Apologies

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I apologize for the comment postings of the immature anonymous poster who is obsessed about an issue he isn't man enough to handle himself.

Unfortunately I know of no way to ban anonymous posters other than to ban everybody.

If he had guts enough to list his real name, maybe somebody would come to his assistance.

Please bear with it and maybe he will grow up soon.

Archbp. Nienstedt writes to the Pres. of Notre Dame

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Fr. John Zuhlsdorf:

His Excellency Most Rev. John Nienstedt, Archbishop of St. Paul & Minneapolis, has issued a letter with comments about the invitation by the University of Notre Dame to Pres. Obama.

The following is the complete text of Archbishop Nienstedt’s letter to the President of Notre Dame, Fr. John Jenkins.

My emphases and comments:

March 26, 2009

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President, University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Dear Father Jenkins:

I have just learned that you, as President of the University of Notre Dame, have invited President Barack Obama to be the graduation commencement speaker at the University’s exercises on May 17, 2009. I was also informed that you will confer on the president an honorary doctor of laws degree, one of the highest honors bestowed by your institution.

I write to protest this egregious decision on your part. President Obama has been a pro-abortion legislator. He has indicated, especially since he took office, his deliberate disregard of the unborn by lifting the ban on embryonic stem cell research, by promoting the FOCA agenda and by his open support for gay rights throughout this country. [In this paragraph he stressed Pres. Obama’s pro-abortion position.]

It is a travesty that the University of Notre Dame, considered by many to be a Catholic University, should give its public support to such an anti-Catholic politician. [In this terse paragraph, he underscores that Pres. Obama is not just pro-abortion, he is anti-Catholic.]

I hope that you are able to reconsider this decision. If not, please do not expect me to support your University in the future. [!]

Sincerely yours,

The Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Two things impress me positively about this letter.

Very often when people proclaim their objections, their words ring like those of Captain Renault in Casablanca: they are empty. "I’m shocked that you would invite Pres. Obama! Shocked!". Big deal, right?

On the contrary, Archbishop Nienstedt says that he will do something if the decision isn’t reconsidered. He will not give them any support.

It is hard to say precisely what that future "support", or lack thereof, might involve, of course. But when a Catholic university as well-known as Notre Dame wins the public scorn of an American Archbishop,... that can’t be good for the school. Archbishops tend to talk to a lot of people, including well-healed alumi. They wind up on committees of the bishops’ conference. They are sometimes appointed as members of Vatican Congregations. They have platforms. They are asked for their opinions.

What really strikes me about Archbp. Nienstedt’s letter is that, as I mention, he describes Pres. Obama as being not just pro-abortion but also anti-Catholic. Father John Zuhlsdorf

COMMENTS (38)

Pope Benedict on Academic Freedom and Theologians

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. . . Here’s another quote from Brennan Purcell’s Benedict of Bavaria. This one is about Ratzinger’s mentor, who had fled the aftermath of the Nazis:

“One of these dispossessed was Gottlieb Söhngen, a professor of fundamental theology, who provided a formative influence on the young scholar. Ratzinger described Söhngen as a ‘radical and critical questioner.’ For him no subject was untouchable, nothing taboo, and at the same time he was a man deeply committed to his Catholic faith.

“His questioning was a sign not of professorial arrogance or irreverence, but of the boldness of his belief. According to him, no Catholic should fear any question, and no thought calls for violent suppression.

“The theologian should speak first and foremost not for himself but for the faith of the Church, something that he receives and does not think up himself. And through all the horrors of the Nazi era, Söhngen managed to maintain his easy, humane sense of humor.

“Ratzinger became a theologian of the same strain. Söhngen took the young scholar under his wing, so to speak, even treating him to performances of opera in Munich.

“Throughout all of Ratzinger’s writings, we find the same courage to ask the hard question — Why should anyone believe in any of this? — and an even greater confidence in the answers, which allows him to take on any intellectual challenge to the faith.

“On April 3, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI exhorted all theologians, professional and amateur, to keep on asking questions. ‘Only if we ask questions, and are radical with our questions, radical as theology has to be, going beyond specializations, only then can we find answers to these fundamental questions that affect all of us. Before everything else, we have to ask questions.’”

In his address at The Catholic University of America last year, Pope Benedict XVI said:

“In regard to faculty members at Catholic colleges and universities, I wish to reaffirm the great value of academic freedom. In virtue of this freedom you are called to search for the truth wherever careful analysis of the evidence leads you.”

He added:

“Yet it is also the case that any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university’s identity and mission; a mission at the heart of the Church’s mundi docendi and not somehow autonomous or independent of it.”

How are those two statements consistent? Pope Benedict XVI’s great model of academic freedom in college shows how; and Benedict himself provides a great model now.

True academic freedom at a Catholic university isn’t the freedom for theologians to teach that the Church is wrong. It’s the freedom for students to ask radical questions, relentlessly, in a context where wise scholars know that the Church has the answer.

Does that sound like a contradiction? It wasn’t for Thomas Aquinas. It wasn’t for Cardinal Avery Dulles. Rather, it’s a description of what theologians do: dig deep into the deposit of faith, not to hollow it out and reshape it in their own image, but to be enriched by it.

Does it sound impossible to have to staff a school with Thomas Aquinas or a Gottlieb Söhngen types? That’s why we have the mandatum, oaths of fidelity and other safeguards.

Indeed, that’s why the U.S. bishops’ 2004 document “Catholics in Political Life” said: “Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors, or platforms that would suggest support for their actions.”

The Church’s safeguards don’t constrict academic freedom: They free Catholics from the radical dissenters and allow them to be radical questioners who look to the Church for answers. National Catholic Register

Winona Bishop Loras Watters mourned, remembered as humble servant

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Loras Watters, 93, the fifth bishop of Winona, died peacefully in the predawn hours Monday.

“He was a wonderful, simple bishop who went about doing his work quietly every day, unassumingly, and for this, the Lord will reward him well,” Winona Bishop Bernard Harrington said Monday afternoon. “After so many years as a great bishop and now gone home to his eternal rest ... I’m sure he is delighted.”

Bishop Watters, left, waits for the dedication mass to begin at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona on June 5, 2007. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News)

A life that ended peacefully didn’t have such a serene start.

“He would tell us that when he was born, he and his mother had to stay in the hospital because they were very sick.” Harrington said, “That was 93 years ago, and until a month ago, he had never been back in the hospital since.”

Mother and baby were so sick, in fact, that Watters was christened “Loras” by a nun who attended the birth � a Sister Loras � much to his mother’s chagrin. Fortunately for young Watters, Loras was a popular name among Catholics in the Dubuque area � thanks to the popularity of Mathias Loras, first bishop of Dubuque, according to William Crozier in his 1989 history of the Diocese of Winona.

Watters attended Loras Academy, a boys prep school, and Loras College in Dubuque.

Answering a call to the priesthood, he was ordained in 1941. Coincidently, Crozier relates, as a prep school student, Watters had to deal with the school registrar, the Rev. Edward Fitzgerald who “terrified him,” and who would go on to be his predecessor as bishop of Winona.

Then, as a priest while serving as the spiritual director at the North American College in Rome, he advised a young seminarian, John Vlazny, who would, in 1987, succeed him as bishop in Winona.

He was ordained auxiliary bishop of Dubuque in 1965, and four years later, in 1969, named by Pope Paul VI to lead the Winona diocese.

Crookston bishop and Winona native Michael Hoeppner remembered serving Mass for the bishop and, as a high school student, listening to him preach.

“He was a student of the classics, and you listened to those sentences he’d put together � clause after clause and the verb at the end � it could be challenging,” Hoeppner said. “He was our bishop after Vatican II. He helped us get with what the council taught and, as an educator, he relished that role.”

Watters spelled out his goal for the diocese in his installation homily, Hoeppner said, quoting him as wanting to “gather and mold the entire diocesan family so that everyone, conscious of his own duties and responsibilities, may live and work in a community of love.”

“Vatican II defined the Church as the people of God � and he got that,” Hoeppner said, and his accomplishments as bishop reflected that understanding and emphasis.

Perhaps most visibly, he led the church through the introduction of the new order of the Mass � orienting the people to a new ritual in English rather than Latin.

He instituted the Diocesan Pastoral Council, for the first time bringing the laity into the leadership of the Church. The RENEW program, began in 1984, further encouraged the participation of lay people in the life of their local parish. This expansion of the role of lay people would prove its value as the number of priests continued to decline after Watters’ retirement, Hoeppner said.

“But he was a man of prayer first and foremost,” Hoeppner said. “He was a kind churchman who loved God’s people and loved being a priest.”

That love and kindness was recognized by those he worked with from day-to-day.

“He was a sweet guy. He truly was,” said Ivan Kubista, communications director for the diocese from 1983 to 2005.

“He was the last person in the world who wanted power or authority,” Kubista reflected, but accepted his role as what God intended.

The sexual abuse scandals, particularly the case of Thomas Adamson in the Winona diocese, wounded him deeply.

“It was so foreign to him,” Kubista said, “It really destroyed Watters to think that could happen.”

Even so, he was unfailingly kind and gracious even to those who were abusive and confrontational.

“The most outrageous crank could confront him and through it all he wouldn’t lose his temper, he was always respectful,” Kubista said. “He was one of the dearest people I’ve known in my whole life.”

The Rev. Paul Nelson remembered the years he served Watters as rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

“One of the kindest men I’ve worked with in my 48 years as a priest,” he said.

Initially, he said, he was unsure just how it would work, taking day-to-day charge of what is the bishop’s church, but Watters quickly made the relationship clear.

“I want you to run this place. If you want help, come to me,” Nelson said. “He was very pastoral ... there was no pretense in him.”

Don Justin, a friend for more than three decades, agreed.

“The first time I met him it was All Saints Day. He was shoveling the sidewalk at the Pastoral Center. The bishop of Winona was shoveling snow. I was impressed with that.”

As bishop, he lived very simply � in a three-room apartment in the Pastoral Center, eventually retiring to a small apartment at Callista Court.

“At the end, all he had was his ring and his watch,” Justin said.

Sunday night, Justin came to see his old friend.

“I offered to say the rosary with him,” Justin remembered. As the prayer began, Watters blessed himself with the sign of the cross, then drifted into a peaceful sleep.

“He wanted to go home,” Justin said, “and if the gates of Heaven weren’t wide open when he got there, we’re all in trouble.”
Winona Daily News

StarTribune story

Red Wing parish is hit via Internet heist; $94,000 taken

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Computer hackers are apparently to blame for the theft of $94,000 from a Red Wing church.

The Church of St. Joseph reported to Red Wing police on March 20 that a large sum of money was taken from the church's bank account without consent.

The Rev. Thomas Kommers says in a letter to the congregation that what's even more shocking than the amount is that they were attacked over the Internet.

He says the thieves used a complicated Internet virus to gain private information that was used to execute electronic money transfers. The money was then split into smaller amounts and sent to other banks in the United States.

The church doubts that any personal information of individual church members was abused. StarTribune

Bishop Frederick Cambell of Columbus, OH, had amputation surgery today.

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From Father Z's Blog: In your kindness please pray for Bishop Fred Cambell of Columbus, OH, who is having amputation surgery today. Bishop Campbell is a former Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. [He became Bishop of Columbus in 2004. He had been the auxiliary here since 1999.]

Bishop Campbell will have his left leg amputated below the knee today, Monday, because of skin cancer, according to a letter released by the Catholic Diocese yesterday.

Doctors have diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma in Campbell, 65. He also has osteomyelitis, an infection, in multiple bones in his foot, and an open wound that will not heal.

In charity, pray for him.


From the Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Bishop Frederick Campbell will have his left leg amputated below the knee Monday because of skin cancer, according to a letter released by the Catholic Diocese yesterday.

Doctors have diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma in Campbell, 65. He also has osteomyelitis, an infection, in multiple bones in his foot, and an open wound that will not heal.

Campbell told clergy of his upcoming surgery in a letter mailed Thursday.

The bishop said in his letter that he expects to resume administrative duties soon after surgery and return to all his duties, including traveling the diocese, in about six weeks. He will be fitted with a prosthetic and is expected to walk again.

"He expects a full recovery and will not be stepping down as bishop," said Deacon Tom Berg Jr., vice chancellor of the diocese.

There's no indication the cancer has spread to other parts of the bishop's body, Berg said.

The bishop was told that his condition has a nearly 100 percent cure rate as long as the cancer and infection are removed.

He has been dealing with foot problems for about a year and a half. Campbell has served as bishop of the 23-county diocese since January 2005.

The bishop has been wearing an orthopedic shoe and using a cane or a wheelchair. Lately, his illness has kept him from traveling the diocese or presiding over confirmations at the parishes.

He has continued to carry out his administrative duties, such as meeting with clergy and officials.

Osteomyelitis affects about one out of every 5,000 people. Several factors can cause the disease, including a bone fracture that pierces the skin, an infection elsewhere in the body or a chronic open wound.

The bishop wrote in the letter that he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in mid-February. It is a common type of skin cancer, but the bishop said it is extremely rare on the foot.

More than 250,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, and it is most often caused by prolonged sun exposure. The disease affects men more than women and typically strikes people older than 50.

"We have a great deal of affection for the bishop," said the Rev. Larry Rice of the St. Thomas More Newman Center at Ohio State University. "We will certainly keep Bishop Campbell in our prayers and hope for a swift recovery."

Father Benedict Groeschel has had a stroke. Pray for him

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Father Benedict Groeschel C.F.R., founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York, frequent host of programs on EWTN Catholic television, announced tonight on his regular live program, Sunday Night Live, that he has suffered a stroke quite recently. He is hosting the program but his speech is somewhat impaired. No further details were given.

Several years ago, Father Benedict was hit by a car and was severely injured. But he has achieved a remarkable recovery.

Please pray for him. He is one of the great Catholic inspirations alive today.

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

Father Groeschel - Wikipedia

As floodwaters rise in Fargo, Bishop Aquila prays for hope and strength

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Seminarians, college students and volunteers sandbagged
Cardinal Muench Seminary against the rising waters of the Red River.

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As the waters of the Red River rise to record levels, Bishop of Fargo Samuel Aquila has emphasized the irreplaceable nature of human life and has praised the “wonderful” work of those combating the flood. He has also prayed for hope and strength for the disaster’s victims.

The Red River approached a depth of 41 feet on Friday, exceeding the Fargo record of 40.1 feet. It is expected to crest by Saturday at a depth of 42 feet.

Tanya Watterud, Director of Communications for Diocese of Fargo, told CNA that a reported three million sandbags have been filled in Fargo.

Sections of Fargo and its immediate neighbor Moorhead, Minnesota have been evacuated because of concerns about the dikes.

“However, Fargo remains pretty confident. Dikes are holding and contingency dikes are in place,” she said.

Elsewhere the situation appears more dire. Watterud said that Shanley High School, Sts. Anne & Joachim Church and the Diocesan Pastoral Center will take on water if the earthen levy to their south gives way. Yesterday, Shanley High School was used as a drop point for those rescued by helicopter.

A reported 180 people were evacuated from MeritCare Hospital overnight. The evacuation was ordered not because of flood water, but in preparation for medical care needed in the event the dikes do not hold.

Delta Airlines is also lending a hand to the flood victims by sending planes with volunteer crews to Fargo to help evacuating the elderly.

Watterud passed on Diocesan Chancellor Fr. Luke Meyer’s report that St. Benedict’s Church in Wild Rice, just south of Fargo, is ringed by a dike under pressure from the floodwaters.

Fargo’s junior seminary, Cardinal Muench Seminary, has been partially evacuated. Those few who remain, including rector Msgr. Gregory Schlesselmann, are ensuring that the flood pumps remain working at the seminary.

A travel ban has cleared the city’s streets so that trucks shipping sandbags and dirt for earthen dikes can rapidly travel through the city.

“The trucks travel with police escort - a police car with lights flashing and sirens sounding in front, then one, two or three trucks, followed by another sirened, flashing police car,” Waterrud told CNA.

Thousands have helped make sandbags and build dikes in recent days, though this work has slowed because of travel restrictions. More than 1,000 members of the National Guard are in the city to assist with patrolling the dikes.

“Every dike must be watched for cracks, seepage, and seepage must be pumped back over into the river,” Watterud said, explaining that sandbags are freezing because of the cold weather.

“They must be soft to make a good dike, so people are dropping them onto concrete or the hard ground to break up the frozen sand before placing them onto dikes,” she explained.

On Tuesday, Bishop Aquila toured areas where sandbagging was taking place. On Thursday he helped fill sandbags at the Fargodome stadium.

Speaking to radio interviewer Scott Hennen on AM 1100 on Thursday night, he reported that a man who had no legs was there helping tie the sandbags.

“It's a great witness. It's a great morale booster. It's wonderful to see how people are looking out for each other,” he said.

In his interview Bishop Aquila encouraged listeners to “focus on God and the presence of God in our lives,” noting that though material possessions can be replaced, “a human life, you can never replace.”

Those who have lost their homes to flood waters can take comfort in knowing “they still have their lives, they still have their families and those are the things that are most important to all of us.”

The bishop said he himself has taken some precautions such as moving possessions up from the lower levels of his home. He then reported he would evacuate if necessary.

He also called for prayer, saying, “One of the important things we must do is really pray for the virtue of hope and keep our eyes on the future. If it means rebuilding the city, other cities have done it.”

Telling listeners that God will give them strength to endure “if we keep our focus on him,” Bishop Aquila prayed that God would “bestow upon us all of the graces that we need at this time, to strengthen our faith our hope and our charity, that we may know that he is with us.”

Praying for protection for cities, counties, and flood-struck areas, he especially prayed that God would protect “all of our families,” most especially those who are homeless and elderly” and would “help our hearts to be attentive to them and to serving them.” Catholic News Agency

From Father Z, from the Missale Romanum:

Let us pray. O God, Who dealest justly with the wicked, and dost not will the death of sinners, humbly we entreat they Majesty! Protect with heavenly aid they trusting servants from perils of flood, and keep them constantly under thy heavenly protection. May they at all times serve thee, and never through any temptation be separated from thee. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. And may the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit descend upon these waters, and keep them under control. R. Amen.

Indulgences are making a return.

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The Revs. Andrew Cozzens, left, and John Paul Erickson — inside Cozzens’ confessional in the St. Paul Cathedral — are the point men for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in educating parishioners about the traditional indulgences being offered by 15 archdiocese churches.

Indulgences -- a rite in the Roman Catholic Church that harkens back to the Middle Ages and the Reformation -- are making a return.

One of the newest things in the Roman Catholic Church is one of the oldest. Middle Ages old, to be exact. Indulgences are back. Unused for decades, the rites that the faithful believe lessen punishment for sins are now being offered by 15 churches in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis that have been designated as pilgrimage sites. While it has taken time to educate parishioners, things are picking up now that Lent is in full swing.

"The first phase involved teaching," said the Rev. Jon Vander Ploeg of the Catholic Church of Saint Paul, a pilgrimage site in Ham Lake. "But now we're getting a very good response."

An exact count isn't available because people seeking indulgences aren't required to check in. They go to a pilgrimage site and to recite a set of private prayers.

But considering the volume of unfamiliar faces the Rev. Thomas Wilson is seeing at All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville, he says that indulgences are finding a widespread audience. "It's an important part of their spirituality."

That opinion is supported by postings on Internet blogs, where people write about finding "a sense of comfort, connection and renewed hope" and the security that comes from "reclaiming historical traditions in a time of uncertainty."

The Roman Catholic Church stopped granting indulgences as part of the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s. While many Catholics over age 50 consider their revival as a curious blast from the past, others welcome renewed focus on the ritual.

"We're seeing a resurgence in the interest of traditional piety, especially among the young," said the Rev. John Paul Erickson, director of the Archdiocese's Office of Worship.

At the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, student after student confirmed Erickson's view. In fact, junior Sarah Legatt not only knew about them, but she was also able to offer an explanation of the difference between an indulgence and a confession that was as succinct as anything offered by a priest.

"I think of it as a chalkboard," she said. "A confession is like erasing the board, which always leaves a little chalk dust behind. An indulgence is liking washing it with a wet rag."

Their support is not universal among the college crowd. Jamie Manson, a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School, where she got a master's degree in Catholic theology, wrote an essay for the National Catholic Reporter in which she criticized the church for "assuming power that belongs to God alone."

Many Catholics who are not rushing out to get indulgences argue that it has nothing to do with a lack of spirituality but a different perspective on the church's role.

"When I was growing up, the focus of the church was getting members into heaven," said Connie Alagada, 68, who serves on the parish council at the Community of St. Matthew in St. Paul and is a member of Call to Action, a national organization that bills itself as "Catholics working together to foster peace and justice."

"Now the focus of the church is much broader," she said. "The church, to quote the phrase I've heard while sitting in the pew, 'is meant to be the visible expression of God in the community.' That means that we help people by sponsoring social programs like Loaves and Fishes and hosting health fairs. We're not doing this to get into heaven; we're doing it to help people."

The point men

The task of explaining indulgences in the Twin Cities area has been assigned to Erickson and his assistant, the Rev. Andrew Cozzens, who offers this analogy:

"Say I steal something from someone. The consequence of that might be that the person I stole from is under distress, so he goes home and is mean to his family, and then they go out and are mean to other people. A web of bad emanates from the stealing.

"I go to confession and am forgiven by God for stealing. But what about all the other people that were hurt by my sin? How can I make up for that?"

One way is an indulgence, which the church describes as "a gift of self or goods." You can't track down all the people you might have hurt to pay them back, Cozzens said, but you can "in effect, 'pay it forward.' The same way bad rippled out from what you did, good can ripple out."

In the early church, indulgences were a way to shorten or cancel one's time in purgatory. But the system was subject to abuse, including con-men priests charging money to grant them. Indulgences were one of the major points of contention for Martin Luther during the Reformation in the 1500s.

As the Catholic Church moved toward a more contemporary approach in the '60s -- including the shelving of Latin mass and no-meat Fridays -- indulgences fell by the wayside.

Remembering St. Paul

Their return now comes as part of the pope's proclamation about the Jubilee Year of St. Paul (the saint, not the city). As part of the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of St. Paul's birth, Archbishop John Nienstedt designated the 15 pilgrimage sites in the Twin Cities.

Coming less than two years after Pope Benedict opened the door for the reintroduction of the Latin mass, many observers see the return of indulgences as another sign of the church's swing toward conservatism.

"Absolutely," said Sister Avis Allmaras, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul. "But we have a different theological outlook now. I don't think as many people believe that we can pray our way into heaven."

But where the revival of the traditional Latin mass met with protest, the voluntary nature of indulgences has mitigated most grumbling.

"Everybody is free to do what they want" in regard to indulgences, Allmaras said. "If it works for them, God bless them."
Star Tribune

Statement of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Galveston-Houston (former Bishop of Sioux City) on the Notre Dame Invitation

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"In light of what I wrote above, I want to venture a comment on the recently released statement of the University of Notre Dame; that statement noted that the President has accepted an invitation to give the Commencement Address this year as well as receive an Honorary Law degree. The news release then outlines the fact that a number of other Presidents have given the Commencement Address at Notre Dame and have highlighted, in effect, the university's importance. I find the invitation very disappointing. Though I can understand the desire by a university to have the prestige of a commencement address by the President of the United States, the fundamental moral issue of the inestimable worth of the human person from concepetion to natural death is a principle that soaks all our lives as Catholics, and all our efforts at formation, especially education at Catholic places of higher learning. The President has made clear by word and deed that he will promote abortion and will remove even those limited sanctions that control this act of violence against the human person. The Bishops of the United States published a document a few years ago asking all Catholic universities to avoid giving a platform or an award to those politicians or public figures who promote the taking of unborn human life. Even given the dignity of the Office of the President, this offer is still providing a platform and an award to a public figure who has been candid on his pro-abortion views. Particularly troubling is the Honorary Law Degree since it recognizes that the person is a "Teacher," in this case of the Law. I think that this decision requires charitable but vigorous critique." Whispers in the Loggia

Catholic Charities (among others) active in Red River Flooding Efforts

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As flooding conditions worsen in Fargo, ND, Catholic Charities USA's (CCUSA) Office of Disaster Response is already on the ground helping the local Catholic Charities agency prepare for possible record flooding. New forecasts predict that the Red River could rise to its highest level in history on Saturday.

On Monday, CCUSA began working side-by-side with Catholic Charities North Dakota (CCND) staff to help implement a disaster response for the Diocese of Fargo and Diocese of Bismarck. Once the threats associated with the flooding and winter storms pass CCND - with the help of CCUSA - will continue to respond through several means, including sending out assessment teams to identify unmet needs in communities across the area.

Currently, Catholic Charities North Dakota is finding volunteers to help with the sandbagging effort and working with other agencies to fill volunteer needs. In addition, Disaster management staff continue to monitor the situation and work with state and local response groups.

"Drawing from Catholic Charities USA's experience from Hurricane Katrina and last year's floods in the Midwest, we stand ready to respond to potential flooding and storm damage with speed, reliability, and a long-term commitment to help the impacted region recover," said Briston J Fernandes, executive director of Catholic Charities North Dakota.

DONATION INFORMATION

To help support Catholic Charities flood response efforts: Call (800) 919-9338; visit www.CatholicCharitiesUsa.org; or send checks to Catholic Charities USA, 2009 Midwest Floods, PO Box 17141, Baltimore, MD 21297-1141

Catholic Charities USA federal ID number is 53-0196620.

Catholic Charities USA's members - nearly 1,700 local agencies and institutions nationwide - provide help and create hope for nearly 8 million people of all faiths and social and economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, local Catholic Charities agencies have been providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from day care and counseling to food and housing. For more information, visit www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

For 85 years, Catholic Charities North Dakota has provided services to people regardless of religion throughout the state. In addition to helping those affected by disasters, the agency's programs include Pregnancy Parenting and Adoption Services, Adults Adopting Special Kids, Guardianship Services, and Counseling for individuals, couples, and families. To learn more about Catholic Charities North Dakota, visit www.catholiccharitiesnd.org or call (800) 450-4457.

Archbishop Nienstedt Calls for Parish School Plan for the Archdiocese. Some will certainly close or pair up.

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Archbishop's Letter: We live in an age of constant change. From the cell phones we use, to the style of clothing we wear or the model of television we watch, changes are all around us.

It has been said that “to live is to change, and change often.” As I grow older, I find even my body cannot often do what it once used to do; hence, change is inevitable.

The one area in my life where I do not expect change is in the tenets of faith. “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His teachings rooted in objective truths do not change, but my depth of appreciating and understanding those teachings can and does change; hopefully, I am constantly growing in faith.

The structures of parish life can and do change, i.e., demographics shift, pastoral needs are altered, resources, once abundant, diminish. As good stewards of the gifts we have been given from our forebearers, we must constantly be reading “the signs of the times” to determine our proper response to the changes taking place around us.

When I first arrived in the Diocese of New Ulm, the pastoral leaders there were beginning their third Plan for Parishes. Changes were happening rapidly in this rural area: The family farm was dying, co-ops were buying up large tracts of land for harvesting, the youth, in large numbers, were moving to larger cities and priestly vocations had diminished. There were too many churches for our sacramental needs and not enough priests to continue “business as usual.”

We had to act, and so a committee had been formed. The end result was a new model of parish structuring, called the “Area Faith Community.”

Here, three, four, even five small parishes came together in a collaborative relationship with one pastoral council, one worship committee, one social concerns committee, etc. The main principle at work was “to build on our strengths, not duplicate our efforts.”

The task was not easy: It required multiple drafts and as many town hall meetings with all the pastoral leaders involved. But, in the end, it worked because it was founded on general consensus and a sense of ownership on the part of the majority of its stakeholders.

For the past year and a half, I have visited over 90 of our 218 parishes in all areas of our archdiocese, as well as over half of our 103 Catholic schools.

I have sat through eight months of meetings of the Comprehensive Assignment Board, which concerns itself with recommending priests and deacons for parish assignments.

I have listened to presentations on shifting demographics, on the emergence of new diverse ethnic groups and the impact of these changes on financial viability in the different quadrants of our local church.

Responding to changes

What I see are changes happening before my eyes. I believe it is time to respond. But the response should be framed within the concept of being good stewards of the gifts we have been given from our forebearers. We must use the various gifts and resources that have been entrusted to our care to serve the needs of the people of our archdiocese.

On Feb. 26, 2009, I called the first meeting of a Strategic Task Force for Parish and School Planning in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Min­ne­apolis. I shared with the Task Force some basic principles to guide their work:

• • Full sacramental ministry must be available to every Catholic in each geographical area of the archdiocese. In other words, every Catholic will have a home parish and will know where to go for spiritual assistance.
• • Qualified pastoral leaders (i.e., clergy, religious and lay) will be assigned to each of those geographical areas.
• • Special concern must be given to the poor, the marginalized or the immigrant.
• • Every parish will be involved, to one degree or another, in the planning process. We will not permit discussions to fall along the lines of “the haves” and “the have nots.” Every parish will be expected to evaluate its spiritual, sacramental, communal, financial and faith formation resources. Adjustments will be made with other parishes in that particular deanery based on the evaluation.
• • Catholic schools cannot be left out of the plan. The situation with our schools is complex and diverse. But we want to continue our support for them to the best of our ability.
• • The discussions surrounding this planning should be characterized by mutual respect, patience, honesty and an ability to listen to all points of view. The main thrust of the planning is about collaboration and cooperation, not about closing, though the latter may happen in some cases.

A listing of the members of the Strategic Task Force and their backgrounds are mentioned HERE.

I have asked them to give me a set of recommendations in 12 to 18 months. They will hold monthly meetings and send me executive minutes after each gathering.

I assured them that I believe in the process and will remain engaged in that process. I thanked them for what will be an arduous task, yet one that will be extremely beneficial for this local church and, I hope, personally satisfying for each of them.

Please pray for the success of this undertaking. Your prayer will be an important contribution to the task force’s success.
Catholic Spirit

A deacon on fire with the Lord

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The Archdiocese of Baltimore has a new deacon -- and he probably has one of the more unusual resumes in the chancery:

Fire Chief James Clack aims to keep us out of blazes - in Baltimore and in the hereafter.

The city fire chief just became a deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, so he can save people in more ways than one. He'll be introduced during Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Highlandtown on Saturday.

What sounds like an odd resume combo is old hat to Clack, who was ordained as a deacon in St. Cloud, Minn., in 2003, when he was with the Minneapolis Fire Department. "They are different, but ... both are vocations where your main focus is helping others," Clack said.

Clack worked in a small parish in Zimmerman, Minn., until he left to take over Baltimore's department last April.

"When you move across the country, you don't automatically get to continue being a deacon," he said. "The bishop of the province has to agree and give you - it's called faculties."

Clack spent the past three or four months getting those faculties - submitting to a criminal background check and interviews with church officials.

The archdiocese seems happy to have him.

"We think it's great," said Sean Caine, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. "His profile as chief of the Baltimore Fire Department lends visibility to what is sometimes an underappreciated aspect of church life that our deacons serve with great faith and great devotion to the church."

A Mormon who converted to Catholicism, Clack already attends Mass at Sacred Heart. As a deacon, he will set the table for the Eucharist, read the Gospel and, about once a month, preach the homily. He will also do some sort of community ministry, possibly in a prison, nursing home or food pantry.

"The role of the deacon is to have one foot in the work world and one foot in the [church]," he said. "A lot of times I preach about the everyday world, family life." Deacon's Bench

He's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

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I hope some of you missed me. I had a week from purgatory, so to speak.

Last Friday the lights started flickering and before I knew it, I heard a loud "POP" and noticed rivulets of smoke wafting out the back of my computer. All was dead. I wondered if it was the power or just the power supply in my 16 month old computer. Saturday I ran down to my local computer shop on University Avenue next to Prospect Park and had a new power supply installed. I'm normally not afraid to mess around inside my computer, but there seemed to be a lot of different wire connections that could go wrong. It took less than an hour, including drive time. Only $75, a lot less than I expected, and I got to watch him do the job and could ask a few questions.

Back home, I booted 'er up and things seemed to be fine --- for 20 minutes and then I flipped on one of the lights as it was getting late in the day and it started flickering again. And, "POP", the power supply went again with more rivulets of smoke. Too late to go back to the shop. Then I noticed as I put more lights on, they started flickering again. It was the building power after all. I called the manager, fearful of a possible fire or who knows what and he immediately knew what I was talking about and said he would call an electrician and have him come out on Monday (no sense paying overtime, and, if he knew about the problem, why didn't he tell us?). I had another new power supply put in on Tuesday and got it back home, hooked it up, flipped the switch and NOTHING HAPPENED. Back to the shop to have them verify that it should work, it did on their power, and they gave me a new power cord saying the other one might have burned out on the second blow (how can an electrical cord burn out and not show signs of "melting"?).

Got it home, hooked it up, and it started off perfectly. I thought. Because when I went to access some of my favorite sites on the internet, I discovered that my broadband modem had fried also. Went to bed.

Got a new DSL modem last night from Qwest, carefully followed the instructions and everything seemed to be humming along until I got a message telling me to call Qwest. The warning message said they needed to fix one of their errors. Spent 30 minutes on the phone with them and they couldn't get it going, even thought they thought I had made no mistakes so they said I should call my local provider to have them "authenticate" the modem. That took about 90 minutes and didn't work. Went to bed.

Called Qwest again this morning and a different rep verified that I was hooked up properly and she called my local provider and explained in geek-talk what was needed to them and a guy came on the line and in about ten minutes hooked me up.

So. . . .

I have about 300 messages in my inbox. Please bear with as I try to get them handled this weekend.

Lesson learned: I have owned computers since 1989 and I've fought with modems and other installations many times. I'm pretty much self taught. Which means trial and error and error and error, etc. In the early years it might take me a day or two to get the installation done, at the spiritual cost of lots of violations of the Second Commandment and frequent use of an offensive vocabulary I'm embarrassed to admit that from much practice I know how to use creatively.

This time, no Second Commandment infractions or other crude expletives could have been heard by someone outside lmy window. Perhaps that is one benefit that I have received from writing Stella Borealis for these past three years.

St. Bernard's Grade School Closing

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[Links to the Catholic Spirit, the Pioneer Press and the Strib added by an interested blogger.]

Cathy here! Ray has been having some computer issues so I'm taking over this blog! Bwah-ha-ha!

St. Bernard's Catholic Church on St. Paul's North End will be closing it's grade school after this academic year. The high school will remain open. Thus, some of the classic Aggie-Bernard rivalry will continue!

I've heard the high school will be offering a Baccaulaureate program but the article online does not mention that. I recall the print edition story did.

St. Seton and Holy Trinity, both in St. Paul, have already announced closures.

I'm sad but what can we expect?

I attribute these closings to 4 factors:

1) contraception
2) people leaving the faith and/or not passing it on
3) Catholic migration out of the cities to the suburbs
4) family instability: divorce, seperation, remarriage, cohabitation

One of the nice things about owning a blog is that I can edit whatever I want. Cathy did a great job on this report, but you might want to check out the Catholic Spirit's article on the closing HERE, or that of the Strib or the Pioneer Press.

UofMN scientists to renew study of aging using SSND Nuns

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Welcoming the historic study of aging nuns back to the state, U scientists plan to renew research of Alzheimer's and dementia.

Dr. Karen SantaCruz, a University of Minnesota pathologist in charge of studying the brains left to science as part of the world-famous “Nun Study,” held one of the 600 preserved brains. With the project, the brains and 439 boxes worth of archive material back from Kentucky, the university is readying a new study of new nuns.

Last fall, scientists from the University of Minnesota returned from Kentucky with some 600 preserved brains and 439 boxes filled with memories. That's how the world-famous Nun Study of Alzheimer's disease came home to Minnesota, where it first began.

Dr. Kelvin Lim, the project's new lead scientist, knew it was a historic moment. But for him, nothing compared with meeting the nuns who are still alive. Now in their 90s or older, they've been part of this unique research project for more than 20 years. And even as their numbers have dwindled, he discovered, their commitment has not. As one sister recently told him: "This allows me an opportunity to teach even after I die."

Over the past two decades, the landmark study has led to a best-selling book, "Aging with Grace," and several important research findings: that those with well-developed language skills early in life were less likely to develop dementia later on, and that those with optimistic outlooks lived longer.

Today, the University of Minnesota is formally announcing the project's return from the University of Kentucky, where it wound up when the previous director took a new job, and a plan to breathe new life into the study with a sequel -- "Nun Study II'' -- to study a fresh wave of recruits.

In a sense, the study has come full circle since it began, in 1986, with volunteers from a religious order in Mankato, the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Since then, it has made headlines around the world with insights on how lifestyle and personality traits are linked to people's risk of dementia.

"It's always been their mission to teach," Lim said of the Sisters of Notre Dame. "They view this science, and their contribution to science, as another way to teach others about aging, about dementia, about life."

Originally, more than 600 elderly nuns from across the country volunteered to let a former University of Minnesota scientist, Dr. David Snowdon, study them for clues to how aging affects the brain. Today, only 52 of the original volunteers are still alive, including six retired nuns in Mankato ages 93 to 102.

They turned their lives into open books and took batteries of tests.

As a final gesture, all agreed to donate their brains to science.

They were considered an ideal study group because they had so much in common: diet, lifestyles, backgrounds. By studying which ones went on to develop dementia, Snowdon hoped to learn what risk factors may be at play.

By the time Snowdon announced his retirement last year, he had amassed an extraordinary archive on the women's lives -- including baptismal certificates, autobiographical essays, family photos and MRI scans.

To scientists, it was "a gold mine," says Lim.

Today, the brains are carefully stored at one end of the University of Minnesota Medical School; the boxes of documents in another, in a climate-controlled chamber of the medical library.

In all, roughly half of the nuns developed some form of dementia by the time they died, says Dr. Karen SantaCruz, a University of Minnesota pathologist who is in charge of studying their brains.

Intriguingly, she says, about a dozen had signs of Alzheimer's in their brain tissue but no sign of dementia while they were alive. "It would be great if we could find something from that subset that might help protect people," she said.

Now, her team is painstakingly scanning thousands of tissue samples onto computers, so they can be studied by scientists anywhere in the world.

Prof. Harry Orr, who is overseeing the study, says the next phase will be a higher-tech version of the first study, using genetic tests and high-tech imaging to study how the brain ages. Of course, that depends on the willingness of other nuns to volunteer.

That probably won't be a problem, says Sister Catherine Bertrand, provincial leader of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato. "My guess is there would be some folks who really would be interested," she said, adding that the nuns are "very proud" of the study.

"If we can contribute in some small way to the cure of something like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's ... we would certainly want to be a part of that," she said.

Lim, the scientific director, calls it a tremendous responsibility. "The sisters asked me, so what are you going to do next?" he recalled. "I said we're thinking really hard." And, he added, "please pray for us."

Information about the Nun Study can be found at www.healthstudies.umn.edu/nunstudy.
Star Tribune

Pro-Life Needs Around Minnesota

The Pregnancy Resource Center in Pine City, MN, is in need of the following gently-used baby items: high-chairs, cribs, swings, strollers, Johnny jump-ups, and baby clothes. Maternity clothes are also needed. New car seats or money to be used toward their purchase are greatly needed. FFI call the center at 320-629-2792

The Pregnancy LifeCare Center in Hibbing, MN, is in need of volunteers; as well as: size 3 and 5 diapers; ink cartridges #23, 45, 78 and 15; paper towels; toilet paper; stamps; Walmart gift cards; and copy paper. Monetary donations are greatly needed to help cover building rent, director's salary, light bill, phone service, office supplies, state and federal fees and mailings. Financial donations are also needed for baby equipment. FFI call the center at 218-262-5768 or visit them on the web

Scrutiny Passion Performances Lent 2009

Cathy of Alex here!

Epiphany Studio Productions is giving two local performances of The Scrutiny Passion. Ray and I saw this play when it debuted at St. Olaf Catholic Church a couple years ago. It's very good. Attending will help deepen your Lenten journey as well as support a great, solid, Catholic apostolate!

Friday, March 27th @ 7:00pm
St. Hubert Catholic Church
8201 Main Street, Chanhassen, Minn.
Performance follows a Knights of Columbus fish fry from 4 - 6:45pm
For more info, call: 952-934-9106 or www.sthubert.org

Palm Sunday, April 5th @ 3:00pm
Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church (school auditorium)
1900 Stanford, St. Paul, Minn. (parking in lot or on street)
For more info, call: 651-696-5401 or www.nativity-mn.org

There are promotional slides as well as an embedded YouTube promotional video of The Scrutiny Passion located here

If you are interested in helping to book a performance from Epiphany Studios you are invited to fill out an online form

Pope Criticized for anti-Condom position; Harvard professor says he is right.

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Look outside, quick! Is the world turned upside down? Harvard agreeing with the Pope?

In a Washington Post editorial reprinted March 20 on the Star Tribune's op-ed page, Pope Benedict XVI was criticized severely for being opposed to the distribution of condoms as the primary method or preventing Aids in Africa. The American Media all have greater faith than most believers that condoms are the answer. But Harvard disagrees.

• Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, in response to papal press comments en route to Africa this week noted that after 25 years, no visible positive results have been seen as a result of condom distribution
  
  
• “The pope is correct,” Green told National Review Online Wednesday, “or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope’s comments. He stresses that “condoms have been proven to not be effective at the ‘level of population.’”
  
  
• “There is,” Green adds, “a consistent association shown by our best studies, including the U.S.-funded ‘Demographic Health Surveys,’ between greater availability and use of condoms and higher (not lower) HIV-infection rates. This may be due in part to a phenomenon known as risk compensation, meaning that when one uses a risk-reduction ‘technology’ such as condoms, one often loses the benefit (reduction in risk) by ‘compensating’ or taking greater chances than one would take without the risk-reduction technology.”
  
  
• Green added: “I also noticed that the pope said ‘monogamy’ was the best single answer to African AIDS, rather than ‘abstinence.’ The best and latest empirical evidence indeed shows that reduction in multiple and concurrent sexual partners is the most important single behavior change associated with reduction in HIV-infection rates (the other major factor is male circumcision).”

New marriage MN constitutional amendment push coming

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Despite three failed attempts in recent years, Minnesota opponents of same-sex marriage are launching a new attempt to ban it by way of an amendment to the state Constitution.

The proposed amendment, which will be sponsored by several legislators, would give voters the opportunity to define marriage in Minnesota as between a man and a woman only.

The Minnesota Family Council, legislators and representatives of several religious groups introduced their plans at a news conference at the State Capitol this morning.

"This is not a political issue, or an issue of choice or rights. It is an issue of life," said Andre Dukes, pastor of Shiloh Temple in Minneapolis.

Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, said the amendment is a response to several bills that would make marriage gender-neutral, as well as an expected lawsuit by a gay couple who were refused the right to marry in Hennepin County.

"Not only is this an assault on the traditional definition of marriage, this is an assault on all religious beliefs in the state of Minnesota," Limmer said.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said the amendment evinces "unfamily values" and stands no chance of passing in either the House or the Senate. He said public opinion on the issue is changing so rapidly in Minnesota that a bill legalizing same-sex marriage could pass in three or four years.

Three times earlier this decade, same-sex marriage opponents tried and failed to push a similar proposed amendment through the Legislature. Those efforts died after reaching the legislative hearing stage.

Although prospects for passage in the DFL-dominated Legislature would appear dim, Family Council President Tom Prichard said this morning, "We still feel the issue needs to be raised this year."

And even though passing an amendment is an uphill battle, "and I'm pretty sure [DFL leaders] won't welcome this, we don't see this as a one-year deal," Prichard said.

State law has defined marriage as solely between a man and a woman since 1997, a year after the federal "Defense of Marriage Act," forbade the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages for the purpose of federal benefits such as Social Security. Opponents of same-sex marriage have called for a constitutional amendment because a law could be overturned in court. Star Tribune

Cleveland Diocese not alone in closing churches

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The people of the Diocese of Cleveland are not alone in going through the painful and difficult process of closing and merging churches.

Right now in Boston, there are people staging sit-ins, occupying closed churches in hopes the Archdiocese there will reverse its decisions of five years ago to close those churches.

While they take shifts in their peaceful protests, the Archdiocese has left the heat and lights on for them, and has decided not to try to force the protestors out.

However, having to maintain the five occupied church buildings and another nine churches whose closings are being appealed, is costing the Archdiocese of Boston almost a million dollars a year.

"I'm grateful we're not doing it the way we did it in Boston. The Archbishop there wanted it done very quickly," said Cleveland Bishop Richard Lennon, who presided over Boston's quick closings in 2004 before he was re-assigned to Cleveland.

"It was very rushed," Bishop Lennon admitted of the process in Boston. "The goal was the whole thing begin and end in one year. It was too quick."

Some Boston churches were closed with four months, with little input from parishioners.

By contrast the process of reconfiguration in Cleveland is nearing two years and has involved parishioners, priests, and representatives of the parishes and clusters.

Still, Cleveland's configuration calls for a reduction of 52 of 224 parishes, or 23 percent. By contrast Boston started with more churches -- 357, and closed more -- 65. But on a percentage basis it was 18 percent, somewhat less than Cleveland.

"He had to go through this process in a short time in Boston," Cleveland Diocese spokesman Bob Tayek says of Bishop Lennon's experience in Boston. "Here, there was a lot of discernment. It wasn't done in a vacuum and all of these folks were involved in trying to make that decision."

Cleveland is not alone in the sometimes wrenching consolidation process. The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey will close nearly half of its 122 churches. Syracuse, New York is in a 10-year process that will close more than 60 churches.

. . . .The Diocese of New Orleans plans to close at least 33 of its 132 current parishes.

"I don't know what the solution could be other than merge parishes or close certain parishes down," says Dr. John Grabowski, noted Cleveland historian of both Case Western Reserve University and the Western Reserve Historical Society.

"The suburban exodus emptied Cleveland," says Grabowski. "We're now looking at a city that borders on 400,000 people and it has a religious infrastructure that looks at a city twice that size."

Grabowski says a large number of churches in Cleveland were built for and by immigrants who came in great waves in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As later generations moved to the suburbs, the massive edifices quickly lost membership.

In Cleveland, Bishop Richard Lennon was asking for understanding of what he called a deep and serious discernment process.

"I sincerely hope that everyone going to Mass now will still be going once this reconfiguration process has been completed," the Bishop said at a Sunday news conference, "and that our evangelization and our outreach will bring even more people into the Church." WKYC

Will it happen here? Where

“People’s Priest” may become first U.S. male saint

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Father Solanus Casey, according to all who knew him, was a kind and gentle priest whose story is one of devotion to God and selfless service to others. The son of Irish immigrants, Casey was born in 1870 on a Wisconsin farm. Now, he appears poised on the cusp of becoming the first American-born male to attain sainthood in the Catholic Church.

His remarkable life is documented in a 60-minute film titled The Healing Prophet: Solanus Casey. Interestingly enough, he didn’t take the conventional route to priesthood. Rather, he pursued a number of secular occupations and interests before dedicating his life to others.

At age 21, he was one of the first streetcar operators in the Midwest. Another job found him working in a stone quarry. In his job at Stillwater State Prison in Minnesota, Casey crossed paths with none other than members of the Jesse James outlaw gang. As a young man, he fell in love and proposed, but never married.

Casey’s parents afforded him and his 15 siblings little material wealth, but they were faithful to bring them up in the church. Even as a teenager, Casey was sensitive to others, especially to his family and their needs. He quit school in eighth grade to work and help support the family.

Two of his siblings died during a diphtheria epidemic, and the young Casey turned to God for strength and guidance. Another tragedy – a fatal stabbing, which he witnessed – was a determining factor in his decision to pursue the priesthood.

Religious education was not an easy road, but he was eventually ordained a Simplex Priest, unable to hear confessions or preach sermons. Instead, he was assigned the duty of monastery porter, a title that implies what the job entailed -- that of doorkeeper. Some believe this humble position was central to his growing sensitivity to the needs of others because it brought him in frequent contact with people from all walks of life -- including the poor, the desperate, the hungry, the sick.

As porter of St. Bonaventure in Detroit in the 1920s, Fr. Solanus earned a reputation as the “People’s Priest.” During the Great Depression, his concerns for the poor led to the first soup kitchen established by the Detroit Capuchins. Eventually, many deemed his spiritual gifts to include the ability to heal the sick and to prophesy the future. Countless miracles are attributed to his prayers.

Fr. Solanus died in 1957 at age 86. Fr. Michael Crosby, Casey’s biographer, says the Vatican is looking for “people from the U.S. who can model what it means to be holy.” Fr. Solanus Casey seems to fit the bill, and there are countless faithful who are praying and working toward his canonization.

Sainthood or not, producers Audrey Geyer and Kevin Lindenmuth at Audrey Geyer Productions (audreygeyer@aol.com) have done a great service to chronicle this remarkable man’s life and ministry. The 60-minute film, available for home video purchase (www.afastore.net), features interviews with Fr. Michael Crosby and others who know Casey’s life well. It is a celebration of a life well-lived. OneNewsNow

Bycicle Irish?

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In memory of my Mom and my Irish ancestors, saints all, here is a part of a St. Patrick's day tribute by hisself, Tom Roeser, noted Chicago political expert and regular columnist in The Wanderer.

As everything in our country deals with Self, it is not surprising that on the feast of Saint Patrick there is much adulation of the Irish and very little mention of him whose life we are supposed to honor. The celebration of Patrick has been superseded by the Irish celebrating themselves. There is nothing more pagan than this charade here of dying the river green and having all the Irish Catholic Democratic pro-aborts…their Celtic faces puffed with pride…marching purportedly to honor a saint of a church they have no business belonging to since at any other era the whole bunch of them…the mayor, house speaker, senate president, governor, comptroller, attorney general… whole Chicago city council Irish population except the 41st ward’s Republican pro-life alderman Brian Doherty…should have been excommunicated for violation of the center-most stricture that has been in existence since the council of Elvira in A.D. 305.

I wholeheartedly include other faithless ethnic Catholic Democratic groups in this classification but the Irish Dem pols are particularly offensive in their trumpeting of ersatz cafeteria Catholicism: i.e. Catholicism that is all green with no responsibility. Top of the list is Andy Greeley, faithless to his theology to my mind, and for the last 15 years at Mass I pray for him after communion. I can only add that the fractured skull he received when he fell from a taxi while wearing an Obama cap has driven some sense of orthodoxy into his cranium.

Faux Catholicism by the Democratic Irish has been going on for many years. For one thing, their chauvinism drives me mad. Long before any Catholic espoused abortion…as a half-breed (half Irish, half German, named after my maternal grandfather, Thomas F. Cleary who started Joe Gill in the Democratic party…I remember my German father sitting silently while my mother’s Celtic cousins rattled off the kinds of Irish there are. They are, they said: lace curtain Irish, cut-glass Irish, shanty Irish, pig-in-the-parlor Irish.

To which he added: “bicycle Irish.”

Bicycle Irish they said: what kind are they?

To them he growled, “the kind that make your ass tired.”

I have always loved my father but I think I adored him after that. . . . (TomRoeser.com)
[What follows is a tribute to the Saint, himself, St. Patrick]

Archdiocese to close two metro elementary schools

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The Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis announced today that two Catholic grade schools, one in Minneapolis and one in Saint Paul, will close at the end of the current academic year.

The Minneapolis school is Saint Elizabeth Seton School in North Minneapolis. The St. Paul school is Trinity Catholic School on the East Side.

The decisions were made by the boards of trustees of the two schools and accepted by the Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt.

Dwindling enrollment and heavy financial losses prompted the closings, according to Catholic Schools Superintendent Marty Frauenheim. Shifting population and household income trends in the schools' communities were contributing factors.

"St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, with an enrollment of 100 students has served the families of the outer North Side of Minneapolis. Trinity Catholic School, with an enrollment of 103 students has served families on the East Side of Saint Paul since 1882." Frauenheim explained. "The closing of these two schools is sad for all of us. We are most grateful for all the young lives they have touched over the years."

The closings mean about 23 teachers, four administrators and principals and six ancillary school workers will be laid off at the end of the school year. Frauenheim said all of these employees will be given opportunities to apply for new openings in the Twin Cities wide Catholic school system.

After the closings, the Archdiocese will have a total of 101 schools including their elementary schools, middle schools and 14 high schools. Frauenheim pointed out that many of these schools are operating with enrollment levels at or near capacity. StarTribune

A Catholic school that has served families on St. Paul's East Side for more than 125 years will close at the end of the school year, the archdiocese announced Monday.

Enrollment declines and financial losses at Trinity Catholic School "overwhelmed any possible viability or sustainability for the future of the school," said Deacon Mick Humbert, canonical administrator at Trinity.

Also closing will be St. Elizabeth Seton School in North Minneapolis, which serves about 100 students in grades K-8, church officials said.

Trinity, at 835 E. Fifth St., is down to about 100 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, Humbert said — several dozen fewer than it had five years ago.

And the school this year is running its first sizable deficit, he said: about $80,000, or 8 percent of its budget.

Seventy-two students already had registered for next year, Humbert said, and that number likely would have grown. But the school's governing board was afraid that, even if it could keep the school open, it wouldn't be able to keep it going long term, Humbert said.

The board made the decision Friday, Humbert said, and Archbishop John Nien-stedt approved it over the weekend. Letters were mailed to families on Saturday, he said, and the staff was notified Monday morning.

Urban Catholic schools have been hit in recent years by a decline in the school-age population and the movement of wealthy Catholics to the suburbs, prompting the need for increased aid for lower income families in the city.

About two-thirds of Trinity students were receiving assistance to pay the $2,354 annual tuition, Humbert said.

In 2005, another East Side elementary, Blessed Sacrament, closed after 88 years, having watched its enrollment drop to less than a quarter of what it was in the 1970s. St. Columba's elementary school in the Midway area closed the year before that.

Two years ago, St. Agnes High School in the Frogtown neighborhood was on the brink of closure, but the school community rallied to raise money and sign up students, and the school was saved.

That's not likely to happen for Trinity in this troubled economy, said Dennis McGrath, spokesman for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

"The benefactors just aren't there that were there before," he said.

Humbert said the two situations are "comparing apples and oranges," starting with the fact that St. Agnes could draw on alumni attachment to a high school, whereas Trinity is an elementary and middle school.

The closings leave the archdiocese with 101 schools, most of which are in good shape, McGrath said. He said he couldn't say there aren't others in enrollment and financial trouble, but "these were the two most pressing ones."

Trinity Principal Sandy Krekeler declined to talk about the closing Monday and declined to make staff available, saying people were still processing the news.

Trinity was formed in 1992 when St. Casimir's and St. Patrick's schools joined Sacred Heart, a school that dates to 1882. Pioneer Press

Minneapolis City Officials Face Lawsuit Hearing Over Firing Pro-Life Psychologist

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(LifeNews.com) -- Minneapolis city officials are headed to court [today] to defend their actions in an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by a fired pro-life psychologist. Michael Campion filed suit after the city fired him after it learned that he was affiliated with a pro-life group.

Officials in the Minnesota city “suspended” Dr. Michael Campion, a psychologist who performed employment testing for Minneapolis. That occurred shortly after city officials learned of his affiliation with pro-life Illinois Family Institute, a Christian group.

After learning of his political views, city administrators hired an independent psychological testing company to evaluate Campion in July 2006. Although the results showed no evidence that his work was flawed or biased, the city disregarded the analysis and terminated its relationship with Campion.

His subsequent bid for the city’s psychological testing work was denied in favor of a less-experienced and more expensive contractor, even though the psychological testing company assessed him as performing beyond expectation and as being “clearly an expert in this line of work.”

The Alliance Defense Fund, a pro-life law firm, took his case and filed suit. The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota will hold a hearing on that on Friday afternoon.

“The government shouldn't penalize Christian contractors for their beliefs," ADF litigation counsel Jim Campbell told LifeNews.com today. “When the city of Minneapolis terminated their relationship with this doctor for no reason other than his affiliation with a pro-family group, it clearly violated his constitutional rights.”

ADF senior legal counsel Brian Raum also chimed in on the case. “Officials for the city of Minneapolis should base their contracting decisions on experience and qualifications, not on their disagreement with pro-family beliefs,” said Raum. “Terminating their relationship with Dr. Campion despite his tried and proven track record was completely unjustifiable.”

Related web sites:
Alliance Defense Fund - http://www.telladf.org

Winona's Bishop Harrington Requests May 7 Succession

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The official transition to a new bishop for the Diocese of Winona may happen May 7, the date on which outgoing Bishop Bernard Harrington has asked the Vatican to make the change.

	Welcoming a new bishop What's new: Outgoing Diocese of Winona Bishop Bernard Harrington has requested a May 7 transition date for handing oversight of the diocese over to Bishop John Quinn. What's next: The Vatican needs to formally approve the transition date. What the transition means: Quinn will officially become the leader of the diocese, which covers Minnesota's 20 southern-most counties.

Writing in The Courier, the diocese's official newspaper, Harrington said May 7 would be a fitting transition date because that's when he will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

The May 7 date is just a request at this point in time, however, and the Vatican hasn't formally approved it, said Diocese of Winona spokeswoman Rose Hammes. It's possible the Vatican's timing will be different from what Harrington has requested, she added.

Harrington has shared oversight of the Diocese of Winona with Bishop John Quinn since December, when Quinn was formally welcomed to the diocese. The estimated Catholic population of the diocese is approximately 148,400 people or about 28 percent of the 20-county diocese's overall population. There are 118 Catholic parishes in the diocese.

Quinn's title since that time is coadjutor bishop, which basically means he's a co-bishop. It's not uncommon for new bishops to have an overlap period with outgoing bishops as they learn the ropes in their new positions.

"The minute the Vatican says that they've accepted Bishop Harrington's retirement, Bishop Quinn becomes the bishop," Hammes said.

If that decision coincides with Harrington's 50th anniversary celebration at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the formal transition will likely be acknowledged at that event.

Otherwise, there will be no ceremony, Hammes said. Quinn was formally welcomed to the diocese at a Dec. 11 ceremony attended by several bishops from around the Upper Midwest.

Harrington, 75, who recently underwent hip-replacement surgery, has said he plans to live in Rochester in his retirement, filling in as pastor as needed at local parishes. Rochester Post Bulletin

The Majority Report: America becoming less religious!

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At last, the truth about America: it's becoming less religious
by Damian Thompson, UK Telegraph

A huge survey of American religious belief was published today, and the results are devastating for those who believe that the USA, unlike "secular" Europe, will always be a nation of churchgoers.

The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christian has dropped 11 per cent in a generation. And I think this is the beginning of a very long slide.

"More than ever before, people are just making up their own stories of who they are," says Barry Kosmin, co-author of the survey. "They say, 'I'm everything. I'm nothing. I believe in myself.' "

The new American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) is based on 54,000 interviews carried out last year, updating a database of 113,000 interviews carried out in 1990. The new figures show that the percentage of non-believers has nearly doubled from 8 to 15 per cent in the past 18 years.

Non-believers now outnumber every religious group in America except Catholics and Baptists. This is not a surprise to me - though it may surprise British people who are regularly fed garbage by our media, who insist on portraying Americans as people of simple and sunny faith, whatever form it takes.

You only have to read the blogs to realise that there is a vast number of young Americans out there who share a liberal contempt for religion. It was no coincidence that Sam Harris's apocalyptic tirade against religion, The End of Faith, sat in the New York Times bestseller lists for 33 weeks.

YouTube is crawling with videos of young Americans expressing their contempt for the politics of the Christian Right and, increasingly, the whole concept of the supernatural. Here's an example of a young American who begins every video by denying the existence of God.

Cathy Lynn Grossman of USA Today gets it right:

When it comes to religion, the USA is now land of the freelancers. The percentage. of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers — or falling off the faith map completely.

Catholics are doing OK - thanks to immigrants. As Grossman writes: "Catholic strongholds in New England and the Midwest have faded as immigrants, retirees and young job-seekers have moved to the Sun Belt. While bishops from the Midwest to Massachusetts close down or consolidate historic parishes, those in the South are scrambling to serve increasing numbers of worshippers."

But mainline Protestant denominations - especially Methodists - are in big trouble, as are Jews: the number of people identifying their religion as Jewish has fallen from 1.8 per cent of the population in 1990 to 1.2 per cent today. [That's a 33% decrease! They don't talk about it publicly much, but the "assimilation" of Jewish children into the protestant and secular societies is a huge issue for observant Jews.]

I've seen this coming for a long time. Five years ago I was doing academic research on evangelical religion, and I was struck by just how secularised even born-again, Bible Belt Christianity had become. US Christians whom the BBC would describe as "fundamentalist" were becoming increasingly focussed on a narcissistic spiritual journey in which the figure of Jesus was sometimes little more than a disposable spirit guide or a life coach.

The fast-growing evangelical churches of America base much of their appeal on experiential excitement and therapeutic storytelling; everything is turned into a commodity, including courses of sermons. No wonder there is a signficant (if unacknowledged) overlap with the New Age.

The trend towards religious apathy and improvisation is clearly illustrated by the Obama administration and its supporters: never have there been so many young atheists and agnostics working in the White House and on Capitol Hill. At the moment the Democrats have absorbed most of the non-believers, but secularisation will come to the Republicans, too: don't expect the Religious Right to determine the outcome of future elections.

In many ways, the erosion of this Christian identity is desperately sad: we're having to let go of the idea that the unregulated vibrancy of US Christianity would enable it to pull off the unique trick of preserving religious observance in a globalised marketplace. But the truth is that the stereotype of the churchgoing American has been out of date for years, and now we have the statistics to prove it.

For some strange reason, none of the polls/studies purporting to show a decrease in the membership of the Roman Catholic ever mention the Church's extremely strict prohibition against remarriage after an un-anulled divorce.

The divorce rate for Catholics is quite similar to that for non-Catholics, 50% or more. It is not surprising that many divorced Catholics just migrate to a church without such a prohibition when they find a second mate.

The Church also used to frown quite sternly on marriages of Catholics with non-Catholics. This is no longer the case. They are quite common today and this surely must lead to many Catholic partners eventually leaving the Church for that of their more devout mate.

For some strange reason, none of the polls/studies purporting to show a decrease in the membership of the Roman Catholic ever mention the Church's extremely strict prohibition against remarriage after an un-anulled divorce.

The divorce rate for Catholics is quite similar to that for non-Catholics, 50% or more. It is not surprising that many divorced Catholics just migrate to a church without such a prohibition when they find a second mate.

The Church also used to frown quite sternly on marriages of Catholics with non-Catholics. This is no longer the case. They are quite common today and this surely must lead to many Catholic partners eventually leaving the Church for that of their more devout mate.

For some strange reason, none of the polls/studies purporting to show a decrease in the membership of the Roman Catholic Church ever mention the church's extremely strict prohibition against remarriage after an un-anulled divorce.

The divorce rate for Catholics is quite similar to that for non-Catholics, 50% or more. It is not surprising that many divorced Catholics just migrate to a church without such a prohibition when they find a second mate.

The Church also used to frown quite sternly on marriages of Catholics with non-Catholics. This is no longer the case. They are quite common today and this surely must lead to many Catholic partners eventually leaving the Church for that of their more devout mate.