Stella Borealis Catholic Roundtable

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Bishop Harrington Ordains Two Men to Priesthood in Winona

A gleam in his blue eyes could explain why he wanted to become a priest. Explaining the story of how he has responded to God’s calling, Brian Sutton, from Fountain City, WI, looks out the window and pauses. Breathes in. Breathes out.

Then he smiles and says he’ll give the medium version.

“Ultimately it comes down to God’s will,” he said. “How can I best be the person God has created me to be?”

Bishop Bernard Harrington ordained Sutton on Saturday at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, along with Timothy Hall, a Byron, Minn., native. Sutton and Hall both studied for the priesthood at Winona’s Immaculate Heart of Mary seminary. [snip] Winona Daily News

docsociety.org Adds More Documents to its Promised "Final Report on the Gay Subculture in the St Paul Seminary"

Fourteen additional documents and essays have been placed on the web page of the docsociety.org to add to its "Final Report on the Gay Subculture in the St Paul Seminary." The report was orginally promised by the Feast of Pentecost., several weeks ago now.

Some documents were put on their website at Pentecost and we reported on them June 10 here. It is presumed that more documents are still forthcoming.

The most recent documents include eight essays by Dr David Pence, head of the organization, four Vatican documents and two items by or about American Bishops. The documents are general in nature and none of them appear to deal specifically with events that have occurred within the Archdiocese of St Paul-Minneapolis, or with individuals of the Archdiocese.

The documents are on the docsociety's website in the area marked "New Essays." For your convenience we have posted them here. The actual titles of the documents may vary slightly from what is written here.

1. Pope Benedict XVI audiences on the apostolic nature of the Church

2. The Missing Icon: Masculine Fraternity and the Priesthood , by Dr. Pence

3. Respecting Authority: Fraternal Dialogue and Reliable Witness,< style="font-family:verdana;"> by Dr. Pence<>

4. Philia, Purity Codes, and Psychology, by Dr. Pence

5. Whatever Happened to Social Justice: Church Bureaucrat as Generational Narcissist, by Dr. Pence

6. Orate Fratres: Liturgical Renewal and Brotherhood, by Dr. Pence

7. Why Celibacy? by Dr. Pence

8. < style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;">Celibacy, Cosmology and the Easter Mutation

9. Masculine Publics and the Transmission of Tradition, by Dr. Pence

10. Deus Caritas est, "God is Love", Pope Benedict XVI's first papal encyclical

11. Vatican Document on Seminaries and the Admission of Homosexuals (pdf file)

12. To Make Sure We Really Protect Children, We Need Answers, by Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, OR

13. One Bishop's Response to Virtus Mandate, Article about Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, NE, in his opposition to the Bishop's National Review Board

14. Vatican Document on Teaching Sexuality In the Context of Family

The State of Catholic Higher Education Today: Sigh!

Clayton Emmer, formerly of the St Paul Seminary, now in Los Angeles with his The Weight of Glory blog, posts something today which is very enlightening, and sad:

My favorite podcast from the past week is last Sunday's episode of Sunday Night Live with host Fr. Benedict Groeschel, and guest Dr. Peter Kreeft, discussing the state of Catholic higher education in the United States. The whole 56 minute program is worth a listen. Here's one great sequence:

Benedict Groeschel: You and I were talking and you told me an anecdote about when they took the crucifixes down from the classroom walls at Boston College. I think this anecdote is a little bit long, but I think our audience would be very interested to her it. [snip] Read More

Clayton was profiled by the Catholic Spirit just this week.

New Advent Starts Their Own Blog; Lists 25 Busiest Catholic Websites

New Advent, the publisher of the incredibly important and useful 1911 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia (out of copyright), the Summa Theologica and other important Catholic documents has started it's own blog. Great idea! Read it Here

As an indicator that the blog may be as useful as the Encyclopedia, here's what I found within ten seconds of going there, the 25 busiest Catholic websites:

THE TOP 25

Here are the top 25 Catholic websites in the world, as of June 2006, according to Alexa.com. This is a list of the busiest Catholic websites.

Centro Católico de Evangelización

Catholic Answers

Encuentra.com

Catholic Community Forum

Conférence des évêques de France

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Solemnity of John the Baptist

Father and Son Tend Superior's Catholic Cemeteries

Superior Catholic Herald Father and son, Rolland and Jim Plunkett, spend their days on hallowed ground. Both men work in Superior Diocese's cemeteries as sextons, an occupation as old as mankind. But times are changing and the business of running a cemetery has modern challenges.

Rolland cares for St. Francis Cemetery, on the east end of Superior, and his son Jim is Calvary Cemetery's sexton on the city's south end.

When the younger Plunkett hired on he had two assistants -- one full time and one part time -- and during the summer months there was enough work for five more grass cutters. That was 24 years ago. Since then many graves have been added and whole new burial sections have been developed. The work has increased dramatically but costs have gone up too. Now Plunkett's budget allows him only one part-time helper. [snip] More

Rumor Control is bubbling again --- Coadjutor-wise: Bishop Schnurr of Duluth

Rocco of the Whispers in the Loggia blog in Philadelphia, flippant, but for a 23 year old with surprisingly good sources offered a new candidate into the sweepstakes for the coming coadjutor appointment for the Archdiocese of St Paul-Minneapolis:

"Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes, the name of Bishop Dennis Schnurr of Duluth -- a former general secretary of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops who also served as chief organizer of the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver -- has entered the fray as a contender in anticipation of the announcement of a St Paul-Minneapolis coadjutor."

I was at Bishop Schnur's consecration in Duluth, my home town, five years ago which was a pretty big deal for that city. Here are the notes from my personal journal:

April 6, 2001 – Last Monday I drove up to Duluth and witnessed the ordination of Msgr. Dennis Schnurr as Bishop of the Duluth Diocese. He’s from some small town in Iowa. Wow! This guy is someone to watch. He had been “Executive Secretary” or some title, of the National Council of Catholic Bishops for six years and before that had worked there and for the Papal Nuncio office.

In attendance in Duluth were 3 Cardinals: Hickey (ret.) and McCarrick from Washington D.C. and Cardinal Keeler from Baltimore, 8 Archbishops, including Archbishop Kondrusiewiez (Polish) from European Russia (who is in the news a lot and will be even more when the Pope visits the Ukraine this summer), another Archbishop from Poland, the Papal Nuncio himself, and 38 Bishops, more or less. And on a cold snowy day in April in Duluth, no less, 2” the night before. That is big time representation for a small, shrinking diocese. St. Paul ordained an auxiliary Bishop a couple of weeks earlier and I’d bet he was in Duluth and was a tad envious over the different assignments. Both of the Poles most certainly have the ear of the Pope.

Very impressive ceremony at the DECC with a full house and an elegant reception afterwards. Lots of priests with bald heads in attendance. I wonder what will happen. Maybe we can supplement our Irish missionaries with Polish ones.

Don’t expect to see him too long in Duluth. He must be being groomed for higher office. He is about 52 now.

If I have my choice between a bureaucrat or a theologian, I would rather have a theologian as our new coadjutor.

EWTN's 25th Anniversary Caravan is in Philadelphia Today

I just heard on short wave radio Father Richard John Neuhaus's spellbinding opening address to the large crowd. I won't attempt to recap it, because I couldn't. But watch for it on his always interesting blog, First Things, on Monday, hopefully.

Seven StP-M priests and one interim administrator receive assignments

Father Raymond Monsour was appointed June 1 to serve a three-year term as director of retired clergy. Most recently, he served as a temporary pastor at St. Henry in Le Sueur.

Father David Kohner was named pastor June 7 of St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada. Father Kohner has been serving since January as sacramental minister at St. Patrick in Oak Grove. He previously served as sacramental minister at St. Wenceslaus in New Prague.

Father Paul Jarvis joined the staff at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on June 10 as an associate pastor. Father Jarvis has been serving as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Grace in Edina since he was ordained in 2004.

Father Stephen O’Gara was named June 12 to serve as co-pastor of Assumption in St. Paul, where he has been serving as associate pastor since April 2005. He joins Father John Malone, who has served at Assumption since 1989.

Father Daniel Haugan began serving as pastor of St. Nicholas in New Market on June 20. For the past year, he has served as an associate pastor at St. Ambrose of Woodbury in Woodbury.

Father Peter Williams will begin serving as pastor at Maternity of Mary in St. Paul on Saturday, July 1. Father Williams has been serving as an associate pastor at St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park since his ordination in 2004.

Father Paul Sirba will serve as spiritual formation director with the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity and permanent diaconate formation, beginning Saturday, July 1. After his ordination in 1986, Father Sirba served as an associate pastor at St. Olaf in Minneapolis and St. John the Baptist in Savage. He served as spiritual director with St. John Vianney Seminary for nine years, before serving at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in St. Paul as parochial administrator and then as pastor.

Patrick McCauley was named interim parish life administrator for St. Joseph in New Hope June 19. He will serve the parish until a new pastor is appointed. Father Robert Hazel, who was the pastor at St. Joseph, retired in May.

For more details on the clerical careers of these fine men, check with the Catholic Spirit, Here.

Curing the Spiritual "Blahs"

Six simple suggestions for getting your spiritual life jump-started.

Father Jim Tucker of the Dappled Things blog has some good ideas for those who complain that "I don't feel spiritual at Mass."

1. If your schedule allows it, why not choose one day each week to stop in for daily Mass? It's much easier to focus during the quieter weekday liturgies.

2, Confession is for more than just getting rid of egregious sins. Conversion is an ongoing process, and so regular confession (once every month or so is a good goal) can help keep the process going.

3. Mental prayer is where we should be heading, instead of just memorized prayers. A good bridge of the two, and an easy way to build a good habit of daily prayer, is to commit 15 minutes each day to saying the rosary, particularly trying to use the mysteries as material for simple meditation.

4, Find some time each week to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament-- thirty to sixty minutes of quiet, weekly reflection and adoration in the presence of the Eucharist can truly sow Christ's peace in your life.

5. Another idea is to see if there are any shrines in your area. You may not be able to make a life-changing pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but often it's possible to make a spiritually enriching mini-pilgrimage to a local holy place.

The sidebar here contains suggestions for some nearby places for pilgrimage:

6. "Get the dust off the Bible." The point here isn't to figure out arcane secrets, or to get material for religious arguments, but rather to come into contact with God Who is present in His Word and to allow Him to fill your spirit during this spiritual reading. One might choose to read the passages appointed for each day's Mass. Or one might buy one of the little guides to daily Bible reading. I think the easiest thing is just to start at beginning of St Matthew's Gospel and to make one's way slowly through the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Afterwards, one could move on to other books. More

Friday, June 23, 2006

St Scholastica Benedictines Hold "Vocation Discernment" Retreat

The Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth invite Catholic women ages 18 and older to participate in a “vocation discernment” retreat from 7 p.m. Friday, June 30, to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 2, at the Monastery. There is no charge, but registration is required. Other dates can be arranged. Retreatants are welcome to extend their time at the monastery to celebrate the Fourth of July. For more information and to request a copy of the monastery’s film “Sing a New Song,” call Sister Mary Catherine at 218-723-6646 or send her e-mail at mcshambour@aol.com.

Further Adaptations to the Order of Mass Approved by USCCB

The Amendments to the Mass Liturgy changes debated and voted on have been released by the USCCB.

In the course of the 2006 plenary meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Los Angeles, California, the Latin Church members of the USCCB approved eight proposed adaptations (see BCL Newsletter, May, 2006), as well as amendments calling for two further adaptations. The first concerns the eventual inclusion of additional proper formulae in the Eucharistic Prayers. The second accepted amendment calls for the inclusion of proper forms of the Act of Penitence for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.

But as you can see from the introductory paragraph, these Amendments do not include all changes to the Mass that will probably take effect in two years. What they debated and voted on were "Amendments to the Changes." The "Changes" have not been released.

Gerald at The Cafeteria is Closed Blog has laid out the "Amendments to the Changes" nicely for you.Here.

Formation and Catechesis on the New Roman Missal

During the course of the meetings of the USCCB and its Committee on the Liturgy, the vital subject of formation of clergy, other liturgical ministers, and the liturgical assembly were widely discussed. While confirmation and publication of the various segments of the Roman Missal are still distant, initial plans for this vital catechesis have begun.

Over the next several months the secretariat will begin an active and exploratory dialogue with the English speaking conferences of Bishops, the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, and academic and publishing bodies concerning possible avenues to be pursued in the development of an effective program of
formation for the implementation of the new Roman Missal. Suggestions from our readers on this matter are most welcome, and should be addressed to bcl@usccb.org.

------

24 June 2006 Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia has a nice historical summary of the entire process, from Vatican II, to date in his diocesan newspaper The Catholic Standard and Times.

Structure O' The Day: St Wenceslaus, New Prague

St Wenceslaus Parish, New Prague, Scott County, MN

Today is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sacred Heart Parish

4087 W Broadway, Robbinsdale MN, 763-537-4561

The regularly scheduled Mass is at 8:00 a.m. and a special 5:30 p.m. Feast Day Mass will be celebrated. No Confessions are scheduled before the evening Mass. However, there are Confessions from 7:30-7:50 a.m.

Sacred Heart (Sagrado Corazon)

840 E 6th St., St. Paul MN, 651-776-2741

The regularly scheduled Mass is at 8:00 a.m. No Confessions are scheduled that day, however, if you desire to go, call the Church, and Father would be happy to set something up!

On the Feast of the Sacred Heart itself, we can gain a plenary indulgence by making an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart.

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart / Actus reparationis

Most sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thee, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Thy pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow Thee, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the promises of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Thy law.

We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are now determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holydays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against Thee and Thy Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Thy Vicar on earth and Thy priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which Thou hast founded.

Would that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Thy divine honor, the satisfaction Thou once made to Thy Eternal Father on the Cross and which Thou continuest to renew daily on our Altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Thy Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of Thy grace, for all neglect of Thy great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth, we will live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending Thee and to bring as many as possible to follow Thee.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to Thee, so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit Thou livest and reignest, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Tips O' The Hat to Cathy_of_Alex, blogger-in-waiting for the Mass Times and Martial at Laudetur Jesus Christus for the Image and pray links

Brilliant Analysis of the Language Debates of Two Weeks Past

While we still don't have a report from the Bishops Committee on the Liturgy as to what exactly was approved at the meeting in Los Angeles two weeks ago, Father "Z", Minnesota's ambassador to Rome, via St Agnes, has found and annotated a wonderful analysis of what the arguments were all about in the Wall Street Journal.

Father "Z,s" comments are in red.

Last week the U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved changes to the wording of the Mass that will significantly affect how Roman Catholics pray. Instead of an expected split vote, the bishops deliberated for only 20 minutes before deciding 173-23 in favor of a new English translation of the Latin Order of the Mass.

The bishops’ decision follows decades of displeasure with the current English translation. Drafted in 1970 by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy and in use ever since, the translation has been criticized as banal, uninspiring and inaccurate (one fastidious Latinist counted over 400 errors in the ordinary parts of the Mass alone). A rather straightforward response such as "and with your spirit" (et cum spiritu tuo) was rendered, "and also with you," while entire phrases were omitted or even inserted. In the Roman canon, for example, "a pure Victim . . . a spotless Victim" was ignored and "We come to you Father with praise and thanksgiving" added, the effect being that even the holiest part of the Mass seems more focused on us than on the Sacrifice. (TELL IT BROTHER!!)

It is difficult to believe that these errors were not intentional (no other translation–Spanish, German, Italian–has had such extensive problems), and indeed, according to some insiders, the committee’s decisions were ideologically driven. The Rev. Stephen Somerville, one of the original members of ICEL’s Advisory Board, apologized in 2002 for "the bold mistranslations" that "weaken[ed] the Latin Catholic liturgy." (QUAERITUR: What should the penance be for that?) [snip] Read the Rest

Father Altier is Joining the Wanderer as a Columnist

Father "Z", Minnesota's permanent ambassador to Rome, via St Agnes, is reporting today that Father Robert Altier, formerly assistant at St Agnes Parish, now at Regina Nursing Home in Hastings, "is going to be contributing a brief "in print" Sunday sermonette in the weekly journal of opinion The Wanderer."

The Wanderer has been published in Minnesota and distributed nationally for well over 100 years. It can be described as holding on to the conservative end of the Catholic spectrum. Father "Z", a fellow seminarian with Father Altier, has been a regular columnist at The Wanderer for some time.

In March Father Altier was required by Archbishop Harry Flynn to cease posting his homilies on the Internet and refrain from appearing on a Relevant Radio program. Apparently he has permission to write for the print media.

Apologist Jimmy Akin Addresses Issue of Rainbow Sash Sacrilege at St Paul Cathedral

Texan Jimmy Akin, Chief Apologist for Catholic Answers in San Diego, addresses the incident on Pentecost Sunday at the St Paul Cathedral when a Rainbow Sash sympathizer kept the sacred host in his hand, broke it and distribute it to some who had been refused Holy Communion for wearing the sash.

[snip] I'm not sure of all of the details of the incident, and I'm not sure on what grounds the guy could have been arrested, but this situation has potential canonical implications that go beyond civil law.

The man who took the host and then used it to give Communion to the Rainbow-Sashers may have excommunicated himself and incurred an excommunication that can only be lifted by the Holy See.
[snip]

Normally, sacreligious purposes would be things like using the consecrated Host in a "black Mass" or similar act of overt and unambiguous desecration, but what the man did may count.

The Rainbow Sash movement is in open opposition to the Church's teachings on homosexuality, and wearing a raindbow sash at Mass signals this opposition. It is thus no surprise that the Cardinal Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has intervened to prevent Communion from being distributed to them.
[snip]

So it sounds to me like this gentleman may have excommunicated himself, and done so in a way that will require the action of the Holy See to undo (since this offense is reserved to the Holy See).

If this is the case, then it happened automatically, without any intervention on the part of the Diocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. JimmyAkin.org

Spirit Profiles Blogger Clayton Emmer of "The Weight of Glory"

Minnesota may seem a world away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but that hasn’t stopped Excelsior native Clayton Emmer from pursuing his dream of becoming a screenwriter in the movie capital of the world.

Emmer, 36, moved to Hollywood three years ago after attending Act One, a program that trains Christians for careers in the entertainment industry.
[snip]

Emmer, a former parishioner at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, said he felt drawn to the writing program after spending two years at the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity to discern a call to the priesthood. Instead, he discerned that God was calling him to use his talents as a screenwriter.

Currently, Emmer is working on a screenplay focusing on themes of betrayal and forgiveness, he said, but he hasn’t sold it yet. It takes most writers five to 10 years to break into the business, according to Act One associate writing program director Spencer Lewerenz. [snip] Catholic Spirit

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday Celebration - June 25

Sunday, June 25^th, is the day when people gather for the Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday Celebration. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., it includes the Liturgy for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Bishop Pates will be presiding, and there will be a creation blessing, and essay and poster contest awards.

This year’s event is sponsored by the parish of St. Ignatius in Annandale and is being held at the Dave and Mary Spike family farm.

Food and refreshments will be served (free will offering accepted). Experience the farm – breathe the air, pet the animals, pitch some horseshoes. Enjoy a family day on the farm! Please bring lawn chairs and blankets. Some seating available.

Click here for directions or go to www.MapQuest.com and input the Spike’s address (9399 10^th St. NW, Annandale, 55302).

Bus transportation is also available from the St. Ignatius lot (124 Cherry Avenue N in Annandale). Please call the parish office to sign up for the bus: 320-274-8828.

‘Rainbow’ of rosaries: From Minnesota to the world

Bags and bundles of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and orange rosaries pile on Cindy Breth’s kitchen table. Beside the table are racks of similar rosaries of differing colors.

“I call them the rainbow of colors,” Breth said. The rosaries are Breth’s handiwork, which, like the around-40,000-or-so other rosaries that she made, will go into hands around the world.

Breth is a member of St. Anthony Parish in St. Anthony. After she completes the rosaries, her aunts and friends find places for them. The rosaries have traveled or will travel to other countries like Africa or India. Some are given to Poor Clare Sisters at St. Clare’s Monastery in Sauk Rapids, Minn., others go to Catholic schools. “They go wherever people are in need of them,” she said. [snip] St Cloud Visitor