October 2025
The
COURIER
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
Pilgrimages of H
Implementing ope the Diocesan Synod By BRIAN KUSEK
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Participants walk on the Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation that began and ended at Cascade Meadows in Rochester on September 20, one of numerous such pilgrimages taking place in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester this fall.
Submitted by MARY VLAZNY
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n this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Laudato Si Movement Minnesota Chapter is promoting Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation across Minnesota. Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation is a faith-filled movement launched by a broad coalition of U.S. Catholic organizations. It is meant to encourage U.S. Catholics to embark on local pilgrimages during the 2025 Jubilee Year, to pray for the grace to encounter Christ in creation, and restore our relationships with God, creation, and one another. The initiative is rooted in Pope Francis’ Laudato
Si', which underscores the importance of caring for the earth as a moral responsibility, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, and the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.
Why Are Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation Happening in 2025? The year 2025 marks both the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si’. To mark this pivotal year,
Pilgrimages of Hope, cont'd on pg. 6
ecently, our diocese celebrated its second Synod, a historic opportunity for the faithful to come together and to invite the Holy Spirit to direct us in discerning the pastoral needs and concerns for the local Church, in order to advise the Bishop in the exercise of his apostolic ministry. It was a wonderfully prayerful event, in which 226 participants discerned, through constructive dialogue, the good of all those in Southern Minnesota. Many themes were discussed in relation to evangelization and vocations: beauty, reverence, social justice, the importance of institutions, technological advances, and support for the domestic church. There were plenty of divergences, to be sure, but not nearly as many as one might expect for such a diverse assembly. All conversations were had with a spirit of mutual respect and Christian charity. The key was to lay aside our personal projects and biases and to trust in the direction of the Holy Spirit. It was a beautiful example of the “style” or “attitude” for fostering church communion and participation that Pope Leo has so often described, all oriented at proclaiming a more credible witness to the world. In the end, participants voted on 30 proposals related to evangelization and vocations. These
Synod, cont'd on pg. 13
INSIDE this issue
Hope in Action page 7
Remembering Bishop Harrington pages 10-11
Meet Our New Seminarians! pages 14-15