April 2025
The
COURIER
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
Hundreds Called
Foreign and Domestic Funding Cuts Hinder the Catholic Church's Charitable Work
Diocese Celebrates Largest Rite of Election This Century
By ISAAC LANDSTEINER
�hile many have heard about the current
administration’s efforts to cut or freeze foreign and domestic programs, some may not be aware of how this impacts the Catholic Church’s ability to live out our Gospel calling to serve our brothers and sisters who are most in need. On March 10, the federal government announced that 83 percent of programs funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were being cut. This includes many programs operated by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international humanitarian funding organization of the U.S. Catholic Bishops. For over 80 years, CRS has been on the ground in countries around the world feeding the hungry, fighting disease, improving access to education, and promoting sustainable economic development. Although there will always be a need to evaluate and reform programs to ensure that they are using taxpayer dollars responsibly and efficiently, the widespread cutting of USAID’s programming will have disastrous effects on
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ishop Robert Barron celebrated the diocesan Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at Queen of Angels Parish in Austin on Sunday, March 9. At this liturgical rite, our diocesan Church gathers in prayer with the catechumens and candidates of our diocese, accompanied by their godparents and sponsors, to acknowledge that God has called them to initiation and full communion with the Catholic Church. They now spiritually prepare, during Lent, to receive and celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil and in the Easter Season. This year’s 251 catechumens and candidates for our diocese is the largest cohort in this century.
Funding Cuts, cont'd on pg. 11
INSIDE this issue
St. Joseph Retreat
Think Before You Speak! page 6
page 9
Divine Mercy Sunday page 12