August 2026
The
M
COURIER H
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
Notes from inistry of ope a Day F .J H W P T L ' H M Evangelizing r
oe
ennen
alked with
eople hrough ife s
ardest
oments
By LAURA ARCHBOLD
with St. Paul Street Evangelization
The following article was submitted to The Courier nearly two weeks prior to, and without anticipation of, Fr. Joseph Hennen's death on July 17, 2026. Fr. Hennen's obituary is on page 17.
�nside Benedictine Living Community Madonna
Towers in Rochester, residents gather for Mass, prayer, conversation and companionship. Some arrive in wheelchairs. Others quietly watch from their rooms on closed-circuit television, too weak to attend in person. At the center of it all is Christ, and, for the past ten years, Fr. Joe Hennen, whose ministry of compassionate presence has become a steady source of comfort, encouragement and hope for many navigating illnesses, loneliness, grief and the challenges of aging. Now 85 years old and nearly 60 years ordained, Fr. Joe still carries the words that appeared on his ordination card in 1967. “I will speak to them of hope, freedom, and the power of God,” he reflected. “Really, that has been my motto through life. No matter where I’m at.” Today, those words continue to shape his ministry at Madonna Towers-Benedictine Health System in Rochester, where he has served for the past decade. Fr. Joe does not see his ministry there as retirement or institutional work. He sees it as another place the Lord has called him to serve and accompany people. Those who serve alongside him see that call lived
By DEB MCMANIMON
�ur team has been blessed to have Bishop
Fr. Hennen, cont'd on page 16
Barron join us on the street each year. As the day approached for our scheduled outing this June, I was keeping an eye on the weather, and it looked pretty bleak. Most forecasts were calling for anywhere from a 60-95% chance of rain during our planned time out. We were asked if we planned to cancel, but knowing how hard it is to reschedule, we decided to go ahead and pick some alternate spots to go to, if the predicted rain happened. The rain held off until midday and then began. As we made the 40-minute drive to Rochester, it kept coming down harder. Our team met at our usual meetup spot, prayed, and headed over through the subway and skyway system. Just as we got outdoors, the rain slowed to a sprinkle, then stopped, and the sun even came out for a bit, just as Bishop Barron was to arrive. Thank you, Lord, for answered prayers. A surprisingly large group of people were out and about that afternoon.
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out in quiet, faithful ways. Sr. JoAnn Chevalier, OSF, BCC, Spiritual Care Chaplain at Madonna Towers, said Fr. Joe’s priesthood has deeply blessed both residents and staff. “We love Fr. Joe and are grateful for his ‘Yes’ to God,” Sr. JoAnn said. “He has walked
Evangelizing, cont'd on pg. 6
INSIDE this issue
Buying a Billboard page 8
pages 10-11
page 14