Bus tour 4 • Immigration Mass 9 • Seminarian play 21 April 10, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
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t was witnessing others live out their Catholic faith that inspired K.D. Howells (pictured) to join the Church. For engaged couple Krystal Schultz and Jeffrey Stamp, it was prayer. The three are among the nearly 700 in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who will be initiated as Catholics this Easter. Read their stories of faith on pages 12-13.
ALSO inside
In memory of Quinn
Symbols of Lent
Living Stations
Family seeks to build chapel in local children’s hospital. — Page 5
Sacramental signs bring us closer to the saving mysteries we celebrate. — Page 11
Ham Lake youth perform the Passion. — Rediscover: section
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“The man and woman are consecrated for love. Through the sacrament, the spouses are given a real mission to make visible — even through simple and ordinary gestures — the love with which Christ loves his church.” — Pope Francis, speaking on marriage at his general audience April 2
NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
Cretin-Derham Hall names new president CANDLELIGHT VIGIL People hold candles during an April 7 candlelight vigil for passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. CNS photo/Samsul Said, Reuters
The board of directors of Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul and the school’s co-sponsors — the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the Brothers of the Christian Schools — have announced that Frank Miley will serve as president of the high school effective July 1, 2015. He will succeed Richard Engler, who is retiring in July 2015 following 25 years of service to the school. During the 2014-2015 school year, Miley, who has served as the school’s director of development for the last five years, will serve as executive vice-president. Miley holds a current Minnesota attorney license, as well as K-12 principal and teaching licenses. He taught religion from 1985 to 1995 at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights while attending William Mitchell College of Law part time. Previously, he has served as an assistant county attorney for Ramsey County, president of Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria and vice president for strategic planning and administration at William Mitchell College of Law.
Archbishop has Mass for deploying soldiers PRAYERS FOR RWANDA A woman holds a child during Mass at St. Famille Church in Kigali April 6, one day ahead of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. An estimated 1 million people were murdered in savage acts of ethnic violence. CNS photo/Noor Khamis, Reuters
WHAT’S NEW on social media A Catholic Spirit Facebook post this week asks: How are you evangelizing during this Lenten season? Follow the latest news about the local and universal Church by following The Catholic Spirit on Twitter @CatholicSpirit. On April 1, Catholic Bishops traveled to the U.S./Mexican border and held a Mass to pray for Immigration Reform and for those who have died trying to cross the Border — See a video of the Mass at www.justiceforimmigrants.org. Share your favorite meatless meals with us on Pinterest! Just include #TCSlent in the description field when you pin your favorite Lenten meals.
The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 19 — No. 8 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT, Publisher JOE TOWALSKI, Editor
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Archbishop John Nienstedt presided at a special Mass and deployment ceremony for the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade and their families April 6 at St. Joseph, West St. Paul. Father Michael Creagan, chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard unit and pastor of St. Joseph, was the homilist, and presented prayer coins to the soldiers.
Command Sgt. Maj. James Kampsen, of the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade, receives a prayer coin from Chaplain Capt. Michael Creagan, pastor at St. Joseph, West St. Paul April 6. Photo by Spc. Jess Nemec
The 34th Combat Aviation Brigade supports the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division From right, Chaplain Maj. Richard Rittmaster sits with and the State of Staff Sgt. Steve Howe and Master Sgt. Tim Mellen Minnesota by providing during the Mass. Photo by Spc. Jess Nemec aviation assets for both federal and state active duty missions. They will be deployed to Kuwait this summer.
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3 As we approach the holiest week of the year, a week in which the whole Church reverently relives the events that led to our salvation, our thoughts naturally turn to the Holy Land. We are mindful of the fact that followers of Jesus Christ are caught in the middle between the Israelis and the Palestinians, receiving relatively little assistance from either side. The numbers of Christians leaving their homes in search of better living conditions is constantly on the rise. This should be of concern for all Christians, as the legacy of the places associated with Jesus’ life, passion, death and resurrection are not just inanimate objects as you might find in a museum, but rather religious symbols of a living faith that continue to provide meaning today. A collection is annually taken up in each parish at the Good Friday service in order to support the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, an organization that acts on behalf of THAT THEY MAY the Holy See to promote the pastoral, charitaALL BE ONE ble, educational and social works of Christians living within this most special place. For exArchbishop ample, senior care facilities have been built in John Nienstedt Bethlehem and Nazareth. Medical assistance also has been provided for the needy. The Franciscans provide pastoral care in 29 parishes there, care that involves worship, Christian formation, youth and family programs, and the construction of new parish centers in Jericho and Cana. They also currently operate schools offering pre-K through grade 12 education for some 10,000 students, regardless of religion or nationality. Some 120 young men are preparing to be priests or brothers. Franciscan archaeologists pursue research at the holy places, while the Franciscan Media Center distributes multimedia messaging in more than seven languages throughout the world. Last but not least, the Franciscans extend their ministry to the large number of pilgrims who visit every year. Truly, the papal Good Friday collection is well deserving of our support. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has for decades urged that a constructive framework be found for resolving the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The bishops are aware that such negotiations are challenging, but as people of faith, they also know that peace is possible.
“What I am urging our Catholic people to do this year, in addition to financially supporting the Holy Land collection, is to redouble our prayer and fasting, especially during these last days of Lent, and to offer this up for true and lasting peace in that region.” Archbishop John Nienstedt
From the Archbishop
Supporting fellow Christians in the Holy Land
The present status quo undermines the future of all involved — the Israelis lack security and recognition, while the Palestinians suffer from unemployment and the indignity of occupation. Pope Francis, himself, is giving witness to the hope of a just and lasting solution to the conflict by his scheduled visit to the Holy Land from May 24 to 26. Let us pray that much good will come from this visit. What I am urging our Catholic people to do this year, in addition to financially supporting the Holy Land collection, is to redouble our prayer and fasting, especially during these last days of Lent, and to offer this up for true and lasting peace in that region. May God grant to all those involved in negotiations the wisdom and courage to build a peace rooted in authentic justice and human dignity. A most blessed Holy Week and Easter Triduum for you and your loved ones!
OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Effective May 1, 2014 Deacon Gregg Sroder, appointed “ad nutum episcopi” to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Saint Michael in West Saint Paul and the Church of Saint Matthew in Saint Paul. This is a transfer from his current assignment at the Church of Saint Peter in North Saint Paul.
Bless me, Father: Pope leads by example, goes to confession By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Leading a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis surprised his liturgical adviser by going to confession during the service. After an examination of conscience March 28, the pope and 61 priests moved into confessionals or to chairs set up against the walls to offer the sacrament to individual penitents. However, as Msgr. Guido Marini, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, was showing which confessional the pope would be using to hear confessions, the pope pointed to another confessional nearby, indicating that he himself was going to first confess. The pope, dressed in a simple white alb and purple stole, spent about three minutes kneeling before the priest’s open confessional and received absolution. The priest also clasped the pope’s hands and kissed his simple silver ring. Pope Francis then went to another confessional and spent about 40 minutes hearing confessions.
A clergyman hears confession from Pope Francis during a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 28. Pope Francis surprised his liturgical adviser by going to confession during the service. CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
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Photos by Dianne Towalski • The Catholic Spirit
Kindergarten to third-grade students at Blessed Trinity School in Richfield showed their support for Catholic schools during the ACE bus tour’s stop there April 3.
Bus tour highlights positive impact of Catholic schools By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit
The kindergarten through third-grade students at Blessed Trinity performed a patriotic song as part of the program after Mass. In the foreground is Edwin Portillo; visible behind him are classmates Cassidy Gaston and Lila Martin as well as second-graders Ally Pellegrini and Theresa Nguyen.
The Alliance for Catholic Education, a program of the University of Notre Dame, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a cross-country bus tour making stops at 50 schools along the way. The Fighting for Our Children’s Future National Bus Tour included stops at two schools in the archdiocese, Blessed Trinity in Richfield and Good Shepherd in Golden Valley. ACE offers academic, experiential, and personal formation to people aspiring to be teachers who are ready to serve where they are needed. “We’re celebrating the great gift of Catholic schools and the incredible work that the teachers, families, benefactors and students are doing to create these wonderful communities of faith, hope and love,” said Alec Torigian, a member of the ACE Service Through Teaching Team. Torigian had another reason to celebrate during the tour’s stop at Good Shepherd School. He attended the school through sixth-grade and his sister, Stacie Settergren, is a teacher there. The unpublicized stop was a surprise for her birthday and also a chance for him to visit some of his former teachers and talk to the students about what he is doing on the bus tour, he said. Blessed Trinity school is celebrating 20 years, too. The school marked the tour’s stop with a Mass and program that included a student speaker and songs performed by the younger students, in kindergarten through third grade. ACE co-founder Father Sean McGraw conclebrated the Mass. “It is a remarkable joy and honor to be included as a stop on the ACE 20th celebration tour,” said Patrick
Kindergarteners Dorothy Benham, Xavier Wendt and Vivian Li point out the name of their school among the names of all of the Catholic schools in the country printed on the bus during an unscheduled tour stop at Good Shepherd School in Golden Valley April 2.
O’Keefe, principal of Blessed Trinity School. “By joining the two 20th anniversary celebrations, we are able to tell the wonderful story of growth and change in Catholic education over the last two decades, while proclaiming the bright future for Blessed Trinity and Catholic schools everywhere.” “We are proud to share in the fight for our children’s future as we support the formation of the future leaders in our church and world,” he said.
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April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
5 Family hopes to build a chapel at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital By Dianne Towalski The Catholic Spirit While her baby daughter was in surgery at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, Mandy Seymour needed to talk to God. She wanted to go to a quiet place and pray for her baby, but the hospital didn’t have a chapel. Mandy’s daughter, Quinn, was born with Herlitz-Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, a disease that causes severe blistering on the skin and internally. She died after an 8-month struggle with the disease, spending the last five-and-a-half months of her life at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, formerly Amplatz Children’s Hospital. In memory of their little girl, Mandy and her husband Marc have launched a campaign to raise the $500,000 it will take to build a chapel in the hospital. “All of us needed something bigger than ourselves and our circumstances to believe in,” Mandy said. “We hope that the Quinn Seymour Chapel will give this to families who continue to helplessly watch their children struggle.”
Compassionate care Quinn was born prematurely and so unexpectedly that she came into the world in her family’s home in Stow, Ohio. Fortunately, paramedics from a nearby fire station were on hand to help deliver her, Marc said. Everything seemed fine until a nurse gave Quinn her first bath in the hospital. “When she brought her back into the room, she started apologizing to us,” Marc said. “She said she had never seen it happen before, but that when she had dried her off, she had actually peeled skin off.” A dermatologist at the hospital was stumped, Marc said. He referred them to another dermatologist, who referred them to the head of pediatric dermatology, Dr. Doug Kress, at the University of Pittsburgh. He works a few days a month out of the Cleveland Clinic, which was close to where the Seymours live. After Quinn was diagnosed with the disease, her parents were told about a possible treatment option, a bone marrow transplant clinical trial at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “We prayed the rosary in the car on the way home from the Cleveland Clinic and just cried,” Mandy said. When they learned that Dr. Kress had treated one of the first
Marc and Mandy Seymour and their son Camden with a picture of Quinn. Photo by Jim Bovin children in the clinical trial, it seemed like a miracle. “For us, that was one of the first very clear inclinations that there was a whole lot greater power, and in our opinion, God watching out for us and really laying some framework for us,” Marc said. “How do you go to three dermatologists in a week and the third one be the only one that knows anything about this disease and have a connection to the only treatment option available in the world?” Marc visited the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital when Quinn was 5 weeks old. There were many factors that made them decide to bring her to Minnesota, he said. “When I looked Dr. Tolar in the eyes, I knew he cared about my daughter almost as much as I did, and he had yet to meet her.” Dr. Jakub Tolar wanted to get to know the family, see pictures of Quinn and talk about how Marc and Mandy were doing. “I knew then that we were going [to Minnesota],” Marc said. They soon packed up the house and got Quinn and their 2-year-old son, Camden, ready for the trip.
Comfort in prayer On the day of Quinn’s first surgery in Minneapolis, a chaplain greeted Marc and Mandy. He connected them with Father Joe Whalen, another chaplain there. “Father Joe Whalen came that afternoon and met us, met Quinn and prayed with us, and really gave us a [safe] feeling in having such a kind priest there waiting for us,” Marc said. From then on, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion came daily, and the Eucharist became a lifeline for Mandy. Once in a while, when Quinn was in surgery, Mandy was able to sneak off to the chapel in the attached “adult hospital” to pray. But it was difficult to get away that long. She was nursing Quinn almost constantly. “We were trying to find ways to escape and have a quiet place to
pray because you can’t pray in a hospital room,” Marc said. “Your child is hooked up to all these machines and they beep at you constantly, and nurses are in and out. We would say the rosary together a couple of times a week with Quinn. Camden would say the rosary with us, and we actually had a couple of nurses join us for the rosary.” During their stay in the Twin Cities, much of it at the Ronald McDonald House near the University of Minnesota campus, it became increasingly clear to them that a chapel was needed at the children’s hospital. Mandy found out that it was included in the plans when the hospital was built, but the funding had run out. They decided they wanted to help raise money for the chapel while Quinn was still in the hospital. Quinn passed away during Holy Week 2012. “She died on Holy Saturday, and Marc and I both say that we could tangibly feel the Holy Spirit that week,” Mandy said. “Her suffering was just so similar to Christ’s, the scourging she had, blisters all over her body, and she ended up wearing this crown of bandages, and her right shoulder, her worst wound toward the end.” “When Quinn died, the project took on new meaning, of course. It was not just a great idea. It was her legacy,” Marc said. “It was to provide a place of respite and a place of hope for families who are going through what we went through. There are families who come there from all over the world, from all different religions, who are fighting for their children’s lives, and there’s not a place of rest.” “We are very grateful for the Seymours’ support and passion for the creation of this very important space,” said Jen Foss, representing the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital. “We know it will be well used and appreciated by our families that come from across the United States and the world.” The Seymours have raised about $215,000 of their $500,000 goal, mostly their own money and help from family. They are ready to expand their fundraising efforts. An invitationonly dinner is planned for Holy Thursday at the Minneapolis Club to raise awareness and start making connections. “This isn’t just something that we’d like to see happen some day,” Marc said. “We want it to happen that bad because we believe in it that much.”
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In memory of Quinn
For more information, contact Marc directly at (330) 703-7782 or visit www.quinnscrusade.org.
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
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Twin Cities Retrouvaille marks 25 years of saving marriages By Jennifer Janikula For The Catholic Spirit “Retrouvaille saved my marriage.” It’s a sentiment shared by many of the 6,700 couples who have participated in Twin Cities Retrouvaille since 1989. After 25 years, Retrouvaille, which means “rediscovery” in French, continues to provide a path for struggling, separated and divorced couples to reconnect. By the end of their weekend session, couples often begin to see a way out of their rut. Then, after their six half-day follow-up sessions, couples receive the support they need to pull their relationships back together. Greg and Carol Langan, members of St. Peter in Mendota, started their Retrouvaille weekend without much hope. Married for 25 years but separated for eight months, they had blown through three different marriage counselors without success. “We didn’t have much of a marriage, and I wasn’t sure what lay ahead, if anything,” Greg said. “But the weekend program was transformational. I left the weekend with a clear idea of the marriage I wanted and how much work it would take to get there.” Carol admitted she was amazed
“The weekend program was transformational. I left the weekend with a clear idea of the marriage I wanted and how much work it would take to get there.” Greg Langan
by what happened during the weekend — so amazed that she and Greg decided to become leaders in the Retrouvaille community. “I know God was there,” Carol said. “The Holy Spirit spoke through the presenting couples and the priest. We left there knowing we could make it work.”
Marriage buoy The strength of the Retrouvaille program lies in the personal testimonies of the three mentor couples and one priest who shepherd the participants through the process. All of the mentor couples have been through the program, and their stories of struggle and success give the couples they mentor hope. Retired priest Father Bob Hazel
serves on the Retrouvaille board and participates in all six of the weekend sessions each year. He describes Retrouvaille as a “buoy in the turbulent waters of marriage.” Father Hazel said many struggling couples live as married singles and need a way to break out of their indifferent or destructive patterns. “Retrouvaille is not a magic pill, but it’s a new vision of marriage,” Father Hazel said. “We don’t give them the answers — the personal witness helps couples rediscover the fire beneath the cinders.”
Eye openers Retrouvaille saved the Stampfle marriage, too. Like the Langans, Pat and Cathy worked with three counselors and were separated
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before they entered the Retrouvaille program. The program taught the Stampfles how to communicate respectfully without making assumptions about the other’s feelings. “It was an eye opener — learning how you should be treating your spouse, how your spouse should be treating you,” Cathy said. “Hearing the things the presenting couples had been through made us realize we were not alone. If they could do it, so could we.” Seven years have passed since the Stampfles finished their Retrouvaille process. The couple, who attend St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, mentor new Retrouvaille couples and serve as the organization’s community coordinators. Leaders of Twin Cities Retrouvaille invite all current and past Retrouvaille participants to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary on Saturday, April 12 at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie. The event starts at 6:15 p.m. and includes dinner and a performance by comedian John DeBoer. For more information about Retrouvaille and its 25th anniversary celebration, call (800) 470-2230 or visit www.tcr-mn.org.
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April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
7 Speaker and film highlight repercussions for both women and children By Bridget Ryder For The Catholic Spirit The Minnesota Legislature is in the process of legalizing a commercial gestational surrogacy business in the state, but the Minnesota Catholic Conference hopes to stop the legislation by drawing attention to the issue. “Each piece has quietly moved through the committee process,” said Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops. “The driving force is to clarify in family law that surrogacy agreements will be Nikolas honored in our courts, and inNIKAS tended parents will be able to receive the child.” Neither the Legislature nor the state’s appellate courts have authoritatively stated that surrogacy agreements are valid contracts. According to Adkins, a gestational surrogacy lawyer drafted the bill. Adkins estimates that it will go to a vote later in April. Gestational surrogacy is when a woman, through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, carries to term a child who is not hers biologically for the intended parents. In the U.S., the gestational surrogacy industry is largely unregulated. Only some states have laws, and among those that do, the regulations vary. Some states and the District of Columbia prohibits gestational surrogacy contracts. While the Minnesota Catholic Conference understands the pain of
infertility and the desire many have to raise a child, it opposes any form of legalized surrogacy because it turns people into commodities. “It’s a form of human trafficking,” Adkins said. “Women should not be for rent, and children should not be for sale. It treats children as products to be bought and sold. Generally, people are uninformed and have a sort of a People magazine-take on it. They don’t understand the dark underbelly of the surrogacy industry and how it plays itself out in the world.”
Highlighting concerns Nikolas Nikas, president and general counsel for the Bioethics Defense Fund in Arizona, points to the terminology for the surrogate mother used on websites of surrogacy brokers. The terms have slid from “gestational surrogate” to “gestational carrier” to “host womb.” “There’s not even a woman anymore,” Nikas said. “You focus on their uterus as a device. When money starts changing hands, even for good purposes, there’s a commodification. We do not allow the buying and selling of organs; they know there is an inherent corrosive effect.” Nikas spoke at an event hosted by the MCC April 8 at Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis. Adkins said that despite the health risks to the surrogate mother associated with in vitro fertilization and embryo transplant, as well as research showing that children of surrogacy often have health and developmental difficulties, the bill was not vetted by the health and human services committees in either house of the Legislature. Also, unlike adoption, gestational surrogacy contracts don’t involve a screening process to ensure intended
“It’s a form of human trafficking. Women should not be for rent, and children should not be for sale. It treats children as products to be bought and sold.“ Jason Adkins, Minnesota Catholic Conference
parents are the best fit for the child. “There are a lot of policy implications that have not been considered. Lawyers are painting it as a property rights issue,” Adkins said. “Legislators need to hear from their constituents that they oppose legalizing the surrogacy business.” The April 8 event also included a screening of the documentary “Breeders,” produced by Jennifer Lahl, president of the Center for Bioethics and Culture in California. The film is the third documentary of a series that shows the human cost of assisted reproductive technology. “Anonymous Father’s Day” and “Eggsploitation” explore the lives of young adults conceived through assisted reproductive technology and the stories of anonymous gamete donors. “We make our films to raise these profound ethical questions: Should we be making people this way?” Lahl said. Nikas said the issue is characterized by a technological imperative
— the mentality that if something can be done technologically, it should be done. “But I tell students, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” he said. “We certainly understand the profound pain of infertility, but it’s not about the needs of the adult. It’s about the needs of the child and good of society.” Lahl’s film was released in January and has already been shown at the parliament of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium. According to Adkins, the EU issued a resolution against gestational surrogacy as a violation of the right of the child to be connected to its biological parents and a means of perpetrating violence against women. Canada banned commercial surrogacy in 2007. “You’re intentionally creating a child for other parents,” said Lahl, a pediatric nurse. “There is one thing a baby knows at birth and that’s who is their mother. The baby doesn’t know it was just a gestational mother. To ignore that would be a trauma to the child to be removed from that mother.” According to Adkins, anti-poverty and women’s rights groups, including many leaders in the National Organization for Women, also oppose contracted gestational surrogacy. Surrogate mothers are usually economically disadvantaged women while the intended parents, because of the expense involved in the process, are usually wealthy. Nikas said the negative moral implications of surrogacy are not always obvious. Some might think surrogacy is pro-life in nature because a couple gets a baby. “Yes, you get a baby, but with many consequences to the child and to society,” he said.
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Legislature could vote on surrogacy bill later this month
Archbishop gives deposition, says safety of children is top priority The Catholic Spirit In an April 2 deposition given in a Ramsey County court case, Archbishop John Nienstedt responded to questions about sexual abuse committed by clergy and how the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has handled the issue during his tenure.
The archbishop “repeatedly stated that the safety of children is the archdiocese’s highest priority,” according to an April 2 statement from the archdiocese. The deposition was conducted by attorneys for a plaintiff known as “John Doe 1.” The plaintiff alleges that a former priest of the Diocese of Winona, Thomas Adamson, who
had assignments in the archdiocese, sexually abused him in 1976 or 1977 when he was a minor. Archbishop Nienstedt, however, was not asked any questions about Doe 1 or Adamson, the archdiocese said, although he did respond to all questions posed to him during the four-hour time period as prescribed by the court.
During the deposition, he expressed regret for mistakes made in the past regarding how the archdiocese responded to allegations of clergy sexual abuse. The archbishop also highlighted safeguards implemented since 2002, when the U.S. Conference of Please turn to ARCHDIOCESE on page 23
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Suicide struggle: Speaker uses father’s death to help others By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit John Crudele pulled out a letter he received in 1992 from a teenager in a small, Midwestern town. The beginning of the letter was cheery, but the words turned dark when the young girl described her troubled junior high years. In an attempt to be popular during the seventh grade, she started hanging out with the wrong crowd and succumbed to the pressure to drink alcohol. Her downward spiral reached the point of desperation. “I was flunking school and was always sick to my stomach,” she wrote. “I hated every minute of it. I thought I was really popular, and all I was [was] more unpopular than I was before I started drinking. “Finally, I got so sick of everything, I tried to take all my problems away by hanging myself. Luckily, the rope wasn’t tied right, so when I let the stool out, I fell on the ground.” Crudele remembers this letter and uses it as inspiration for the talks he gives to youth in his career as a motivational speaker. The two-page snippet from the girl’s troubled life, which he sometimes carries with him and quotes from during his speeches, contains truth that hits close to home. Every time Crudele reads it, he remembers one simple fact: That could have been him standing on a stool with a rope tied around his neck.
Getting back on track Just five years ago, he contemplated doing the same thing that this girl had attempted. Suicide is one of two demons Crudele has been fighting against ever since his father Joseph took his own life when John was just 15. The other demon he battles is mental illness, something he believes he might have inherited from his mother, Josephine, who died in 2005. The two demons have taken turns — and even worked together — trying to squeeze the life out of him. Crudele’s struggle reached a boiling point during the summer of 2009, when he spiraled into a deep depression that made him wonder if he would follow in his father’s footsteps. On a Friday night that July, he neared the brink of suicide. “I put five of my friends on notice that I didn’t think that I was going to live through the weekend,” said Crudele, 55, who lives in Savage and belongs to Holy Family in St. Louis Park. “And, I ended up staying overnight with a [married] couple that Sunday night [to avoid committing suicide].” In a matter of days, the two helped him check into Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis. A nine-day stay in August 2009 helped him get back on track. Then he followed up with doctors to get the right medications
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
John Crudele has spent years battling both mental illness and the after effects of his father’s suicide in 1974. During a difficult period five years ago, he was tempted to take his own life, but got the help he needed and is back working in his career as a public speaker. He works a lot with youth, and now wishes to bring his ministry to Catholics, men in particular. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit to stabilize his mental condition. Today, he’s speaking in front of audiences, and he unveiled his new, healthy self to about 200 men at St. Paul’s Outreach Men on a Mission last month. There, he revealed a troubled adulthood that began when his mother received the devastating news of her husband’s death by suicide on Oct. 2, 1974. It was the feast of the Guardian Angels. “My dad was staying with my sister in Massachusetts,” said Crudele, the oldest of four children. “My mom was still back home. He was trying to get new work and we hadn’t sold the house. There was just all this struggle and confusion. And, I’m watching this as I stand in the master bedroom doorway leaning against the door jam. And, my mom makes the phone call and she hangs up the phone and she turns to me and . . . says, ‘Son, your dad committed suicide.’ And I cried myself to sleep that night. He [hanged] himself. I cried for three days. And, then I didn’t cry again for 17 years. I just buried that pain inside and decided that I wasn’t going to let anything hurt me like that again.” Little did he realize then that this experience would lead to forming connections with more than a million youth across the country, many of whom, he would discover, had lived through similar experiences and were fighting struggles in their own lives.
Helping youth Crudele was living in Ames, Iowa, when his father died, and he eventually graduated from high school in 1977. He went on to Iowa State University, where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in business finance. While in college, he ended up giving speeches, something he nev-
er imagined he would do. He was motivated by First Lady Nancy Reagan’s effort to combat drug abuse in America. Having managed to steer clear of this problem, he wanted to help youth do the same. So, he started volunteering for this effort on campus and found himself in front of hundreds of junior high and high school students. It was a remarkable achievement for someone so averse to public speaking. “I was terrified of speaking,” he said of his college years. “The only class I skipped in high school was a speech class. The last class I took at Iowa State University was a speech class because I wanted to be the oldest student in the class. I was terrified of taking the class, and I took a two-credit class instead of a threecredit class because I wanted to do one less speech.” But a funny thing happened when he got the nerve to stand in front of an audience. They listened. In fact, they were riveted. Not long after graduating from college, he decided to make it a career. And, he hasn’t looked back. He estimates he has given about 4,000 to 4,500 speeches to more than 1 million people since the late 1980s when he began. The job has taken him to every state in the continental U.S. and even to a foreign country. It can get rigorous — he once did 20 speeches in five days in Chicago. But, he wouldn’t have it any other way. “When I’m speaking to kids, I just come alive,” said Crudele, who also co-authored a book in 1995 called “Making Sense of Adolescence” with Dr. Richard Erickson. “For me, speaking with young people — junior high, high school, elementary kids — it’s always felt like I was praying out loud.” Often, he found that the most
meaningful part came after he walked away from the microphone. When there was time following a speech, he would hang around and talk to the kids. Always, they would line up to greet him — and tell him about their own issues and struggles. “They come up and tell you and reveal to you that they have attempted or thought about suicide,” he said. “Or, they come up and show you the drugs that they are taking. Or, they talk about their issues or addictions or what’s happening, or maybe being abused in the home.” Sometimes, the youth would follow up later in the form of a letter or email, like the girl who wrote to him about her suicide attempt. What often comes with the story they share are words like these: “I’ve never told anyone else this story before.” Crudele is amazed at the number of kids who choose him as the first person they tell of their struggles and problems. But, he doesn’t carry their secrets with him. He tries to get help for the individuals who reach out to him. Over the years, he has done other types of outreach work with youth. Perhaps the most significant was founding a local outreach called Partnership For Youth (PFY). With the support and help of several key individuals, and the blessing of Archbishop Harry Flynn, he got PFY going in the late 1990s. That organization then became the host for the annual Steubenville North conferences, which began locally in 2001 and continue to be held here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
New audience Crudele is proud of what this organization has accomplished and is glad to see it continue, even though he no longer runs it. During the time when he struggled with his mental health issues in 2009, he decided to take a sabbatical. Eventually, it became permanent. But, that void does not mean his life is less busy. Crudele, a high-energy person who thrives on being with people, merely has redirected his seemingly boundless energy. Today, he is adding a new target audience to his speaking career — Catholic men. “I feel like that might be the next frontier for me,” said Crudele, who has given more than 90 percent of his speeches over the years in secular environments like public schools. “How can we be really Catholic men in this secular world? That is something that’s stirring in my spirit pretty deeply.” For more information about Crudele and his speaking ministry, or to schedule a speaking appearance, visit www. johncrudele.com, call (952) 835-0008, or email john@johncrudele.com.
At border, bishops call for compassion, immigration reform Against the backdrop of rusted iron slats of a 30-foot wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley and a dozen other bishops from three countries prayed April 1 for compassion and for a return to ideals that welcome immigrants. More than 300 people formed the outdoor congregation on the U.S. side of the border and hundreds more participated on the Mexico side, receiving Communion pressed into hands that stretched between the slats, illustrating that, as one teenage member of the choir put it, “we are all one community — we are all bilingual and bicultural.” Referring to a visit by Pope Francis last summer to the Italian island of Lampedusa where migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to enter Europe illegally, Cardinal O’Malley in his homily quoted the pope’s comments about the “globalization of indifference.” “We have lost a sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters,” Pope Francis said. “We have fallen into the hypocrisy of the priest and the Levite whom Jesus described in the parable of the good Samaritan.” Cardinal O’Malley quoted Pope Francis further: “The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people.”
Walking in their footsteps The Mass capped a two-day experience of the border region for bishops from as far away as Atlanta and Guatemala. Beginning with a Mass the day before at San Xavier del Bac Mission outside Tucson, which dates from when the entire region was part of Mexico, the bishops then walked along rough desert paths used by migrants. Crawling under strands of barbed wire, scrunching low to walk through a culvert beneath a road, dodging cactus and sticker bushes, the group came upon empty water bottles, backpacks and other belongings abandoned by the migrants who cross the hilly, rocky terrain as they try to get past the various security measures and agents used by the Border Patrol to try to stop illegal immigration. Then the group met with the Border Patrol at their regional headquarters, before crossing into Mexico to serve dinner at a church-sponsored “comedor,” or soup kitchen. The “comedor” serves people who have been deported or who are deciding whether they want to try to sneak into the United States. “We come to the desert today because it is the road to Jericho,” said Cardinal O’Malley in his homily. “It is traveled by many trying to reach the metropolis of Jerusalem. We come here today to be a neighbor and to find a neighbor in each of the suffering people who risk their lives and at times lose their lives in the desert.
U.S. & World
By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service
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Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., blesses people on the Mexican side as he distributes Communion through the border fence in Nogales, Ariz., April 1. A group of U.S. bishops, led by Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, celebrated Mass at the border calling attention to the plight of migrants and appealing for changes in U.S. immigration policy. CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec “The hard work and sacrifices of so many immigrant peoples is the secret of the success of this country. Despite the xenophobic ranting of a segment of the population, our immigrant population contributes mightily to the economy and wellbeing of the United States.” He added that the group came also to mourn the loss of “countless immigrants who risk their lives at the hands of the ‘coyotes’ (smugglers) and the forces of nature to come to the United States.” The Mass, which was shown live on the Internet and can be seen on YouTube, was organized by the Jesuits’ Kino Border Initiative and Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Diocese of Tucson and the Archdiocese of Hermosillo, Mexico, worked closely together in arranging the details. Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Hermosillo Archbishop Ulises Macias Salcedo were among the concelebrants. Dick Goddard, a Knight from St. Pius X Parish in Tucson, was among the volunteer ushers. He said he’d only learned about the Mass a day earlier but thought it important to attend. He had made the hourlong drive to the border with three fellow parishioners. “They say we have a broken immigration system,” Goddard said. “Obviously we do. Human rights and dignity have gotten lost in the whole thing. We’ve got to do something to get attention to that.” Cardinal O’Malley, preaching during the Mass, ticked off statistics: 400 bodies found in the border region each year; 25,000 children who arrived in the U.S. last year un-
Above: Auxiliary Bishop Luis Zarama of Atlanta serves juice to men at the Aid Center for Deported Migrants in Nogales, Mexico, March 31. Dinner that evening was served by visiting U.S. bishops. The center, run by the Kino Border Initiative, was one stop the bishops made during their tour of the border area near Nogales. CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec Right: Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, N.M., ducks under a barbed wire fence as a group of U.S. bishops tours an area of the Arizona desert north of Nogales March 31. CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec
accompanied by relatives; 30,000 people without criminal records held in immigration detention, at a cost of $2 billion annually; and more than 10 million people without legal immigration status living in fear of discovery, deportation and separation from their family members. “The system is broken and is causing untold suffering and an un-
tenable waste of resources, human and material,” Cardinal O’Malley said. The border events were part of a ramping up of the U.S. church’s efforts to persuade Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and, more immediately, to end deportation and detention policies that are dividing families.
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
U.S. & World
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Prayer, charity surround John Paul II, John XXIII canonization By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
The rite of canonization for Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II April 27 will use the standard formula for the creation of new saints, but the Mass will be preceded by the recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet, and it is possible retired Pope Benedict XVI will attend, the Vatican spokesman said. “He is invited,” said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman. “We’ll have to see if he wants to be present and feels up to it.” Discussing preparations for the canonizations with reporters March 31, Father Lombardi also said the popes’ tombs in St. Peter’s Basilica would not be disturbed, other than to change the inscriptions from “blessed” to “saint.” Pilgrims can visit the tombs after the April 27 Mass. The canonization Mass is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. the Sunday after Easter, which the church celebrates as Divine Mercy Sunday. Pilgrims will have an opportunity to participate in the recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet, a series of prayers focusing on the gifts of God’s mercy, especially shown through the passion of Christ. Cardinal Agostino Vallini, papal vicar for Rome, told reporters that the diocese was focusing on a spiritual preparation for the canonization of “two pontiffs, two bishops of Rome, who lived and experienced their faith, becoming messengers of the Gospel, but also of great humanity.” Pope The cardinal will lead an evening for young people April 22 JOHN PAUL II along with the postulators — official promoters — of the sainthood causes of the two popes. The night before the canonization, 11 churches near the Vatican will be open all night for prayer, meditation and confessions. The Diocese of Bergamo, where Pope John was born and ordained a priest, has put much of the focus of its celebration on acts of charity, said Msgr. Guilo Dellavite, a diocesan official. The diocese is contributing the equivalent of $1.1 million for the construction and three years of operating costs of a St. John XXIII School in Haiti; it is building a church and pastoral center in Shengjin, Albania, at a cost of about $830,000; and it is remodelPope ing a former military barracks in Bergamo to serve as a shelter and JOHN XXIII assistance center for the poor. In addition, he said, the 900 priests of the diocese are being asked to donate one month’s salary and take up a collection in their parishes to strengthen the diocese’s “family and home” fund, which helps families in difficulty with rent, mortgage payments and utilities. The diocese also is selling some of its property to increase the fund’s principal.
Northeast Minneapolis Catholics to sing in honor of new saints By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit A special choir will lead the Holy Cross congregation in song at its 11 a.m. Mass April 27 celebrating the canonization of popes John Paul II and John XXIII. All are welcome to attend. With nearly 30 singers, the festival choir includes children and adults from other northeast Minneapolis parishes in addition to Holy Cross parish — which includes the campuses of St. Anthony of Padua, St. Clement and St. Hedwig. The festival choir will sing in Latin, Spanish and English. Holy Cross’ Polish choir also will sing. “We want to show that everyone has a part in this,” said Patrice Finstad, director of the festival choir and music director and organist for Holy Cross-St. Clement campus. “It’s not often that we have new saints canonized, or a saint who has such a strong tie to our community.” Holy Cross serves a large Polish population, and its affiliated kindergarten through eighthgrade school is named after Pope John Paul II, a native of Poland. “Pope John Paul II was such a dynamic individual,” Finstad said. “And then John XXIII convening Vatican II . . . these two individuals have done so much
for the universal Church. These two saints are so important to our Catholic faith.” The choir began rehearsing April 5. In addition to the liturgical music, choir members will sing a song about saints and “Lord, When You Came to the Seashore,” which, according to some sources, was Pope John Paul II’s favorite hymn. For the Mass at Holy Cross, students will decorate the church in colors that reflect the different cultures represented in northeast Minneapolis: Polish, German, Ecuadorian and Latino, said Debbie King, principal at Pope John Paul II Catholic School and one of the festival’s organizers. Colors of the Vatican flag — yellow and white — also will be used. “We wanted it to become a celebration of the universal Church, not just for the Polish community in the northeast, but certainly inclusive [of it],” King said. “We are all one Church with many nations. We’re stronger together than we are apart.” A reception following Mass will highlight the cultural diversity with food, fellowship and entertainment. The festival’s committee is planning for Polish and Ecuadorian dancers, and students performing part of the school’s spring musical, “Mary Poppins.”
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Rich symbolism marks liturgies of Holy Week We are about to enter into the most sacred week of the entire Church’s year, appropriately entitled “Holy Week.” It is a powerful period of grace, when the whole Church remembers, meditates
upon and lives sacramentally the central event of salvation, which is the saving passion, death and resurrection of the God-man, Jesus Christ. It is truly the greatest story ever told. And, it is the only lens through which the Christian’s life can be fully
understood. Throughout this week of power and glory, tragedy and eternal triumph, Christians will be witness to a wide variety of rich symbols and sacramental signs, all of which bring us into contact with the saving mysteries we celebrate.
Good Friday Palm Sunday
Holy Week • Easter
By Father John Paul Erickson For The Catholic Spirit
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Adoration of the cross: “Behold the wood of the cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. Come, let us adore!” — Roman Missal, Showing of the Holy Cross
Palms and procession: “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” — Matthew 11:1-10 At the principal parish Mass of Palm Sunday, we walk with Christ as he makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Like those who gathered to greet Jesus so many years ago, we, too, wave palms — symbols of triumph and honor. Often, these palms are brought home following Mass and used to decorate the holy images of one’s own home.
Good Friday is the one day of the entire Church’s year when Holy Mass is not offered. It is a day of mourning and mystery, when the sacrificial lamb, wounded for our offenses, ascends his throne out of love for the Father. During the unique liturgy of Good Friday, many rich symbols and ceremonies are celebrated, but perhaps none are so moving as the veneration of the cross, when the faithful are invited forward to touch, kiss and honor the symbol of salvation. It is a moment of both sadness and gratitude. Sadness, because this symbol represents all that is worst in us — our capacity to condemn, to betray, and to destroy. But it is also a symbol of a love stern as death, the love of a God who willingly descends to save the very ones who betray him.
Holy Thursday
Easter Vigil
Keeping vigil with Jesus: “Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail! Lo! o’er ancient forms departing, newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail.” — Tantum Ergo
Fire, water, joy: “Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven, exult, let Angel ministers of God exult, let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph! O truly blessed night, when the things of heaven are wed to those of earth, and divine to the human.” — The Easter Proclamation
At the end of the Holy Thursday liturgy, in which we remember the institution of the Holy Eucharist by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, as well as Christ’s institution of the sacred priesthood, we solemnly process with the Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose, a space set aside for quiet prayer with the Eucharistic King. The presence of Jesus Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity, within the Blessed Sacrament is a fundamental Catholic belief. Following the homily, the priest removes his chasuble, and proceeds to wash feet in the fashion of the servants of old. In this powerful gesture, an optional rite of the Holy Thursday Mass, the priest imitates the One who came not to be served but rather to serve. The beautiful chant “Mandatum novum do vobis” is one of the options prescribed for this symbolic ritual, which translates “I give you a new commandment: love one another, just as I have loved you, says the Lord.”
On this greatest of nights, the Church witnesses the resurrection of her spouse and savior, Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the sacraments of initiation, the blessing of the Easter water and the renewal of baptismal promises, and the joyful reception of the Eucharistic King within our hearts and souls, Jesus lives who once was dead. In the glow of the Easter fire and the lifting of the Paschal candle, we witness the triumph of the light of God over the darkness of our world and our hearts. In the blessed waters of the Easter font, we witness the life-giving power of the Crucified and Risen King, from whose side flows the water of salvation. In the broken and shared bread of the table of the Lord, we witness the abiding presence of the one who will never abandon us. And, in the lives of those newly baptized and received into the Church, we witness the beauty and joy of Christian holiness. Truly, these are glorious and important days. Let us be attentive and open our hearts to the many graces the true and living God wishes to lavish upon us. “Come let us adore him! “ Father Erickson is director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship.
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April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Holy Week • Easter
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An act of faith Conversion inspires local playwright to bring experience to the stage
By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit The path leading K.D. Howells to Catholicism didn’t begin smoothly. The 25-year-old from Coon Rapids was raised as a non-denominational Christian and grew up thinking Catholics worshiped statues and drank their own blood. Then, as a college student, her first experience at Mass left her embarrassed and alienated after being reprimanded for receiving Communion. “I didn’t know the importance of the Eucharist, and the people I was with didn’t tell me I shouldn’t take it,” Howells said. “From then on, I didn’t want anything to do with Catholics.” But a lot has changed since then. Howells will be baptized, confirmed and receive her first Communion at the Easter Vigil April 19 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
Open arms It was witnessing people living out their Catholic faith that brought Howells to it. She met her fiancé, Thomas Bauer, at Bemidji State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in theater history. She started examining her life after meeting Bauer’s mom, who works with children with disabilities at an elementary school, and his dad, who directs youth faith formation at a Catholic parish in Owatonna. “I’m looking at these people who have so much talent and so much love, and they choose to help people in their community at the risk of making less money, and doing the right thing,” Howells said. “That intrigued me. [I thought], what do they have that I don’t have?” Howells started going to Mass with them and learning what Catholicism was really about. After graduating from college in 2012, she moved across the street from the Basilica and began attending Mass there. She was amazed how open and welcoming people were. “Father [John] Bauer opens each Mass with, ‘Wherever you are on your faith journey, we welcome you.’ It’s what I needed to hear,” Howells said. “If he didn’t say that at every
K.D. Howells (center) prays during the third scrutiny April 6 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, where she will become Catholic at the Easter Vigil April 19. The scrutinies serve to examine one’s life and as an opportunity to pray for the grace to overcome sin. Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit Saturday Mass we went to, I probably wouldn’t be here.” Howells wanted to get more involved, and she yearned to receive the Eucharist. So last spring, she looked into the Basilica’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program. She met with the Basilica’s director of learning, Paula Kaempffer, who reinforced that God has a place for her. “She said [entering the Church] wasn’t about forgetting who you are and where you came from,” Howells recalled. “You can keep your experiences and who you are. It was refreshing and inspiring.”
Open minds Last September, Howells began weekly RCIA classes with some doubt. But she turned hopeful after hearing guest speakers break down complicated Church teachings and beliefs. “All of my really hard questions that I was too scared to ask were answered within the first five or six weeks of classes,” she said. Howells’ sponsor, Terra Otto, has helped guide her. And, the RCIA retreat went further in introducing Howells to a faith community, something she never experienced growing up without belonging to a church. “I always thought my relationship with God was very intimate,” she said. “Without that [community] element, I could not be the person I am today. Having a relationship with
God is essential, but it’s about the relationship with the people of God as well.” At the retreat, participants bonded, prayed and contemplated where they are with God. “It was an amazing experience for me,” Howells said. “Coming back from the retreat, I felt empowered and that my whole life had changed. And, I told everyone about it.” The inspiration Howells found at the retreat might have raised more questions than answers. She was motivated to be more like Christ — to stop ignoring people on the streets and reach out to people on the margins of society. She asked herself if she should quit her job at a restaurant in order to do so. But practical concerns sank in, and she realized she already could help people in her daily life. “God isn’t just in the moments when I’m free from work,” she said. “He’s in every moment.” The retreat also gave Howells the confidence to get back into writing. Her conversion process has turned into an opportunity for the aspiring playwright to help others examine their faith. As part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Howells’ play, “It Only Takes One,” was chosen through a lottery system to be performed at its 11-day event this summer. Minnesota Fringe is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that connects artists with audiences. “I’m very excited to be able to produce, direct and write my own show,” Howells said. “I Please turn to FAMILY on page 15
Becoming Catholic: RCIA brings people into community By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit The Easter Vigil at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis April 19 will welcome into the local Church 12 catechumens — those who have never been baptized — and 21 candidates, those baptized in another faith tradition. “It’s a phenomenon,” said Paula Kaempffer, director of learning at the Basilica. “We have a majority of young adults. But we have people up into their 70s.” In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 654 people — catechumens and candidates — participated in the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Conversion March 9 at the Cathedral of St. Paul and the Basilica. Kaempffer has been involved in the Rite of Christian Paula Initiation of KAEMPFFER Adults for almost 30 years, the last seven of those spent at the Basilica. She said the inquirers — people learning about Catholicism through the program — usually fall within one of three categories: 1. Those who have no previous
faith experience whatsoever; 2. Those whose spouse is Catholic, have attended Mass for years and have decided to become Catholic; and 3. Those who have some faith background, most of whom say they enroll in RCIA to learn more — about 99 percent of this group becomes Catholic. From September until May, Kaempffer and other staff, as well as local professors and Catholic leaders, cover various topics during the two-hour weekly sessions. After the Rite of Welcome in November, the sessions focus on Catholicism. Small group discussions at each session help participants grasp the information.
“It’s not a lecture,” Kaempffer said. “It’s about processing it from the head to the heart. Education does not a Catholic make. You have to live it out each day.” RCIA sponsors help participants through the process. Kaempffer said this is the first year the program has had more sponsors than inquirers. The Basilica does not allow couples or relatives to sponsor one another, and sponsors must live their faith and want to share it with others. Under canon law, sponsors must be 16 or older and have received the sacrament of confirmation. “So many parishioners volunteer Please turn to NEW on page 15
13 Couple meets in North Dakota, prepares for wedding and entry into the Catholic Church By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Jeffrey Stamp was looking for a friendly face in an auditorium so he could focus on it while delivering a presentation. What he got was a woman he will marry in June and a journey into the Catholic Church. Stamp, a motivational speaker, author and entrepreneur, was in Grand Forks, N.D., five years ago and had met a woman there, Krystal Schultz, who was planning to attend the speech. They had some friends in common, and those friends persuaded her to come and listen to him. “I was speaking at a big conference in Grand Forks,” he said. “And K — I call her K all the time; I never call her Krystal — was working in a real estate management office. She was in the audience at this speech. And, when you’re a speaker, you go into the room and you always are looking for that friendly face that you can talk to that’s sort of on your side. Well, she was sitting in the fourth row right at that two o’clock position.” Problem was, Schultz didn’t give him the affirming smile he was looking for. Instead, she offered a challenging stare that caused him to seek her out afterward. That led to a long conversation that turned into a dating relationship. It will become permanent on June 16 when the two get married in Ireland, a natural place given their shared Irish heritage.
On a faith journey Along the way, both talked about their Lutheran upbringing and the need to settle on a church
to practice their faith. Surprisingly, they did not choose the Lutheran church of their childhoods. Thanks to a serious search, and the help of Father Michael Van Sloun, pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata, they will join the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass April 19. The first stepping stone to the Catholic faith came when Schultz decided to move back to the Twin Cities where she was raised. Her aunt, Londa Bilski, a member of St. Bartholomew, let her know of a job opening at the parish. Schultz applied and started working there in May 2010. By that time, she had started dating Stamp, who was living in Cincinnati and decided he would move to the Twin Cities as well. She worked for a year and a half at the parish before getting an opportunity to move upstairs to a position in the school as the administrative assistant for principal Lynn Volkenant. “The first year and a half downstairs, I really learned a lot about the Catholic Church in general,” Schultz said. “There were a lot of things I just didn’t know, I didn’t understand. I grew up Lutheran and I didn’t know a lot of things about prayer. Prayer was one of the things that really started me thinking about joining the Church.” A co-worker took the time to explain to her the many prayer forms used in the Church, and she felt like her view of prayer was expanded. “Prayer can be used in so many different ways,” she said. “To me, at that point, praying was at the dinner table, before you go to bed at night — fold your hands and close your eyes, and that’s praying. The idea that prayer could be used in so many different ways made sense. I think that was the first time I really
Holy Week • Easter
Finding faith, then finding each other
Krystal Schultz and Jeffrey Stamp are planning a June wedding in Ireland, but first they’ll join the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass April 19 at St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit felt a connection to the Church, and thought, ‘I really think I want to be part of this.’” While she was learning about the Church through her job, she was taking those lessons back to Jeffrey, and they had many conversations about what she was discovering. Eventually, that led to a time of making a decision. “When I got back to the Twin Cities, we started having this conversation: Where are we going to go to church?” Stamp said. “And so, we looked around. We knew we had to figure this out.” In July, Father Van Sloun became the pastor of St. Bartholomew. Not long after he arrived, he began having conversations with the couple about the faith and possibly starting the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. His words were very convincing, and the two began RCIA in October. “When I met Father Mike, I was done [looking for a church to join],” Stamp said. “Father Mike is just a blessing. . . . He’s here for us and he’s been a great guide.”
Heart of the matter The two realize that these are difficult times for the Church, with all of the media scrutiny concerning clergy sexual abuse. Yet, they are undeterred in their commitment to become part of the Church and the St. Bartholomew parish community. “We reflected on this after the Basilica event [Rite of Election on March 9],” Stamp said. “We thought, ‘There will probably be protesters there.’ We thought that was going to happen. We prepared ourselves for that, and then there weren’t any. And, you know what? That speaks to the fact that it’s not Catholicism that’s the problem. “This will be OK. . . . Catholicism is an institution that has [with] stood 2,000 years of scrutiny, and it’s going to be scrutinized again.” Said Schultz: “Yes, it’s an interesting time to be joining the Church. Yeah, there are some things that need to be different. That’s the way it is. That doesn’t change the Mass for me. That doesn’t change the Eucharist for me. . . . And, that’s what I think is important.”
Church of the Holy Spirit 515 S. Albert Street, Saint Paul Sunday, April 6 • Communal Penance Service and Confessions, Church, 3:00 p.m. Thursday, April 10 • Solemn Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, 5:00 p.m. Sunday, April 13 • Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) Thursday, April 17 • Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 18 • Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, 7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 19 • The Great Easter Vigil, 8:00 p.m. Sunday, April 20 • Easter Mass, 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Holy Week/Easter Mass Times Holy Thursday: 7 p.m. Good Friday: Celebration of The Lord’s Passion 7 p.m. Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil 8 p.m. Easter Sunday: 8:30, 10:30 a.m.
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April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Holy Week • Easter
14
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Theology Day. Find out. Distant Markets, Distant Harms: Thinking Clearly about Economic Complicity Tuesday, April 29, Town & Country Club, 300 Mississippi Blvd. N, Saint Paul 6 p.m.: check in and light meal, Presentation will begin within 30 minutes There are many reasons why Christians should feel responsible to relieve the suffering of people half-way around the planet. These reasons have nothing to do with whether the believer played any role in causing that suffering. However, this presentation will ask: Is there a causal relationship between me and the Asian woman who sewed the stitches in the collar of the shirt I am wearing – even if I have no idea who she is? And if she is denied bathroom breaks or may even have been killed in a fire or the collapse of a factory, am I, along with others, in any way responsible because I bought this shirt? Economic science depicts the market as an abstract mechanism, but understanding the market as relational – as a system of relationships – is superior, both empirically and morally. Christians who want to live as responsible consumers need to think carefully about these relationships, particularly those that harm distant others. Daniel Finn is the William E. and Virginia Clemens Professor of Economics and a Professor of Moral Theology for both the Saint John’s School of Theology¡Seminary and the Department of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict.
Pope Francis walks to the altar to celebrate Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican last year. CNS/Paul Haring
FREE but registration is required: www.csbsju.edu/sot or 320-363-3570
EWTN to air Easter, canonization programs Catholic News Service
“Solemn Mass of Easter Sunday�
Sunday, April 20, 3-5 a.m. CST (Check local listings to confirm dates and times.) Live broadcast from Rome’s St. Peter’s Square as Pope Francis celebrates the Solemn Mass of Easter. The liturgy will be rerun 6-8 p.m. (TV-G – general audience).
“Urbi et Orbi: Message and Blessing� Sunday, April 20, 5-6 a.m. Pope Francis gives the traditional Easter message and blessing “urbi et orbi,� to the city of Rome and the world. The event will be rerun 5-6 p.m. (TV-G – general audience).
“Easter Sunday Mass�
Sunday, April 20, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington is scheduled to serve as celebrant and homilist at this eucharistic celebration of the Lord’s resurrection, broadcast live from the capital city’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (TV-G – general audience).
“Pope John Paul II Canonization Celebration and Vigil� Saturday, April 26, 9 p.m.-11:30 a.m. Live from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Archbishop Jose Gomez leads an evening vigil of song, praise and worship in honor of Blessed John Paul II’s canonization. (TV-G – general audience)
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Serving this Archdiocese since 1911 One Faith, Many Stories The Catholic Spirit
11 15 Continued from page 12 prayed about it: ‘God, I’m trying to tell a story that I think you’ll want people to know.’ “[Faith] is about taking action and doing things, not over-thinking it,” she continued. “That translates to what this play is about — a musical that encourages audience members to live out their own dreams, provokes audiences to be better people so they can understand their own mini conversion. I never had the determination to do this until God was in my life. God and I formed a new identity together. He gave me the strength.” Howells is in the process of editing her play.
Auditions will take place later in April and rehearsals will start in June. She will enlist the help of friends in the performing arts industry for set and costume design, among other essential elements. “The overall goal for this play is to help people do what they’re meant to do,” Howells said.
Open hearts Howells’ fiancé and his family, her parents, and two sisters and two brothers will witness her entrance into the Church April 19 at the Basilica. Although Howells is the oldest of her four siblings, she is the last to be baptized. “We each have chosen to get baptized in a
different community,” she said. “We’re all different denominations, but we all believe the same thing, essentially. It’s just beautiful.” Howells said that while her parents never envisioned her converting to Catholicism, they’re proud of her. “I think they see how happy I am and the things I can accomplish, and it just excites them,” Howells said. “And I’ve been able to straighten out some misconceptions as well. “I had no idea that [converting to Catholicism] would be a death of my insecurities and my failures and my doubts, and a resurrection of the purest form of myself and what God wants me to be. I’m so ecstatic inside.”
Holy Week • Easter
Family will witness woman’s entrance into the Church at Easter Vigil
New Catholics given tools to sustain faith, are encouraged to get involved Continued from page 12 for this ministry. It’s a huge time commitment. They come to everything,” Kaempffer explained. The sponsors go through a tremendous conversion experience themselves, she added. “Much of what we do is talk about our faith. So when they come and don’t think they have anything to offer, they experience it, too,” she said. Because community and hospitality are two underlying themes of RCIA, participants go on an overnight retreat at the end of October. The bonding experience is a significant step for many of the participants, Kaempffer said. After
Christmas break, one candidate told her how awful it was being away for a couple weeks and said he’d have to fill the void next year by becoming a sponsor. “We cannot live the life of a Christian alone,” she said. Rituals mark the progression from one stage to another in the RCIA process. “The rituals are for the conversion of the community,” Kaempffer said. “So when [parishioners] see these people coming forth who want to join our Church — especially in this atmosphere today — it could renew the parish inside and out. It’s that powerful.” First: Rite of Welcome . The community formally welcomes
inquirers in mid-November. Second: Rite of Sending/Rite of Election . This takes place the first Sunday of Lent (all over the world) in parishes and then at the Basilica and the Cathedral of St. Paul with the bishops. Third: During the Sundays of Lent, the elect (catechumens) participate in three scrutinies, which encourage looking deeper to uncover sin to let go of; Fourth: Easter Vigil. Candidates are confirmed and receive the Eucharist, and the elect are baptized, confirmed and receive the Eucharist. “It’s kind of like having a frontrow seat watching how God changes people and transforms
Cluster Parishes of East St. Paul
Adoration concludes with Sung Night Prayer (Compline) at 10:00 p.m. Good Friday, April 18 Stations of the Cross at 12:00 Noon
Holy Saturday, April 19 Midday Prayer and Blessing of Easter Foods at 11:30 a.m. The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night at 8:10 p.m.
Holy Thursday, April 17, St. Casimir and St. Patrick 7 p.m. Good Friday, April 18, St. Casimir 3 p.m. / St. Patrick 7 p.m. Holy Saturday, April 19, St. Casimir and St. Patrick 7 p.m. Easter Sunday, April 20, St. Casimir 8 a.m., 10 a.m. / St. Patrick 10:30 a.m.
What’s on the Archbishop’s mind?
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 20 Masses at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. (Solemn), 12:00 Noon, & 5:00 p.m.
Great
Rich tradition. Open minds. Warm hearts. Holy Thursday, Holy Thursday,March April 28 17 -- potluck dinner 5:30 pm
Good Friday, 29 -- Stations of the Cross, 3 pm Good Friday,March April 18 Saturday, Saturday,March April 30 19 -- Easter Vigil at 8 pm
EasterSunday, Sunday March 31 20 -- Masses at 9:30 am and 11 am Easter Located one block north of E. Lake Street at 32nd Ave. S. in Minneapolis 612-724-3643 Email: info@SaintAlbertTheGreat.org Visit us at www.SaintAlbertTheGreat.org or on Facebook
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“We encourage them to get involved to sustain that spiritual growth and sense of community,” Kaempffer said. “[Many ask], ‘What’s it going to be like when it’s over?’ That’s why we give them the tools. These people are willing, courageous and so excited.”
St. Casimir & St. Patrick
239 Selby Ave, Saint Paul | 651.228.1766 www.cathedralsaintpaul.org Holy Thursday, April 17
the
Easter Vigil doesn’t mark the end. The new Catholics meet for another three weeks, reflecting on Holy Week and the Triduum services, and then review Catholic social teaching and how to live out their faith daily.
Holy Week Schedule
Cathedral of Saint Paul
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their lives,” Kaempffer said. “I get blessed so much from doing this every year. The Basilica’s vigil is three and a half hours long, but it goes by so fast.”
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Focus on Faith • Scripture Readings
16 SUNDAY SCRIPTURES
Readings Sunday, April 13
Deacon Joseph Kirembwe
Palm Sunday – Passion of the Lord • Matthew 21:1-11 • Isaiah 50:4-7 • Philippians 2:6-11 • Matthew 26:14–27:66
Victory through humility With the beginning of Holy Week, we focus intently on the mystery of our salvation. The Palm Sunday liturgy paints the picture of joy, and at the same time invites us to meditate on Jesus’ sufferings. By identifying with the mystery of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection, we experience a great liberation, a pass-over from various sins and enslavement to a life of joy and freedom. Significantly, we’re first reminded that we are about to commemorate the triumph of Christ our king. We do this through the blessing of palms, the procession, the joyful singing and the celebrant’s wearing of red vestments. We need to keep this in mind as we proceed in the second half to hear the long tale of the sufferings and humiliations to which Jesus was subjected. Very soon it will be difficult to recognize our king in the battered, scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified remnant of a human being. The Gospel gives us an account of the Passion of the Lord, from
the Last Supper up to his death on the cross and burial in a borrowed tomb. The narrative places before us various events and the sufferings he endured. We have the institution of the Eucharist, where he shares himself with his disciples and tells them to memorialize him in this way. We hear of the betrayal of Judas, the foretelling of Peter’s denial, Jesus praying in Gethsemane and of his arrest. Then the appearance of Jesus before the high priest, Peter’s denial, Jesus before Pilate, the death of Judas, and Pilate questioning Jesus about his teaching and his kingship.
Suffering The people are given a choice of saving Barabbas or Jesus, and we hear how a criminal is preferred over a just man. Pilate finally hands over Jesus to be crucified. The soldiers take him, beat him and mock him. There is the cruel way of the cross where Jesus carries it through the crowds to be mocked and insulted.
Wednesday, April 16 Wednesday of Holy Week Isaiah 50:4-9a Matthew 26:14-25
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, April 13 Palm Sunday – Passion of the Lord Matthew 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-7 Philippians 2:6-11 Matthew 26:14–27:66
Thursday, April 17 Holy Thursday – Lord’s Supper Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15
Monday, April 14 Monday of Holy Week Isaiah 42:1-7 John 12:1-11
Friday, April 18 Good Friday – Passion of the Lord Isaiah 52:13–53:12 Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 John 18:1–19:42
Tuesday, April 15 Tuesday of Holy Week Isaiah 49:1-6 John 13:21-33, 36-38
Saturday, April 19
His own disciples leave him. On Golgotha, between two thieves, he is nailed to the cross, where he dies and then is laid in a tomb. We can all imagine ourselves in those personalities mentioned in the Gospel narrative. Sometimes we behave like Peter, who denied his master; sometimes like Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. We may find ourselves behaving like Pilate, who unjustly condemned Jesus to death. Often, we find ourselves behaving like the Jews, who shouted “Hosanna, Son of David!” just days before shouting “Crucify him!” and asking for the release of a criminal. Through our sins, we nail Jesus on the cross and insult the Son of God.
Sunday, April 20 Easter Sunday – Resurrection of the Lord Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-9
Danielle Rose as she shares the prayer song of her heart.
Friday, May 9 • All Saints Catholic Church 7:00 - 8:30 pm
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
How will you commemorate Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection this Easter and throughout the year?
Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil in the Holy Night Genesis 1:1-2:2 Genesis 22:1-18 Exodus 14:15–15:1 Isaiah 54:5-14 Isaiah 55:1-11 Baruch 3:9-15, 32–4:4 Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28 Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 28:1-10
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Reflection
Suggested freewill offering $5.00 All Saints Catholic Church 19795 Holyoke Ave. • Lakeville, MN 55044 952.985.9982
Monday, April 21 Monday within the Octave of Easter Acts 2:14, 22-33 Matthew 28:8-15 Tuesday, April 22 Tuesday within the Octave of Easter Acts 2:36-41 John 20:11-18 Wednesday, April 23 Wednesday within the Octave of Easter Acts 3:1-10 Luke 24:13-35 Thursday, April 24 Thursday within the Octave of Easter Acts 3:11-26
As we prepare ourselves for the events of our salvation, let us resolve to be like the thief and Simon Peter, who realized their mistakes and repented. When we repent, we shall be able to sing “Alleluia!” together with the triumphant Church at the resurrection of our Lord. Have a blessed Holy Week and Easter. Deacon Kirembwe is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda. His home parish is Our Lady of Help in Kkonge. His teaching parish is Holy Spirit in St. Paul. Luke 24:35-48 Friday, April 25 Friday within the Octave of Easter Acts 4:1-12 John 21:1-14 Saturday, April 26 Saturday within the Octave of Easter Acts 4:13-21 Mark 16:9-15 Sunday, April 27 Sunday of Divine Mercy Acts 2:42-47 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31
17
Father Michael Schmitz
Marriage and annulments: continuing the discussion
process. In fact, the Church loses money with every case that is processed, but she provides this as a service to people who are hurting. If a person is unable to pay for this, I know of cases where someone is able to make payments at a rate they are able to afford with minimal additional burden. Sometimes the length of time it takes to process the annulment deters people from applying. There
is the Church’s attempt to eliminate any unfair bias. If the applicant believes that they received an unfair ruling, they are always free to make an appeal. It is not perfect, but again, the Church is doing her best to care for her children. Speaking of children, receiving a declaration of nullity does not mean that one’s children are henceforth considered
[In the March 13 edition of The Catholic Spirit], I wrote about how Christ’s words regarding divorce and remarriage give an ultimate weight to marriage. I wrote how, when a person enters into a sacramental marriage, it is an unbreakable bond. An annulment does not “undo” the sacrament of marriage, but establishes that a sacrament never existed in the first place. There are certain criteria that need to be present for a covenantal (or sacramental) marriage to exist. Both parties need to enter into the covenant intending faithfulness, with sufficient freedom and maturity, without reservation, and open to life. If it can be established that one or both parties lacked any of these, then these amount to “impediments” to the sacrament existing. Because the Church is trying to meet people in real life in the midst of their pain, she (the Church) has developed a process to investigate whether any of these impediments existed at the time of the wedding. If it can be reasonably demonstrated that there were significant impediments to the covenant, then the Church may issue a Decree of Nullity. This doesn’t change the past (the Church can’t “unbind” what has been bound in matrimony), but it recognizes that no sacrament existed in the first place. This might seem like a manmade process that God doesn’t need. Maybe. But we need it. Still, since this is a man-made process in the Church of Jesus Christ, there are some concerns and questions that naturally arise within the process.
Learn more For more information about marriage and annulments in the local Church, visit the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Metropolitan Tribunal at tribunal. archspm.org.
Focus on Faith • Seeking Answers
SEEKING ANSWERS
“ . . . since this is a man-made process in the Church of Jesus Christ, there are some concerns and questions that naturally arise within the process.” Father Michael Schmitz
Before you plan One thing to be aware of is that a Declaration of Nullity is never guaranteed. Even if you are given the impression that you have a favorable case, it is unwise to begin dating. It is even less wise to make plans to get married before a final ruling is offered. I have heard people maintain that they could never apply for a Declaration of Nullity because they believe that it costs too much. In truth, an average cost is roughly $300 (although some dioceses may charge more). Virtually all of this money goes toward paying for the materials required to process and investigate the case. This is to say that the Church makes absolutely no money in this
is no guarantee that the process will take a short amount of time. Many factors come into play, such as the clarity of the case or the cooperation of all parties involved.
Provision against bias
“illegitimate.” A declaration of nullity does nothing to affect the status of one’s children. All it means is that there was no sacrament of matrimony. I’ve spoken with some people who would ask, “How can I be sure that my marriage is sacramental? Maybe I didn’t know enough! There might have been impediments!” I understand the concern. But please let me set your mind and heart at ease. The Church assumes that there is a sacrament whenever one goes through the Rite of Matrimony. You can “lean into” your marriage confident that God’s grace is present to help you through all trials.
Some will accuse the process of potentially becoming biased (for example, if the couple is known to someone on the tribunal). [In these instances in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the judge will recuse himself, and a substitute will hear the case.] This
Father Michael Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Reach him at fathermikeschmitz @gmail.com.
The process can easily take more than two years. This is because it can take a lot of work to gather all of the necessary information and give the case the attention it deserves. If a former spouse won’t cooperate, the process can still move forward. But the former spouse has to be given the chance to provide information or contest the information that was put forward in other testimonies.
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
18 WASHINGTON
Bishop Pates urges U.S. to take ‘clear stance against torture’ The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace said he welcomed the possible release of a Senate intelligence committee report that says the CIA used torture techniques in interrogating some terror suspects after 9/11. “It is time for the United States to take a clear stance against torture. Release of the full report on CIA interrogation practices will help our country strengthen its moral credibility,” said Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, in an April 2 statement. His statement was released the day before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence voted to declassify the summary and key findings of a 6,200-page report and make them available to the public. He also was responding to a joint statement from two committee members, Sens. Susan Collins (RMaine) and Angus King (I-Maine), who said they would vote for declassifying the material. Bishop Pates said Senate support for release of the report was needed to close a “shameful chapter” of U.S. history. The bishop has sent numerous
letters to the Senate committee urging the public release of its report. His most recent letter, dated March 17, said: “Only by acknowledging past practices can the United States move to regain the moral high ground as a protector and promoter of human rights.” For Catholics, torture is “an intrinsic evil” and cannot be justified under any circumstance, he said.
RYE, N.Y.
New York Catholic high school founded by U.S. saint to close
school press release. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (18501917) came to New York from Italy in 1889 to minister to fellow immigrants. She became a U.S. citizen in 1909. She opened convents, schools, orphanages and hospitals for the poor in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana, Colorado, California and Washington. Canonized in 1946, she became the first American citizen to be declared a saint.
archbishop announced that his office’s annual international conference would be dedicated to autismspectrum disorders.
VATICAN CITY
Vatican accepts resignation of German ‘Bishop Bling’ The Vatican has accepted the resignation of a German bishop who was at the center of controversy over expenditures for his residence and a diocesan center. Following a diocesan investigation, the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops studied the audit’s findings and accepted the resignation of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, the Vatican announced March 26. Pope Francis met with the bishop at the Vatican March 28. No details of the meeting were released. The pope had authorized a leave of absence for the bishop in October after allegations of overspending and leading a lavish lifestyle. The bishop has been at the center of controversy over the remodeling and building project in Limburg, which was estimated to have cost about $40 million. Media dubbed Bishop Tebartz-van Elst the “luxury bishop” and “Bishop Bling.”
VATICAN CITY
In the end, the declining numbers trumped the best efforts to save a New York school founded by an immigrant saint. Mother Cabrini High School, the all-girls college preparatory school in the Washington Heights section of northern Manhattan, will close at the end of the 2013-14 academic year. The decision was made by the school’s board of trustees and approved by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which sponsors the school. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini founded the congregation in 1880 and established the high school in 1899. Increased costs and diminishing revenue made it impossible to continue operations, according to a
Vatican official urges greater efforts to help those with autism While it may be a huge challenge, the Catholic Church must find ways to offer support to families with a child who has autism, include people with autism in Church activities and fight the prejudice surrounding the learning disability, a Vatican official said. The Church’s efforts must be “directed toward ensuring that hope is not extinguished” in either persons with an autism disorder or in their family members, said Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry. In a message released April 2, the day the United Nations marks as World Autism Awareness Day, the
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csafspm.org or 651-291-4448 April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
19
Christina Capecchi
The big reveal: looking back at God’s plan Blue or pink? That was the secret contained in the cake. My younger brother and his wife are always looking for an excuse to throw a themed-party — a World Series game for the Cardinals, an end-of-the-world prediction, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. They couldn’t resist the opportunity to kick-start the celebration of their firstborn by hosting a genderreveal party, so we gathered on a chilly Sunday afternoon to learn about the baby due in July. A gender-reveal party takes the news captured at an ultrasound and announces it in a more dramatic fashion: pulling a sheet out of an envelope, Oscars style; slicing into a blue- or pink-colored cake; opening a box of balloons. The concept took off in 2011, according to BabyCenter.com, which reported an explosion of discussion threads. It is the antithesis of a baby shower, heavy on obligation and estrogen. A gender-reveal party cen-
ters on the surprise, delivering a sweet pay-off for a breathless audience — the promise of big news and bakery-made cake. Its popularity has surged with Pinterest, where pregnant women dream up a million ways to decorate with light pink and powder blue. My brother hung a cascade of pink and blue balloons in the entrance of his home and used his pitcher’s arm to fling crepe paper onto the ceiling fan in his two-story great room. When Tony and Jodie lifted a slice of blue cake, I felt a flicker of that hospital thrill right there in the dining room. My voice broke when I congratulated him. “You’re going to have a son!”
Seeing God’s hand Later that day, after I’d downloaded my pictures, I found myself thinking about the idea of a big reveal. So few major events can be known in advance through an an-
GUEST COLUMN George Weigel
‘Annual catechumenate’ of Lent nurtures discipleship Historians of the Roman liturgy generally reckon the restorations of the Easter Vigil (by Pius XII) and the adult catechumenate (by Vatican II) as two of the signal accomplishments of the 20th-century liturgical movement. I wouldn’t contest that claim, but I’d add something else to the highlights reel: the recovery of the baptismal character of Lent for every Catholic. Back in the day, Lent was about what you didn’t do: eat candy, smoke, drink, whatever. And, of course, the three classic methods of keeping the Forty Days — fasting, intensified prayer and almsgiving — retain their perennial significance. What I discovered three years ago, however, was that those practices come into clearer spiritual focus when they’re “located” within an understanding that Lent is the season when all of us — not just those who will be baptized or re-
ceived into full communion with the Church at Easter, but all of us — become, in a sense, catechumens.
Two periods of Lent Shortly before I spent Lent and Easter Week 2011 in Rome preparing my book “Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches” (Basic Books), a friend suggested to me that the reformed liturgy of Lent fell into two broadly-defined periods. Digging into the liturgical texts of Lent on a daily basis in 2011, after attending Mass at the Roman station church of the day, persuaded me that he was quite right. The days immediately following Ash Wednesday and the first two weeks of Lent have a penitential character, as the biblical and patristic readings at Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours ask each of us to undertake an extended examination of conscience: Am I being the witness to the kingdom and the
nouncement or alert. It’s in the looking back, not looking ahead, that we can trace the hand of God. We are guided along in extraordinary ways, through ordinary means. For Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, a 90-year-old Sister of St. Joseph, it was the neighbor girl who happened to attend a Catholic high school and persuaded her to enroll, which led to her conversion to Catholicism and pursuit of religious life. For my husband, the impromptu decision to stop at my college one afternoon — which turned out to be registration day — led our paths to cross. Disappointments also take on new meaning in retrospect. My friend Natalie’s labor did not go according to her labor plan — which, she later told me, was apt preparation for parenthood. Learning to deal with the space between fantasy and reality is how we grow up. For one mother of five, praying a daily rosary takes the edge off pinched holiday expectations, helping her keep calm and carry on when her visions of a Victorian Christmas go unfulfilled.
Open to grace When I review my 20s, I can see how an unwelcome “no” paved the way to a blessed “yes.” Doors we never would’ve closed on our own lead to opened windows, once we pick ourselves up and look around. evangelical missionary that I ought to be? What within me needs purifying if I’m to become a better friend of Jesus Christ and a true embodiment of his saving grace and mercy? With whom must I be reconciled? The tone shifts with the third Sunday in Lent, as the Church begins three weeks of reflection on the meaning of baptism, and the liturgy asks all the baptized to consider how well we are living in imitation of Christ. The questions posed come from the three great catechetical Gospels read on the third, fourth and fifth Sundays in Lent: Jesus and the woman at the well; Jesus curing the man born blind; Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In the early Church, the explanation of those Gospels completed the catechumens’ preparation for baptism. For those already baptized, as I wrote in “Roman Pilgrimage,” they prompt a searching reflection in preparation for our being blessed with Easter water, which is baptismal water: “How am I responding to Christ’s thirst for my friendship in prayer, in light of Jesus’ invitation to the Samaritan women, whom he asked for a drink of water? How are my eyes being opened to the demands of my mission, by the Christ who gave sight to the man born blind? Do I, like Martha, truly believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God, with power to raise me, like Lazarus
“It can be scary to trust God, to dive headfirst when you can’t see the net beneath you.” Christina Capecchi
Sorrow softens us, kneading our hearts into doughier, more compassionate organs. This long winter has reminded me that I can’t mastermind my future with a spreadsheet and a stopwatch. Life doesn’t unfold in even numbers and rhyming couplets. I’m learning what it means to be open to life, the Church’s charge to married couples, on a broad level. It can be scary to trust God, to dive headfirst when you can’t see the net beneath you. But I want to operate on grace, not strategy. I’m entering into Easter, the ultimate surprise. God’s plan for my life is different from mine — and, I have no doubt, better.
This Catholic Life • Commentary
TWENTY SOMETHING
Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and editor of SisterStory.org, the official website of National Catholic Sisters Week.
from the bonds of sin and death?”
Converting the culture Reflecting on those questions, the already-baptized experience a new catechumenate, a period of preparing to go up to Jerusalem with Jesus, who will meet his messianic destiny there — and who, in embracing that destiny in obedience to the Father, will be revealed as the risen Lord who makes all things new, including our brokenness. The evangelical Catholicism of the 21st century and the third millennium demands more of Catholics than the culturally-transmitted and culturally-comfortable Catholicism in which many of us were raised. Confronting a culture that rejects the biblical vision of the human person and human relationships — converting that culture — is not easy. But it can be a great adventure, when it’s lived in the confidence that what is revealed at Easter is true: Love is stronger than death. That is what Lent is for. The “annual catechumenate” of Lent prepares us to be missionary disciples who can display the divine mercy because we have known it in our lives. Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
This Catholic Life • Commentary
20 FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Jason Adkins
Overcoming a false understanding of freedom As America secularizes, a false understanding of freedom is becoming increasingly pervasive in public life. Two current issues being considered by the Legislature — payday lending reforms (HF 2293/SF 2368) and the legalization of a commercial surrogacy business (HF 291/SF 2627) — provide an opportunity to examine the social ramifications of this newfound “freedom.” Under the hegemony of this false understanding of freedom, what is good is no longer measured by what is true or just, but instead by the subjective preferences of consenting adults. When we don’t understand and live our relationships based on the values of charity, gratuitousness and service, we fall into another set of values rooted in selfinterest and the utility of another person as a means to achieve that desire. Desires become “needs” and needs are framed as “rights.” And, in such a world, everything — including human beings — can be bought and sold.
Erosion of right and wrong We have lost the vocabulary to think and speak in a manner consistent with a Judeo-Christian understanding of society. Without an objective standard of what is good and evil, or right and wrong, politics becomes focused on the maximization of individual or group preferences — particularly preferences of the individuals and groups who have money and access
to politicians. Unjust economic arrangements and activities are defended because they are the products of a “free market,” where, because there is a “willing” buyer and seller, there is nothing inherently wrong or unjust about the transaction. Similarly, other social arrangements once thought unimaginable for many reasons are now justified because people freely “choose” to enter into them. This dynamic is playing out increasingly in the public arena, and is not confined to the political “right” or “left.” It is both irrational and corrodes our political culture by often allowing the loudest voice to prevail, not necessarily the voices with the best arguments.
‘Consent’ now the measure of the good? Payday loans are a form of usury, narrowly defined as the sin of extracting high rates of interest on a loan to someone in difficult financial circumstances. They are both sinful and have the potential to entrench poverty. Moreover, as popes have pointed out for centuries, they are bad economics because they drive capital into unproductive loans that merely enrich the lender. Advocates for payday lending reform have proposed reasonable legislation that would, among other things, cap the number of payday loans a person could take out in a
given year, impose underwriting standards that would help ensure that these loans do not drive people further into a debt trap, and force payday lenders to operate under the same interest rate caps as other institutions. The legislation allows access to quick lines of credit for people to bridge temporary finance gaps, but ensures that payday loans do not become a regularly relied upon source of money that drives people deeper into a debt trap as they rack up huge fees. This common scenario affects not just one person’s finances but the broader society, and especially families, as people are driven deeper into poverty. Payday lenders claim that the regulations proposed will put them out of business and that there is no need of regulation because people desire their services. They claim that they are just providing what customers want and that we should just allow the “free market” to operate — and just work on prosecuting the truly bad actors. Sound familiar? Consent is cited as the standard of the good and the social impact of this legislation is ignored because we have to let the logic of the “free market” prevail.
cy has significant health and psychological risks for the surrogate mother and the child? Or, that surrogacy is, in many places, exploitative of the poor and vulnerable?
‘Choice’ enough to ignore the commodification of women and children?
As Pope Benedict said, echoing Pope John Paul II, “Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in education, politics, social action, and morals” (“Caritas in Veritate,” 34).
The attempt to legalize a commercial surrogacy market in Minnesota is another example of “choice” and “freedom” dominating the debate at the expense of broader social values. The presence of a person or couple who seeks a child, along with a surrogate mother willing to carry it to term, somehow makes this OK. But what about the data that show that, among surrogates, it is women who have lost children or who have suffered sexual abuse who are overrepresented among surrogate carriers? Or, that surroga-
What of the cultural and social effects of commodifying women and children, treating them as products to be bought and sold in what strongly resembles human trafficking? The Legislature continues to refuse to look deeply into these questions. The underlying rationale for their inaction is that surrogacy is just a “contract” governing “property interests” that should be honored in our courts. One legislator went as far as to say — in refusing to pull the bill into the Senate health policy committee for review — that “we cannot look at the health implications of every contract.” But, in fact, regulating the transactions and associations that people make so that they serve human dignity and the common good (the state’s “police power”) is one of the Legislature’s main responsibilities.
Structures of sin
Such ignorance will only lead people and societies to further abuse the economic process and human persons in a destructive manner. There will be no “civilization of love” without the affirmation of God as loving Father whose laws and limitations are the true means of liberation and security. Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
Talking points to consider for two social issues of concern for Catholics: Join the Minnesota Catholic Conference in reaching out to state legislators this session
Here are talking points for HF 2293/SF 2368, the Payday Lending Regulation Bill, and HF 291/SF 2627, the Commercial Surrogacy Bill — both of which need urgent consideration and action by Minnesota Catholics:
Common sense payday lending reforms “Help Minnesotans avoid the payday lending debt trap. Please support HF 2293/SF 2368, the Payday Lending Regulation bill.”
Legalization of commercial surrogacy “Please vote NO on the Commercial Surrogacy Bill, HF 291/SF 2627. Commercial surrogacy threatens the well-being of women and children. It is banned in some states and in many countries. Women are not for rent, and children are not for sale.” For more information and additional talking points on these advocacy issues, or to look up your legislators’ contact information, go to www.mncc.org and click on the Action Center under the “Take Action” menu tab. You also can call Senate Information directly at (651) 296-0504 for help in identifying your representative and senator. The Catholic Advocacy Network is an initiative of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota.
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
21
Faith & Culture From left: Seminarians Andrew Thuringer, Benjamin Wittnebel and Jeffrey Baustian of the St. Paul Seminary rehearse a scene from the play, “Murder and Mariolatry,” an adaptation of G.K. Chesterton’s novel, “The Ball and the Cross.” The play was written and produced by another seminarian, Kyle Kowalczyk. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Seminarians show acting talent in ‘Murder and Mariolatry’ By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit When a Catholic and an atheist duel over religion in a new play produced by seminarians at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity later this month, there may be murder and Mariolatry (excessive veneration of the Virgin Mary) on a University of St. Thomas stage. There also will be humor, according to the cast. Six seminarians and a female UST student will offer three performances of the new comedy, “Murder and Mariolatry,” during the final weekend of April at the university’s Brady Center. The play is an adaptation by second-year seminarian Kyle Kowalczyk of G.K. Chesterton’s 1909 novel “The Ball and the Cross.” This year’s production, along with another of Kowalczyk’s plays that seminarians performed last year, represent the revival of a seminary theater tradition from the earlier years of the last century, according to Karen Laird, the seminary’s marketing and communications coordinator. Kowalczyk decided to adapt the novel by the English writer and apologist Chesterton because of its message about faith and tolerance, as well as its “witty dialogue and fun fighting.” It is the story of a duel to the death over an article
Want to go? What: “Murder and Mariolatry” When: • 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 25 • 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26 • 2 p.m., Sunday, April 27 Where: Brady Educational Center, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul. Tickets: Free, but must be reserved. Visit www.spstheatre. org to reserve tickets or for more information. The play contains sword fighting and is best suited for ages 12 and older. perceived as derogatory toward the Blessed Mother. “The world that they live in is not open to this kind of religious expression,” Kowalczyk said. “We [today] don’t talk about religion. We certainly don’t fight about it. They’re mostly on the run as they continue to try to enact this duel.”
Working together The play gives seminarians and students a chance to collaborate on something creative for the greater good of the seminary, Kowalczyk said. It’s an opportunity to get to
know seminarians in a different way, said cast member and firstyear theology seminarian Ben Wittnebel, who portrays more than 12 characters, including a police officer, paperboy, older man and lunatic. “We just get to grow in friendship or get to know each other better and that will sustain you as a priest.” The play is good for the seminary overall and shows that seminarians lead a well-balanced life, Laird said. “This really brings out a whole different side of some of the seminarians who otherwise wouldn’t have done this before,” she said. “It also shows that we have really well-rounded men who bring in a lot of talents to the seminary and who will ultimately bring a lot of talents to the priesthood.”
Serious and funny Chesterton takes on with humor matters we’re sometimes afraid to talk about, Wittnebel said. “In the modern world we’re not really trained to talk about these things so we can get scared and defensive and so we back away,” he said. With the right training, “we can talk about these things in a way that’s respectful [and] loving, but also in a way that’s not afraid
“We have really well-rounded men who bring in a lot of talents to the seminary and who will ultimately bring a lot of talents to the priesthood.” Karen Laird, St. Paul Seminary
to push back and challenge.” Cast member and St. Thomas senior Sarah Ennis is the only woman and non-seminarian cast member and plays a number of roles, including the love interests of each of the men in the duel. She said she appreciates that the play brings up interesting points about what it means to be Catholic and how we live that out. “The ironic and beautiful juxtaposition of humor but also the serious content of the play I think just makes it brilliant.” While “Murder and Mariolatry” asks serious questions about religion, tolerance and engaging in dialogue, it’s also funny, Ennis said. “As we continue to rehearse I would say that we’re still laughing,” she said. “In fact I think it’s getting even more humorous as we go.”
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Calendar
22 Fish Fries and Lenten Dinners April 11 St. Peter School, North St. Paul — 4 to 7 p.m. at 2620 N. Margaret St. St. Bonaventure, Bloomington — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 901 E. 90th St. St. Pascal Baylon — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 1757 Conway St. Holy Family Maronite Church, Mendota Heights — 4 to 7 p.m. at 1960 Lexington Ave. S. Fish and Lebanese side dishes.
Holy Cross, Minneapolis — 5 to 7 p.m. at 17th Avenue and Fourth Street N.E. Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 4087 W. Broadway. St. Stephen, Anoka — 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 525 Jackson St.
Epiphany, Coon Rapids — 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 11001 Hanson Blvd. N.W.
Epiphany, Coon Rapids — 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 11001 Hanson Blvd.
St. Peter, Forest Lake — 5 to 7 p.m. at 1250 S. Shore Drive.
Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — Lenten Enchilada dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 401 Concord St.
St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis — 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 2836 33rd Ave. S.
St. John the Baptist, Hugo — 5 to 8 p.m. at 14383 Forest Blvd. St. Michael, Prior Lake — 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 16311 Duluth Ave. St. Jerome, Maplewood — 5 to 7 p.m. at 384 E. Roselawn Ave.
Prayer/ liturgy Living Stations of the Cross at St. Peter, North St. Paul — April 13: 3 p.m. at 2600 N. Margaret St. Presented by Servants of the Cross. For information, visit www.pfknecht. wix.com/servantsofthecross-1. Solemn Choral Vespers at St. Mary, St. Paul — April 13: 5 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E. A soup supper will follow, free will offering. ‘The King of Love’ passion play for singers, choir and orchestra at St. Casimir, St. Paul — April 13: 3 p.m. at 935 E. Geranium Ave. Reception to follow. This event is free and open to all.
CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: Time and date of event, full street address of event, description of event and contact information in case of questions EMAIL: spiritcalendar@archspm.org (No attachments, please.) MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — Asian seafood buffet from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 155 County Road 24.
Don’t miss More events online
Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road.
Additional parish and school events in the archdiocese can be found at TheCatholicSpirit.com/ calendar.
St. Joseph, Waconia — 4 to 7:30 at 41 East First St. St. Edward, Bloomington — 5 to 7 p.m. at 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S. Transfiguration, Oakdale — 5 to 7 p.m. at 6133 15th St. N. Guardian Angels, Chaska — 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 217 W. Second St. Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto — 4:30 to 7 p.m. at 150 Railway St. E.
April 16
Good Shepherd, Golden Valley — 5 to 7 p.m. at 145 Jersey Ave. S.
St. Pius X, White Bear Lake — 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. soup supper followed by Stations of the Cross at 3878 Highland Ave.
Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — 6 to 7 p.m. soup supper at 88 N. 17th St.
April 18
St. Bernard, St.Paul — 4:30 p.m. at Rice Street and Geranium Avenue.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — Lenten Enchilada dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 401 Concord St.
Living Stations of the Cross at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maplewood — April 14: Noon at 1725 Kennard St. Presented by Servants of the Cross. For information, visit www.pfknecht. wix.com/servantsofthecross-1. Living Stations of the Cross at Transfiguration, Oakdale — April 14: 7 p.m. at 6133 15th St. N. Presented by Servants of the Cross. For information, visit www.pfknecht.wix.com/servantsofthecross-1.
Retreats Men’s Holy week retreat at Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo — April 16 to 19: Theme is Sacred Time, Sacred Meaning, presented by Father Bill Mason, OMI. Cost is $210 per person. For information, visit www. kingshouse.com. Triduum Retreat at Benedictine Center, Maplewood — April 17 to 19: Participants will experience the three most sacred days of the Church year with the Benedictine sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery. The $160 cost includes lodging and meals. To register online, go to www.stpaulsmonastery.org and follow the link to the Benedictine Center. For more information, call (651) 777-7251. Men’s Holy Week retreat at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, Prior Lake — April 17 to 19: 5:30 p.m. Thursday to 12:15 p.m. Saturday at 16385 St. Francis Lane. Register by calling (952) 447-2182 or visit www.franciscanretreats.net.
Day retreat for physically and/or mentally challenged adults at St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center — May 17: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 7025 Halifax Ave. N. Cost is $20 and includes lunch and optional dinner. The retreat will include Mass, adoration, sacrament of reconciliation and quiet time for prayer and reflection. The day will also include singing, bingo and crafts. Caregivers are also welcome. For more information, contact Deacon Sean or Joan Curtan at (651) 291-4543 or curtans@archspm.org.
Young adults West Metro Young Adults Theology on Tap at Mozza Mia, Edina — April 22: Doors open at 7 p.m. at 3910 W. 50th St. Dr. Deborah Savage will speak on Pope John Paul II and Divine Mercy. West Metro Young Adults Theology on Tap at Mozza Mia, Edina — April 29: Doors open at 7 p.m. at 3910 W. 50th St. Alyssa Bormes will speak on “Why We Need Jerry Springer and Reality TV.”
Other events Saint Therese Youth Volunteer Awards celebration at Saint Therese at Oxbow Lake, Club and Dining Room, Brooklyn Park — April 23: 6:30 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. program at 5200 Oak Grove Pkwy. Scholarship winners have been notified. Please RSVP by April 16 at (763) 531-5075 or matthewc@sttheresemn.org. An Evening with Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. at St. Catherine University, St. Paul — April 24: 7 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy, 2004 Randolph Ave. She will present, “The Art and Science of Resilience: From Surviving to Thriving.” For information, visit oshag.stkate. edu or call the Ticket Office at (651) 690-6700
Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50-plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays: For Catholic singles to meet and make friends. The group usually meets in St. Paul on Sunday afternoons. For information, call Mary at (763) 323-3479 or Al at (651) 482-0406.
Singles group at St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park — ongoing second Saturday each month: 6:15 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N. Gather for a potluck supper, conversation and games. For information, call (763) 425-0412.
Singles 50-plus Second Sunday Supper at St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis — April 13: 5 p.m. social hour, 6 p.m. dinner and 7 p.m. entertainment at 4537 Third Ave. S. Cost is $10. Entertainment is guitarist Steve Kramer. For information, visit www. secondsundaymn.us.
Wild game dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — April 29: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a social, silent auction, meat raffles, and pull tabs. Buffet dinner of venison, buffalo, pheasant and other game at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. Located at 1114 W. American Blvd. For information, call (952) 888-1492 or visit www.kofcbloomington.com. 67th annual Archdiocesan Family Rosary Procession at the state Capitol, St. Paul — May 4: Gather at 1:30 p.m., procession starts at 2 p.m. Pray the rosary in procession from the state Capitol to the Cathedral of St. Paul. The prayer intention is for a ‘new springtime’ for the virtue of purity in the culture and a deeper understanding of the holiness of marriage and family life. At the Cathedral participants will renew the consecration of the archdiocese to Mary, offer prayers for marriage and the family and close with adoration and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Details at www. familyrosaryprocession.org.
23 More news online: TheCatholicSpirit.com
Archdiocese continues to work with law enforcement Continued from page 7 Catholic Bishops adopted the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” including safe environment training and criminal background checks for clergy, employees and those volunteering with children in the Church. During the deposition, Archbishop Nienstedt noted that, in the past 10 years, there have been substantiated allegations made against two men formerly in ministry as priests in the archdiocese: Curtis Wehmeyer and Francisco Montero. In its statement, the archdiocese said it cooperated with investigators in both cases. Both men were
removed from public ministry after the archdiocese became aware of the sexual abuse allegations against them. Montero’s bishop in Ecuador was informed about the allegations in 2007. The archbishop said he would contact the bishop in Ecuador “to express again grave concern” if Montero should presently be in ministry in Ecuador, the archdiocese said. The deposition came two days after the archdiocese provided clergy file documents as part of the Doe 1 lawsuit. This release was the first of several that will occur in the coming weeks and pertained to four men who were previously disclosed on
the archdiocesan website in December and February with substantiated claims of sexual abuse. The archdiocese said it is making “every reasonable effort” to meet the file-release schedule established by the court. The archdiocese also noted that, beginning, last week, it informed nearly 50 law enforcement agencies that it was going to provide several priest files to Doe 1’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, and offered the police the opportunity to review those files. “This approach is consistent with our goal of prudent and ongoing disclosure. We continue to cooperate proactively with the police,” it said.
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The Last Word
24
Science, faith and the Big Bang theory The 10-meter South Pole Telescope and the Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization experiment, or Biceps2, at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station are seen against the night sky with the Milky Way in this National Science Foundation picture taken in August 2008. Citing measurements from the telescope and Biceps2, astronomers announced March 17 they detected ripples in the fabric of space-time that echo the massive expansion of the universe that took place just after the Big Bang. CNS photo/ Keith Vanderlinde/National Science Foundation via Reuters
Priest’s study of universe’s origins still guides modern-day cosmology Catholic News Service The work of researchers who reported detecting the signal left behind by the rapid expansion of space billions of years ago is rooted in the efforts of a Belgian priest whose mathematical computations in the 1920s laid the groundwork for the Big Bang theory. Msgr. George Lemaitre, a mathematician who studied alongside leading scientists of the first half of the 20th century exploring the origins of the universe, suggested that the cosmos began as a super-dense “primeval atom” that underwent some type of reaction that initiated the expansion of the universe which continues today. The priest’s conclusions challenged the conventional hypothesis proposed by luminaries such as Albert Einstein and Fred Hoyle that the universe was in a steady state. Researchers in cosmology over the decades refined Msgr. Lemaitre’s idea, leading to what became widely known as the Big Bang theory and later ideas that signs of the Big Bang can be detected. The most recent evidence supporting the Big Bang emerged March 17 when a team of scientists announced they detected polarization in light caused by primordial gravitational waves originating from the Big Bang. The measurements were made with the Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization experiment, or Biceps2, located near the South Pole. Scientists had theorized that such waves would have been produced in the universe’s first trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second as it underwent an exponential expansion 13.8 billion years ago, sending ripples throughout the universe that can still be detected. Other research teams are seeking to confirm the findings.
April 10, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
If the existence of gravitational waves is confirmed, it will provide the most direct evidence yet for the rapid expansion of space, also known as the theory of inflation, said Ronald Olowin, professor of astrophysics at St. Mary’s College of California. Inflation was proposed in 1980 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Alan Guth. In information provided by MIT, Guth described inflation as the “propulsion mechanism” that caused the universe to undergo tremendous expansion in a fraction of a second. The discovery also provides more evidence to support Einstein’s general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics governing motion in the universe, Olowin told Catholic News Service. Msgr. Lemaitre’s work focused on interpreting Einstein’s theory and analyzing measurements of galactic motion by astronomer Edwin Hubble. The priest’s computations pointed to a constantly expanding universe and by extrapolation backward to the primeval atom. Msgr. Lemaitre, who taught for most of his career at Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, died June 22, 1966 at 71 knowing that he was on the right trail. He was told shortly before his death that scientists had measured the cosmic microwave background radiation. By the late 1990s, researchers also concluded that the universe was expanding at an increasing rate, which Msgr. Lemaitre’s computations had shown to be happening.
Bigger challenge Some in the scientific community, however, believed Msgr. Lemaitre’s pursuits were religiously motivated in an attempt to identify a creation moment in line with Catholic teaching. Msgr. Lemaitre insisted there was neither a connection nor a conflict between his science and his Catholic faith. In response to a question about the connection of his work and his faith, Msgr. Lemaitre said that the Bible’s authors were “illuminated ... on the question of salvation”
and that “the idea that because they were right in their doctrine of immortality and salvation they must also be right on all other subjects is simply the fallacy of people who have an incomplete understanding of why the Bible was given at all,” according to a 1933 Literary Digest article quoted in author John Farrell’s book “The Day Without Yesterday: Lemaitre, Einstein and the Birth of Modern Cosmology.” Augustinian Father Allan Fitzgerald, director of the Augustinian Institute at Villanova University, told CNS there should be no conflict between faith and scientific discovery. He explained that St. Augustine expressed openness to truth wherever it could be found. John O’Keefe, professor of theology at Creighton University, said the apparent measurement of gravitational waves and their connection to the early moments of the life of the universe “doesn’t change a whole lot except to make it even more likely that the Big Bang theory is the best scientific explanation for the origin of the universe.” He expressed concern that the mainstream media continues to press the idea of conflict between science and religion. “A lot of people still don’t understand that the Big Bang theory is not threatening to Christian faith,” O’Keefe told CNS. “I think Catholics need to spend a little more time reading what our tradition teaches rather than just taking the word of the evening news,” he said. “The evening news is totally distorting between science and religion, that there is a war between science and religion when there really isn’t.” Rich Kallsen, an instructor of physical science and biology at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School in Sioux City, Iowa, said he talks to his students about the universe and creation in the context of faith and science. “We have a unique opportunity in a Catholic school to stress the importance of understanding the possible means God chose to create us and to be open to the fact that while we may not understand completely how we came to be where, what we are today, it is all at the doing and direction of God,” he said.
Easter CNS/Sam Lucero,The Compass
Learning more about our faith The Catholic Spirit’s 4-page Rediscover: pullout section in each issue highlights a new Rediscover: theme for you and discuss with others. Coming up April 24: Why is it important to pray before meals?
Praying during the three holiest days of the year
T HEART OF THE MATTER Father Michael VAN SLOUN
he three days of the Easter Triduum are the three holiest days of the year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. They celebrate the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ, the central mysteries of our faith, both the Passion — his suffering and death — and the resurrection, his glorious triumph over sin and the grave. Every day is a day for prayer, but the Easter Triduum stands above all other days as three special days for prayer. It is a time for believers to devoutly enter these profound mysteries. There are two principal ways to pray during this time: communal liturgical prayer at church and personal private prayer, and both are highly recommended. There are three sacred liturgies over these days, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, the Passion of our Lord on Good Friday, and the resurrection of the Lord, first celebrated at the Easter Vigil and then also at the Masses on Easter Sunday morning. If there were ever a time to go to church
The Catholic Spirit • April 10, 2014
to pray, it is on these three days. It is extremely important to make prayerful participation in these liturgies a top spiritual priority.
Tuning in by tuning out The other indispensable way to pray during these three days is personal private prayer. Our lives are so hectic. There are so many things to do and so many places to go. And our lives are so noisy. We talk, talk, talk, and the sound waves are filled with a din from the television, radio and music from all sorts of media. If there ever were a time to be silent and still, it is on these three days. Turn off the TV or radio. Set the gadgets aside. Reserve the time. Find a quiet place. Center yourself. Focus on God and listen, listen, listen. There are a number of other special ways to prayerfully participate in the Triduum. On Holy Thursday at the conclusion of Mass,
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Please turn to EASTER on back page of section
“If there ever were a time to be silent and still, it is on these three days. Turn off the TV or radio. Set the gadgets aside. Reserve the time. Find a quiet place. Center yourself. Focus on God and listen, listen, listen.” Father Michael Van Sloun
Walking with Jesus: Ham Lak By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Andrew Zeece looks like Jesus — middle Eastern complexion, dark wavy hair, full beard. In fact, the 18-year-old parishioner of St. Paul in Ham Lake says he routinely gets this comment at his church: “Hi, Jesus.” It would be easy to think that his looks landed him the part for the parish youth group’s annual Living Stations performances, which took place last week as a way of helping parishioners and others get ready for Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. But, his appearance is not what secured his portrayal of Christ for the last two years. And, the ultimate criteria for selecting the performance’s most important role speak volumes about what this experience is about for the 125 youth who are part of it every year — and why it has been running strong in the parish for the last 19 years. “It’s all based on character and integrity,” said Gary Ritter, a volunteer who helped start it with fellow parishioner Barb Skillings. “[Zeece] has great leadership ability in youth group. He works hard. He’s going to college besides high school, and he wants to be a welder. We were watching him develop through the years as he played other parts. He was part of this from a very young age. There was just a spirituality about him that grabbed both of us.” Of course, looking the part didn’t hurt, either, although he didn’t exactly resemble a man from Galilee when Ritter and Skillings were contemplating him for the part two years ago. The youth who portrays Jesus is picked during his sophomore year of high school and asked to do it the next two years. Skillings and Ritter were giving Zeece heavy consideration two years ago, but then the young man made a move that jolted the two co-directors — he shaved his head. No matter. His baldness did not deter him from being selected. He had a whole year to grow his hair out, which he did. And, he continued to leave his locks alone for year two. “That [letting his hair grow out] was the longest thing I had to
Joseph (Daniel Minor) and Mary (Monica Lucca) hold the baby Jesus (Ellis Jordan) during the opening scene of the Living Stations. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
The Catholic Spirit • April 10, 2014
make a decision on when they first asked me,” Zeece said. “It’s a two-year commitment. Do I want to do it? After a long while, I accepted, and I haven’t cut my hair since.” This exemplifies the kind of commitment all of the youth who put on the Living Stations are willing to make. “They’re allowed to miss one practice, and that’s Gary it,” said Ritter, 58, whose four children all have RITTER participated, with one playing Jesus and another Mary. “Most of them will make arrangements for their jobs, will make arrangements for sports, will do everything they can to make the practices and to do this; it’s that important to them.” The performance has come a long way since the first year, when all of the characters wore whiteface makeup resembling that worn by clowns. The idea came from an event held during the parish’s Vacation Bible School. Barb Ritter and Skillings struggled to put something SKILLINGS together that they had never done before, with Skillings having an additional challenge. “I’m a convert [to the Catholic faith], so I had not experienced the living stations at all,” said Skillings, 66, who has six children. “So, I went and watched a video. And, I knew I’d like the technique, but I knew it wasn’t for our church to have clowns. I knew that wouldn’t be good for our church.” So, the white-face makeup was eliminated the following year. Another key development was having live music. There’s more. At the end of every performance, there’s more music and the chance for those attending to mediate and reflect on what they have seen. While that’s going on, the young people in the performance return to the front of the church and form small prayer groups, giving anyone who wishes the chance to come up for prayer. Then, the youth often will stay longer and go into the chapel to pray themselves. This period of prayer, along with the hourlong prayer before each practice and performance, makes the experience powerful for every young person who chooses to join the cast. “For the kids, it’s almost a retreat. . . . We run rehearsals and we run the time that we’re practicing as if it’s a retreat” Ritter said. “To see a whole group of kids with their arms open wanting to receive Jesus, there’s nothing better than that.” But, it’s not just the youth who are deeply touched. “I think it’s a journey for all of us,” Skillings said. “This should be life changing. We should be different every day, we should be Christ every day.” Said Ritter: “I think for me, it’s been a journey in which my faith has been so uplifted every time we’ve done this, not only through watching the youth, but seeing the reaction of people that come. Because we’re at each rehearsal, because we’re at each performance, it’s like walking with Jesus through the passion and through the Triduum. It’s like being there, being not only a witness through our own faith and through our own families, but to actually feel what Jesus did for us. That’s the part that hits me every year, is this overwhelming feeling of, ‘Wow, Jesus did this for me.’” Ritter and Skillings estimate that about 2,500 people a year come to the three performances. And, the audiences include not just folks from St. Paul’s, but other parishes and even other denominations. This year, for example, a group of 40 from a United Methodist Church accepted the invitation to come. In one case, the impact of the performance stretched all the way to a Protestant church in Missouri. A couple from St. Paul’s brought their neighbors, who had a son who is pastor of a church in Missouri. At the end of the stations, audience members received a nail passed out by the cast members. The nails have red paint on them, symbolizing
the blood of Christ.
The couple was so moved by th Missouri. He, in turn, made simila parishioners.
Such stories keep Ritter and Skil this Lenten ministry. Though their for participation years ago, they hav parish youth the chance to, as the Lent.
“One of the things that moves m will go up and stay in front of the c performance],” Ritter said. “Or, an crying for half an hour. That’s the do it.”
“I think the biggest thing for me ings said. “I just want to love [Go them, and I see that in the kids. An ue. I’m getting older, but I don’t fe thing that connects us with Christ rience him. So, it makes me go deep love for his people and for me, and
ke youth perform the Passion
Andrew Zeece portrays Jesus in the Living Stations put on by youth at St. Paul in Ham Lake. He was part of a group of 125 youth in the parish who did three performances last week. For Zeece, it was his second year of playing Jesus. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
he nails that they told their son in ar nails and gave them to his own
llings passionate about continuing r own kids aged beyond eligibility ve not waned in their desire to give ey put it, “walk with Jesus” during
Mary (Monica Lucca) holds the body of Jesus (Andrew Zeece) after he is taken down from the cross. Other mourners include, from left, the Apostle John (Craig Boster), Mary Magdalene (Michaela Budnick), Mary, mother of Clopas (Monica Johnson), and Mary, mother of James and John (Amanda Meuer). Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
me to pieces is to see people who cross for 45 minutes or so [after the older woman just sitting in a pew e stuff that makes it worthwhile to
is the peace that it gives me,” Skillod’s] people, I want to see Jesus in nd, that’s what moves me to contineel like I’m done yet. There’s somet’s love and wanting them to expeper and it makes me appreciate his d how we are called to share that.”
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‘Give Him 5’ prayer ministry aims to bring people closer to Christ By Angela Deeney For The Catholic Spirit
deeper way and you will desire more,” she said.
Getting started
It was two years ago when Michelle Gelineau received a prompting from the Holy Spirit. Surrounded by 500 kids at St. Paul parish in Ham Lake for a vacation Bible school program, she felt called to lead them in a five-minute challenge of prayer that has since turned into a full-blown ministry. “Give Him 5” is the name Gelineau has chosen to call this ministry in which she encourages people to pray for just five minutes a day. Michelle The slogan? “Give him 5, He GELINEAU gave U everything.” Gelineau said the idea sprang out of her time working with youth at St. Paul parish, where she encourages them to view Jesus as a friend. It all began through prayer. Gelineau felt the Lord was asking her to tell the kids to “just give [Him] five minutes.” She then thought of the high-five symbol and remembered Jesus’ five wounds. She spoke to the kids about the importance of prayer and friendship with the Lord, but as the week of vacation Bible school came to a close, she felt there was more to this five-minute idea. Responding to a quote by Sandra Bullock’s character in the movie “Gravity” who says, “I’ve never really prayed, no one ever taught me how,” Gelineau desires to teach people precisely that. “It’s my passion,” she said.
Within a month, through prayer and research, along with the help of her four daughters and a friend, Gelineau launched a website at www. givehim5.net, complete with a blog, prayer resources and other items to encourage others to rediscover an intimate relationship with God through prayer. “I know that a personal relationship with Jesus changes everything,” Gelineau said, “and prayer is the key to having this relationship.” However, she realizes there are many obstacles to people being able to spend time in prayer. People are so busy that they often don’t take the time to pray. Also, they may be unaware of how to pray. “People are intimidated by prayer, [but] it doesn’t have to be any specific formula. . . . It can be different things, as long as you are focused on the Lord,” Gelineau said. Gelineau suggests an acronym as a way to help people pray. She calls it FAITH, which stands for: Find a quiet place, Ask Jesus to be with you, tell him what’s Important to you, Thank him for your blessings, and ask for his Help in your life. She also said that “Give him 5” is only the hook into a deeper prayer relationship with the Lord. “Begin with five minutes, come to know the Lord in a
Bringing souls to Christ Her hopes for the future are not only that people come to discover the Lord in prayer, but that it will start conversations, even in the workplace. “I’m finding that people are talking about their faith more, even if it’s just by buying a coffee mug,” Gelineau said. (Coffee mugs and other items are for sale at www.givehim5. net). So far, parish Bible studies, youth groups and other vacation Bible school programs have used the Give Him 5 message. Apart from online and contacting Gelineau directly, interested individuals can also find Give Him 5 prayer resources at St. George Catholic Books and Gifts in Blaine and Greetings in Northtown Mall in Blaine. Give Him 5 also has a Facebook group, which Gelineau encourages people to join for more information and updates. At the beginning of this ministry, when her husband asked, “Are you hoping to make a million dollars?” She responded, “No, I’m hoping to bring a million souls to Christ.” And, through the simple message of praying for five minutes a day, Give Him 5 encourages people to meet Christ and be open to diving into a personal relationship with him.
Easter Triduum is a celebration of the central mysteries of our faith the Blessed Sacrament is carried in procession through the church and then transferred to another place where it is reposed, so one option is to pray in silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. During the Last Supper, Jesus gave his final words of instruction to his disciples, so it would be timely to reflect upon his Last Supper Discourse: John 13:31 to 16:33. After teaching the disciples, Jesus raised his eyes to heaven, so it would be an opportune occasion to ponder the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17:126. After the Last Supper, Jesus went to Gethsemane, so it would be appropriate to pray the First Sorrowful Mystery of the rosary, the Agony in the Garden. It was the night Jesus washed his disciples’ feet
which makes it a perfect day to pray about the call to humble service.
Good Friday is a solemn and somber day. Fasting and abstinence set a prayerful tone. The scourging at the pillar and the crowning of thorns took place on Good Friday morning, so it would be good to pray the Second and Third Sorrowful Mysteries early. Jesus hung upon the Cross for three hours, so an extended period of silent prayer between noon and 3 p.m. is an excellent option. During these three hours, or at any time on Good Friday, special ways to pray include reading the Passion, John 18:1-19:42; the completion of the Sorrowful Mysteries; the Stations of the Cross; prayer with the Suffering
Servant Canticles (Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12) or the seven Penitential Psalms (Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102, 130; 143); prayers and hymns of lamentation; and intercession for the Church, the world and all those in need. It is an ideal time to pray with a cross, either before a crucifix or to take one in hand, to venerate it and to gaze upon Jesus’ crucified body and ponder the meaning of his redemptive suffering and death. Holy Saturday is a day to keep vigil. As Mary Magdalene kept watch at the tomb in sober silence, it is a time to remain subdued, observe the Triduum fast and prepare to celebrate the greatest feast of our faith, the resurrection of the Lord. Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.
We want to hear your stories! If you or someone you know has a story, email catholicspirit@archspm.org with your idea. Please write “Rediscover” in the subject line. Or call (651) 291-4444. April 24 Why is it important to pray before meals, both at home and in public? May 8 What does it mean to pray with Mary? What are some Marian prayers? May 22 What is the rosary and why would I pray it?
June 5 What does it mean to pray constantly. June 19 How can silence help my prayer life? July 3 How is the Mass our greatest prayer? July 17 What is eucharistic adoration? How can it deepen my friendship with Christ?
July 31 How can I instill good prayer habits in my children and pray with them? August 14 How can music be a vehicle and aid for prayer? August 28 Who are models of prayer we can emulate in our own lives? September 11 Overcoming obstacles to prayer: How do I get out of a prayer rut?
The Catholic Spirit • April 10, 2014
September 25 What are blessings, and how can I give them?
November 20 What are some popular Advent prayer traditions?
October 9 How has prayer healed or transformed lives?
December 4 What are the psalms and how can they guide my prayer?
October 23 Why do we ask saints to pray for us?
December 18 What prayer customs do you celebrate during the Christmas season?
November 6 How do we remain faithful when our prayers seemingly go unanswered?
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“Good Friday is a solemn and somber day. . . . Jesus hung upon the Cross for three hours, so an extended period of silent prayer between noon and 3 p.m. is an excellent option.” Father Michael Van Sloun