Pregnancy resource centers evolve 7 • Lasallian influence 12 • Learning in Maple Lake 19 January 7, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The New Year in a Holy Year
By Carol Glatz and Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
G
od’s ability to forgive “knows no limits” as his mercy frees people from bitterness and despair, Pope Francis said. “The Church’s forgiveness must be every bit as broad as that offered by Jesus on the cross and by Mary at his feet. There is no other way,” he said after opening the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome Jan. 1, the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Prayer for Peace. On the first day of the new year, Pope Francis opened the last holy door in Rome as part of the extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. “The door we have opened is, in fact, a Door of Mercy,” he said in his homily, referring to the Roman basilica’s large bronze doors depicting Mary presenting her resurrected son, Jesus. “Those who cross its threshold are called to enter into the merciful love of the father with complete trust and freedom from fear; they can leave this basilica knowing with certainty that Mary is ever at their side,” especially during times of trouble and sorrow, he said. At the church dedicated to Mary and on her feast day as Mother of God, the pope explained how Mary is the mother of mercy because she bore “the very face of divine mercy,” the son of God “made incarnate for our salvation.” “Mary is an icon of how the Church must offer forgiveness to those who seek it. The mother of forgiveness teaches the Church that the forgiveness granted on Golgotha knows no limits. Neither the law with its quibbles, nor the wisdom of this world with its distinctions, can hold it back,” he said. Mary offers the world Jesus, who in turn offers that forgiveness that “renews life, enables us once more to do God’s will and fills us with true happiness,” the pope said.
People pass through the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major after its opening by Pope Francis in Rome Jan. 1. The Holy Doors of Rome’s four major basilicas are now open. CNS/Paul Haring
ALSO inside
Petition settlement reached
Archdiocese strikes agreement with Ramsey County Attorney’s Office regarding civil petition on clergy sexual abuse. — Page 6
Master faith teacher
Providing debt relief
Dale Ahlquist explains how G.K. Chesterton inspires him to enrich the spiritual lives of people near and far. — Pages 10–11
The Labouré Society helps those wishing to enter priesthood or religious life, but are burdened by student loans, to pay off debt. — Page 13
2 • The Catholic Spirit
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January 7, 2016
in PICTURES “Good always triumphs, even if in some moments it may seem weaker and hidden.” Pope Francis, speaking Dec. 31 during an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica. The pope said Christians must interpret the signs given by God to truly see his merciful love. Even though the year was marred by violence and the suffering of people fleeing for better living conditions, there were also gestures of goodness, love and solidarity, even if they are not covered by the media, he said.
NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
Theology on Tap series underway in St. Paul
HOLY FIRE Parishioners at Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, including fifth-grade faith formation students and assistant teacher Ben Henrich, left, pray a rosary Dec. 16 at the 24-hour event Fire For Discipleship to raise money for the homeless. Holy Name raised $38,000 in this year’s Fire for Discipleship, with all funds going to Plymouth-based Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners, which serves the westmetro homeless. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
Cathedral Young Adults’ Winter 2016 Theology on Tap kicked off Jan. 6 with Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Upcoming speakers include Leah Jacobson, founder and president of The Guiding Star Project (Jan. 13); Deacon Joseph Michalak, the archdiocese’s director of diaconate formation (Jan. 20); Jeff Cavins, the archdiocese’s director of evangelization and catechesis (Jan. 27); and Ken Fitzgerald, lay evangelist at Our Lady of Grace in Edina (Feb. 3). The series is held at O’Gara’s Bar and Grill, 164 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with speakers at 7:30 p.m.
Men’s Conference registration open Registration is open for the Archdiocesan Men’s Conference, 8 a.m.12:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the University of St. Thomas’ Anderson Fieldhouse. Bishop Andrew Cozzens will direct the event, which, according to organizers, “will lead men on a new mission: The Catholic Watchmen, calling men to be protectors, providers and leaders of their families.” The conference is $20 per adult and $10 per student. For more information visit http://bit.ly/1mTBDns.
Prayer Service for Life and Capitol rally Jan. 22
SURPRISE REUNION Emma Zabinski, center, poses with siblings Thomas, left, and Martu at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield Dec. 18. Zabinski came home on leave from the Navy and surprised her two siblings with a visit to their school during an all-school holiday sing-along. Watch the video at http://on.fb.me/1mvCZF9. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
WHAT’S NEW on social media It’s still the Christmas season! Want to see kitchy Christmas crèches, including a couple from The Catholic Spirit office? Michael Pytleski, The Catholic Spirit’s multimedia communications coordinator, posted the offenders and a link to “The 62 Worst and Weirdest Nativities.” The U.S. bishops’ annual Nine Days for Life novena is Jan. 16-24. The bishops invite Catholics to join them in praying for respect and protection of all human life. Resources are available through Facebook and at www.9daysforlife.com. The Minnesota Catholic Conference has made available on its website resources for reading “Laudato Si’: On the Care for our Common Home,” Pope Francis’ encyclical released last June. Background documents and video, including the MCC’s Natural and Human Ecology conference held in September, are available at www.mncc.org/advocacyarea/laudato-si.
The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 21 — No. 1 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love
MARIA C. WIERING, Editor
The annual Prayer Service for Life will be held 10:30 a.m. Jan. 22 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. According to organizers, the service “commemorates the millions of lives lost to abortion and the many women and men wounded by abortion’s aftermath.” It is followed by the March for Life at the State Capitol, sponsored by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. A Prayer Vigil for Hope, Healing and Mercy will be held 7-10 p.m. Jan. 21 at St. Mary’s Chapel at the St. Paul Seminary. The event is open to all, but people who have been hurt by abortion are especially encouraged to attend. For more information, call 651-291-4515. The events mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states.
Closing Mass for Year of Consecrated Life Jan. 31 The closing Mass for the Year of Consecrated Life will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. The year — which began Nov. 29, 2014 — ends Feb. 2, the World Day of Consecrated Life.
Center for Mission essay contest theme is mercy The Center for Mission’s 2016 annual writing contest is focusing on mercy with the question: “How can you show mercy to others, or how have you received mercy?” The contest is open to students in grades one to 12 with four age divisions. Submissions are accepted Jan. 13 to Feb. 10. Winners receive cash prizes and will be announced the week of March 28. For more information, contact the Center for Mission at friesenm@ archspm.org or 651-291-4445.
CORRECTION The incorrect parish was listed for Deacon Michael Kraemer’s parish assignment in the Dec. 17 Official. He is appointed to Holy Family in St. Louis Park. The Catholic Spirit apologizes for the error.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published bi-weekly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: catholicspirit@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
January 7, 2016
FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE CURIA
The Catholic Spirit • 3
Giving up New Year’s resolutions for Christmas
A
lot of people give up a lot of things for Lent. I give up New Year’s resolutions for Christmas. Think about it. The holidays may be over, but the Church continues the celebration of the Christmas season all the way until Sunday, Jan. 10, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The great mystery of Christmas is still unfolding. The decorations have come down and permanent trees are packed away. Radio stations stopped playing Christmas music and people stopped saying “Merry Christmas” Dec. 26. Even the greeting “Happy New Year!” stopped Jan. 2. Meanwhile, those who do New Year’s resolutions have gone back to the mirrors of self-reflection and come up with a list of all that needs to change. Resolutions for self-improvement are important, yet how can we look at who we want to be in the new year until we have once again entered the mystery of who we are in the timeless revelation of who God is in Jesus Christ? It seems out of place to say “woe, woe, woe” after a time of “ho, ho, ho.” The holidays are, after all, a time of merriment and a respite from the challenges of life. The arrival of a new year gives us permission to offer toasts of wishful thinking in the midst of global troubles. Resolutions for selfimprovement, however, give us a false impression that if we just go to the gym more, eat less and reply sooner to emails, we can make right all that is wrong in the world through a list of personal promises for the future. FROM THE MODERATOR Why should we begin the new year with yet another example of failure in the quest to be perfect? We are imperfect OF THE CURIA people in an imperfect world. The true meaning of Christmas is lost when we ignore the powers of sin and death so as to Father Charles Lachowitzer make merry for a few days of presenting well-intended gifts
and gatherings with too much food. It is the Christmas season and we still have time to reflect on God’s unconditional gift of love, revealed in a child born of Mary — Jesus Christ — one of us and one with us. We still have time to ponder the feasts of the Holy Family; Mary, Mother of God; Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. Unlike the holidays, which are here one day and gone the next, the mysteries of our faith are part of our everyday lives, regardless of the seasons of nature and not bound by this world’s festivals and customs. To enter into the very mystery of life and reflect on the miraculous birth in Bethlehem is to encounter a world filled with darkness and devoid of hope. Sin sabotages all efforts to make things perfect, even for the holidays. Death knows not our seasons and cares not that there are empty chairs around the table of every festive gathering with family and friends. The good news of Christmas and the joy of the Gospel is that the light born in Bethlehem is greater than all darkness. In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are given a mercy greater than all sin and a life greater than death itself. Christmas is the birth of Easter and it is a season to be filled with awe, wonder and grace because of what God has done, is doing today and will do in every year to come. There is still time in the Christmas season to reflect on all these things and — in the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary — treasure the mysteries of faith in our hearts. As for that list of resolutions, I gave them up for Christmas. Lent comes early this year and will be here soon enough for a season of to-do lists for self-improvement. Yes, we have finished doing the holidays, but God is still doing Christmas for those disciples of Jesus Christ who know all too well that we need it. Merry Christmas, and in this new year just begun, happy Easter!
Renunciar a los propósitos de Año Nuevo por la Navidad Así como un gran número de personas renuncian a muchas cosas para la Cuaresma, yo renuncio a los propósitos de Año Nuevo por la Navidad. Piense en esto. Las fiestas pudieron haberse terminado, pero la Iglesia continúa la celebración de la temporada de Navidad hasta el domingo 10 de enero con la fiesta del Bautismo del Señor. El gran misterio de la Navidad todavía está en desarrollo. Ya han quitado las decoraciones y han guardado sus árboles. Las estaciones de radio dejaron de tocar la música de Navidad y la gente dejó de decir “Feliz Navidad” el 26 de diciembre. Incluso el saludo “¡Feliz Año Nuevo! “ Se dejó de decir el de 2 de enero. Mientras tanto, los que hacen propósitos de año nuevo han vuelto a los espejos de la auto-reflexión y han hecho una lista de todo lo que necesitan cambiar. Los propósitos para el mejoramiento de sí mismo son importantes, sin embargo, ¿cómo podemos mirar a quien queremos ser en el año nuevo mientras no hayamos entrado una vez más en el misterio de
lo que realmente somos en la revelación eterna de quién es Dios en Jesucristo? Parece fuera de lugar decir “Ay, ay, ay”, después de un tiempo de “jo, jo, jo.” Las fiestas son, después de todo, un momento de alegría y un respiro de los desafíos de la vida. La llegada de un nuevo año nos da permiso para ofrecer brindis de ilusión en medio de los problemas globales. Propósitos para el mejoramiento de uno mismo, sin embargo, nos dan una falsa impresión de que si vamos más al gimnasio, comemos menos y respondemos cuanto antes a los correos electrónicos, podemos hacer bien todo lo que está mal en el mundo a través de una lista de promesas personales para el futuro. ¿Por qué debemos comenzar el año nuevo con otro ejemplo de fracaso en la búsqueda de ser perfectos? Somos gente imperfecta en un mundo imperfecto. El verdadero significado de la Navidad se pierde cuando ignoramos los poderes del pecado y de la muerte con el fin de ser felices durante unos días dando regalos bien intencionados y teniendo reuniones con demasiada comida. Es la temporada de Navidad y todavía tenemos tiempo para reflexionar sobre
el regalo incondicional del amor de Dios, revelado en un niño nacido de María — Jesucristo — uno de nosotros y uno con nosotros. Todavía tenemos tiempo para reflexionar sobre las fiestas de la Sagrada Familia; de María, Madre de Dios; de la Epifanía y del Bautismo del Señor. A diferencia de las fiestas, que están aquí un día y se van al siguiente, los misterios de nuestra fe son parte de nuestra vida cotidiana, independientemente de las estaciones de la naturaleza y no una obligación de las fiestas y costumbres de este mundo. Entrar en el misterio de la vida y reflexionar sobre el milagroso nacimiento en Belén, es encontrarse con un mundo lleno de oscuridad y sin esperanza. El pecado estropea todos los esfuerzos para hacer las cosas perfectas, incluso para las fiestas. La muerte no sabe de nuestras festividades y tampoco le importa que haya sillas vacías alrededor de la mesa de cada festividad que nos reunimos con familiares y amigos. La buena noticia de la Navidad y la alegría del Evangelio es que la luz que nació en Belén es mayor que toda la oscuridad. En la vida, muerte y
resurrección de Jesucristo se nos da una bendición más grande que todo pecado y una vida más grande que la muerte misma. La Navidad es el nacimiento de Pascua y es una temporada que se llena de asombro, maravilla y gracia por lo que Dios ha hecho, está haciendo hoy y lo hará en todos los años por venir.
Effective December 23, 2015
Effective January 1, 2016
Effective January 9, 2016
Reverend Daniel Haugan, appointed temporary parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Andrew Kim in Saint Paul, until a pastor can be appointed. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Saint Paul.
Reverend Michael Johnson, JCL, appointed Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal. Father Johnson succeeds Reverend Timothy Cloutier, JCL, who will continue in his current appointment as parochial administrator of the Church of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin in Saint Paul.
Reverend David Kohner, appointed temporary parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Joseph in Taylors Falls and the Church of Saint Francis Xavier in Franconia, while the current pastor, Reverend Frank Wampach, is on sabbatical. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Bridget of Sweden in Lindstrom.
Todavía hay tiempo en la temporada Navideña para reflexionar sobre todas estas cosas y — en el ejemplo de la Santísima Virgen María — atesorar los misterios de la fe en nuestros corazones. En cuanto a la lista de propósitos de año nuevo, renuncié a ellos para no perder el enfoque de la Navidad. Cuaresma viene a principios de este año y estará aquí muy pronto para comenzar una temporada de listas de tareas pendientes para el mejoramiento de sí mismo. Sí, hemos terminado con las fiestas, pero Dios sigue haciendo la Navidad para los discípulos de Jesucristo que sabemos muy bien que lo necesitamos. Feliz Navidad y este nuevo año acaba de comenzar, ¡Feliz Pascua!
OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bernard Hebda, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective December 21, 2015 Deacon William Heiman, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Saint Therese in Deephaven. This is a transfer from his previous appointment to the Parish of Saints Joachim and Anne in Shakopee.
4 • The Catholic Spirit
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January 7, 2016
SLICEof LIFE
New Year’s baby
Andrea Kuenster of Holy Spirit in St. Paul holds her newborn son, Brayden Andrew Kuenster, who was born at 1:27 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and was the first baby born at the hospital in 2016. Hospital staff said he also was the first baby born in St. Paul. Andrea is the daughter of Cheryl and Kevin Kuenster, who are also Holy Spirit parishioners and first-time grandparents. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
wine: Catholic Women’s Conference
Mercy: Encountering Boundless Love Saturday, February 6, 2016 • 9:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville Doors open at 8:30 a.m. — for coffee, treats (most likely it will include chocolate) and SHOPPING!
Join women of all ages as we embrace Pope Francis’ invitation into an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, and learn what it means to encounter, receive, and share God’s merciful love. Speakers are: Barbara Heil, Laura Sobiech, and Teresa Tomeo $65 per person. ($25 for Religious Sisters or Consecrated Women.) Questions & Registration: Visit www.archspm.org/WINE or call 651-291-4411
Brought to you by the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis in partnership with WINE: Women In the New Evangelization.
January 7, 2016
LOCAL
in BRIEF ST. PAUL
Google funding UST STEM classes for teachers Pre-K to grade 12 STEM teachers can take full-credit engineering classes at the University of St. Thomas this spring and summer for free, thanks to Google, which gave a $100,000 sponsorship to the university’s School of Engineering. According to AnnMarie Thomas, an associate professor who co-founded St. Thomas’ Center for Engineering Education, the classes are designed to boost teachers’ confidence and ability to incorporate engineering experience in their classrooms. Teachers in public and non-public schools are eligible.
St. Pascal Baylon replaces stolen tabernacle St. Pascal Baylon recently replaced a bronze tabernacle stolen from the church Sept. 4. It’s a replica of the stolen one and was made by Excelsis, a U.S. manufacturer. It arrived at the parish Dec. 23 and was blessed at Masses Jan. 2 and 3. “It feels like our church is whole again,” said Father Michael Byron, St. Pascal’s pastor. “Every day that we had Mass, we were looking at a vacant space. There was no place of beauty with which to repose the Blessed Sacrament. We’re never going to recover the loss, and there’s still a great deal of sadness about that. But it’s also an opportunity to remember the people of God are still
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intact, and the church can survive even this.” Only pieces of the stolen tabernacle were recovered, Father Byron said. The estimated value of the 250-pound tabernacle was $18,000. The new one, also bronze, cost $16,500, with all but the $1,000 deductible covered by insurance. “I was able to announce it at Christmas Eve Masses that it had returned, and there was spontaneous applause,” Father Byron said. “It means an awful lot to the people here.”
UST football team falls to Mount Union in title game The University of St. Thomas football team reached the Division III championship game, the Amos Alanzo Stagg Bowl, last month for the second time in school history. And, for the second time, the Tommies fell to Mount Union, which won its 12th championship with a 49-35 win Dec. 18 in Salem, Virginia. St. Thomas finished the season with a record of 14-1. The Tommies previously reached the title game in 2012, falling to Mount Union 28-10. Three players from this year’s team were named first team AllAmericans: senior tight end Charlie Dowdle, senior offensive tackle David Simmet, and junior running back Jordan Roberts. Roberts, a seminarian of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, studying at St. John Vianney College Seminary, rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns in the Stagg Bowl.
The Catholic Spirit • 5
Pastor remembers Moe family, killed in Dec. 26 car accident, for parish involvement The Catholic Spirit Little more than a week after a tragic, Christmas weekend automobile accident took the lives of an involved parish family of four, Father Daniel Griffith began Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Jan. 3 remembering Christopher and Rae Anne Moe and their children, Samantha and Anthony. “Our hearts are still heavy,” Father Griffith, Our Lady of Lourdes pastor, said at the 11 a.m. Mass at the northeast Minneapolis church. He asked parishioners to keep the family in their prayers. “There’s a heaviness, a real sadness,” Father Griffith told The Catholic Spirit after Mass. “At a small parish like ours, all of these people know each other and know each other by name. There’s a real sense of family and community,” he said. The Moes were an active part of that parish family, he added. “Chris was a eucharistic minister and an usher when we needed him to be,” Father Griffith recalled. “This fall he was a catechist for the first time. He was a little nervous about doing it, but he end up doing great at it.” The priest called Rae Anne “a great mom,” and members of the family
Open House
were involved this November in Our Lady of Lourdes’ sale of “tourtieres,” French meat pies, the well-known fundraiser in which all generations of parishioners help out. Samantha, 14, and Anthony, 12, were altar servers at Mass on Christmas Day, the day before the accident. The Moes, who lived in Columbia Heights, were killed Dec. 26 when their vehicle slid into oncoming traffic on a snowy Hwy. 65 near McGrath. Christopher was 45; Rae Ann was 40. Father Griffith said it’s important for him to address all the various ages and groups who are mourning the family, including children and classmates as well as relatives. “At times such as this people often question why does a good and gracious God allow things like this to happen,” Father Griffith said. He said he makes the point that life is fragile and that God doesn’t cause tragedies such as the one that claimed the lives of the Moe family. “But God certainly is present in the midst of our suffering,” Father Griffith said. Alluding to the promise of life everlasting in heaven, he said, “Despite the acute sadness, we’re an Easter people.” A funeral Mass was offered Jan. 4 at Our Lady of Lourdes.
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6 • The Catholic Spirit
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January 7, 2016
Archdiocese, county attorney settle civil abuse case By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office entered into a settlement agreement Dec. 18 on a civil petition the county filed against the archdiocese in June. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator, called the settlement “the latest and most public indicator that this archdiocese has earnestly embarked on a journey of self-reflection, evaluation and action.” “If there were any doubts about the archdiocese’s pledge to keeping kids safe, the provisions announced today, going beyond what the law would require, should help put those doubts to rest,” he said at a news conference. The 24-page agreement outlines child protection measures the archdiocese has already implemented or has promised to implement, and Ramsey County’s oversight of those measures for three years. Among them are continuing the role of the archdiocese’s newly established Ministerial Review Board in examining claims of clergy sexual abuse, creating a comprehensive set of policy documents readily available online, and an increased level of involvement from lay people at the parish, seminary and school levels. In the settlement, the archdiocese also agreed to host a conference for restorative justice and reconciliation for clergy sexual abuse victims within 18 months of confirmation of a plan for Reorganization with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The archdiocese entered Chapter 11 Reorganization last January in response to mounting claims of sexual abuse of minors following a three-year lifting of the state’s statute of limitations on decades-old cases. As of August, more than 400 claims of sexual abuse had been filed against the archdiocese. The claims
settlement as “unprecedented” and “landmark.” “As a commitment to meaningful change, the archdiocese has agreed to be subject to the oversight of our office . . . for three years as they continue to transform their organizational culture and practices with respect to clergy sexual abuse,” he said. He said the archdiocese has agreed to implement “important compliance standards that incorporate best practices from across the country with new standards that do not exist anywhere else.” He expects the new standards to “set forth a clear standard of response” for archdiocesan and parish staff members, volunteers and clergy in regards to allegations of child sexual abuse. “It is my expectation that never again will the facts of this case be repeated, and the protection of children will forever be paramount within this archdiocese,” he said. Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks at a news conference following the Dec. 18 filing of a settlement agreement between the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Standing with him are Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, left, and Tim O’Malley, the director of the archdiocese’s Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit involved a fraction of priests who have served in the archdiocese, but they have had a great and far-reaching impact on the local Church. The Dec. 18 settlement agreement is binding pending the bankruptcy court’s approval. The county filed the civil petition and criminal charges against the archdiocese June 5 alleging the archdiocese failed to protect children in the case of former priest Curtis Wehmeyer, who pleaded guilty in 2013 of sexually abusing two boys in 2010 while assigned to Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul. In August 2015, Wehmeyer pleaded guilty in a Wisconsin court to sexually assaulting a third boy.
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The criminal charges against the archdiocese are a separate case from the civil petition.
A significant effort Attorneys representing the County Attorney’s Office and the archdiocese announced the settlement in a 9 a.m. court hearing. Ramsey County Chief Judge Teresa Warner called the settlement “a significant effort to protect not only children but citizens” and thanked the attorneys for their work in reaching an agreement. During a press conference following the court hearing, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi characterized the
Oversight and verification Several of the measures in the agreement are those first established in the archdiocese’s October 2014 settlement with a child sexual abuse victim known as Doe 1, as well as the recommendations of the independent Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards Task Force the archdiocese commissioned in 2013. “These provisions will all now be subject to verification, oversight and enforcement,” Choi said. He emphasized that the agreement contains measures that go beyond what a judge could have ordered the archdiocese to do had the case gone to litigation. “Credit should be given to the archdiocese for agreeing to do these things,” he said. “They’re doing these things — and we have insisted upon these things — because we’ve started to Please turn to O’MALLEY on page 18
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The Catholic Spirit • 7
State of the movement: Pro-life approach shifting in current abortion climate By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit As a mother of six, Leah Jacobson is watching other parents try to raise children in a society that no longer supports sisterhood among mothers. And that’s a shame, said the founder and president of The Guiding Star Project, a Duluth-based organization seeking to combine under one roof a variety of holistic health care services for women and families. “If we stop duplicating services and start using donor dollars to share space . . . we can save thousands and thousands of dollars that can be directed to services” and better compete with Planned Parenthood through brand power, said Jacobson, 34, a parishioner at St. Joseph in Crosby in the Diocese of Duluth. “This is so much bigger than abortion. This is about supporting motherhood.” Forty-three years into legalized abortion in the United States — the Supreme Court’s landmark decision of Jan. 22, 1973 — pro-life advocates say their mission to save babies is broader than preventing abortions. These same advocates from several Minnesota-based organizations have been working to change how pregnancy resource centers operate in the advent of smartphones and other technology, which have created new ways women seek information and obtain abortions. Pregnancy resource centers want to be clear that they strive to serve women with authenticity and sincerity because they care about them and their situations, said Sarah Mealey, a marketing and strategic planning consultant who led the merger of two established Twin Cities pro-life pregnancy resource centers to form Abria Pregnancy Resources last fall. “And in the process, we hope and pray that she chooses life,” Mealey said. “When you respect somebody’s intellect and freewill, you come at it very much less about ‘we’re right, you’re wrong’ and more about ‘we actually care about you [regardless of your circumstances]’. We see and respect the human person.” Focusing on a woman’s or family’s needs during an unexpected pregnancy or other volatile time allows pregnancy resource centers to earn trust and build relationships. What’s most important, advocates say, is that this is done tangibly and not merely through a mission statement. Mealey acknowledged that while some affiliates of the pro-life movement might prevent abortions through shock or shame, advocates are asking, “At what cost?” “We want these young women not only to choose life, but also to be effective, strong parents, or to choose adoption,” said Mealey, who serves on Abria’s board and is a parishioner of Holy Family in St. Louis Park. “A lot of these women don’t understand the inestimable worth of their own soul, and so they can’t possibly understand the inestimable worth of their child’s soul.”
More than a model Abria is intentionally situated on University Avenue in St. Paul — within 5 miles of 10 colleges and universities, and a dozen low-income neighborhoods, positioning it to reach people in need of its services. It’s also across the street from the state’s only Planned Parenthood site
Abortions in Minnesota 2014 data Number performed: 10,123 Number performed on Minnesota residents: 9,172 Highest occurrence by age — 20-34-year-olds: 7,013 Most common reasons for abortion: • “Does not want children at this time” (6,998) • “Economic reasons” (2,712) Top 4 counties of residence of women who obtained abortions: Anoka – 592 • Dakota – 689 • Hennepin – 3,496 • Ramsey – 1,681 Top 3 providers of abortions: Planned Parenthood of Minnesota: 4,981 Whole Woman’s Health, LLC: 2,768 Robbinsdale Clinic: 1,088 Minnesota Department of Health: www.health.state.mn.us
where surgical abortions are performed and less than a mile down the street from NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota. Mealey said Abria’s biggest challenge is reaching Millennials (commonly defined as those born between 1980 and 2000) who are highly engaged through mobile devices and also are most likely to have an abortion (see box). That’s why Abria’s website is mobile-friendly, and staff members are capable of providing information via online chat and texting. The next goal is to create a mobile app, Mealey said. And while they’ve seen success evident in abortion numbers declining longitudinally nationwide, pregnancy resource centers have determined they can propel that trend by reaching people before they’re in a crisis situation by starting important conversations about dignity, fertility and sexual health with adolescents. Abria has a variety of educational programs in the works to accomplish that. A look at pro-life pregnancy resource centers’ services affirms the focus of their approach. Resulting from the merger of Highland LifeCare Center in St. Paul and University LifeCare Center in Minneapolis, Abria took best practices from both and enhanced its growing list of medical services with personal services such as life coaching. The “vanguard” approach contributes to trust and relationship-building with clients, Mealey explained. Today, abortion’s implications are magnified when women are able to initiate a chemical abortion in the privacy of their homes using the oral pill RU-486. That, too, is where pregnancy resource centers have a place, Mealey said. “It’s one thing to go in and have a very sterile ‘medical procedure’ done by a doctor and a nurse, and then it’s over and you don’t see the consequences,” she said. “It’s another to take two pills in your own home, go through the pain, go through labor, and then take the nascent life that is now dead and flush it away — literally — in your own bathroom.” Mealey noted that Abria wants to add RU-486 reversals to its medical services.
A coach approach As certified life coaches with Pregnancy Choices in Apple Valley, Kristin Wermus and Kearston Lazaretti have a goal to change the conversation
with women who are “abortion vulnerable or determined.” Most women who walk through their doors seeking a variety of free services are between the ages of 20-24 and want to take a pregnancy test. Upon the result, Wermus, Lazaretti and the center’s other life coach, who’s bilingual, start partnering alongside the women through an eight-week process. “We’re not leading them, we’re not holding their hands,” Wermus said. “It really is instructing the ignorant. You step over into judgment if you don’t have the right tools.” Those tools include asking the right questions to women and connecting them to the values they’ve defined for themselves. Values, Wermus said, are the first things to go in a stressful situation. Lazaretti noted that their life coaches ask their clients how their decisions honor or dishonor their values. Unfortunately, they said, abstinence isn’t a value for most of the women they coach. And sometimes, women still choose abortion. Wermus said Pregnancy Choices, founded in 2006, follows the tenants of the Catholic Church, but staff members don’t directly tell a woman she can’t have an abortion. “We’re called to suffer in this work,” said Wermus, a parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi in Lake St. Croix Beach. “We give all the credit to the Holy Spirit, to Jesus, to God — that we know we might not have prevented this abortion with our conversation, but potentially the second one, because we see a lot of women who’ve already had abortions who come in here because they do want a different choice.” Wermus said that of their 1,000 clients in 2015, about 12 chose abortion. Even after clients know they want an abortion and that Pregnancy Choices doesn’t provide them or make referrals for them, many women still want to talk. “[Life coaching] helps us to walk alongside them without taking the responsibility of their choices upon ourselves,” said Lazaretti, a parishioner of All Saints in Lakeville. Wermus added, “I want every single person who’s going to have an abortion south of the river to come here first. And we have to make that happen, because if we’re not, we’re doing something wrong. I know once we get them through the door, we have the exact structure to help
them. But it’s just getting them through that door. Life coaching allows them to choose life because they can see the possibility, rather than the probability. Most of us try to live in probability, which is really about fear.” Conveniently but coincidentally, an adoption agency is located across the hall. Wermus and Lazaretti said life coaching resulted in three clients choosing adoption in 2015. In expanding the life coaching model, Pregnancy Choices invites other pro-life pregnancy resource centers to observe their work. That’s how Abria came to add life coaching to its services.
A community of women As pro-life pregnancy centers continue to counter Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers with fewer resources, Jacobson’s Guiding Star Project is gaining traction. In December, it announced a partnership with Californiabased Obria to enhance medical services at Guiding Star centers. Guiding Star’s first physical center opened in Tampa, Florida, in July. An existing pregnancy resource center merged its services with Obria’s medical services and moved into a 5,000 squarefoot space in a different area of town with a different demographic of women. By eventually offering support groups around menopause, nutrition and lactation, the Guiding Star center hopes to become relevant to all women. “We’re not just about handing out diapers,” said Jacobson, a certified lactation consultant. “Together, we’re stronger. [Professional providers] vouch for each other and support each other’s services. That’s what the pro-life movement needs.” Under the Guiding Star model, a variety of fertility, pregnancy and medical service providers are considered tenants in a space the nonprofit owns. Jacobson said tenants agree to Guiding Star’s philosophy statement and have a willingness to work with others. Guiding Star centers cater their services to the community’s needs. Although it started as Birth Choice 30 years ago, Obria recently re-branded and branched out, replacing its baby supply rooms with nurses stations to become a medical clinic. Since then, Obria has seen an influx of clients — both women and men, Jacobson said. “They went through a huge metamorphosis, so we were interested in growing [with them],” Jacobson said, adding that full medical clinics are the way pregnancy resource centers truly can compete with Planned Parenthood, especially with services that accompany women’s needs. “We’re really hoping we can eventually do mammograms.” The new partnership also will enable them to open more physical centers nationwide, all of which will include an Obria clinic. She anticipates the next Guiding Star center to open in the Twin Cities. “We’re making strides in changing public opinion on abortion, but until we as a movement can find common ground, the underlying issues of the culture of death aren’t being addressed,” Jacobson said. “Bigger is better to have presence and legitimacy.”
8 • The Catholic Spirit
U.S. & WORLD
January 7, 2016
Number of refugees, displaced people highest since World War II By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service The explosive global refugee crisis — likely the top debate-generating news story of 2015 — seems destined to dominate domestic and foreign politics for years to come at a time when Pope Francis has been calling for a compassionate world response. Early in 2015, Pope Francis again called attention to the plight of mostly Libyan refugees who perish en route to Europe during the Mediterranean Sea crossing to the southern Italian coastal island of Lampedusa. The pope concluded the year by confirming his intention to visit the Mexico-U.S. border during an anticipated papal visit to Mexico set for February, an action some U.S. lawmakers may deem provacative. Waves of refugees have been fleeing war-torn Syria for new opportunities in the West. By year’s end a new surge of Central Americans — mainly unaccompanied minors — crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and entering the United States has added to tensions over accepting newcomers into this country. And deadly terrorist-related shootings this fall in Paris and in San Bernardino, California, have further strained refugee response initiatives as top politicians such as U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel face heavy criticism and even open resistance to the resettlement of North African and Middle Eastern refugees. Pope Francis’ U.S. visit in September and his newly inaugurated Year of Mercy for the Church worldwide are seen as more teaching moments from the pontiff on the need for mercy and compassion for migrants and refugees. The number of refugees and internally displaced persons needing protection is the largest since World War II, according to the Washington-based Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, which serves and advocates for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons.
No quick solution In 2014, there were almost 60 million refugees and internally displaced people around the globe, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Past mass migration events — including those prompted by unrest in southeast Asia, Afghanistan, Colombia and the Balkans — indicate that the current crisis in the Mediterranean and Middle East may be a decade-long affair with an average time a refugee remains displaced at around 15 years, possibly longer, according to Mitzi Schroeder, director for policy for Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. The agency is commemorating its 35th anniversary, looking back on the Indochinese boat and land crisis that led to its founding by Jesuit Father Pedro Arrupe, then superior general of the Society of Jesus. The experience of responding to that situation led to the establishment of JRS’ triple mission to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of the forcibly displaced, Schroeder notes. “As in the present crisis in the Mideast, the flight of
A boy touches his crying father during a Nov. 19 protest by angry migrants from Pakistan and Morocco who blocked a section of the Greece-Macedonia border after Macedonia began granting entry only to refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. CNS/Georgi Licovsk refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos was initially large and chaotic,” she told CNS. “Many died at sea in the process. Many victims of that crisis were never able to return to their homes, nor were offered permanent protection in the neighboring region.” Ultimately, a “Comprehensive Plan of Action” was created to guarantee immediate assistance, temporary protection and permanent resettlement of the Asian refugees to countries like the United States, which responded by taking in over a million people. The present crisis similarly requires a broad international effort to save lives, preserve human dignity and find durable solutions, according to Schroeder. The sheer size of the current refugee crisis, the difficulty in reaching suffering people within Syria because of ongoing war, and the public perception that terrorists are hiding among the refugees moving to neighboring countries, Europe and the United States multiplies the difficulty in addressing the situation. Anti-Muslim backlash and pushback to resettling Syrian refugees has resulted in local dioceses and parishes having to respond to local parishioners who do not want to see more Middle East refugees resettled in their community for fear of harboring terrorists.
Refugees unlikely threats JRS believes that those refugees who pass the U.S. screening applied to Middle Eastern asylum seekers who are chosen for their persecution and vulnerability to further harm are unlikely to constitute a threat to the country, according to Schroeder. Syrians and other refugees seeking entry for purposes of resettlement are subject to the most rigorous security screening of any group entering the United States, she added. “This screening extends the time they must wait for resettlement to as much as two years,” Schroeder said, noting that the situation of refugees flooding
unscreened into Europe in a “self-selected” fashion does include many risks that would necessarily not be in play in the U.S. One silver lining in the crisis is that a greater awareness of the Syrian meltdown has caused the most stress on neighboring countries in the region and those countries need continued refugee response support from the rest of the world. The Syrian refugees in particular are facing a fifth winter without adequate food, shelter, heat, medical care or access to education for their children. “The international community has not been willing or able to come up with the resources needed to support the growing displaced population adequately. How they would support a vastly increased number of people in so called ‘safe zones’ within Syria, given cost plus the additional logistical efforts that would entail, I do not know,” Schroeder said in response to calls for keeping the Syrian refugees closer to home instead of resettling them in Europe and the West. In addition, Schroeder said the legal implications of establishing such a zone and the military costs and dangers — especially given the involvement of Russia in the situation — would have to be seriously considered. “Safe havens have not worked very well in the past. If the intent is to ‘contain’ people who have a right to flee under international law, this would be totally unacceptable,” she added.
Education greatly need Meanwhile, one of the most pressing needs of Middle East refugees, both in acute crises and in protracted situations like Syria, is education. “Refugees can languish for a generation without the ability to rebuild their lives. It is tragic that during this period refugee children and youth too often do not have access to education, which can sustain hope and provide the tools necessary for them to grow and thrive as individuals and as a community,” Schroeder said. In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has asked JRS to launch a new initiative that will almost double the agency’s education programs by providing educational opportunities to an additional 100,000 refugees a year. JRS already has begun a new effort to raise awareness of the issue of refugee education, and to increase the resources needed to reach that goal. And even the enormous Syrian crisis cannot be allowed to divert full attention to other international refugee problems affecting other populations including the Rohingya of Myanmar, South Sudanese, the people of the Central African Republic, and the displaced children of Central America and others, Schroeder noted. “The U.S. resettlement program has been one of the most successful means of protection of refugees ever created, and has brought new life opportunities to some 3 million people since its inception, people who are now our friends, neighbors, family members and fellow citizens. We should be very proud of this,” Schroeder said.
National Geographic pope photog describes his best shot By Mark Zimmermann Catholic News Service A year ago on Christmas Day, National Geographic photographer Dave Yoder got an unexpected Christmas gift that he will never forget. Over a six-month period, he had taken tens of thousands of photos for a planned cover story on Pope Francis for his magazine. But while he had taken many powerful photos, he was still searching for a cover photo, a single, striking image that would reflect this pope and his special role. Along the way, he had gained unprecedented access to the pope and the Vatican after he befriended the photographers from L’Osservatore
Romano, the Vatican’s newspaper, who offered him help and guidance. Then on Christmas Day 2014, Yoder saw the shot he had been looking for. For one of the few times of the year, the Sistine Chapel was empty, and Pope Francis stood alone in the gateway to the chapel with his back to the camera, seemingly contemplating Michelangelo’s dramatic mural of the Last Judgment on the far wall. “I knew it was the only shot I was going to get. My hands were shaking,” Yoder said.
One veteran Vatican photographer later said he believed that was the only photo ever taken of a pope alone in the Sistine Chapel. Yoder’s photo of that scene was used on the cover of National Geographic’s August 2015 issue titled “Pope Francis Remakes the Vatican,” and it also appears on the cover of National Geographic’s new book, “Pope Francis and the New Vatican.” That book features photos by Yoder and essays by Robert Draper, who wrote the magazine’s related cover story. Those two journalists, along with National Geographic Editor-in-Chief
Susan Goldberg, shared the stories behind that cover story and book in a National Geographic Live panel discussion, held in September in the auditorium at the society’s headquarters in Washington. They were joined by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington. Reflecting on that photo projected on a screen behind the stage, Cardinal Wuerl noted that as the cardinals elect a new pope in a conclave, Michelangelo’s painting looms before them, reminding them that their actions will be judged by God. “That’s what he [the pope] has to stand before every day in his ministry,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “This is a story of God’s grace at work in that man in
U.S. & WORLD
January 7, 2016
The Catholic Spirit • 9
in BRIEF OMAHA, Neb.
Nebraska bishops urge support for ‘at-birth’ gender identity policy The Nebraska Catholic Conference has urged people in a Jan. 4 statement to support a proposal being considered by the Nebraska School Activities Association that would formalize the current practice of basing high school sports participation on students’ sex at birth. Representatives in one of NSAA’s six districts were to vote Jan. 6 on the “at-birth” proposal as well as another bylaw proposal that is similar but raises serious concerns because it would allow some exceptions, said Sheri Rickert, policy director and general counsel for the conference. The bishops said all people are entitled to respect, dignity and the support needed for personal development and well-being. “Such support, however, must be provided with due consideration to fairness and the safety, privacy and rights of all students,” they said.
TRENTON, N.J.
New Jersey bishops urge greater care for immigrants, refugees, poor In a pre-Christmas statement, New Jersey’s Catholic bishops, including Newark Coadjutor Archbishop Bernard Hebda, called on people of faith and “of goodwill” to “go beyond their comfort zone” and renew their commitment to caring for immigrants, refugees and the poor. Expressing concern that newcomers to the United States have been largely overlooked and have been the subject of callous words, the 10 bishops said that biblical values provide the impetus to act with compassion and care toward migrating people. They also called for an end to the “harsh rhetoric that spawns hatred and fear.” “This year in the face of international violence and hatred, let us be heralds of hope and peace,” the bishops wrote. The Catholic leaders compared the plight of contemporary immigrants and
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refugees to the flight of Mary, Joseph and Jesus to Egypt as refugees themselves in the face of threatened violence more than 2,000 years ago.
PHILADELPHIA
Msgr. Lynn’s conviction overturned; court calls for new trial The landmark trial of Msgr. William Lynn, the first high-ranking American Catholic churchman convicted of a crime in connection with the clergy sexual abuse scandal, will play out again as Pennsylvania Superior Court threw out his July 2012 conviction and ordered a new trial. The three-judge panel said in its 43-page split opinion Dec. 22 that Common Pleas Judge Teresa Sarmina, who presided over the original trial, erred by admitting evidence of sexual abuse of minors by priests of the Philadelphia archdiocese in the years before Msgr. Lynn served as secretary for archdiocesan clergy from 1992 to 2004. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence to argue that Msgr. Lynn endangered the welfare of a boy by failing to supervise his attacker, former priest Edward Avery. Msgr. Lynn, 64, was convicted during the trial under the state’s child endangerment statute and sentenced to three to six years in prison.
VATICAN CITY
Vatican agreement with Palestine signed in June goes into effect A historic agreement signed between the Holy See and Palestine that supports a two-state solution in the Holy Land has gone into effect, the Vatican announced Jan. 2. The agreement “regards essential aspects of the life and activity of the Church in Palestine, while at the same time reaffirming the support for a negotiated and peaceful solution to the conflict in the region,” the Vatican said in a statement. The two parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and
the State of Palestine at the Vatican June 26. The accord focuses mostly on the status and activity of the Catholic Church in the Palestinian territories. It assures the Church “juridical recognition” and “guarantees” for its work and institutions there. The Comprehensive Agreement follows up on the Basic Agreement, signed in 2000, between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and was the result of yearslong bilateral negotiations. Although the Comprehensive Agreement is considered as the first official recognition of the state of Palestine by the Holy See, the Vatican has referred to the State of Palestine since January 2013.
Pope erects Syro-Malankara eparchy for United States, Canada Jan. 4 Pope Francis erected a new Syro-Malankara eparchy for the United States and Canada. The pope also named Bishop Thomas Eusebios Naickamparambil, who served as the apostolic exarch for Syro-Malankaran Catholics in the United States, as its first bishop. The new diocese is called the Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace, and will be based out of Elmont, New York, in the Latin-rite Diocese of Rockville Centre at St. Vincent de Paul Malankara Catholic Cathedral. In its announcement Jan. 4, the Vatican noted the presence of 11,500 SyroMalankaran Catholics in the United States, particularly in Illinois, Texas, Michigan, Florida, New York and Washington, D.C. The eparchy includes 19 parishes and missions as well as three women’s religious institutes situated in 10 convents in the two countries. There are 17 priests assigned within the eparchy, and another 16 Syro-Malankaran priests ministering in Latin-rite dioceses. The Syro-Malankara rite was established in India. Indian Catholics hold that St. Thomas journeyed to India to spread the Gospel, although no definitive evidence has been found to verify that. It is one of 22 Eastern churches in communion with Rome. Its headquarters is in Thiruvananthapuram, India. – Catholic News Service
10 • The Catholic Spirit
Acts o
The apostle of ‘the apostle of common sense’ Catholic convert uses every means possible to share Chesterton’s work Part two in a 14-part series highlighting local Catholics who live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit
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t. George Preca of Malta. The rosary’s luminous mysteries. The Lord’s Prayer, the Greek word for “debt,” and the interchange of “justice” and “righteousness.” Standing before 18 high school sophomores in early December, Dale Ahlquist tied each topic into a 45-minute lecture on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. Also mentioned was G.K. Chesterton, the early 20th century British writer who turned Ahlquist’s life upside down — or right-side up, depending on the perspective. Pointing to Christ’s commandments such as “love your enemies” and “blessed are the poor,” Ahlquist, 57, explained to the students that “the whole Sermon on the Mount — Matthew 5, 6 and 7 — is absolutely jam-packed full of paradoxes.” “It’s almost as if Chesterton had written them,” he added, nodding to an ongoing theme Chesterton Academy students are expected to understand. “Paradox is truth standing on her head to attract attention,” Chesterton wrote in one of his detective stories, and it’s a concept at the heart of his writing, as well as central to the writer’s argument for Christianity. He dedicates a chapter in his 1908 book “Orthodoxy” to Christianity’s paradoxes, the foremost being that Christ is fully God and fully man. “Orthodoxy” is read by all freshman students at Chesterton Academy, a high school Ahlquist, a parishioner of Holy Family in St. Louis Park and father of six, helped found in 2008. The high school was a milestone in a series of Chesterton-motivated endeavors Ahlquist and his wife, Laura, have undertaken in the years following his discovery of Chesterton while on their honeymoon. Others include seven seasons of a show dedicated to Chesterton on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), numerous lectures, several books, the founding of The American Chesterton Society and a national conference. At the core of the work is Ahlquist’s insatiable passion for the wideranging thinker and his desire to see him better read and understood, and maybe one day even declared a saint. As Chesterton taught him, Ahlquist has made it his life’s work to teach others, fulfilling a spiritual work of mercy: instructing the ignorant.
‘I couldn’t get enough’ Ahlquist was raised a devout Baptist in Mendota Heights. While an undergraduate at Carleton College in Northfield, he met Laura, then a fallen-away Catholic. The two married in 1981 and honeymooned in Rome, where Ahlquist dove into Chesterton’s 1925 tome “The Everlasting Man” because it was the work responsible for converting C.S. Lewis from atheism to Christianity. “As soon as I started reading Chesterton, I knew this was a writer unlike any other I’d ever encountered. He was a truly complete thinker because he wrote about everything and he pulled it all together. Great wit, great insight. The truth just oozed from his words,” he said. “I just totally fell in love with him. I couldn’t get enough Chesterton.” Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was born in London, went to art school — not college — and started his writing career in art criticism. In his lifetime, according to The American Chesterton Society, he wrote 100 books and contributed to 200 others, more than 200 short stories, hundreds of poems, five plays and more than 4,000 newspaper essays. His magnitude was not limited to writing; he was 6 feet 4 inches tall and 300 pounds. He was an absent-minded man whose wife took care of his life’s details, who appreciated beer and cigars, and who debated his era’s top minds, among them Bertrand Russell, H.G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw — the latter of whom is said to have remarked,
“The world is not thankful enough for Chesterton.” Despite Chesterton’s prominence during his time, Ahlquist discovered in the early 1980s that most of the author’s books were out of print. He dug through used book stores for Chesterton’s works, baffled as to why the whole world wasn’t reading him. He tried to overlook the fact that Chesterton was a Catholic convert, he said — “How could someone who was so right about everything be so wrong about something so fundamental?” he mused. His conversion to Catholicism was underway. “What was happening while I was reading Chesterton was that my Protestant objections were just falling by the wayside. I was becoming Catholic without even being aware of it,” he said. “Finally, I had to acknowledge that . . . I was very much in danger of becoming Catholic.”
Hungry for the truth He began to study Catholicism, and in 1997, Ahlquist was received into the Catholic Church at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul by now Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Meanwhile, Ahlquist was starting The American Chesterton Society, for which he later left his work as a lobbyist to run full time. “The idea behind starting The American Chesterton Society was simply, more people need to find out about this guy,” he said. “This is ridiculous. Why has a whole generation been cheated out of such an amazing, wise and profound writer? He transformed my life, and here was a writer who could transform other people’s lives. My goal was to expose as many people to Chesterton in as many ways possible.” His work caught the attention of Marcus Grodi, host of EWTN’s show on Catholic converts, “The Journey Home,” who invited him to speak about Chesterton on the show. After filming his segment, a producer asked Ahlquist if he would consider hosting a series on Chesterton. In 2000, he launched “The Apostle of Common Sense,” which aired 100 episodes and has played a significant role in a Chesterton renaissance. Today there are about 70 local Chesterton Societies across the country and world, Ahlquist is a sought-after speaker for small audiences to Ivy League lecture halls, and The American Chesterton Society hosts annual conferences across the U.S. It also launched a bi-monthly Chesterton-focused magazine, Gilbert. The society has worked to re-publish Chesterton’s works, many through Ignatius Press in San Francisco, and has its own publishing arm, ACS Books. Ahlquist has also written four books on Chesterton, introductions for 25 others and has edited eight more. His current work includes combing through old British newspaper archives for reports of Chesterton’s public speeches. It’s been exciting to discover new material, he said. “I am sometimes asked if I read anything besides G.K. Chesterton,” Ahlquist wrote in the introduction to his 2012 book “The Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton.” “The answer, unfortunately, is yes. I wish I had a better answer — something along the lines of no. It would save me a lot of time and frustration if I did not have to read other authors.” Ahlquist calls Chesterton “truly a prophet.” “If he’s right, it’s still worth reading him,” he said. “He foresaw the
attack on the family, the wealth, widespread wage characteristic is slavery, w spiritual slavery. The Chu people.” The premise of Ahlqu Books, 2015), is that ever apologist for the Catholi “When I do tell people is, many times, they soak truth. They have a very p negative response, and w controversy.”
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Asked what he made o compared the spiritual w feeding the hungry. “If you give food to th The people who are igno he said. “But when you g arrogantly, you do that h suffering, so you’re suffe in defending the Catholi it can only be done hum this treasure.” Laura Ahlquist counts revealed the truth. “I was so badly catechi me at all. When I met Da actually taught me that t brought me back to Chri Laura, 55, returned to children joined the Chur Chesterton Academy wh Ahlquist “has a way of humor, said Ben Wittneb Seminary who has appea disarms you, and then yo Wittnebel discovered C Common Sense,” and th St. Francis of Assisi — pla Lutheran tradition to Ca Chesterton, where his w gratitude, and Dale inspi By reintroducing Ches actually done this really Ahlquist keeps a list of converted to Catholicism
The Cat Learn a
of
Mercy
January 7, 2016 • 11
Instructing the ignorant By Father Michael Van Sloun
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Dale Ahlquist teaches a theology class at Chesterton Academy in St. Louis Park. A stack of books he wrote sits on a table in his office at the school. Sophomore Sophia Rybarczyk listens to Ahlquist during a theology class. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
e loss of human dignity because of disparity in e slavery . . . . He says the whole modern whether it’s physical slavery or mental or urch is all about freedom and liberating
uist’s most recent book, “All Roads” (ACS ry conversation is an opportunity to be an ic faith. e about the truths of the faith, their reaction k it up,” he said. “They are hungry for the positive response. But you also have the what Chesterton enjoyed so much was
e
of “instructing the ignorant,” Ahlquist work of mercy to the corporal work of mercy of
he hungry, the people know they’re hungry. orant don’t always know they are ignorant,” give food to the hungry, you don’t do that humbly, because you realize that person is ering with them by feeding them. I realize that ic Church and in teaching the Catholic faith, mbly. I’ve found a treasure, and I want to share herself among the ignorant for whom Dale
ized that the faith didn’t make any sense to ale, he was this on-fire Evangelical, and he the faith was rational,” she said. “He, in a way, istianity.” Catholicism when Dale and their two oldest rch. She now is administrative dean of here she also teaches drama. f winning people over,” because of his zest and bel, 30, a third-year seminarian at the St. Paul ared on “The Apostle of Common Sense.” “It ou catch the spirit of his passion.” Chesterton by watching “The Apostle of he writer — especially his biography of ayed a major role in his conversion from the atholicism in 2006. “There’s something about whole charism is wonder — wonder and ires that in people,” he said. sterton to the world, he said, “Dale has great service to the Church.” f people — Wittnebel included — who have m because of Chesterton. It has more than 400
names. People call him to share their stories, relay the impact of Ahlquist’s work and ask questions about the Catholic faith. According to Laura, these conversations take hours of Dale’s time. Ahlquist thinks their stories may help make the case for Chesterton’s sainthood. In 2013, with the prodding of The American Chesterton Society, the Diocese of Northampton, England, appointed a priest to investigate opening a cause for Chesterton’s canonization. In Ahlquist’s mind, there’s no question that the status is appropriate. “With Chesterton, what happens is that you really do develop a friendship with him. That’s what the communion of saints is all about,” he said. “I have no doubt he is in the presence of God. His righteousness, his goodness come out in his writing, and there’s a connection between truth and goodness.”
Leaving the boat Since 2008, Ahlquist has taken his love of Chesterton to the classroom. Ahlquist partnered with fellow Holy Family parishioner Tom Bengtson to co-found Chesterton Academy, now located in Edina in space rented from a Calvinist church. The high school was a leap of faith, and another reason Laura describes what Ahlquist does as a vocation, not a career. It’s since formed the Chesterton Schools Network with nine other U.S. schools — and another in Italy — using its curriculum, and Ahlquist plans to open Chesterton campuses in the Twin Cities’ east and south metro areas in the next few years. Ahlquist’s friend and collaborator on “The Apostle of Common Sense” Kevin O’Brien said Ahlquist once described his endeavors as setting his eyes on Jesus, trustingly stepping out of the boat and on to the water, and walking without stopping. “His ability to trust divine providence is what sticks out to me,” said O’Brien, 55, for whom Chesterton was key for his conversion from atheism to Catholicism. He’s the founder of and artistic director for St. Louis-based Theater of the Word Incorporated, which has dramatized scenes for Ahlquist’s show. “It’s not just what he says, but who he is, because I think we really teach more by example and by who we are as people than by the things we say,” he said. “Dale’s very good at teaching and lecturing and writing, but I think you’ll find both at Chesterton Academy and in The American Chesterton Society, that it’s his character, it’s his outlook on life, it’s who he is as a person that really inspires the people who are learning from him.” It’s been suggested to Ahlquist before that all this attention on Chesterton could overshadow the person of Christ. He says that’s not possible. “My epiphany was to realize when I understood the communion of saints was that the saints don’t get between you and Christ, they bring you closer to Christ,” he said. “Chesterton is always pointing to something beyond himself. He’s always directing you to God.”
tholic Spirit’s Acts of Mercy series is made possible in part through a grant from the National Catholic Society of Foresters. about the organization at www.ncsf.com.
To instruct the ignorant is the first spiritual work of mercy. Ignorant may sound like a harsh word, but it is a harsh reality. What is not known or understood can hurt a person, not only physically or legally, but also spiritually. It is a matter of spiritual life or death. It is merciful to inform someone about the faith and assist them on the road to their eternal salvation. A person may be uninformed for a variety of reasons, some of which are innocent, others are not. It may be youth or inexperience, or that the person is without one or both parents, teachers, schools, materials or opportunity. Or a person may be uninformed because of laziness, narrowmindedness, arrogance or erroneous information, deception or misguidance. No matter the root cause, it Father Michael is a work of mercy to inform the uninformed. VAN SLOUN Jesus is the master when it comes to instructing the ignorant. His heart was moved with compassion for the people because they were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36); they did not have good teachers and they had not received sound instruction. He went to all of their towns and villages, and he taught anywhere and everywhere. There were times that his disciples failed to understand when he would patiently take them aside to review and explain (Mt 13:36). Jesus also taught one-on-one, as when Mary sat at his feet to listen to him (Lk 10:39). There is a misperception that Jesus was always gentle when he instructed the ignorant. There were times when Jesus was exasperated with his disciples’ lack of comprehension and he scolded them, saying, “You of little faith” (Mt 16:18), yet despite his frustration, he went on to inform their ignorance (Mt 16:9-12). There were other occasions when Jesus assertively and abrasively challenged the ignorant, particularly the scribes and the Pharisees, whose ignorance was due to their own pride and arrogance, saying, “Woe to you,” yet even in such heated conflict, he taught them about their shortcomings. There are numerous examples in the Bible of those who instructed the ignorant. Jacob instructed his 12 sons, Eli instructed young Samuel in the temple, and the prophet Nathan instructed David about his sins. In the New Testament, Peter instructed the disciples who were ignorant about how to apply the Mosaic Law to Gentile converts, and Paul mentored Barnabas, Timothy and Silas to be missionaries. When an occasion arises to instruct, prayer comes first. Pray for the person before saying a word. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance as to how to best approach the person, what to teach, and how to teach it. Consult sacred Scripture because it “is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Check the Catechism, too. Then, approach the person with sincere love and compassion. The goal is their spiritual welfare. Avoid being a know-it-all, and never lord superior knowledge over another. Do not belittle or talk down. St. Paul advises, “The spiritually informed are to be patient with the ill-informed” (paraphrase, Rom 15:1). Be discreet. Exercise humility and gentleness. Become firm and forceful only when necessary, and do so with great care and restraint, for the well-being of the person being instructed remains the ultimate goal. Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.
12 • The Catholic Spirit
VOCATIONS
January 7, 2016
Christian brother reflects on life, future of Lasallian tradition By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Once every century during its 300-year history, the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools has faced a crisis, and the post-Vatican II period has been one of those centennial marks, according to Brother Paul Grass, a Lasallian Christian Brother who has studied and helped compile the Institute’s history. But even as the number of brothers has declined dramatically over the past 50 years, Brother Paul said that now, through the non-consecrated lay educators who run the Institute’s flourishing schools in its pedagogic tradition, he is witnessing a revival of the lay character founder St. John Baptist de La Salle originally envisioned. “The Institute may die, but the Lasallian charism lives on in the laity,” said Brother Paul, 81, who during his 63 years as a Christian Brother has served in roles as teacher, administrator, editor and translator in the U.S. and Europe. His work on the writings of St. John Baptist de La Salle and other prominent Institute members is helping the Institute’s 4,100 brothers, as well as lay teachers and administrators worldwide in its 1,000 high schools and universities, carry on the Lasallian tradition. The number of brothers has declined 75 percent since 1965 in part because many are reaching retirement age, and the Institute is not attracting many vocations. Many brothers have moved from teaching into administrative work, he said, a contrast to the brother-run schools of the 1950s. At the same time, the number of students in Lasallian schools has risen from about 700,000 in 1965 to more than 1 million in 2014, he said. “The 1950s system is over because the historic conditions, the Church membership — and the way society and the government supports or don’t support education — all of those systems have changed,” he said. After attending Sacred Heart parish and school on St. Paul’s east side, the St. Paul native thought about becoming a Christian Brother as a Cretin High School junior because he admired the brothers’ teaching and respect they had for each other. When he entered the Institute in 1952, 10 percent of his high school class of 185 also pursued religious life or priesthood, he said.
“You’re not called to holiness in the sense of some mystic, special state in life that somehow gives you some honor or respect. Your ministry is to serve these students.” Brother Paul Grass
Brother Paul Grass, 81, a Lasallian Christian Brother, has researched his order’s history and looks to its members, along with lay teachers and administrators worldwide, to carry on the Lasallian tradition. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Brother Paul wanted to teach and saw that becoming a religious brother rather than a priest would allow him to dedicate his vocation to education rather than priestly duties. The vocation of a religious brother “is in itself an exercise in the fullness of the priesthood of all the baptized,” according to a document released in December by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Beginning in high school, Brother Paul said he recognized the importance of the laity. Although he is a consecrated religious, his life has a lay character to it, he said. Consecration in the Institute is one of three elements integrated into the
Christian Brother vocation, along with community and ministry, he said. “You’re not called to holiness in the sense of some mystic, special state in life that somehow gives you some honor or respect,” he said. “Your ministry is to serve these students. You are in a particular time and place in a community dedicated to schools and to give students access.” From 1957 to 1967, Brother Paul served as a high school teacher and assistant principal in Amarillo, Texas, and Chicago. For the next 20 years he held administrative positions, mostly at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona and within the Institute. Brother Paul also spent semesters at the
International Lasallian Center in Rome where he rediscovered St. John Baptist de La Salle 20 years after his formation. In 1988 he first served regionally and then internationally as the Institute’s secretary general. Ten years later he wrote, edited and translated editions of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s work for St. Mary’s Press in Winona. Later he helped translate a book by the late French Brother Michel Sauvage that chronicles the Institute in the 20th century. In the nearly 50 years they’ve known each other, fellow Lasallian Brother Bill Clarey hasn’t served in ministry with Brother Paul, but he recognizes his contributions, including the work on Brother Michel’s writings. “That’s one of Paul’s talents,” Brother Bill said. “He’s an excellent writer. . . . He’s a super scholar, and it would be wonderful if he were 35 instead of in his senior years.” Brother Paul learned from Brother Michel’s work that maintaining the traditional brother-run school structure is no longer possible in the U.S., Canada and Europe, but said a new structure may be emerging. As the brothers continue to figure out their new role, Brother Paul said, they continue to pass on the 300-year-old Lasallian spiritual and educational tradition to a new generation of brothers and lay educators.
VOCATIONS
January 7, 2016
The Catholic Spirit • 13
Religious hopefuls get student loan relief from Labouré Society By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Monica Ngeno does not consider herself an outgoing person. In her words, she’s “mostly introverted.” The idea of calling people she had never met to ask for donations to relieve her $40,000 student loan debt was not the least bit appealing. Yet, the 29-year-old recently completed a six-month phase of doing just that. A higher calling compelled her to work through her fear of fundraising — a desire to join the Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis. Many religious orders do not allow people with student loan debt to join. But, it can often take 20 years or more to whittle down the tens of thousands of dollars many students borrow to complete their degree programs, according to a survey by One Wisconsin Institute. Cy Ngeno’s debt accumulated from LAURENT her undergraduate and graduate work. Although the Visitation sisters were willing to let her move toward postulancy while still paying off the loans, they did not have the means to cover the entire bill. That’s where the Labouré Society came in. Founded in 2001 by Cy and Evelyn Laurent of St. John Neumann in Eagan, it assists people who want to enter the priesthood or religious life but can’t because of student loan debt. To date, the organization has served 267 “aspirants.” “We call them miracles because they’re an answer to prayer,” said Cy Laurent, 77, of the men and women with whom he works in his role as Laboraé’s executive director. Those who work with the organization and undergo a
Monica Ngeno talks with Sister Katherine Mullin, vocations director for the Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis. Ngeno is working with the Eagan-based Labouré Society to raise money to pay off her student loan so that she will be debt free and able to join the Visitation Sisters. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit three-day “boot camp” to kick off fundraising see results. Ngeno’s first effort raised $15,900. Not bad for someone who wouldn’t have envisioned herself fundraising at all, let alone generating nearly 40 percent of her loan. “I was scared” of fundraising at first, said Ngeno, a parishioner of Risen Savior in Burnsville who was born and raised in Kenya and came to the U.S. in 2005. “I just thought, ‘It’s not something I see myself doing.’” That kind of attitude does not deter Laurent and Labouré staff members, who regularly help people like Ngeno overcome their fear of fundraising. “Most of these individuals fall into that category,” he said. “They’re quiet, they’re thoughtful, they’re conscientious, they’re a little bashful. Most of those called to priesthood and religious life might be more
like that.” Laurent offered one example of how that type of person became a successful fundraiser. “After three days of boot camp, one of our aspirants — diminutive, lovely, quiet, ‘all-I-want-to-be-is-acloistered-sister’ — went into rural Pennsylvania and raised $57,000 in six months,” he said. “That’s how good we are at training them.” A key part of the program is not just asking donors for money, but inviting them to be part of a journey toward a vocation. Aspirants are instructed to tell potential donors their personal stories and ask them to be part of their journey into religious life. The money given then goes into a general Labouré Society fund, but it is earmarked for the individual. Laurent said that not everyone can reach their individual goal, but that can be overcome by others who exceed theirs. Ngeno said three of the seven people in her boot camp class reached their goal, and she plans to embark on a second campaign this month. That’s good news for Visitation’s vocations director, Sister Katherine Mullin, who talked with Ngeno when she first contacted the community. She also accompanied Ngeno to the boot camp to learn about fundraising and help with the process. “I’m a fan of Labouré,” Sister Katherine said. “The society lends so much hope to young people who are trying to do this, aspirants who are trying to enter seminary and religious life.” Despite Labouré’s work, many people across the country never enter priesthood or religious life because of their debt load, Laurent said. It’s a fact that motivates his work. “There are 10,000 discerners of priesthood and religious life in this country today,” Laurent said. “But, 42 percent of them have educational loans that prevent them from entering — 4,200 [people]. And, Labouré, doing its really good work all these many years, we’ve only helped 267. You see the urgency.”
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14 • The Catholic Spirit
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
EVERYDAY MERCIES Alyssa Bormes
Embracing the prodigal son It seems fair to say that I was a recalcitrant teen and 20-something, but the Lord reached into those turbulent years planting moments of grace. Decades ago, Mass was just something to sleep through. However, when visiting my parents, I would attend Mass. Mom and Dad had rules; everyone went to Mass on Sunday. My attitude was pious, but my brain was focused on brunch. Yet, now and then, I found myself attentive to Mass. It was one of those Sundays when the Gospel was Jesus’ story of the prodigal son. In what was the supposed “infinite wisdom” of my teenage years, I thought the parable was just taking up space in the Bible. Some years earlier, however, Father Robert Vinslauski, a priest of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
gave a homily on it that was quite beautiful and entirely surprised my pride. This time, it was a young priest, Father Mark Lichter, also of the Sioux Falls diocese. I thought he would give the same homily, but the surprise was that he preached from a different vantage point. The first homily by Father Vinslauski years ago spoke of the prodigal son waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure, his father had come out to meet him, welcoming him home, but the son may have thought it was only to later embarrass him in front of the family. When his father threw a feast, the son may have wondered if he would denounce him in front of a crowd. However, the son only met mercy, and it must have been shocking to become accustomed to that depth of forgiveness.
COMMENTARY
“Even though the two beautiful seeds of those homilies had been sown, they landed on rocky soil. It was a decade and a half before they found a crack in my stone heart and took root.” Years after that, Father Lichter preached about the different stages of our lives. Often in our early teens, we identify with the son who stays home, wondering how our parents can forgive our own prodigal siblings. Later, in our late teens and twenties, when some of us become wayward, we identify with the son who left, hoping that our parents will welcome us home. However, maturity means becoming the father, being able to forgive and love. Even though the two beautiful seeds of those homilies had been sown, they landed on rocky soil. It was a decade and a half before they found a crack in my stone heart and took root. Then on a Saturday during Lent of 2002, there was one more seed planted, and all three flowered at once. On that day, the Gospel
was again the prodigal son, and Father Christopher Beaudet spoke about how, with God’s mercy, we can be far from our sins — as far as East is from West. On that day, all three homilies came together. I was home in the Church, and God willing, would never leave again. It is now Christmas of 2015, and I went to Mass in my hometown of Aberdeen, South Dakota, where Father Lichter is again assigned. All the priests received a letter of thanks from me some time ago. After Mass, Father and I spoke about the letter. Twenty-odd years have passed since hearing that homily, but the grace and mercy are as fragrant as ever. Bormes, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, is the author of “The Catechism of Hockey.”
“Before we had the clarity of being able to follow the rules, go with the flow. Now following Christ requires an all-in mentality. Jesus is demanding all-in of his disciples.”
Bob Zyskowski
Holy roller, or going all-in? “Are you a holy roller or something?” It wasn’t a question I’ve ever been asked before, nor one I was expecting as I stood with a beer in my hand chatting with extended family. We were gathered from seven states at a hotel outside Chicago to celebrate my mom’s 90th birthday. What prompted the question was that I had gone to Sunday Mass that morning, a conclusion drawn from my telling how, um, interesting I found it that the cantor at the 8 a.m. Mass at a church close to the hotel wore gold lamé shoes. Not that there is anything wrong with gold lamé shoes, you understand. The tone of the “holy roller” question wasn’t negative. It wasn’t an attempt to ridicule me for going to Mass. The question was asked more in the spirit of, “What’s behind this? Why — when you’re out of town — did you go to Mass?” I replied that I’d never considered myself a holy roller, but that I do like to
January 7, 2016
go to Mass, that it’s part of me. I need to go to Mass, that I feel I get a lot out of Mass. And I reminded the questioner that I’d worked for Catholic newspapers for 42 years. I said, too, that I enjoy going to Mass when I travel because I’m curious about how the liturgy is celebrated in other places, seeing what’s the same and what’s different, what seems to add to the people’s celebration and what doesn’t, and how people in the pew are participating and how they aren’t. As I’ve given more thought to it, though, I’ve decided I’m not holy enough to be called a holy roller. When I see or hear about some of the things other people do both in their prayer life and in their love of neighbor, I know I’m not. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be — or that we can’t be. Perhaps there’s a better term than “holy roller,” though. What do you think about being called an “all-in” Catholic?
Mark Croteau
Not holding back Going all-in with our faith is something Mark Croteau spoke about when I interviewed him for The Catholic Spirit’s Dec. 17 story about the impact the Second Vatican Council has had in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Croteau, director of Catholic mission at St. Joseph in West St. Paul, explained it this way: “You hear less about ‘the spirit of Vatican II’ nowadays,” Croteau said. “John Paul II proclaimed [the spirit of Vatican II] and Francis is proclaiming what that meant. There’s complementarity and tension. Francis is challenging us by how he is presenting Christ to the world and asking, why aren’t you doing it, why aren’t you embracing these least ones? You have to engage the people, and that’s what Francis does. “Discipleship has to be intentional now,” Croteau continued. “Before we
had the clarity of being able to follow the rules, go with the flow. Now following Christ requires an all-in mentality. Jesus is demanding all-in of his disciples. “If you take Vatican II seriously you will be equipped to address the rising secularism and be the kind of Catholic John XXIII and Paul VI envisioned when they were presiding over the council. Vatican II was equipping us to live as disciples who are all-in — all-in in the liturgy, all-in to engage the secular world, all-in to see all our brothers and sisters, to see how their lives are lived and what their needs are. “That’s holiness,” Croteau said. “That’s gritty holiness.” So, ready to go all-in? Who knows? We could end up being holy rollers after all. Zyskowski is the former associate publisher and editor of The Catholic Spirit. You can follow him on twitter or email him at zyskowskir@archspm.org.
LETTERS Don’t edit history The Nov. 19, 2015, issue of The Catholic Spirit reported on a controversy of the painting “Father Hennepin at the Falls of St. Anthony” by Douglas Volk, which includes a topless Native American entering from the right (“Capitol’s ‘Father Hennepin’ draws controversy as committee evaluates art”). The complaints seem to be that it isn’t realistic in various ways. I believe, rather, the painting was meant to be transcendent. A friar stands holding high a cross in his hand as he names the Falls of St. Anthony. That is precisely what occurred at that moment: Two worlds
converged, beginning one greater whole which included the cultural heritage of both, part of that being some traditional nudity common in great artwork. On the 250th anniversary of this event in July 1930, a commemoration was held. A that time the Belgian consulate was housed in Minneapolis. The monarch sent personal greetings through their ambassador. Or has the Minnesota Historical Society edited that out of the records also? But now, just after Brussels was in total lock-down struggling to keep their citizens alive, we are now told people don’t want this painting in the Governor’s Office. The Governor’s Office is exactly the right place
to honor and highlight this moment for Minnesota in perpetuity. Philip Harr Holy Name, Minneapolis Editor’s Note: The painting of Father Hennepin, who was Belgian born, is in the Governor’s Reception Room. Share your perspective by emailing CatholicSpirit@ archspm.org. The Commentary page does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.
January 7, 2016
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi
Tackling the new year one heroic minute at a time Oprah Winfrey has joined Weight Watchers, which means she is not only a card-carrying, point-counting member of the weight-loss club, she is also part owner. That’s how you do it when you’re Oprah: You go big (“you get a car, you get a car, you get a car”) or you don’t bother. For the 61-year-old billionaire, news of her involvement in the company and her investment of a 10-percent stake yielded a big payday: Weight Watchers’ stock doubled, netting Oprah about $45 million in one day. She reported her progress in the January issue of O: The Oprah Magazine, appearing on the cover in her most stripped-down look yet — barefoot in taupe spandex, a purple shawl and a nude lip. “I wanted a plan
for life, and here it was in the form of Weight Watchers,” Oprah wrote in her back-page column. She’s lost 26 pounds since last August and gained a powerful sense of well-being. What strikes me about her slickly marketed invitation to join Weight Watchers is how tempting it is, how eagerly many of us are waiting for an entry point into the future we’ve always imagined. We’re paralyzed by the mounting gap between dreaming and doing, wondering what to do with 2016 in light of our Catholic faith and our packed calendars. Bert Hernandez recognized his chance to finally turn things around when he spotted a random tweet one Monday last August. The 40-year-old youth minister from San Antonio had
FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Jason Adkins
Politics in the Year of Mercy The current Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis is an opportunity to reconsider how the creative force of mercy can be extended to the realm of public policy. Though the aim of law is to establish justice, it can be enriched by a life-giving mercy that seeks to restore and maintain right relationships — the true aim of justice. Otherwise, the execution of justice can become merely the impersonal application of commands. Some appeals for mercy in public life are justified, while others are actually pity or false compassion posing as mercy. Distinguishing one from the other requires that we are attentive to the truth of things, including our shortcomings both as individuals and as a society, as well as God’s providential ordering of creation known through revelation and the natural law. Two issues in particular highlight the proper and improper application of mercy to public policy: mass incarceration policies and proposals to legalize physician-assisted suicide.
Clemency and justice The United States is the world’s most aggressive incarcerator, containing only 5 percent of the world’s population but holding 25 percent of its prisoners. A bipartisan consensus is emerging, however, that mass incarceration policies are not the primary source of the continued decline in crime, but
have actually become counterproductive, too financially burdensome, and even inhumane — particularly for non-violent offenders who comprise almost half of the state prison population. Besides the strain on public budgets, there are significant social costs to mass incarceration. For example, there are 2.7 million minor children with a parent behind bars. More than 1 in 9 black children have a parent incarcerated. Mass incarceration has disrupted marriage rates and will no doubt contribute to negative outcomes among affected children who spend part or all of their childhood without one parent. So what can be done? As Minnesota’s prison population reaches capacity, it may be worth considering three reforms that manifest mercy to offenders but at the same time make our criminal justice system more just by healing and restoring social relationships in a way that is consistent with public safety. First, Minnesota should consider recalibrating its criminal penalties and sentencing guidelines, especially for non-violent offenses that have been particularly harmful to young men from minority communities and which have put their lives on a difficult trajectory. Second, Minnesota could reform the practices of its Board of Pardons to allow for reprieves or commutations of sentences when warranted. Third, Minnesota should
already determined that getting on top of things, for him, would mean rising early like Teddy Roosevelt. He wanted to exercise daily, clean his house and strengthen his prayer life. For several months Bert had been setting his alarm at 4 a.m. with a success rate he could count on one hand. Then came Leah Darrow’s tweet inviting people to participate in the Heroic Minute Challenge, a hashtag the popular Catholic speaker had borrowed from St. Josemaría Escrivá, who wrote: “Conquer yourself each day from the very first moment, getting up on the dot, at a fixed time, without yielding a single minute to laziness. If, with God’s help, you conquer yourself, you will be well ahead for the rest of the day. . . . The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body.” Bert saw Leah’s movement as a club he could be part of, informed by Catholicism and driven by accountability, so he tweeted, “I accept the #HeroicMinuteChallenge” and made his pledge public. The next day, at 4 a.m., he got out of bed and scurried to the kitchen, turning on the stove to make coffee, then retreating to the den to begin morning prayer. He tweeted the evidence: a screenshot of his Office of Readings, his iPhone at a 98 percent
The Catholic Spirit • 15
charge, his body, much lower. By 6:30 a.m. he’d prayed the Liturgy of the Hours, run two miles and showered. The second morning was easier, and his Twitter picture showed the hymn lyrics “morning has broken like the first morning.” He was doing it! “My day always seemed better, starting that way,” Bert told me. “I definitely felt more peace.” The added prayer time also helped him discern a job change that has brought many rewards. The Heroic Minute Challenge wasn’t easy for Leah either, but the 36-year-old mom from St. Louis couldn’t abandon others who had signed on, and she wanted to offer real-time “likes” of their early-morning evidence — snapshots of sunrises, Scripture and coffee. “The most important thing is getting my feet on the floor,” Leah told me. “If I can move my feet out from under the covers and they can touch the hardwood floor, half the battle’s done.” The path to holiness, Leah says, requires time management. “We need to think about the time God has given us, and we need to use it well.” Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and the editor of SisterStory.org.
restore the vote to felony offenders who have completed their time of incarceration and are living and working in the community under supervised release (probation or parole).
‘Mercy’ killing a failure to love Minnesotans will begin hearing much more about legalizing physicianassisted suicide in 2016. It is claimed that assisting someone’s suicide is the “compassionate” and “merciful” thing to do so that people do not experience prolonged suffering and can “die with dignity.” But sending someone home with a vial of pills to end their life is not merciful. As Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has written: “The moral law guides us toward choices that are life-giving, and true mercy is always intimately linked to truth. Indulging our own or another’s flawed choices in the supposed service of mercy defeats mercy’s true goal.” Compassion literally means to “suffer with,” and true mercy emphasizes the relational care that the sick and suffering deserve — and that we owe them. Assisting a suicide, on the other hand, is merely a small and misguided act of pity, and legalizing it would indeed be pitiful — an utter failure by this state to make the policy choice to accompany people in a difficult stage of life so they need not “feel like a burden” (sadly, one of the main reasons cited by people wishing to receive “aid in dying”). Minnesota should instead enact creative programs in the areas of palliative care, advance care planning, health care workforce development and social assistance to ensure that no one feels coerced into ending their life prematurely because they lack other options or adequate care. In these ways, by properly applying mercy to public policy issues such as
Help feed the hungry during Lent Join the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign The Minnesota Catholic Conference is proud to help sponsor the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. For more than 30 years, this annual grassroots food and fund drive has provided more than half the food distributed by 300 food shelves throughout Minnesota. The March Campaign is the only statewide effort where every dollar donated goes directly to food shelves to purchase food for the hungry. Feeding the hungry is traditionally listed as the first of the corporal works of mercy. For more information about how to involve your parish, community organization, business or school in this beautiful opportunity to show mercy during the Jubilee Year, visit the Minnesota FoodShare website at www.gmcc.org/mfs/ marchcampaign or call 612-2761530. mass incarceration and physicianassisted suicide, we can more fully live out God’s mercy in this Jubilee Year. Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
16 • The Catholic Spirit
FOCUS ON FAITH
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Jeff Hedglen
Hope: the answer to disappointment Years ago, I quit reading the comic strip “Ziggy” because it is so pessimistic and I did not want to allow so much negativity in my life. But before I quit reading it, there was one particular bit of his signature cynical wisdom that had a ring of truth: “If you are continually disappointed, lower your expectations.” See what I mean? It’s kind of pessimistic,
but there is some truth to the statement. This was brought to my mind at a recent young adult ministry series called Theology on Tap. The presenter, Andrew Gill, talked about how our faith calls us to live a healthy lifestyle, and asked a series of questions: Do you often have expectations? Do they tend to lead to disappointment? Does this sometimes
January 7, 2016
lead to resentment? He went on to say there is a better option: hope. He said, “Hope is different than expectation. Hope leads to acceptance, and that leads to care.” The lessons from both “Ziggy” and this Theology On Tap discussion came rushing back to me when reading this week’s Gospel, which starts out, “The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.” As it turns out, their expectation of John being the anointed one was not realized. I am not sure if they were disappointed or not to find out that it was actually John’s cousin who was the Messiah. Their expectations were born of a centuries-long hope that was valiantly held by God’s chosen people: the hope for the promised Messiah. Hope is one of the three theological
Sunday, Jan. 10 Baptism of the Lord Readings • Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 • Acts 10:34-38 • Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 virtues: faith, hope and love. Hope is not something we can conjure up; it is a gift from God. So when we find ourselves disappointed by unmet expectations, maybe instead of turning this into resentment, we can turn instead to Jesus and ask for a dose of hope, for hope does not disappoint. This Catholic News Service column is offered in cooperation with the North Texas Catholic of Fort Worth, Texas.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Jan. 10 Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Acts 10:34-38 Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 Monday, Jan. 11 1 Samuel 1:1-8 Mark 1:14-20 Tuesday, Jan. 12 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Mark 1:21-28
Wednesday, Jan. 13 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 Mark 1:29-39 Thursday, Jan. 14 1 Samuel 4:1-11 Mark 1:40-45 Friday, Jan. 15 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a Mark 2:1-12
Saturday, Jan. 16 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1 Mark 2:13-17 Sunday, Jan. 17 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 62:1-5 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11 Monday, Jan. 18 1 Samuel 15:16-23 Mark 2:18-22
SEEKING ANSWERS
Father Michael Schmitz
Should I apologize when I feel like a burden to people? Q. I sometimes get overwhelmed by the burden I place on the people around me. Even when people help me, I feel so guilty that I can’t stop apologizing. Lately, my friends and family have told me that I apologize too much. But isn’t that a good thing? A. First of all, thank you for writing. Second of all, “thank yous” are what you need more of. I can understand your predicament. You feel like you place too many demands on the people around you and therefore feel like you need to even apologize for existing. But you don’t. It is good that you exist. If there are people who are there to help you, then you have something to be grateful for. But let’s be clear: “I’m sorry” is good. It is also necessary. And then it has to stop. When we apologize, we are acknowledging the price someone else has paid for our error or weakness. We are taking responsibility for what we have “cost” the other person. I am sure that we are all familiar with the
“politician apology,” which is a way to get out of accepting any personal blame and placing the burden on the other (“I am sorry that my actions were perceived as hurtful by you”). But when we genuinely apologize, we are recognizing the fact that we have done a real wrong and we are asking for real forgiveness. A person could use a “thank you” to manipulate another. If it is not preceded by some kind of acknowledgment that I’ve done something wrong, I could use it to get out of saying I am sorry. (A person could use apologies in a manipulative way, as well.) But there are people who can begin to twist this into something else. Apologizing can be a way in which they can beat themselves up, and it thereby stunts the relationship. What originally began as a way to accept responsibility and ask for forgiveness can be transformed into a weapon with which people hold themselves (and others) hostage. Here is what I mean. Rather than asking for forgiveness and accepting the forgiveness offered, the person who continues to apologize does so with two
Tuesday, Jan. 19 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Mark 2:23-28 Wednesday, Jan. 20 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 Mark 3:1-6 Thursday, Jan. 21 St. Agnes, virgin and martyr 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7 Mark 3:7-12
consequences. First, they negate the forgiveness that was offered. In continuing to apologize, the apologizer forces the other person to continually give them something. It might be renewed forgiveness, reassurance or their attention. It ignores the fact that pardon has already been given. When we apologize, we are asking the offended party to give us something in addition to what our transgression cost them in the first place. We are asking them to offer forgiveness. The best way we can live forgiven is to live gratitude. There are people who seem to think their job is to beat themselves up and constantly feel sorry for something they have done. That has to stop. Beating oneself up doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t help the person getting beaten up, and it doesn’t help the one who has offered forgiveness. It never glorifies God. We might say there are three major movements in forgiveness: It is asked for, it is offered, it is accepted. The person who is ceaselessly apologizing may need to pay attention to this last movement. Without it, the relationship becomes frozen in time. There is no forward motion because the person is forcing everyone to live in the past. Even though forgiveness has been offered, there has been no acceptance and growth. The relationship will be stunted. Why would people do this? It isn’t because they are bad. Giving in to the constant feelings of guilt creates drama in a person. A tension gets built up, and it feels like they are doing something. But they aren’t. They are merely creating an emotion within themselves.
Friday, Jan. 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children 1 Samuel 24:3-21 Mark 3:13-19 Saturday, Jan. 23 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27 Mark 3:20-21 Sunday, Jan. 24 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Unless this emotion leads to positive action (like an apology and firm purpose of amendment), it is useless. All it does is feed negative self-talk and self-accusing thoughts. Rather than repeatedly apologize for the same thing, why not take positive action? Why not acknowledge the good that the other person has done in forgiving you? Why not feed gratitude? Rather than continually apologizing, which asks others to continue to give you their forgiveness, why not give them something? Why not give them your thanks? I know a number of Christians like this. They are sorry for their sins. They have asked the Lord for forgiveness. The God who is mercy has forgiven them. But the “I’m sorry” seems to have become the entire content of their conversations with God. Whenever they approach him, they feel the need to bring up past failures and sins and re-apologize for them. I understand why. It creates tension; it creates drama. It gives you something to do. Why not choose to be thankful instead? If you still feel guilty over sins that have been confessed and forgiven, why not turn that into thanks? God never gets tired of us, so you can tell him anything. But why not honor the forgiveness he has given you by saying “thank you” rather than an endless stream of “I’m sorry”? Father 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.
CALENDAR
January 7, 2016 Dining out St. Edward Church pancake breakfast — Jan. 17: 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at the Bloomington Knights of Columbus Hall, 1114 American Blvd. W. Information: Ralph Bartolotta at 612-325-3500 or www.stedwardschurch.org. Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center 50th anniversary spaghetti dinner — Jan. 17: 2–5 p.m. at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Registration required. Information: 952-447-2182 or www.franciscanretreats.net. Benefit breakfast for Syrian refugees in Lebanon — Jan. 24: 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. at Holy Family Maronite Catholic Church, 1960 Lexington Ave. N., Mendota Heights. Hosted by the Knights of Columbus Council No. 4184. All free-will donations sent to Caritas Lebanon. Information: www.holyfamilymaronitechurch.org/mn. KC Lumberjack Breakfast — Jan. 24: 8:30 a.m. – noon at Mary Queen of Peace Church Hall – St. Martin campus, 21201 Church Ave., Rogers. Sponsored by the Northwest-Hennepin Knights of Columbus Council No. 11941. Knights of Columbus No. 4967 Fish Fry Friday — Feb. 12: 4–7 p.m. at St. Peter Catholic School cafeteria, 2620 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul.
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. 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 • Contact information in case of questions ONLINE: www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102
A note to readers As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit no longer accepts calendar submissions via email. Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions
Prayer and worship
Music
Christmastide Taize Prayer — Jan. 8: 7:30 p.m. at St. Richard Church, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. Information: 612-869-2426 or www.strichards.com/ first-fridays.
“Cabaret” dinner theatre at Immaculate Conception Church — Jan. 29-30: 6 p.m. at 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. All proceeds benefit the liturgy ministry. Information: 763-788-9062 or www.ICCSonline.org.
Adoration and rosary for the archdiocese — Jan. 17: 1–2 p.m. at St. Peter Church, 1405 Highway 13, Mendota. Information: www.stpetersmendota.org. Healing Mass with Father Jim Livingston — Jan. 21: 7 p.m. at St. Michael Church, 16311 Duluth Ave. SE, Prior Lake. Rosary at 6:45 p.m. Information: Jodi Wolf at 651-592-5580.
Information: 952-447-2182 or www.franciscanretreats. net/mens_retreats.aspx
CALENDAR submissions
Addiction recovery Mass and healing service — Feb. 13: 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at St. Pascal Baylon Church, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. Chili lunch to follow. Information: 800-398-0524 or secretary@ CalixSociety.org, or www.CalixSociety.org.
Parish events
KC bingo — Jan. 10: 1–3:30 p.m. at Mary Queen of Peace Church Hall–St. Martin campus, 21201 Church Ave., Rogers. Sponsored by the Northwest-Hennepin Knights of Columbus Council No. 11941.
The Catholic Spirit • 17
Retreats Women’s mid-week retreat: “God’s Tender Mercy: Opening Our Heart” — Jan. 12-14: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 to 1 p.m. Jan. 14 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information: 952-447-2182 or businessmanager@franciscanretreats.net, or www.franciscanretreats.net/womens_retreat.aspx. Open the Door III: A Prayer and Discernment Retreat – “Listening with Compassion in the Year of Mercy” — Jan. 29-30: 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters of St. Joseph Provincial House, 1880 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. Information: katherinefmullin@gmail.com or 612-636-1822, or www. visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org. Registration: www.surveymonkey.com/r/OpenTheDoorIII Men’s weekend retreat: “God’s Tender Mercy: Opening Our Hearts” — Feb. 5-7: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 to 1 p.m. Feb. 7 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake.
Morning of reflection – “Forgiveness: A Way to Imitate Christ” — Feb. 6: 7:30 a.m. continental breakfast followed by speaker Guy Gruters at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information: www.guardian-angels.org.
Schools
St. Raphael Catholic School Pre-K and kindergarten open house and free pizza dinner — Jan. 14: 6–7:30 p.m. at 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. RSVP to the school office at 763-242-9605. Information: ann.coone@srsmn.org or 763-242-9605, or www.srsmn.org. Holy Spirit Academy winter open house — Jan. 14: 7 p.m. in the west wing of St. Henry Church, 1001 E. Seventh St., Monticello. Information: 763-220-2402.
Speakers Annual Pro-Life Presentation and Italian Dinner with Bishop Andrew Cozzens — Jan. 23: 5:30 p.m. at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Information: 651-489-8825.
Conferences, seminars, groups “Toward a More Healthy Year in Ministry” — Jan. 14: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org. “The Next Phase: Opening New Doors” — Jan. 19: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org. St. John Paul II Culture of Life Summit — Jan. 23: 8–11 a.m. at St. Agnes Church, 535 Thompson Ave., St. Paul. Mass followed by breakfast in Schuler Hall for a free-will offering, speakers from local pro-life organizations and opportunities to volunteer or donate to help with these efforts. Growing Deeper in Prayer workshop — Jan. 30: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Peter Church, 1405 Highway 13, Mendota. Information and registration: Lisa Amos, pastoral associate, 651-905-4304 or lamos@ stpetersmendota.org, or www.stpetersmendota.org.
Other events Ultimate Athlete Camp – junior high (6th-8th grades) — Jan. 16: 12:30–8 p.m. at Sts. Joachim and Anne – Marystown campus, 15850 Marystown Road, Shakopee. Information: www.eternalchampions. org.
18 • The Catholic Spirit
Father Ardolf was longtime Norwood Young America pastor The Catholic Spirit Father Paul Ardolf spent 66 years as a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, more than 31 of those at Ascension in Norwood Young America, the parish he called “family.” He died Dec. 19 at age 91. Born in Silver Lake in 1924, he was ordained in 1949 in a class of 12 from the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. Father Paul Father Ardolf ARDOLF served lengthy pastoral assignments. He spent the first 14 years of his priesthood as an assistant pastor at St. Stephen, Anoka. He was an assistant pastor of Holy Family, St. Louis Park, for less than a year before being named to his first pastorate at St. Anne in Hamel, where he served 17 years. In 1981, Father Ardolf was named
January 7, 2016
O’Malley: Agreement ‘right thing to do’ Continued from page 6
pastor of Ascension in Norwood Young America, where he led the parish for 24 years. After his retirement in 2005, Father Ardolf continued to live at Ascension’s rectory, serving as a priest there and nearby St. Bernard, Cologne. Due to failing health, he celebrated his last Mass at Ascension in February 2013 and moved to the Leo C. Byrne Residence for priests, adjacent to the St. Paul Seminary. The Norwood Young America Times noted Father Ardolf’s quick wit and dry sense of humor when reporting his leaving in 2013, which occurred shortly before Pope Benedict XVI announced his own retirement. “Somebody joked that the pope heard about my retirement, so he decided to do likewise,” Father Ardolf said with a laugh. “Leaving Ascension, that was family to me, and it was a difficult choice to make.” A funeral Mass for Father Ardolf was offered Dec. 30 at Ascension. Interment was in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Silver Lake.
Commentary/idea/opinion? Call 651-291-4444 or email: catholicspirit@archspm.org
focus on something we could agree on, and that was the protection of children going forward.” The County Attorney’s Office plans to be “substantially involved” in two independent audits to ensure compliance with the agreement’s provisions, Choi said. The results will be made public. “With the current leadership and the extensive involvement of laity that is established in this agreement, I have great confidence the settlement provisions will be effectively implemented and will serve as a model for other archdioceses across the country,” he said.
No ‘we’re done’ Archbishop Hebda, the archdiocese’s temporary apostolic administrator since the June 15 resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché, spoke at a separate news conference at the archdiocese’s Hayden Center. Accompanying him were Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens; Tim O’Malley, the archdiocese’s director of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment; and representatives of the archdiocese’s board of directors, Archdiocesan Finance Council, Ministerial Review Board and College of Consultors.
“Our commitment to protecting children and families will never end.” Bishop Andrew Cozzzens At the news conference, Bishop Cozzens described the agreement as the fulfillment of the promise he and O’Malley made in front of the chancery June 5: to work with the County Attorney’s Office and strengthen the archdiocese’s child-protection systems. “There will never come a day when we stand before you and the Catholic faithful and say, ‘That’s it. We’re done,’” Bishop Cozzens said. “Our commitment to protecting children and families will never end.” “This agreement was not forged to simply resolve a civil case,” O’Malley said. He said the archdiocese agreed to do more than would have been required by litigation “because we want to — because it’s the right thing to do and we want the opportunity to prove ourselves.” “This is about protecting kids,” he added. “I have yet to talk with a survivor who didn’t say, ‘You know what I want most? To know that what happened to me won’t happen to another kid.’ That’s our motivation, too.”
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January 7, 2016
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
The Catholic Spirit • 19
Innovation, cooperation and passion St. Tim’s ‘recipe for success’ “The parents want this school here. They support this school, love this school, and the school has the support of the teachers and the pastors who have been here.”
SIXTH IN A SEVEN-PART SERIES By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit Don’t confuse Maple Lake with Maple Grove. The small Wright County town — population 2,059 — sits near the northwestern edge of the archdiocese, nearly 60 miles from the Cathedral of St. Paul. “We’re about as far out as you can get,”said Dawn Kincs, principal of St. Timothy School. On the roads surrounding the town last fall, piles of pumpkins were for sale on carts and wagons in front of farms. St. Timothy draws students from those farms and small communities for miles around Maple Lake. With the addition of preschool this school year, enrollment is at 128, and that’s part of the upswing Kincs sees as she nears her third anniversary there. Stacked in her office were boxes of Chromebooks that had just arrived. Grants helped the school purchase them — along with Smartboards for every classroom, desktop computers to run the Smartboards, and iPads so every student in grades six through eight has one to use. Another marker of progress is evident behind the 1956 school building: construction underway on a fourclassroom addition, expected to be ready by February.
Enrollment ups and downs Things haven’t always gone this well. Chris Paumen, who has taught at St. Timothy for 29 years, has seen enrollment on a roller coaster from 80 or so students to 140, down to 67 and now back up again. Paumen teaches fourth grade, and said that when she started at St. Timothy after college, she was only planning to work there one year. “It pulls you in — the family atmosphere, the parish, and being part of a cool team — so you stay,” she said. Sister Mary Dominic Klaseus, a School Sister of Notre Dame, gets credit for reviving St. Timothy during one enrollment downturn, Paumen said. When another drop occurred, Paumen and two other teachers worked with three school board members to devise a plan to keep the school alive. “A lot of people pulled it together,” Paumen said. “We wanted to stay and make it work.” Kincs initially came as an interim principal but gave up the temporary status. “I fell in love with the place,” she said. Although she had taught in both Catholic and public schools, she felt pulled just as Paumen did. “My own kids were in Catholic school,” she said. “That’s where my heart was. I just knew that’s where my calling was, where I needed to be.” Kincs pointed to several reasons St. Timothy is doing as well as it is.
Dawn Kincs Alexis Stai, an eighth-grader at St. Timothy School in Maple Lake, does research for a travel project on her iPad during an economics class. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit “The parents want this school here. They support this school, love this school,” she said, “and the school has the support of the teachers and the pastors who have been here.” While tuition may prevent families from sending their children to a Catholic school, no child is turned away from St. Timothy, thanks to parish support. “We have a lot of families that need assistance,” Kincs said, “and the people of this parish make it happen.” Small class sizes — 14, for example, in the combined seventh and eighth grade — are one attraction. They allow for flexibility in individualizing education to meet either the enrichment or remedial needs of each student, Kincs said. “We try to look at what larger schools do and ask how we can make that work for us,” she explained. “Everybody’s looking for what’s the best for our students. I think it’s a combination of great ideas, commitment, working together, passion,” she added. “It’s a recipe for success.” That summarizes the meeting underway just steps away from the principal’s office in the kindergarten room. With the children at lunch, teacher Alyssa Sernett and volunteer classroom assistant Jeannie Otto were brainstorming about how to better meet a child’s needs. With three part-time paraprofessionals; two teachers working toward master’s degrees through the Murray Institute at the University of St. Thomas; specialists in areas including religion, information technology and music; plus dedicated volunteers, Kincs said, “we’re able to ‘catch’ kids and work with them, and altogether it’s great.”
Challenges ahead Asked to describe the educational program at their school, a cluster of teachers agreed that St. Timothy is traditional. “We’re trying to incorporate the new technology into the traditional methods, while not
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losing the best of the traditional,” third-grade teacher Kristine Kolles said. St. Timothy’s biggest challenge is space, Kincs said, which has spurred the building of the addition. To find room for the preschool program — a move Kincs saw as absolutely necessary as a feeder system for the school — seventh- and eighth- graders are using the former teachers’ lounge as their classroom. But growth itself can bring other challenges. “Parents are searching for something unique we have here — the closeness and family atmosphere,” Kincs said. “We want to grow without losing that closeness and the ability to do that individualized education.” Upgrading the school’s Internet is the next challenge, she said. “It’s just old equipment that needs to be updated.” Retirements have been the only recent reason for teacher turnover, Kincs said. “The staff is so committed to their faith . . . that’s why we’re here.” Seventh- and eighth-grade teacher Theresa Heimkes answered quickly when asked what she likes best about teaching at St. Timothy: “The kids — and we can pray every morning and God helps us through the day.” Father John Meyer, St. Timothy’s pastor, teaches two afternoons a week, guiding theology discussions to supplement religion classes. “Father Meyer is committed to the school and excited to see where we’re headed,” Kincs said. “He’s here a lot. He’ll come over at the close of the school day and talk with parents and students, and he’ll come over for lunch, too, especially if we’re having mac ’n’ cheese. “The kids love him. Every table will yell, ‘Sit with us!’”
Next in the series: St. Dominic, Northfield
20 • The Catholic Spirit
THE LAST WORD
January 7, 2016
Alexandra Kleinhuizen helps her brother Dominic Zebro with a bench press exercise during a workout session of Cross Training, a ministry she launched with her husband, Tyler, to help Catholics grow in faith, virtue and strength. Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit
Working out body and soul Couple launches ministry to help Catholics exercise faith muscles By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit A small group of high school students and young adults gathered for a workout at a sports center in Coon Rapids just days before Christmas. While thousands of others were scurrying about to prepare for the holidays, these fitness enthusiasts chose to engage in a strenuous exercise session. They also were there to deepen their faith. Leading the workout was Alexandra Kleinhuizen, a former University of Minnesota hockey player. Her husband, Tyler, a former U of M shot put and discus thrower, was sweating alongside the others. Alexandra patrolled the space inside Adrenalin Sports Center shouting encouragement to those trying to carry out her workout directives. She spent equal time vocalizing Scripture verses and delivering one-phrase spiritual messages. As they were pumping iron in one routine, she delivered a sentence from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians in sync with each lift: “I . . . can . . . do . . . all . . . things . . . through . . . Christ.” It is this faith-infused exercise program that draws up to 14 people to the center every Monday evening as part of a faith and workout ministry launched in August by the Kleinhuizens, parishioners of Epiphany in Coon Rapids. They named it Cross Training, with double references to a type of workout and the cross of Christ. Each session starts and ends with prayer, with a brief talk and 45-minute workout in between. In addition to holding the weekly workout sessions, Alexandra and Tyler have started speaking at parishes,
From left, Sophia Zebro, her sister Alexandra Kleinhuizen, Tyler Kleinhuizen and Jack Knoblauch pray before a workout session. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit with plans to work with teens in faith formation and confirmation programs. “It’s almost like a Bible study combined with a workout,” said Alexandra, who graduated from the U of M in 2010 and married Tyler in 2011 at St. Patrick in Oak Grove. “I call it a faith performance session. You’re doing a workout, but it’s not necessarily about the workout.” Indeed, while participants are pushing and straining to the limits of their physical ability, Alexandra is turning their minds toward the things above. “Let’s be that saint,” she shouted to the group as some struggled to finish one set of exercises. “Be the lights of this world.” Then, with some on the brink of exhaustion as they strained to complete endurance exercises, her challenges got more intense. “Name people you would die for,” she yelled. “Think about them.”
And finally, “Open your hearts and let him [Christ] in.” Though the workouts are highly rigorous, participants come back week after week. “It actually builds my faith coming here and working out,” said Joel Downs, who attends St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis. “Both the coaches are really challenging. They get the best out of me.” Brad Parent of St. Mark in St. Paul was Tyler’s teammate on the U of M track team, and was asked by Tyler if he wanted to start coming in the fall. Just two months later, he is an enthusiastic backer of the concept and the ministry, to the point of becoming part of it. “Eventually, I want to run big camps, and they’re going to need people to help run them,” Parent said. “I see the potential for the ministry, and I think it could really grow. . . . I’m really excited about what they’re doing.” Though the weekly workout groups are for people of all faiths, the target audience is Catholics. Tyler and Alexandra especially hope to engage teens in their faith. “What we see a lot of times are kids decked out in their sports gear in church, looking as bored as ever,” Alexandra said. “So many of these kids spend multiple hours per day every single day . . . working toward winning a trophy or winning a state championship or section championship or conference championship. We want to orient people toward their eternal goal, and their fitness can go hand in hand with that.” The Kleinhuizens, who own and operate Evo UltraPerformance in Coon Rapids and Eden Prairie, are scheduled to hold camps at Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee, and All Saints in Lakeville, and hope to offer more. For more information about Cross Training, visit www.eternalchampions.org.