.
Joseph Michalak (The Catholic Spirit) Whenever I tell people I work in the Office of Diaconate, the most common response is “The office of what? Can you spell that?”
And whenever I speak with Serra Clubs or at parishes about the vocation and role of the deacon, the most common question is: “What does a deacon do that a priest or lay person can’t do?”
The response is: That’s the wrong question — at least to begin with. As with any vocation (marriage, religious life, priesthood), we first need to answer “who we are” before we can describe “what we do.”
Christ the servant
In the words of Pope John Paul II and the church documents that govern diaconate formation, the deacon is ordained to “sacramentalize service” and to be an “icon of Christ the servant.” In other words, the deacon is a unique living sacramental sign in our midst of Christ the servant, the one who knows suffering and who pours himself out for the good of others.
Therefore, the deacon is ordained — he is no longer a layman — into Jesus’ own apostolic ministry. In theological terms, the deacon, like priest, stands “in persona Christi capitas” (in the person of Christ the head). But the deacon does so not as victim and priest, but as servant.
As one theologian has put it, a priest presides at the Liturgy of the Eucharist that gives rise to charity; the deacon, however, presides at the “liturgy of charity” that culminates in the mystery of the Eucharist.
(This, by the way, is why the church envisions a normal Mass to be one with a deacon, and it is why you will see after the consecration both deacon and priest holding up the host and the chalice. Here is a more robust sign, so to speak, of the dimensions of Jesus the head of the body, victim-priest and servant laying down his life in love.)
At the end of Mass, it is the deacon’s role to intone “The Mass is ended; go in peace,” and he then is ordained to do precisely that: to lead in extending the sacramental charity of the Eucharist — the apostolic ministry of Christ himself — into the world. The deacon often then goes forth as “icon” of Christ where a priest is unable to go, and the deacon is meant to do so as an “animator of the laity.”
Thus, like laity, the deacon by virtue of baptism shares in the three-fold office of Jesus (prophet, priest, and king). In addition, like bishop and priest, the deacon is ordained into a more specified three-fold participation in the ministry of Christ for the church and the world: ministry of the Word (the foundation), ministry of the Eucharist and liturgy (the heart) and ministry of charity and justice (the expression and fruit). What a deacon does flows from this three-fold ministry.
As a servant of God’s Word, the deacon daily contemplates that Word, especially in Scripture. The deacon always proclaims the Gospel at Mass (even if the pope presides); he evangelizes, teaches, instructs, preaches and leads others into “lectio divina.”
As servant of the Eucharist and the sacramental and liturgical life of the church, the deacon presides at baptisms, assists in the mystery of the Eucharist, is the normal bearer of the Eucharist to the sick and suffering, can witness marriages, bury the dead and preside at benediction.
The deacon commits himself to praying morning and evening prayer on behalf of the church and intercedes as Christ for all. As servant of charity and justice, embodying the eucharistic self-gift, the deacon takes the sacramental presence of the church into the most far-reaching corners of suffering: to the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the elderly and dying, to immigrants, to the mentally ill, to the estranged — to wherever there is need and suffering.
What does a deacon do? The list is too long to describe fully. But whatever he does, he does as sacramentally ordained into the ministry of Christ the servant; he is icon of that servant, the living bearer of the Word and doer of the Father’s will. That is why the day after Christmas we celebrate the feast of Deacon Stephen, Proto-martyr, who was so perfectly conformed to the Incarnate Word that he died with Jesus’ own words on his lips. And he died as a good servant would: pointing toward and gazing upon his master, Jesus.
Archbishop’s man
Because he is ordained to be a sacrament of service, the deacon is an extension of the bishop’s apostolic ministry; at ordination, only the bishop lays hands on the new deacon, and the deacon promises obedience to the bishop. In the words of an early church father, the deacon is the “eyes, ears, hands” of the bishop, ordained first to serve the diocese and only then a specific parish.
This is why today deacons usually receive a dual assignment, one to assist in a parish setting and one to serve at the archdiocesan level or in some specific ministry such as in a prison, hospital or nursing home, with the police force, with the homeless, at the university or wherever he may be needed.
Often, a deacon can be more aware of specific needs than a priest can be, and the deacon can then bring those to the attention of the archbishop.
With the recent economic downturn, for instance, we have deacons who assist people in dealing with both the material and spiritual effects of foreclosures on their homes.
Although deacons usually serve under the supervision of a priest-pastor, the deacon is not a “mini-priest” — he is both “alongside” the priest as well as “under” the priest, and he often is active in secular settings where a priest is unable to go.
Bridge-builder
Here is an especially unique feature of the deacon: he is ordained clergy, but he lives a lay lifestyle. He then is supremely suited to be, and to bring, the sacramental presence of Christ and the church to the world. The majority of deacons (but not all) still work full time in secular employment; the majority of deacons (but not all) are married and have families.
They, therefore, are clergy who know and live with the same kinds of challenges as lay folks. But they are ordained and sent by the bishop to do so even as they live a life of contemplation and prayer and charity and sacramental presence. They then are especially able to activate and assist laity in carrying out their specific apostolic role in professional and political and civic life.
It is noteworthy that the roots of the modern diaconate began during World War II in the Dachau concentration camp as priest-prisoners began praying and thinking about what would be needed for the restoration of culture and civilization in Europe after the war.
Is it indeed possible that the Holy Spirit has ideally suited the deacon (and his wife and family and work) to help rebuild the culture of life and marriage and family that is so under attack today? Many deacons will tell you that some of their most significant ministry takes place at home or at work when not “on duty” but when those around them come to them for prayer or counsel or a listening ear, precisely because they know and see that this is a man of the church.
We recently had a deacon candidate leading others in praying the Liturgy of the Hours at his work simply because others — and not all Catholic — saw him praying and wanted to join in. When we look at the five strategic priorities for the church identified by the U.S. bishops this past year, we see the deacon ideally ready for the New Evangelization.
Pursuit of holiness
Finally, because the deacon usually lives as a lay person would, he can be a singular model of the holiness — the self-gift — to which we are all called. He comes from our midst. As he stands at the altar and raises the chalice of suffering, he is offering not only his own self to the Father, but he carries with him the suffering and needs of all those with whom he comes in contact. He knows the injustice; he bears the challenges. He makes the sacrifice of his life for the sake of all.
Who does this — and why?
We are grateful for the more than 200 men from all walks of life who have been ordained a deacon in this archdiocese since 1975. About 140 are still active in official ministry; all are servants in prayer and witness.
For those who are married, their wives and children (and even grandchildren) likewise make an offering of their lives — and certainly of their husbands and fathers.
Many of the wives generously serve in their own right.
And considering that diaconate discernment and formation is at least four years long, at 15 to 20 hours per week, and a deacon then does “official” ministry about 10 hours per week (and the majority often do much more) for no pay and, too often, for little thanks, the question naturally arises: Why do this?
The answer, all will tell you, is simple: love.
Why be a mother or father? Why be a priest? Love. Why be a disciple of Christ? Love — the generous “giving of self,” the dying to self for the good of the other.
How do I find out more?
As Archbishop John Nienstedt explained earlier this year (click HERE to read his column from February), we have paused taking anyone into formation in order to consider the diaconate as a whole in the archdiocese, to fully implement the U.S. bishops’ 2004 National Directory that governs formation and to examine how we can make better use of the resources available to us, especially the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute and the St. Paul Seminary.
After the ordinations this year, we will ordain one more group next September. Hopefully, within a year or so, we will be able to begin formation again.
Meanwhile, men over 25 years old, single or married, can begin discerning even now by contacting me at (651) 962-6876 or jtmichalak@stthomas.edu, or the Vocations Office. We would be happy to meet with you.
Most important, spend time in prayer, continue to serve, and make an offering of life to the one who generously offers himself to us.
Joe Michalak has served as director of diaconate formation since 2000, and for the past five years he has been on the board of directors for the National Association of Diaconate Directors.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' Talks About His New Job; No. One is to pay off the Cathedral Restoration Debt
.
You are the vicar of the Cathedral of St. Paul. What does that entail? 
It’s not unusual for auxiliary bishops in various large dioceses to have a specialized area of attention — it might be a geographical vicariate, as we had in the past. This is more programmatic. It’s with regard to one very special part of our archdiocesan experience — the important role that the Cathedral church plays in the life of the faith for the whole archdiocese and beyond, in the life of the community and the state.
We’re at a moment of crisis with the Cathedral in terms of its ongoing stability financially. The external work on the dome was only partially covered by the [fundraising] campaign that was taken up at the time as well as the Growing in Faith campaign. But neither of those campaigns realized the full amount that was needed to really make that project complete. So we’re doing some catch up work.
The Cathedral debt, the Cathedral repairs and all that goes on in terms of keeping that beautiful temple of our faith up and running isn’t just the Cathedral parish’s problem. It’s really the concern of the whole archdiocese.
I will probably be expanding my role as a kind of ambassador of the Cathedral, not only to the Catholic faithful of the archdiocese, but also to the broader community. We’re hoping that the state of Minnesota and the city of St. Paul continue to recognize that they have in this Cathedral a beautiful gem that attracts people to our city.
I will also help coordinate efforts toward a long-term plan for the viability of the Cathedral, for its continuing maintenance, and work closely with Father Johnson, who has through his efforts established the Cathedral Heritage Foundation. That foundation isn’t per se a Catholic foundation. It’s a more broad-based foundation to attract to the table people in this community who have an interest in enhancing the Cathedral — both its physical structure and its role within the community as a place where sacred arts can take place.
I wrote back saying we do have a concern for our parishes, certainly. The Cathedral is a parish, but it is more than a parish. It’s the church that belongs to every Catholic in this archdiocese. It’s our mother church.
So, not only do we have our parish, we also belong here. This is where we have our liturgies which, in some respect, are the highest liturgies of our church — when the clergy, religious and lay faithful gather with their shepherd, who is the vicar of Christ for them in this local church. [The Cathedral is] the primary place for that.
The actual cost of the project is increased by the interest payments. The amount of principal requires that we keep up with monthly payments on interest. The Cathedral has been able to do a great deal of that, but it puts a real strain on their other financial needs. The archdiocese has then stepped in. This is another answer to the people in the parishes who ask, “Why can’t you help us?” It’s because we have this obligation. We have to take the responsibility.
That saps our program money — the aid we could be giving to schools that are struggling, the aid we could be giving to other forms of ministry: Hispanic ministry, supporting family life, and so on. All of these things we have to cut back in order to make sure we’re taking care of this responsibility. If we default on the loan, then our collateral goes to the lender.
What we’re really trying to do in this collection is reach out to those folks who maybe haven’t had the Cathedral much on their radar. . . . We’re really trying to reach out to solicit some support from people who maybe never thought about this as a possible way of supporting [the church] and maybe aren’t really stretched yet in terms of their philanthropy.
The Catholic Spirit
You are the vicar of the Cathedral of St. Paul. What does that entail?
Bishop Piché
We’re at a moment of crisis with the Cathedral in terms of its ongoing stability financially. The external work on the dome was only partially covered by the [fundraising] campaign that was taken up at the time as well as the Growing in Faith campaign. But neither of those campaigns realized the full amount that was needed to really make that project complete. So we’re doing some catch up work.
The Cathedral debt, the Cathedral repairs and all that goes on in terms of keeping that beautiful temple of our faith up and running isn’t just the Cathedral parish’s problem. It’s really the concern of the whole archdiocese.
What will you do in this role?
I’ve already used my role, both as bishop and as vicar, to invite our pastors to have a lunch with me and with the Cathedral rector, Father Joseph Johnson, to give them better information about the case of why we need the ongoing help and support of the people in their parishes for the payment against the [cathedral] debt.I will probably be expanding my role as a kind of ambassador of the Cathedral, not only to the Catholic faithful of the archdiocese, but also to the broader community. We’re hoping that the state of Minnesota and the city of St. Paul continue to recognize that they have in this Cathedral a beautiful gem that attracts people to our city.
I will also help coordinate efforts toward a long-term plan for the viability of the Cathedral, for its continuing maintenance, and work closely with Father Johnson, who has through his efforts established the Cathedral Heritage Foundation. That foundation isn’t per se a Catholic foundation. It’s a more broad-based foundation to attract to the table people in this community who have an interest in enhancing the Cathedral — both its physical structure and its role within the community as a place where sacred arts can take place.
Could you explain a little more about that case you are laying out for priests and others?
A while back, I received a letter from a parishioner in one of our rural parishes asking, “Why does the Cathedral get a special collection? We could sure use a special collection.”I wrote back saying we do have a concern for our parishes, certainly. The Cathedral is a parish, but it is more than a parish. It’s the church that belongs to every Catholic in this archdiocese. It’s our mother church.
So, not only do we have our parish, we also belong here. This is where we have our liturgies which, in some respect, are the highest liturgies of our church — when the clergy, religious and lay faithful gather with their shepherd, who is the vicar of Christ for them in this local church. [The Cathedral is] the primary place for that.
What is the extent of the debt right now?
The project cost a little under $30 million. All but $12.8 million of that was paid through the capital campaign the Cathedral first had and then the Growing in Faith campaign as well as some other connecting gifts from Growing in Faith.The actual cost of the project is increased by the interest payments. The amount of principal requires that we keep up with monthly payments on interest. The Cathedral has been able to do a great deal of that, but it puts a real strain on their other financial needs. The archdiocese has then stepped in. This is another answer to the people in the parishes who ask, “Why can’t you help us?” It’s because we have this obligation. We have to take the responsibility.
That saps our program money — the aid we could be giving to schools that are struggling, the aid we could be giving to other forms of ministry: Hispanic ministry, supporting family life, and so on. All of these things we have to cut back in order to make sure we’re taking care of this responsibility. If we default on the loan, then our collateral goes to the lender.
The cost of the renovation, some people may say, why did we do it if we couldn’t afford it? Was that a good decision?
That was the only decision that we had. It was either that or allow the Cathedral to continue to go into decay. It needed a new roof. Everyone who looked at it agreed. Because this is itself a historic landmark, it falls under certain restrictions and it could not be fixed in any other way but by restoration. So restoration was dictated by its status as a historic landmark.There are a lot of second collections happening these days in our parishes, and people tend to be generous. But this is another one. What do you want people to think about when they are considering to give to this one for the cathedral?
I and the archbishop and the rector of the Cathedral, we’re very, very aware that we’re asking our people to contribute to a lot of things.What we’re really trying to do in this collection is reach out to those folks who maybe haven’t had the Cathedral much on their radar. . . . We’re really trying to reach out to solicit some support from people who maybe never thought about this as a possible way of supporting [the church] and maybe aren’t really stretched yet in terms of their philanthropy.
The Catholic Spirit
St. Thomas U enters the post-newspaper future
.
In April, I passed along the news that St. Thomas was killing off its venerable campus paper, the Aquin, and going all-in on the digital future with a new site, TommieMedia.com. It went live yesterday, and it's good-looking.
In April, I passed along the news that St. Thomas was killing off its venerable campus paper, the Aquin, and going all-in on the digital future with a new site, TommieMedia.com. It went live yesterday, and it's good-looking.
Of course, the "convergence site" is a multimedia deal, combining former print and TV staffs while blending in radio and p.r. for a single 40-person operation. J-prof Mark Neuzil (disclaimer: MinnPost contributor) believes St. Thomas is the first Minnesota school to completely ditch print, possibly the first in the country, and certainly the first college AP member to go all-online.
The site promises daily news content, and a quick spin around the site shows some nice video-text collaborations. The layout is remarkably clean and the RSS feeds are prominent. There are also Twitter and Facebook come-ons, though they weren't hotlinked. I'm surprised video isn't embeddable, and there aren't distinct links in the address bar.
While I remain a huge print fan, it's hard to argue with a future-oriented university attempting this. Like many publishers, Tommiemedia honchos promise more through synergy. It'll be fun to see if that petri dish produces results, and readers. By David Brauer | MinnPost
Monday, September 7, 2009
If Bishop Piche' can write letters to the editor, you can too!
.
Now here's a way to write a letter opposing another letter writer Of course, Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' might have an easier time getting his published. This is another reason why I like him in addition to his being not fond of the word "ambo."
The Editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press.
On Wednesday afternoon I drove from St. Paul to Duluth for a 30-minute meeting with Congressman Jim Oberstar, members of the staff of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, representatives of two other Catholic dioceses, a Lutheran pastor, and an Orthodox priest. We discussed with Mr. Oberstar our shared concern as Christians about the current version of the health insurance bill. Yes, we did make our point with him about our opposition to mandatory coverage for abortion - about which he, a Democrat, agrees with us - but we also shared with him our conviction that health care is a human right and should be accessible to all, and our hope that the reformed program will give special consideration to those people who live below the poverty level. Even before the current debate began, the Catholic bishops of this country have consistently called for reform of the health care system and have championed the cause of the poor. Because we include unborn citizens among the poor and most vulnerable, we are deemed obstructionists by those who have another agenda.
Now here's a way to write a letter opposing another letter writer Of course, Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' might have an easier time getting his published. This is another reason why I like him in addition to his being not fond of the word "ambo."
The Editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press.
On Wednesday afternoon I drove from St. Paul to Duluth for a 30-minute meeting with Congressman Jim Oberstar, members of the staff of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, representatives of two other Catholic dioceses, a Lutheran pastor, and an Orthodox priest. We discussed with Mr. Oberstar our shared concern as Christians about the current version of the health insurance bill. Yes, we did make our point with him about our opposition to mandatory coverage for abortion - about which he, a Democrat, agrees with us - but we also shared with him our conviction that health care is a human right and should be accessible to all, and our hope that the reformed program will give special consideration to those people who live below the poverty level. Even before the current debate began, the Catholic bishops of this country have consistently called for reform of the health care system and have championed the cause of the poor. Because we include unborn citizens among the poor and most vulnerable, we are deemed obstructionists by those who have another agenda.
I returned to St. Paul, picked up the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and read the letter to the editor "The Church and health care." In an uninformed rant, the writer castigated the Catholic hierarchy for opposing health care reform (they do not), for being a "vital unit of the right wing of the Republican Party" (they are not), for using the abortion issue as a cover (a cover for what?), and for being another "wealthy group that opposes change (I challenge the writer to examine my bank account and then call me wealthy). The writer ends by saying that he is, or used to be, a Catholic. If he is a Catholic, he should be ashamed of himself for shaking a fistful of falsehoods at his own leaders, leaders who are working as hard as they can to promote positive change. If he is no longer a Catholic, it is too bad because he stood a better chance of seeing his hopes realized by pitching in with the bishops and other members of the very institution he has abandoned. Either way I will pray for him.
Most Reverend Lee A. Piché
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Feast Day of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, St. Stephen's Parish, Minneapolis
.
[click on images to increase size]
Yesterday, Father Joseph Williams, pastor of St. Stephen's parish in south Minneapolis had the occasion to remark that it had been a very long time since there had been a bishop celebrating Mass there.
Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' of the Archdiocese, only recently consecrated, was present to celebrate the Mass and deliver the sermon on the occasion of the Feast Day of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa. Mother's religious order, the Missionaries of Charity have a house in Minneapolis, not far from St. Stephen's and the sisters had asked that the Mass in honor of their foundress be celebrated there.
Mother died on September 5, 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003. The celebration Mass was also in commemoration of Mother's 99th birthday that was on August 26.
It was the first occasion that most of those in attendance had seen or heard Bishop Piche'. From my point of view, any bishop who prefers the word "pulpit" over the New Age word "ambo", is my kind of bishop! He's also a wonderful homilist. A recording of it should be soon available.
Not only was it a first appearance by a bishop in a long time, it was the first time in a long time that St. Stephen's had seen an SRO, a full house with some of the congregation standing in the rear. All agreed that it was a wonderful day.
In addition to the bishop, all of the local members of the Missionaries of Charity were present, 15 priests con-celebrated the Mass, and an equal number of seminarians from the St. Paul Seminary were also there for this Mass that was celebrated in both Spanish and English (with two Hispanic deacons). This parish, like more than 20 in the archdiocese, now has Sunday Masses in both languages. In addition a choir group composed of the Handmaids of the Lord led the singing. They are a recently formed female religious order that is awaiting formal approval from Archbishop John Nienstedt.
The congregation was composed of a future church population that included many families, many young women and girls, no doubt great admirers of Blessed Teresa and a smattering of others, young and old. A reception was held on the sidewalk in front of the church as there were too many present to hold it in the church hall.
Blessed Teresa, pray for us.
Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche'
Father Joseph Williams, Pastor of St. Stephen's
Concelebrant Priests
Concelebrants, Bishop Piche' and Deacons
Handmaids of the Lord Choir
Consecration
Ite Missa Est!
[click on images to increase size]Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' of the Archdiocese, only recently consecrated, was present to celebrate the Mass and deliver the sermon on the occasion of the Feast Day of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa. Mother's religious order, the Missionaries of Charity have a house in Minneapolis, not far from St. Stephen's and the sisters had asked that the Mass in honor of their foundress be celebrated there.
Mother died on September 5, 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003. The celebration Mass was also in commemoration of Mother's 99th birthday that was on August 26.
It was the first occasion that most of those in attendance had seen or heard Bishop Piche'. From my point of view, any bishop who prefers the word "pulpit" over the New Age word "ambo", is my kind of bishop! He's also a wonderful homilist. A recording of it should be soon available.
Not only was it a first appearance by a bishop in a long time, it was the first time in a long time that St. Stephen's had seen an SRO, a full house with some of the congregation standing in the rear. All agreed that it was a wonderful day.
In addition to the bishop, all of the local members of the Missionaries of Charity were present, 15 priests con-celebrated the Mass, and an equal number of seminarians from the St. Paul Seminary were also there for this Mass that was celebrated in both Spanish and English (with two Hispanic deacons). This parish, like more than 20 in the archdiocese, now has Sunday Masses in both languages. In addition a choir group composed of the Handmaids of the Lord led the singing. They are a recently formed female religious order that is awaiting formal approval from Archbishop John Nienstedt.
The congregation was composed of a future church population that included many families, many young women and girls, no doubt great admirers of Blessed Teresa and a smattering of others, young and old. A reception was held on the sidewalk in front of the church as there were too many present to hold it in the church hall.
Blessed Teresa, pray for us.
Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche'
Father Joseph Williams, Pastor of St. Stephen's
Concelebrant Priests
Concelebrants, Bishop Piche' and Deacons
Handmaids of the Lord Choir
Consecration
Ite Missa Est!
Photos courtesy of Madaras Images
If you are what you eat, a growing number of churches are making sure that people eat the right stuff.
.
.
To most Minnesotans, "church food" means Jell-O and hot dish. But it's taking on a new meaning for a fast-growing segment of the religious community, where a burgeoning connection between faith and food focuses on healthy eating.
To most Minnesotans, "church food" means Jell-O and hot dish. But it's taking on a new meaning for a fast-growing segment of the religious community, where a burgeoning connection between faith and food focuses on healthy eating.
Churches aren't just talking about it; they're putting their broccoli -- not to mention spinach, tomatoes and herbs -- where their mouth is. They are growing food to donate to the hungry, organizing farmer's markets for neighborhoods that lack easy access to fresh food and getting involved in community-supported agriculture.
The gold standard of church gardens occupies a field behind Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale. By the time the fall harvest comes to an end, an army of 300-plus volunteers will have reaped 10,000 pounds of produce to donate to local food shelves.
"It's a perfect way to put our faith into action," said Bob Walz, who oversees the parish's Ministry of Justice and Outreach.
The garden was the brainchild of church members Barb Prokop and Maggie Lindberg. The church had a large grassy field that served as a buffer between it and a golf course, so Prokop and Lindberg made their pitch: Turn the land into a volunteer-run garden that grows organic fruits and vegetables to give to people who can't afford them.
"Our goal always has been to provide fresh produce for people who have no access to it," Prokop said. "Every food-shelf drive asks for canned or boxed food, which is understandable [because of storage issues]. People who use the food shelves usually don't get fresh fruit and vegetables."
The only way the produce could be any fresher is if it were still on the vine. As one team of volunteers picks and cleans the produce, another team stands by ready to deliver it. Sometimes, it's in the hands of the recipients within an hour of when it was picked.
"It's all about getting peak nutrition to people who need it," Prokop said.
John Capecchi, who was on cleaning duty that night, agreed. "Maggie and Barb are big believers in giving it your all," he said. "We're not just going to throw this stuff in a bag. We're going to make it look good."
For some people, the garden has become a group activity. Scout troops ask if they can come work for an afternoon. (You don't have to belong to the parish to volunteer.) A pre-school class planted the potatoes in the spring, and every time he comes, Jim Jacobs brings along several members of his family. On this evening, he was joined by one of his daughters, Jean Glaraton, and her four children.
"We ended up with the whole family here," said Glaraton, who added that the weeding and watering comes with a moral. "It's a very good way to give kids perspective, because they can lose it in hurry. We had an argument at the dinner table tonight about salad dressing. The kids need to realize that not having the right salad dressing is not a catastrophe when there are people who don't have enough to eat."
A variety of motivations
The connection between faith and food goes back to the early 1990s, when a handful of churches around the country -- Guardian Angels among them -- first broke ground on their gardens. But involvement has skyrocketed the last couple of years, enough to prompt the folks at Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to look into the matter. In a study produced earlier this year, the agency dug up -- metaphorically speaking -- an array of various denominations and church sizes all over the country that have gotten involved.
"Interest in locally grown food is on the rise in every level of society," said JoAnne Berkenkamp, director of the agency's local foods program. "Combine that with a sense of serving your community, and it's a natural dovetail for faith communities."
Churches are well-suited to the effort, she said. "Faith communities excel at mobilizing people and responding to community needs. They do it for a variety reasons. Some communities approach it as a part of creationism, taking care of the earth. Others see it as a social justice issue in terms of providing food for the poor. And some take a more personal approach, seeing it as being about their own health. . . ." Star Tribune
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Zambia Mission, aided by the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, aims to treat AIDS early
.
Also, St. Olaf's breakfast meeting: "Sin at Work: A Contemporary Look at Vice and Virtue in the Workplace."
The numbers are overwhelming, Dr. Tim Meade admits: A million children in and near Zambia are infected with AIDS, and 100,000 of them face imminent death unless they get medicine.
Also, St. Olaf's breakfast meeting: "Sin at Work: A Contemporary Look at Vice and Virtue in the Workplace."
The numbers are overwhelming, Dr. Tim Meade admits: A million children in and near Zambia are infected with AIDS, and 100,000 of them face imminent death unless they get medicine.
For the past seven years, Meade, a Minnesota native, has been trying to change those numbers. With the help of the Basilica of St. Mary, he and his parents, Tom and Betty Meade, launched Tiny Tim & Friends, a medical support mission aimed at keeping more of the youngsters alive.
"All the medical studies suggest that if we can treat children who have tested positive for HIV, their immune systems will return to normal," he said. "We can't cure it, but we can put the virus to sleep, and the kids can grow up to live healthy lives."
Meade, 49, is back in the Twin Cities to, among other things, visit his parents, lecture at the University of Minnesota Medical School (his alma mater) and host a fundraiser. The $20 you pay for a ticket to the Friday event will go entirely toward helping keep kids alive.
"I don't even take a salary," said Meade, who supports himself through what he calls his "day job" at a clinic in Lusaka, Zambia. "I do this on nights and weekends, and my parents are the [charity's] board of directors. One hundred percent of every donation goes to get more medicine."
You might want to bring Kleenex with you to the fundraiser, because Meade is going to tell stories about his work that are certain to tug at even the most hardened of heartstrings.
One of them is about the way the charity got its name: A homeless pregnant woman knew that she was going to die from AIDS shortly after giving birth. She begged "Dr. Tim" to take care of her baby, and when he agreed, she named her son after him in gratitude. Today, a healthy, 6-year-old Tiny Tim lives with Meade on a farm that houses 14 other AIDS orphans.
Meade has developed a treatment program that stresses simplicity, "in part because we have no money," but also so that it can be taken into remote villages.
"Everything we do functions at a village level where there are no labs," he said. "The biggest need we have is for a vehicle" to extend the program's reach. "Mothers walk up to 45 minutes to get to us. Part of our program is nutritional support, so in addition to her children, mom has to carry home 20 pounds of food on her head."
The fundraiser, which will include a silent auction and Zambian crafts, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. Tickets are available at www.tinytim andfriends.org.
Guilt-free employmentIf you're planning to attend one of this year's Faith and Work Breakfasts, you probably won't want to make out the check with a pen you pilfered from your office. The theme for this year's gatherings, which are in year No. 15, is "Sin at Work: A Contemporary Look at Vice and Virtue in the Workplace."
The meetings, held in St. Olaf Catholic Church in downtown Minneapolis, are sponsored by the church and the University of St. Thomas. There's a continental breakfast, a speech and then a discussion, with things starting at 7 a.m. and wrapping up by 8:30.
The first breakfast is Thursday. Speaker is the Rev. Larry Gillick, director of Creighton University's Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality. His speech is titled "Shame on You, God: An Illegal View of Sin and Redemption."
Tickets are $20. Preregistration is encouraged by calling Carol Bishop at 612-332-7471, ext. 255, or sending an e-mail to cbishop@SaintOlaf.org . . . . StarTribune
North Dakota Bishops Weigh in on Health Care Reform
.
Fargo Diocese lays out principles
The bishops for both North Dakota Catholic dioceses have weighed in on the health care debate, taking firm stances against abortion, and backing health care for the poor and conscience rights.
Fargo Diocese lays out principles
The bishops for both North Dakota Catholic dioceses have weighed in on the health care debate, taking firm stances against abortion, and backing health care for the poor and conscience rights.
The bishops for both North Dakota Catholic dioceses have weighed in on the health care debate, taking firm stances against abortion, and backing health care for the poor and conscience rights.
In his Aug. 28 letter addressed to priests, deacons, religious and faithful of the diocese, Fargo Bishop Samuel Aquila laid out several principles to guide the evaluation of any health care plan.
He writes that any “provisions for actions which deny the dignity of human life, especially abortion, euthanasia, whether passive or active, and embryonic stem-cell research must be excluded.”
Aquila also wrote that “freedom of consciences must be safeguarded. The moral voices of individual doctors, nurses and health professionals, as well as the general public, deserve reverence and respect.” And he made the case for health care for all, “including the poor, legal immigrants, the handicapped and especially the elderly and unborn members of society.”
Bismarck Diocese Bishop Paul Zipfel touched on several similar themes in his own letter, which was released Monday.
The letter states that legislation must “expressly and specifically prohibit any agency from funding abortion, mandating abortion coverage or preempt state laws on abortion coverage.”
Zipfel specifically backed health care for the poor and legal immigrants. He also writes, “Genuine health care reform that protects human life and advances universal coverage is a moral imperative.”
Aquila’s letter addressed the role of the federal government when it comes to health care.
“As our society seeks to achieve the goal of ensuring access to health care for all, the federal government surely has a role to play, but definitely not the only role, or even the primary role,” he writes.
As to why he wanted to weigh in on the issue, Zipfel said, “I think whenever we’re talking about human life and the dignity of human life, it’s an important issue.
It’s at the center of who we are as Catholic people.”
He said there is concern “that if there are some decisions made by legislators without regard for the principles we think that are basic and that are fundamental that things could certainly go in the wrong direction.”
Aquila was not available for comment on the letter, but the Rev. Luke Meyer, chancellor of the Diocese of Fargo, said that one of the primary missions of the bishop is to teach and that Aquila “wanted to frame the discussion, or help frame the discussion, in terms of certain principles.”
North Dakota is just part of a larger national landscape on which Christians are taking up positions on the issue of health care reform.
“I think you find Christians kind of all over the map when it comes to health care reform,” said Kevin Lum, national church and outreach coordinator for Sojourners, a Washington, D.C.-based Christian social justice organization.
But he believes most Christians favor reform of some kind.
Some would call Sojoruners a left-leaning group, but Tom McClusky, vice president for the more conservative Family Research Council Action, also believes most Christians favor some form of reform.
“It’s the form of the reform that I think is where the debate begins,” he said. Fargo In-Forum
Priest, Prophet and King: Baptism, Part 4, Mark Shea
.
Most of us don’t wake up in the morning thinking of ourselves as The Fulfillment of Prophecy. Still and all, we are. Oh, not because we are any great shakes ourselves, of course. Left to our own devices apart from grace we’d only be the fulfillment of somebody’s worst nightmare. But, when we are joined to Christ in baptism, we become part of the fulfillment of prophecy because he is.
Part III Our Needs vs. God's Needs
Part II Baptismal Complexes
Part I The Fountain of Youth
Most of us don’t wake up in the morning thinking of ourselves as The Fulfillment of Prophecy. Still and all, we are. Oh, not because we are any great shakes ourselves, of course. Left to our own devices apart from grace we’d only be the fulfillment of somebody’s worst nightmare. But, when we are joined to Christ in baptism, we become part of the fulfillment of prophecy because he is.
This is exactly the view Paul takes when he tells the Romans that suffering Christians are the fulfillment of Psalm 44:22 (Romans 8:36). And it is also the position the Church takes when it proclaims that every baptized Christian participates in Christ’s threefold office of prophet, priest and king.
God promises us through his word that “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18). Christ, of course, fulfills this promise perfectly, not only by his own prophetic words, but also by being the fulfillment of all the words the prophets have spoken. In our baptism, we share in Christ’s own prophetic office in the world, speaking forth the word of God and sharing in the rewards (and brickbats) that a prophet receives.
A prophet is not primarily somebody who predicts the future (though that does rarely happen). A prophet is a mouth. False prophets are mouths for the Spirit of the Age or Madison Avenue or sometimes simply themselves. A true prophet is a mouth for God. He speaks the word of God to the world.
But a Christian doesn’t just speak to the world. He also speaks to God. And the way in which we speak is the way Jesus speaks. That is, it includes, but is not limited to, verbal prayer. That’s because Christ is the Word made flesh, not merely the Word made word. The main prayer Jesus makes to his Father is the offering of his flesh and blood. That’s total commitment. And it is precisely the offering we are called to make: “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
In short, we are priests in Christ — as well as prophets. A priest is not somebody who writes the checks to the utility company for the parish, wears an uncomfortable collar, or stands in the vestibule shaking hands after a religious service. A priest is one who offers sacrifice. That’s it. That’s all. And the only sacrifice a true priest can offer is the sacrifice that God has ordained: the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, every baptized person is participating in some way in the sacrifice of Christ, since that’s the only sacrifice there is.
An ordained priest (the kind with the collar) offers that sacrifice in a unique way in the Eucharist, which is a participation in the fullness of that sacrifice since it is Jesus Christ himself. But all of us, when we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, are joined to that sacrifice, which is the source and summit of our worship.
Christ’s sacrifice is the moment at which he enters into his kingship. It is a kingship crowned only by thorns in this world, though in the next it comes adorned in glory that even the exalted language of the book of Revelation can only begin to describe. For some mysterious reason, some people are scandalized by the notion that Mary was assumed into heaven and crowned queen.
Yet all that this doctrine does is give us a living example of the destiny that awaits every believer in Jesus. In receiving her heavenly crown, Mary simply fulfilled completely the gift that Jesus has given every single one of us in baptism. For all the baptized are, like Our Lady, graced with a royal crown. As Paul says: “Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you!” (1 Corinthians 4:8).
Kings and queens exist to rule. Rulership in the Kingdom of God is exercised not by domination, but by service. Many scholars argue that, in John’s Gospel, Jesus, not Pilate, is portrayed as seated during his trial (John 19:13). That is the posture of the king, not of the accused. If this translation is correct, Pilate surely meant it in mockery, but John sees in it the same sign as the crown of thorns. By this sign, we are told who is really in command during the seeming kangaroo court that condemns Jesus to death. In the same way, we, by our lives of service to God in Christ, are ultimately part of the army of kings and queens who shall conquer sin, hell and death itself.
Parts one through three of this series on the Sacrament of Baptism by Mark Shea, one of the most prolific, and able, writers in Catholic-dom, may be found on Stella, here:Part III Our Needs vs. God's Needs
Part II Baptismal Complexes
Part I The Fountain of Youth
Duluth teacher-turned-missionary, Father Larry Rosebaugh, killed in Guatemala
.
Shot and killed by robbers last May while traveling with four other priests
The Rev. Larry Rosebaugh never considered himself a good teacher. But a former student, Carlotta Collette doesn’t agree.
Shot and killed by robbers last May while traveling with four other priests
The Rev. Larry Rosebaugh never considered himself a good teacher. But a former student, Carlotta Collette doesn’t agree.
She credits the Roman Catholic priest who taught at Cathedral High School in the mid-1960s with her personal development.
“I was receptive to things like civil rights, the anti-war movement, poverty,” Collette said in a phone interview from Portland, Ore., where she is a city councilor. “He just gave me access to express that.”
In mid-May, Rosebaugh was murdered by masked gunmen while traveling with four other priests in northern Guatemala. One other man was injured in the robbery, which netted the killers about $125, a cell phone and some religious ornaments, according to news reports. Rosebaugh, from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate order, had been a missionary in Guatemala for 10 years.
News of his death is trickling in to Northlanders, or former area residents such as Collette, who considered Rosebaugh a mentor.
“[Rosebaugh] was that combination of a very humble, quiet, kind of shy person, but also a very strong and powerful person,” Collette said.
“He had just this incredible moral core. It wasn’t something he wore on his sleeve. He was quiet about it.”
Seamas Cain introduced himself to Rosebaugh after he discovered that they both had been at the Selma Freedom March in Alabama in 1965. They became friends, and Cain said he was invited to live at the OMI residence, a big house in the Central Hillside where only two priests were living.
“I thought he was a wonderful teacher,” said Cain, a performance artist who lives in Cloquet. “He taught like Socrates. He would ask questions. You had to eventually come up with your own answers. He would make challenges; he didn’t spell it out for you. He was not domineering or telling you what to think.”
Gary Moland was a casual acquaintance of Rosebaugh’s, and said they didn’t always agree politically.
“But it does not take away one bit from the warm memories I have of him always being 100 percent alive and seeing the goodness in life and the fun that was to be had,” Moland said.
After leaving Duluth, Rosebaugh moved to his native Wisconsin, and was part of the Milwaukee 14, a group of protesters who stormed the draft board office and burned draft cards in 1968. They were each sentenced to 20 months in prison. Collette, who remained close to the priest, was one of the people on his correspondence list.
In 1977, Rosebaugh was jailed for four days while living in Brazil, where he had been living among the poor. On the day he was released, then-first lady Rosalynn Carter was in Brazil. Rosebaugh gave her a letter detailing his imprisonment. His actions landed on the front page of the New York Times, and other newspapers around the world.
“I carried that [clipping] around and had it on my bulletin board for years,” Collette said. Duluth News Tribune
Friday, September 4, 2009
Theology at the Fair II
.
What do you get when you combine three priests, cheese curds, and over 1 million visitors? “Grill a Priest,” part of Theology on a Stick, at the Minnesota State Fair.
What do you get when you combine three priests, cheese curds, and over 1 million visitors? “Grill a Priest,” part of Theology on a Stick, at the Minnesota State Fair.
Conceived by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Cathedral Young Adult group, this is the second year that the group has brought its innovative bite-sized theology program to the state fairgrounds. Housed in the St. Bernards Bulldog Lodge and sponsored by the Catholic Aid Association, the event, held during five evenings of the fair, includes a lineup of Catholic speakers such as Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche and University of St. Thomas professor Michael Naughton, “Grill the Priest,” Catholic music, and the opportunity for fairgoers to talk privately with a deacon or priest.
Last night, more than 60 fairgoers stopped by to ask intriguing questions of the three priests on hand: Father Nels Gjengdall, Father Erich Rutten and Father Ralph Talbott. They included questions such as: What is the Catholic response to the anti-science movement?; What happens when we die?; How did you know you had a call?; and How do we as Catholics respond to attacks on the Church’s traditions as ‘traditions of men.’ Tim Drake - National Catholic Register
Catholic faith, sacraments focus of Hispanic Charismatic Congress in Sioux City
.
The Hispanic Charismatic Congress brought people from across the Midwest together for a time of retreat and prayer.
The congress was held Aug. 29-30 at the Sioux City Convention Center. This was the fifth year a Hispanic Charismatic Congress was held in the Diocese of Sioux City.
The term “charismatic” refers to a Christian who believes in the outpouring of divine gifts from the Holy Spirit.
“What we are trying to do is bring people to God,” said Fernando Sanchez, president of the diocesan Hispanic charismatic committee and member of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Denison. “This is one of the ways to bring people to God and be involved in the church.”
Throughout the weekend there were more than 400 participants. Sanchez was glad that so many people attended. He said that the congress is one way to talk with the people and let them know all that the church has to offer.
“I can see in the people’s eyes that they are having a pretty good time, like I am,” said Sanchez. “There are a few Anglo people here. They don’t speak Spanish, but I can see in their eyes that they like to come to this also.”
While the congress was in Spanish, all were welcome to attend. Sanchez noted that he likes to plan events with the Anglo people.
“We are one in Jesus’ eyes,” he said. “We can see the Lord in everyone, no matter what race or where you come from.”
Catholic teaching
The congress included speakers who taught about the Catholic faith and the significance of the sacraments. The speakers included Father Michael from Texas, Juan Carlos from Colorado and Roberto Ramirez from Miami.
“They are pretty good speakers,” said Sanchez. “They talked about the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. I can see the results in the people. They have been talking about it. They are so happy we are doing this.”
During the weekend, there were songs of praise and the opportunity for reconciliation and Eucharistic adoration, as well as Sunday Mass.
Father Paul Kelly, pastor at St. Rose of Lima in Denison, was there to hear confessions and celebrate Mass on Sunday. He estimated that about 100 of the attendees were from Denison.
The priest said that events such as these “really motivate the people to become more active in the faith, and to evangelize more.”
“Everyone I spoke with commented on how well they liked the themes of the retreat,” said Father Kelly. “Diocesan retreats such as this one help people connect with others from around the diocese, and it helps people realize that the church is much larger than the local parish, that people in every place love the Lord and are trying to serve him in the best way possible.”
The word love
Maria Argueta, a parishioner at Cathedral in Sioux City, attended the congress for the third time.
“After this event I have energy. I feel like I can give love and good words to people,” she said.
Since she has children attending Catholic schools in Sioux City including Briar Cliff University, Heelan High School and Holy Cross School, she said she liked learning more about the church to be able to share with them.
She works at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City and said this is a way for her to gain strength to talk to patients when they are in pain.
“This weekend I learned about the word love,” said Argueta. “The word love means time. How much love do you have for your kids? How much time do you have for your kids? How much love do you have for God? How much time do you have for God?”
She enjoyed the community and being together with her friends that are from Sioux City and surrounding areas.
“We can talk and share conversations and enjoy families from different places,” said Argueta.
The Knights of Columbus regional director, Ken Kafton, donated $1,000 to offset costs of the Hispanic Charismatic Congress. The Catholic Globe
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Theology at the Minnesota State Fair?
.
What do you get when you combine three priests, cheese curds, and [much more than] over 1 million visitors? “Grill a Priest,” part of Theology on a Stick, at the Minnesota State Fair.
What do you get when you combine three priests, cheese curds, and [much more than] over 1 million visitors? “Grill a Priest,” part of Theology on a Stick, at the Minnesota State Fair.
Conceived by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Cathedral Young Adult group, this is the second year that the group has brought its innovative bite-sized theology program to the state fairgrounds. Housed in the St. Bernards Bulldog Lodge and sponsored by the Catholic Aid Association, the event, held during five evenings of the fair, includes a lineup of Catholic speakers such as Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche and University of St. Thomas professor Michael Naughton, “Grill the Priest,” Catholic music, and the opportunity for fairgoers to talk privately with a deacon or priest.
Last night, more than 60 fairgoers stopped by to ask intriguing questions of the three priests on hand: Father Nels Gjengdall, Father Erich Rutten and Father Ralph Talbott. They included questions such as: What is the Catholic response to the anti-science movement?; What happens when we die?; How did you know you had a call?; and How do we as Catholics respond to attacks on the Church’s traditions as ‘traditions of men.’ National Catholic Register
Archbishop Charles Chaput: A Man for Our Season [Pat Madrid]
.
To be a courageous Catholic, the kind which Archbishop Charles exemplifies, requires an unswerving commitment to always and everywhere 'speak the truth in love.'
My first conversation with Archbishop Charles J. Chaput happened over dinner at a mom-and-pop Chinese restaurant in South Dakota in early 1991. He was the bishop of Rapid City; I was working for Catholic Answers and had been invited to conduct a weekend apologetics conference there. From that first meeting, I could tell immediately that I was in the presence of a truly excellent bishop.
"Bishop Charles," as all the Catholics I met that weekend called him with proud affection, personified "down to earth." He was not merely being polite; he clearly was interested and engaged with those around him, listening thoughtfully and offering insights, advice, and the occasional funny anecdote with an easy joviality that put people at ease, while always maintaining the dignity of his role as shepherd of the flock.
I was impressed with Bishop Charles's humility; his palpable love for Christ and the Church; his quiet, understated wisdom; and his obvious pastoral dedication to the spiritual and physical wellbeing of his flock. I've met many bishops over the years, and I knew from that very first conversation with him that I was in the presence of not just a good bishop, but a great man.
A few years later, Bishop Charles become Archbishop Charles Chaput when, on March 18, 1997, he was appointed the new archbishop of Denver. I can recall the profound disappointment among my Catholic friends in South Dakota, all of whom were truly sad to be losing their beloved bishop; and yet, at the same time, they were joyful for the Catholics of Denver, knowing what a great gift they were receiving.
As the years passed, I have watched Archbishop Chaput's pastoral ministry with great interest. My intuitive perception of him in 1991 -- that he is a good bishop and a great man -- was continuously reaffirmed, especially by his courageous, outspoken leadership on critical life and family issues that form the front lines of today's culture wars.
But although Archbishop Chaput is an adroit and effective leader in the cause of proclaiming and upholding Truth, he always manages to engage his opponents with charity and respect, never talking down to people nor becoming rancorous with them, even when they do not respond in kind. His love for Jesus Christ shines through his words and actions as genuine charity for all those around him, including those who oppose the teachings of the Church.
In a recent interview, when asked if he ever became frustrated by the current cultural landscape and the public's seeming indifference to society's collapse, he responded in his usual forthright and courageous manner:
"It seems human history has been a series of times of us not taking the warning signs seriously. I think the reading for the first Sunday of Lent this year is the story of Noah and the flood. They were eating and drinking and carrying on and the flood came. They just weren't willing to take the warnings that God sends us and I think it is true about our time that we are not taking the situation concerning the Church and the world seriously now. . . . I don't know what we can do about it except to be persistent in our preaching and in our continuing to give the warning and that God bring fruit from that if He chooses. We shouldn't give up".
More recently, as a way to further his commitment to preaching the truth to a world that is not inclined to listen, Archbishop Chaput authored the best-selling book Render Unto Caesar, in which he lays out a masterful blueprint for "serving the nation by living our Catholic beliefs in political life."
In one chapter, titled "Men without Chests," he offers this sobering insight into our cultural predicament, the result of the widespread tendency to ignore God's laws in favor of secularism:
"A truly secularized United States would be a country without a soul; a nation with a hole in its chest. Such a state could not stand above tribalism in public affairs. It would become a tool of the strongest tribe. American belief in the sanctity of individual rights depends on a God who guarantees those rights and to whom the state is subordinate and responsible. And this view is not an opinion. It is the historical fact that provided the foundation for the rest of our public life".
"Secularism," he continues, "is a cult -- the kind of rigid separationism where the state treats religion as a scary and unstable guest -- hollows out the core of what it means to be human. It treats the most important part of life, the moral and religious, as a private quirk. It starves a nation's spirit. And it has never been a natural step toward democratic maturity. The rise of American secularism did not occur by chance. It didn't happen inevitably as a result of modern progress. As . . . scholars have chronicled, it came about through the intentional political struggle of secularizing activists in education, science, the media, and the law.Of course, turnabout is fair play. Believers can push back."
Here we see the beauty of Archbishop Chaput's strategy for "serving the nation by living our Catholic beliefs in political life": He shows us how to "push back" without being pushy; how to engage the political process while avoiding the extremes of politicizing our religious beliefs and turning our politics into a religion. In short, as the title of his book quotes Our Lord's teaching, we must render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's.
St. Paul echoes this theme in Romans 13:7: "Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due."
As everyone who takes his Faith seriously knows, being a faithful Catholic these days, amidst the tumult and temptations in the modern world, is challenging enough. But to be a courageous Catholic, the kind which Archbishop Charles exemplifies so vividly, requires an unswerving commitment to always and everywhere "speak the truth in love.¨ I thank the Lord with all my heart for this good bishop's good example. Catholic OnLine
Other posts featuring Archbishop Chaput that have appeared on Stella Borealis
To be a courageous Catholic, the kind which Archbishop Charles exemplifies, requires an unswerving commitment to always and everywhere 'speak the truth in love.'
My first conversation with Archbishop Charles J. Chaput happened over dinner at a mom-and-pop Chinese restaurant in South Dakota in early 1991. He was the bishop of Rapid City; I was working for Catholic Answers and had been invited to conduct a weekend apologetics conference there. From that first meeting, I could tell immediately that I was in the presence of a truly excellent bishop.
"Bishop Charles," as all the Catholics I met that weekend called him with proud affection, personified "down to earth." He was not merely being polite; he clearly was interested and engaged with those around him, listening thoughtfully and offering insights, advice, and the occasional funny anecdote with an easy joviality that put people at ease, while always maintaining the dignity of his role as shepherd of the flock.
I was impressed with Bishop Charles's humility; his palpable love for Christ and the Church; his quiet, understated wisdom; and his obvious pastoral dedication to the spiritual and physical wellbeing of his flock. I've met many bishops over the years, and I knew from that very first conversation with him that I was in the presence of not just a good bishop, but a great man.
A few years later, Bishop Charles become Archbishop Charles Chaput when, on March 18, 1997, he was appointed the new archbishop of Denver. I can recall the profound disappointment among my Catholic friends in South Dakota, all of whom were truly sad to be losing their beloved bishop; and yet, at the same time, they were joyful for the Catholics of Denver, knowing what a great gift they were receiving.
As the years passed, I have watched Archbishop Chaput's pastoral ministry with great interest. My intuitive perception of him in 1991 -- that he is a good bishop and a great man -- was continuously reaffirmed, especially by his courageous, outspoken leadership on critical life and family issues that form the front lines of today's culture wars.
But although Archbishop Chaput is an adroit and effective leader in the cause of proclaiming and upholding Truth, he always manages to engage his opponents with charity and respect, never talking down to people nor becoming rancorous with them, even when they do not respond in kind. His love for Jesus Christ shines through his words and actions as genuine charity for all those around him, including those who oppose the teachings of the Church.
In a recent interview, when asked if he ever became frustrated by the current cultural landscape and the public's seeming indifference to society's collapse, he responded in his usual forthright and courageous manner:
"It seems human history has been a series of times of us not taking the warning signs seriously. I think the reading for the first Sunday of Lent this year is the story of Noah and the flood. They were eating and drinking and carrying on and the flood came. They just weren't willing to take the warnings that God sends us and I think it is true about our time that we are not taking the situation concerning the Church and the world seriously now. . . . I don't know what we can do about it except to be persistent in our preaching and in our continuing to give the warning and that God bring fruit from that if He chooses. We shouldn't give up".
More recently, as a way to further his commitment to preaching the truth to a world that is not inclined to listen, Archbishop Chaput authored the best-selling book Render Unto Caesar, in which he lays out a masterful blueprint for "serving the nation by living our Catholic beliefs in political life."
In one chapter, titled "Men without Chests," he offers this sobering insight into our cultural predicament, the result of the widespread tendency to ignore God's laws in favor of secularism:
"A truly secularized United States would be a country without a soul; a nation with a hole in its chest. Such a state could not stand above tribalism in public affairs. It would become a tool of the strongest tribe. American belief in the sanctity of individual rights depends on a God who guarantees those rights and to whom the state is subordinate and responsible. And this view is not an opinion. It is the historical fact that provided the foundation for the rest of our public life".
"Secularism," he continues, "is a cult -- the kind of rigid separationism where the state treats religion as a scary and unstable guest -- hollows out the core of what it means to be human. It treats the most important part of life, the moral and religious, as a private quirk. It starves a nation's spirit. And it has never been a natural step toward democratic maturity. The rise of American secularism did not occur by chance. It didn't happen inevitably as a result of modern progress. As . . . scholars have chronicled, it came about through the intentional political struggle of secularizing activists in education, science, the media, and the law.Of course, turnabout is fair play. Believers can push back."
Here we see the beauty of Archbishop Chaput's strategy for "serving the nation by living our Catholic beliefs in political life": He shows us how to "push back" without being pushy; how to engage the political process while avoiding the extremes of politicizing our religious beliefs and turning our politics into a religion. In short, as the title of his book quotes Our Lord's teaching, we must render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's.
St. Paul echoes this theme in Romans 13:7: "Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due."
As everyone who takes his Faith seriously knows, being a faithful Catholic these days, amidst the tumult and temptations in the modern world, is challenging enough. But to be a courageous Catholic, the kind which Archbishop Charles exemplifies so vividly, requires an unswerving commitment to always and everywhere "speak the truth in love.¨ I thank the Lord with all my heart for this good bishop's good example. Catholic OnLine
Other posts featuring Archbishop Chaput that have appeared on Stella Borealis
Reminder!!! September 5, Feast Day of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa; Special Mass at St. Stephen's
.
Many Minnesotans are probably not aware that the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, has a house in South Minneapolis, not far from downtown. They exercise their mission among the poor and homeless of our community and are often seen in attendance at archdiocesan events.
This coming Saturday, September 5, is the Feast Day of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died on that date in 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 2003.
In honor of Mother's feast day, and in commemoration of her 99th birthday (she was born on August 26, 1910), the local Missionaries of Charity are having a special Mass said at the parish of St. Stephen, 2211 Clinton Avenue South, Minneapolis. Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' of the Archdiocese will be the celebrant. The Mass will be bilingual in English and Spanish. It will begin at 10:00 a.m.
All are invited to attend.
St. Stephen's is located two blocks south of Franklin Avenue, between Nicollet Avenue and the 35W overpass.
Please invite your friends and neighbors.
Many Minnesotans are probably not aware that the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, has a house in South Minneapolis, not far from downtown. They exercise their mission among the poor and homeless of our community and are often seen in attendance at archdiocesan events.
This coming Saturday, September 5, is the Feast Day of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died on that date in 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 2003.
In honor of Mother's feast day, and in commemoration of her 99th birthday (she was born on August 26, 1910), the local Missionaries of Charity are having a special Mass said at the parish of St. Stephen, 2211 Clinton Avenue South, Minneapolis. Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche' of the Archdiocese will be the celebrant. The Mass will be bilingual in English and Spanish. It will begin at 10:00 a.m.
All are invited to attend.
St. Stephen's is located two blocks south of Franklin Avenue, between Nicollet Avenue and the 35W overpass.
Please invite your friends and neighbors.
How the Dissidents Organized and the Churches Were Infiltrated -- Mandatory Readiing!
.
Earlier this week in a California Catholic Daily story, I described the Healthcare Toolkit produced by PICO (People Improving Communities Organization) and the Sojourners, with the assistance of Catholics in the Alliance for the Common Good.
How did pro-abortion Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez end up speaking in a Catholic Church? The “prayer vigil” for healthcare was sponsored by the Orange County Congregation Community Organization. This group is an affiliate of the PICO National Network. From the parent group’s website: “Today [we have] 53 affiliated federations working in 150 cities and towns and 17 states. More than one million families and one thousand congregations from 40 different denominations and faiths participate.” Ten of the Orange County group’s 22-member congregations are Catholic churches.
PICO was founded in Chicago in 1972 by a Jesuit priest, Father John Baumann. It continues to receive much support from the Jesuits. One of this year’s Jesuit Foundation grants at the University of San Francisco will go to “training 50-75 USF students, faculty, and staff in the best approaches to community organizing.” The Jesuit California province just released a promotional video, commemorating their 100th year in California: “Responding to the Call of Christ.” Interviewees included Steven Klink, from the PICO’s fundraising arm, and Amy Fitzgerald from their Oakland affiliate, Oakland Community Organizations. In the Jesuit video, the national network is mentioned as much as or more than Jesus Christ. How did Fr. Baumann come to start it? Answers.com says: “In the late 1960s Baumann had worked with community organizing projects in Chicago, where he became familiar with Saul Alinsky’s ideas.” [Say, who else learned to be a community organizer in Chicago????]
PICO’s website describes the Alinsky model: “Rather than bring people together simply based on common issues like housing or education, the faith-based or broad-based organizing model makes values and relationships the glue that holds organizations together.” In practice that means a power structure is developed with none of the participants knowing exactly what for.
I have experience with one such group. In 2000, my parish signed up with the Bay Area Organizing Committee. They are an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation, another Alinskyite umbrella organization. We held some meetings. Some other more active parishioners and I were invited. At the first meeting I asked the Bay Area Organizing Committee representative what we were going to try to accomplish. The answer was that we were going to join together for common action. But for what aim? I asked. He responded that we were going to try to build an organization that would work on issues affecting the community. The project never got anywhere, because it occurred only a few months before a change of pastors, and the incoming pastor did not believe any organizing committee beyond the Church was necessary. He also objected to the high dues required.
I received no answer to my question about the organization’s aims because the technique of Alinskyite organizations is to avoid concrete issues whenever possible. Issues such as abortion or same sex-marriage are to be avoided because they are “divisive,” and divisiveness would inhibit the growth of the organization. For the Alinskyite organizer, as for any political organizer, growth equals power. During the growth period, as far as they profess, your position on abortion is of no interest.
But there comes a point when these quasi-subversive methods no longer serve. Reaching that point is the aim of the subversive organization. Reaching that point is what justifies the subversion in the first place. That point is reached when the real goals the organization has been working for all along are within grasp. With the election of President Barack Obama, himself a Chicago community organizer like Fr. Baumann, PICO, (and ACORN and the IAF) think their time has come. The Orange County affiiate‘s 2009 Spring newsletter brags: “[Our group] is one degree away from the President of the United States…Yes, PICO National has arrived. And we have our leaders to thank.”
Right now PICO is running a national ad supporting “Health Insurance Reform”--the most divisive issue in recent memory. They are urging people to contact their representatives to express support. The front page of their national website features the ad and a story about the recent Faith Call between religious leaders and President Obama. In an apparent attempt to reassure the pro-life community, the network’s story chooses to quote Melody Barnes, Obama‘s Domestic Policy Council Director, who, PICO says “…reaffirmed the Administration's commitment to leave in place current rules that protect the conscience of religious hospitals and health care providers and prohibit federal funding for abortion.” That‘s hardly reassuring. Before Ms. Barnes went to work for the Obama administration, she was a board member of Emily’s List, the most effective pro-abortion lobby in the country. By allowing Barnes’ statement to go unchallenged, the network is repeating administration talking points. Since the healthcare bills in Congress do provide public funding for abortion, and the network is urging support, and Catholic parishes are dues-paying members of PICO affiliates, this means parishioners’ money is being used to lobby for the public funding of abortion.
Though ten of the Orange County affiliate’s 22-member churches are Catholic, in San Francisco, 22 Catholic churches are listed on the website of the San Francisco Organizing Project, and the archdiocese is listed as “a partner.” The San Francisco group is an affiliate. In San Diego 10 of the 27 churches on the San Diego Organizing Project membership page are Catholic. The San Diego Organizing Project is an affiliate of the national network. In Los Angeles it’s LA Voice - an affiliate of PICO. In San Jose, it’s PACT--eight of the 20 churches belonging are Catholic – another PICO affiliate. Go anywhere: in Denver, home of Archbishop Charles Chaput, it’s the Metro Organizations for People. Of the 17 churches belonging to the Denver group, nine are Catholic—Denver is an affiliate of PICO. Does this mean all those churches and bishops support the network’s lobbying for healthcare bills that include publicly funded abortion? Can anyone imagine Bishops Chaput or Cordileone or Niederauer supporting such a thing?
On February 10, 2009, I attended a Marin Organizing Committee meeting at St. Raphael Church in San Rafael. The Marin Organizing Committee is an IAF affiliate. His Excellency Archbishop George Niederauer had been invited to speak. His presentation showed that he was aware of the group. He emphasized that Catholics must remember that there is a hierarchy of goods, and that the issues of life and family must take precedence.
But because these prelates agreed with PICO on other issues, they tolerate it. [Coalition building is the primary strength, and an effective one it is, of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the DFL, that is the name that the national Democratic Party goes by in the state. If the farmers and the unions aren't particularly thrilled about the platform planks of the Feminist Caucus or the Sierra Club, they support them because they can command votes on Election Day.] And this policy has allowed the organizing committees to consolidate their power via Catholic parishes, using the parishioners’ own money. And now we can see the real face of PICO: publicly funded abortion is a price they are willing to pay for “healthcare reform.” Gibbons J. Cooney, California Catholic Daily
Earlier this week in a California Catholic Daily story, I described the Healthcare Toolkit produced by PICO (People Improving Communities Organization) and the Sojourners, with the assistance of Catholics in the Alliance for the Common Good.
How did pro-abortion Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez end up speaking in a Catholic Church? The “prayer vigil” for healthcare was sponsored by the Orange County Congregation Community Organization. This group is an affiliate of the PICO National Network. From the parent group’s website: “Today [we have] 53 affiliated federations working in 150 cities and towns and 17 states. More than one million families and one thousand congregations from 40 different denominations and faiths participate.” Ten of the Orange County group’s 22-member congregations are Catholic churches.
PICO was founded in Chicago in 1972 by a Jesuit priest, Father John Baumann. It continues to receive much support from the Jesuits. One of this year’s Jesuit Foundation grants at the University of San Francisco will go to “training 50-75 USF students, faculty, and staff in the best approaches to community organizing.” The Jesuit California province just released a promotional video, commemorating their 100th year in California: “Responding to the Call of Christ.” Interviewees included Steven Klink, from the PICO’s fundraising arm, and Amy Fitzgerald from their Oakland affiliate, Oakland Community Organizations. In the Jesuit video, the national network is mentioned as much as or more than Jesus Christ. How did Fr. Baumann come to start it? Answers.com says: “In the late 1960s Baumann had worked with community organizing projects in Chicago, where he became familiar with Saul Alinsky’s ideas.” [Say, who else learned to be a community organizer in Chicago????]
PICO’s website describes the Alinsky model: “Rather than bring people together simply based on common issues like housing or education, the faith-based or broad-based organizing model makes values and relationships the glue that holds organizations together.” In practice that means a power structure is developed with none of the participants knowing exactly what for.
I have experience with one such group. In 2000, my parish signed up with the Bay Area Organizing Committee. They are an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation, another Alinskyite umbrella organization. We held some meetings. Some other more active parishioners and I were invited. At the first meeting I asked the Bay Area Organizing Committee representative what we were going to try to accomplish. The answer was that we were going to join together for common action. But for what aim? I asked. He responded that we were going to try to build an organization that would work on issues affecting the community. The project never got anywhere, because it occurred only a few months before a change of pastors, and the incoming pastor did not believe any organizing committee beyond the Church was necessary. He also objected to the high dues required.
I received no answer to my question about the organization’s aims because the technique of Alinskyite organizations is to avoid concrete issues whenever possible. Issues such as abortion or same sex-marriage are to be avoided because they are “divisive,” and divisiveness would inhibit the growth of the organization. For the Alinskyite organizer, as for any political organizer, growth equals power. During the growth period, as far as they profess, your position on abortion is of no interest.
But there comes a point when these quasi-subversive methods no longer serve. Reaching that point is the aim of the subversive organization. Reaching that point is what justifies the subversion in the first place. That point is reached when the real goals the organization has been working for all along are within grasp. With the election of President Barack Obama, himself a Chicago community organizer like Fr. Baumann, PICO, (and ACORN and the IAF) think their time has come. The Orange County affiiate‘s 2009 Spring newsletter brags: “[Our group] is one degree away from the President of the United States…Yes, PICO National has arrived. And we have our leaders to thank.”
Right now PICO is running a national ad supporting “Health Insurance Reform”--the most divisive issue in recent memory. They are urging people to contact their representatives to express support. The front page of their national website features the ad and a story about the recent Faith Call between religious leaders and President Obama. In an apparent attempt to reassure the pro-life community, the network’s story chooses to quote Melody Barnes, Obama‘s Domestic Policy Council Director, who, PICO says “…reaffirmed the Administration's commitment to leave in place current rules that protect the conscience of religious hospitals and health care providers and prohibit federal funding for abortion.” That‘s hardly reassuring. Before Ms. Barnes went to work for the Obama administration, she was a board member of Emily’s List, the most effective pro-abortion lobby in the country. By allowing Barnes’ statement to go unchallenged, the network is repeating administration talking points. Since the healthcare bills in Congress do provide public funding for abortion, and the network is urging support, and Catholic parishes are dues-paying members of PICO affiliates, this means parishioners’ money is being used to lobby for the public funding of abortion.
Though ten of the Orange County affiliate’s 22-member churches are Catholic, in San Francisco, 22 Catholic churches are listed on the website of the San Francisco Organizing Project, and the archdiocese is listed as “a partner.” The San Francisco group is an affiliate. In San Diego 10 of the 27 churches on the San Diego Organizing Project membership page are Catholic. The San Diego Organizing Project is an affiliate of the national network. In Los Angeles it’s LA Voice - an affiliate of PICO. In San Jose, it’s PACT--eight of the 20 churches belonging are Catholic – another PICO affiliate. Go anywhere: in Denver, home of Archbishop Charles Chaput, it’s the Metro Organizations for People. Of the 17 churches belonging to the Denver group, nine are Catholic—Denver is an affiliate of PICO. Does this mean all those churches and bishops support the network’s lobbying for healthcare bills that include publicly funded abortion? Can anyone imagine Bishops Chaput or Cordileone or Niederauer supporting such a thing?
On February 10, 2009, I attended a Marin Organizing Committee meeting at St. Raphael Church in San Rafael. The Marin Organizing Committee is an IAF affiliate. His Excellency Archbishop George Niederauer had been invited to speak. His presentation showed that he was aware of the group. He emphasized that Catholics must remember that there is a hierarchy of goods, and that the issues of life and family must take precedence.
But because these prelates agreed with PICO on other issues, they tolerate it. [Coalition building is the primary strength, and an effective one it is, of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the DFL, that is the name that the national Democratic Party goes by in the state. If the farmers and the unions aren't particularly thrilled about the platform planks of the Feminist Caucus or the Sierra Club, they support them because they can command votes on Election Day.] And this policy has allowed the organizing committees to consolidate their power via Catholic parishes, using the parishioners’ own money. And now we can see the real face of PICO: publicly funded abortion is a price they are willing to pay for “healthcare reform.” Gibbons J. Cooney, California Catholic Daily
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Should women be ordained as priests?
.
The Cincinnati Enquirer wants to know. Thanks to Father Z, the "No" vote has burst into the lead! Check it out. The poll accompanies a news story about a nun who has been disciplined by the Archbishop of Cincinnati.
As of 9:00 CDT, the results are:
Should the Church allow women to be ordained as priests?
Yes 1,952 (41.4%)
No 2,663 (56.48%)
Undecided 100 (2.12%)
The Cincinnati Enquirer wants to know. Thanks to Father Z, the "No" vote has burst into the lead! Check it out. The poll accompanies a news story about a nun who has been disciplined by the Archbishop of Cincinnati.
As of 9:00 CDT, the results are:
Should the Church allow women to be ordained as priests?
Yes 1,952 (41.4%)
No 2,663 (56.48%)
Undecided 100 (2.12%)
What the heck is going on? Stella Borealis going international?
.
I normally don't make comments about "Stella", this blog that has been in existence since March of 2006. I thank all of you visitors who have helped to keep it in existence.
I think most are aware that I attempt to cover Catholic news and events of interest in Minnesota and the surrounding states.
But just now, I glanced over at that gizmo/gadget that I put in the sidebar to your right and I see six recent visitors from:
Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya (Former British colony)
Sibenik, Sibensko-Kninska (no clue where that is - Google says Croatia, formerly Yugoslavia, formerly Austria-Hungary)
Haar, Bayern (Bavaria,Germany; I was stationed there in the Army, but I have no clue where that is)
Tallinn, Harjumaa (I think that's Estonia or Latvia, formerly USSR, formerly Poland) [Estonia!]
Bangalore, Karnataka (That's either Pakistan or Bangladesh, formerly the same country, formerly British Indja) [Nope! It's Indja still, (British pronunciation]
Taipei, Tai-pei (That's Taiwan, formerly Formosa, formerly Imperial China)
Wow! If you go all the way down to the bottom of this page, you will see my Sitemeter map that keeps track of visitors. They refreshed it recently, otherwise it would be solid red in some areas. But it shows you that the Internet and Blogging is truly international.
Most foreign visitors probably end up here because of Stella's Latin name: Star of the North. But many might be Americans working overseas, too.
By clicking on "real time" at the bottom of the thingie, I found Glasgow, Scotland (someday soon they hope to be their own country) and Manitoba and Ontario, Canada, once British North America.
I normally don't make comments about "Stella", this blog that has been in existence since March of 2006. I thank all of you visitors who have helped to keep it in existence.
I think most are aware that I attempt to cover Catholic news and events of interest in Minnesota and the surrounding states.
But just now, I glanced over at that gizmo/gadget that I put in the sidebar to your right and I see six recent visitors from:
Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya (Former British colony) Sibenik, Sibensko-Kninska (no clue where that is - Google says Croatia, formerly Yugoslavia, formerly Austria-Hungary) Haar, Bayern (Bavaria,Germany; I was stationed there in the Army, but I have no clue where that is) Tallinn, Harjumaa (I think that's Estonia or Latvia, formerly USSR, formerly Poland) [Estonia!] Bangalore, Karnataka (That's either Pakistan or Bangladesh, formerly the same country, formerly British Indja) [Nope! It's Indja still, (British pronunciation] Taipei, Tai-pei (That's Taiwan, formerly Formosa, formerly Imperial China)Wow! If you go all the way down to the bottom of this page, you will see my Sitemeter map that keeps track of visitors. They refreshed it recently, otherwise it would be solid red in some areas. But it shows you that the Internet and Blogging is truly international.
Most foreign visitors probably end up here because of Stella's Latin name: Star of the North. But many might be Americans working overseas, too.
By clicking on "real time" at the bottom of the thingie, I found Glasgow, Scotland (someday soon they hope to be their own country) and Manitoba and Ontario, Canada, once British North America.
Show appreciation for those engaged in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services at the Blue Mass, Sept. 12
.
Rajah Kolb has attended every Blue Mass in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since it was established as an annual event in 2005 by Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn.
The term “Blue Mass” is a reference to the color of the uniforms worn by many in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services. It dates back to 1934 in Washington, D.C., according to the Knights of Columbus, which sponsors the Mass in many dioceses.
Blue Masses honor those who serve the community in those professions and those who have died in the line of duty.
Time to show appreciation
Kolb, the mother of Minnetrista Police Chief David Kolb, again plans to be at the Cathedral of St. Paul at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, when Archbishop John Nienstedt celebrates the Mass this year.
“There should be standing room only in our cathedral for this event. It’s a beautiful Mass with honor guards and music — and when they read all the names of those killed in the line of duty it’s very sad,” Kolb said. “I think these people who sacrificed — and their families — have to be recognized and appreciated.”
A member of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, Kolb said she is grateful to the archbishops for establishing and supporting the Blue Mass in this archdiocese.
The archdiocesan Office for Marriage, Family and Life, which sponsors the local celebration, also known as the Mass of thanksgiving and remembrance, with the Galtier Society, planned a short reception following the Mass. A fire truck and ambulance will also be parked outside the cathedral and available for people to look inside.
Angela Flatgard, natural family planning coordinator for the Marriage, Family and Life office, said the office has invited many people to attend, especially those who serve and their families.
Also asked to attend are local Knights of Columbus and Scout groups, including those who reached the designation Eagle Scout. (See the story about the 2 millionth Eagle Scout on page 4.)
Scouts were invited because “their mission statements embody what the civic servants have devoted their lives to,” Flatgard said. A space in the cathedral will be reserved for the Scouts, she said.
Although Deacon Otto Sherman will not be attending the Blue Mass this year, he believes the event is important to civic servants.
“It lets them know they are being supported by the community and especially by people of faith who are praying for them and for their safety and their well-being and their ability to respond,” he said.
Deacon Sherman, who is retired from a 30-year career in law enforcement, said the Mass means a lot to him and his wife, Gisela.
“It tells you that what you’re doing is worthwhile,” he said. “That whether or not the first-responders are ardent believers and active in their churches, what they’re doing is Christ-like, no matter what religion they profess.”
Kolb said that having this event in the cathedral highlights the love of God for all the men and women who serve.
“The Blue Mass is a formal show of gratitude and appreciation for what our son, David, and all the others have sacrificed, giving us comfort and keeping us safe 24-7,” she said. Catholic Spirit
Rajah Kolb has attended every Blue Mass in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since it was established as an annual event in 2005 by Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn.
The term “Blue Mass” is a reference to the color of the uniforms worn by many in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services. It dates back to 1934 in Washington, D.C., according to the Knights of Columbus, which sponsors the Mass in many dioceses.
Blue Masses honor those who serve the community in those professions and those who have died in the line of duty.
Time to show appreciation
Kolb, the mother of Minnetrista Police Chief David Kolb, again plans to be at the Cathedral of St. Paul at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, when Archbishop John Nienstedt celebrates the Mass this year.
“There should be standing room only in our cathedral for this event. It’s a beautiful Mass with honor guards and music — and when they read all the names of those killed in the line of duty it’s very sad,” Kolb said. “I think these people who sacrificed — and their families — have to be recognized and appreciated.”
A member of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, Kolb said she is grateful to the archbishops for establishing and supporting the Blue Mass in this archdiocese.
If you go» What: Mass of thanksgiving and remembrance to honor police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel » Time: 10 a.m. » Date: Saturday, Sept. 12 » Place: Cathedral of St. Paul |
Angela Flatgard, natural family planning coordinator for the Marriage, Family and Life office, said the office has invited many people to attend, especially those who serve and their families.
Also asked to attend are local Knights of Columbus and Scout groups, including those who reached the designation Eagle Scout. (See the story about the 2 millionth Eagle Scout on page 4.)
Scouts were invited because “their mission statements embody what the civic servants have devoted their lives to,” Flatgard said. A space in the cathedral will be reserved for the Scouts, she said.
Although Deacon Otto Sherman will not be attending the Blue Mass this year, he believes the event is important to civic servants.
“It lets them know they are being supported by the community and especially by people of faith who are praying for them and for their safety and their well-being and their ability to respond,” he said.
Deacon Sherman, who is retired from a 30-year career in law enforcement, said the Mass means a lot to him and his wife, Gisela.
“It tells you that what you’re doing is worthwhile,” he said. “That whether or not the first-responders are ardent believers and active in their churches, what they’re doing is Christ-like, no matter what religion they profess.”
Kolb said that having this event in the cathedral highlights the love of God for all the men and women who serve.
“The Blue Mass is a formal show of gratitude and appreciation for what our son, David, and all the others have sacrificed, giving us comfort and keeping us safe 24-7,” she said. Catholic Spirit
Archbishop Dolan: On Fostering Vocations
.
Over the weekend, 530 Serra Club members from 12 different countries gathered at their annual international conference in Omaha, Neb. “No one offers more support and encouragement for vocations than Serra,” said the host, Omaha Archbishop George Lucas.
Over the weekend, 530 Serra Club members from 12 different countries gathered at their annual international conference in Omaha, Neb. “No one offers more support and encouragement for vocations than Serra,” said the host, Omaha Archbishop George Lucas.
Among the attendees was New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Archbishop Dolan told Serrans that vocations can be promoted by the laity in four distinct ways.
- The first, said Archbishop Dolan, is by emphasizing the vocation of marriage and family. Citing data from a Pew Research Center study, Archbishop Dolan stated that only about 50% of Catholic young people are approaching the sacrament of marriage.
“Taking care of the first crisis will take care of the second,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Vocations to the priesthood and religious life come from lifelong, life-giving faithful marriages.”
- Secondly, Archbishop Dolan spoke of re-creating a culture of vocations.
“There were no good old days in the Church,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Every era in Church history has its horrors and difficulties.”
“We need to recapture the climate/tenor/tone/ambiance in the Church where a boy or man isn’t afraid to publicly say, ‘I want to be a priest,’ and where his family, relatives, neighbors, parish, priest, sisters, teachers and even non-Catholics are robustly supportive.”
- Thirdly, Archbishop Dolan said that the laity need to not be afraid to ask their priests to help them be holy.
“For a faithful Catholic, a priest is essential for growth in holiness because he gives us the sacraments, and without the sacraments we can’t be holy,” said Archbishop Dolan. “When you ask us to help you be holy, we realize that we must be holy, and you remind us that there is something unique in the Church that only a priest can do.”
- Finally, Archbishop Dolan said that priests must be reminded that they are here to help the laity get to heaven.
“A priest is an icon of the beyond, the eternal, the transcendent,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Heaven gives us hope and meaning in life.” Tim Drake - National Catholic Register
Duluth, MN
Region 08 District 7-
Serra Club Meeting #1: Pickwick Restaurant
Time: 1st Monday, 12 noon
Serra Club Meeting #2: Pickwick Restaurant
Time: 3rd Monday, 12 noon
New Ulm, MN
Region 08 District 7-S
Serra Club of Sleepy Eye, MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: 702 3rd Ave NW, Sleepy Eye, MN
Time: 1st Thursday, 7:00 PM
St. Cloud, MN
Region 08 District 7-
Serra Club of ST. CLOUD MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Pastoral Center
Time: 1st Thursday, 6:30 AM (Mass)
Serra Club Meeting #2: St. Mary's School
Time: 2nd Thursday, 12:00 PM (Lunch)
St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN
Region 08 District 7-
Serra Club Meeting #1: St Olaf
Time: 2nd Wednesday, 12 Noon
Serra Club of ST. PAUL MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: St. Joseph Hospital
Time: 2nd Friday, 7:30 AM
Serra Club Meeting #2: Joseph's Grill
Time: 4th Friday, 12:00 noon
Serra Club of MIDWAY - ST PAUL MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Lexington Restaurant, St Paul
Time: 3rd Monday, 11:30AM Mass
Serra Club of SOUTH SUBURBAN MINNEAPOLIS MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Our Lady of Grace Church
Time: 2nd Friday 11:30am
Serra Club Meeting #2: Our Lady of Grace Church
Time: 4th Friday 11:30am
Serra Club of NORTH - MINNEAPOLIS MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Jax Cafe, North Minneapolis
Time: 2nd Tuesday, 12 noon
Serra Club Meeting #2: Jax Cafe, North Minneapolis
Time: 4th Tuesday, 12 noon
Serra Club of NORTHWEST HENNEPIN, MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Holy Name of Jesus, Medina MN
Time: 2nd Friday, 6:45 AM Mass
Serra Club Meeting #2: Holy Name of Jesus, Medina MN
Time: 4th Friday, 6:45 AM Mass
Serra Club of TWIN CITIES AIRPORT MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: St Bonaventure Ch, Bloomington
Time: 1st Friday, 12 noon
Serra Club Meeting #2: St Bonaventure Ch, Bloomington
Time: 3rd Friday, 12 noon
Serra Club of WRIGHT COUNTY, MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Christ the King Retreat Center
Time: 2nd Thursday, 6:30 PM
Serra Club Meeting #2: Dunn's Coffee
Time: 1st Monday, 8:00 AM
Serra Club of ST CROIX VALLEY, MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: St. Ambrose Parish
Time: 1st Saturday, 8:00 AM
Serra Club Meeting #2: Green Mill Restaurant
Time: 3rd Thursday, 6:30 PM
Winona, MN
Region 08 District 7-S
Serra Club of WINONA MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: St. Casmir Church
Time: 1st Monday, 5:15 PM
Serra Club Meeting #2: St. Casmir Church
Time: 3rd Monday, 5:15 PM
Serra Club of MANKATO MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Good Counsel Education Center
Time: 1st Tuesday, 12:10 PM
Serra Club Meeting #2: Good Counsel Education Center
Time: 3rd Tuesday, 12:10 PM
Serra Club of ROCHESTER MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: Church of the Resurrection
Time: 1st Friday, 11:50 AM
Serra Club of OWATONNA AREA, MN
Serra Club Meeting #1: St Joseph Catholic Church
Time: 2nd Monday, 6:15 PM Liturgy of the Hours, 6:30 PM Meal, 7:00 PM General Membership Meeting
Board of Trustees Meeting #2:
Time:4th Monday, 7:00 PM
La Crosse, WI
Region 07 District 8-
Serra Club of LA CROSSE WI
Serra Club Meeting #1: Franciscan Spirituality Center
Time: 2nd Friday, 12 noon
Serra Club Meeting #2: Franciscan Spirituality Center
Time: 4th Friday, 12 noon
NORTH DAKOTA
Bismarck, ND
Region 08 District 137-
Serra Club of BISMARCK ND
Serra Club Meeting #1: Bismarck Country Club
Time: 2nd Friday, 12 noon
Serra Club Meeting #2: Bismarck Country Club
Time: 4th Friday, 12 noon
Serra Club of MINOT ND
Serra Club Meeting #1: St John the Apostle Church
Time: 1st Friday, 9:00 AM Mass
Serra Club Meeting #2: Knights of Columbus Club
Time: 3rd Friday, 12 noon Lunch
SOUTH DAKOTA
Sioux Falls, SD
Region 08 District 7-W
Serra Club of SIOUX FALLS SD
Serra Club Meeting #1: St. Joseph Cathedral
Time: 2nd Saturday, 7:45 AM
Serra Club Meeting #2: St. Joseph Cathedral
Time: 4th Saturday, 7:45 AM
Serra Club of ABERDEEN SD
Serra Club Meeting #1: Sacred Heart Rectory
Time: 1st Saturday, 9:00 AM
Serra Club Meeting #2: Sacred Heart Rectory
Time: 3rd Saturday, 9:00 AM
Serra Club of WATERTOWN AREA, SD
Serra Club Meeting #1: Immaculate Conception
Time: 2nd Saturday, 8:00 AM
Serra Club Meeting #2: Immaculate Conception
Time: 4th Saturday, 8:00 AM
Serra Club of VERMILLION-YANKTON, SD
Serra Club Meeting #1: Newman Center
Time: 3rd Monday, 7:00 PM
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Bishop Aquila outlines four principles for genuine health care reform
.
Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota Samuel J. Aquila has written a letter encouraging priests, deacons, vowed religious and laymen to become engaged in promoting “genuine health care reform.” His letter presents four principles on which to evaluate legislative proposals for health care plans.
--He said health care plans must exclude any provisions which deny “the dignity of human life,” such as abortion, passive or active euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. It would be “inherently inconsistent” to expand access to health care without safeguarding human life from conception onward, Bishop Aquila wrote. “True health care begins with the unborn child in the womb,” he explained. “When a given plan to provide care fails to protect that life, it is no longer animated by a source of truth and justice, thus it will not, and cannot, flourish.”
Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota Samuel J. Aquila has written a letter encouraging priests, deacons, vowed religious and laymen to become engaged in promoting “genuine health care reform.” His letter presents four principles on which to evaluate legislative proposals for health care plans.
--He said health care plans must exclude any provisions which deny “the dignity of human life,” such as abortion, passive or active euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. It would be “inherently inconsistent” to expand access to health care without safeguarding human life from conception onward, Bishop Aquila wrote. “True health care begins with the unborn child in the womb,” he explained. “When a given plan to provide care fails to protect that life, it is no longer animated by a source of truth and justice, thus it will not, and cannot, flourish.”
Killing unborn children, he continued, has “nothing to do with promoting health.”
--The bishop listed conscience protection as another important facet of health care for health care professionals, participants in health care plans, and society in general.
“The doctors, nurses and health care professionals who possess such medical expertise are prime candidates for coercion from those who would destroy the most vulnerable human lives. The right to follow one’s conscience, as informed by God, must be guaranteed,” he stated.
“In no way should taxpayers or policy holders be forced to participate in plans, whether private or public, which fund procedures that violate the moral precepts of the faith.”
--Another principle of reform is access for all, Bishop Aquila added.
“Finding ways to provide medical care to those who have none is a perennial priority for the Church,” he wrote, adding that access to health care must be ensured for the poor, the elderly, the handicapped, legal immigrants and the unborn.
--The bishop invoked the concept of subsidiarity as his fourth principle. He quoted the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s description of subsidiarity, which holds that a “higher order” of society should not needlessly interfere with or displace a “lower order.”
“As a society seeks to bring about any good such as health care, there are many organic and intermediate groups which cooperate together to reach the desired goal. There is a danger in being persuaded to think that the national government is the sole instrument of the common good,” he continued.
“Many different communities within society share this responsibility,” Bishop Aquila explained, naming communities such as the state, towns, fraternal organizations, businesses, cooperatives, parishes and the family as contributors to the social fabric.
The bishop encouraged readers of his letter to visit the web sites of the North Dakota Catholic Conference and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, located at http://www.usccb.org/healthcare.
He also exhorted Catholics to be joined by the Holy Spirit in “fervent prayer” to God the Father with Jesus Christ.
God is “the Lord of history who continues to guide and direct our world with the power of his truth and love. May we trust in him who continually inspires us to arduously work for the health, well-being and flourishing of all human life from the moment of conception through natural death.” Catholic News Agency
Life in a Seminary
.
The Columbus Dispatch recently published something unparalleled in secular journalism; probably in Catholic journalism also. They printed six major articles in one week on the life of one seminarian at the Vatican's Pontifical Seminary Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. And the seminarian they followed was Robert Bolding, who had formally begun his discernment at the St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul.
I published the first article here on Stella Borealis before I realized that the article was one of a series. The series ends with Father Robert's ordination last June in Phoenix. The homilist at Father's first Mass was Father Bill Baer, Rector of the SJV seminary. Father Robert obviously did not have hard feelings when he left SJV three semesters before graduating. It was his personal vocation struggle that impelled him to "take a break."
Here are links to the Columbus Dispatch articles:
"The path to the priesthood is the one less traveled as is evident by the 40-year low in the number of Roman Catholic Clergymen serving a growing church. To shed light on the mysteries of priestly training, and the sacrifices made by those who are called, The Dispatch followed seminarian Robert Bolding through his final year of study at the Pontifical College Josephinum for this six-day series."
As the Roman Catholic church struggles to fill its pulpits, a few young men step forward for rigorous training toward priesthood
Monday, August 24, 2009 ... Traffic snaked along N. High Street near I-270 in a bumper-to-bumper line of frustration as the sun rose over the Pontifical College Josephinum. The taillight-flashing bustle of commuters contrasted with the serenity a few hundred yards away, where students flowed quietly into a chapel inside the seminary's College of Liberal Arts building. . . .
Hearts and minds
Rigors of academic studies challenge seminarians, as does the sacrifice of priestly training
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 ... academic dean's office door: "What If the Hokey Pokey Is What It's All About?" Not much is so light-hearted about the curriculum for Robert and the other 163 students enrolled at the Vatican-owned Josephinum. "We don't offer under-water basket-weaving," Ross said. Like the other 45 Catholic seminaries in the U.S., the Josephinum's curriculum must conform to the Program of Priestly Formation ...
Living a world apart
Somewhat isolated in schooling, seminarians depend on local churches for contact with the real world
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 ... A Roman Catholic seminary is devoid of much variety beyond the personalities and varying interests of its staff, faculty, and students. Although hailing from dioceses across the world, the 164 students at the Pontifical College Josephinum last year were all males - mostly whites in their late teens or 20s. They were bound in religious devotion and united in purpose: To test ...
The call answered
God's work begins with death to self, a celebration of new life and the stark realization of challenges ahead
Thursday, August 27, 2009 ... Phoenix. With that, Robert lay down on the blue slate floor and buried his face in his clasped hands. The idea of becoming a Roman Catholic priest had floated as an abstract thought, unencumbered by the often hard truth of reality. Robert was busy studying and praying, day after day, year after year -- the final four at the Pontifical College Josephinum, a Catholic seminary on the North Side, where he took ...
The Columbus Dispatch recently published something unparalleled in secular journalism; probably in Catholic journalism also. They printed six major articles in one week on the life of one seminarian at the Vatican's Pontifical Seminary Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. And the seminarian they followed was Robert Bolding, who had formally begun his discernment at the St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul.
I published the first article here on Stella Borealis before I realized that the article was one of a series. The series ends with Father Robert's ordination last June in Phoenix. The homilist at Father's first Mass was Father Bill Baer, Rector of the SJV seminary. Father Robert obviously did not have hard feelings when he left SJV three semesters before graduating. It was his personal vocation struggle that impelled him to "take a break."
Here are links to the Columbus Dispatch articles:
Answering the Call
Robert Bolding's Journey into the Priesthood
(Click here for access to Video and Timeline Links)
Robert Bolding's Journey into the Priesthood
(Click here for access to Video and Timeline Links)
"The path to the priesthood is the one less traveled as is evident by the 40-year low in the number of Roman Catholic Clergymen serving a growing church. To shed light on the mysteries of priestly training, and the sacrifices made by those who are called, The Dispatch followed seminarian Robert Bolding through his final year of study at the Pontifical College Josephinum for this six-day series."
As the Roman Catholic church struggles to fill its pulpits, a few young men step forward for rigorous training toward priesthood
Thursday, August 20, 2009 3:17 PM ...Robert, 27, had prayed daily about the sacrifices he would make as a priest, and the challenges he'd face, since he decided nine years earlier to become one: He will never marry. He will never have children of his own. He will never lead a life of opulence or self-indulgence. But Robert knew he would gain a church family that needs him and other new priests more than ever in the wake of the sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the U.S. Catholic Church this decade...
Of all the vows taken by priests, pledging a life of celibacy is the perhaps the most challenging for seminarians and the Church
Sunday, August 23, 2009 3:25 PM ...The Vatican-owned Josephinum has zero tolerance for unchaste behavior, which is the national standard for seminaries set by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. At the Josephinum, where dating is prohibited, support takes a different form. "We'll never have wives to go home to share our lives with," said Robert, a Phoenix native. "What we do have is this brotherhood." That's something not fully understood outside the seminary...
The secret garden
Life inside the Pontifical College Josephinum is structured in solemn study punctuated by prayer (and an occasional beer)Monday, August 24, 2009 ... Traffic snaked along N. High Street near I-270 in a bumper-to-bumper line of frustration as the sun rose over the Pontifical College Josephinum. The taillight-flashing bustle of commuters contrasted with the serenity a few hundred yards away, where students flowed quietly into a chapel inside the seminary's College of Liberal Arts building. . . .
Hearts and minds
Rigors of academic studies challenge seminarians, as does the sacrifice of priestly training
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 ... academic dean's office door: "What If the Hokey Pokey Is What It's All About?" Not much is so light-hearted about the curriculum for Robert and the other 163 students enrolled at the Vatican-owned Josephinum. "We don't offer under-water basket-weaving," Ross said. Like the other 45 Catholic seminaries in the U.S., the Josephinum's curriculum must conform to the Program of Priestly Formation ...
Living a world apart
Somewhat isolated in schooling, seminarians depend on local churches for contact with the real world
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 ... A Roman Catholic seminary is devoid of much variety beyond the personalities and varying interests of its staff, faculty, and students. Although hailing from dioceses across the world, the 164 students at the Pontifical College Josephinum last year were all males - mostly whites in their late teens or 20s. They were bound in religious devotion and united in purpose: To test ...
The call answered
God's work begins with death to self, a celebration of new life and the stark realization of challenges ahead
Thursday, August 27, 2009 ... Phoenix. With that, Robert lay down on the blue slate floor and buried his face in his clasped hands. The idea of becoming a Roman Catholic priest had floated as an abstract thought, unencumbered by the often hard truth of reality. Robert was busy studying and praying, day after day, year after year -- the final four at the Pontifical College Josephinum, a Catholic seminary on the North Side, where he took ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)