The Catholic Spirit - May 12, 2022

May 12, 2022 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

What’s a ‘Catholic university’? Question explored at St. Thomas event ­­— Page 12

A new statue of namesake St. Thomas Aquinas stands outside the chapel at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

BOOSTING LATINO ENROLLMENT 5 | LEAKED DOBBS DECISION 6 | PRAYER, FASTING MAY 13 7 PRIEST’S 44-YEAR POEM 10-11 | SAVING UNION HILL’S STEEPLE 13 | BEEKEEPING EDUCATOR 14

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NEWS notes Archbishop Bernard Hebda said May 2 he tested positive for COVID-19 April 30 and was quarantining at home. “The symptoms so far have been extremely mild and I have been able to move most of my appointments to Zoom,” the archbishop said in a note to staff at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul. “As always, I would be grateful for your prayers. Please join me in praying for an end to the pandemic and in lifting up those in health care who continue to be so generous in their service.” Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control calls for those with COVID-19 to stay home and isolate from other people for at least five days from the onset of symptoms. The CDC advises wearing a mask for an additional five days when around others. The archbishop has since recovered. The headmaster of St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Kelby Woodard, was one of seven recipients May 1 of the Minndependent Leadership Award for advancing initiatives at the school, including weekly videos to promote transparency, recognize staff accomplishments, and instill confidence and excitement at the school, a $6 million campus improvement project, weekly smallgroup gatherings with students at lunch, and an effort to broaden diversity and inclusion. Headmaster since July 2020, Woodard also helped initiate an annual challenge to faculty to develop innovative curriculum or teaching methods that can be funded with a special grant of $5,000 to $15,000. Minndependent is an Edinabased organization that works to connect and strengthen independent schools in Minnesota with training, resources and advocacy. COURTESY STEVE SILVERDAHL

CARE FOR CREATION Judah Brounstein, left, and Matthias and Jacob Trksak fill a bucket with compost at St. Paul in Ham Lake, which held a Care for Creation event April 30 that drew more than 150 people. In addition to free compost for families, the day included information on Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, On Care for our Common Home,” recycling, organics and gardening, as well as food trucks, live music, trivia contest and an inflatable obstacle course. The three boys are part of the Troops of St. George at the parish, an apostolate that uses the outdoors and the sacraments as a path to Catholic formation for men and boys. “I think it is important that the Church addresses the issue of environmental stewardship because God has entrusted the earth to us from the beginning, and caring for God’s creation is a key piece of our faith,” said Clara Lucca, who attended the event with several family members.

Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities announced May 5 that it has hired Christopher Olley as its new headmaster. Olley has been working as the school’s executive director for four years. He succeeds David Beskar, who left Chesterton last year. Dale Ahlquist, the school’s co-founder and president of the Society of G.K. Chesterton, has been serving as Chesterton’s interim headmaster. Prior to joining Chesterton Academy in 2018, Olley worked for 10 years as president of his alma mater, St. Catherine’s High School in Racine, Wisconsin. Olley and his wife, Jane, have four adult children and live in Woodbury. On May 14, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams will ordain John Rumpza, Kyle Etzel and William Kratt transitional deacons at a 10 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. The three men are seminarians studying at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, and they anticipate being ordained to the priesthood next year. Rumpza’s home parish is Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, Etzel is from St. Hubert in Chanhassen and Kratt is from Divine Mercy in Faribault. On May 28, Archbishop Bernard Hebda will ordain to the priesthood Deacon Samuel Gilbertson, Deacon Connor McGinnis, Deacon Joseph Nguyen, Deacon Michael Selenski and Deacon John Utecht. The 10 a.m. Mass will be held at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and livestreamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook page. The June 16 edition of The Catholic Spirit will include special coverage of the ordination and the archdiocese’s newest priests. Deacon Gilbertson’s home parish is St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran, Deacon McGinnis is from All Saints in Lakeville, Deacon Nguyen is from St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis, Deacon Selenski is from St. Paul in Ham Lake, and Deacon Utecht is from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.

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MOTHER’S DAY Pope Francis blesses Sarah Rauenhorst Robinson’s unborn baby during an April 28 meeting with members of the Papal Foundation. Sarah is the daughter of Twin Cities Catholic philanthropists Mark and Karen Rauenhorst, pictured in the background. Mark Rauenhorst is a member of the Papal Foundation’s board of trustees. The foundation’s board of trustees and Stewards of St. Peter made a week-long pilgrimage to Rome April 26-30. Following the trip, the Papal Foundation, whose mission is to serve the Holy Father and the Roman Catholic Church through faith, energy and financial resources, announced the approval of $14 million in grants, scholarships and humanitarian aid that will be distributed throughout the world. Also at the papal meeting were Sarah’s husband Nat Robinson and her brother Jeff Rauenhorst.

A three-year preparation period is drawing to a close as the local Church readies for a June 3-5 Archdiocesan Synod Assembly on pastoral priorities. The Catholic Spirit asks readers: “What has the Synod process meant to you?” Send responses of 200 words or less to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line. Your reflection may be included in a future edition of The Catholic Spirit.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 27 — No. 9 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor

The Initiative on Restorative Justice and Healing at the University of St. Thomas and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis are hosting a conversation on racial justice in the Twin Cities in light of the May 2020 death of George Floyd, an African American killed in a Minneapolis police encounter. The 4-6 p.m. May 17 discussion at UST’s School of Law in Minneapolis will be moderated by IRJH’s founding director, Father Daniel Griffith. Open to the public in person and by livestream, the panel will include Father Chris Collins, UST’s vice president of mission; Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel in Minneapolis; John Harrington, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, and Gaye Adams Massey, an attorney and CEO of YWCA St. Paul, which promotes racial justice through education and advocacy, supports women and families in housing, workforce readiness and career pathways and operates a health and fitness center.

PRACTICING Catholic On the May 6 “Practicing Catholic” show, in honor of Mother’s Day, Bishop Joseph Williams describes his relationship with his earthly mom and the Blessed Mother. The show also features Father David Blume, director of the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who discusses the World Day of Prayer for Vocations; and Alan and Joanne Foley, founders of Early Catholic Family Life, who discuss grandparent ministry and share ideas for honoring grandmothers on Mother’s Day. Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show with links to podcasting platforms.

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 semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (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, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580

MAY 12, 2022

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

Calling on ‘Blesseds’ for Synod Assembly prayers

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t’s hard to believe that the Synod Assembly is finally upon us. I am looking forward to this Pentecost weekend more than I ever remember in the past. With and through your prayers, I am confident that there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this local Church as approximately 500 delegates from around our archdiocese gather at Cretin-Derham Hall High School for our first Synod in more than 80 years. In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus stresses for his Apostles that he needs to return to the Father so that the Spirit, the Advocate, could be sent to them, noting that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth.” Given our efforts to listen to the Holy Spirit throughout the Synod process, I trust that the Spirit will indeed be leading us toward the “complete truth” about who we are and about how our God both desires to love us in this archdiocese and calls us to serve lovingly our sisters and brothers. At this point, the work of the Spirit will be most obviously manifested in the Synod voting, as the members prayerfully discern and indicate their priorities among the 40 Synod propositions, drawn from the extensive discussions that we have had these past three years. I will always be grateful for your robust participation in this effort. We have relied heavily on the intercession of the saints throughout this process, often seeking the intercession of our patron, St. Paul, as well as that of St. Joseph, the patron of the Universal Church, and the Blessed Mother, under the title of “Mother of the Church.” They have been great companions as we have walked together on our synodal journey. As we now proceed to the Synod Assembly weekend, however, I’m calling as well for the intercession of three “Blesseds” who have connections to our archdiocese: Blessed Stanley Rother, the martyred diocesan priest whose ancestors settled near New Trier when they came from Germany and whose relatives

Llamando a los ‘Beatos’ para las oraciones sinodales

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s difícil creer que la Asamblea del Sínodo finalmente está sobre nosotros. Estoy entusiasmado con este fin de semana de Pentecostés más de lo que recuerdo en el pasado; Con y a través de sus oraciones, confío en que habrá un derramamiento del Espíritu Santo sobre esta Iglesia local cuando 500 delegados de toda nuestra Arquidiócesis se reúnan en la Escuela Secundaria Cretin-Derham Hall para nuestro primer Sínodo en más de 80 años. En el Evangelio de San Juan, Jesús subraya a sus Apóstoles que necesita volver al Padre para que les sea enviado el Espíritu, el Abogado, señalando que “cuando venga el Espíritu de la verdad, os conducirá a la verdad completa .” Dados nuestros esfuerzos por escuchar al Espíritu Santo durante todo el proceso del Sínodo, confío en que el Espíritu nos guiará hacia la “verdad completa” sobre quiénes somos y cómo nuestro Dios desea amarnos en esta Arquidiócesis y nos llama servir con amor a nuestras hermanas y hermanos. En este punto, la obra del Espíritu se manifestará más obviamente en la votación del Sínodo, ya que los miembros disciernen en

COURTESY CRETIN-DERHAM HALL

An icon of Blessed James Miller. continue to populate that part of our archdiocese; Blessed Solanus Casey, the wise Capuchin friar who was confirmed at St. Michael in Stillwater and who served as a prison guard at the prison there; and the martyred Christian Brother, James Miller, who once lived and taught at the very school where we will be gathering. While all three of them have touchpoints in each of our three focus areas, it seems to me that Blessed Stanley Rother, as a diocesan priest, pastor and missionary, will have a special connection to our discernment about our first focus area, forming parishes at the service of evangelization. I love how he models the importance of humble listening in forming a faith community that

oración e indican sus preferencias entre las 40 propuestas del Sínodo, extraídas de las extensas discusiones que hemos tenido en los últimos tres años. Siempre estaré agradecido por su sólida participación en este esfuerzo. Hemos confiado mucho en la intercesión de los santos a lo largo de este proceso, a menudo buscando la intercesión de nuestro patrón, San Pablo, así como la de San José, el patrón de la Iglesia Universal, y la Santísima Madre, bajo el título de “Madre de la Iglesia”. Han sido grandes compañeros en nuestro camino sinodal. Sin embargo, a medida que avanzamos hacia el fin de semana de la Asamblea del Sínodo, también pido la intercesión de tres “Beatos” que tienen conexiones con nuestra Arquidiócesis: el Beato Stanley Rother, el sacerdote diocesano mártir cuyos antepasados se establecieron cerca de New Trier cuando llegaron de Alemania y cuyos familiares continúan poblando esa parte de nuestra Arquidiócesis; el beato Solanus Casey, el sabio fraile capuchino que fue confirmado en St. Michael’s en Stillwater y que se desempeñó como guardia de la prisión allí; y el hermano cristiano mártir, James Miller, quien una vez vivió y enseñó en la misma escuela donde nos reuniremos. Si bien los tres tienen puntos de contacto en cada una de nuestras tres áreas de enfoque, me parece que el

responds to the needs of God’s people. Likewise, Blessed Solanus Casey seems to have a particular connection to our second focus area, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call. I find it significant that his time in our archdiocese as a young layman was a time of personal discernment for him and the beginning of the development of his remarkable interior life. He was blessed with deep insights into how the call to discipleship that he heard in his prayer led him to value the opportunities that he was given to share his faith with others in the ordinariness of daily life. Blessed Brother James Miller, finally, seems to be an ideal intercessor for our third focus area, forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young. Imbued with the spirit of the Christian Brothers, Brother James committed his life to the LaSallian mission of “providing a human and Christian education to young people.” Both at Cretin and in his work in Nicaragua and Guatemala, Brother James gave his life to teaching not only Spanish and English but also the faith, modeling for his young students what it meant to be a follower of Jesus, as convincingly on the soccer pitch as in the classroom. I hope that you will join me in both praying for the success of the Synod and seeking the intercession of these three remarkable Blesseds. While the Synod sessions are only open to those who are formally designated to represent their parishes or otherwise named to the Synod, all are especially welcome to join us for the Synod’s celebration of the extended Vigil of Pentecost on Saturday evening, June 4, in the Cathedral of St. Paul. Following the 7 p.m. Mass, there will once again be an opportunity for Spirit-inspired prayer and praise, directed by leaders drawn from groups and organizations affiliated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office here in the archdiocese. Recalling the amazing outpouring of the Spirit that we experienced at St. Peter in 2019 and at St. Bonaventure last year, I hope that you will be able to join us this year on June 4.

Beato Stanley Rother, como sacerdote diocesano, párroco y misionero, tendrá una conexión especial con nuestro discernimiento sobre nuestra primera área de enfoque, la formación de parroquias al servicio de la evangelización. Me encanta cómo modela la importancia de escuchar con humildad para formar una comunidad de fe que responda a las necesidades del pueblo de Dios. Asimismo, el Beato Solanus Casey parece tener una conexión particular con nuestra segunda área de enfoque, formar discípulos misioneros que conocen el amor de Jesús y responden a su llamado. Encuentro significativo que su tiempo en nuestra Arquidiócesis como joven laico fue un tiempo de discernimiento personal para él y el comienzo del desarrollo de su notable vida interior. Fue bendecido con percepciones profundas sobre cómo el llamado al discipulado que escuchó en su oración lo llevó a valorar las oportunidades que se le dieron para compartir su fe con otros en lo cotidiano de la vida. El hermano James Miller, finalmente, parece ser un intercesor ideal para nuestra tercera área de enfoque, la formación de jóvenes y adultos jóvenes en y para una Iglesia que siempre es joven. Imbuido del espíritu de los Hermanos Cristianos, el Hermano James comprometió su vida con la misión

lasalliana de “brindar una educación humana y cristiana a los jóvenes”. Tanto en Cretin como en su trabajo en Nicaragua y Guatemala, el hermano James dedicó su vida a enseñar no solo español e inglés, sino también la fe, modelando a sus jóvenes alumnos lo que significaba ser un seguidor de Jesús, de manera convincente en la cancha de fútbol como en el salón de clases. Espero que se unan a mí tanto para orar por el éxito del Sínodo como para buscar la intercesión de estos tres notables Beatos. Si bien las sesiones del Sínodo solo están abiertas para aquellos que están formalmente designados para representar a sus parroquias o nombrados para el Sínodo, todos son especialmente bienvenidos a unirse a nosotros para la celebración del Sínodo de la Vigilia extendida de Pentecostés el sábado 4 de junio por la noche en el Catedral de San Pablo. Después de las 7 p.m. Misa, habrá una vez más una oportunidad para la oración y la alabanza inspiradas por el Espíritu, dirigidas por líderes provenientes de grupos y organizaciones afiliadas a la Oficina de Renovación Carismática Católica aquí en la Arquidiócesis. Recordando el asombroso derramamiento del Espíritu que experimentamos en San Pedro en 2019 y en San Buenaventura el año pasado, espero que puedan unirse a nosotros este año el día 4.

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Rain, roses and rosaries Maria Nguyen of St. Adalbert in St. Paul fights a gust of wind while trying to hang onto her rosary and a rose during the annual Family Rosary Procession May 1. People who walked from the State Capitol to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul faced wind, rain and cold as they prayed the rosary while going down John Ireland Boulevard. It was the 75th anniversary of the event, noted Cathedral Rector Father John Ubel, who led a prayer service inside the Cathedral following the rosary procession. The Kueppers family has been involved all 75 years, with Joe Kueppers leading the recitation of the rosary over loudspeakers along John Ireland Boulevard, a role he has had every year since 1997. He is a member of St. Joseph in West St. Paul and chancellor for civil affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His wife, Vicki, coordinates the rosary procession at the State Capitol and his grandmother, Florence Kueppers, was one of the founders of the procession in 1947.

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Catholic educators learn strategies to attract, serve more Latino families By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

REACHING LATINO STUDENTS

Thirty-five percent of all practicing Catholics in the U.S. are Latino, and since 1960, 70% of the growth in the U.S. Catholic Church has come from Latino families. At 62.1 million, Latinos represent the largest — and youngest — ethnic minority population in the U.S. One of every two children in the U.S. is Latino. But “regrettably,” only 4% of Latino Catholic children nationwide are enrolled in Catholic schools, said Katy Lichon of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, who presented the data at an April 26-27 conference for Catholic educators on attracting and serving Latinos in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. While small, the 4% enrollment today is a “divine providential opportunity,” Lichon said. If U.S. Catholic schools enrolled 5-10% of Latino Catholic children, “we would never close another school,” Lichon said. She quickly added that efforts to boost Latino student enrollment “is not just (about) getting children in our door”; it’s about serving children well and setting them up for success, she said. “If we get this right for this generation of children, we’re forming our next set of teachers, our next business leaders, our next president, for example,” she said. The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, the fifth-largest public grant maker in the state, sponsored the conference, called the “Twin Cities Latino Enrollment Institute.” Catholic schools in the archdiocese reported K-12 enrollment of 27,023 students for the current school year, including about 9% Latino students. Lichon, director of the Catholic School Advantage program at Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, was among presenters at the conference, which was held at the University of St. Thomas’ Minneapolis campus. About 75 people participated. Presenters also included staff members of CSA’s largest program, the Latino Enrollment Institute, who identify and help Catholic schools in areas that have growing Latino populations, a substantial number of “open seats” in classrooms and principals motivated to serve Latino families. Topics addressed included recognizing gifts Latinos bring to the Church and society, creating schools that are “culturally responsive” to Latino families, embracing diverse cultures as an asset in schools, cultivating parental involvement from Latino parents, marketing to the Latino community, and serving and teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students. Participants were given guidance and practice time for developing an “action plan” for their schools. A welcoming school environment might include CathSpFL-C-2022.qxp_Layout 1 1/25/22 12:31help PM Pa Latino religious imagery and staff who make

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Conference participant Claudia Bauer, administrative and marketing assistant at St. Dominic School in Northfield, who also has worked as the Latino outreach coordinator for the archdiocese, said she knows how immigrant students feel. She emigrated from Mexico to the U.S. at age 10 with her family, where she was placed in third grade, a grade behind, because she could not speak English. During testing days, she was sent to the school library to “do computer games because I didn’t understand any English.” Bauer said she appreciated the information at the conference, which she can share with staff members at her school. Latino enrollment at St. Dominic is low, Bauer said, but staff members plan to reach out to the Latino community to enroll students at the school. COURTESY STEVE MCCLURE, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

Jeannie Courchene, a principal mentor with the Latino Enrollment Institute at the University of Notre Dame, leads a session called “It’s About Mission, Not Money” April 26 for Catholic educators in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Courchene, who formerly served as principal at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Denver, described how she sought donor funding for major renovations to the inner-city school. non-English speakers feel at home, presenters said. Schools can build relationships with Latino families, develop strategies for teaching students who are learning English, set up classrooms that reflect diversity, and choose books by Latino authors or with Latinos as main characters, said Manny Fernandez, LEI’s program director. Jason Slattery, the archdiocese’s director of Catholic education, recalled how schools in the archdiocese were founded in the late 1800s to serve the needs of that era’s Catholic immigrant population, “to meet them where they were and to help them find a new way in a new nation.” Yet he believes that in today’s culture it’s just as difficult for a Catholic child to grow up and have a chance of hearing the Gospel. He encouraged attendees to reach out to families and describe the value of archdiocesan schools and to think about “that sense of mission, that real imperative of the Gospel to go out and to really teach all nations.” Archbishop Bernard Hebda welcomed people to the conference, saying it was designed to provide concrete steps to better serve “our Latino brothers and sisters.” “And who else is better situated to do this work than Catholic schools?” he asked. “Through this event today, we have the opportunity to learn more about that individuality,

David Sorkin, head of school at St. Hubert Catholic School in Chanhassen, said the conference provided very useful and practical tips to help schools strengthen their Latino outreach, including hosting community events that highlight Latino culture and traditions and using the Madrinas model, a program for recruiting and retaining Latino families in Catholic schools by building and strengthening relationships. “Also, we can take steps to make our building more welcoming by including a variety of cultural elements and having materials and signage in Spanish,” Sorkin said. About 5% of the students enrolled at St. Hubert are Latino, Sorkin said, with many coming after last year’s closing of Guardian Angels School in Chaska. “And we anticipate and hope for that to grow,” he said of Latino enrollment. Oona Myhre, St. Hubert’s preschool director, said 12 Latinos are among 135 children in five sections of toddlers to preschoolers enrolled this year. “Kids spend a lot of time in the preschool space and we really want to make sure that it’s their second home, and their family,” she said. One of the 16 preschool staff members is Latino, helping bridge the gap, Myhre said. Joseph Olson, admissions director at St. Agnes School in St. Paul, said a conference take-away and an important message for all Catholic schools is that “the good folks from Latino communities are seeking a true and unapologetic Catholic experience in our schools, and if we offer that, and make it clear we are on a journey together to heaven, they will feel safe and well served in our institutions.” — Barb Umberger the riches that the Latino cultures bring to our Church, and we hope … we’ll welcome more and more families to our Catholic schools,” Archbishop Hebda said. “Likewise, I anticipate we will engage with the strengths of our Catholic schools and how they can be put at the service of Latino families and children.”

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Minnesota elected officials react to Dobbs decision leak By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life said pro-life advocates in the state “will keep working — harder than ever — to protect unborn children and support their mothers” in light of the draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case that was leaked and published in Politico May 2. The leaked document “is only a draft and not an actual ruling of the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, we are very hopeful that, when the Court does hand down its official decision, it will overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states the freedom to protect the human rights of unborn children,” the Minneapolis-based pro-life advocacy organization said in a May 3 statement. “Overturning Roe would be a huge step in the right direction — one that so many of us have dedicated so much time and effort to achieving,” MCCL said. “But make no mistake: There are many more steps to take. In Minnesota, a 1995 state court ruling called Doe v. Gomez would continue to require abortion-ondemand even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.” The leaked majority opinion draft indicated the court is poised to uphold Dobbs and overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion across the U.S. In December, the justices heard arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson case, which considers the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court’s decision is expected at the end of its current term this summer. Several Minnesota officials met the leaked decision with statements pledging to protect abortion access in the state. Gov. Tim Walz (DFL), announced May 4 he had joined 16 other governors in calling for Congress to pass legislation that would codify in law “the right to an abortion.” In a May 2 posting to Twitter reacting to the news of the leak, he wrote, “Not on my watch.” Minnesota’s U.S. senators, both Democrats, expressed similar sentiment. In a May 2 statement, Sen. Tina Smith reflected on her work at Planned

JONATHAN ERNST, REUTERS | CNS

A pro-life activist holds a fetus doll during a protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Dec. 1. Minnesota and 15 other states and Washington, D.C., have laws protecting abortion in the event the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in its decision in the Dobbs case expected in June or early July. If Roe is overturned, the abortion issue returns to the states. Parenthood, saying, “I saw firsthand how women had the capacity to make the right decisions for themselves. How dare Justice Alito and other Supreme Court justices think they know better.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar told “CBS Mornings” that “If this court is going to turn back the clock and take away all the rights that have been considered in well thought out cases, we have basically a revolution going on when it comes to women’s rights and people are going to have to go to the ballot box and make that decision.” Members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation also responded to the leak, with positive and negative reactions falling along party lines. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, a Republican who represents the Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District in western Minnesota, welcomed the prospect of Roe being overturned, but called the leak “a seismic and foundational compromise of the independence of the Supreme Court.” “I have faith that our Supreme Court Justices will not bow to intimidation tactics and will adhere to the oath they took upon being sworn in, to ‘faithfully

and impartially discharge and perform the duties’ incumbent upon them under the Constitution. I support Chief Justice Roberts’ call to investigate this leak, and hope for a swift resolution.” Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat who represents Minnesota’s Fourth District, which includes most of Ramsey and part of Washington counties, said in a May 3 statement that overturning Roe would be “an assault on all women” and called for the passing of the Women’s Health Protection Act. “States are now on the forefront of this battle,” she wrote. “Because of GOP-led legislatures and governors, nearly half of our states have trigger laws in place that will make abortion illegal immediately following this decision. In Minnesota, Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan are committed to protecting women’s reproductive rights. With the governor’s race and state legislature on the ballot in November, protecting women and our reproductive freedom is squarely in the hands of Minnesotans.” Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat representing Minnesota’s Second District, including the southern Twin Cities, posted to Twitter May 3, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the government does not belong in health care decisions between a woman, her family and her doctor. We must codify Roe v. Wade into law.” Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota’s Fifth District, including eastern Hennepin and parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties, posted on Twitter May 4: “Expand the court. Abolish the filibuster. Pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe v. Wade into law.” Rep. Tom Emmer, a Republican who represents Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District, which includes cities in the west, north and east metro area, did not make a public statement about the leaked draft of the Dobbs decision. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls abortion “gravely contrary to the moral law” and that (s)ince it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.”

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Allegation under investigation The Catholic Spirit A misconduct allegation against a retired deacon will be investigated by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced May 5. Deacon Martin Jaques Jr. has been accused of engaging in “offensive conduct with a minor in the early 2000s,” the archbishop said in a statement. “The Archdiocese notified law enforcement, which declined to further investigate the case,” he said. “The Archdiocese will now conduct an investigation and follow its processes to determine whether a delict occurred and whether Deacon Jaques is fit for ministry.” Deacon Jaques was ordained in 2000 and retired in 2015. According to archdiocesan records, he served at Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul and St. Odilia in Shoreview. According to Paul Iovino, deputy director of the archdiocese’s Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, the deacon said he also ministered at Incarnation/Sagrado Corazón in Minneapolis. “The steps being taken by the Archdiocese are neither a presumption nor a determination of guilt,” the archbishop said. “During the investigation, Deacon Jaques will not be permitted to exercise public ministry.”

MAY 12, 2022

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

NATION+WORLD Bishops, pro-life advocacy groups plan next steps after abortion opinion leak By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service U.S. bishops have invited the faithful to fast and pray the rosary May 13, the memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, following the May 2 leak of a draft opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called for prayer and fasting in a May 10 statement. Among the intentions they asked Catholics to pray for are the integrity of the judicial system, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and “the conversion of the hearts and minds of those who advocate for abortion.” The leaked opinion draft, written by Justice Samuel Alito, shows that the court appears set to overturn its Roe v. Wade decision — which legalized abortion for nearly 50 years — in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Although many pro-life groups immediately reacted positively to the news that the majority of Supreme Court justices seem set to overturn Roe, some tempered their reaction with a continued call

HEADLINES u Cardinal appeals for peace as violence escalates in Sri Lanka. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith appealed for peace as clashes broke out in the island nation after the prime minister quit amid a worsening economic crisis, reported ucanews.com. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa announced his resignation May 9, but protesters persisted with the demand that his elder brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, must quit immediately. The media reported that a ruling party legislator shot dead an anti-government protester and then took his own life during a confrontation outside the capital Colombo May 9. Residences of several ministers and legislators of Sri Lanka’s ruling People’s Front were attacked while the houses of at least two mayors were set on fire. u Supreme Court says Christian group can fly flag at Boston City Hall. After the Supreme Court ruled that Boston violated the free speech rights of a Christian group to fly its flag at City Hall, another group, The Satanic Temple, has requested permission to fly a flag outside the city building. The mayor’s office of Boston has not commented on the group’s request except to say that it has been reviewing the court’s decision and also evaluating its flag-raising program. On May 2, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in favor of the city flying the flag of a Christian group. It said the city couldn’t deny the group the right to raise its flag along with other flags reflecting the city’s diversity. u St. Gianna’s daughter planning to open spiritual pilgrimage center. Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, a pediatrician and daughter of Italian St. Gianna Beretta Molla, plans to open an international pilgrimage site and center in Springfield, Illinois, to help spread knowledge of and devotion to her parents and promote marriage and family life. The St. Gianna Beretta Molla and Pietro Molla International Center for Family and Life will be located near the St. Francis of Assisi Church and the Evermode Institute, which is a new center for Catholic spiritual and intellectual formation. u God does not disown his children, pope tells LGBT Catholics. Pope Francis said he wants

for more advocacy while others kept a wait-and-see approach until the court issues its opinion in the weeks ahead. Some Catholic bishops likewise kept their response in check, but acknowledged the work done on the grassroots level by pro-life activists. Hours after the draft of the court’s opinion was published by Politico May 2, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone tweeted: “Tonight I am thinking of all the years of hard work by prolife people of all faiths and none. Years and years of patient advocacy, help for unwed moms, political engagement and more.” The next day, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released a statement that Archbishop Bernard Hebda will comment when the Supreme Court releases its official statement. “No matter the court’s decision, the Catholic Church will continue to work toward building a culture of life and supporting women and their children,” the statement said. Archbishop Lori said in a May 4 statement that the leaked opinion draft “reminds us of the urgent need for prayer and action at this pivotal moment in our country.” “As we await the court’s decision, we urge everyone to intensify their prayer and fasting that the final decision of the court will bring about the reversal of

LGBT Catholics to know that God is a father who “does not disown any of his children.” The pope’s comment was among the short answers to three questions posed in a letter by Jesuit Father James Martin, editor at large of America magazine and a driving force behind its new website, outreach.faith, which provides news and resources for LGBT Catholics, their families and the people who minister with them. Pope Francis’ letter, in Spanish, is dated May 8; it was posted on Outreach the next day. Vatican Media also published a translation in Italian. u At Vatican trial, Cardinal Becciu returns to testify. Taking the stand for a second time at his Vatican trial, Cardinal Angelo Becciu spent more than two hours reading a statement in which he claimed accusations of financial impropriety were an attempt to stain his reputation. At the trial May 5, Cardinal Becciu said he felt “immense pain” when Pope Francis forced him to resign in 2020. Cardinal Becciu said claims that he embezzled an estimated 100,000 euros and gave them to Spes, a Caritas organization run by his brother, Tonino Becciu, in his home Diocese of Ozieri, Italy, was “the mother of all my misfortune.” As for his involvement in the Vatican Secretariat of State’s investment in a London property development project that incurred millions of dollars in debt, the cardinal said accusations that he misused Vatican funds were “unfounded.” At the time of the investment, then-Archbishop Becciu served as “sostituto,” the No. 3 position in the secretariat. He also aimed to refute other claims against him involving financial scandal. u Cardinal reaffirms pope’s willingness to go to Moscow to try to stop war. Pope Francis’ secretary of state reaffirmed the pope’s offer to go to Moscow personally to try to convince President Vladimir Putin to stop his war on Ukraine but said the Kremlin had yet to respond. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state, told reporters late May 4, “We are waiting for them to tell us what they want, what they intend to do. … I think that at this point there are no other steps to take.” u Pope agrees to treat painful knee with therapeutic injections. Pope Francis will have therapeutic injections to try to alleviate the pain in his right knee, he told an Italian newspaper. “I have a torn ligament; I will have a procedure with injections and we will see,”

Roe and Casey,” he said, referring to the court’s 1992 decision that affirmed Roe. “We hope and pray for a change in our laws and stand ready to help all pregnant women in need in each of our communities,” he added. National Right to Life, an advocacy group that has long fought against abortion, similarly said it “agrees with the statement of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who said, ‘We will let the Supreme Court speak for itself and wait for the Court’s official opinion.’” Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, likened the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade to the beginning of the antiabortion movement. The previous day, her group sent a letter to all the Republican members of Congress urging them to back a nationwide “heartbeat bill,” banning abortions at six weeks of pregnancy. Hawkins, and nine other pro-life leaders, emphasized that the 15-week ban at stake in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case before the court did not go far enough. “If we are not focusing on limiting early abortions, we are not really addressing the violence of abortion at all,” Hawkins wrote in the letter.

he said in an interview published May 3. Pope Francis has canceled several appointments and meetings the past few months because of his doctor’s orders to rest. u Catholic News Service to cease domestic operations at year’s end. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced to staff May 4 a dramatic reorganization of its communications department, including the closure of the Washington and New York

offices of Catholic News Service. In meetings with newsroom staff, James Rogers, the chief communications officer of the conference, said that the Washington office would be closed at year’s end. The Rome bureau of Catholic News Service will remain open and continue to report on Vatican and related international events. — Catholic News Service

A forum series exploring critical needs in our community as well as hopeful solutions

TUE. MAY 24. 2022

in person Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis or via livestream 6:00 PM hors d’oeuvres & drinks

6:30 PM forum begins

BUILDING AN INTERCULTURAL CHURCH Why are intercultural competencies vital for the new evangelization? “Evangelization loses much of its force and effectiveness if it does not take into consideration the actual people to whom it is addressed, if it does not use their language, their signs and symbols …” — Pope Paul VI, Evangelii nuntiandi MODERATOR Most Reverend Joseph A. Williams Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis

PANELISTS Anne Attea – Director of Formation and Social Justice, Ascension Catholic Church Akiko Maeker, Ph.D. – Principal Partner and Coaching Director, Interculturalist, LLC Mar Muñoz-Visoso, M.T.S. – Executive Director, USCCB Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church

To Register www.ccf-mn.org/forums Forums are free. Registration is required.

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8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 12, 2022

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Catholic Ministry Uses Simple, Effective Methods to Supply Safe Water to Poor Communities The idea of tapping an underground source to supply families with clean water is nothing new. Jesus Christ’s encounter with the woman at the well is a case in point, and productive wells are mentioned in the Old Testament too. Much has changed since 30 A.D.; yet in the world’s developing countries, water access is an ongoing struggle, and simple wells remain a primary source for survival. “It may seem strange to those of us who simply turn a kitchen tap to get our water, but most families living in the developing countries of this world have a completely different perspective on water. They consider it very challenging to find, and they must typically rely on ground sources such as streams and ponds for what they need — sources that are also used by animals and are often filled with bacteria and parasites,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a respected Catholic ministry working to solve water scarcity problems around the globe. Cavnar is familiar with the value of quality wells because his ministry has funded the construction of many water systems around the world. (See related story on opposite page.) “Our ministry partners in the field typically begin this work by ensuring the community will be involved and will play a role in the process,” Cavnar said. “Only after this commitment has been made does the partner move on to the technical side of the job.” The next steps involve hiring a trusted, local drilling company and commissioning a hydrogeological survey to determine the best location for the well or water system. Once experts have chosen a promising site, a huge rig is brought in to drill the well. Since some areas of the world suffer from regular droughts that can lower the water table, determining the depth of the well becomes a critical decision too.

“We’ve had to drill down 200 meters or more in some cases to ensure we reach a plentiful source of water,” Cavnar explained. After the well shaft is encased in a special tubing to preserve its strength and purity, pump tests are run to ensure that there is enough water for the community, and water quality is checked to make sure the water is safe for people and animals. Once this work is done and additional pumping equipment is installed (some water systems also include storage tanks or solar-powered pumping systems), it is time to involve the community again. A water committee is trained to make minor repairs on the water system, monitor the use of the new well and ensure it is maintained properly in the years ahead. “The entire community buzzes with excitement on the day a new well is blessed and dedicated to God and turned over to the people to use,” Cavnar said. “It is a deeply moving experience and we

The well systems Cross Catholic Outreach installs in the eld represent a life-transforming gift to families who have no other reliable source of water or who have been drawing their supply from contaminated ponds or rivers. often share those stories with our donors because they were instrumental in making it happen. In fact, most of the U.S. Catholics who support this work will fund one water project after another because they see the incredible impact these projects have on the lives of the poor.” Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach water programs and other outreaches to the poor can contribute by scanning the QR

code, on the next page, or sending a tax-deductible gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Visit us at CrossCatholic.org/change-lives to become a Mission Partner or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on your mailed check to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Dedicated Catholics Make Major Impact on Poverty by Serving as ‘Mission Partners’ Consistency and reliability have always been recognized as important character traits in American culture, and most of us bring up our children to uphold those values, especially in the workplace. We do that because we know consistency and reliability produce stability and help us weather the unexpected storms in life. The same is true when it comes to charity, according to Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. That is why his ministry cherishes its

Mission Partners — donors who have committed to monthly giving. “Mission Partners represent the foundation of our ministry,” he said. “Their commitment to helping the poor on a monthly basis gives us a steady, reliable way to serve. Without them, the missions we support in the developing world would never know whether they could rely on us to help with long-term projects, and it would be much more difficult for us to respond to disaster situations. When we can depend on the

support of Mission Partners, we can move forward confidently and take on every challenge that’s put before us.” Because monthly giving is so important to Cross Catholic Outreach’s work overseas, the ministry makes it as easy as possible for its donors to become Mission Partners. That option is included on appeals, on the charity’s website and in the brochures it distributes at Catholic parishes and in Catholic newspapers. “Ultimately, we ask people to become Mission Partners because monthly

giving has a huge impact on the priests, religious sisters and Catholic lay leaders working in the trenches, fighting to end hunger and alleviate poverty,” Cavnar said. “When they face an unexpected crisis or a natural disaster strikes, the missions know they can come to us for help because our Mission Partners have provided the resources needed to overcome those immediate challenges. We can make decisions in a matter of hours and send help within days — and the poor are blessed as a result.”

RIGHT PAGE MAY 12, 2022

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

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Cross Catholic Outreach Remains Committed to Addressing Water Scarcity and Its Impact on the Poor Once a year, we set aside a special date to focus on the need for safe water in poor communities around the globe. It’s called “World Water Day,” and its intention is to bring about change; to help alleviate the suffering of families who currently rely on contaminated water sources to survive. “To my way of thinking, Catholics should consider every day World Water Day, and the Church should always have the suffering of the poor on its mind,” reflected Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a respected Catholic ministry working to end water scarcity hardships in developing countries around the world. “The challenges poor families face because of unsafe water are far too big to focus on just once a year.” Cavnar added that his intention is not to make this day a source of dread or guilt, but rather to make it an opportunity to celebrate the amazing work Catholics are doing to solve the water crisis in developing countries around the globe. “I consider the water projects we do in partnership with the Church as triumphs and as a direct reflection of Christ’s command to love one another. We should be excited by what our dedicated priests, religious sisters and Catholic ministries are accomplishing, and we should be inspired to help them continue that important work,” he said. “I know that is how the American Catholics who contribute to Cross Catholic Outreach’s projects feel about it. Once they hear about a specific need, they are eager to be a part of the solution.” While Cavnar’s optimism is justified, he is also mindful of the challenges involved in addressing water scarcity. The projects his ministry undertakes are done in collaboration with strong in-country ministry partners that can organize local community leaders and oversee the technical aspects of the project. “The bishops and priests we work with play a critical role in the process. They choose the location of the wells we help install, and they organize the drilling equipment and workers needed to lay any pipes necessary to deliver the water to community homes, schools or agricultural projects,” Cavnar said. “It’s a big job, but one we have accomplished successfully all over the world, so our donors can be confident that when they fund a water system in a poor community, our efforts will produce impressive results.” In this past year, Cross Catholic Outreach has been working to fund 24 water and sanitation projects in 12 different developing countries. Some of the projects have been completed and

In developing countries, poor families often rely on contaminated streams and ponds for their water. They often travel for hours over rough terrain to reach these water sources and make multiple daily trips to collect what they need. others are still in progress, but together, they will eliminate the burden of water scarcity for more than 225,000 people. “Our focus now is on expanding the scale of our effort, and to do that, we need to inspire more American Catholics to contribute to the cause,” Cavnar said. “Many of the wells we install are simple and use a manual hand pump, so they are resilient and relatively inexpensive to build, but there are still costs involved, so we need donor support to fund the work. The more families who become involved in this mission of mercy, the more we can accomplish.” Cavnar also encouraged American Catholics to pray for their brothers and sisters in developing countries and for the clergy who serve them. “Life is very hard in these poor communities, and poverty is often extreme. Families there are struggling to find water, and when they draw it from contaminated sources, they often get sick,” he said. “Our goal is to end that suffering, but those efforts will take time. Until they are helped by one of our water projects, they will need our prayers for safety and health.”

How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, scan this QR code with your phone or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. Our web page, CrossCatholic.org/change-lives, also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause. If you identify an aid project, 100% of the donation will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.

10 • MAY 12, 2022

A priest’s poem, 44 years in the making 93-year-old Father Welzbacher puts final touches on ‘Galactic Shepherd: Time’s Charioteer’

L

By Mark Johnson For The Catholic Spirit

ast month, Father George Welzbacher made the final revisions to his poetic magnum opus — “Galactic Shepherd: Time’s Charioteer.” For 44 years, he had written, reconsidered, reimagined and re-written his eight-page poem. In his 93rd year, it was finally finished. Father Welzbacher, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is likely known as a poet to only a few. But his 71-year career as a teacher and pastor is legendary. He did graduate work in ancient and medieval history at the University of Chicago and taught at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where many of his students quipped with pride that they “majored in Welzbacher.” He was a beloved teacher of Latin and German at St. Thomas Academy, now in Mendota Heights. He also served as a pastor at parishes across the archdiocese and is currently a weekend associate at Holy Family in St. Louis Park. Hardly an inch of space in his current home, at the Leo C. Byrne Residence for retired priests in St. Paul, is not covered by a stack of books gathered in his remarkable career. As a boy growing up in St. Paul, “always in the shadow of the Cathedral,” in his words, Father Welzbacher was inspired by his mother, Eileen Hanley. “She was a fine pianist and painter,” he said, “but my love of poetry and poetic sense of wonder was her greatest artistic gift to me.” It was a love that was to last a lifetime. As a child, he memorized poems his mother had written, adding in high school Shakespeare’s sonnets, Shelley and Keats. As a young priest, he noticed that men often spent their morning shaving time in useless daydreaming. He believed he could do better, and was inspired by a story that Cardinal John Henry Newman had learned Italian while shaving. Father Welzbacher decided he would devote his time in front of the shaving mirror to memorizing poetry. His powers of retention proved prodigious. While shaving, he memorized all 433 lines of T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland,” long portions of Eliot’s “Four Quartets,” and many works of the 17th- and early 18thcentury metaphysical poets, as well as classic French and German poems. “I understood early on,” Father Welzbacher said, “that the best way to understand a poem is to memorize it. Only then can you begin to appreciate the subtlety of word order and rhythm, especially with a trailblazer like Eliot.” “When you can carry inside yourself the meaning, word order and rhythm with ease,” he explained, “it is then

Father George Welzbacher uses his room at the Leo C. Byrne Residence in St. Paul to read and write poetry. It’s where he put the finishing touches on a poem he had been working on for 44 years, “Galactic Shepherd.” DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

that the poem gets in your blood.” He added: “To live with poetry every day is to have beauty always close at hand.” As the years passed, Father Welzbacher added creating his own verse to his shaving routine, and the seeds of what would become “Galactic Shepherd” were planted. But time for poetic reflection and crafting was short, given his extensive priestly duties. To seriously pursue the poetic muse, he said, he knew he needed more focused time. The opportunity arose in 1978 when he took a three-month sabbatical. That year also coincided with Pope St. John Paul II’s election as pope, and Father Welzbacher took inspiration from the fact that Karol Wojtyla had been a remarkable Polish poet long before the world came to know him as St. Peter’s heir. That year, Father Welzbacher began the poem that would occupy his artistic imagination for the next 44 years. In “Galactic Shepherd,” he strove to capture the entire architecture and trajectory of God’s essence, he said. This included the Divine silence before the Creation, Christ’s incarnation, the agony of the Crucifixion and the beatitude of future unity in God. He wrote and re-wrote the poem countless times, striving for a poetic meter — a rhythm — that was wild, free and majestic as the waves of the sea, and made clear God could not be “placed in a box.” “I wanted a meter that made clear I was dealing with the infinite, which is not limited in any way,” Father Welzbacher explained. “I found that rhythm in the ocean’s immensity and its variety of moods, ranging from tranquility and beauty to great power and storms.” For years, he wrestled with the poem’s opening lines. In seeking to depict “the Word” — a beginning that had no beginning — and God’s silence prior to Creation, he sought an image,

not of sleep, but of all-knowing comprehension, beyond reason, of what is and what will be. After decades of effort, he explained, he found the right words only recently: Conceptual Silence! Whence Of Intellection Sheer His Comprehension Sure! Whose Song Spontaneous Commands a Plenitude Sublime! Wherein decreed, whirls forth in dance (so bestowed Necessity, so encompassed Chance) The multitudinous tumult of Time! Kept strict its pace, its shout, its chase Keyed To a marshalling rhyme! Sprung from a Joy Everlasting, His the Response Everlastingly heard, Springs, Ever wakeful, THE EMBLAZONING WORD! “These were the most challenging lines of the entire poem,” Father Welzbacher said. “Over many decades I struggled down many dead ends trying to adequately express the essence of God the Father and God the Son throughout time and with no beginning. I finally found the key in a statement by St. Ignatius of Antioch, who described a ‘silence of the Father’s mind, from which the Word emerged.’” It was when this “silence” came to mind, combined with an image of a silence that is “conceptual” — allknowing, intellectually full and complete to itself — that he knew he had found what he was looking for. “After decades of work, my poetic instinct told me in a flash that these were the right words and that this was the right sound,” he said. In the past year, Father Welzbacher was still making changes to the poem, sometimes almost daily. Some were

subtle, perhaps significant only to the author’s nuanced eye and ear. One of the last, however, was also one of the most important. On the title page, he changed his name from “George Welzbacher” to a pen name: “George Hanley Welzbacher.” (His actual full name is George Anthony Welzbacher.) By adding “Hanley,” his beloved Irish mother’s maiden name, he intended to ensure his poetic summa honored the woman who first kindled his love of poetry. “I confess there was some relief when I finally finished it,” Father Welzbacher said. At long last “it was a relief to know that I had done my very best to reach my poetic goal.” What was that goal? “Nothing less than to give my personal thanks to the Lord for all he has done for me,” he said. Those who have had the privilege of hearing Father Welzbacher read “Galactic Shepherd” — including only a small number of Holy Family parishioners and a few others — will likely always call to mind the marvelous mahogany timbre of his voice and his precise, evenly paced pronunciation of each word. Through his reading, the poem becomes a kind of “song” in verse that transforms poetry into worship. “Galactic Shepherd” reminds its readers again that the drama, imagery and cadence of good poetry can illuminate the veiled mysteries of the Christian message in extraordinary and unexpected ways. “What I tried to do with ‘Galactic Sheperd,’” Father Welzbacher said, “is to offer to God my thanksgiving. If it arouses in others a greater love for the Lord, it would greatly please me.” The creation of this remarkable poem was not ancillary to Father Welzbacher’s priestly mission; it was integral to it. “This is not some sideline or hobby,” he said. “It’s central to my song of praise to the Lord.”

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11

“Galactic Shepherd: Time’s Charioteer” A ricercar for the Incarnate Word George Hanley Welzbacher “For that Wisdom, being Uncompounded, hath power to do all things, so doth it reach from end to end, mightily!” The Book of Wisdom 7:27 and 8:1 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 Conceptual Silence! Whence Of Intellection Sheer His Comprehension Sure! Whose Song Spontaneous Commands a Plenitude Sublime! Wherein decreed, whirls forth in dance (so bestowed Necessity, so encompassed Chance) The multitudinous tumult of Time! Kept strict its pace, its shout, its chase Keyed To a marshalling rhyme! Sprung from a Joy Everlasting, His the Response Everlastingly heard, Springs, Ever wakeful, THE EMBLAZONING WORD! Swift to Whose praise in swirling thunder Of choirs Swells vast with wonder What resounding accord! Thus to hail Who thwarts the fury of a Pride Relentless raging, lifts high in command A constraining sword! Whom vast legions of Light, their plighted trust His grace engaging, salute As recognizant Lord! Swift-Salient sure, plumbs Who such Measureless Deep, All-instantaneous Whose course tenacious spans Of Light What Shoreless Sea! Reigns Lord Consortial He As Alone the Begotten Of an Ageless Might, To which Light Unbounded Full this His Likeness Bright, All ablaze in glory Forth Who Radiant springs: the Resplendence Of a Radiance Prime! Born to Him Who so knows as gainsays The gainsaying, The Consentaneous Lord Marshall of Time! Sire’s writ affirms wields Who Sire’s mace! Whence, fierce-endowed in pulse and pace, Time’s cadenced rage Of appetition began! While in the song of nascent choirs Ascending swift in a swirl of gyres Love’s theme magistral In sovran déscant ran, Grand Craftsman, Lord, reigned He! Of Changeless Light in Empire Sure Who promenades In glory! To Wealth Unbounded, Wealth Undistrained The Enraptured Heir! Through Whose bright realm no thrift austere turns dear That Story, Nor terms’ assize nor pow’rs’ surcease Casts shadow there! Past need, past care, of such Dominion fair Full height sustained! In Gift Entire of Uncompounded Strength All Purpose gained,

Who yet stoops gently low! If Inexpugnable, O Unchallengeable! Lord so engendered The Unapproachable there, Here who obeys Time’s Sway Sleeps so Young Lord Compassionate, In Love’s complaisance Who, Self-surrendered, smiles, Thus far dissceptred, Born so to us, our Prince, our Peer, In contravening, in supervenient Plan Deigning here, Lord Unconfounded, to span Soft-slumbring Lamb, fierce Rampant Lion, Reigns He our Scion Most Sapient, In His wiles ever wakeful: Pledged Blood-ransom, Doomed Huntsman of Man! In Whose craft found resourceful, Winds His way ever sure Through Death’s maze He the Master, steadfast strong To endure — Swathed now in lowlier birth Read there Wreathed Writ Of Man’s Worth — Such clamant pain as shall lure Death undone! Evoking plenty From dearth, Shapes He high heaven of earth, the estranged Grown dear, from banished far Changed near! Constates the kingly-cunning, acknowledged wise In His ways, Hell’s Challenger bold, Man’s Champion Keen, Pain’s Willing Familiar, efficaciously brave! Of so Almighty a Father In rapt recognizant gaze: Lord Melodist of UNVANQUISHABLE LOVE! LOVE UNSURCEASING! Of that Vigour annealed* whence, Tongued in Fire Unconsumed, Stands revealed, stands imparted Cogent Measure to us This Their Withinmost, Their Commutual BREATH! Consurgent SIGH! O VOICE OF ECSTASY SERENE! BOND INSEVERABLE Of a Concord Supreme, Whose Yield Everlasting: Full Dominion TRINE! Wherewithin EACH In grand Severalty Condign Reigns Exultant, Such Their Fellowship Blest! Unfalt’ring True Such Source assessed, makes so us new HIS Name confessed! Whose swerveless Might, forever same, Awakens rest, The wild soothed tame! Wherewith cleansed pure As ages run, in concert sure With the THREE-in-ONE, the forlorn Changed welcome guest — As of old the outCast, of high state Quite dispossessed, just so all lame

Went he That now Springs free — By LOVE is seized, snatched aloft, swept up on high! Throughout exhilarant drift Of sustentive flight Held solicitous-fast In grasp of talons BRIGHT Of HIM Who in fierce reply, forth eagle-swift, forth From startled sky, once Hurtling downward, plummeted Down, down, down, indeflectible Down, Inevasible down, To leave so at the last despoiled That ONE most furious foiled, known his boast All spurious failed, That in Heaven’s as in Man’s despite, All affrontive bold Came coiling cold, came Prince Of Shame, Came Scribe of Blame, came despotic In vertiginous night, that twisting, Slithering lecherous WORM, in ingravescence Of malice Most inveterate firm, if in this Perséverant alone, Of whose wound from of old we are healed, Death’s Titled claim, Hell’s vaunted hold Repealed! Thence freed, Whence found need to rejoice, in bold deed Pay we heed to such VOICE As shall us Thus now marvelling teach: No dizzying steep, no heart-staggering deep! No, nor aught that can be told Of Uncontained In — fi — ni — ty! Shall in aught evade, shall amaze His Reach! Whose glance effectual From Eternity’s height, impartial, ‘gainst Nature constraining none, Pursues, unbaffled, His Victories won! Binds future, binds Past In one vast swirling Dance Of bliss sustained, secure displayed, held sure the yield Of Consortial Serenity In the blaze Of His Justice foreseen! High Lord Encompasser of all Time’s boundless Deep! In one swift sweep The Sounder bold Of Eternity’s Incircumscriptible Sea! * “Annealed” is used here exclusively in the sense “to set afire.”

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 12, 2022

FAITH+CULTURE

‘What’s in a name?’ Panelists at UST explore the state of proclaiming the faith at Catholic universities By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

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n 1885, Archbishop John Ireland founded what would become the University of St. Thomas, an archdiocesan university in St. Paul. Twenty years later, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, then led by Archbishop Ireland’s sister, Mother Seraphine Ireland, established what today is St. Catherine University, just a mile south of St. Thomas. The state of Catholic identity today, including the expression of Catholic values and Church teaching, on those campuses and at other Catholic universities around the United States was the subject of a recent panel discussion at UST. Three panelists and several in the audience of students, faculty and alumni said many institutions have failed to uphold their Catholic identity, while the fourth panelist, UST’s vice president for mission, suggested that action for the common good should precede attempts to share dogma. “Unless you have the encounter with the person, in the particular, in the person of Jesus, only then do any other doctrines and ideas and moral principles and so on start to fall into place,” said Jesuit Father Christopher Collins, as he countered others’ concerns that Catholic universities such as St. Thomas have lost their way. For nearly two hours at UST’s Owens Science Center April 26, the panelists and others expressed their views on “What’s in a Name? The Meaning of a Catholic University Today,” sponsored by UST alumni group the Roccasecca Project and the university’s Office for Mission and Department of Catholic Studies. The keynote speaker and a panelist, Congregation of Holy Cross Father Wilson Miscamble, a history professor at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, said Pope St. John Paul II set out a “magna carta” for Catholic universities in his 1990 apostolic constitution “Ex Corde Ecclesiae,” which described institutions of higher learning as emerging from the heart of the Church and remaining an integral part of it, supporting faith and reason together. “Given the perspective provided by the past three decades, an honest observer must conclude that ‘Ex Corde’ was not adopted as a guiding light by most Catholic universities,” Father Miscamble said. “Major Catholic institutions of higher education like Notre Dame declined it as their ‘magna carta.’” Too many Catholic universities have succumbed to academic fads and accommodated the secular views of expressive individualism, utilitarianism and “variations of ‘woke’ progressivism,” he said. Responding to Father Miscamble’s remarks were panelists Father Collins; Anne Maloney, a philosophy professor at St. Catherine University; and Michael Naughton, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at UST. Maloney said she has reached a similar conclusion as Father Miscamble. “Our colleges are indeed religious colleges now, but the religion isn’t Catholicism,” she said. “And the truth — which all of us in the trenches know — is it is a far more dogmatic religion than Catholicism has ever been.” “I think perhaps those of us who work and teach in our Catholic universities are somewhat like those poor Japanese fellows who stayed in the woods for many years, not knowing that World War II was over and they lost,” Maloney said. “I think this war might be over. And we lost.” Naughton said Catholic universities are in a crisis of identity that stems from breaking the relationship between faith and reason. When action overtakes contemplation, pragmatic, academic excellence might be attained but moral and spiritual integration can be lost, he said. Challenges to building a genuine Catholic university are formidable, Father Miscamble said, including the Church’s loss of credibility in the clergy sexual abuse scandal, the secularization of society, a growing

COURTESY AZURE G PHOTOGRAPHY

From left, panelists Holy Cross Father Wilson Miscamble, Jesuit Father Christopher Collins, Anne Maloney and Michael Naughton discuss the state of Catholicism on Catholic university campuses April 26 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. corporate mentality, challenging demographics and financial stresses. But signs of hope remain, he said, and UST’s Department of Catholic Studies is one of them. Founded in the early 1990s by the late Don Briel, the department offers degrees that integrate business, history, politics, literature, science and other disciplines with Church teaching. “Indeed, St. Thomas has been the locale for much good thinking about what true Catholic education should involve,” said Father Miscamble, whose books include “For Notre Dame: Battling for the Heart and Soul of a Catholic University,” published in 2013. “And you have the wonderful base of Catholic Studies and various other notable programs to build upon.”

Reclaiming Catholic identity Those building blocks are what the Roccasecca Project, named after the hometown of St. Thomas Aquinas, hope to capitalize on as the group of about 60 alumni and UST supporters encourages the university to “fully reclaim its Catholic identity,” said Bill LeMire, 57, an alumnus and president of the group who emceed the evening. The alumni group, which registered as a Catholic nonprofit two months ago, was founded about four years ago, LeMire said, by Father Spencer Howe, pastor of Holy Cross in Minneapolis. LeMire and others are seeking to reinvigorate the group’s work through receptions, speakers, debates, fraternal gatherings, prayer and the sacraments. Questions from the audience indicated some faculty members and students believe UST has work to do in teaching and proclaiming Catholicism. One student asked, “What can we do to make a Catholic university where Catholics can actually grow in their faith?” Father Collins quickly responded: “Bring all your friends to Mass, stack the retreats, join the choir.” All of the structures are there, he said. Credible witnesses are needed who will invite others, he said. An audience member said UST at times has given rise to scandal in its failure to properly teach and live the faith. A student asked what students can do to take action when such scandals occur. Father Miscamble suggested that sound arguments put forth respectfully can carry the day. “Too many students, I think, who are serious Catholics” are programmed not to fight for their rights, he said. Students should let administrators know that “you came to St. Thomas because you thought it was a Catholic university. And you want St. Thomas to deliver on what it promises,” Father Miscamble said. St. Catherine’s Maloney said faculty and staff should make clear where students who “want to engage with the mission of a Catholic university” can go to receive sustenance, care and concern.

UNIVERSITIES AND THE LOCAL BISHOP The relationship between U.S. bishops and Catholic universities was briefly discussed at the April 26 forum at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, “What’s in a Name? The Meaning of a Catholic University Today,” attended by Archbishop Bernard Hebda. Under canon law, bishops have the right and duty to ensure universities in their jurisdiction adhere to Catholic doctrine. Opportunities for encounter and accompaniment might include having a local bishop speak on campus about various matters, said Father Wilson Miscamble, a history professor at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. In response to a question from an attendee about the relationship between bishops and universities, Archbishop Hebda said, from his seat in the audience, that prior to March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic grew in Minnesota, he met about four times a year with the president of UST. The discussions were frank, and if there was a particularly difficult topic, members of the university’s board would join the meeting, he said. UST’s theology faculty invites him once a year to hear about their research and discuss topics of interest, the archbishop said. The presidents of UST and St. Catherine University in St. Paul currently are considering topics where faith can be brought to bear, the archbishop said. “It’s an ongoing process that takes time, for sure,” the archbishop said. “You are very correct, Father (Miscamble) in saying that this is an important moment where we have some opportunities for growth there, as well. I don’t know any bishop who doesn’t think that this is one of the most critical ministries that takes place in his Church, because it’s so significant on the life of the students, but also more broadly on the local Church. I’m really grateful that you had this discussion this evening, and for the thought-provoking reflection.” — Joe Ruff

“I have tenure, and I will fight those battles for you,” she said. One audience member asked how people can express their views about leadership at UST in its search for a new president as Julie Sullivan, who became the university’s first layperson and first woman president in 2013, leaves July 1 to become president of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. Father Collins said there will be “countless, perhaps” open forums and listening groups for faculty, students and staff to weigh in on the search. Watch the full event on St. Thomas’ YouTube channel at tinyurl.com/5n7y2vk4.

FAITH+CULTURE

MAY 12, 2022

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

Strengthening community in Union Hill: Prayer, volunteer and financial commitments By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit

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itting on high ground at the crossroads of Minnesota State Highway 19 and Le Sueur County Road 31 in rural Union Hill is the historic St. John the Evangelist Church. “The church has been the center of faith and social activity from its beginning,” said Fran Barten, a 53-year parishioner who lives on a small farm just east of the church. “The interior space is calming, peaceful and quiet, with statues of saints, large Stations of the Cross and traditional angel statues at the holy water fonts.” Now, parishioners and others who have loved the small brick church are rallying to keep it that center of faith. The church community dates back to its establishment in 1865 by German and Irish immigrants. The cornerstone for the landmark church with its distinctive steeple was laid in 1883, 25 years after Minnesota became a state in 1858. “This is a church that was built up in the earliest days in the founding of Minnesota,” said Father Eugene Theisen, pastor of St. Wenceslaus parish, consisting of St. Wenceslaus in New Prague, St. John the Evangelist in Union Hill and St. Scholastica in Heidelberg, also known as the New Prague Area Catholic Community. “St. John is a piece of history that is a visible reminder of the holy in the midst of a world that has lost much of its religious roots,” Father Theisen said. Today, approximately 200 families call St. John the Evangelist their home. The parish merged in 2011 with St. Wenceslaus. The church is approximately five miles west of New Prague. “St. John is an active and vibrant church community; our parishioners are highly motivated in their faith and

COURTESY PAMELA SHERLOCK, ST. WENCESLAUS

The steeple needing repair at St. John the Evangelist in Union Hill, taken with a drone April 26. in sustaining their beautiful church and the body of Christ within,” said Father Theisen. Sustaining the brick church has required the St. John community to unite through the power of prayer, volunteer and financial commitments. On Aug. 8, 2018, a meeting was held to discuss the future of St. John and St. Scholastica. Talk of possible closing and demolition brought the community together, first in prayer. Brittany Huebl, 30, a 15-year parishioner of St. John who lives in rural Jordan, attended that first meeting. She organized two 54day rosary novenas to pray for the project last fall. Meanwhile, a three-year capital campaign for church

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improvements kicked off in July 2020, with a goal of $260,000. The campaign raised $280,000. About 98% of St. John’s registered members contributed, Father Theisen said. “God always had bigger plans for St. John,” he said. “The fact that the church is still standing, undergoing repairs and growing as a community of faith — like gold tested in fire, the good people of St. John saw the fidelity of God make certain their faith was rewarded.” Renovations at St. John to date include basement asbestos abatement, a new roof, building tuckpointing and repair of water-damaged plaster in the church. A handicap entrance and bathroom are under construction, and new steps and portions of sidewalk plus gutter and flashing repairs are scheduled for this summer. As the repair work began, it was discovered that the steeple — the beloved symbol of St. John — needed more work than estimated. The community again stepped up, with all profits from a March 20 “Save the Steeple” breakfast going toward steeple repairs. “The fundraiser quickly took on a life of its own, with advertising on local radio and social media, fliers sent to 10 neighboring parishes and a newsletter mailed to 600 people with a St. John connection, most from out of the community (and) state,” said Barten, who served as the event’s chairwoman. The event drew together 500 people and raised $20,000 — twice its goal. Father Theisen is grateful for the community support to repair St. John after years of deferred maintenance. Steeple restorations will include new steel supports, tuckpointing and repairs to its roof, which has open holes. “Most important of all, we have a strong faith life and many, many people who have offered prayers, novenas and sacrifices before the throne of God,” he said. “They are the true heroes in this saga.”

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FAITH+CULTURE

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 12, 2022

A spoonful of honey: Beekeeper leads with kindness A When my grandparents came to

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

this country — Johann and Magdalena Dick — if they had left a biography, that would’ve been so much fun for me to read, to see where they were coming from and what they were thinking. So, I wanted to do that for posterity. I love the stories my dad and my mom told, and some of (mom’s) favorite expressions — I wanted to make sure those lived on. Maybe some great-great-grandchild will pick up my book and get to know me a little better.

Life would’ve looked very different if Roy Dick had stayed in seminary and pursued priesthood. Instead, he got married and had four kids, served as a Catholic school principal and a director of religious education, tutored and coached, supported pro-life causes and focused on his seven grandchildren. “I never looked back,” said Dick, now 79, a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. “I went full speed ahead.”

Q What drew you to priesthood? A My parents were good friends with

our pastor, so after confession on Saturday night, Mom and Dad and all of us kids would go over to the rectory and they would play cards with the pastor and his housekeeper. We would fall asleep on the carpet, and when they were done playing cards, they’d wake us up and take us home. The priest was our hero. We admired him to no end, so my twin brother, Ray, and I decided real early on that we were going to be priests. We entered minor seminary, then had a year of novitiate and four years of philosophy. The education we received was unbelievable. It has stayed with me.

Q But priesthood wasn’t for you —

specifically, the vow of celibacy. You left seminary after years at major seminary, The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.

A I felt I had a vocation to priesthood. I

did not feel I had a vocation to celibacy. I had to be honest with myself and my bishop. I didn’t feel like I was letting anyone down, and when I informed my family and my friends, I found support all the way around. I never really thought about what it would have been like to be a priest. Once Sally and I got married and had kids, we were pretty occupied raising our family. I devoted my life to being a Catholic school principal and a director of religious education, so I ended up serving the Church and my family anyway.

Q You’re still pretty occupied. All four of your kids live nearby and your grandkids are now making memories in your home, where their parents grew up. It’s a sacred space.

A On Saturday night, we had a

sleepover with Andy’s kids. Sunday night was a sleepover with Sarah’s kids.

Q What do you know for sure? A I know that I don’t know what’s going DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

It’s amazing what comes out of their mouths and out of their hearts. It’s just beautiful. I give them a blessing before bed, just as I always gave our children when they were little: “May God bless you and keep you happy and safe for a long, long life.”

going to find it. But what does that solve? I have my faults, and if Sally wanted to focus on those, she could find all kinds of them. But she doesn’t.

Q You’re quick to laugh. That’s a virtue!

Q What was the key to your success as A I like looking at the brighter side of a principal? things. Life is short — let’s find the fun A I was able to find and hire some in it all. If you’re looking for darkness, wonderful teachers, and of course it’s the teachers that make a difference in a school. Every morning I would go to each classroom and greet the teacher and ask if they needed anything or wanted anything and wish them a good day. When I did the annual teacher reviews, I tried to find the things each teacher did well and encourage them to do more of that rather than pointing out the things they weren’t doing well. If I focus on a person’s weaknesses, I was afraid they’d get discouraged or despondent, which would make matters worse. If it’s a weakness already, you’re not going to make it into a strength. So, I thought: Let’s focus on their strengths. The same was true for parenting and coaching and tutoring.

Q What’s the secret to a happy marriage?

A Kindness and loving communication. When you’re looking for a marriage partner, look for somebody who’s kind. Physical attraction is wonderful, but that’s not going to make a good marriage. What’s going to make a good marriage is people who are kind to each other. If you’re looking for trouble, you’re

Congratulations Kyle Etzel!

We rejoice with you in your ordination to the Transitional Diaconate and we wish you many blessings as you continue your journey with our Lord.

you can find darkness. If you’re looking for light, you can find light.

Q What do you love about being Catholic?

A I love that we have a pope —

leadership from the very top trying to keep us together. I like that the homilies and readings are focused on adults. I mourn for the sins we’ve committed in our Church — the Crusades, the selling of indulgences, the tolerance of sexual abuse — but we still can and we do rise above that. We go back to what Jesus taught, and then we’re OK again.

Q What does it take to be a lifelong learner?

A A little humility. Ray and I were

co-valedictorians of our high school. I thought I knew everything. But now, Sally and I like to do the crossword every day, and almost every day there’s a word in there that I’ve never heard of before. It took me a while before I realized that I don’t know everything.

Q You wrote a comprehensive

biography of your dad and your mom, who have passed away — and then your autobiography. That’s a feat!

on in people’s lives. Some people are in a terrible marriage, they’re in a terrible job, and I just don’t know. I know I have to be slow to judge.

Q You’ve been a beekeeper for 35 years. What got you started?

A I needed a hobby, and it was very

inexpensive at that time. You could buy a three-pound package of bees for $20. Now they’re $150.

Q What have you learned from bees? A They have a leader. It’s like in our

Church, we have a pope. They have a queen, and everything revolves around the queen. They’re willing to sacrifice themselves to protect her. They all work together for a common goal, which is what we should be doing in our Church.

Q How much honey do your bees produce?

A Last year we had two hives, and I would guess we got 150 pounds of honey. There’s a pound in each jar. This year we have 12 hives. We just installed them — four in my backyard and eight at a hobby farm.

Q A jar of honey has become your trademark gift.

A It’s a gift that keeps giving. Some

people tell me they put a tablespoon in their oatmeal every morning. It’s not something you use once and it’s over. It represents kindness and thoughtfulness.

Q There’s that St. Francis de Sales

quote that says you can attract more flies with a spoonful of honey than a whole jar of vinegar.

A That’s exactly what I was trying to say before but didn’t say very eloquently. If you focus on the good things, rather than the negative things, people will rally around and do good.

MAY 12, 2022

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER ARIC AAMODT

United by love in the heavenly city

At the end of the Book of Revelation, when St. John describes the vision of heaven he received, he describes heaven as “the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Imagine that — heaven is a city! Really, imagine the heavenly city. How many people are there? Remember, it’s a city, there are many people in a city. What do the faces of the people look like? How do they interact with one another? Keep in mind that St. John says that in this city “there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” So, the people won’t be doing anything that would cause these things. Take a few minutes to imagine this. I bet it’s hard to imagine such a vision. Maybe St. John is lucky that he had it given to him. I think it’s hard to really imagine all of this because we still live in this city (or these Twin Cities) on earth, where there still is mourning and pain, and we do things to one another to cause harm. Yet Jesus makes all things new, and as followers of Christ we trust that he will renew our lives on earth even as he leads us toward heaven. The Second Vatican Council teaches us, “We do not know the time for the consummation of the earth and of humanity, nor do we know how all things will be

transformed. As deformed by sin, the shape of this world will pass away; but we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth where justice will abide, and whose blessedness will answer and surpass all the longings for peace which spring up in the human heart” (“Gaudium et Spes,” 39). In this hope, we seek to follow Jesus’ command to love one another as he has loved us. The Second Vatican Council reminds us that Jesus “taught us that the new command of love was the basic law of human perfection and hence of the world’s transformation” (GS 38). Jesus makes all things new through his love poured out on the cross, laying down his life so that all may have new life. This is the love that Jesus commands us to have for one another: to lay down our lives for one another so that we may have new life. Put another way, Jesus commands us to seek the good of another for the other’s sake and not our own. To love this way is hard. Yet love is what our hearts are made to do. But we need to receive this love in order to give this love. Once more, the Second Vatican Council points us to where we can receive this love: Jesus’ body and blood, the holy Eucharist, where Jesus provides “a meal of brotherly solidarity and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet” (GS 38). In the heavenly city, “God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.” The holy Eucharist is the foretaste of that city, and our strength here on earth to live in the love of Jesus that unites all, together, in that city. As we traditionally sing on Holy Thursday, “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est:” “Where charity and love are, there God is.” Father Aamodt is associate pastor of St. Hubert in Chanhassen. He can be reached at aric.aamodt@sthubert.org.

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

Joseph and Mary: Blessed with child Editor’s note: This is No. 12 in a series of columns on the sacrament of marriage. It reflects on the response of Mary and Joseph to God’s will as a married couple and as parents. An April 7 column explored their prompt and complete obedience to the Lord when engaged and then married. Mary and Joseph are considered the model for Christian couples living the sacrament of marriage. Thus, couples can look to the holy couple’s love for one another and their child, Jesus, as an inspiration for their own lives. Mutual love. Mary and Joseph shared a beautiful, mutual love. They were not married singles, individuals who happened to be living under the same roof, selfishly pursuing their own interests, with personal gain and fulfillment as their main objectives. Rather, Mary gave her life as a total gift to Joseph, and Joseph, in turn, gave his life as a total gift to Mary. They shared their lives completely. They communicated with each other; shared their dreams and disappointments, joys and worries; ate meals together; willingly performed household tasks together; prayed together and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. A home filled with love. Love is a virtue (1 Cor 13:13). It was the bond between Mary and Joseph, and it permeated their home. They were consistently kind and patient with each other. They were humble and modest; polite and respectful; supportive,

COURTESY FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

A stained glass window depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus at St. Stephen in Anoka. positive and encouraging; appreciative and complimentary; calm, composed and self-controlled; able to see things from their spouse’s point of view; willing to give the benefit of the doubt; compassionate, forgiving and reconciling; open, truthful and honest; gentle and tender; generous and grateful; joyful, peaceful and faithful. By practicing the virtues together, Mary and Joseph made God the center of their marriage. With wisdom, they knew that one spouse goes through the other to God. Mary conceived (Lk 1:31, 35). God blessed Mary and Joseph with a miraculous conception. Even though the circumstances at the beginning of their marriage were awkward, and the child in the womb might have been considered a hardship or an inconvenience, Mary and Joseph embraced the new life, safeguarded it, remained unwavering in their love for each other, brought the child to full term, and were overjoyed at his birth. A Christian couple eagerly anticipates the prospect of having children, and if God blesses them with a pregnancy, even if not under ideal circumstances, the couple welcomes the new life, protects it from harm, and does everything possible to insure the child’s birth. Mary gave birth to her firstborn son (Lk 2:7). When Jesus was born, Mary instantly shifted into service mode when she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in

a manger. Married love is generous. Mary and Joseph’s marriage did not revolve around themselves, their pursuits, careers, hobbies and standard of living. They knew that a child would require time, attention and sacrifice, and they gladly dedicated themselves to the care of the child that God had entrusted to them. Traveling partners. Mary and Joseph made one journey after another together. During their early years they traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Bethlehem to Jerusalem, Israel to Egypt, Egypt to Judea, and Judea back to Nazareth. After they settled in Nazareth, they made an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. In addition to the long journeys, they made many short trips: to the synagogue, the market and friends’ homes. The journey may have been to obey a government order, fulfill a spiritual duty, or for safety and security. Some were made at an easy pace, others made hastily and under great duress. No matter the situation, Mary and Joseph were inseparable, step by step, helping each other along the way, sharing each other’s burdens. Their marriage journey continued for many years and they were ever-faithful. Synagogue and Temple. It was Mary and Joseph’s custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day (implied in Lk 4:16), and each year they went to the Temple in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover (Lk 2:41). They were a church-going couple and worship was the centerpiece of their week. They attended Sabbath after Sabbath and faithfully obeyed God’s commandment (Ex 20:8-11; Dt 5:12-15). In the same way, a Christian marriage is in a spiritual partnership, and in addition to a wife and husband’s daily prayers together at home, they go to church every weekend, and their week revolves around the celebration of the Mass. It is their shared opportunity to give God praise and thanks for their blessings, to be nourished by Word and sacrament, and to give and receive support from the other members of the community. Father Van Sloun is the interim director of clergy services in the archdiocese. He can be reached at vanslounm@archspm.org.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, May 15 Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 14:21-27 Rev 21:1-5a Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35 Monday, May 16 Acts 14:5-18 Jn 14:21-26 Tuesday, May 17 Acts 14:19-28 Jn 14:27-31a Wednesday, May 18 Acts 15:1-6 Jn 15:1-8 Thursday, May 19 Acts 15:7-21 Jn 15:9-11 Friday, May 20 Acts 15:22-31 Jn 15:12-17 Saturday, May 21 Acts 16:1-10 Jn 15:18-21 Sunday, May 22 Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 Rev 21:10-14, 22-23 Jn 14:23-29 Monday, May 23 Acts 16:11-15 Jn 15:26–16:4a Tuesday, May 24 Acts 16:22-34 Jn 16:5-11 Wednesday, May 25 Acts 17:15, 22–18:1 Jn 16:12-15 Thursday, May 26 St. Philip Neri, priest Acts 18:1-8 Jn 16:16-20 Friday, May 27 Acts 18:9-18 Jn 16:20-23 Saturday, May 28 Acts 18:23-28 Jn 16:23b-28 Sunday, May 29 Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Eph 1:17-23 or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23 Lk 24:46-53

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 12, 2022

COMMENTARY TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

Digital detox: how to slow the pace It was time. Time to get away, to unplug, to finally write that novel. Time to prove he could resist the barrage of texts and tweets, news and notifications in order to focus his attention on a worthy endeavor. So the journalist Johann Hari booked a little room by the beach in Provincetown, on the tip of Cape Cod, and made plans to go offline for three months. He left his electronic devices at a friend’s, printed a map of his destination and boarded a ferry. He felt a twinge of panic, but it vanished when he arrived and gazed into the ocean. “I felt then a sudden certainty — you only get these feelings a few times in a lifetime — that I had done absolutely the right thing,” Johann wrote. He strolled along the beach and through the streets, wandering into a pub where a group was gathered around a piano singing showtunes. They ended, fittingly, with the “Aladdin” song “A Whole New World.” It took a couple weeks to re-orient, for his mind to stop composing witty tweets and imagining their warm reception. Johann felt his “receptors” slowly open. Then the words poured out of him. In three months, he wrote 92,000 words of his novel. He also finished “War and Peace,” which he read for hours-long stretches. “It came back!” he realized. “My brain came back!” Johann’s digital detox compelled him to dive into neuroscience, interviewing experts on attention and flow.

SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY

Making the right and good decision It may seem that making the right and good decision in every situation we face is a difficult thing to do. But I am here to say, “It’s really not that hard.” Making good, right, ethical decisions comes down to the habits we form each day, which eventually form us to become the people we are. You see, for Christians, our faith tradition provides the opportunity, according to St. Teresa of Avila, to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. We can only do that on a consistent basis if we have formed the habit of understanding Jesus’ perspective on the world and interacting with others from a place of love. According to Aristotle, whom St. Thomas Aquinas studied intensely, we are to understand and advocate for the Golden Mean, or moderation between opposites. Rather than be influenced by one extreme opinion or another, Aristotle encouraged people of his day, and us today, to move toward the middle, or the mean, because it is golden. Additionally, Immanuel Kant, the 18th century German philosopher, encouraged people of his day, and us as well, to follow the categorical imperative, or to do the right and good thing in every situation we encounter. We are encouraged to think about the decisions we make and determine if they are virtuous and ethical. This may sound like an impossible concept in this post-Christian era, in which social media does so much of our thinking for us, which does not form us to become the hands and feet of Christ in our broken world. In his 2020 book “Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel,” which I mentioned in a previous column for The Catholic Spirit (“Freedom amid chaos,” Feb. 10), Father John Ricardo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, states, “One doesn’t become a

He learned about the value of meandering, of play and of natural sleep rhythms. He compiled his findings into a new book called “Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again.” It is a cultural indictment and a call to action. And for Catholics who believe in the interconnection of body, mind and soul, the book is a spiritual summons. When I think about these three dimensions of self, one appears sorely neglected. Discussion of physical health and spiritual wellbeing — both mightily important — far outweighs the question of our mental health. Do we guard our minds? Do we understand the way screens are thwarting our ability to think, to contribute, to function? We touch our phones on average 2,617 times a day — reaching around little ones on our lap, ignoring the people across from us at the dining room table to scroll pictures of other people’s kids and dinner plates. What does this mean for Catholics? If we believe our mind is a gift from God, we honor him by guarding it. The Catholic Church should take the lead. Our teachers, our guidance counselors, our youth ministers and our priests must shine a light on mental health. They should provide guidelines for healthier habits and then make real changes: assigning less homework, rescheduling school days to allow for more unstructured outdoor play, restructuring programs to allow for earlier bedtimes, reminding teens how to interact face-to-face, urging us all to turn off our phones. We must make a leap, adjusting our screentime and the structure of our days to establish more natural rhythms. Workplaces that make fundamental shifts, such as implementing a four-day work week, reap huge benefits. Their employees are more rested, more connected to their families and more productive. I don’t have all the answers. But I know there is a better way. I bet you do, too. We can start by asking the right questions, swapping strategies and holding each other accountable. The stakes are high. Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.

ACTION CHALLENGE u Think of simple ways you can live your faith this month. Leave earlier for work so you can drive the speed limit. Give yourself enough time at the grocery store so you can be polite to everyone you meet. u Talk at dinner time about important ideas, such as how we can live the Ten Commandments at school, at work, on sports teams, or in any other situation we find ourselves interacting with others.

Christian by the use of reason alone. As important as the intellect is, we don’t ‘think our way’ into faith because Christianity isn’t primarily a matter of intellectual debate. The early Church grew, and the Church continues to grow, when people are impacted by the witness of genuinely Christian lives: lives that are radically different, lives that lead to profound changes in the culture.” There is something we can do about this culture: We can embrace our faith and live our Christianity in all the simple, ordinary situations we face each day. We can move away from extremism and move toward the middle, listening to the opinions of others with whom we differ. Jesus did this every day of his ministry. He did not push away from those who hated him, but went toward them and engaged them in dialogue. We must also choose to do the right and good thing in every situation we face, which we know from the cross, is exactly what Jesus did. Father Ricardo explains that from the Acts of the Apostles, the world at that time believed Christians turned the world upside down. The early Church grew, he argued, because it engaged and radically transformed the culture. That is what is needed today in our troubled, broken world. The question before each of us is: Are we willing to enter into a dialogue with others about our Christian faith, and are we willing to do the right and good thing in every situation? Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose of Woodbury.

LETTERS Vilifying Church’s role The rambling, disjointed article titled “The Indian boarding school legacy” (April 28) is a sad attempt to somehow vilify the Catholic Church for the sins of the federal government. As the article eventually admits, it was the federal government that ordered children be taken from families. Thank goodness for the Catholic Church that with their limited resources did everything they could for these children. Why not an article praising the Church for trying to help children taken from their families by the government? Some reporters seem to be obsessed with gaining street cred with their peers by attacking the institution of the Church. The leftists controlling the narrative seem to always want to virtue signal by making sure they throw some blame towards the Church. Jim Koepke Nativity of Mary, Bloomington

Call for commission Brokenhearted thanks to Maria Wiering and The Catholic Spirit for “The Indian boarding school legacy” (April 28). The oppressive racialized decisions of white government officials, supported by Church leaders across the United States and Canada, is a story which must be known in its full extent. The article makes clear that much of the history of Indian boarding schools is unknown and is tucked into the records of churches, religious organizations and religious orders to be forgotten. But the sundering of family ties of countless families and concerted efforts over more than a century to erase the culture and languages of American Indian peoples must not be forgotten. A national commission of investigation and reparations to American Indians must be established by an act of the Congress of the United States, similar to what has been proposed by Rep. John Conyers for the harm of the injustices done to Black Americans. This American Indian history must be known and acknowledged. And some way to repair and restore the incalculable harm must be devised in our time when it has become known. This is a matter of restoring our own humanity and Christianity after knowing the history. For this history as much as for the history of Black slavery, discrimination and crushing of human dignity, our integrity demands that we repent and set about restoration. Richard Podvin St. Odilia, Shoreview

History needs to be known Thanks very much for the great journalist work you did for the articles in the April 28 edition about the history of Indian boarding schools! I appreciate all the research you did with Allison Spies, archives program manager for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as with other involved and knowledgeable people. Church history, like national and state history, has plenty of dark sides that need to be known and addressed. Thanks for leading The Catholic Spirit to be an excellent, award-winning publication! And thanks to all who contribute to that excellence! Allan Kean St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul Park Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@archspm.org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

eal challenges. Catholics are called to respond.

OTECT LIFE & Summertime MA N DIGNITY asceticism MAY 12, 2022

COMMENTARY

ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

green leaves. The tree will become less of a window, and more of, well, a tree. I’m excited for this view itself. Already, a variety of birds have been active in the oak tree’s branches, the newness of their seasonal songs a refreshing reminder that we’re not alone in creation, in a way that the monotony of human activity can sometimes fail to be. I’m also looking forward to the aesthetic experience of being nestled “in the treetops”; the tree presses hops, dynamic Church and Catholics Fromleaders, the third-floor attic1,000+ of the up against thefrom house, its nearest branch is no more house in which I live, on the campus than a few feet away. It won’t quite be the feeling r a day of inspiration and advocacy at our State Capitol. of Holy Cross church in Northeast one gets when walking under the veritable canopies Minneapolis, I have a perfect view of hanging over Minnehaha Parkway or the streets of the ts 22-and-under FREE! the statue Learn the issues, hear dynamic of the Blessed Mother in neighborhoods around the campus of St. Thomas in the speakers, and meet your legislators. the courtyard down below and — if height of summer, but it will beat the feeling of being nch included with I crane my neck — of the stone cross exposed, in danger of falling into the open sky, that the  the See the newly Capitol! atop church’s facade.renovated State relatively treeless Northeast produces, especially in the Or at least I have this winter. winter months. During these cold and barren months, I’ve been able But with all this fullness comes a peculiar lack, to look through the branches of the tree plopped right namely, an inability to see beyond the tree to those outside my window to see these religious reminders spiritual icons that lie on the other side. Ironically, beyond. Gazing at them during one of my work it was a lacking in the tree, the natural asceticism or study breaks spent looking out the window has of its wintertime leaflessness, that provided such an prompted many a gratitude-producing reflection on opportunity before. God’s sacrificial love, or a plea to the Virgin Mary to I hope it’s not too forced, but it seems to me that ARCHBISHO P BERNAoccupies RD HEBDAmyBmind ISHOP ANDRthere’s EW COZ ZENS GLOhelp RIA Pme URIout VS with whatever struggle something in this experience that can be Black Catholics United for Life at that moment. broadened out to the spiritual life more generally as we Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis But it’s dawning on me, as the drab and dreariness move from the most naturally ascetical seasons of the of the past few months is replaced by the verdancy liturgical year, Advent and Lent, and into Easter and the and vitality of late spring, that my view will soon be long-haul of summery ordinary time. obscured. The buds emerging from the branches of my Our lives during these next few months will be full. backyard tree (oak, I think) will soon unfold into lush The relative stillness and even contemplativeness

s is our moment. Let’s go!

necessitated by not only our penitential liturgical seasons but also our cold, dark winters will be replaced by long bright days, filled with vacations, bike rides, boat rides, patio-side dinners and drinks, movies in the park, county fairs, the State Fair, camps, leagues, lake days, lazy days, and all the flurry of activity that defines our short, but sweet Minnesota summer. Of course, engagement in life and reveling in the natural glory of summer in the Land of 10,000 Lakes provide their own opportunities for connecting with God, and for being grateful for all that he’s given. But the challenge is to somehow avoid allowing this fullness of earthly life to over-occupy us, obscuring our vision of those spiritual realities that lie beyond and ultimately make a Minnesota summer worth anything in the end. What to do? Returning to the view outside my window, it’s important for me to remember that the statue of the Blessed Mother in the Holy Cross courtyard below won’t cease to exist once the oak tree gains all its leaves and blocks my line of sight. If I want to make a visit to Mary, it won’t be as easy as it was when I could simply see her through the leafless branches, but I can still go downstairs and walk outside. It will just take a little more effort, and a little more intentionality, than it did in the wintertime. So too, perhaps, with our spiritual lives, as we move from the austerity of winter to the fullness of the summer season. Liedl, a Twin Cities resident, is the senior editor of the National Catholic Register and a graduate student in theology at The St. Paul Seminary and School of Divinity.

INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC

Protecting children from Big Tech and child predators

In light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision expected this spring on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, The Catholic Spirit recently asked readers, “What does it mean to you to truly ‘create a culture of life’?” One reader shared the following:

nd register at CatholicsAtTheCapitol.org

STS:

Social media use has increased tremendously over the last decade, especially among younger users. Much chatter has erupted around the country over the damaging content social media algorithms feed to children, and how said algorithms ought to be controlled. To address this, the Minnesota Catholic Conference testified in support of a bill authored by Rep. Kristin Robbins and Sen. Roger Chamberlain (HF 3724 / SF 3933) that would prohibit the use of social media algorithms on children under 18. Studies show that 89% of teens are online either “almost constantly” or “several times per day.” Numerous examples of social harm from such high rates of social media and internet use have emerged, including a growing link between TikTok content and an increase in eating disorders among teen girls. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media. They will want to form enlightened and correct consciences more easily to resist unwholesome influences” (CCC No. 2496). Since children’s brains are still developing, adults should take responsibility by monitoring their media time and limiting Big Tech’s control over their minds. uIncreasing penalties for predators Another troubling issue facing Minnesota is the prevalence of child predators who evade reasonable sentences for their crimes. Producing, viewing or disseminating child pornography in any format is abhorrent behavior that should never be tolerated. Additional steps need to be taken to discourage this behavior so children are better protected and predators

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ACTION ALERT

Predatory online sports gambling has made its way through the House and will be up for a vote on the House floor soon. Please urge your legislator to vote against this bill and resist the push by gambling companies to bring anytime, anywhere sports gambling to Minnesota. Take action now: mncatholic.org/action_15311 are held accountable for their exploitation. The MCC has expressed support for two bills authored by Rep. Matt Grossell, HF 3881 and HF 3925. The first would strengthen the penalty for offenders by modestly increasing mandatory minimums for those involved in possession, distribution and production of child imagery. The second would require that those who receive a stay of adjudication for certain crimes be registered as a sex offender. The Catholic Church takes a strong stance against pornography: “(Pornography) does grave injury to the dignity of its participants. ... It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials” (CCC No. 2354). The Church calls on civil authorities to take a stronger stance as well. The MCC recognizes that work has been done in this area at the Legislature over the years, but unfortunately, child imagery possession and dissemination is still too prevalent in our culture. It is important to work to protect vulnerable children and more reasonably tailor the prison sentence for these offenders to their respective crime. “Inside the Capitol” is an update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff during the legislative session.

To create a culture of life would not be just a dream if many more people would realize God wants us to live. God creates each of us to use the gifts he has given us to make decisions about taking care of ourselves and others, rather than expecting God to accept what we want to do. Stop using the word “UNBORN.” It blends too much with the words: unwanted, unreal, unseen, unknown, unworthy, unloved, unintentional and more. Creating a culture of life would use only the words: wanted, real, seen (ultra-sound), known, worthy to be loved and then, intentionally BORN! Kathleen Esh St. Gabriel the Archangel, Hopkins

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18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 12, 2022

Why I am Catholic Catholic

W

By Angie Hill

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

hy am I Catholic? If I had been asked that

eyes was a thing of beauty. I felt sad and a bit embarrassed.

question 10 or 15 years ago, the answer simply

She knew more about the Catholic Church than I did.

would have been because that is how I was raised.

The sacraments, Catholic education, Sunday

So, the next day began my journey of rediscovery. I had been Catholic, sure, but mostly in private, and mostly just on

Mass — it had all been a part of my upbringing. But as an

Sunday mornings. I could not confidently articulate what I

adult, I was doing nothing to deepen my faith. I liked being

believed or why. So, I read, watched and listened to all things

Catholic, I was raising my children Catholic, but I did not

Catholic to expand my knowledge. I took the initiative to

have a complete understanding of the beautiful gift I had

ask questions, to listen to and follow the example of others

been born into. I was neglecting parts of my Catholicism. It

who knew Jesus. I rediscovered the faith that had been so

wasn’t until I met a convert to the faith that my eyes were

graciously passed on to me as a child. I realized which parts I

opened to the marvelous treasures of the Catholic Church.

had been neglecting, and I gave God my total “yes.” My life

In the fall of 2012, I joined two different book clubs. Both

became so much better. I am now Catholic 24 hours a day,

were all women, but one focused on Christianity, meeting

seven days a week. Every day, through prayer, I try to draw

on Monday nights; the other focused on fiction and met

closer to God, his son Jesus and to Mary, our Blessed Mother.

on Thursday nights. I firmly believe that God speaks to us

The Holy Spirit has increased my understanding of the

through others and through our daily activities. Well, I love

Mass. I receive Jesus’ body into my body every week at holy

to read, so not surprisingly, the Holy Spirit set my heart on

Communion. I share with others how God works in my life.

fire for him through these two groups. One night, a question bubbled up in the Monday group about “being saved.” I was the only Catholic in the group and could not confidently answer the question. Feeling inadequate and wanting to be able to explain the Catholic teaching, I brought the question to the Thursday night group, where there were many Catholics. One of the women was an adult convert to Catholicism. We had a wonderful discussion on whether or not we are “saved.” Then, she shared her faith story with me and proclaimed she was “in love” with the Catholic Church. That expression sounded very strange to me. But “seeing” Catholicism through her

I am “in love” with being Catholic! And that doesn’t sound strange to me at all. Hill, 51, is a member with her husband, Paul, of St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake. They have three children. She has run her own Christian child care business for 20 years. She is an extraordinary minister of holy Communion and member of her parish’s mission committee and leadership council. “Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Why I am Catholic” in the subject line.

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MAY 12, 2022

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR PARISH EVENTS Treasure Hunt aka Rummage Sale — May 13-14 at Sacred Heart, 4087 W. Broadway (door No. 8), Robbinsdale. May 13: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; May 14: 9 a.m.– noon. Clothing, household items, toys, seasonal items, collectibles and more. Proceeds go to parish, school and charitable organizations. Sponsored by the Sacred Heart Council of Catholic Women. shrmn.org Transfiguration Garage Sale — May 13-14 at Transfiguration, 6133 15th St. N., Oakdale. May 13: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; May 14: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Furniture, children’s clothes, shoes, coats, household items, books, games, toys. Sponsored by Transfiguration’s Council of Catholic Women. transfigurationmn.org Children’s Clothing and Toy Sale — May 14-15 at St. Joseph the Worker, 7180 Hemlock Lane N., Maple Grove. May 14: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; May 15: 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Clothing for newborns to size 16, toys, shoes, baby items, high chairs, strollers, books and more. Look for the green signs in the area. 50% off on Sunday. sjtw.net/childrens-clothing-and-toy-sale Adoration Chapel Open House — May 14-15 at St. Rose of Lima, 2048 Hamline Ave., Roseville. Refreshments and tour. After Masses May 14, 5:30–6:30 p.m. and May 15, 10–11:30 a.m. saintroseoflima.net/adoration 40th Annual St. Bonaventure Garage Sale — May 18-21 at St. Bonaventure, E. 90th St., Bloomington. May 18, preview sale ($1 admission): 5:30–7:30 p.m.; May 19: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; May 20, halfprice day: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; May 21, Bag Day ($5): 9–11 a.m. Proceeds support social justice activities for the broader community. saintbonaventure.org/garage-sale.html Feast of St. Philip Neri — May 26 at St. Mary, 261 E. Eighth St., St. Paul. Evening of worship, fellowship and reflection in honor of St. Philip Neri. 4 p.m. Holy Hour, 5:30 p.m. Solemn Mass, 6:30 p.m. reception and dinner, 8:45 p.m. Compline. Speakers: Father Bryce Evans on “St. Philip Neri and The Evangelization of Culture” and Father Byron Hagan on “St. John Henry Newman: The Church in a Secular Age.” stmarystpaul.org/nerifeast

Summer VBS: Living Water! — July 25-28: 9 a.m.–noon at St. William, 6120 Fifth St. NE, Fridley. Vacation Bible School for children. Crafts, music, snack, Bible stories and games. Ages 3-11. Register by June 6. $20 per child. 763-571-5600. chofstwilliams.com

WORSHIP+RETREATS Diaconate ordination — May 14: 10 a.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams will ordain John Rumpza, Kyle Etzel and William Kratt to the Sacred Order of the Diaconate. archspm.org/events “Hope Day — Dealing with Loss, Finding a Reason to Hope” — May 19: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Lunch will be served. Registration required. Suggested offering $50. kingshouse.com Priesthood ordination — May 28: 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will ordain Deacon Samuel Gilbertson, Deacon Connor McGinnis, Deacon Joseph Nguyen, Deacon Michael Selenski and Deacon John Utecht to the priesthood. archspm.org/events Archdiocesan Synod: Pentecost Vigil Mass — June 4: 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Catholics are invited to this historic gathering of the local Church, joining Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Joseph Williams and 500 Synod participants from across the archdiocese who are meeting June 3-5 for the Synod Assembly, the final step in the three-year Synod journey. archspm.org/events Archdiocesan Marriage Day Celebration — June 11: 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Married couples invited to celebrate the gift of their vocation at the Archdiocesan Marriage Day Celebration Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams. Those celebrating silver and golden anniversaries in the 2022 calendar year will be honored in a special way. To submit a request for a special certificate, please contact the Office of Marriage, Family and Life at mfl@archspm.org or 651-291-4488. Deadline for requests is May 30. archspm.org/events

Widows’ Day of Reflection — June 18: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. Eleventh Annual Widows’ Day of Reflection. Father Michael Becker will speak on “Living Widowhood in the Divine Will.” $25, includes breakfast and lunch. Register by June 8. tinyurl.com/ ypa7shv9

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS “Building an Intercultural Church” Giving Insights Forum — May 24: 6–8:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Bishop Joseph Williams will moderate a panel of experts discussing why intercultural competencies are critical for the new evangelization. Hors d’oeuvres, social time. Free. Will be livestreamed. Register at ccf-mn.org/forums/spiritual

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event

MUSIC

uFull street address of event

All Saints Music Festival — May 20: 6–11:30 p.m. at Little Log House Pioneer Village, 21889 Michael Ave., Hastings. The five-parish fundraiser features the popular band Gear Daddies with opener Chris Kroeze. allsaintsmusicfestival.com

uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions

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Is your perception of organ donation the reality of organ donation? Wednesday, May 25, 6:30 p.m. Church of St Raphael 7301 Bass Lake Road Crystal, MN 55428 For more information: www.halovoice.org. VACATION/FAMILY GETAWAY Knotty Pines Resort, Park Rapids, MN. 1, 2 & 3 bdrm cabins starting at $565/week. www.knottypinesresort.com (800) 392-2410. Mention this ad for a discount! WANTED TO BUY Estate & Downsizing: I buy Van Loads and Bicycles. Steve (651) 778-0571.

20• THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 12, 2022

THELASTWORD

Lift high

the cross

LEFT Joe Kawalek stands near the cross he and other family members installed on their farm last summer, which is an expression of their Catholic faith. BELOW From left, Joe and Mike Kawalek plant a pine tree.

Pine trees provide backdrop for homemade symbol of faith Story and photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

A

thin layer of snow stubbornly hangs on beneath a row of pine trees near Onamia in central Minnesota April 21. On a sunny but unseasonably cold afternoon, two brothers shovel dirt side by side on land their family has owned for more than 100 years. Thus begins an annual spring ritual — now five decades old — of planting young pines in the grassy field, alongside the older trees they planted in previous years. On the north end of their property is the farmhouse where one of them was born. Just about 100 yards to the east of where they are working is a homemade cross pushing up about 40 feet into the sky, overlooking what has become an impressive pine tree farm. For more than 60 years, the brothers have watched crops like corn and hay grow and go to harvest, and they also have watched — and helped with — the raising of chickens and cattle. Some of the fruits of these labors ended up going several miles down the road to a religious order — deliveries of up to 200 eggs twice a week for more than a decade. Joe Kawalek, 70, of All Saints in Lakeville, is the fourth of 10 children and the oldest son born to Charles and Marie Kawalek, who bought the farm from a relative in the 1940s and worked the land until 1995, when they began renting to other local farmers. Joe eventually bought 80 of his parents’ 120 acres, and began planting trees with his brother Mike, 66, in 2009. Mike, who belongs to St. Thomas Becket in Eagan, owns 50 acres of the farm. In recent years, as Joe watched pine trees on the farm grow to heights of 30 to 40 feet, he wanted to place something on the property that would express his Catholic faith and be visible to people visiting the property and to those driving past it on the highway marking the northern border of their land. An idea came to him in 2020. It involved wood

left over from a fence-building project — two 4-by-4 white oak planks stored in Joe’s garage. He figured he could use the wood to make a cross. Then came another thought — raising the cross high enough to remain visible above the tops of the farm’s numerous pine trees. A nephew just happened to have a wooden power line pole that Joe thought would be perfect for attaching the cross and putting it up. This same nephew also had the means to transport the pole to the land. So, Joe, Mike, their nephew, their sister and another nephew formed an installation crew that erected what Joe hopes will be a permanent symbol of his Catholic faith. There’s an interesting twist to the story: The wood used for the cross — the two planks (16 feet and 6 ½ feet) in Joe’s garage — had been cut from a felled oak on the Kawalek farm in the 1970s. A man in Lakeville — Joe’s former co-worker — wanted to build a board rail fence for his horses, and bought wood from the Kawaleks. In 1985, Joe and his wife, Eileen, bought that same house and noticed the leftover planks in their garage. They sat there until 2020, when Joe started thinking about what to do with them. That year marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of his mother, who died in 1998 and had spent most of her life on the Onamia farm, having moved there with her parents when she was 5. Joe wanted to commemorate that centennial, and also decided “it’s time to do something” with the wood planks. After the 40-foot cross was installed, Joe formed a daily ritual of taking a walk to the cross at sunrise whenever he stayed overnight on the land. He visits throughout the spring, summer and fall, especially during tree planting time. “I guess it’s simple,” he said of his desire to erect the cross. “It’s the right thing to do.” It also fits in with the surroundings, which feature a mixture of pine trees, hardwoods, natural grasses and fields, plus wildlife like whitetail deer roaming the acreage. Joe originally started planting trees to help wildlife, especially the deer, thrive. “It’s peaceful,” he said of spending time at the farm, and he considers being there a spiritual experience — one he is happy to share with others. Every year, he and Mike pick a day or two in the

spring to invite other family members to come up and help with tree planting. To his delight, the crew sometimes spans three generations. They’ll do some planting with an older model tractor that Mike found and bought about 10 years ago. They also do some of it the old-fashioned way, with shovels and elbow grease. The survival rate of their planted trees is about 60%, and evidence of their success abounds on the property. They plant about 1,000 to 2,000 trees every year, including white pine, red pine, white cedar, red cedar, black spruce, white spruce and balsam. This year, they are planting 1,000 red pines, plus 500 each of chokecherry and juneberry. The original planting was 1,000 red pines in 1977 and 1,000 red pines and 1,000 white pines in 1978. “All by hand,” Joe said of those first two years. “That took days to plant” all of them. The crown jewel of the property is a 50-foot white pine that the family transplanted from one part of the farm to a spot near the farmhouse in 1925. They used a sleigh to carry the tree, then still under 7 feet, across the property to a spot near the highway, where it is still viewed and admired today. Most of the pines don’t last that long, Joe said, as harvest is necessary to provide regeneration of trees. About one third are harvested at about the 40-year mark, another third come down 30 to 50 years after that, and the final third are taken out at about 150 years, Joe said. A year ago, he hired a logger to harvest one third of the original trees from 1977 and 1978, which he estimated to be between 200 and 300 trees. He said there are at least 500 of them left, and they stand between 30 and 40 feet tall. The logger takes trees to a local sawmill, where they are processed for lumber. As he looks to the future, Joe will continue managing the farm for pine trees, which he simply calls “taking care of what we’ve been given.” He hopes to add a bench and some wildflowers near the cross, and plans to invite a local priest to come out and celebrate Mass in front of it. The way he applies his faith to the task of planting and growing pine trees is more lived than spoken. He sums it up this way: “The world is God’s, and we’ve got to take care of it.”