was just a really simple yes to bring it here.”

Dierberger said the pieces fell into place for St. Ambrose. The parish has three teams as it offers Totus Tuus to every child who would have participated in its large VBS program.

“It’s been a real joy to … witness the entire parish respond to this, to have daily Massgoers come up and want to be intercessors for the program, to have parishioners of all ages working to provide meals in the evenings for our missionaries and for our teens,” Dierberger said. “We’ve had a steady flow of registrants for children and youth, and they’re still continuing each day. … I even witnessed one of my students tell her peers, ‘You guys, it’s like VBS, but better, you need to come.’”

Father Sean Mulcare, the parochial vicar of St. Ambrose, was a missionary for Totus Tuus, and has since been “glowing” each time he talks about it coming to St. Ambrose, Dierberger said.

Missionaries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis originally trained in conjunction with the dioceses of Winona-Rochester; Superior, Wisconsin; and Marquette, Michigan. In 2020, the archdiocese broke away and has been doing its own training since.

Last year, three teams of missionaries from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis were trained in the Diocese of Crookston. This year, in the Twin Cities, 60 missionaries from St. Cloud, Crookston and Winona-Rochester were trained.

Developing each summer program is a year-long process, Palacheck said.

Dierberger said. “Then we also, with Archbishop (Bernard) Hebda’s permission, transitioned confirmation from ninth grade to fifth grade. Totus Tuus will keep that momentum of involving the entire family at St. Ambrose — we love that it’s for all ages — and continuing to encourage parents as the primary educators of their children. So, this has just been a big year of discussing fruits and the working of the Holy Spirit. It was totally God’s timing.”

Andrew Zeisel, discipleship director at St. Maximilian Kolbe, said the parish is excited for Totus Tuus this summer, as it provides “a joyful and orthodox Catholic experience for our kids and families.”

The missionaries arrive at a parish on a Saturday. The junior and senior high school programs run from 6:30-8:15 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Monday through Friday, the grade school program — grades one through six — runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The missionaries remain at each parish from Saturday to Saturday and stay at host family homes. The missionary teams at each parish run both the grade school and high school programs.

“We’re so excited about what the children come home and share with their parents, that they have a deeper delight in the

“After my summer program, I have to start securing parishes Oct. 1 where they choose between three weeks and submit their registration fee,” she said. “At the beginning of November, I’m recruiting missionaries. We need 30 missionaries, typically done by March 1. We go to most of the universities (in Minnesota). This year I went to (Franciscan University of) Steubenville (in Steubenville, Ohio), Benedictine College (in Atchison, Kansas) and the University of Mary (Bismark, North Dakota), to recruit these missionaries. We like to recruit (from) our own diocese ... but we do take other people.”

Palacheck said one missionary this year is from Honolulu, the farthest a missionary has come to serve in Totus Tuus.

“One person from California drove here,” she said. Closer to home, Palacheck said 12 missionaries will serve St. Ambrose, the most teams sent to one parish for Totus Tuus.

“I hope it will bring our children and youth a deeper love of Jesus, a greater understanding of his real presence in the Eucharist and the great joy of being Catholic,” Dierberger said. “Especially this past fall, as we were talking and discerning and praying, I really felt (St.) John Paul II so close to us. His message of do not be afraid to open up your hearts to Christ has been resounding this whole year, but especially regarding Totus Tuus at St. Ambrose.”

PHOTO COURTESY NANCY SCHULTE

From left to right, missionaries from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Michael Regnier, Maddie Leet, Brianna Hendren, and Patrick Storms, made up one Totus Tuus team that helped lead parishes in the 2025 Totus Tuus summer program. Totus Tuus teams are comprised of four people, two men and two women.