Father George Welzbacher's Pastor's Page: "Behold, Our president makes all things new!"

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"And He who sat upon the throne said. "Behold, I make all things new!" (Apocalypse 2l:5). These words from the next-to-last chapter in the very last book of the Bible might be adapted to describe the mission that President Obama seems to have selected for himself, namely to promote a program of CHANGE so massive that it could prompt this appraisal from Newsweek's Editor-at-large Evan Thomas: "He [Obama] stands so far above us-he is like God!" The proposed reconstruction of our entire system of health care; the unprecedented assumption of control over major banks and financial institutions, not to mention the government's taking over much of America's automotive industry; the proposed imposition of an oppressively heavy carbon pollution tax in the interests of climate moderation; the extraordinary accumulation of a staggering new burden of debt; the implicit repudiation of certain principles that used to govern our national foreign policy, with sweeping denunciations of the real or supposed blunders and the putative malfeasance of previous administrations; and the mounting of a campaign to transform America's thiinking (and ultimately America's laws) with respect, to what constitutes appropriate sexual behavior, with a looming redefinition of the nature of marriage-on all of these fronts a genuine revolution is gathering force, full speed ahead!

Thus far the president's most explicit challenge to the Judaeo-Christian moral code that has shaped our nation's character lies in his endorsement of homosexual behavior and in his advocacy of taxpayer subsidies for the killing of the innocent unborn. That such advocacy and such endorsement involve the rejection of basic truths of the Christian faith should be clear at once to anyone who takes the trouble to consult the following Passages of Scripture: with respect to homosexuality, Romans 1: 24-32; 1 Corinthians 6: 9-1 1; I Timothy 1:9- 11; and with respect to the killing of the innocent, I John 3:15 as well as Proverbs 6: 16-19. . . . St. John of St. Paul July 12

The State of the Archdiocese, July 2009; Part Two

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Key Facts about the Archdiocese
Archdiocesan Planning Process

You can find more information about the study, titled the Strategic Taskforce on Parish and School Planning on the Archdiocesan webpage at http://www.archspm.org/planningprocess/index.html . Most importantly, you can find there information on how you and your parish can participate in thie critically important study that will set the tone of the archdiocese for the next 50 years or so.

A pdf file of this report and an excellent analysis of it may be found here.

Part One of this report was posted on Stella Borealis on Monday, July 13.

Parish and School Finances: Living Beyond Our Means

Many parishes have been living beyond their means:

• In fiscal year (FY) 2006 cash to debt ratio was 0.7; meaning that for every dollar of debt, there was seventy cents of cash.
• Parish debt per registered parish household in 2006 was approximately $999.
• In FY 2009 there are 55 parishes being monitored by the Archdiocese because of debt and operational budget issues. In 2003, there were 33 parishes being monitored.

The distribution of debt and operating loss among parishes and schools is not evenly spread within the Archdiocese

• The financial condition of the Archdiocese as described existed prior to the current general economic downturn. The downturn exacerbated and exposed the existing problem.
• Very few individual parishes can comfortably support a Catholic school on their own.
• Parishes with Catholic school connection invest more in parish Faith Formation and other parish educational programs than those that do not have a Catholic school connection.


A Vibrant Catholic Education is Increasingly a Challenge to Grow and Maintain

Faith Formation enrollments have continued to decline

• The number of children reported as enrolled in parish Faith Formation programs in the 2004-2005 school year was 52,451. In 2008-09 it is reported as 47,523.
• There continues to be a precipitous drop in parish religious education enrollment between grades 10-11. In the 2008-09 school year the enrollment in grade 9 was 3,881, in grade 10 it was 3,253 and grade 11 it was 297.

The number of children in NO Catholic formation program is increasing

• According to baptismal records, there were 82,948 infants baptized between 1993 through 1999. In 2004-05 most of these children should have been enrolled in Kindergarten through Grace 6 programs. Roughly 38% of those baptized between 1993 and 1999 are not served by any religious education program or Catholic school in the Archdiocese during this year of 2008-09.
• In 2008-09 most of these same (baptized 1993-1999) children should have been enrolled in Grades 4 through 10. Roughly 41% of the same group was not served by any religious education program in the Archdiocese during this year.
• The peaks of enrollment in parish Faith Formation programs align with First Communion and Confirmation.
• Parishes reported approximately 6,700 catechists in 2004-05 and approximately 6,300 catechists in 2008-09.
• In 2008-09 two thirds of parishes reported offering some form of adult Faith Formation. A wide variety of offerings were reported with bible studies and season retreats (Advent and Lent) being the most frequently identified.

Catholic Schools Have Been Constantly Changing

The number of Catholic schools has changed

• There are 93 Catholic elementary schools and 14 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese
• 122 parishes sponsor either single parish or consolidated schools.
• 10 schools are sponsored by more than one parish.
• 8 Catholic schools have opened since 2000: 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school and 2 high schools.
• 4 elementary schools have closed and 2 multi-parish schools have deconsolidated since 2000.

Enrollment in Catholic schools has changed

• In 2003-04 enrollment in Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese was 38,186. In 2008-09 enrollment was only 5% less, at 35,335. This is consistent with changes in public school district enrollment change, and accurately reflects changes to the age structure of the population in the Twin Cities area.

Distribution of growth and decline in enrollments [is] uneven

• Catholic high schools have increased enrollment in the last five years 5.4% from 7,420 to 7,820.
• Catholic elementary school enrollment in the last five years has declined 11.4% from 28,704 to 25,418.
• Catholic pre-school enrollment has fluctuated in the last five years, increasing over that time from 2,063 to 2,907.
• In the last five years 60 elementary schools lost 5% or more of their enrollment.
• In the last five years 32 elementary schools lost 20% or more of their enrollment.
• Growth in enrollment has been in new Catholic schools, schools targeted at niche populations and in suburban areas where there is significant population growth.

School personnel are largely not priests or religious

• 2.4% of school personnel are priests or religious.
• 97.6% of school personnel are lay people (not priests or religious).

Ethnic and socio-economic diversity is slowly increasing in Catholic Schools

• From 2004-09 Caucasians in Catholic elementary schools fell from 89.3% to 84.9% of the student enrollment.
• African-Americans were the fastest growing group, up from 1.8% to 3.8% of the elementary school student enrollment.
• Multi-racial students went from 2.0% to 3.6% of the enrollment.
• Latinos went from 3.2% to 4.6% of the elementary student enrollment.
• Students eligible to receive free and reduced priced lunch represented 6% of the enrollment five years ago and are 9% of the total elementary school enrollment today (Although the enrollment overall has decreased in that time period, the number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch has increased).
• The distribution of poverty among Catholic elementary school students is very biased toward core city and rural schools.

The Catholicity of students in the elementary school has been relatively stable

• The percentage of Catholic students in the elementary schools has decreased slightly in the last five years, from 92.7% to 91.8%.

School finance is increasingly problematic for parents and parishes

• Tuition has increased 36% since 2003-04. The average tuition has gone from $2,251 in 2003 to $3,063 in 2008 for the first child in parishsponsored Catholic elementary schools.
• Tuition for non-parishioners has increased 25% in give years from $3,175 to $3,975.
• 32% of parishes that subsidize schools contribute at least 30% or more of their total parish revenue to their school. This number increases when including parish underwriting of school deficits and pay for such costs as maintenance and utilities that are often not counted as subsidy.

Cathedral's Saint Cecilia Choir featured in hymn festival, July 14 - Free, 7:30 p.m.

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"Hear the Children Lift Their Voices"

All are welcome to come enjoy a July evening of hymns and anthems featuring the delightful voices of the Saint Cecilia Choir, the choral ensemble for young singers at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The hymn festival will be held on Tuesday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, and is one of the feature events of the Hymn Society Annual Conference being hosted by St. Olaf College July 12 through 16. The conference theme is “A Little Child Shall Lead Them.” Participants in the July 14 festival, “Hear the Children Lift Their Voices,” include the Saint Cecilia Choir, the Cathedral’s adult choir, the Cathedral Brass Ensemble, Michal Sobieski, violinist, and the entire assembly. Marilyn and James Biery will be conducting and playing the organ, and Michael Silhavy will offer commentary on the hymns.

The festival will feature the premiere of a new hymn text by Marilyn Biery, “A little child shall lead them,” to BETHOLD, a tune by Mark Sedio (Director of Music at Central Lutheran Church). Marilyn has arranged the new hymn for children's voices, congregation, violin, and organ. Augsburg Fortress has published the new arrangement in time for the convention.

Admission is free. The Cathedral is handicap accessible, and parking is available on the street and in the lot at the corner of Summit and Selby Avenues.

The State of the Archdiocese, July 2009; Part One

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Archbishop John Nienstedt has assigned Father John Bauer of the Basilica and Father Peter Laird of the Chancery to head a major study of the demographics and economics and trends of the archdiocese to create a planning tool to be used in the formation, growth and perhaps dissolution of parishes and schools.

Parishes are being asked to provide representatives to attend meetings beginning this summer to review in the initial survey that Fathers Bauer and Laird (and their team) have done. You can find more information about the study, titled the Strategic Taskforce on Parish and School Planning on the Archdiocesan webpage at http://www.archspm.org/planningprocess/index.html . Most importantly, you can find there information on how you and your parish can participate in thie critically important study that will set the tone of the archdiocese for the next 50 years or so.

Part of the survey was published in last Sunday's, July 12, bulletin of Our Lady of Peace Parish in South Minneapolis where you can find it as a PDF file. Thanks to Terry Nelson for tipping me off to this information. Get copies to all your friends and talk to your pastor to being on your parish team to work on this report. If you don't, some Sunday in a few yours your parish might disappear.

Fathers Bauer and Laird sent this preliminary survey to all parishes:


Dear Friends in Christ,

In your parish bulletin this month we would like to share with you the current state of our Archdiocese, from the growth we are experiencing as a church, to the state of parishes, clergy and Catholic education. It is our hope that you find these facts informative as we go forward in this planning process.

Sincerely,

Fr. John Bauer and Fr. Peter Laird

Strategic Planning Task Force
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

SNAPSHOT

Parishes

The number of parishes has already changed:
• There are currently 217 parishes in the Archdiocese
• The Archdiocese now has ten less parishes than it had ten years ago.
• There are currently 51 parishes in 23 cluster arrangements, including seven mergers in the last ten years
• Parish membership is less defined by geography than in the past.The average number of zip codes represented in a parish of this Archdiocese is 36.
• Destination parishes defined by personal preference, a specific pastor or by convenience are becoming more common.

Clergy

The estimated number of pastors will decline:
• There are currently 182 priests eligible to be pastor and there will be a total of 163 priests eligible to be pastors in ten years time: a drop of 19 pastors.
• The number of parochial vicars will decline from 44 today to 37 in ten years time
• Priests doing special ministries, such as hospital and jail chaplains, as well as working in seminaries will decline from 34 today to 27 in ten years time

KEY FACTS

The Archdiocese is Growing

• The number of households of registered parishioners is approximately 215,000. Based on historical records, the number of households in the Archdiocese will grow by about 7.5% in five years, so that by 2014 the number of households will be approximately 248,000.
• The total number of Catholics registered at parishes is estimated to be 650,000.The historical growth rate for registered Catholics is approximately 7.0%. By 2016 the number of Catholics registered at parishes will be approximately 695,000.
• The growing diversity of the Catholic population is creating an increasing number of parishioners who do not register at a parish, but who regularly attend Mass in their parish of choice.
• Growth is being fueled almost exclusively by immigration.
• Growth is unevenly distributed across the Archdiocese, with concentrations of growth in the exurban areas (between suburban and rural areas).
• Immigrant Catholics are now spread throughout all parishes.They are not just concentrated in the core cities.
• Current Mass attendance is reported to be estimated on Saturday evening and Sundays to average a total of 223,275 people in this Archdiocese.This represents 34% of registered Catholics.This Archdiocese is aligned with the national estimate.

The Socio-economic and Ethnic Diversity of the Catholic Population is Growing and Changing

Socio-economic Diversity and Disparity is growing in the Archdiocese

In the past, there was an assumption that the socio-economic make up of parishes was a normal distribution.This has changed over the last ten years.The socio-economic distribution of parishes at each end of the scale is growing, while the middle is declining.

The Archdiocesan Population is Aging

• From 2005 to 2015 the fastest growing age group within the Twin Cities is 55 to 69 years of age.
• Between 2009 and 2020 the number of persons aged over 65 will dramatically rise in the Twin Cities
• Public, private and Catholic school enrollment accurately reflects change in the age structure of the Twin Cities population with a minimal rise in secondary enrollments and a fall in elementary school enrollments between 2009 and 2015.

Ethnic Diversity is growing in the Archdiocese

• Mass is regularly celebrated in Spanish, Korean,Vietnamese, Filipino, French and Hmong in this Archdiocese.
• There are currently 16,500 Latino people attending Spanish-speaking Mass on any given Sunday.
• 23 parishes are currently identified as centers of Latino ministry in the Archdiocese.
• The distribution of Latino Catholics has changed in the last ten years.There are now significant numbers of Latino people within five minutes drive of every parish in the Archdiocese.
• There is one Korean parish, two Vietnamese parishes, one Hmong parish and Mass is offered in French each Sunday for West African parishioners.Two priests serve approximately 10,000 Filipino Catholics spread across the Archdiocese.

Next Week - Part II: Parish and School Finances; Information on Catholic Education in the Archdiocese

Father Bill Baer's Father is in the hospital

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Note: Father Baer did not have the stroke. It was his Dad! I apologize for my poorly written sentence, below, posted this morning.

The post title was correct, but that doesn't count.

Ray Marshall


Word has also come that Father Bill Baer, Rector of the St. John Vianney Seminary is in Baltimore visiting his father who recently had a stroke. Prayers for Father Baer, his Dad, his Mom and others in his family are also in order.

Archbishop Flynn, on vacation out East, hospitalized

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Word has it that Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn, on vacation visiting relatives out East, (Albany area?), was taken ill and hospitalized. He appears to be recovering, but prayers for him would be in order.

Official U.S. State Department Arm Slings???

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Does the State Department have so many cases of broken arms that they find it economical to put their official seal on arm slings to distinguish themselves from lesser government employees with broken arms?

One would think that State Department diplomats would be engaged in twisting the arms of slow moving allies and perhaps breakiing the arms of some of our adversaries rather than incurring their own arm injuries. Of course, those slings could be badges like Purple Hearts for diplomats who had become "Twistees" rather than "Twisters."

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On September 19 the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus will celebrate 90 years of service to the Archdiocese of St. Louis. It was on September 19, 1919 that Blessed Maria Teresa of St. Joseph (the Order's foundress) met with Cardinal Glennon and was accepted into the Archdiocese.

They will celebrate this occasion with a Solemn High Votive Mass of St. Joseph in the Extraordinary Form in their chapel at 1:00 on September 19, 2009.

Sources confirm that His Grace, the Most Reverend Raymond Leo Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, will pontificate.

[Archbishop Burke was formerly Bishop of La Crosse and Archbishop of St. Louis. Somehow, I'm figuring that these St. Louis Carmelites are not on the Vatican's Visitation List.]

The Examination of Female Religious Orders in the United States

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Many are upset that the Vatican has created a group to examine the role of female religious orders in the United States.

The fear is that Rome will crack down on them and make them revert to pre-Vatican II rules and regulations.

If the Vatican truly wanted to do that, why would they bother to make the effort. Most of these female religious orders will disappear in thirty years or so if nothing changes.

In case you haven't been looking, the average age in these orders is over 60 now and new members for most orders are almost non-existent.

Might it just be possible that the Vatican would like to help these religious orders change to make them more attractive to young women?

Or should the Vatican just watch as most orders disappear, irrespective of all the great things they have done.

Don't these women care that all that they have done will then soon be forgotten as if they had never happened?

Betcha ya didn't know this!

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His Hermeneuticleness, Fr. Tim Finegan of the U.K. mused today: The Church offers us a plenary indulgence if, at the Easter Vigil or on the anniversary of our baptism, we renew the promises made on our behalf.

New project to support divorced or separated Catholics who want to live their vows

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Speaking of things that are needed and wanted. Terry Nelson of the Minneapolis Abbey-Roads blog has found a news story on an Italian organization that has just found some roots in Ohio to assist abandoned spouses who still believe that their "I do" meant "forever."

A new support community for divorced or separated Catholics who remain faithful to marriage has launched in the United States, taking inspiration from a similar Italian effort to help people fulfill their vows and live their "I do."

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The Saint Mary of Cana project, sponsored in the U.S. by the non-profit Mary’s Advocates, seeks to work with dioceses in the United States in order to, in project director Bai Macfarlane’s words, "reject the divorce culture’s indoctrination that our marriage is dead or that we have new lives as single people. . . ."

Catholic News Agency

A Summer Camp You Can Trust

Mitchell here.

It's the time of the year when a lot of kids are off at camp for a couple of weeks. We hear a lot about how camping can build character, instill a sense of camaraderie, and form lasting relationships. (Unless you're going to Kamp Krusty.) It's also true, however, that many camps don't always deliver what they promise, and the values about which they boast are sometimes just a lot of empty words. So rather than the traditional types of camping experience from groups such as the Scouts and the Y, I'd like you to consider an organization I've recently learned about.

Some friends of ours were the beneficiaries of a recent visit by young adults from Catholic HEART Workcamp. If you're not familiar with their mission (and I'll admit I'd never heard of them before they visited Bob and Carol), here's what their website has to say:

Catholic HEART Workcamp is based in Orlando, FL. The Founders/Directors are Steve and Lisa Walker who love young people and God. After 17 years as Parish Youth Ministers in Pittsburgh, Houston and Orlando, the Walkers have devoted themselves to the development and management of the Catholic HEART Workcamp on a full time basis. They not only are experienced Youth Ministers but National Speakers and Workcamp veterans. The first Workcamp was established in 1993 and has increased in size every year. The Workcamps were established to offer quality service projects and evangelical programs for Catholic young people and their leaders. Whenever possible, Catholic HEART Workcamp works hand in hand with the host city diocese. Catholic HEART Workcamp continues to faithfully and enthusiastically serve the Roman Catholic Church in obedience to the Magisterium and strict faithfulness to the Church teachings. Each Workcamp is equipped with 10 summer staff members, adult associate staff members, a nurse, Priest, and camp Manager.

The young people who visited our friends worked for the better part of a week on painting the exterior of their house and garage, and all the trim work. They arrived for work each morning after having attended Mass, and took a break during the day to have a group discussion that often centered around their faith and values, and their hopes for the future.

Now, Bob and Carol have had a fair share to do with youth groups over the years, and are not easily swayed. However, they could not say enough about these young people and the work they did. (I should add here that our friends are not Catholic.) "We always hear about the problems kids are causing," Carol told us, "but these are the kinds of kids we don't hear enough about. And we should." Their devotion to their faith, and the willingness to put it into action in the community, made a profound impact on them. They literally could not stop talking about it. (As we can attest.)

Read about the kids who join Catholic HEART Workcamp: "Any students who will be entering the 8th Grade in the fall of 2009 who are serious about serving others. High school students as well as high school graduates and college students. We require one adult sponsor (21 years and older) for every five young people. Some camps you can bring young people entering 7th grade in the fall of 2009. Next Level camps are open to those entering the 10th grade and older. To see a list of these and all of the camps click here. Please bring at least one adult male and one adult female if you are bringing both female and male young people."

I wish I'd heard about this organization sooner so I could have plugged them earlier in the year, but it's never too late to start making your plans for next summer. Please do check out their website and see for yourself the good things that this organization is doing in our communities.

Talk is cheap nowadays, and a lot of organizations throw around buzzwords like "values," "learning opportunities," and "transformative experiences." But when you're considering a summer camp experience for your own kids or for those of family or friends, check out an organization that walks the walk and talks the talk, that truly believes in faith-based values and isn't embarrassed by its Christian roots, and where you don't have to be concerned about what kind of propaganda the counselors might be passing along. Consider Catholic HEART Workcamp - you'll be glad you did, and so will your kids.


Cross-posted to Our Word and Welcome to It

Sisters of St. Joseph in St. Louis join Duluth's Benedictine Health System to co-sponsor housing

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The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet [St. Louis, MO] have joined with the Benedictine Health System of Duluth, Minn., to co-sponsor the sisters’ Nazareth Living Center in South County.

Nazareth offers skilled nursing and assisted living care on an 11-acre, 272-bed residential campus. The co-sponsorship agreement became effective July 1. The Sisters of St. Joseph will continue their Catholic sponsorship of Nazareth.

“This co-sponsorship allows Nazareth Living Center the opportunity to offer a continued quality of care while exploring ways to provide enhanced services to the community in the future,” said Sister Suzanne Wesley, a member of the sisters’ province leadership.

As part of the co-sponsorship agreement, Benedictine Health System is responsible for the management of McGovern Hall, the facility’s skilled nursing unit, and Gleason Hall, the assisted living unit.

The Benedictine Health System is sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth and currently owns or manages more than 60 health care facilities in seven states.

“We look forward to working with their dedicated staff to continue providing the high standard of care to the residents and the community and sharing our knowledge and expertise in long-term care management,” said Dale Thompson, president and CEO of Benedictine Health System.

In 1869, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet purchased the land at the site of the present Nazareth Living Center to build a home for retired and infirmed sisters. In 1992, the sisters began offering skilled nursing and assisted living care at Nazareth to laypeople. St. Louis Review (Mo.)

Rural Life Sunday, Zumbrota, July 26; Bishop, Blessings, Barnyards

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Mark your calendars for this year’s Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday celebration on July 26th sponsored by and held at the Church of St. Paul in Zumbrota. Beginning at 8:45 a.m., it includes the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Sunday and a creation blessing with Bishop Piché. Family-fun activities will follow and include a country style breakfast, activities for children, a petting zoo, and a farmers market (proceeds to local food shelf).

Join the parishioners from St.Paul Church and others from throughout the Archdiocese to pray, remember, and celebrate, all the good things God has given us in our rural way of life. All are welcome!

For directions, download the flyer, which includes a map, as a pdf here, or call the Parish Services Team contact person at (651) 290-1647.

Sauk Rapids-based 50,000 watt Catholic radio station to hit airwaves Aug 1

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David Rydberg of the new Catholic radio station 1180 KYES-AM doesn't know yet what he's going to say to St. Cloud-area listeners.

But when KYES goes on air for the first time — which could be as early as this week — he'll be excited.

"This has been something that has been in the works for years," he said. "And I feel very blessed to be part of such a monumental project."

Rydberg, founder Andy Hilger and almost 30 volunteers are making final preparations before KYES goes on air. This week they will do on-air tests for technical problems. If everything works, KYES will stay on the air. If any issues need to be resolved, it won't go live until they're fixed. Aug. 1 is the official launch date, Rydberg said.

The team seems to be used to hurdles. In the year since the government approved plans for KYES, the recession hurled challenges at Rydberg, Hilger and others. But it hasn't stopped them from climbing toward their larger mission of spreading Christian messages.

Despite the hurdles, they are focused and determined — and ready to speak to a potential audience of 868,000 people in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.

A journey

It's been more than a year since Hilger announced he was going to start KYES, a 50,000-watt AM Catholic talk radio station. The idea started in early 2006.

"It's been a long project in my mind," he said.

The station has a budget of about $4 million, Hilger said, and it relies on donations, fundraising and volunteers.

Money has created challenges. KYES was intended to occupy its own facility, where programs could be hosted. But the recession pinched those plans. KYES will instead share space with Spirit 92.9, which Hilger donated in 2000 to the Diocese of St. Cloud.

"We'll stay in the building until ... we have the resources," he said.

Hilger made his career in Central Minnesota radio. He started in 1958 as a disc jockey for WJON. He later became station manager and owner of WJON and three other stations.

There's no such thing as retirement for Hilger. Even though he's no longer owner of WJON or the other stations, he and a group of local priests, businesspeople and others are still focused on bringing a meaningful service to the public.

"It's just amazing how it all works together," Hilger said.

Jerry McCarter worked with Hilger on KYES. He's known Hilger for 35 years.

He said Hilger has put a lot of his resources into making KYES happen. He's confident the station will be successful.

"It's fun to watch someone like Andy who is so passionate about something, and for a man in his 70s, he has got a tremendous amount of energy," McCarter said. "He'll make it work."

Larger goals

KYES will not just be a Catholic radio station.

The station is an arm of the Throw Fire Project, a Sauk Rapids-based nonprofit organization with a mission to help people love and follow Jesus.

"Throw Fire" refers to a biblical passage in which Jesus foresees his crucifixion, Hilger said: "I've come to throw fire on the Earth, and how I wish it were already blazing."

"We want to make sure it's the truth of Jesus and get it out to people in many different ways," Hilger said.

McCarter said "this is an opportunity for people of the Catholic faith." He grew up Catholic and joked he has a bias. Still, it could be an opportunity for people of other faiths to learn about Catholic theology, he said.

Hilger said he wants it to be respectful of all people. KYES's main goal is to highlight positive community news and values — not push an agenda.

"It's a gift and we should use it in a positive (manner)," Hilger said of radio. "Our mission is to provide programming for the Catholic audience and invite anybody from any faith dimension or faith background to listen in."

Listeners will get 168 hours per week of programming, Hilger said. They'll get local news, weather and sports.

Other programming will come from Relevant Radio, a syndicated Catholic talk radio network based in Green Bay, Wis., with affiliates all over the Midwest. That's for now, anyway.

The station has plans to add more local content in the future.

But what KYES offers will be "more than just the radio," Hilger said. St. Cloud Times

Archdiocesan Priests Met in Rochester; Report

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Fr. George Welzbacher of the Church of St. John of St. Paul: I would like to share with you a few reflections on the meeting that I attended (together with Archbishop Nienstedt and almost all of the priests who serve our archdiocese) from Monday evening, June 22nd to Thursday morning, June 25th at Rochester's Kahler Hotel (with Mass offered in communal celebration each day at St. John's Church nearby). For a long time now this meeting has been held every two years in June, originally at St. John's University near St. Cloud. When the numbers of attendant clergy grew to a volume that was difficult to accommodate there, the site was transferred to Rochester.

Several benefits have accrued from these regular biennial meetings, and this year in particular the positive results were, in my opinion, considerable. First of all (and I believe most importantly) this year's gathering, with its featured speakers and its opportunities for extensive conversation among the priests and with the Archbishop, gave Archbishop Nienstedt, perhaps for the first time, the strong sense that the rank and file of the clergy of his diocese were solid in their support of his policies. At the meeting two years ago he had just been officially declared the Coadjutor Archbishop (Bishop with right of succession to the incumbent Archbishop) of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Thus in 2007 he was meeting most of us for the first time.

Understandably he may not have been certain that all of us were, so to speak, in his comer, particularly in view of the reputation of a certain segment of our presbyterate for being less than enthusiastic in support either of the papal magisterium (cf. Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae) or of certain prescriptions of canon law (e.g., the prohibition of the imparting of general absolution except in a situation of dire emergency). And certainly the outrageous personal accusations flung at him in the local press by a small number of priests who in my judgment are chronic malcontents did little to increase his confidence that he was entering friendly territory. By now, thanks to the Archbishop's many contacts, one-on-one, with the priests of this Archdiocese over the past two years, and thanks especially to the uninhibited warmth of the greetings he received from the assembled clergy at Rochester, he knows that he is a general in an army (fighting the ultimate war, the war against Satan for the fate of immortal souls) whose officers are with him all the way. And that is an important achievement.

A secondary but significant achievement was the affording of an opportunity for the older clergy to come to know, or at least to know better, the younger clergy, and vice versa. And that works to enhance the solidarity - and thus, I should think, the effectiveness- of our clergy in their common cause.

And may I offer two final summary observations of my own. First of all, the number of our clergy who represent, if you will, a more emancipated attitude towards Humane Vitae and related issues and who still seem, perhaps, to retain to some degree the revolutionary spirit of the 1960's has been visibly declining throughout the succession of these biennial meetings. And secondly, I was personally deeply moved by the liturgies in which we took part. They seemed to me to be a kind of anticipation, imperfect, of course, but offering ground for hope, that even as we came from our separate ministries to join one another at Christ's altar, we may, God willing, one day be able to greet one another and those whom we are privileged to serve in that glorious liturgy which is founded on the face-to-face vision of Almighty God in the ecstatic communion of angels and saints.

Dates, Times for Bishop Piché’s Ordination Cable TV Showing Changed to Metro Cable Channel 6

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The original dates and times for the cable TV showing of Bishop Lee Piché’s Mass of Ordination have changed. Yesterday’s ordination was originally scheduled to run for consecutive Saturdays in July –the 11th the 18th and the 25th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

However, due to the length of the ordination Mass, it has been rescheduled to run on Metro Channel 6 every Monday during July from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and every Sunday in August from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The cable channel informs us, however, that these times are subject to change. Should you tune in on one of those dates in July or August and find the program is not available, they suggest you call the station at 612-339-3221.

Stained Glass Windows - the most overlooked of Church artifacts

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Stained glass windows date back to the Middle Ages (the year 1000 or so) and the construction of the large Gothic cathedrals of Europe. The windows (and the statuary) were designed to portray Old and New Testament stories to congregations, both rich and poor, well born and peasant, were for the most part illiterate. Monks and scholars (most of whom were monks) were generally the only people who could read and write in those days.

Even after the invention of movable type in the 15th century, and the printing of books in large quantities, reading among the populace did not become common until the 18th and 19th centuries. Churches continued to use stained glass to tell religious stories.

Today, with almost universal literacy in most countries, stained glass continues to be used in the construction of most churches, but the perceptive viewer will note that they no longer tell stories as they did in the past. No doubt the cost of stained glass also has something to do with that. Most new churches include clear glass in their original construction specifications and then as the original debt begins to be paid off, interior decoration and stained glass are added to the building.

Anyhow, all this is preparatory to listing some links of beautiful stained glass found in nearby churches that I ran across on the Flickr photo-sharing website on the Internet today.

The Blessed Mother, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist
Our Lady of Knock 1879

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Crosse, Wisc.

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Gesu Church in Milwaukee, Wisc.

St. Josaphat's Basilica in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, in Holy Hill, Wisc.

Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior, Wisc.

St. Thomas More Parish (formerly, St. Luke's), St. Paul

The Cathedral and Shrine of St. Paul in St. Paul

Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis

And many more regional churches, photos taken or assembled by someone named "Jeff"
and Here

Twitter? Who do you Catholics want to follow?

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Well, being one of the tiny minority who doesn't own a cellphone, I haven't been very excited about the concept of Twitter, the instant message service that limits one to 140 characters (letters AND spaces) in each message. My English teacher would have flunked me if I had turned in 20 word book reports.

But many of you are out there, heavily invested in Twitter, (actually, it's free, how they pay for it, Wall Street wants to know), wondering who they should follow.

Well, trusty ol' Google came to the rescue again this morning in an article suggesting who you should follow if you are interested in China:

• In Twitterland it is Follow Friday, the day when Tweeters (tweeple? twhatever) post their lists of people worth following.
• Now I keep hearing from people that they don’t like Twitter because life’s too short to hear random people burbling away.
• Others try it for a while but then drop it because they don’t really see any value or they can’t get the information they want.
• I think it’s fascinating, and it’s been almost as useful as Reuters or Bloomberg for alerting me to breaking news.

• I would advise anyone interested in Twitter to download Tweetdeck. This elegant application allows you to sift out all wittering and search through Twitter for information you might find helpful.

But besides using Tweetdeck, I came across another source for Twitterers (is that a word, or should it be Tweeple) who might be interested in All Things Catholic: TweetCatholic

It's like a St. Blog's Parish directory for Catholics who are dieing to Twitter (have I reached 140 characters yet?).

But if you don't want to mess around with Tweet Catholic (I don't know if that's one word or two, but spaces being valuable commodities on Twitter, I guess it's one word), here is a list of sites that novice Twitterers (Tweeple) might want to take advantage of to stay abreast of Catholic News:

@CatholicNewsSvc (USCCB) @thecompassnews @catholicspirit (St.Paul-Mpls), @usccbmedia, @USACatholic, @CatholicTv @NCRegister, @SVdP, @LifeSite (news.com), @FatherTF (Fr. Tim Finigan U.K. blogger), @fatherz (really famous Sabine Farm blogger), @newadvent (.org), @catholicnet (.net), @deaconsbench (Deacon Greg Kandra blog), @americanpapist (blog), @cnalive (Catholic News Agency), @patrickmadrid, @FatherRoderick, @KofC_org, @thecatholicsun (Phoenix), @EWTN, @relevantradio, @curtjester (blog), @OSV (Our Sunday Visitor), @prepareformass, @catholicherald (U.K. newspaper), @CNSCampusNotes (Cardinal Newman Society), @Fla_Catholic (newspaper), @CatholicTechTip, @MissionDoctors, @usccbnab (Lectionary for Mass), @homilies (Catholic Homilies, Ireland), @archstl (Archdiocese of St. Louis), @bettnet (blog), @cathexchange (news), @FaithandFamily, @EscrivaWorks (Opus Dei thoughts), @KofCStore, @happycatholic (blog), @emvidal (blogger), @AdoroteDevote (discerning Minn. blogger), @arlingtonchurch (Diocese of Arlington), @padredana (SD priest blogger), @ccbuffalo (Catholic Charities), @CatholicDigest, @CatholicDailyPr (prayer), @JeffCavins (Bible History, Minn.), @JMTalbot (John Michael Talbot), @thecompassnews (Green Bay Diocese), @georgiabulletin (Atlanta Archdiocese), @massreadings (Helena Diocese), @GreenBayDiocese, @francesco1221 (Minn. Blogger), @BuffaloDiocese, @the_Crescat (NC blogger), @ironiccatholic (Minn. blogger, mom of 3.6, professor), @lacrossecath (La Crosse Catholic),

Good luck. You probably won't see me there too often. Google is very jealous and if I don't visit regularly, she has a tantrum.

Fr. Bill Baer of the St. John Vianney Seminary on the life of today's seminarians

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Archbishop Robert Carlson's appointment as Archbishop of St. Louis recently has placed his name in the news and quite a few articles have been written about him, his past, and speculation on what he will do in the future.

Loome Theological Booksellers, the worlds largest bookstore specializing in religious books, is located in Stillwater, believe it or not. And it might owe its continued existence to Archbishop Carlson.

The blog of Loome's, Ex Libris Theologicis, on July 2 published the story of how back in the 80s it was reported to them that Catholic seminarians could not shop there due to an edict of the chancery. Dr. Loome, the owner, and former professor at St. Kate's, knew that seminarians were a major portion of his customer base. So he called the chancery, and the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Fr. Robert Carlson, at the time, happened to answer the phone. To make the story short, Father Carlson said that no such edict had been approved by him and he arranged to have plenty of news coverage when he came out to bless the bookstore.

Anyhow, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf picked up the story from Stella Borealis and posted it on his highly popular blog, "What Does the Prayer Really Say?" It has attracted much commenting about seminary life including the following by Fr. Bill Baer of the SJV College Seminary (the largest Catholic college seminary in the U.S.):

Comments by Father Z in RED

[EVERYONE: Be sure to read this….]

As Rector of Saint John Vianney College Seminary, I have been reading these comments on seminary formation with great interest.

There are many admirable qualities in today’s college seminarians: a nearly universal fidelity to the Church in every respect (and this is largely a credit to their families and pastors, as they do not arrive at the seminary needing to be convinced about this, but already convinced); a sincere desire to grow in holiness, in truth, and in the life of prayer as taught by the Church and her saints; a fervor to bring others to Christ through evangelization and apologetics and, especially, through the graces of the Church’s Sacraments. I am very proud of these remarkable young men; we who hope for a continued renewal of Christ’s Priesthood have a sound basis for such hope.

There are two principal challenges in the early stages of forming such men today, both of which concern the influences of contemporary youth culture in the U.S.

First, today’s young seminarians have grown up in a world without coherence, [Amen.] a world without edges and corners and connecting tendons, an unstable world. They have lived with a daily routine that is fast-paced and ever-shifting, with enormous amounts of information thrown at them, and no one taking the time to explain how it all fits together. Thus the need for a sound program of Philosophy to form their bright-but-unformed minds. Thus the need for a daily Holy Hour, not only to offer adoration to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, but to retire from the freneticism of typical college life for a few moments of silence, of prayer, of consecration to God. And the “daily” aspect of this is no small matter. Today’s seminarians arrive with the best of intentions regarding prayer, but most of them have not, in fact, been praying in any sort of consistent way. No surprise: if they don’t eat their meals at the same time for two days in a row, why should we think that they pray at the same time for two days in a row? [!] Many of us who argue back and forth about how much structure is appropriate in today’s seminaries are woefully out of touch with the underlying principle of disorder that permeates American youth culture. And it’s getting worse. (I chuckle as I hear our 21-year old Seniors comment about the newly arriving Freshmen: “Whoa, Father, these new guys are gonna need a lot more formation than we did when we first got here!”) Could too much structure lead to unhealthy results that reflect problems of an earlier era? Certainly. But I’m not seeing such disorders among most of the actual seminarians who are coming through formation today, and I honestly don’t think that this rigid Scylla is what most threatens them today; it’s the swirling Charybdis of a disordered youth culture that threatens to swallow them. [Well said and good image.]

If the first challenge involves a lack of shape, the second challenge concerns a lack of tempo. Simply put, today’s young people have never experienced anything that takes a long time. [A characteristic of our age is the decreasing attention span.] They expect to figure out whether to become a priest within a few weeks of joining the seminary. And why not? Google provides them with information in a matter of seconds; why can’t the Lord keep up with that pace? As countless saints have noted, the important things in life take a long time for most of us: conversion, the breaking of habits, the interior life of prayer. In the call to holiness, “real change is slow change.” The same is true with the cultivation and discernment of a vocation, and today’s seminaries have the task of slowing our seminarians down, of setting their expectations at a realistic level regarding the normal life of divine grace at work in their souls. This is not easy, and today’s seminarians are probably more easily frustrated than those in times past with regard to their own stubborn sins and their seemingly slow spiritual progress.

When I first arrived at Saint John Vianney as Rector ten years ago, I noticed that some very fine candidates were dropping out within a year of joining, not because they had “met a girl” or had become disillusioned with a possible priestly calling, but because they had “met” their true spiritual condition in prayer and spiritual direction and were disillusioned with their struggle for holiness. These men lacked a spiritual and a moral maturity that was substantial enough for them to do the heavy lifting of vocational discernment. I told them, “Slow down! God is so very patient with you. Take the time to know Him, to love Him, to obey Him, and then you will be able to ask Him, ‘How shall I follow You, Lord?’”

Again, I wish to honor our seminarians for their remarkable, even heroic, dedication to Christ and the Church. Most of us have never had to face the challenges in living the Catholic Faith that they have endured by the ripe old age of 18 or 20. [A good point.] Let’s keep praying for them, and let us offer them the best possible formation, through the intercession of Holy Mary, Mother of Priests and Seminarians, and Saint John Mary Vianney, Universal Patron of Priests.

Comment by Fr. William Baer — 4 July 2009 @ 10:46 am

Archbishop Robert Carlson learned from sex abuse mistakes of the past

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St. Louis Post Dispatch: When the Rev. Robert Carlson was ordained a bishop in the Roman Catholic church in 1984, he used the moment to recommit his ministry to young people.

"I hope to grow old with you," he said to the youths at the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese. "My commitment to all of you is to keep you … with Christ."

But his spiritual pact with the young carried heavier burdens than his flock could imagine.

During the previous four years, Carlson had investigated clergy misconduct for the church. He was among the first wave of bishops to confront sexual abuse of minors by priests two decades before the scandal would gain notoriety in 2002.

One of Carlson's earliest cases focused on the Rev. Thomas Adamson, who would emerge as one of the country's most notorious pedophile priests. As instructed, Carlson reported Adamson's abuses to his supervisor, the archbishop, who chose not to suspend Adamson.

In fact, the church allowed the admitted pedophile to be reassigned to other churches, where he would find more victims. While Carlson disagreed with those moves, he acknowledges that he could have done more to stop Adamson and that he didn't report the priest's crimes to authorities.

"I didn't do that, and that was a mistake," Carlson told the Post-Dispatch.

The Adamson case was one of two early examples of the church's struggles to deal with priests who sexually abused minors, said Jason Berry, author of "Lead Us Not into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children." The other case was of former priest Gilbert Gauthe, who pleaded guilty in 1985 of abusing 11 boys in Louisiana.

"Both men were genuine pedophiles who had abused many young victims," Berry said. "And they were both repeatedly transferred by bishops who clearly did not have the concern for children and families at the forefront of the decisions they made."

Carlson, who recently became archbishop of St. Louis, says the mistakes he made in the 1980s have shaped the way he has dealt with clergy sexual abuse in the two dioceses he has led since 1995. The archbishop said those lessons will guide him in St. Louis.

The Rev. Kevin McDonough, a priest in the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, has coordinated the archdiocese's response to clergy misconduct since 1990. He said Carlson "went to school on the failings" with Adamson.

"When (Carlson) learned the lessons that that terrible situation taught, he became a ferocious advocate for the church cleaning house," McDonough said. "And he's remained that way."

THE ACCUSATION

The Post-Dispatch reviewed several hundred internal church documents and transcripts of testimony showing Carlson's involvement in the Adamson case.

In December 1980, Carlson was told about a rumor: Adamson had taken two eighth-grade boys to the YMCA, where he grabbed one of the boy's genitals in the whirlpool.

Carlson confronted Adamson, and the priest admitted to the abuse. He said it was an isolated incident. Carlson told him to resign or face suspension.

Instead, Adamson appealed to Archbishop John Roach, leader of the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese, for support. Roach decided to allow Adamson to remain at Immaculate Conception parish in Columbia Heights, Minn. But there were conditions, including that he "cease all youth involvement." Any violation would mean the end of Adamson's career as a parish priest.

Meanwhile, the parents of one boy told Carlson they would go to police unless Roach transferred Adamson from Immaculate Conception. Carlson then advised Roach to send Adamson to a two-week inpatient treatment program, and Roach agreed. The archdiocese's personnel director argued for placing Adamson in another parish when the treatment was completed. Carlson disagreed.

"I didn't trust Thomas Adamson," Carlson said later in a 1987 deposition. "I felt that we would come to regret that decision."

Within days, Roach made Adamson an associate pastor at Risen Savior in Apple Valley, Minn., and he took Carlson off the Adamson case. Roach thought Carlson was too angry with Adamson to be objective.

Carlson acknowledges his anger toward Adamson. The assaults were a violation of "a sacred trust," Carlson said.

"I just had a gut feeling that there would be more trouble down the line," he said in the 1987 deposition.

MORE ACCUSATIONS

By June 1981, Adamson was playing golf with teenagers, already the fourth violation of his agreement with Roach. Several accusations against Adamson at Risen Savior would be made over the next three years. Still, Roach wrote a memo to the archdiocese's personnel director June 22, 1984, saying they "ought to think seriously" about giving Adamson his own parish again.

"He apparently has had an excellent record for the past few years and God knows, he is a superb parish priest," Roach wrote.

A week later, Carlson received a phone call detailing yet another accusation involving Adamson at two archdiocesan parishes from 1978 to 1982.

Carlson was furious. He realized that Adamson had lied to him when he said the assault at the whirlpool was an isolated incident. Roach put Carlson back on the case.

"Handle it," the archbishop told him.

Carlson again confronted Adamson, who again admitted the abuse. The priest also "agreed that it probably would be first-degree criminal sexual contact," according to a memo Carlson wrote to Roach.

But Carlson didn't go to police. Instead, in the same memo, Carlson recommended that "given the seriousness of our exposure that the Archdiocese posture itself in such a way that any publicity will be minimized."

By August 1984, the archdiocese finally acknowledged the reality that Adamson's crimes were going to be made public. And indeed, in December, one family filed the first lawsuit against Adamson and the archdiocese, shining an early light on both the issue of clergy sexual abuse and how the church in St. Paul and Minneapolis had mismanaged the problem.

Adamson was eventually sent to a facility for problem priests run by the Servants of the Paraclete near St. Louis, and then returned to Winona, where the Vatican eventually defrocked him.

By one estimate, Adamson abused at least 35 minors over 24 years. In a deposition, the priest admitted to abusing children in 10 of the 13 parishes in which he was placed by his bishops.

Now 75, the former priest lives near Eau Claire, Wis., where he last worked in a nursing home. He could not be reached for comment.

IN HINDSIGHT …

Carlson told the Post-Dispatch last month that he believed the parents of at least one of Adamson's alleged victims had already gone to the police, so he didn't think the church needed to.

"Hindsight being 20-20, perhaps I should have," he said.

Going to the police on his own, without the knowledge or permission of the archbishop, surely would have derailed a promising future in the church, said Mary Segers, co-editor of "The Political, Social and Economic Consequences of Catholic Clerical Sex Abuse."

"I think this would have ended his career as a churchman," said Segers, a professor at Rutgers University-Newark. "He would have remained an auxiliary bishop the rest of his life and not risen higher in the church hierarchy."

But the church was not alone decades ago in its failure to report abuse of minors, said Nicholas Cafardi, author of "Before Dallas: The U.S. Bishops' Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse of Children." Almost no one was going to the authorities about child abuse, Cafardi said.

"Any auxiliary bishop who favored going to the authorities in the early '80s was out of step — not only with the clerical culture, but also with the predominant culture of the times," he said.

Jeffrey Anderson, a lawyer in St. Paul who has represented dozens of victims of clergy sexual abuse in Minnesota, has deposed Carlson several times and takes a less sympathetic view. Anderson says Carlson was an integral part of the system of deception that existed then.

Carlson "was active in the concealment and the deception, and the deceit of the police, the public and the parishioners," Anderson said.

Carlson, however, describes himself in much narrower terms. He has said repeatedly, in depositions and interviews with the Post-Dispatch, that Roach's instructions to him were clear, well-defined and limited in scope.

"My job was to investigate and report back to the archbishop what I found out, and that's exactly what I did," Carlson told the Post-Dispatch.

Carlson recalled the beginning of the Adamson investigation and how he was in disbelief that a priest could sexually abuse a child. He said he questioned himself as he took on the case.

"I remember running one day and thinking to myself, … 'Am I handling it the way it should be handled?'"

NEW POLICIES

When the abuse crisis broke nationally in 2002 and became a public spectacle, Carlson acted on lessons he had learned from his time in Minnesota. As bishop of the diocese in South Dakota, he called the state's attorney general and offered to open up the church's files.

Carlson has required local, state and national background checks for priests who come into his dioceses from the outside as well as other diocesan workers. He also has installed "compliance officers" on his staffs — an idea he got from being on the board of a bank — to ensure such checks were managed correctly.

In St. Louis, Carlson said he will review the systems already in place for training, background checks and "norms of conduct." When he arrived in Saginaw, Mich., in 2005 to serve as bishop there, Carlson said, he went through the file of every priest.

"You gotta know who you've got," he explained.

Will he do the same in St. Louis?

"It'll take a little longer," he said. "But yes. Absolutely."

Archbishop Carlson Saved Loome Theological Booksellers in Stillwater (long ago)

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Ex Libris Theologicis: St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson once saved Loome Theological Booksellers [the world's largest used book store dealing in books on religious subjects and theology] from the "out with the old, in with the new" spirit of Vatican II hardliners in the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis.

Before he was Archbishop of St. Louis, before he was Bishop of Saginaw, before he was Bishop of Sioux Falls, and before he was the Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul/Minneapolis, he was the Chancellor for the Archdiocese. Before Loome Theological Booksellers was the largest theological bookstore in the world, it was not. The following story was recounted to me by Dr. Loome just last week (some embellishments of suspense and style were added by me – but most of the story is true).

In those dark days Dr. Loome received a tip from a certain Dr. Briel at the University of St. Thomas that an edict had gone out from the chancery that seminarians were not to patronize Loome Theological Booksellers. St. John Vianney seminary was told that Loome Theological Booksellers was "out of bounds" because it sold "retrograde, conservative" books. It was then that they started coming at night, the seminarians that is. After hours the Loome family (who lived in the bookstore at the time or rather the bookstore was part of their house) would hear furtive knocks on their door and open the door a crack to let in the disobedient seminarians. The seminarians seemed to know that the books in Loome Theological Booksellers were necessary for their education.

Although the furtive visits were exciting for Dr. Loome and his wife Karen they decided that the damage to the store's reputation by this edict needed to be addressed. Dr. Loome soon made the call to the chancery and who happened to answer the phone, but our hero, Chancellor Carlson himself! Dr. Loome asked him why the edict had been issued against his bookstore. Chancellor Carlson paused . . . and said as delicately as he could, "no such edict has been issued". As Dr. Loome struggled to understand his meaning, Carlson further explained that no such edict had been issued by him and therefore no such edict had effect. Later, Dr. Loome learned that the Assistant Chancellor had been the one to issue the edict.

Chancellor Carlson, recognizing the great good of Loome Theological Booksellers, came up with a plan to save the bookstore's reputation. He asked Dr. Loome, "Has your business been blessed yet?" Dr. Loome began to smile and said, "No it has not". Chancellor Carlson then made plans to bless Loome Theological Booksellers and invited the local diocesan newspaper to the event. In no time at all the reputation of Loome Theological Booksellers was rightly corrected and seminarians soon could come in plain clothes during the day. That's how Carlson saved Loome Theological Booksellers and thwarted the schemes of the "out with the old, in with the new" spirit of Vatican II hardliners.