The Catholic Spirit - September 12, 2019

September 12, 2019 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

thecatholicspirit.com

A time to share

Missionary discipleship Opportunities this fall for growing and sharing in faith are being offered in two different programs. ­— Page 5

Women’s retreat The archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization offers a one-day retreat for women Sept. 28 that will include talks and time for reflection. — Page 6

Screen quandary Culture-shaping technology like smartphones and other devices leaves questions about impact of screen time on children and families. — Pages 10-11

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Jim Rice of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville makes a point during small group discussion at a final tuneup for upcoming Pre-Synod Prayer and Listening Events that begin this month and will be held across the archdiocese through March. Rice was at a run-through for the events Sept. 6 at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul. Archbishop Bernard Hebda gave a talk at the run-through and plans to attend all upcoming events.

Teaching virtue Children’s devotional book teaches 15 theological, cardinal and other virtues. — Page 12

Pre-synod prayer, listening events to begin in earnest By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

E

laine Rilley was filled with questions when she arrived at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul Sept. 6. She was invited to participate in a final tuneup for the upcoming PreSynod Prayer and Listening Events scheduled to begin later this month and run through March at locations throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Organizers wanted to conduct a trial run to test and hone the format. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Rilley said. “It was very interesting. As a parishioner, how much do you know about a synod? What is it all about, and why are we having it? And, what can we get from it?” She spent three hours participating in the process, and getting her questions answered. About three dozen people were

invited to participate, going through periods of prayer, small group discussion and a talk by Archbishop Bernard Hebda in which he explained the pre-synod process, what it is and how it works. The archbishop plans to attend every event and give similar introductory talks at each. At the center of it all, he said, is the work of the Holy Spirit, hopefully leading and guiding the process all the way to the synod itself during Pentecost weekend 2021. As a way of focusing on the Holy Spirit, each Pre-Synod Prayer and Listening Event will feature more than one hour of prayer, to help participants prepare spiritually to express their thoughts in a small group discussion that seeks their input on two questions: 1. What are you grateful for and what is working well in our parishes and archdiocese? 2. Which pastoral challenges or

opportunities is God calling us to address in our archdiocese? Those who choose to come to the Prayer and Listening Events, which begin Sept. 24 at St. Victoria in Victoria and Sept. 28 at St. Michael in St. Michael, can expect a warm greeting when they arrive, and time for prayer after taking their seats. “Pope Francis would say that the success of the effort has to be premised on prayer,” Archbishop Hebda told participants Sept. 6. “It is only in the intimacy of prayer, the silence of prayer, that we can learn the voice of God.” People are invited to speak their mind on what they believe is working — and not working — in their local Church. But first, they’ll take time to be silent, meditating on Scripture verses recited aloud and writing answers to questions in the space provided in their programs. PLEASE TURN TO SYNOD ON PAGE 6

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

PAGETWO

“

In the face of the severe rise in homelessness, poverty, unemployment and the indiscriminate rise in the price of food comprising the basic basket of goods, we find ourselves in a situation of food and nutritional emergency, which essentially affects the most vulnerable, especially children.

The social ministry of the Argentine bishops’ conference in an Aug. 30 statement urging the government to declare a food emergency as the country’s economy careens into crisis.

NEWS notes

60 million

The number of new listeners Relevant Radio expects to reach with the purchase of nine AM stations and four FM translators via an agreement with Salem Media Group. Relevant Radio will buy stations in Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Denver, San Antonio, Texas, and Youngstown, Ohio, for $8.7 million. This purchase, combined with an earlier one of Salem stations in Washington, D.C, Miami and Tampa, Florida, is expected to push Relevant Radio’s total audience to 220 million over a network of 163 stations.

1982 DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CLERIC IN THE CLASSROOM Father Nels Gjengdahl talks to his students during a religion class he teaches at Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria. This fall, he became the first full-time chaplain in the school’s 20-year history. Two other Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis also have begun their 20th year — St. Ambrose in Woodbury and Faithful Shepherd in Eagan.

The year Brother James Miller of the Christian Brothers was murdered in Guatemala. A former Spanish and English teacher at Cretin-Derham Hall high school in St. Paul, Brother Miller will be beatified by Pope Francis Dec. 7 in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, the city where he taught at a Christian Brothers school. The Diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is organizing a pilgrimage Dec. 4-9 for those interested in going to the beatification Mass. The pilgrimage also will include a day in Santiago Atitlan, where Blessed Stanley Rother, who also has ties to Minnesota, was murdered in 1981. For more information about the pilgrimage, visit diolc.org or contact Father Tom Lindner of Wausau, Wisconsin, at frtom@stanneswausau.org.

$100,000

The amount of money a former business administrator at St. Francis Xavier in Buffalo is accused of taking from the parish. Susan Jean Evans, who worked at the parish from 2011 to 2018, faces four counts of theft by swindle. Father Nathaniel Meyers, the pastor, said in a statement to parishioners that parish leaders were cooperating with authorities and working with insurance to recover the money and expense of an audit and legal fees. Father Meyers said the parish also is working to strengthen its financial policies and procedures.

8

The number of years for the Cathedral Festival of Lights gala benefiting the St. Paul Cathedral in St. Paul. Sponsored by the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, this year’s event will be held Oct. 3 from 6-9 p.m. It will focus on the varied immigrant communities responsible for building the Cathedral, and include tours, music, a spotlight presentation, a dinner and live auction. Tickets including dinner are $175 each; champagne reception and program are $75. Proceeds will help restore the Cathedral sacristy. Learn more at cathedralheritagefoundation.org. Register at cathedralheritagefoundation.ejoinme.org.

4

The number of months St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul was closed for renovations that include improved lighting, custom-made pews and stone flooring. The chapel opened again Sept. 5, with Archbishop Bernard Hebda celebrating Mass with hundreds of students, staff and other members of the St. Thomas community. The chapel also will be expanded with a new faith center being built underground. Dedication for the Iverson Center for Faith is planned for the fall of 2020.

45 COURTESY SARA RIELAND

BLESSING NEW SPACE Archbishop Bernard Hebda sprinkles holy water as he dedicates the new Parish Life Center at Mary, Queen of Peace in Rogers Aug. 25. Construction for the $5.2-million project began in 2018 and features parish offices, meeting rooms, an adoration chapel, preschool classrooms and a large gathering space. “We can feel the positive energy,” said Father Michael Kaluza, pastor of the parish, “and we’re delighted to have such a celebration of hope, with life, energy and enthusiasm.” Standing next to Archbishop Hebda are Joe Macke, altar server, and Jeanne Christiansen.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 24 — No. 17 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief

For more than 45 years, Rose Schauffhausen of St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada has helped the U.S. arm of NPH International, or Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters), raise funds and provide care to children in poverty, abandonment or neglect in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries. For her dedication to the organization, which was founded in Mexico in 1954 by the late Father William Wasson of Arizona, Schauffhausen will be honored Oct. 5 with the NPH Upper Midwest Region’s annual Wasson Humanitarian Award. The fundraising dinner and gala, which Schauffhausen started more than 30 years ago, will be held at the InterContinental Hotel on the St. Paul Riverfront in St. Paul.

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 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

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

Trusting the Holy Spirit to bless listening, learning

H

uddled in St. Joseph Hall at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center for a practice round of a Pre-Synod Prayer and Listening Event, I found myself entering deeply into the guided prayer and especially our moderator’s first set of questions: What is going well in the archdiocese? Where do we see blessings in our experience of the local Church? I didn’t have to look very far to arrive at a heart-felt response: the three dozen volunteers who had given up a Friday morning to help our Synod team finetune our process reminded me of how blessed I am to be serving in a diocese alongside so many exceptionally generous and committed lay Catholics. They represented a good cross section of our archdiocese, reflecting at many levels the cultural, linguistic, demographic and ecclesiological diversity that we find among Catholics in our 12 counties; yet they were clearly united in their desire to build up this local Church. Their articulate responses to the discussion questions, as well as their insightful critiques of the experience, showed not only a solid grasp of the rationale that undergirds our Synod process but also a profound familiarity with the very real contemporary challenges facing parishes, schools and families, both here in the archdiocese and beyond. I was encouraged that they shared my conviction that we have to make the Prayer and Listening Events as broad-based and user-friendly as possible. While aware that there’s bound to be some disagreement whenever a large and diverse group is assembled, they reiterated the importance of creating a safe space for

Vamos a confiar en el Espíritu Santo para bendecir la escucha, el aprendizaje

A

currucado en St. Joseph Hall en el Centro Católico Arquidiocesano para una ronda de práctica de un Oración del Pre-Sínodo y Evento de Escucha, me encontré entrando profundamente en la oración guiada y especialmente en el primer conjunto de preguntas de nuestro moderador: Lo que está yendo bien en la arquidiócesis ? ¿Dónde vemos bendiciones en nuestra experiencia de la Iglesia local? No tuve que mirar muy lejos para llegar a una respuesta sincera: las tres docenas de voluntarios que se habían rendido un viernes por la mañana para ayudar a nuestro equipo del Sínodo me recordaron lo bendecido que soy de servir en una diócesis junto a tantos excepcionalmente generosos d católicos laicos comprometidos. Representaron una buena sección transversal de nuestra arquidiócesis, reflejando a muchos niveles la diversidad cultural, linguística, demográfica y eclesiológica que encontramos entre los católicos en nuestros 12 condados; sin embargo, estaban claramente unidos en su deseo de edificar esta Iglesia local. Sus respuestas articuladas a las preguntas de discusión, así como sus críticas perspicaces de la experiencia, mostraron no sólo una comprensión sólida de la lógica que sustenta nuestro proceso sino también una profunda familiaridad con lo muy real contemporáneo los desafíos a los que se

individuals to share their reflections on the state of the Church and of our archdiocese, no matter how popular or unpopular those comments might be, trusting that the Holy Spirit will bless our attempts at respectful listening and learning with a deeper appreciation of the struggles and experiences of our brothers and sisters, even when they sit on the other side of the pew. It’s only with our fingers on their pulse, and theirs on ours, that we will together be able to set the archdiocese on the course that the Holy Spirit has chosen for us to move forward. I can’t help but think of a recent quote in the secular arena from NY Times commentator Ross Douthat (later tweeted by former president Barak Obama!): “… nothing should temper partisanship more than an awareness that somewhere, on some issue, people with whom you disagree are telling a story that you really need to hear.” If we are going to be a successful Spirit-driven Church that expresses the unity that Christ desires for us, we have to be open to listening for what we need to hear, even from those with whom we disagree, no matter how uncomfortable. In Christus Vivit, the exhortation that Pope Francis released earlier this year in response to the Synod on Young People and Vocations, the Holy Father noted that “A Church always on the defensive, which loses her humility and stops listening to others, which leaves no room for questions, loses her youth and turns into a museum.” If those who gathered for the practice round are representative of the faithful of the archdiocese, I suspect that we will be hearing a great deal in the months to come about the need to make sure that we don’t “lose our youth” or allow our Church to

enfrentan las parroquias, las escuelas y las familias, tanto aquí en la arquidiócesis como más allá. Me animó. Todos compartieron mi convicción de que los eventos de oración y escucha deben ser lo más amplios y fáciles de usar posible. Si bien son conscientes de que seguramente habrá algún desacuerdo cada vez que se reúna un grupo grande y diverso, reiteraron la importancia de crear un espacio seguro para que las personas compartan sus reflexiones sobre el estado de la Iglesia y de nuestra arquidiócesis, sin importar lo populares o impopulares que podrían ser esos comentarios, confiando en que el Espíritu Santo bendecirá nuestros intentos de escuchar y aprender respetuosamente, con una apreciación más profunda de las luchas y experiencias de nuestros hermanos y hermanas, incluso cuando se sienten al otro lado del banco. Es sólo con los dedos en sus pulso, y sus dedos en el nuestro pulso, que juntos podremos poner a la arquidiócesis en el curso que el Espíritu Santo ha elegido para que avancemos. No puedo evitar pensar en una cita reciente en la arena secular del comentarista del NY Times, Ross Douthat (más tarde tuiteado por el ex presidente Barak Obama!): “... nada debe atemperar el partidismo más que una conciencia de que en algún lugar, en algún tema, la gente con la que no estás de acuerdo está contando una historia que realmente necesitas escuchar”. Si vamos a ser una Iglesia exitosa impulsada por el Espíritu que exprese la unidad que Cristo desea para nosotros, tenemos que estar abiertos a escuchar lo que necesitamos escuchar, incluso de aquellos con quienes no

“

If we are going to be a successful Spirit-driven Church that expresses the unity that Christ desires for us, we have to be open to listening for what we need to hear, even from those with whom we disagree, no matter how uncomfortable. become a mere museum. Surely no coincidence, an experience this past weekend gave me a glimpse of the young Church at prayer and heightened my excitement over the Synod. As occurs the first Friday of every month of the school year at 8 p.m., hundreds of young adults gathered this past Friday at The Saint Paul Seminary for Cor Jesu, an evening of praise and fellowship. The presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable as these young men and women, the overwhelming majority of them college age, came together to sing the Lord’s praises, adore the Lord in the Eucharist, and celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. If you ever find yourself discouraged about the state of the Church, I invite you to put on your skinny jeans and sneak into Cor Jesu. We have been blessed in this archdiocese with so many incredibly generous young people; let’s be certain that we are doing all that we can to make sure that we will be handing on to them a Spirit-filled Church rather than a moth-balled museum. I look forward to seeing you at one of our Prayer and Listening Events.

estamos de acuerdo, por incómodos que sean. En Christus Vivit, la exhortación que el Papa Francisco lanzó a principios de este año en respuesta al Sínodo sobre los Jóvenes y las Vocaciones, el Santo Padre señaló que “una Iglesia siempre a la defensiva, que pierde su humildad y deja de escuchar a los demás, lo que no deja espacio para preguntas, pierde su juventud y se convierte en un museo.” Si los que se reunieron para la ronda de práctica son representativos de los fieles de la arquidiócesis, sospecho que escucharemos mucho en los meses venideros la necesidad de asegurarnos de que no “perdamos nuestros jóvenes” o permitamos que nuestra Iglesia se convierta en un mero museo. Seguramente ninguna coincidencia, una experiencia el pasado fin de semana me dio una visión de la Iglesia joven en la oración y aumentó mi emoción sobre el Sínodo. Como ocurre el primer viernes de cada mes del año escolar a las 8 p.m., cientos de jóvenes adultos, se reunieron el pasado viernes en el Seminario de San Pablo, para Cor Jesu, una noche de alabanza y compañerismo. La presencia del Espíritu Santo era palpable cuando estos jóvenes, la inmensa mayoría de ellos en edad universitaria, se unieron para cantar las alabanzas del Señor, adorar al Señor en la Eucaristía y celebrar el sacramento de la reconciliación. Si alguna vez te desanimas con el estado de la Iglesia, te invito a ponerte tus jeans flacos y a colarte en Cor Jesu. Hemos sido bendecidos en esta arquidiócesis con tantos jóvenes increíblemente generosos; asegurémonos de que estamos haciendo todo lo posible para asegurarnos de que les entregaremos una Iglesia llena de espíritus

OFFICIALS Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective August 12, 2019 Reverend Corey Belden, appointed chaplain of Ave Maria Academy in Maple Grove. This is in addition to his current assignment as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Anne in Hamel.

Effective September 1, 2019 Deacon James DeShane, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Christ the King in Minneapolis. This is a transfer from his current parish assignment at the Church of Saint Edward in Bloomington. Deacon Michael Nevin, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of the Holy Family in Saint Louis Park. This is a transfer from his current parish assignment at the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. Deacon James Reinhardt, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. This is a transfer from his current parish assignment at the Church of the Holy Family in Saint Louis Park. en lugar de un museo de la bola de polillas. Espero verlos en uno de nuestros eventos de Oración y Escucha.

SLICEof LIFE

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Holy hot rods

SLICEof LIFE

From left, Mary Lou Andersen of St. Bonaventure in Bloomington looks under the hood of a classic car with Conventual Franciscan Father Bryan Hajovsky, pastor of the parish, during the St. Bonaventure Car Show Sept. 7. It was part of St. Boni’s Fall Festival, which kicked off that morning with a parade, followed by games, food, the car show and Mass in the evening to end the day. Andersen started the festival’s car show 25 years ago with her late husband, Lee, and brought one of her cars to the show, a 1952 Chrysler Windsor. “We started out with maybe 50 cars, and now we’re up to 250 — or more,” said Mary Lou, 69. “So, it’s grown a lot over the years, and it brings in a lot of people. I feel good that we’re doing something positive for the church and we’re bringing people together socially, and they’re having a good time. ... I have a strong faith, and cars have always been a strong part of my life. So, it’s something I don’t want to lose — ever. It strengthens me.” Father Hajovsky inspected all the cars to determine his favorite and present the Father Knows Best Award to the winner.

These real estate agents can help you find your Ho From condos to castles, DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT performance exceeds promise

Call Today

Kathy Kueppers

Looking for your

for all Your Buying and Selling Needs

Cell: (651) 470-0675 kathykueppers.realtor@gmail.com

Kathy Kueppers REALTOR®, CRS Owner/Broker Cell: (651) 470-0675 Office: (651) 365-0230

home sweet home? Office 651-452-3047

kathykueppers@realtyexecutives.com

33 E. Wentworth Ave. West St. Paul, MN 55118

Named a 2009 Super Real Estate Agent by Mpls./St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business

CHARMING 2 story, hardwood floors, natural woodwork, updated kitchen, master suite, large yard. Close to St Joseph’s school, parks, easy access to shopping, West St Paul $189,900.

From condos to castles, performance exceeds promise

The Sue Johnson Team is now Good Company Realty Group

Kathy Kueppers kathykueppers.realtor@gmail.com

Cell: (651) 470-0675

With historically Low Inventory of Homes for Sale, your home may be worth more than you realize. Call Today for a Free Home Value. Buyers are Waiting! (Bloomington and Eagan are most needed)

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Call us today! 651-329-1264

JOE CASSIDY 612.802.4301

joecassidy@kw.com www.joecassidyhomes.com Realtor

5BR/4BA 3400+ sq. ft 2 story in Blaine. $359,900. Providing exceptional value in is the cornerstone of my service to you! 4BR/ 4BA 4200+ sq. ft story Plymouth $539,000. 4BR/2BA 1800+ How sq. ft 4 can level split in Maple $230,000. I help you Grove today?

Steve Conlin,like GRI to advertise If you would Direct: (651)page, 686-2033please call on this www.Steve-Conlin.com The Catholic Spirit Advertising Department at 651-291-4444

GoodCompanyRealtyGroup.com

Home SELLER Seminar March 9th 7-8pm OR 25th 9-10am, Looking for your first home? Down-sizing forMarch any reason? The Johnson 651-690-8591 SueSue Johnson andTeam the Good Company Realty Group can help. Call 651-329-1264 or e-mail: suejohnson@goodcorealty.com

Peggy Langeslay plangeslay@cbburnet.com Now isRealtor/Broker the best time to Now is the best time to sell home. sellyour your home. For best results, call

651-335-8515

61

1519 Central Parkway • Eagan, MN 55121

Decades of helping families just like yours have a great real estate experience.

The Edge You Need!

Top notch s large or too 612-803-430

jjohan When is the Best time to Sell Your Home? Call Now for your Personalized Real Estate Review.

If you would like to advertise in this space, please call The Catholic Spirit advertising department at 651-291-4444.

LOCAL

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Opportunities to grow, share in the faith By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Steve Lentz couldn’t imagine sharing his faith on a street corner, but he loves helping Catholic men he knows build their relationships with Jesus. The St. Hubert parishioner learned more about the spiritual gift of encouragement and bringing his faith more fully into daily life last school year at the inaugural Missionary Discipleship Series held by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Evangelization. Lentz, 54, who participated in the series held at his parish in Chanhassen because he wanted to go deeper in his faith, now shares his faith story intentionally, including with men in the small group he leads at St. Hubert. “There’s nothing that fires me up more than having conversations with others when I’m in a position to help provide some encouragement regarding their faith journeys, never selling themselves short and recognizing that none of us are perfect,” Lentz said. “Because guys will come up with every excuse in the book for not going deeper.” Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has encouraged Catholics to go deeper — to live as missionary disciples who have encountered Christ, know how and why he came to save us and are equipped to share that message. Starting this fall, archdiocesan Catholics have two opportunities to learn about becoming missionary disciples. In addition to the Missionary Discipleship Series, which consists of three sessions, each about a month long and offered at two different parishes, the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul is offering its School of Discipleship program at a parish this fall and another parish this spring. Becoming a missionary disciple is about walking daily with Jesus throughout life, said Crystal Crocker, director of the archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization. Many Catholics don’t see themselves as disciples because their lives are busy, they haven’t fully heard the Gospel message (also known by its Greek

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Steve Lentz of St. Hubert in Chanhassen uses what he learned during the Missionary Discipleship Series to share his faith with other Catholic men. name, the kerygma), and they haven’t been guided, she said. Missionary disciples are needed now for renewal of the Church, as many Catholics — especially young adults — no longer practice their faith, she said Introduced as a pilot at St. Hubert and at St. Peter in Mendota last year, a quarter of the 150 registered for the discipleship series were young adults, Crocker said. This year, participants will meet weekly during October, February and April/May at Epiphany in Coon Rapids or St. Joseph in Waconia. The fall session begins Oct. 8 at Epiphany and Oct. 10 at St. Joseph. The first month is devoted to hearing God’s call, becoming more familiar with the kerygma and learning methods of prayer. During February, participants will learn to integrate their contemplative and active lives. They’ll also have an opportunity to attend a Called and Gifted Workshop run through the Office of Evangelization that stresses the gifts, or charisms, of the Holy Spirit and how they work in people’s lives and parishes. The April/May session is designed to help people develop their personal faith story and learn to share their faith with others.

A line up of about 20 speakers will include Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens; Father Steven Borello, a former spiritual director at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul who now is director of vocations for the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois; Patrick Conley, host of Relevant Radio’s Rediscover: Hour and coordinator of Called and Gifted; and Ryan O’Hara, content director with Saint Paul’s Outreach campus ministry headquartered in Inver Grove Heights. The $150 cost includes materials and the Called and Gifted workshop. For information and to register visit archspm. org/faith-and-discipleship/missionarydiscipleship or contact Susanna Parent at parents@archspm.org. Another course responding to Pope Francis’ challenge of missionary discipleship that emphasizes prayer and sharing Christ with others is the Catechetical Institute’s School of Discipleship, led by Jeff Cavins, a member of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove and widely known evangelist and author of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline. In its eighth year, “the School of Discipleship encapsulates this challenge as students not only learn what it means

to be a modern-day disciple of Jesus Christ, but they actually do it by entering into a 40-Day Challenge that sets them up to be missionary disciples for life,” Cavins said. Cavins is the School of Discipleship’s main presenter, with Father Mike Schmitz, a priest in the Duluth diocese, teaching one class. During the seven-week course, students learn modern discipleship, sharing their faith, and advancing in prayer. They prepare for a 40-day challenge of using what they’ve learned with help from Cavins’ book, “The Activated Disciple” and other materials. Some of last year’s 700 participants who’d never shared Christ with others said it became a daily experience, said Kelly Wahlquist, the institute’s director. Angie and Paul Hughes attended the School of Discipleship last spring for faith and marriage enrichment. Initially Angie, 53, found discipleship overwhelming and didn’t think she had the skills for it. But she gained the desire and knowledge to share God’s love, and now prays for openings and the right words when talking with people she knows. “I’m much more open to sharing my faith and having it be a natural part of conversation and drawing that out of family and friends,” Hughes said. The School of Discipleship starts Oct. 1 at St. Andrew in Elk River. A spring session is planned for St. Pius X in White Bear Lake. The $150 cost includes Cavins’ book and other materials. To learn more and to register, visit cistudent.com. Completion of the Institute’s two-year Pillars Program isn’t required but graduates of that program will be familiar with the concept of discipleship, as the institute focuses on putting faith into practice, Wahlquist said. As Lentz uses what he learned through the Missionary Discipleship Series by working faith into his relationships, he said he is less stressed and more aware of the Holy Spirit’s leadership. “It’s been a great confirmation that I’m on the right track and I’m not going to get off it,” he said. “I don’t know where it’s going to take me but I’m excited about (following) where the Lord wants me to go.”

FALL FESTIVAL & HOMETOWN MARKET Saturday, September 14 • 5-7 p.m. Chili Feed & Cook-off Sunday, September 15 • 9-1:30 p.m. Hometown Market • 10 a.m. Mass • 11-1 p.m. Chicken Dinner • 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Live Music • 1 :25 p.m. Silent Auction Ends • 1:30 p.m. Live Auction • Raffle Drawing following Auction

welcome

We Chronicles Worship at the 10 a.m. Mass & at our Festival!

MOVIE REVIEWS •

TheCatholicSpirit.com

Sunday Activities • Raffle • Bingo • Kids Games • Bean Bag Tourney • Wine & Liquor Pull • Refreshment Stand • Cold Beer & Wine • Vikings vs. Packers (on big screen TV) 410 Colvill Street West • Cannon Falls, MN • stpiusvcf.org • 507-263-2578

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

SYNOD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Prayer is a necessary step, said Sheryl Moran of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, who serves on the synod executive committee and has been part of a synod prayer team that was formed about a year ago. The prayer meets once a month to pray for the pre-synod process, usually in eucharistic adoration. Those periods of prayer have cemented in her mind how important prayer is. “This is a whole process that needs to be led by, filled by and run through the Holy Spirit,” Moran said. “And, if we’re going to listen to the Holy Spirit, we have to have that time of prayer and silence.” Small group discussions will follow the prayer. All those gathered will be divided into groups of about eight people, and there will be an opportunity to share thoughts with the archbishop and attendees. Speaking up in small groups is one of five ways participants can share their thoughts. Other direct ways include completing an individual feedback form at the event (either on paper or electronically) that will be read and considered; being one of the attendees from each table chosen to give verbal feedback to Archbishop Hebda at the event; speaking at the end of the event during a Q and A with the archbishop; and submitting additional comments later via email to synod@archspm.org. Executive committee members and others involved in planning recognize the need to use every means possible to elicit people’s thoughts and opinions. And, those organizers, along with Archbishop Hebda himself, want to make sure those who might be shy or reluctant can still be heard. “The archbishop very much

LOCAL recognizes the value of what quiet people have to say,” said Father Joseph Bambenek, co-director of the synod executive committee, “and has made it clear to us that there has to be a written process so that their voices are heard as well.” Archbishop Hebda also reminded participants during his introductory remarks that this kind of synod process is written into canon law to make it clear that Church leaders all the way up to the pope need to hear the voices of Church members. “My training was in canon law, so my fall-back position is always to go to the Code of Canon Law,” Archbishop Hebda said. “One of the things that it specifies is that the Christian faithful — that’s you, that’s me, that’s all of us — are free to make known to the pastor of the church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires. So, there’s a freedom, a liberty to make known to the pastor of the church — in this case, it’s me — your needs, especially your spiritual ones, and your desires. That’s a freedom that you have.” And, it’s a freedom organizers hope local Catholics will take advantage of. “We have an archbishop who’s putting himself out there for 30-plus events this coming year to listen to people,” Father Bambenek said. “I think it’s very clear that listening is something that he genuinely values and that he sees the value of every person.” He added, “The archbishop, as he’s looking to the future, wants to hear what’s on the hearts of people in the archdiocese before he decides in what direction to lead us forward. So, this is a unique opportunity to help shape his thinking, to help shape the direction that our archdiocese will be taking in the future.”

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Women’s retreat to offer talks, reflection through Friendship and Hospitality,” with Dia Boyle, a writer from Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul; and “Living a Liturgical Life,” with Father Brian Park, Rosie Huray of St. John the Baptist pastor of Annunciation in Minneapolis in New Brighton is going ... and she and a member of the Companions of won’t be alone. Christ, a fraternity of diocesan priests Huray and about 20 women from and seminarians. her parish plan to join others across Breaks between talks will provide the archdiocese at a onetime for prayer and to day women’s retreat of wander the campus at talks and reflection Sept. Epiphany, said Susanna It’s a great 28 at Epiphany in Coon Parent, evangelization Rapids, sponsored by the way for Catholic manager in the Office of Archdiocese of St. Paul Evangelization. women to come and Minneapolis’ Office “We want to provide a of Evangelization. together and quiet experience, “It’s a great way for encouraging women and pray together. Catholic women to come instilling more peace,” together and pray Parent said. Rosie Huray together,” she said. Parent worked with a Several of the women core group of about six will offer intercessory young and middle-age women to help prayer for retreatants, said Huray, who plan the retreat, which was organized is helping to organize the effort and is at the request of women who are a member of such a group of men and involved in a variety of ministries in women at her parish who once a the archdiocese. month pray with people after Sunday “We are looking to meet the spiritual Masses. needs of our archdiocesan faithful,” Titled “Living Grace: Seeing the said Crystal Crocker, director of the Extraordinary in the Ordinary,” the Evangelization Office. retreat will include a morning Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens and afternoon eucharistic adoration and Benediction with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, prayer teams and What: Archdiocesan Women’s Retreat confession. When: Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be breakfast and lunch Where: Epiphany, Coon Rapids and three talks: “Our Perfect Mother: Why We Need the Blessed Virgin,” Cost: $40 with Nell O’Leary, a member of Information and registration: St. Agnes in St. Paul and managing archspm.org/womensretreat editor of Catholic women’s ministry Blessed is She; “Healing the Culture By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

“

WANT TO GO?

28th Annual Lebanese Festival St. Maron Catholic Church

602 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis Saturday, September 21 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sunday, September 22 24, 2016 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Authentic Lebanese Cuisine, Beer and Wine, Raffle, 25, 2016 Silent Auction, Country Store, Gift Shop, Games, Cedars Dabke Dance Group and Live Music. Fun for the whole family www.stmaron.com, 612-379-2758

More news and commentary at

thecatholicspirit.com

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

NATION+WORLD

Pope leaves Africa urging care for one another By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service When Jesus told his disciples to love one another and pray for their enemies, he meant it — ­­ including disciples in a nation like Mozambique, where political tensions have led to violence, war and death, Pope Francis said. The pope ended his visit to Mozambique Sept. 6 with a visit to a health center founded to care for people living with HIV/AIDS and with a Mass nearby in Maputo’s Zimpeto Stadium, where a late winter rain fell intermittently. After the Mass, Pope Francis traveled to Madagascar, the second stop on his three-nation Africa visit. He also visited Mauritius before returning to the Vatican Sept. 10. Bernadete Silva Fungalane was among those who came to the Mass from the Diocese of Pemba, in the northern Cabo Delgado province, where outbreaks of violent killings and pillaging have terrorized the population for the past few years. Wearing a headwrap and a skirt made of blue fabric with the pope’s image, she told Catholic News Service that the pope “can help stop the violence, first of all because he unites people. His words about reconciliation are very important for our people.” Before the recitation of the rosary began 90 minutes before the pope’s arrival, Silva Fungalane said, she knew in her heart that she would receive a blessing being at Mass and “all Mozambique will be blessed.” In his homily, Pope Francis insisted Jesus’ messages about love and turning the other cheek were not simply lovely platitudes, but a call to courage and strength and trust in God alone. Jesus “is talking about specific enemies, real enemies, the kind he described” in the beatitudes: “those who hate us, exclude us, revile us and defame us,” the pope said. Pope Francis said he knows people are frightened of

CNS

Pope Francis greets a woman and child Sept. 6 as he visits the Zimpeto Hospital outside Maputo, Mozambique. renewed violence, and he made special mention of Cabo Delgado. A true and long-lasting peace, he said, can be achieved only through reconciliation, which requires meeting with, speaking to, trying to understand and praying for those who had been enemies. “Jesus wants to end forever that common practice of being Christians yet living under the law of retaliation,” the pope said. “We cannot look to the future, or build a nation, an equitable society, on the basis of violence. I cannot follow Jesus if I live my life by the rule of ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for tooth.’” Pope Francis also used the occasion to condemn corruption, especially because it has kept so many Mozambicans in absolute poverty, despite the country’s natural resources. The pope did not mention specifics, but Mozambicans are still paying the price

for a massive loan and bribery scheme that was revealed in 2016 and led to the suspension of international development funding. With general elections scheduled for Oct. 15, the pope told people to look for those who show “concern for others, acknowledging and appreciating them as our brothers and sisters, even to the point of identifying with their lives and their pain.” Before arriving at the stadium, Pope Francis paid a visit to the Zimpeto DREAM Center, a medical clinic sponsored by the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio, but now fully staffed by Mozambican doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians. Sant’Egidio, a lay movement, helped mediate the Mozambique peace talks in the early 1990s and, when the AIDS pandemic began, the community mobilized to help. Some 20 percent of Mozambican adults are HIV positive and, in 2002 when the first DREAM Center opened, mother-to-baby transmission of the virus was commonplace. Sant’Egidio decided to start there, giving the women antiretroviral drugs at no cost, as well as providing them and their families with food assistance. The program boasts of more than 100,000 babies being born virus free. Pope Francis met several of those newborns, offering a big smile to the proud mothers and gently stroking the chubby cheeks of the babies. In a brief speech, the pope praised the program for listening to the needs of those suffering before designing the program and for always treating the patients with dignity. It was essential, he said, that someone hear “the silent, almost inaudible, cry of countless women, so many of them living in shame, marginalized and judged by all.” Now those same women have formed an association where they support one another and go into their communities to educate other women about HIV/AIDS and accompany those being tested for the virus.

Newark’s Cardinal Tobin joins Catholics protesting immigration detention Archbishop Hebda sends letter of support By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, blessed and then prayed near a group of Catholics who blocked a crosswalk, arranging themselves in the shape of a cross in front of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark Sept. 4, to protest the detention of children and families in immigration facilities. About 400 participated in the event, which included a procession toward the ICE building as the Newark archbishop led the crowd in a chant of “stop the inhumanity.” “I am Joseph, your brother, who has been heartbroken by the inhumanity,” Cardinal Tobin had said earlier as he called for a stop to immigration detention of children and their families. “I ask Catholics and others of goodwill to contact their elected officials and urge them not to manipulate immigrant families as political pawns,” he said. As the group protested in front of the facility, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General was releasing a report warning that migrant children separated from their parents “exhibited more fear, feelings of abandonment and post-

traumatic stress” than migrant children who had not been separated from their loved ones. “According to those who treat them, many children enter the (immigration) facilities after fleeing violence and experiencing direct threats to their safety during their journey to the United States,” the report said. “Some children also experienced the trauma of being unexpectedly separated from their parents as a result of U.S. immigration policies.” The Catholic protesters and activists as well as the cardinal spoke against the separations, whether at the border or after the deportation of a parent. “Children will bear the trauma wrought by immigration enforcement raids, separation from their families, and indeterminate detention,” Cardinal Tobin said. “These draconian measures are not, they are not, a solution to our broken immigration system. They are violations of human dignity and are contrary to all religious teachings and the sacred call to care for our most vulnerable populations. Unlike others, we don’t have to look up Bible verses to justify the building of walls. There are none.” Though they didn’t attend physically, several bishops sent statements supporting the Newark event, which the group Faith in Action said is part of an ongoing national campaign “developed by a Catholic Coalition of organizations to pressure the Trump administration

and Congress to end the policies and practices that routinely traumatize children, particularly the policy of child and family detention.” The first event took place in Washington on July 18 and a third gathering is set for Oct. 11-13 in El Paso, Texas, said Eli McCarthy, director of justice and peace at the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis sent a letter of support for the event, saying the faithful of his archdiocese know too well “the heartache and anxiety that are often the byproduct of our broken immigration system.” The archbishop, who served as coadjutor bishop of Newark from 2013 to 2015, assured those gathered of his gratitude and prayers for them and for their effort, and of a shared “commitment to working for the change that Christ-centered justice requires.” Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory also wrote in support of the event, saying Christians must recognize and respond to the face of Christ in migrants and refugees, raise public awareness and press for positive action by authorities at the border, in Congress and in the Trump administration. A 27-year-old named Liborio Adorno, who said he was brought to the U.S. as a 7-year-old without legal documents, spoke to the crowd. “It’s pretty sad for me to see the

pictures of children and babies because I identify with them,” he said. “I came when the immigration crackdown wasn’t as bad, and it forces me to think: What if I had crossed later?” These days, he organizes communities via the Cosecha Movement, he said, in hopes that others recognize the humanity of those like his family. Though Cardinal Tobin was the only prelate present, several groups of women religious and lay groups attended, including the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Sisters of Bon Secours, the Ignatian Solidarity Network and several Franciscans and Jesuits. Sister Ann Scholz, associate director for social mission for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, spoke of the history of women religious as members of immigrant communities who also served those communities. Their action in the modern immigration battle is a continuation of work that began long ago, she said. “We have joined the tens of thousands who are outraged at the horrific treatment of immigrant children and families by our own government,” she said. “We are here today to say loudly and clearly, stop the inhumanity. The mistreatment of children, the separation of families, the denigration of our immigrant brothers and sisters done in our name must stop.”

NATION+WORLD

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Bahamian school administrator describes desperation after hurricane By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service An interim parish administrator and assistant principal of the St. Francis de Sales Parish and School in Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, Bahamas, said his school was in ruins and the island is in a desperate state following Hurricane Dorian. Situated in central Abaco and just a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, the parish and school were in a highly impacted region of Abaco Islands after Dorian dealt its deadly, punishing winds and storm surge to the Bahamas Sept. 1-3. “The whole school is totally gone and the Catholic church was damaged, especially the roof and one side of the wall is off; it was serving as a shelter,” said Elmer Bongon, an educator on the island for the past 18 years who has also been serving as an interim administrator at the parish following the death of the pastor earlier this year. Farther up the road, St. Mary and Andrew Catholic Church in Treasure Cay is “totally gone, it was under 4 feet of water,” said Bongon, who retrieved the official baptismal and other parish records from both churches before the hurricane. He said in a phone interview Sept. 5 that he was looking for a way to take the church records, and his wife and two children, to Nassau as early as Sept. 7. He said he planned to deliver the records to Nassau Archbishop Patrick Pinder, and then find a temporary living situation for himself and his wife and children, who have been having a hard time since the storm. Sept. 2 was to have been the first day of school at St. Francis de Sales with an estimated 340 children enrolled, but many of those families had already evacuated. “The students are scattered: Some are missing, many are in Nassau and I am sure our sister schools will accommodate some of them in Nassau, but I

A man hangs his clothing amid the rubble of destroyed homes Sept. 6, after Hurricane Dorian hit the Abaco Islands in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. CNS

don’t know yet what the plan is,” he said. “I have my two kids of my own in the school, but I don’t know where they will go.” The Bahamian government said at least 23 people were killed in the hurricane, but the death toll was expected to rise as search and rescue operations continued. The newly homeless storm survivors ­— including residents of two shantytowns of mostly undocumented persons — ­ are increasingly desperate and looking for sustenance, with the threat of looting and robbery a possible danger to anyone driving through the area unescorted following the hurricane,

FUNERAL CHAPELS, INC. Robbinsdale • Plymouth • St. Louis Park Please cut out form below and mail to: 3888 West Broadway • Robbinsdale, MN 55422

Name Address City

State

Zip

o Please mail information regarding pre-need funeral arrangements. o Please have a funeral director call me with information regarding prearrangements. My phone number is

Join us on pilgrimage OBERAMMERGAU 2020 + GERMANY AND AUSTRIA Father Robert Fitzpatrick (Fr. Fitz), – Spiritual Director Retired priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis September 8-19, 2020

Father Fitzpatrick

HOLY LAND

(Walk Where Jesus Walked) Father Leroy Scheierl – Spiritual Director February 10 – 21, 2020 Father Scheierl

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City • March 2020 (date pending) • Details available soon Holy Land • October 2020 • pending date and final details Best of Italy • Father Robert Fitzpatrick (Fr. Fritz) • Fall 2020 date pending Contact Colleen @ JeriCo Christian Journeys for details or a brochure call 1-877-453-7426

Bongon said. “My kids are suffering post-traumatic stress,” he said, noting that the family stayed in their apartment during the hurricane and were trapped afterward because they were surrounded by water. “We couldn’t do anything but keep on praying for two days,” Bongon said. Now they are packing their belongings, which are mostly wet after storm water leaked in through the ceiling during Dorian; they have no power or water and only enough food for another day or so. “Right now, “ he said, “we just need to get out of here, and shutter everything up and leave.”

NATION+WORLD

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Bishops respond to Texas shooting Catholic News Service

Catholic leaders across the United States reacted with sorrow and “heavy hearts” to a mass shooting in west Texas Aug. 31 that authorities said claimed seven lives and wounded 25 others. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement Sept. 1 that he was “deeply saddened to witness yet again scenes of violence and contempt for human life being repeated in our nation’s streets.” He said Catholics attending Sunday Mass Sept. 1 “do so with heavy hearts” thinking of these victims and victims of recent “gun violence in California, Texas and Ohio.” Cardinal DiNardo also called on “people of goodwill,” including Catholic leaders and the faithful, “to work tirelessly to root out the causes of such crimes.” John Trojack, The shooting was the second in west attorney and owner Texas in a month. The first occurred in Trojack Law El Paso Aug. 3 when aofgunman shot and Office West killed 22 people and injuredin24 others. K | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT St.San Paul,Angelo, at his desk. Bishop Michael Sis of Texas, where Odessa and Midland are located, announced thatmost three Masses chievement at work are you had been scheduled at diocesan f? churches to pray for peace and healing from the tragedy, including a Mass Sept. y counseling that allows me to help people. 8 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo. t specific ways have youfollowing experienced In a statement the God’s Bishop Sis offered prayers for e in yourshooting, workplace? those who died and were injured in the and people others impacted by the y I workincident with great who show forth violence. ness that is God. Bishops also took to social media to voice concerns after the shooting. dvice do you haveBlase for others want said to Cardinal Cupichwho of Chicago th faith?in a Sept. 1 tweet: “Prayers alone are not the answer.” “I carry join my brother in matter son should out their bishops duties no condemning such horrific crimes vial act might be involved, in order to try against humanity and I encourage all union with God’s will. That will be an people of goodwill to demand action to others of by where faith should now our elected leaders,”lead. he said.

Don’t forget to check out the

Don’t forget to check out the

2019Parish Parish 2019 FestivalGuide Guide Festival at TheCatholicSpirit.com/festivals

Additions: at TheCatholicSpirit.com/festivals Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul • Sept. 13-15 St. Gregory the Great, North Branch • Sept. 29

Corrections: Corrections: OurHoly Lady of Lourdes 27 Cross, Minneapolis••July Sept. 13-15 St. Francis de Sales, St.•Paul • Oct. 6 Holy Cross, Minneapolis Sept. 13-15 Mass is now scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m.

Additions:

St. Odilia, Shoreview • Sept. 7-8 St. Peter, Forest Lake • Sept. 21-22

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

Pope to create 13 new cardinals in October By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Pope Francis announced he will create 13 new cardinals Oct. 5, choosing prelates from 13 different nations as a sign of “the missionary vocation of the Church that continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all men and women of the earth.” At that point, Pope Francis will have chosen more than half of the men who will elect his successor. One Canadian was named, 73-yearold Jesuit Father Michael Czerny, undersecretary of the Section for Migrants and Refugees at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. None of the new cardinals are from the United States. Cardinal-designate Czerny, who Pope Francis had earlier named as a special secretary for the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, was in Guararema, Brazil,

when the announcement was made. He said in a text message he had not known he would be made a cardinal. Two others are also Vatican officials: 67-year-old Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; and 53-year-old Archbishop Jose Tolentino Calaca de Mendonca, Vatican archivist and librarian. Announcing the names Sept. 1, the pope included 10 who are under the age of 80 and will be eligible to vote to elect a new pope. Three are over the age of 80. The pope said he chose them because of their service to the Church. “Let us pray for the new cardinals so that, confirming their adhesion to Christ, they will help me in my ministry as bishop of Rome for the good of the entire faithful, holy people of God,” the pope told pilgrims who had gathered to pray the midday Angelus with him. One of the over-80 cardinals-designate

is 82-year-old Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, a Missionary of Africa born in England, who had served as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and later as Vatican nuncio to Egypt. The others are: uArchbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta, Indonesia, 69. uArchbishop Juan Garcia Rodriguez of Havana, 71. uArchbishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, Congo, 59. uArchbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, 61. uBishop Alvaro Ramazzini Imeri of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, 72. uArchbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, 63. uArchbishop Cristobal Lopez Romero of Rabat, Morocco, 67. uRetired Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius of Kaunas, Lithuana, 80.

10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

PARENTING By Jessica Weinberger For The Catholic Spirit

N

othing has reshaped 21st century culture more than technology and devices. Statistics point to the pervasive impact: More than 17 billion connected devices in the world. An average 11 hours per day watching, reading, listening to or interacting with media. More than 2 billion active Facebook users. We’re taking in five times more information daily than 50 years ago. Deemed crucial tools to thriving in the digital age by expanding our knowledge and networks, smartphones also offer unprecedented access to pornography and can facilitate cyberbullying and human trafficking. As researchers race to track the consequences of screen time on the brain and body, we’re also left wondering about the impact on children and the family. Screen time troubles many, including Judy Stoffel. The seasoned Chanhassen certified public accountant and business professional added “author” to her resume when she published her first book, “#LookUp: A Parenting Guide to Screen Use,” in March. As a parent of five millennial and Generation Z y il a d children, Stoffel saw how g “By growin technology use drastically ess n e r a changed between her older and w a r in ou younger kids. Now ages 16 to l a it v e h 29, they represent a massive t f o shift that’s playing out in e of families around the nation. importanc “We’re raising the first g in r e t encoun generation of children who will will prefer texting over others, we talking—there is no rule ology n h book for this,” said Stoffel, c e t y lo emp a parishioner at St. Hubert than r e h t a r in Chanhassen. “We are all , ly wise part of the biggest s e selv uncontrolled experiment letting our known to man.” d te be domina And the stakes are high. Before age 5, when many .” it by children discover tablets cis Pope Fran and streaming channels, their brain develops more than any other phase. On average, UGHTS O | PHOTHO children receive their iSTOCK PHOT first smartphone at age 10, before they reach another critical development window in the teenage years. Gazing at a screen and jumping at the sound of pings, alarms and other notifications is fundamentally changing our make-up. It’s rewiring our brains and affecting our mental health, Stoffel said, referring to the concept of “plasticity” where deep-rooted canals in the brain are formed by experiences. “The more kids are constantly swiping, playing video games, streaming movies and the less they’re outside with nature, playing with other kids and using their imagination, it’s forming all of these canals in their brains at such a critical time,” she explained. That makes habits even more challenging to break. Much like gambling, swipes, likes, friend requests and emojis draw us in with the potential to “win.” The intermittent variable reward triggers a dopamine surge that provides a rush and supports long-term addiction, much like cigarette or drug use.

Plugged in family life Like Stoffel, Chaska mom Jenny Richelsen had a front seat view of the technology wave with five

iSTOCK PHOTO | MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES • PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CARON OLHOFT

Screen q

Family life in the children ages 27 down to 14. “It’s heartbreaking to me to see how kids are constantly on their phones and not interacting, not being social and feeling left out,” said Richelsen, who attends Guardian Angels in Chaska. “[They’re] not engaging with the world, making friends and talking to their families. When you go into restaurants, and everybody is plugged in on an iPad or phone, to me, it’s just not acceptable.” She didn’t allow her younger children to have smartphones until they were 14, making them the last of their friends to join in. Her children know that at any time she can read a text or view a Snap. All technology must be plugged in at their main-floor message center before bedtime. There are no phones in the bedroom or at the dinner table. Her kids borrowed phones to arrange a ride after sports practice. Social events were planned through the parents. The minor inconveniences and resisting the peer pressure were a worthwhile trade for avoiding the physical, mental and emotional stressors that come from handing a super computer to a young child, she said. Smartphones offer access to quality, faith-based content like the Laudate Catholic app or Relevant Radio. But it’s the influence of social media and other sites that are most impacting children in the selfie generation. Adults learned character-

building traits and virtues like respect and manners before the influence of technology, and many of today’s children are looking into their screens for examples of how to act and what to believe. “When media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously,” Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care of Our Common Home.” And while technology connects us more than ever before, it also separates us. It’s a daily dichotomy families face when screens physically stand in the way of deep relationships. “Use of these devices isolates users from the people and world around them when engaging in the world and family is the best teacher and the healthiest way for children to grow and develop,” said Sister Rose Pacatte, a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles. Parents should strive to designate family time together and really commit to it, Sister Rose said. For people of all ages, living authentically both on and offline is key to living out our faith. “For screen time to enhance our humanity and therefore our faith lives, it’s about what we watch and do with what we consume via these new media,” Sister Rose said. “It’s about our behavior

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 • 11

10 tips for managing smartphones “Text neck” and “screen addiction” were unknown terms more than a decade ago. Children are playing outside 50% less and immersing themselves in social media, which many say is contributing to the one in five rate of American children ages 3 to 17 with mental, emotional or behavioral disorders like depression and anxiety. To curb the effects of screen time, Judy Stoffel offers 50 tips in her book, “#LookUp: A Parenting Guide to Screen Use.” Here are 10 of them, edited for length:

1 Walk the walk: Distracted parents cultivate distracted children.

We must model the behavior we hope to see in our children. On our faith journey, we can’t teach our children to participate in Mass every Sunday, then skip going ourselves.

2 Hold off on that phone purchase: This is probably one of the

hardest tips because of the peer pressure, but it’s much easier than keeping track of what they’re doing on their phone. If you need to, start with a flip phone with no data.

3 Develop a family media plan: We need to teach boundaries and

balance, and it’s important to start when they’re young so rules can turn into good habits for life. Teaching the “why” ensures they have a healthy relationship with technology.

4 Out of sight, out of mind: Proximity matters, so establish a

central location for all phones. If you carry it with you, put it in your backpack, purse or locker. If it’s in your pocket, turn it off or on airplane mode so you’re not unconsciously waiting for it to ping, ding, ring or vibrate.

5 No phone in the bedroom: Silicon Valley executives follow this rule for their own children, and it should be the first rule you put in place when they get a phone.

6 Decrease blue light: Most devices have a higher percentage of blue light waves than any other light source, which can slow melatonin production. Try no screens two hours before bedtime or use blue light blocking glasses like Felix Grey glasses.

quandary:

7 Go to the desert: Try to put the devices down and

incorporate reading Scripture with your children. Do the rosary, a novena or eucharistic adoration. Designate tech-free times to reconnect as a family. iSTOCK PHOTO

| SUNG YOON JO

e technology age on social media sites, being persons of good character and living Christian values whenever we engage or create content via a Facebook message, Instagram photo or a tweet.”

A crisis in parenting At dinner time, Mark Piper, a Chicago-based retreat center director, hits “print” on his home computer. He knows the recipe would be just a few clicks away on the family tablet, but it’s a simple way to reduce screen time. The parent of two referred to the dramatic rise in technology use among both parents and children as a “crisis in parenting” in a National Catholic Reporter article he wrote earlier this year. “As a parent, I try to limit the screen time of my children, while subconsciously or not, I’m constantly having screens around me,” he said. At age 31, Piper grew up without GPS in the car, a smart TV or Pandora. Now, with smart devices dominating daily life, he said it’s easy to underestimate how much screen time we log, including in front of our children. At home, he tries to keep his smartphone upstairs and silence the ringer, and the whole family keeps phones tucked away during mealtime. The ministry of presence, he said, points to the Baptismal Rite where parents commit to being teachers of the faith, which can’t be achieved through a screen.

“It is not the issue of physical proximity that people care about, it’s the attentiveness,” Piper said. He prioritizes quality over quantity for his young children, favoring the PBS app and other tools if they comply with the childhood development guidelines. He advocates for balance and for boundaries, which ultimately honors the human person and supports genuine interpersonal relationships. “God became flesh…the Incarnation, that embodying, is important and central to our faith,” Piper explained. “As wonderful as it is to connect with people or to see grandpa and grandma on FaceTime, there will never be a substitution for that human-to-human interaction.” Stoffel agrees. Inanimate objects like smartphones and tablets cannot replace a personal relationship with God and others, and online ventures like video games, social media, pornography and excess shopping only give temporary satisfaction. In family life, which represents the domestic church, parents have the obligation to teach the love of God and one another, she said. “This can’t be taught on a screen,” Stoffel said. “It needs to be lived day in and day out.” In her book, she doesn’t advocate for eliminating phones, except for young children.

8 Go grayscale: To keep the functionality of your phone but decrease

the visual appeal, choose the grayscale option, which turns your phone into basically a black and white TV. Navigate to “Settings>General>Acce ssibility” and then “color filters” to enable grayscale.

9 Protect yourself from yourself: Move time-wasting apps from

your homepage to the second or third page so they’re more difficult to access. Alternatively, delete the app on your phone to only access it from your web browser or your laptop or desktop computer.

10 Play, play, play: Think back to your childhood and what you did for fun. Have a ball? Throw or kick it. Have an old piece of fabric? Use it as a superhero cape. In the car? Count license plates from different states.

Instead, she proposes a thoughtful, intentional approach to screen use to regain balance. This starts by defining a house culture that supports your values and virtues and creating a family media plan. “If you are a Catholic family, then worship God, don’t worship your devices. Live your Catholic values in both the real world and the digital world,” she said. From there, Catholics can create a “modern village” of people who share like-minded goals and values. Think “no technology” carpools and screen-free birthday parties. While it’s going to take time for Silicon Valley and lawmakers to adopt new standards for screen use, it’s going to have to start with parents stepping outside the norm and instilling change. “This change has to start local. Get some change in your house, on your block, in your kid’s school, and then let’s build from there,” Stoffel said. “We can’t wait for the rest of the world to do it.”

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

PARENTING

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Children’s devotional teaches, encourages virtues The Catholic Spirit Susanna Spencer, writer and theological editor of Blessed is She, an Arizona-based, international Catholic women’s ministry, recently published through that ministry, “Rise Up: Shining with Virtue,” a children’s devotional book with multiple authors. The book is available at blessedisshe.net/product/rise-up-virtuesdevotional-for-kids. A member of St. Agnes in St. Paul with her husband, Mark, and their four children ages 10, 8, 6, and 4, Spencer shared with The Catholic Spirit the reasons she compiled the book and details about what it contains:

Q. What is “Rise Up: Shining with Virtue”? A. “Rise Up” is a children’s devotional book centered around 15 different virtues written by 17 Catholic women who are mothers, aunts and teachers of children. Among the other local writers are Anna Coyne of St. Mark’s parish in St. Paul, Joan Geiger of St. Timothy’s parish in Blaine, and Nell O’Leary Alt, Jacqui Skemp and Rose Coleman of St. Agnes parish. The book teaches children how to take a prayer time, be with God, and gives a clear understanding of what virtue is and how to grow in it. Q. Where did the idea for “Rise Up” come from? A. The idea came from my eldest daughter when she

was 8 years old. She saw all the beautiful products that the women’s ministry I work for, Blessed is She, was publishing for women, and she wanted to know if we would make one for kids — for her. She asked for a book that would help her pray, something with daily prayer prompts. In brainstorming the idea with the project’s managing editor Nell, we came up with the idea of basing the devotion around virtues.

Q. What was your role in creating “Rise Up”? A. Together with Nell, I helped plan and layout the

basic format of the book. The next part was more difficult — explaining virtue in simple terms to children and giving them guidelines on prayer. I turned to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, using it to write an introduction to the book and accessible explanations of each of the 15 virtues at the beginning of their respective chapters. From there I selected a Gospel passage for each chapter and wrote a meditation on the passage centered on the virtue. It was also my job to edit the book to make sure all of the virtues were described properly and that the book was theologically sound.

Q. What does the devotional include? A. After the explanatory introduction, there are 15 chapters, one for each of the virtues we chose, beginning with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The book then goes through the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, courage and temperance, with some of their daughter virtues interspersed of gratitude, generosity, obedience, perseverance, patience/mercy, humility, studiousness, and honesty. There are seven days for each chapter, day one consisting of the introduction to the reflection, days two to six with a short saint quotation or Scripture passage paired with a reflection by one of the other writers. Nell compiled the quotations and wrote the closing prayer for each day. I came back in to wrap up the week with a simple Ignatian-style examen for day seven. Q. The promotional materials talk about this book offering “for the first time” an overview of the virtues for ages 8-12. What makes it unique? What made you realize that there was nothing else out there like it? A. There are so many books on virtue, but we wanted to make one specific to children who are ready to dive deeper into their faith. This is a book that meets

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Susanna Spencer of St. Agnes in St. Paul reads with daughters Gemma, left, and Lucy about the virtues Aug. 28 from a book Susanna compiled with multiple authors titled “Rise Up: Shining with Virtue.” children at their level, using the ideas in the Catholic Tradition, and invites them to stretch their minds, understand how to live their faith and allow their hearts to be changed to be more like God.

Q. The main audience is children ages 8-12. Is it for boys and girls? If so, what makes it appeal to both sexes?

to break it. So, if a person attains a virtue at a young age, for example, generosity, he or she will grow up to be a generous adult. However, if a person grows up selfish, it will be very difficult for him or her to break this habit of selfishness. Further, this selfishness will spill over into other parts of his or her life, leaving them ungrateful and unkind.

A. This book was designed for boys and girls, with

Q. Blessed Is She typically publishes material for Catholic women. How does “Rise Up” fit with its mission?

Q. What do you hope its audience takes away from the book?

A. We publish things by women and for women, but all of us have children in our lives. We see and experience the struggle to be close to God as adults, and we want to form the children we love in holiness. It has been such a blessing to use our gifts of writing materials for women for the sake of the little men and women in our lives.

content that can be applied to any child’s life. Both girls and boys need courage, humility, generosity, temperance and so on. We included examples in the reflections to appeal to both genders, and the designer, Erica Tighe Campbell, created illustrations that girls and boys both find interesting.

A. My hope for all of the children and parents that read this book is that they will come out of it with a consistent, dedicated habit of prayer, where they talk to and listen to God each day. And that they have begun to be aware of seeking and forming virtue in their lives. Q. A lot of people have a good sense of the concept of “virtue,” but what are we talking about specifically when we say “the virtues”? What is their role in our Catholic tradition? A. At first virtues may seem like a form of morality

imposed on our lives by the Church, but if we evaluate our experience of making good and bad choices, we see that virtue language is a fitting description of human life. The Catholic tradition, based on even the older thought of Aristotle and Plato, has given us the concepts of virtues and vice to describe our experience and guide us in becoming more like God. It is easier to understand how to turn away from our sins when we can use words to talk about them and know how to overcome. That is why virtue is so helpful. If I have a habit of lying — I can name that habit, and then I know that in order to stop lying I have to practice the virtue of honesty — I have to tell the truth.

Q. Why are the virtues important “seeds to plant” in Catholic children? A. The earlier in life one forms a habit, the harder it is

Q. You’re a mom. Have you introduced the book to your children? If so, what has that experience been like?

A. I let my daughter open the package the day I received my copies in the mail. It was incredible to see her open and look at the book that she inspired. Both of my daughters of the target age spend time in prayer with “Rise Up” several days a week in our family quiet prayer time. They seem to draw a lot from it. Q. What feedback have you received on the book from other parents who have shared it with their children? A. Parents and children love the book! We have found that children younger than 8 have benefited from reading it with a parent, and that parents find the book really helpful for their own understanding of virtue. When I thought it up, I was thinking of it as a book for personal prayer, but I love that it has become a point of discussion for families. Q. What else would you like to share about the book?

A. One of the most exciting things for us at Blessed is She is that “Rise Up” was given an imprimatur (a bishop’s declaration that the book is free from doctrinal error). As a parent I always look for this on books I give to my children about the faith, because teaching the truth matters.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

PARENTING

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

Teen rings in 16th birthday with bells at Indiana parish By John Shaughnessy Catholic News Service Tom Huber, former parish council president at St. Michael’s Parish in Cannelton, Indiana, was touched by the note he received this summer from a mother who wanted to make a special birthday wish come true for her son. “My name is Amanda Noles. I am the mother of a sweet boy, Cayden, who is blind and autistic,” the note began. “Cayden will be turning 16 this summer, and I want to try to make it a memorable birthday for him in some way since he is not able to get a driver’s license or car like most 16-year-olds.” Noles went on to explain that “as a child with autism, Cayden has many obsessions,” and one of his favorites involves bell towers from around the world, including Big Ben in London. The Arkansas woman also noted that her son loves to listen to bells. He was particularly enthralled while listening to a YouTube video of the ringing of the bells at St. Michael’s in southern Indiana during the Christmas season. Since Cayden listed St. Michael among his top 10 favorite bell systems in the world, his mom decided to surprise him with a road trip of about 500 miles to see it, hear it and hopefully ring it, which he did. Cayden, his mother and two of his grandparents drove from their home in Little Rock, Arkansas, and arrived in Cannelton July 20 — nine days before Cayden’s actual birthday. Huber said it was a privilege to help make Cayden’s birthday special. “We were just elated to have them come to our church,” he said. “It was such a feel-good morning for our small community.” The first present came when Cayden first heard the

Cayden Noles examines the large church bell that is mounted on the grounds of St. Michael Church in Cannelton, Ind. Cayden, who is blind and autistic, loves ringing bells, so as a surprise for his 16th birthday his mother planned a weeklong journey that included the parish’s church bells. CNS

bells. The next day, he pulled the ropes for these bells before and after the Sunday morning Mass. Parish members also held a reception for Cayden and his family after Mass. Cayden said ringing the church bells at St. Michael’s was “spectacular.” In describing their appeal, he said: “I feel like Jesus has placed them in my heart to actually uplift my spirit.” His mother feels the same way about St. Michael’s parishioners. “The people of St. Michael’s Catholic Church were a picture of Christian hospitality in action,” Amanda Noles said. “They were all so friendly and went above and beyond anything we could have imagined. The mayor even came to greet us. I could go on and on about the wonderful people at St. Michael’s.”

Her enthusiasm also overflowed when she recalled how Cayden reacted when the parish let him ring the bells twice, for an extended time. “To see the huge smile on his face and the excitement pouring out of his body, my heart was filled with joy, and my smile was as big if not bigger than his,” she said. “It meant the world to be able to give him the gift of experiencing the bells he had for so long only listened to on YouTube.” During their weeklong journey, the family visited eight other places in Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas that have bell systems, including the World Peace Bell in Newport, Kentucky. As far as his mom’s surprise gift, Cayden said: “I think I will never forget that.”

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

FAITH+CULTURE

Irish Church confirms 1989 miraculous cure of woman at Knock shrine By Sarah Mac Donald Catholic News Service

T

he Catholic Church in Ireland confirmed Sept. 1 that a woman who was seriously ill with multiple sclerosis experienced a complete healing of all her symptoms at Knock shrine in September 1989. The cure of Marion Carroll 30 years ago is the first officially recognized healing associated with Ireland’s national Marian shrine since an apparition witnessed by 15 people occurred there in August 1879. Bishop Francis Duffy of Ardagh announced to a packed basilica that the Church had officially recognized 68-yearold Carroll’s healing. “Without doubt, there was a healing, a cure of the illness that beset Marion for several years,” Bishop Duffy told the congregation Sept. 1, many of whom were taking part in the annual diocesan pilgrimage. Carroll, her husband, Jimmy, their two children and five grandchildren were in the congregation. “I recognize that Marion was healed from her long-standing illness while on pilgrimage in this sacred place,” Bishop Duffy said. It was his predecessor, Bishop Colm O’Reilly, who administered the blessing after which Carroll experienced “something beautiful.” Speaking to Catholic News Service from

CNS

Marion Carroll with a statue of Mary and roses Sept. 2. her home in Athlone, Carroll recalled that on the day she was healed, she was taken into the basilica on a stretcher because she was “completely paralyzed.” “I was doubly incontinent, I was blind in one eye and had very little sight in the other eye. I couldn’t eat right, I couldn’t talk right, and I had epilepsy,” she said. She said she felt she was dying, not from multiple sclerosis, but from its ancillary complications, including persistent kidney infections.

At the blessing of the sick, Bishop O’Reilly blessed her with the monstrance. “When he blessed me, I got this beautiful feeling — it was a magnificent feeling — and then the whispering breeze telling me that if the stretcher was opened that I could get up and walk.” After Mass, the young mother was taken in her stretcher to St. John’s Rest and Care Centre in Knock. The nurses and doctors were surprised by her request that her stretcher be opened. The nurse

told her afterward that she only agreed to do it to “pacify” her. But as soon as the stretcher was opened, Carroll swung her legs to the ground. “I stood up straight and didn’t even feel stiff” despite years of paralysis, Carroll said. Her voice had returned perfectly, as had the use of her arms. Carroll now dedicates time to helping the sick in Knock as well as talking about her cure at home and overseas. She serves as a eucharistic minister in her parish and accompanies the ill and the dying. “My healing in Knock does not belong to me. This is a special gift to let people know that Jesus and Mary are there,” she said. Bishop Duffy said it was “a healing for which there is no medical explanation at present; it is definite and yet defies medical explanation.” Father Richard Gibbons, rector of Knock shrine, who has overseen the celebrations of the 140th anniversary of the apparition at Knock, told CNS the announcement came “after many years of investigation by a medical committee set up by Knock shrine to examine the case, and (it) is the first official healing in the 140-year history of the shrine.” Addressing the congregation Sept. 1, Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam explained the length of time it took for the formal acknowledgment of the healing. “In these situations, the Church must always be very cautious,” he said.

NOTICE

Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND in some copies of this issue

w ww .fa

c eb ook.co

pir S c li m / T h e C at h o

it

Prices starting at $2,499 ~ with Airfare Included in this price from anywhere in the USA

Several trips to different destinations: the Holy Land; Italy; France; Portugal; Spain; Poland; Medjugorje; Lourdes; Fatima; Ireland; Scotland; England; Austria; Germany; Switzerland; Turkey; Greece; Budapest; Prague; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Colombia; Brazil; Argentina; Domestic Destinations; etc. We also specialize in custom trips for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

Call us 24/7 508-340-9370 or 855-842-8001 www.proximotravel.com anthony@proximotravel.com (Hablamos Español)

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER MICHAEL JONCAS

Transformed by Christ

This Sunday’s Scriptures are not easy to hear for those of us who live observing God’s commandments and the precepts of the Church. Our behavior leads us to think of ourselves as “insiders,” those who belong to the community of Jesus’ followers with all the privileges that entails. And yet the selection from Luke’s Gospel that we hear today warns us that we may discover ourselves “outsiders” when the Reign of God that Jesus proclaimed is brought to completion. In the group-oriented cultural world of Jesus’ day, people pledged their greatest allegiance to their (extended) family. Members of that family were considered one’s primary set of “insiders.” Everyone else was an “outsider” to this primary group. At a higher level, all of the families of covenant people of God (tribes) were “insiders,” while those not part of this set of family and clan relationships were “outsiders” (Gentiles). While the normal way to be an “insider” was to be born into a family, clan or tribe, there were at least two ways in which an “outsider” could become an “insider.” Sharing a common substance with a natural-born member of a family, clan or tribe (e.g., suckling the milk of a common wet-nurse, or becoming “blood brothers” by mingling another bodily fluid) established an “outsider” as an “insider” in society’s eyes, with all its duties and privileges. Consider

ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ

How can I offer correction to family members? Q. I have family members who are Catholic,

but they openly do not live as Catholics. I don’t know how to offer them correction. What do I do?

A. I think that most anybody reading this column will be able to relate to what you described. You want the best for your family. You don’t merely want to be right or to “fix” them, but you want them to come to know God’s love for them and his high call of discipleship. First, I would remind you of a couple of important realities. You and I are often incredibly blind to our own shortcomings and sins. Despite the fact that we want to follow the Lord and serve him well, it is always easier to recognize the faults of others than to attend to our own sins. I can find myself giving speeches in my head about how this person or that group needs to shape up and change their behaviors, completely ignoring the fact that I fail just as regularly in my own personal areas of weakness. Have you ever found this to be the case? We tend to give ourselves a pass for our own sins and can be tempted to condemn others. We extend some leniency to ourselves but are cut-and-dried with the behavior of other people. Being aware of this temptation will go a long way. First, it will remind us that we are not guiltless. Second, it will necessitate that we approach the people we love with a certain degree of patience and understanding. We approach our family members and friends as equals, as “fellow travelers.” I know there was a time in my life when I didn’t know and didn’t care about what God wanted. I am grateful to people for being so patient with me in my bumbling about and arrogance. Second, I am regularly reminded of the advice given by the founder of a religious community (who wrote a lot about living in community!), where he emphasized the importance of “assuming the best.” When it comes to living with others, there can be the temptation to begin to make conclusions about the motivations behind their actions: “Clearly, they are leaving the dishes in the sink because they know that I will do them and they don’t mind placing that burden on me.” We can also make assumptions about their interior life. I remember how, for a long time, I found myself misjudging how some close friends (who were committed Catholics) used their money. I thought that they should be living more simply and give more of their money away (isn’t it interesting how easy it is to fall into the trap of knowing what other people should do with their money?). What I did not realize until much later was how incredibly generous they actually were, giving away far more money

how it was possible for a Gentile to become a Jew through lengthy instruction, a pledge to keep the prescriptions of Torah, and (if a male) by circumcision. A second way in which an “outsider” could become an “insider” was by sharing a common meal, what anthropologists call “commensality” or table fellowship. Sharing food and drink, even when the ritual aspects of this act were not made explicit, sealed friendships and integrated “outsiders” into a community. It is in this context, then, that we can understand Jesus’ hearers’ reactions to the story he tells. Jesus acts as the master of the house and bars putative “insiders” from fellowship with him. They respond by claiming that they are part of his community by having eaten and drunk with him. Jesus’ answer to this claim has already been given earlier in this chapter (Luke 13: 2, 5): “Unless you repent, you will all perish.” It’s not enough to share a meal with Jesus, one must also exhibit a radical change in life to establish kinship with him. Those seeking admittance remind Jesus that “you taught in our streets.” And Jesus’ devastating rejoinder is: “Yes, I taught, but all you did was listen, and you never put what you heard into practice.” It is interesting that in most of the contemporary Roman Rite eucharistic prayers the priest in our name twice petitions God the Father to send the Holy Spirit: first, that the bread and wine we offer is transformed by the power of the Spirit into the Body and Blood of Christ and second, that we who share table fellowship with Jesus and one another may also be transformed in our thoughts and our behavior by the same Spirit. May we be privileged to “recline at table in the kingdom of God” and live transformed by the Spirit of Christ. Father Joncas, a composer, is an artist in residence at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

than they kept. If I had followed the counsel of “always assume the best” of the other, I would have been reminded that there is so much more that I don’t know about another person’s life than what I do know. Lastly, pay attention to the who, the what, and the how of correction. Who is the person I am compelled to correct? What I mean by that is: What is my relationship with them? What is my role in their life? Is this particular relationship one in which I have the responsibility to offer correction? One way to determine that (on a subjective level) is to ask yourself: Has this person given me permission to correct them? I know that is a bit of a “fuzzy” question, but attending to it can save you a lot of grief. Even when it comes to certain close friends and family members, we learn quickly enough that some of them have not given us permission to speak truth into their lives. I have to be willing to accept the fact that they may not accept correction. What is the point on which I want to offer correction? Am I wanting to correct a mere preference of mine, or is this something worth correcting? Am I putting forth merely an opinion, or is this the actual truth? Beyond that basic question, I may also have to ask whether the importance of this correction is worth cashing in my “relationship clout” with the other person. There is such a thing as “majoring in the minors.” Is this point of correction going to get in the way of being able to help my friend or family member when it comes to a more serious issue? How one offers correction might be the most important element of all. If we remember the first thing to keep in mind (that I am approaching this person with my own baggage and failures), then the how becomes clearer. St. Peter wrote, “Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear ... ” (1 Peter 3:15-16). While he is talking about offering a defense for your faith in Christ, being aware of the call to speak with “gentleness and reverence” when offering correction is necessary. In addition, Jesus makes it very clear that we are not given permission to publicly correct our brothers and sisters. He said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17). The first step is to correct privately, and the penultimate step is to bring it to the Church, not the world. This is important to remember in our social media day and age. The responsibility to offer correction is not to be taken upon oneself lightly. Prayer is necessary. Examining one’s own motives is necessary. And finally, being willing to go unheard and unheeded is also necessary. Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, September 15 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 1 Tm 1:12-17 Lk 15:1-32 Monday, September 16 Sts. Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs 1 Tm 2:1-8 Lk 7:1-10 Tuesday, September 17 1 Tm 3:1-13 Lk 7:11-17 Wednesday, September 18 1 Tm 3:14-16 Lk 7:31-35 Thursday, September 19 1 Tm 4:12-16 Lk 7:36-50 Friday, September 20 Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest, and Paul Chong Hasang and companions, martyrs 1 Tm 6:2c-12 Lk 8:1-3 Saturday, September 21 St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 Mt 9:9-13 Sunday, September 22 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Am 8:4-7 1 Tm 2:1-8 Lk 16:1-13 Monday, September 23 St. Pius of Pietrelcina, priest Ezr 1:1-6 Lk 8:16-18 Tuesday, September 24 Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 Lk 8:19-21 Wednesday, September 25 Ezr 9:5-9 Lk 9:1-6 Thursday, September 26 Hg 1:1-8 Lk 9:7-9 Friday, September 27 St. Vincent de Paul, priest Hg 2:1-9 Lk 9:18-22 Saturday, September 28 Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a Lk 9:43b-45 Sunday, September 29 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Am 6:1a, 4-7 1 Tm 6:11-16 Lk 16:19-31

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

COMMENTARY TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

Being resourceful: I can read! I can pray! “We ate our honey. We ate a lot. Now we have no honey in our honey pot.” With those 17 words, averaging just three letters in length, Jan and Stan Berenstain launched their legendary book series. They were using the methods Dr. Seuss had coached them on: rhyme, repetition, short sentences. As head of Random House’s new publishing house for children’s books, Dr. Seuss was an eccentric, exacting boss, and the 1962 publication of their book “The Big Honey Hunt” marked the completion of a two-year editing process that had begun with the manuscript for a completely different book, “Freddy Bear’s Spanking.” It was also a beginning, the birth of a franchise that would feature more than 300 titles and sell more than 260 million copies. The 38-year-old artists from Pennsylvania — the parents of two sons — had already enjoyed commercial success as magazine cartoonists when they dreamed up their bear family. They had come far from their meeting on the first day of Miss Sweeney’s drawing class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, when Stan complimented Jan’s charcoal sketch. She smiled brightly and inquired about his rendering of Zeus. “How did you manage to do all

those curls in two hours?” He had been resourceful, as had she. It was a trait that would earn their mutual admiration — and growing success as young artists. And when it came time to tell the story of Papa Bear, a fumbling father in blue overalls — “a little like Stan,” he would later write — and Mama Bear, a wise mother “very like Jan” wearing a polka-dotted dress and dust cap, they channeled that resourcefulness at the typewriter, artfully spinning those three-letter words to empower new readers with a limited set of sight words and a big imagination. “How are you doing? Are you getting a lot? Are you getting much honey? Or are you not?” That was the purpose of Beginner Books, which debuted in 1957 with Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat.” It drew from an editor’s list of 379 words known by early readers and used only 236, zig zagging them together into a 1,626-word book. The 5-year-old recipients demonstrated great resourcefulness of their own by learning to read: to assign sounds to shapes, to commit them to memory and then speak them aloud, following a trail of black strokes until a story emerges. I’ve been thinking about the value of being resourceful. By definition, it is to deal with new situations or difficulties. In action, it is to make like Dr. Seuss: to create a masterpiece from a small list of short words, to do a lot with a little. A teacher making the most of a small budget. A host opening up his modest home. A cook improvising with a half-empty fridge. A bedridden pregnant woman parenting from the mattress. To be resourceful is to glorify the Creator, using our God-given gifts to full effect, like the servants who double their talents in Jesus’ parable. A retired archbishop here in St. Paul proved

SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY

Real Presence

When I read the articles in the Aug. 22 Catholic Spirit regarding the concept of Real Presence, I was struck by how excited I was. I know that may sound strange to readers, but adult Catholics have been asked the most profound and mysterious question of our faith: Do we believe Jesus the Christ, our Risen Savior, is really present in the Eucharist? And perhaps not shockingly, 69% of adult Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. Actually, this is not surprising. How can we believe something so unexplainable and mystifying as Jesus present to us — yes, each and every one of us — when we partake of the sacrament of the Eucharist? What does this mean and why should it mean anything to us? Let me share a few experiences I had when I was at The St. Paul Seminary about 20 years ago. When I was in my Eucharist class for my master’s degree in theology, Tom Fisch, who taught Socratic style, asked “What difference does it make if the bread and wine are not changed at the Eucharist?” Socratic style involves asking students difficult questions and letting them mull and stew over their response. Rather than provide a quick and easy answer, the professor allows the students to struggle to find a response deep within themselves. As the class sat there and Fisch quietly repeated his question, we all looked around at each other, as if to say, “That wasn’t in the reading for this week.” I decided to try an answer, and if it was incorrect, it would at least get the conversation rolling. I said, more as a question, “If it is not changed, then we are not changed?” Fisch replied, “Exactly!” Do we fully understand this concept? How could we? Our limited thinking and limited brain could not possibly comprehend this very complex, very mysterious concept. That is why this is called faith. For you see, when we are changed by the Eucharist,

iSTOCK PHOTO | FAABI

ACTION STRATEGY Before you attend Mass this weekend, take time to ask yourself how you could live out your faith in simple and loving ways. When you partake of the Eucharist, ask the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the risen Christ within each one of us, to fill you with patience and peace for all you will encounter throughout the upcoming week.

“

... the value of being resourceful. By definition, it is to deal with new situations or difficulties. In action, it is to make like Dr. Seuss: to create a masterpiece from a small list of short words, to do a lot with a little. A teacher making the most of a small budget. A host opening up his modest home. A cook improvising with a half-empty fridge. A bedridden pregnant woman parenting from the mattress.

resourceful in prayer, using three words to utter a Beginner Books-like invocation that is as simple as it is profound: “Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus, come.” There is much to learn here ­— for one who might expect an archbishop’s prayer to be as ornate as his garb, for one who never prayed or no longer prays or puts off prayer. Like the empowered 5-year-old reader, he hears the archbishop and realizes: I can pray! To pray those three words is to do a lot with a little. They are the final words of the New Testament, the archbishop told me. “It’s been the prayer of my life.” Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.

we become the real presence of Christ in the world. And that is another mysterious, complex concept taught at the seminary in a class by Gene Scapanski, which is Realized Eschatology, which is nothing more than that heaven is in our midst when we are the real presence of Christ in our world. But what does this look like? When we are kind, considerate, and forgiving of infractions from others, we bring the real presence of Christ into the world. When we offer to help others and alleviate their pain, even if for only a moment, we are Christ’s real presence in the world. When we hold and comfort a child, we are Christ’s real presence in that moment. You see, the Real Presence of the Eucharist must be lived in our everyday experiences, or the Eucharist has little more meaning for us than a symbol. It is for this reason that Catholic Charities and the many ministries of the Catholic Church exist: We are a living example of the Eucharist. St. James stated, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:14-26). We must have both, or we have neither. When I was posing a question to a professor in a sacrament class at the seminary, a fellow student asked if my question was a pastoral question or a theological question. I responded that my question was either both theological and pastoral, or it was neither. Our faith must be lived; there is no other way to understand being Catholic. Being a Catholic means we believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and this belief changes and transforms each one of us to become the real presence of Christ in the world, which then transforms the world. This, in essence, was the message of Jesus, his life, and his ministry. I once read a quote in an ecclesiology text that stated “Jesus’ mission has a church.” We are that Church and our mission is Jesus’ mission, which is to love, accept, console, comfort, and extend goodness to one another. And that is the lived expression of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a member of Guardian Angels in Oakdale. She holds a master’s degree in theology from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.

COMMENTARY

FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI

“

Honoring the Real Presence

But we can each deepen our faith in the Real Presence — and help our children and grandchildren to do the same — in small ways each day. After all, what could be smaller than a bite of bread or a sip of wine? Yet this is our God, truly present to us in flesh and blood. This is a mystery worthy of our wrestling and a presence worthy of our honor.

“You are so precious,” she whispered to the baby in my arms. I handed her back the cup, a silver chalice brimming with the Precious Blood. In a lovely twist of irony, she had used the same holy word to describe my infant son. Did she know how perfect her

words were? St. Augustine proclaimed that in the Eucharist, we become what we receive. What if I could see not only my own child, but every sinner with whom I shared that sacrament as precious in God’s eyes? On Aug. 5, the Pew Research Center released the latest survey on Catholic belief in the Eucharist, amid much lament at the shrinking number of Catholics who believe in the Real Presence. Immediately, we heard calls for a return to liturgical reverence — more sacred hymns, more adoration, more kneeling, even more modest clothing — as a way to restore faith in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. But here’s one take I haven’t heard: Could deepening our respect for humanity help deepen our faith in divinity? The power of “imago Dei” — our belief that each human bears God’s image — is that our love of God compels us to love the humans that God has created. But the opposite also holds true: If we dismiss each other, we degrade God in our midst. Take the ways we talk. Contemporary discourse is marked by an easy tendency to demonize the other. I confess I’ve done it, too. We hear the latest news about that politician we can’t stand, and we angrily decry them as an idiot, an animal or a monster. Lately I’ve tried to catch myself, especially when little ears are listening. “I don’t hate that person,” I reframe my words for my kids. “I don’t agree with his politics, and I think his behavior is wrong, but I still

TO HOME FROM ROME | JONATHAN LIEDL

Catching the pope in prayer

It was my first full day in Rome. My fellow Twin Cities seminarian Ryan Glaser and I made our way to St. Peter’s Basilica, a short walk from the North American College, to catch an early Mass. Arriving before the crowds, we crossed the threshold into St. Peter’s in all its baroque grandeur. It was hard to focus on anything apart from the magnificent swirl of gold and marble and mosaics, all of it meant to represent the overwhelming glory of God. But as we made our way toward the sacristy, where we were hoping to join a priest on his way to celebrate Mass at a side altar, my attention was captured by a small, stark spot of white amid the basilica’s splendor. Off to our left, discretely praying by himself, was an elderly man dressed in an all-white cassock and wearing a small white cap. It took a second or so for me to register what I was seeing. Pope Francis was praying right in front of me. The Holy Father, the earthly head of our Catholic Church, sat 20 yards away from me, surprisingly smaller and more worn looking than he appears on TV, his head lowered in prayer. Talk about a first day in Rome. The pope had no entourage. This was not part of an

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

believe he can be a good person and that God loves him.” History proves the evils of dehumanization. For my children’s sake and mine, I have to watch my language. As I’ve meditated on our collective faith in the Real Presence, I wonder how we honor each other’s human presence — or don’t. If we can’t behold the beauty of another person in flesh and blood, how can we begin to appreciate our God present in flesh and blood? And when we behold each other — an exercise of holy imagination to see another with God’s eyes — how do we ultimately see ourselves? Self-loathing runs rampant in our time. Researchers claim that loneliness and isolation may never have been higher in the history of human existence. Do we struggle to see Christ present in the sacraments because we cannot imagine ourselves worthy to receive God in such an intimate, bodily way — especially when our culture has twisted our views of intimacy and bodies? All these questions make me wonder if coming to

official program. Aside from a gaggle of other early arrivals who’d spotted him, no one else this side of heaven would see Pope Francis’ morning offering. He sat there in silence, praying in front of what I would later learn was the tomb of St. Pius X, whose feast day it was. And he was still there 30 minutes later when Ryan and I passed by after Mass. On one level, the data of this experience was insignificant. Of course the pope prays. Seeing him do so didn’t necessarily give me any information I didn’t already have. But on another level, catching the pope praying in such an intimate, unscripted way was something new and deeper, something that was more meaningful than the mere factual knowledge I’d had before. As Robin Williams’ character in “Good Will Hunting” tells the title character, there’s a profound difference between memorizing the encyclopedia entry of Michelangelo and knowing what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. Likewise, there’s a difference between knowing that the pope prays and then actually witnessing him doing it. The experience inspired me in a way that no newspaper article or Wikipedia factoid ever could. Seeing the pope in St. Peter’s reminded me of something Msgr. Steven Rohlfs is fond of telling the seminarians back home at The St. Paul Seminary: as a priest, you need to “let your people catch you praying,” for instance, by praying a Holy Hour in the church instead of the rectory. He wasn’t encouraging us to pray in an ostentatious, self-seeking way. That would violate Christ’s instruction in Matthew 6, to “go to your inner room” when praying, which the Church Fathers taught was a call to pray with heart-felt sincerity, rather than a literal maxim about praying in isolation. As Msgr. Rohlfs would share, allowing his parishioners

iSTOCK PHOTO | MONGKOLCHON AKESIN

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

see another as precious — whether myself, my child, my neighbor or a stranger — could help me to deepen my faith in the Precious Body and Blood. Watch our words. Behold each other. Remember our worthiness. Is believing in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as simple as this? Surely not. The mysteries of our faith demand a lifetime of prayer and pondering. But we can each deepen our faith in the Real Presence — and help our children and grandchildren to do the same — in small ways each day. After all, what could be smaller than a bite of bread or a sip of wine? Yet this is our God, truly present to us in flesh and blood. This is a mystery worthy of our wrestling and a presence worthy of our honor. Fanucci, a parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, is a mother, writer and director of a project on vocations at the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville. She is the author of several books, including “Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting,” and blogs at motheringspirit.com.

“

Perhaps we can all follow the example of the Holy Father in this instance, by considering how we can let others ‘catch us praying’ — catch us witnessing to the reality of God’s love in our lives by revealing our dependence upon him.

or high school students to “catch him praying” was often a profound instance of witnessing to the reality of Christ. And I imagine it’s the same with parents, especially dads. Your kids might know that you pray, but have they ever seen you do it? Have they ever seen you set aside time to engage in genuine, intimate prayer with God? Have your actions demonstrated how essential God is in your life, how real his love and presence are? If not, I imagine it’s hard to communicate to them why God should matter to them. He’s a community of persons, after all, not an abstract idea. No amount of speaking about him can ever substitute for acts of loving him. Perhaps we can all follow the example of the Holy Father in this instance, by considering how we can let others “catch us praying” — catch us witnessing to the reality of God’s love in our lives by revealing our dependence upon him. Liedl is a seminarian in formation for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

COMMENTARY

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

COMMENTARY | RICHARD DOERFLINGER

Who is ignoring women’s health? “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” This observation, attributed to Democratic politician Daniel Patrick Moynihan, comes to mind as I see warring opinions about the Trump administration’s latest conflict with Planned Parenthood. The administration has issued regulations to keep the federal Title X family planning program from promoting abortion. Title X projects must be financially and physically separate from abortion activity, and stop doing referrals for abortion as a method of family planning. Planned Parenthood and others, including many states, filed suit against the regulations but have been rebuffed in federal court — and Planned Parenthood is leaving the Title X program in protest, forgoing almost $60 million in federal funds. One opinion is that the administration has shown its disdain for women’s health, depriving over a million low-income women of health services in its zeal to

COMMENTARY | GREG ERLANDSON

The emigrant’s brave farewell

We talk a great deal in this country about immigration, too often in language that is hostile or fearful. What we don’t talk about is emigration, the act of leaving one’s home. A year ago, I stood on the farm my great grandfather left in southern Sweden. Barely a man, he left parents and siblings and struck out with blind courage. He never returned to whom and what he had left behind. My father-in-law left poverty in postwar France to find his fortune in America. He returned to France only once, unable to attend the funeral of his mother and siblings. In his later years, he looked back with some pain on the implications of his decision, at times questioning its cost and the toll it took on him, even as

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

defund Planned Parenthood. It has injected its ideology between doctors and patients with its “gag rule” on abortion, aided by the president’s right-wing court appointments. Salon magazine even says the goal is to end access to birth control because Republicans “hate the power it gives women.” So now the facts. When Congress created Title X in 1970, it included an amendment by Democratic (not Republican) congressman John Dingell: “None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.” Rep. Dingell said his intent was that “abortion is not to be encouraged or promoted in any way through this legislation.” Projects that treat abortion as family planning would be ineligible for federal funds because family planning programs should work to “reduce the incidence of abortion.” And he cited “evidence that the prevalence of abortion as a substitute or a backup for contraceptive methods can reduce the effectiveness of family planning programs.” In other words, when you offer both, abortion tends to replace contraception. In 1988, the Reagan administration issued regulations, similar to the Trump regulations, to enforce this policy. In 1991, these rules were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court — including two justices, Kennedy and Souter, who supported a constitutional “right” to abortion. They said the court had long held that government may use its funding power to encourage childbirth over

abortion; the administration was simply enforcing a policy enacted by Congress; and there was no intrusion into the doctor/patient relationship, because abortion conversations could freely continue outside this federal program. Judges are upholding the Trump regulations because they must follow precedents set by the highest court in the land. The Trump regulations don’t even “gag” counseling on abortion as a pregnancy option. They only rescind a Clinton-era rule mandating such counseling. Nor does the loss of $60 million “defund” Planned Parenthood: It received $563.8 million in taxpayer funds last year, and states with pro-abortion policies will try to replace what Planned Parenthood loses in federal funds. The new regulations also insist that Title X clinics provide timely referrals to primary health care providers, such as the nearly 10,000 federally funded community health centers serving low-income women. A question remains. Why would Planned Parenthood leave Title X if it really thinks this undermines women’s health — when all it must do to stay in the program is tell its Title X grantees not to do abortion referrals? The answer seems to lie in a fierce ideological commitment on abortion, compared to which women’s health is unimportant. But that ideology is not that of the administration.

he saw his children flourish in his adopted land. All of us are the heirs of bravery, men and women who took great risks to come to this country. Some came against their will. Others to seek their fortune. And many because they saw no other choice to support themselves and their family. Not all were as fortunate as our ancestors. They were brave too, yet the cost and the cruelties of emigration to this land overwhelmed them. A Polish poet once wrote that a man contemplates leaving his country with the same seriousness that he contemplates taking his own life. There is something dramatic about men and women turning their backs on the only thing they have known and making a leap of faith without a net to catch them if they slip. I saw a moving film this summer called “The Farewell.” The plot revolves around a Chinese-American family in New York that returns to China for a hurried wedding. The wedding is an excuse to bid farewell to the family matriarch who is the only one unaware that she has been diagnosed with a fatal cancer. It is, among other things, an exploration of the sacrifices of leaving what one knows for what is unknown and demanding. For parent and for child, emigration to the new land comes at a high cost that is

only articulated in the awkward and painful moments of a family reunion. There is not regret, exactly, but perhaps a clearer sense of the price paid. The penultimate scene of the family waving goodbye to the grandmother they expect never to see again and heading to the airport is a tender acknowledgment of the cost of their courage. “The Farewell” is a reminder of what people will risk to better their existence. Some dangers are physical. Some are psychological. Some thrive in their adopted land. Some do not. All are permanently changed. The political debates surrounding immigration will not abate anytime soon, and good people can disagree about how best we are to do our Christian duty to welcome the stranger and shelter the exile. But “The Farewell” was a reminder of what that stranger, that exile, endures. And if we are unable to empathize with, and marvel at, the courage of that brave Swedish lad who fled drought and poverty 150 years ago, or the father and daughter who died in the Rio Grande seeking a better life, then it is we who are the poorest of all.

Doerflinger worked for 36 years in the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He writes from Washington state.

Erlandson, director and editor-in-chief of Catholic News Service, can be reached at gerlandson@catholicnews.com.

LETTERS Why bother? Reading your 6-6-19 articles on participating in the upcoming synod begs the question, Why bother? As someone who feels disconnected from the Church (one of the group that the “synod’s leaders” seek to involve) I am told the topics for discussion “will not be breaking new ground on what the Church believes or teaches” — leaving what for me? I want to discuss: When are we going to recognize that women belong in the priesthood? Why is the laity not given a direct voice in the selection of parish priests? Why the Church is not embracing our LGBTQ community as Jesus would have? Why isn’t the voice of the Church shouting at the Southern border where the poor and disenfranchised are lingering in cages? Your articles conclude, “A synod is not a process for changing Church teaching or wielding … political power,” and while there will be voting, “it’s not a democratic exercise.” At age

72, I’m too old to start turning over tables in the temple, so I think I’ll just sit in my chair and continue looking out the window. Dennis P. Moriarty Belle Plaine Editor’s note: Ideas, concerns, criticisms, encouragement ... All are invited as Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens hold prayer and listening events to prepare for a 2021 archdiocesan synod on pastoral needs and direction in the local Church (see story, Page 1, and the archbishop’s column, Page 3). Their desire to hear and understand will be reflected in many different ways, including stories and Letters to the Editor in The Catholic Spirit. The bishops’ encouragement is clear and strong: Participate. Pray. And be open to the grace and endless creativity of the Holy Spirit.

Saintly ministry I appreciated Dave Hrbacek’s article about Father Baraga in your Aug. 8

issue and would like to add an important feature of his saintly ministry among the Ojibwe Native Americans, namely his publishing the first dictionary and grammar of the Ojibwe language, which enabled other missionaries to help bring Christianity to the Ojibwes in the nineteenth century. A testimonial to this fact can be found in the book, “Lady Unafraid,” by Joseph Raleigh Nelson, p. 258, which I borrowed from the University of Minnesota library, in which Methodist Pastor Murch says to Bishop Baraga: “I have had no facility in learning a foreign language. It has been a great handicap to me in my work. If you, good friend, had not been so generous, so patient in helping me, I must have been even a greater failure than I have been in my work. An achievement like this of yours is so monumental, it is too great for me to even grasp.” Roland J. Mayer Church of the Epiphany, Coon Rapids

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR FEATURED EVENTS Housing for All Bus Tour — Sept. 17: 5:30 p.m. box dinner, 6 p.m. bus tour at Hopebridge Community Center, 4217 Boone Ave., New Hope. View and discuss the importance of naturally occurring affordable housing. Free; register online at rsvp@micah.org or call 651-646-0612. sjtw.net. Walk for Planet Peace — Sept. 21: 9:30 a.m., Meet on John Ireland Blvd. in front of the Cathedral of St. Paul and walk to the State Capitol, honoring the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Featuring Rev. James Morris Lawson, American activist and university professor, leading theoretician and tactician of nonviolence within the Civil Rights Movement. twincitiesnonviolent.org Prayer and Listening Events for Archdiocesan Synod ­­— Sept. 24: 6-9 p.m., St. Victoria, 8228 Victoria Drive, St. Victoria; Sept. 28: 9 a.m.-noon, St. Michael, 11300 Frankfurt Parkway NE, St. Michael. Archbishop Bernard Hebda seeks input to help guide pastoral priorities. Similar events across the archdiocese to be held through March 14.

7-8:45 p.m. or Tuesdays 9-10:45 a.m. 10-part Bible study. transfigurationmn.org. Upscale rummage sale — Sept. 12-15: Church of St. Edward, 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington. stedwardschurch.org. Pilgrims and Prophets of Peace — Sept. 24: 6:30–9 p.m. at Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. A play about Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day. mary.org. Eucharist: Discover the Mass in the Bible — Tuesdays Sept. 24-Dec. 3: 10 a.m.–noon or 7–9 p.m. at Church of St. Paul, 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake. churchofsaintpaul.com. Hope for Bouzy — Oct. 5: 6-9 p.m. at Edinburgh USA golf course, 8700 Edinbrook Crossing, Brooklyn Park. “An Evening of All Pro Wisdom” with Matt Birk to help build a new St. Catherine Church damaged by earthquake and hurricanes in Bouzy, Haiti. Co-hosted by St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove and Knights of Columbus Council 13359. For information: Patrick Farrelly, 763-218-3816 or pfmaplegrove@aol.com.

Prayer/worship

MusicFest — Sept. 21: 5:30–8:30 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road E., Burnsville.

Practice-based spiritual formation group — Second Tuesdays Sept. 9-Dec. 10: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org. Taize prayer — First Fridays: 7:30 p.m. at St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. Moving prayer centering on sung psalms and periods of holy silence. strichards.com. Taize prayer — Third Fridays: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Simple chants based on Scripture and periods of silence. Refreshments following. benedictinecenter.org. Come Together ecumenical peace prayer and walk — Sept. 15: 4–6 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1800 Glenwood Ave., Minneapolis. (612) 374-4139. redeemermpls.org. Prayer service for suicide prevention and awareness — Sept. 19: 7–8 p.m. at Church of St. Timothy, 707 89th Ave. NE, Blaine. Maggie Philbrook at 763.784.1329. churchofsttimothy.com

Dining Out

Retreats

Archdiocesan Women’s Retreat — Sept. 28: 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. at Church of the Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Contact Susanna Parent at parents@archspm.org or 651-291-4411. archspm.org.

Music

Benefit Breakfast — Sept. 15: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at KC Hall, 1910 S. Greeley St., Stillwater. St. Croix Catholic School fundraiser. kc1632.mnknights.org.

Parish events The Prophets: Messengers of God’s Mercy Bible Study — Mondays or Tuesdays: Sept. 9-Nov. 12 at Transfiguration, 6133 15th St. N., Oakdale. Mondays

HUGG: retreat for those in grief — Sept. 13-15: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. By Hope United Grief Group. franciscanretreats.net. Women’s silent weekend retreat — Sept. 13-15: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. “Broken, Blessed and Sent” presented by King’s House Preaching Team. kingshouse.com.

Our Circles of Women Retreat — Sept. 14: 9 a.m.– 2:30 p.m. at Church of St. Peter Claver, 369 Oxford St. N., St. Paul. Facilitator Rev. Iris Burse. School of Discernment — Sept. 20-22: St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org. Men’s silent weekend retreat — Sept. 20-22: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. “Broken, Blessed and Sent” presented by King’s House Preaching Team. kingshouse.com. Spiritual time away for writers — Sept. 23: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2676 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org. Serenity 12-Step Retreat — Sept. 27-29: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. “Trudging the Road of Recovery.” Presenter Bob Martin. kingshouse.com.

Conferences/workshops Order Franciscans Secular (OFS) — Third Sundays: 1 p.m. at Catholic Charities, 1200 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis. Learn about this lay group of Catholic men and women, following the example of St. Francis. 952-922-5523. Healing Hearts grief support group — Wednesdays through Sept. 18: 1:30–3 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8261 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. R.S.V.P. to mpotts@guardian-angels.org. guardian-angels.org. Spiritual Direction and the Journey with God — Sept. 24: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org.

Schools 50th Reunion Archbishop Brady High School class of 1969 — Sept. 28: 5 p.m.–midnight at 317 on Rice Park Event Center, 317 Washington St., St. Paul. Reservations being accepted. Mary at (651) 600-9826. classreport.org..

Speakers Mental Health Author Series: Mary Cregan — Sept. 12: 7–9 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 89 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. mary.org. Father Mark Dosh Speaker Series: Where Knowledge Leads to Love — Sept. 18: 6–9 p.m. at St. John the Baptist, 680 Mill St., Excelsior. stjohns-excelsior.org. In Our Own Voice — Sept. 19: 7–8:30 p.m. at St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. Two NAMI Minnesota speakers share about living with mental illness and achieving recovery. depressionsupportcoalition.org.

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 uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: thecatholicspirit.com calendarsubmissions

MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106

How Can We Encounter the Compassionate God of the Bible? — Sept. 21: 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Church, 1500 Franklin Ave. E., Minneapolis. Presenter Art Zannoni. artstoeberl@yahoo.com. Suicide Awareness Symposium — Sept. 28: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Other events Holy Cross Alumni and Community Golf Outing — Sept. 13: 1 p.m. at CreeksBend, 26826 Langford Ave., New Prague. Proceeds to Holy Cross Catholic School. holycrossschool.net. National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children ­— Sept. 14: 10-11 a.m., Resurrection Cemetery, 2101 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights. Organized by Pro-Life Action Ministries. All denominations welcome. More information: plam.org/events/ or call 651-797-6363. Options for Women St. Croix Valley fundraising banquet — Sept. 26: 7–9 p.m. at One23 Events, 123 Second St. N., Stillwater. Presenter Dr. Anthony Levatino, former abortionist. RSVP to 651-439-7214 or director@ofwscv.org.

For our comprehensive parish festival guide

TheCatholicSpirit.com/festivals

Marketplace • Message Center Classified Ads Email: classifiedads@archspm.org • Phone: 651-290-1631 • Fax: 651-291-4460 Next issue: 9-26-19 • Deadline: 3 p.m. 9-19-19 • Rates: $8 per line (35-40 characters per line) • Add a photo/logo for $25 ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS

ATTORNEYS

STAIR LIFTS - ELEVATORS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS FOR HOMES, CHURCHES & SCHOOLS Arrow Lift (763) 786-2780

Edward F. Gross • Wills, Trusts, Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate. Office at 35E & Roselawn Ave., St. Paul (651) 631-0616.

ANTIQUES

CEILING TEXTURE

TOP CASH PAID For Older Furniture Advertising Signs • Beer Items • Toys • Misc. (651) 227-2469 APARTMENT DUPLEX ROOMMATE KENWOOD CHARMING PREMIER SPOT 700 Huge living room high ceiling and arched doorways, F/P, lots of windows and french doors. Large dining room with leaded glass windows. Nice breakfast nook and kitchen dishwasher garbage disposal, lots of cupboards and a booth! Xlarge BR’S 2 hardwood 1 carpet lots of closets/storage space. FREE Utilities High Speed Net Laundry A/C parking. Central convenient location between Uptown/Downtown Lakes for all activities next to ALL freeways buses! Richard 612-998-0287 info No Pets No Smoking 1814 COLFAX AVE S MPLS. Thank you!

Michaels Painting. Popcorn Removal & Knock Down Texture: TextureCeilings.com (763) 757-3187. CEMETERY LOTS Resurrection Cemetery: 2 lots in Section 62, Block 16, Lot 6, Graves 1 & 2. Market Value $1,775.00 each. Best offer. Marie 612-371-1331 M-F 8-4:30. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES News reporter/staff writer and member of the Office of Communications of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis in St. Paul, MN. Primary duties are to report and write news stories, news and trend analysis, feature stories, news briefs and other stories as assigned for The Catholic Spirit newspaper and TCS online.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (CONT.) Reports to TCS editor-in-chief/publications manager and works closely with the news editor. For education, experience, other requirements, and how to apply, please see https://rebrand.ly/TCS777 The North End Community Foundation is seeking a half-time 20 hours per week Community Relations Coordinator. Duties include: Attending monthly board meetings and other community meetings; Helping the Board plan and carry out community events, including making phone calls, working with community partners and vendors and event sites. Qualifications include: high school diploma, some college preferred; A solid knowledge of computer skills and social media. Applicants must have their own computer and printer and live in, or be familiar with, the North End Community. For more information on salary, start date, and other details, please call or email Jane Stevenson at 651-666-0636 or Jane@dwsassociates.com.

Ask a our 3 bout t speciaime l!

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS

PAINTING

CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping. Subscribe online at http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia. org/cdclub Please Enter Code: 1195

For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM or call (651) 699-6140.

HANDYMAN WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME! Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/repair and remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today. Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor. Handyman Matters (651) 784-3777, (952) 946-0088. www.HandymanMatters.com HARDWOOD FLOORS

Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors

IT’S AUTUMN! Spruce up your home with new or refurbished hardwood floors: 10% off labor. Sweeney (651) 485-8187.

Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates.Call Ed (651) 224-3660. Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair. MichaelsPaintingllc.coM. (763) 757-3187. Dennis Heigl Painting Interior/Exterior Serving Mpls. & suburbs. Free Estimates. (612) 819-2438 PRAYERS NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication. 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

To advertise here, email classifiedads@archspm.org

Estate & Downsizing: I buy Van Loads and Bicycles. Steve (651) 778-0571.

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

THELASTWORD

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Wildfires point to urgency of upcoming Amazon synod

LEFT Firefighters near Robore, Bolivia, walk Aug. 19 where wildfires destroyed the forest. BELOW An aerial view of a deforested plot of the Amazon rainforest in Porto Velho, Brazil, in this 2015 file photo. PHOTOS | CNS

W

Catholic News Service ildfires that raged in July and August in Bolivia and Brazil underscore the urgency of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon that Pope Francis has called to be held in October, said Bishop Eugenio Coter of the apostolic vicariate of Pando in northern Bolivia. “The pope is making a prophetic gesture” by bringing together Church leaders, indigenous people and lay leaders to discuss issues that are important for the Catholic Church in the nine-country Amazon region, Bishop Coter told Catholic News Service. The pope first announced the synod two years ago. Fires in recent months in the Bolivian Amazon burned an area about the size of Connecticut. As the fires burned, Pope Francis described the Amazon rainforest as “vital for our planet,” and he joined the region’s bishops in praying for action to extinguish the massive fires. Scientists estimate that the Amazon produces 20% of the world’s oxygen. “We are all worried about the vast fires that have developed in the Amazon,” the pope said Aug. 25 after leading the recitation of the Angelus prayer at the Vatican. “Let us pray that with the commitment of all they will be brought under control quickly. That forest lung is vital for our planet.” Pope Francis announced in October 2017 that the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon would be held this fall, from Oct. 6-27 in Rome. The theme is “Amazonia: New paths for the church and for an integral ecology.” Topics at the synod will include ways to help indigenous peoples who are experiencing the destruction and exploitation of their natural environment, young people trying to maintain Christian values and Church personnel serving the faithful in the vast but sparsely populated region, which sprawls across nine South American countries. One idea to be discussed will be ordaining married men as priests in far-flung villages where Catholics struggle to celebrate Sunday Mass and obtain other sacraments. Then came the wildfires of July and August, and Bishop Coter and others affirming that devastation from the fires and attention brought to the exploitation of the region demonstrates the urgency of protecting the Amazon and meeting the faith and safety needs of its people. Brazil’s space research institute, which is responsible for satellite monitoring of the Amazon, reported that the number of wildfires, common in July and August, had reached a record number already in 2019, with 72,843 fires spotted. Sixty percent of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil. The U.S. space agency, NASA, Aug. 21 and 22 released satellite imagery showing how smoke from the fires had created “a shroud that is clearly visible across much of the center of South America.” The devastation stems partly from government policies that have encouraged farmers to clear more forest for cattle ranching, Bishop Coter said. In April, the Bolivian and Chinese governments signed an agreement that will allow Bolivia to export beef to China. The Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade, which includes various trade associations, among them livestock and timber groups, said it expects beef exports to total 20 million tons by the end of the year. The goal is to double that amount by the end of 2020, which will mean nearly doubling the number of cattle in the country. A law passed in 2015 allowed small farmers and communities to cut down forests and clear up to 50 acres for farming and ranching. In early July, the government issued a decree that expanded permission to use fire to clear forest for crops and pasture. In addition to concerns about the environment and sustainability, the Brazilian Catholic Church recently called on the government to guarantee the safety of several Amazonian indigenous peoples, alerting the authorities of the imminent risk of genocide in northern Brazil. “No indigenous people feels safe in Brazil right now,” said Archbishop Roque Paloschi of Porto Velho, president of the Indigenous Missionary Council, or CIMI, a committee of the Brazilian bishops’ conference. “But the situation is particularly serious in the Amazonian state of Rondonia, where the peoples Uru-eu-wau-wau and Karipuna had their lands invaded, and in the state of Para, where the people Xikrin lives,” the archbishop said. On Aug. 27, CIMI released a statement condemning President Jair Bolsonaro’s verbal attacks on the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

“Amid the environmental destruction caused by deforestation and criminal wildfires, especially in the Amazonian region, he maintains an incendiary attitude, with a repugnant aggressiveness directed to the native peoples and their right to a dignified existence,” said CIMI’s statement. Since his campaign in 2018, Bolsonaro has criticized environmental legislation and the “excessive number” of indigenous reservations, promising to loosen restrictions on activities that affect the environment and to stop recognizing indigenous territories. On Aug. 30, he again told journalists that “no new indigenous land” would be granted by the government, only the ones that he is “obliged” to demarcate. Cleanton Curioso, a lay missionary and CIMI’s coordinator in Altamira, said Bolsonaro’s comments have created a “feeling of impunity” among indigenous land invaders. “Hundreds of illegal miners, illegal loggers, and land-grabbers invaded the indigenous reservation Trincheira Bacaja in 2016. They destroyed the forests, started wildfires and even built a village, but the authorities didn’t do anything. So now the Xikrin people decided to expel the invaders with their own hands,” Curioso told Catholic News Service. In late August, dozens of Xikrin men walked several miles in the reservation and reached the invaders’ camp. They told the men to leave the area and took the invaders’ guns and the equipment used to destroy the rainforest. “Now they’re being threatened by the invaders. There’s a big risk of violent conflict in the area, especially if the authorities fail to act,” said Curioso. But Jesus Sergio, a Brazilian congressman and a member of the parliamentary bloc that represents agribusiness, said he did not believe big business was involved. “I don’t believe that farmers who operate within the law and big mining companies would engage in violence against indigenous peoples,” he said. “I think illegal miners are behind such acts.” He added that agribusiness also has had losses with the deforestation and the wildfires in the Amazon. “Many times the fires reach their properties.” Bolsonaro has said publicly that he believes nongovernmental agencies — including Catholic-backed agencies such as the Land Pastoral and the Indigenous Missionary Council — are behind the illegal burnings because they have opposed his call for development of the rainforest. The organizations have strongly denied the allegations. Archbishop Paloschi said he believes the interests of large-scale landowners in the Amazon are behind the deforestation and the attacks against the indigenous peoples. “Many people don’t get their hands dirty, but obtain profits from such acts. The Brazilian history shows us who are the most privileged people throughout the decades of destruction of the Amazon,” he said.