September 2026
The
COURIER
Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org
Seeking the Presence Welcome Back! of Christ in Vacation By DEACON SEAN COSTELLO
By LAURA MILLER
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� few weeks ago, several friends and I participated
in the Communion and Liberation (CL) Summer Vacation for the Upper Midwest region, which takes place every year around that time. Marcie, a participant, shared, “Ever since attending my first CL Summer Vacation I have looked forward to it. Every year. It’s a joyful, fun-filled, meaningful and faithfilled time. Many ages, lots of families who follow what the Communion and Liberation movement proposes: Christ is something that happens to me now. There I join others who are seeking the presence of Christ in one another and in the reality of every day. There’s sharing amongst ourselves of our experiences and encounters with Christ. I am filled!” This year was different because we went to a new place, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains. It was a beautiful place, even though we couldn't fully appreciate it due to lots of wildfire smoke. But for one perfect day it cleared up enough to see the sun, blue sky, the mountains, and a spectacular sunset. Even with all the smoke, the organizers had prepared a variety of ways to encounter beauty in nature and in our companionship. One day, we drove to Black River Harbor for a hike and swimming in Lake Superior. Although you couldn't see much of the view, the water in the lake was crystal clear and delightfully cold.
Communion and Liberation Summer Vacation participants take a group hike in the Porcupine Mountains.
Another day, we did a short hike around the Presque Isle River. The kids had a great time clambering around on the rocks and exploring the shoreline. Some folks continued on a longer hike up and around more waterfalls. Even better than these beautiful landscapes, though, was the friendship and companionship we discovered amongst ourselves. As Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist parishioner Peg shared, “Although there were many places of beauty that we visited during the vacation along the shores of Lake Superior, the greatest part of the vacation was the meeting of friends, old and new! The shared
Vacation, cont'd on page 7
od be praised, now and forever! As we stand on the threshold of another academic year, I want to extend my warmest and most heartfelt welcome to all who support our Catholic schools: our dedicated priests, our tireless principals and teachers, our devoted parents, our magnificent students, and all those who provide support through their parish and from the broader community. It is a profound joy to embark on this journey with you once again this year. Whenever I think of our Catholic schools, I am reminded of the great intellectual tradition that has been present within the Church for the past two millennia. We do not view education merely as a means to an end or merely a mechanism for career advancement or social mobility. As important as those things might be, our schools are called to be something far more radical, far more beautiful, and far more transformative. They are called to be environments where faith and reason meet, where the human mind is awakened, and where the human heart is set on fire with love for the living God. In his classic work The Idea of a University, Saint John Henry Newman spoke about the cultivation of the intellect as a good in itself. He argued
Welcome, cont'd on pg. 7
INSIDE this issue
Show Up for Eucharistic Adoration page 7
Marriage Anniversary Mass page 8
Grounded in Christ pages 10-11