Speaking of Good Diocesan Web Pages, Check Out Sioux Falls

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On my rounds today, I noted that the really spiffy Diocese of Sioux Falls web page has a couple of additions that I hadn't noticed before. The web page may have been built under the administration of that Good Shepherd, Bishop Robert Carlson, now in Saginaw and probably expanded under the direction of Fargo's Bishop Samuel Aquila, also a Good Shepherd, who handled the eastern half of South Dakota for almost two years until Bishop Paul Swain took over Sioux Falls last Summer.

The Sioux Falls web page is really "multi-media."

Catholic Views A weekly radio program of timely news and interviews, along with a reflection of the Sunday scripture readings.

Theology on Tap Listen to the latest discussions from speakers at the Theology on Tap meetings.

The Rosary Online
Download or pray the rosary online with Bishop Robert Carlson.

Prairie Rome Companion Prairie Rome Companion is a weekly audio program which provides explanations of Catholic teaching and a Catholic perspective on issues of the day.

Bishop Samuel Aquila, Fargo, Delivers the Goods

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Many wonder why American bishops aren't standing up and reminding elected public officials who are Catholic and who support abortion and other anti-life issues of the teachings of the Church. Well, some claim to be doing it privately. Maybe.

Well, you don't have to worry about that with our neighbor to the northwest, Bishop Samuel Aquila, of Fargo. The Good Shepherd spoke last month at a special Mass in Bismarck, North Dakota's capital, at a special Mass organized for members of the state legislature. Here is his edited homily, just published today on the Fargo diocesan web page.

Our actions and decisions must reflect the dignity of the human person

In the Responsorial Psalm, we prayed the words, “Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will.” We acknowledged the presence of God in our lives and we acknowledged that we are called as a Catholic people to do the will of God. We cried out with the psalmist, “To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart” (Ps 40:9). These words speak to us of who we are as a people of faith - we are called to live our faith in the world, our hearts and our minds are truly to be formed by God, we recognize the presence of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, his only Son. Thus all of our decisions, all of our works, all of our actions flow from these truths.

Recently I saw the film “Blood Diamond”. It is not a film for the weak hearted, for it is violent and disturbing. Yet, the film asks important questions. The story tells of the trafficking of diamonds in and out of Africa and the brutality which takes place among the peoples. During the film, the question is asked, “What has happened to Africa?” One character replies “It seems as if God has abandoned Africa.” This is not the answer of faith, for it is not that God has abandoned Africa, but rather it is humanity who has abandoned God. Humanity does not wish to recognize God in their midst. Humanity wants to create God in its own image and likeness.

As a Church we are called to be a people who speak consistently to the dignity of the human person from the moment of his or her conception until natural death and to recognize that this reality is the lens through which we must look and the one that must guide all of our decisions -- that human life has dignity bestowed on it, not by man or woman, but by God. Each and every one of us is created in the image and likeness of God, every human being from the moment of his or her conception. It is precisely that dignity, that truth, which we must recognize as Catholics who are involved in politics, as Catholics who speak to society and to the world.

Catholics, no matter what field of life we work in, cannot abandon God. We cannot leave God at the door when we walk into the Legislature, but rather we must allow the truth of God and the truth of the dignity of the human person to guide us in every decision we make. With each law or bill we consider, we must be, first, a people who recognize that there is the inherent dignity of human life that is bestowed by God and that can never be violated.

Once we begin to be the ones who determine what is good or what is evil, once we begin to be the ones who determine which human person has dignity and which one doesn't, we will see, as shown in the film “Blood Diamond,” what happens to a society. In that society the lust for power, the lust for money, the lust for control overtakes and guides the human heart with the result that violence and murder govern the society.

Recently, there were raids on the Swift meat processing plants throughout our country. Archbishop Charles Chaput rightly spoke out against those raids as he addressed the whole question of immigration. He received an e-mail in response from one of the faithful. The e-mail read, “Sorry Bishop: No sympathy (from me) for the illegal alien criminals arrested by ICE. In fact, I hope their offspring starve to death. I do not pray for illegal aliens, I pray for their victims. I have no problem with God, and He has no problem with me. I hope their families starve to death, and it’s crap like this that drives Catholics away from the Church.”

One is truly stunned, not only by the hardness of heart revealed in the crassness of his language, but even more so that someone would have the presumption and the arrogance to say, “I have no problem with God and He has no problem with me.” To say that “I hope that their offspring starve to death” shows that the one who wrote this e-mail has no concept of God or the dignity of the human person as revealed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. The two great commandments do not guide his heart or conscience, and his conscience is either erroneous or dead.

We must ask ourselves what hardens the human heart so much that it refuses to recognize the dignity of the human person, whether it is the dignity of those in Africa, the dignity of illegal aliens, the dignity of the person on death row or the dignity of the unborn child. As Catholics and as Americans, we must discover once again what our forefathers knew in their hearts: The dignity of the human person is bestowed by God, and regardless of which side of the aisle we sit on in the Legislature, we must stand for that dignity and that truth! We must be a people who witness to it no matter what the cost. To deny or remove God from political discourse only opens the door to the destruction of the human person and to violence such as war, genocide, murder, abortion, and euthanasia as so evidenced throughout the last century and at the beginning of this new century.

We must ask ourselves, “What allows a person who believes in God to write about illegal immigrants in this manner and blithely go along thinking it is okay? Or to support the so-called right to abortion, even while possibly personally opposed, and blithely go along thinking it is okay? Or to cheer when a capital punishment sentence is given and blithely go along thinking it is okay?” Only a person who has rejected the basic premise of the dignity of the human person can take such stances. Only a person, whether consciously or unconsciously, who takes the position that “I will determine the dignity of human life” can speak about illegal immigrants in such a manner as we have seen above, support so-called abortion rights or cheer when capital punishment occurs. As faithful Catholics we acknowledge that the gravest attacks against the dignity of human life are those that destroy innocent human life as in abortion, euthanasia and genocide.

As a Catholic people we must be those who mean the words that we speak and pray, “Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will.” Those words must form not only our hearts, but our words and our actions. We must embrace the meaning and act upon the words we pray in the Our Father, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Every act of violence that attacks an innocent human person from the moment of conception to natural death is against the will of God and rejects the inherent dignity of the human person. Every Catholic politician must recognize and act upon this truth to be a faithful Catholic. Our forefathers and foremothers, mostly Christians, recognized this truth in the founding documents of our country, and we have sorely lost this truth today because of our denial of God.

I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, as we continue with the celebration of the Eucharist this evening and throughout this session of the Legislature of North Dakota, to stand in faith before God. First of all, recognize the dignity of the human person. Then, in all of the questions that come before you, search your hearts and ask yourselves, “Do I truly mean the words of the psalmists which I prayed this evening, ‘To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart’?”

Second, know that we can be assured by the words given to us by the author of Hebrews in the first reading. My dearest sisters and brothers, when you open your hearts to the Lord, he will pray for you. Let the words of Hebrews speak to you. Jesus is always able to save those who approach God. He lives forever to make intercession for us. Jesus is praying for each and every one of us that we may do the will of the Father. When we pray the Our Father during this Eucharist and pray the words, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” let us mean those words and believe that Jesus intercedes for us.

Finally, let us be a people who stand with our God no matter what the cost. We too may, at times, share in the cross of Jesus Christ because of our Catholic faith. It was precisely Jesus’ faithfulness to the Father and his love for the Father that brought him to the cross. It was the hardness of hearts of men and women who rejected that message that led to his crucifixion. May we too have hearts like Jesus that are willing to say, “Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will.”

During the upcoming season of Lent, I encourage all Catholics, and especially Catholic politicians and those in public service, to search their hearts on their obedience to the will of the Father. Let us pray that we may have the fortitude, not to follow the positions of some political party or some thought that wishes to deny God or remove God from all civil discourse in order to determine the dignity of the human person, but rather to be people who truly seek the common good in the light of the truths that our forefathers and foremothers held to be so evident and are reflected in both reason and faith. Let us pray that every person in our country and throughout the world who does not believe or act upon these truths may have a change of heart and mind. May every person come to recognize that the inherent dignity of human life is bestowed, not by man or woman, but by God alone. May we experience more fully the truth of God’s love for us, receive his love and extend it to others.

This year something different for Lent

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Various folks around these parts (St Blog's Parish, of course) are musing over what more/better/different things they should be doing this Lent. Catholic blogging seems to do that to people, those of you bystanders out there.

Well I just got a nice phone call from the Chaplain, Father Damien, over at the VA Hospital, not that far from where I live. I have been preliminarily accepted into their EMHC program (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, not Eucharistic Ministers) and serendipitously, the annual in-service training is next Saturday.

I have been dragging my feet on this for over a year. The VA has been very, very good to me and I would like to give something back. I'm thrilled.

It is a minor hassle. The Veterans Administration is under the jurisdiction of the Military Archdiocese headquartered in Washington, D.C. and my application and a letter from my parish, the Basilica of St Mary, has to be be forwarded to their ordinary, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien. I certainly hope none of you folks will tattle on me and inform him that I'm one of those gossipy bloggers!

Southside Life Care Center Dance for Life, March 3

My friend Russ Rooney emailed to tell us about the upcoming Dance for Life, an annual event benefitting the Southside LifeCare Center. Southside is part of Total LifeCare Centers, which I can assure you is a more-than-worthy cause to support.

This year's event is on Saturday, March 3 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Bloomington Knights of Columbus Hall, 1114 American Boulevard West, in Bloomington (south of 494 & Lyndale). Suggested donation for families is $25, and $10 for adults. (Reminder - all donations are tax-deductible!) The event includes a silent auction (running from 6:30 to 9:00), DJ music, and clowns. (And by that I don't mean the bloggers of Stella Borealis!)

For more information, call Kimberly at 612-823-4878 or via email at KimberlySSLCC@aol.com.

And don't forget a special shout-out to the sponsors of this event, the Bloomington Knights of Columbus Respect for Life, Exclusive Landscapes, Inc., LoonTune, New Foods, Inc., and The Catholic Servant.

Regulations for Lent For the Diocese of Duluth, Minn.

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Regulations for Lent

For the Diocese of Duluth, Minn.

In this year of grace, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls on the 21st day of February.

All days in Lent, Sunday excepted, are days of fast.

All the faithful, unless legitimately dispensed, are bound to observe the fast of Lent.

The law of fasting restricts the taking of food to one full meal towards the middle of the day, and in the evening to a collation not exceeding the fourth-part an ordinary meal, and excludes both from the full meal and the collation the use of flesh meat, eggs, and white meats, (milk, butter, cheese, etc.)

By apostolic dispensation the following special privileges are granted to the faithful in the United States—

1.— The use of flesh meat is permitted at the principal meal on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the exception of Saturday of Ember week (Feb. 25) and Holy Saturday (April 1). Fish and meat, however, are not to be used at the same meal.

2.— The use of eggs and white meats (milk, butter, cheese, etc.) is permitted on all the days of Lent, whether at the principal meal or at the collation.

3.— A cup of coffee, tea, chocolate, or other similar drink, with a morsel of bread or a cracker may be taken in the morning.

4.— When the principal meal cannot without difficulty be had toward the middle of the day, the order of repasts may be changed—the collation taken in the morning, and the dinner or full meal taken in the evening.

5.— The use of lard, or dripping, is permitted in preparing food.

6.— Persons legitimately dispensed from the law of fasting may use flesh meat at all the meals on whatever days there is general permission for its use at the principal meal.

The precept of fasting is binding under pain of grievous sin.

The following classes of persons are dispensed from obligation of fasting: persons under the age of twenty-one years, those who have attained the age of sixty; the infirm; those who are engaged in hard labor, or exhausting duties; women who are in a state of pregnancy or are nursing children. Those who excuse themselves or seek exemption from this obligation, should satisfy their consciences that their indisposition to fasting is owing to real inability and not to a spirit of self-indulgence. In all cases of doubt they should advise with their pastor, and all who are exempt should endeavor to supply as far as they can for the non-observance of the fast by other penitential restrictions, and should in common with others devote themselves to prayer and recollection, and to acts of sorrow and compunction for sin agreeably with the spirit of the Church in this holy season.

The precept of abstinence of flesh meat is binding on all, children under the age of seven years and the sick excepted.

By special apostolic indult the use of flesh meat is again allowed on Saturdays throughout the year, except when a fast day falls on a Saturday.

Pastors will hold special exercises of devotion in their churches at appointed times during Lent. Instructions, of a practical character upon the Christian duties, the nature of the sacraments, and the preparation for their due reception, should be given on those occasions.

The devotion of the Way of the Cross will be observed in all churches and chapels, when it is possible to do so, on the Friday evenings throughout Lent.

Our Holy Father desires that an offering be made by the faithful on Good Friday for the support of the missions in the Holy Land. We recommend this work of charity to all our people.

Besides the recitation of the Rosary in the home with the whole family united in this excellent devotion, we earnestly recommend the formation of associations in the name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Fruits the most abundant; conversions the most extraordinary; and outpourings of God’s grace wonderful to behold, have everywhere accompanied this last effort of our divine Lord to win the hearts of men.

Through it, priests find their missions production of great good and the people are won to God. May our deal Lord grant that every parish in the Diocese be blessed with such a holy union; for while gentiles rage and the people devise vain things; while kings stand up and princes meet together against the Lord and against his Christ, we cannot but see that God’s mercy is to triumph over all his enemies through the love His most Sacred Heart.

†James McGolrick

Bishop of Duluth

North-Western Witness February, 1893

I altered the first sentence of these 113 year old regulations to keep you wondering. What was interesting to me was that the Bishops were well aware that the average wage-earner was working six 12-hour days of heavy manual labor for not very much money and fasting as the Church prescribed could not be done by them.

Holy Trinity May Have a Seventh Grade This Fall!

In the February 11th bulletin of Holy Trinity in South Saint Paul, MN, Father John Paul Echert, S.S.L. announces that Holy Trinity will expand from a K-6 to a K-7 school for the 2007-2008 school year! This is contingent upon them meeting their minimum quota of 15 students in 7th grade. Father feels they are on track and it will happen. He thinks the opportunity for a K-8 school is possible, eventually, as well.

Father Echert says: "I am pleased to say that the Holy Trinity school program is solid, and our teachers and staff are very dedicated to the welfare of the children entrusted to their care."

Father Echert is the pastor for both Holy Trinity and St. Augustine in South St. Paul. St. Augustine has permission to celebrate the Tridentine Mass at 11:30 on Sundays.

Holy Parish and St. Augustine families receive a reduced tuition rate at Holy Trinity school.

Holy Trinity has a Perpetual Adoration Chapel. They also recently installed a beautiful angel on the roof. It has spotlights on it and you can see it for some distance. It's just beautiful.

Father Echert is very theologically solid. He has a regular column in the Catholic Servant (an Archdiocesan newspaper of apologetics and catachesis), he is on the list of EWTN Catholic Experts. He is also a military chaplain for the USAF Reserve. No "Catholic lite-cheese" is getting by Fr. Echert so you can be confident that this junior high will be orthodox. He states that Holy Trinity kids enjoy weekly Mass, frequent Confession, daily prayer and religious education. He's also an extremely learned man with a great sense of humor. Stop by and meet his dog, Buddy!

Some exciting things are happening in South Saint Paul. You should check it out! It used to be when people heard of South Saint Paul they thought of meatpacking and Harold Stassen. Not anymore. It's really a center of solid Catholicism in addition to a pleasant community.

The Principal for Holy Trinity is Mr. Lawrence Gallatin (651) 455-8557.

Backstabbing Catholic Blogger goes after his competition in the Catholic Blog Awards Election!

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The Curt Jester, who is believed to live in Florida (where they don't know how to count votes) is in a vicious electoral battle with some of the finest of St Blog's Parish Catholic bloggers. He nominated himself for every award, it is said, and is viciously going after his major competition, one of whom is our own, sweet, I.C. The Cad!

This year when you vote in the Funniest Catholic Blog category of the Catholic Blog Awards do you know who you are voting for?

While the Ironic Catholic has a delightfully funny blog, just how much do we know about her? Why is her blog anonymous? What is she hiding? Would we find it Ironic that she is a Catholic if we knew her?

Happy Catholic is another great blog and Julie D. provides both smiles and great insights. But I have it on good authority that she once didn't say grace before a meal.

Paul Nichols at the Catholic Cartoon Blog is one funny guy, but did you know he was born with original sin?

Gerald at The Cafeteria is Closed provides great coverage of the Church and has concluded with many a humorous line. But did you know that he named his blog after something Maureen Dowd wrote in a column? Can you truly trust someone who is such a devotee of Maureen Dowd that he would take his blog name from something she has written?

The Ox Files is a superb parody blog especially on liturgical matters, but opposition research has found that sometimes The Dumb Ox is distracted in prayer.

Kathy Shaidle at Relapsed Catholic has a wit sharper than a Ginzu knife and headlines that regularly invoke laughter, but did you realize that she regularly writes more about Islam than Christianity? Can you really trust a blog named Relapsed Catholic?

Fr. Erik Richtsteig at Orthometer is one funny priest, but shouldn't he be praying, visiting the sick, or something instead of making us laugh so regularly?

The Shrine of the Holy Whapping is surely the funniest group blog, but did you know that their members only put in a buck or some loose change when the collection basket comes around?

If you vote for the Curt Jester I promise you a 20 percent increase in guffaws and a rubber chicken in every pot.

I'm the Curt Jester and I approve this message.

Friday, Noon, Central Time, is the time when the ballot boxes will close! Get Out and Vote!

Another thing I would not have predicted for the 21st Century.

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Catholics set to pass Anglicans as leading UK church in attendance. Henry VIII is spinning uncontrollably in his grave.

Roman Catholicism is set to become the dominant religion in Britain for the first time since the Reformation because of massive migration from Catholic countries across the world. Catholic parishes will swell by hundreds of thousands over the next few years after managing years of decline, according to a new report, as both legal and illegal migrants enter the country.

It says that the influx of migrants could be the Catholic community’s “greatest threat” or its “greatest opportunity”. While in some places the Catholic Church has responded positively, in others it has been “overwhelmed” by the scale of the challenge. The growth of Catholicism in Britain comes as the established Church of England and the Anglican provinces in Scotland, Wales and Ireland face continuing, if slow, decline.

Average Sunday attendance of both churches stood even at nearly one million in 2005, according to the latest statistics available for England and Wales, but the attendance at Mass is expected to soar. [...Snip]

The Catholic Church is the first port of call for thousands when they find themselves in difficulty, with up to 95 per cent from countries such as Poland being practising Catholics. Some churches find that they are being used as both job centres and social welfare offices. Most of the migrants settle in London, where some parishes are putting on Sunday Masses from 8am to 8pm to cope, the report, carried out by the Von Hugel Institute at Cambridge, found.

The report calls on the Catholic hierarchy to act urgently to help the migrants and their hard-pressed clergy by investing thousands of pounds in new resources. Officially the Church is welcoming the migrants, but nearly all bishops and clergy have been taken by surprise by the influx, which took off last year and has yet to be reflected in official Mass attendance and membership figures.

But they acknowledge that the immigration is changing the face of Catholicism across Britain. From being an Irish-English church in a mindset of managing steady decline, the Church has within the space of 12 months found itself having to countenance an unprecedented expansion and change in its ethnic make-up.
Times of London

St. Helena's Friday Night Lenten Series

The Church of St. Helena in Minneapolis, which our readers know has one of the best adult education programs of any parish in the Twin Cities, will sponsor a six-part series entitled "Developing a Spiritual Life as a Catholic" on Friday evenings after Stations of the Cross. Each talk will be presented by a different speaker at 7:30 p.m. in Rowan Hall at 3204 East 43rd St.

The speakers and their topics include:

February 23 - John F. Boyle on "Living in God's Presence"
March 2 - Fr. James Reidy, Ph.D. on " "Difficulties in Prayer"
March 9 - Debra Selner, J.D. on "Surrendering to God in the Daily Grind"
March 16 - Christine Shannon, M.T.S. on "Devotions: Out of Step or On the Mark"
March 23 - Fr. Randal Kasel, M.Div.. on "Repent and Believe"
March 30 - Fr. Paul Sirba, M.A. on "Deepening One's Prayer in the Heart of the Churc."

The cost for each talk session is $4; however, complimentary tickets are available by calling 612-729-7321. Stations of the Cross will be held in the church at 7:00 p.m.

THIS SATURDAY - FEBRUARY 17 DOUGLAS BUSHMAN SPEAKS AT THE CHURCH OF ST. HELENA

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Don't miss this opportunity to attend an all-day seminar on "What Difference Does It Make Being a Catholic?" taught by Douglas G. Bushman, S.T.L., director of the Institute for Pastoral Theology at Ave Maria University in Naples, FL,, on this Saturday, February 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Rowan Hall.

The tuition, which includes lunch, is $30. For reservations please call 612-729-7321. Scholarships are available.

Church Tells Valentines to Look to the Archangel Raphael For Advice to the Love-Lorn

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Lonely hearts are being advised by the Catholic Church to consult an archangel to help them find love. The church is encouraging single people to look to heaven to find their soulmate in the run up to Valentine's Day tomorrow.

The Catholic Enquiry Office (CEO) in the UK is suggesting that, rather than enduring rounds of speed dating to find a partner, people could pray to Saint Raphael, the patron saint of "happy meetings". The saint, one of seven archangels, appears in the Book of Tobit, in the Old Testament part of the Catholic Bible.

The CEO claims that Saint Raphael, who comes to the aid of a woman called Sarah in the bible and sets her up with her spouse Tobias, has been a spiritual friend to generations of singles. "Many people have testified to the help they have received in finding a life partner through the prayerful help of the archangel," said Monsignor Keith Barltrop, CEO director.

"At this time of year, significant numbers are seeking someone special, or maybe dealing with recent heartbreak. Saint Raphael is there to help." He added: "If something is for our good and happiness, then God will answer our prayers as we ask."

Although certain that every prayer would be answered, Monsignor Barltrop admitted that the results might not always be what is expected. "You might be praying for a tall, dark and handsome person to come into your life, or a beautiful brunette, but God may have prepared someone quite different but wonderful for you," he explained.

"Prayerfully ask him, and find out for yourself."

The CES is offering tips from matchmaking experts on its website with information about St Raphael and details of a prayer campaign for singles starting tomorrow. The Telegraph

This impartial investigator wants to know where the Telegraph came up with the number "seven" for the number of archangels listed in the Old Testament: Michael, Gabriel; Raphael; ______; ______; ______; and ______.

Fill in the blanks and comment with footnotes and sources, please!

"Respect Life" Mass at Annunciation Parish, Minneapolis, Feb 17

A “Respect Life” Mass with Celebrant Archbishop Harry Flynn invites all volunteers and parish Respect Life Committee members from throughout the Archdiocese on Saturday, February 17, at 10:00 am at Annunciation Catholic Church located at 54^th Street just East of Lyndale Avenue South near 11^th Avenue South.
Catholic NewsNet Minnesota

Charismatic Renewal Day at St Mary's in Willmar; February 24

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Charismatic Renewal Day with Speaker Mother Nadine Brown of the Intercessors of the Lamb who will be speaking on the topic of “Your Kingdom Come” on February 24

The event begins at 8:30 am with registration, Music begins at 9:00 am, Mass at 9:30 am with Open Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, Mother Nadine Brown speaks at 10:30 am, Lunch and book sales are at 11:30 am, Mother Nadine gives a second lecture at 1:15 pm, Rosary at 2:15 pm, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 2:45 pm and refreshments at 3:00 pm.

The event is being held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 12^th Street and Kandiyohi Ave SW in Willmar, Mn. Please pre-register by February 14^th.

The cost is $10 per person, which can be mailed to Betty Bollig, 1410 Grace Ave in Willmar, Mn 56201 or phone: 320-235-8767. ($15 per person at the door) Catholic NewsNet Minnesota

"You Must Believe That It Is A Mortal Sin"

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There are three conditions required for a person to be guilty of a mortal sin: (1) the act or omission must be a grievous error; (2) you must believe that it is a mortal sin; and (3) you must will to do it.

Virtual all Catholics become skilled canon law scholars some time in their teen age years and become pretty skilled at rationalizing the sins that they confess when going to Confession. It isn't that difficult to manipulate the old conscience and turn them into uncontrollable addictions, genetically programmed instincts, cultural norms, harmless, etc. Thus a lot gets glossed over or totally omitted in the confessional.

Cathy of Alex, whose patroness, St Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of librarians, Cathy's occupation, blogging at The Recovering Dissident Catholic, has a great post today, niftily written, dealing with our propensities for sliding over our weaknesses, venial and mortal.

"...KNOWING the source material is the number one weapon of faithful Catholics. You don't have to have a degree in Catholic Apologetics from a university to be an effective Catholic apologist.

Realizing that I had learned Catholicism based upon defective source material was the number one reason for my reversion. When I actually went and read a Catechism I was stunned. When I actually took the time to read some of the documents of the Second Vatican Council II was overpowered by truth and ashamed of my malleable stupidity.

For years, I was taught, and I believed, that the Catholic church's teaching on conscience means we can all follow as much or as little of Catholicism as we, personally, see fit. I was even given isolated quotes from the Catechism that seemed to support this. For example:

1782 Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. "He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters."53 [....Snip] Read It All, and save it to your Computer!

14 February: Mary of Veritatis Splendor has made an excellent grammatical clarification to what I had written above: One quibble on language - we do not need to "believe that it is a mortal sin" for it to be a mortal sin; we need to have knowledge of the sin's gravity for it to be mortal. There is a difference there.

Those who do not believe in a "mortal" sin are still quite capable (and perhaps even more likely... Lord only knows) of committing it, in virtue of the natural law that has been given to each of us. Thank you, Mary! That's what I get for declaring that there are no Catholic apologists around here!

"The Wanderer": It's Time To Hold "Catholics" Accountable For Their Pro-Choice Views

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I stopped down at my neighborhood coffee shop the other day to grab a quick peek at the latest issue of "The Wanderer", the nearly 140 year old National Catholic Weekly newspaper that is published in St Paul. It might not be as timely as the Strib or the PPD, but you can be sure that the Wanderer, originally a German language newspaper, will have all the Catholic news that's fit to print plus a bunch of dang good columnists.

This week's issue had a nice story on the MCCL rally at the State Capitol on Roe v. Wade Day, something largely ignored by the secular media, analyses of some of the presidential political candidates and a signed editorial by publisher, A.J. Matt, Jr., going after the archdiocesan newspaper "The Catholic Spirit" for having giving favorable ink to a pro-abortion Catholic newly elected to the State House of Representatives, Patricia Torres Ray.

Matt said that "...'a woman's right to choose,' the code words that Torres Ray uses are plain to almost everyone. What they mean in plain English is that the proscription against murder as declared by the Fifth Commandment does not apply to the unborn.

Every Catholic shold know that homicide against the unborn is prohibited by God's Law, period. If they do not, they have no right to speak as Catholics on the issue.

Certainly they should not be able to voice such opinions in a Catholic newspaper. Is editor Towalski aware of this? If not, why is he the editor of The Catholic Spirit? Did he inform his employer, Archbishop Flynn, of the details of the Torres Ray piece? If not, why not?

Now that the Archbishop is aware of the details of this scandalous piece, what does he intend to do about it. . . ?" The Wanderer does not provide online copies of more than a small sample of its articles.

A word to the wise for potential subscribers to The Wanderer. Its columnists, the likes of Thomas F. Roeser, Paul Likoudis, Father Kevin M. Cusick, Father John T. Zuhlsdorf ("Father Z" on the internet), Pete Vere and others, are paid by the word and they are all rich. Make sure that you can block out a considerable amount of time for the reading of your weekly issue.

Live from Minneapolis: It’s ‘Sunday Night’

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Some folks call it "Theology on Tap." At the Basilica, it's Sunday Night! Live!

On one Sunday night each month young adult members of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis gather at a restaurant called Joe’s Garage to eat and talk. Not just small talk, but serious talk about issues related to faith and life.

The Basilica’s “Sunday Night Live” program started as an experiment, but has been a popular regular event for the last three years, according to Don Beyers, coordinator of youth and young adult ministries at the Basilica. The idea originated with Father Michael O’Connell, pastor of the Basilica, who wanted to get them excited about their faith and give them a chance to get to know each other, Beyers said.

“I would say our purpose is really to create an atmosphere where young adults, those in their 20s and 30s specifically, can really engage in their faith and reflect and discuss topics that are pertinent today in the church,” Beyers said. Fellowship is another reason for the program, he said. “People can connect with other young adults and spend time with one another.”

The discussion focuses on a different topic each month and is facilitated by someone with a connection to the subject. Upcoming topics include, “How Intelligent is Intelligent Design?” and “Life After Death: What Should I Pack?.” The program runs from September to June, taking a break in the summer to give the committee time to take care of planning details for the next year.

Beyers meets with a committee of six young adults to plan the next year’s events. “We try to sit down and think about what some of the pressing issues of the day are,” he said. Catholic Spirit

“Sunday Night Live” meets at Joe’s Garage, 1610 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, once a month after the Basilica of St. Mary’s 6:30 p.m. Mass. Upcoming topics include:

• February 11 — When Can We Hook Up? A frank discussion on relationships
• March 11 — What’s So Fishy About Fridays? Answers to your Lenten questions
• April 15 — Do I Kneel or Do I Stand? Movement as liturgical expression
• May 13 — How Intelligent is Intelligent Design?
• June 10 — Life After Death: What Should I Pack?
• For information: call (612) 317-3400 or e-mail dbeyers@mary.org.
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Trailblazers’ tour new Jesuit school in South Minneapolis

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School for low-income students combines academic rigors with employment experience

Natty De Luna of Minneapolis believes a new Jesuit-run high school with a unique education model will help his daughter achieve success. Gabriela De Luna Alonzo was one of five eighth-graders from Risen Christ School in Minneapolis who recently toured Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, being constructed in South Minneapolis.

The students each received acceptance letters to attend the school when it opens in the fall. De Luna said he chose Cristo Rey for his daughter because it has “a goal for the future to help the kids go to college and be successful people.”

Since 2001, 12 Cristo Rey schools have opened around the country, with seven more, including the Minneapolis Cristo Rey, opening in 2007. Cristo Rey’s mission is to provide a quality, college-preparatory education to families who otherwise could not afford to send their children to a private school. The success rate is high. In 2005, 98 percent of Cristo Rey students graduated. An impressive 95 percent went on to attend a college or university.

The school that works

What makes Cristo Rey unique is that students help pay for their education by working entry-level jobs at hospitals, law firms, banks and other corporate offices and non-profit organizations one day a week. Students can earn up to 75 percent of their tuition through the work-study program. Families are expected to pay the remaining $1,400 per year, with financial aid to those who qualify.

The Minneapolis Cristo Rey is the result of a partnership between the Jesuits, the Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation and Ryan Companies.

Jesuit Father David Haschka, president of Cristo Rey, said the Jesuits, widely known for their academically rigorous schools, have been interested in opening a school in the Twin Cities for some time. The Cristo Rey model provides an opportunity for the Jesuits to fulfill another goal, he added — to serve low-income families.

“In the last 20 to 30 years, we’ve been feeling a tension between two things,” Father Haschka said. “On the one hand, [the Jesuits] have a great collection of schools. On the other hand, they’re almost all serving upper-middle class professional populations.

“Along with that consciousness of a good collection of schools has been a call both from the church and from within our own hearts to serve the more needy populations,” the priest said. “The exciting thing about Cristo Rey is that it brings those two things together.”

Completion of the $30 million, 173,000-square-foot school, located on the corner of 4th Avenue S. and E. Lake Street, is slated for June 29.

Imagining the future

Cristo Rey will open with one class of about 125 students in fall 2007. Other classes will be added over the next three years. Jesuit Father Bill Johnson, admissions director, called the members of the class of 2011 “trailblazers.”

The Risen Christ students strolled through the dusty halls of their future school as a representative from Minneapolis construction firm Ryan Companies pointed out where their classrooms and lockers would be. On the second floor of the three-story, glass-front building, Jesuit Father Bill Johnson, admissions director, told the students to look out the windows. “You can see the office towers, the big skyscrapers downtown where many of you over the next four years will have an office, will have a desk, will be doing real work in real jobs,” he said.

Minneapolis law firm Dorsey and Whitney, LLP, is one of more than 25 companies that have committed to providing internships to Cristo Rey students. Steve Lucke, a partner at the firm, said participating in Cristo Rey’s work-study program provides a way to help the community “in a way that makes sense for our business and most important to help the kids achieve the objective that they want, which is to attend a challenging college-preparatory school.”

Kris Melloy, principal of Cristo Rey, said she looks forward to putting into practice some of the lessons she has been teaching as a professor of special education at the University of St. Thomas during the past 18 years. “I really look at this as an invitation from God to go bigger than what I was already doing and to give back to the world what I’ve been prepared to do and share my gifts better than I’ve ever had a chance to do in my life,” Melloy said. “It’s a life’s calling.”

Natty De Luna, a parishioner of Holy Rosary in Minneapolis, said although he has concerns about his daughter working at a young age, he believes she will learn important job skills and discipline that will help her in the future. De Luna, a gardener who immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1982, said already he is looking into colleges for Gabriela.

“I don’t want her to be a person working for McDonald’s or cleaning offices,” he said. “She has an opportunity. She’s a citizen. She’s got everything in her hands, all the support and help. I hope and expect that she can get a career. “Catholic education,” he added, “is about the hope of getting [kids] in a better way, a better life, a better future.”

For more information about Cristo Rey, contact Father David Haschka at (612) 276-0140 or dhaschka@cristoreytc.org. Catholic Spirit

2007 Catholic Blog Awards Voting is now in Progress

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When Stella Borealis was envisioned last spring, one of its missions was to promote other blogs in the area because it was recognized that there is real talent here that deserved to be recognized.

The result of the nominations for the annual Catholic Blog Awards, announced yesterday, resulted in 20 local bloggers receiving nominations for the annual awards. Many received more than one nomination, some got four or five. That’s about half of the total number of blogs originating from the Minnesota area.

What a wonderful testimony to the Catholic talent learning and living and talking about their faith!

I thank them for their contributions in this past year and I also thank those who took the time and the trouble to make the nominations.

And I thank those who nominated me.

The voting is now in progress and will continue until noon on Friday, February 16. You do have to register to ensure that people don’t vote more than once, and voting can be done here.

On The Other Hand: Embryonic stem cell pioneer says cures likely decades away

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The scientist whose group took part in groundbreaking embryonic stem cell research in 1998 says cures using embryonic stem cells are likely decades away.

University of Wisconsin scientist James Thomson made the comments during a speech Feb. 8 in Lake Delton, Wis., to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association's annual convention, the Associated Press reported. In 1998, Thomson's team became the first group to grow human embryonic stem cells in culture, sparking a controversy over the use of embryos in stem cell research that continues to this day.

Although some supporters of embryonic stem cell research have implied cures are just around the corner, Thomson cautioned that cures probably are decades away, AP said. While Thomson believes researchers will learn how to grow embryonic stem cells into various forms of body tissue and organs within a decade, he also thinks safety concerns will delay cures for humans, AP reported.

“I don’t want to sound too pessimistic because this is all doable, but it’s going to be very hard,” Thomson told convention attendees, according to the Associated Press. “Ultimately, those transplantation therapies should work but it’s likely to take a long time.”

Among the obstacles, Thomson said, scientists still must learn how to grow the stem cells into the body's different types of tissues and organs, AP said. Another obstacle, he said, is preventing cancer from growing during transplantation. [....snip] LifeDigest, Baptist Press News

Finally, a Compelling Use for Adult Stem Cells that will take attention from Embryonic Stem Cells

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Women have grown their own breast implants through pioneering stem cell treatment, it emerged yesterday.

Scientists harvested the stem cells from the women's own fat and encouraged them to form breast tissue.

They say the result gives a more natural look than many of the synthetic implants used by showbusiness stars like Pamela Anderson.

The Japanese teams have carried out trials on dozens of women and say they have had no problems.

They say the treatment will be routinely available from plastic surgeons within five years. [...Snip] The Daily Mail