The Courier - July 2020

The

COURIER

St. James the Apostle July 25

July 2020

Keys and Crowns

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org

The Pope, His Flag, and a Priest's Labor of Love

BY MAGGIE SONNEK

�atican City, spanning 100 acres with a population of

1,000 people, boasts one of the most iconic and recognizable flags in the world. And that yellow-and-white flag has fascinated Father William Becker since boyhood.

A native of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, the priest has studied flags from his youth. His recent book, Vatican Flags: Keys & Crowns Since 1800, is a labor of love spanning 30 years of research. In 2018 it was published by a network of flag specialists, the North American Vexillological Association.

Father Becker currently serves two parishes in Plainview (St. Joachim) and rural Kellogg (Immaculate Conception). Ordained a priest in 1988, he has also worked in chancery, seminary, and academic settings.

After undergraduate work at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, he studied theology in Rome, completing a doctorate in 1994.

While there, he began to study papal flags as a pastime.

A return trip for sabbatical research provided another bite at the apple in 2009. “I was able to access Vatican state archives and Italian state libraries. Those experiences provided even more material for the book,” he says. The internet, too, coughed up a trove of treasure.

“For eight years, I saw the Vatican flag up close and studied its Papal States progenitors,” his book explains. “I learned that not until the past century did the term ‘papal flag’ imply a uniform design, for in the Papal States, flags varied.”

The Papal States were a small principality in central

USCCB Migration Chairman Opposes Proposed Elimination of Protection for Asylum Seekers From usccb.org

Italy, ruled by the pope until Italy seized them in 1870.

In 1929, the “Lateran Treaty” between Italy and the Pope established Vatican City as the new papal state. The Vatican also governs several further enclaves housing

Book, cont'd on pg. 4

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) issued new proposed rules on asylum on June 15 with comments due on July 15. The new proposed rules would, among other changes: allow immigration judges to summarily deny applications before the asylum-seeker can see a judge; redefine the term “particular social group” in asylum law to effectively eliminate asylum for those fleeing domestic violence or gangs; and raise standards for initial asylum interviews.

The following statement was made by Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration: “These proposed asylum regulations will have devastating consequences for those seeking protection in the United States who are fleeing domestic violence or persecution from gangs in their home countries. The Catholic Church teaches us to look at the root causes of migra-

Asylum, cont'd on pg. 4

INSIDE this issue

May We Be Profoundly Shaken page 5

Seeds of Faith...

On Dispensations page 8

page 10

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Pope to Christians: Recognize the Face of Christ in Migrants

By COURTNEY MARES

The Courier Insider

VATICAN CITY, July 8, 2020 (CNA) - Pope Francis offered Mass Wednesday asking the Virgin Mary to help Christians recognize the face of Christ in each migrant and refugee.

“As we undertake to seek the face of the Lord, we may recognize Him in the face of the poor, the sick, the abandoned, and the foreigners whom God places on our way. And this encounter becomes for us a time of grace and salvation, as it bestows on us the same mission entrusted to the Apostles,” Pope Francis said in the Casa Santa Marta chapel July 8.

“May the Virgin Mary, Solacium migrantium, ‘Solace or Comfort of Migrants,’ help us discover the face of Her Son in all our brothers and sisters who are forced to flee from their homeland because of the many injustices that still afflict our world today,” the pope said in his homily.

Invoking the new Marian title added to the Litany of Loreto in June, Pope Francis prayed for

Corrections

In the article "COVID Relief Fund to Benefit Worthington Area," which appeared on page 12 of our June 2020 issue, Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota listed "739" as their PO box number in Winona.

Their PO box number is actually 379. Anyone wishing to follow up on the receipt of a donation to the COVID Relief Fund may contact Lisa Kremer at LKremer@CCsomn.org

Officials The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of WinonaRochester, announces the following appointments: Pastor Rev. Msgr. Gerald Kosse: currently Pastor of St. Catherine Parish in Luverne, St. Leo Parish in Pipestone, St. Joseph Parish in Jasper, and St. Martin Parish in Woodstock, and Dean of the Worthington Deanery; reappointed Pastor of St. Leo Parish in Pipestone, St. Joseph Parish in Jasper, and St. Martin Parish in Woodstock, while remaining Pastor of St. Catherine

the migrants who are in detention camps in Libya and elsewhere who are often subject to abuse and violence.

He recommended words of Christ that can be used as a part of one’s daily examination of conscience: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

The pope said: “The encounter with the other is also an encounter with Christ. He himself told us. It is He who knocks on our door, hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, seeking an encounter with us and requesting our assistance.”

Pope Francis offered Mass at his residence to mark the seventh anniversary of his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, only the staff of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Vatican Department for Promoting Integral Human Development were in attendance.

“Today’s responsorial Psalm urges us always to seek the Lord’s face: ‘Rely on the mighty Lord, constantly seek His face,’” he said. “This quest is a fundamental attitude in the life of all the faithful, who have come to realize that the ultimate goal of

Parish in Luverne and Dean of the Worthington Deanery, effective June 30, 2020.

Rev. John Kunz: Reappointed Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Mankato, effective June 16, 2020.

Rev. Antony Arokiyam: currently Pastor of St. Ann Parish in Janesville, All Saints Parish in New Richland, and St. Joseph Parish in Waldorf; transferred to the Office of Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Adams, St. John Parish in Johnsburg, Queen of Peace Parish in Lyle, and St. Peter Parish in Rose Creek, effective July 1, 2020.

Rev. Timothy Hall: Reappointed Pastor of St. James Parish in St. James and St. Mary Parish in Madelia, effective August 13, 2020.

Rev. Brian Mulligan: currently Parochial Vicar of St. John Vianney Parish in Fairmont, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Blue Earth, Holy Family Parish in East Chain, and St. Mary Parish in Winnebago; appointed to the Office of Pastor of St. Ann Parish in Janesville, All Saints Parish in New Richland, and St. Joseph Parish in Waldorf, effective July 1, 2020.

The Courier is the official publication of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Vol 111 - 7

Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher Matt Willkom, Editor Nick Reller, Associate Editor Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dowr.org Publishing Schedule: Monthly - Deadline for advertising & articles is the 10th of the month prior.

(ISSN 0744-5490) July 2020 w The Courier w dowr.org

Migrants, cont'd on pg. 4

Rev. Matthew Wagner: currently Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and St. Casimir Parish in Winona; appointed to the Office of Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Caledonia and St. Olaf Parish in Mabel, effective July 1, 2020.

Director of Diaconate

the

Articles of Interest

May We Be Profoundly Shaken______________5 Remember Your Community_________________6 USCCB Urges AG Barr...__________________6 Make Your Home More Holy..._____________7 Seeds of Faith...__________________________8 Resilience in Uncertain Times______________9 On Dispensations________________________10 ...The Crisis of the Family________________11 Diocesan Headlines_______________________12

The Holy Father's Intention for

July 2020

Our Families

Permanent

Deacon John Hust: currently serving in diaconal ministry at St. Felix Parish in Wabasha and St. Agnes Parish in Kellogg; in addition to his current assignment, appointed Director of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, effective June 15, 2020.

Serra Club Chaplain Deacon David Dose: appointed Chaplain for the Serra Club of Wabasha, effective May 29, 2020.

Priest Pension Plan Mr. Daniel Kutzke: reappointed to a three-year term on the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Pension Plan for Priests Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2020.

Mr. Tim Scanlon: reappointed to a three-year term on the Diocese

We pray that today's families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance. of Winona-Rochester Pension Plan for Priests Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2020.

Senior Priest Status Rev. Gregory Leif: currently Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Waseca; granted Senior Priest status, effective July 1, 2020.

Where to Find the Courier Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Courier will only be published online (option 2) until further notice.

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Hard copies of the Courier are available in the churches of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester at the first weekend Masses of each month.

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An online version may be viewed at www.dowr.org /offices/ courier/index.html

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To be added to the home delivery list, readers should send their names and addresses to:

Resignation Rev. Stephen Abaukaka: currently Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Caledonia and St. Olaf Parish in Mabel; resigned as pastor, effective July 1, 2020.

Child Abuse Policy Information The Diocese of Winona-Rochester will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 507454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her name and telephone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. The Diocese of Winona-Rochester is committed to protecting children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and ministries. The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web site at www.dow. org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any questions about the Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dowr.org.

Diocese of Winona-Rochester The Courier 55 W Sanborn St. Winona, MN 55987 or nreller@dowr.org

Christ's Love Compels Us Resuming Public Masses

By now, many of the parishes in the Diocese of WinonaRochester have resumed public Masses. Some have a more limited schedule than usual, and many have asked all those coming to Mass to signup ahead of time; however, for the faithful and priests alike, the return of the public celebration of Mass at parish churches is a very welcome and much anticipated step towards returning to normalcy.

On June 14, I was privileged to Confirm and receive into the Church several young men and women at the St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish in Mankato. This was the first opportunity this spring, since the suspension of public Masses, for me to celebrate these Sacraments of Initiation.

The pastors in the parishes of our diocese are likewise now celebrating First Communion, Confirmation, and other sacraments that had been postponed due to the pandemic.

Rejoice in Hope Bishop John M. Quinn Bishop's Calendar

One celebration that had been scheduled this spring but was unable to occur as planned, was the ordination of 11 men to the permanent diaconate. Now, with the resumption of public Masses and the ability to gather in larger numbers, I have the joy of assigning a date for their ordination. After many months of patient waiting, these 11 men will be ordained on Sunday, August 23, at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Winona.

Due to social distancing and attendance limitations, the ceremony will not be open to the public; however, the ordination will be livestreamed for all those who wish to watch it online.

Totus Tuus

One result of the COVID19 pandemic has been the cancellation of the many youth and children’s activities that are normally held in the summer, such as Vacation Bible School, Camp Summit, and Stuebenville.

However, just as our priests and parish staff have become innovative in reaching out and staying connected with their parishioners, our diocese is also adapting to the circumstances and trying hard to keep our children and youth engaged with their faith this summer.

Thanks to our Office of Youth and Young Adults, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester will be offering a traveling, oneday Totus Tuus camp, for those parishes that are interested.

Just like the normal, week-long Totus Tuus, the one-day offering will be for grades 1-6 during the day and grades 7-12 in the evening. There will be many precautions taken to ensure the safety and health of the youth participants, team members, and parish volunteers, but despite the adaptations this year, the one-day camp is designed to offer the same fun, catechesis, and joy of learning about our faith.

July 15, Wednesday Guest Speaker at the Diocese of St. Cloud Clergy Days - St. Paul’s Church, St. Cloud

July 16, Thursday 11:00 a.m. - Day of Prayer in Honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Annunciation Hermitage, Austin July 17, Friday 10 a.m. - Diocesan COVID-19 Task Force Meeting

During the day, various activities such as classes and skits will focus on the Glorious mysteries of the Rosary and the 10 Commandments. There will also be Mass, following the host parish’s local protocols. In the evening, youth will take part in games, prayer, and fellowship while engaging in catechesis and apologetics focusing on our freedom and identity as children of God. These Totus Tuus daycamps are being provided at a minimal cost to parishes, and we hope that many parishes will take advantage of this opportunity. Parishes interested in hosting the one-day Totus Tuus program can contact Michael Ottman, Youth Ministry Coordinator, at mottman@ dowr.org.

Natural Family Planning

Natural Family Planning (NFP) Awareness Week coincides with the anniversary of Humanae Vitae on July 25, which articulates the Church’s longstanding teaching on family life, parenthood, and contraception.

The week also highlights the July 26 feast day of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. It was through their generous yes that the Blessed Virgin Mary was born, and through her yes that Jesus Christ came into the world. They are beautiful examples to us of how through loving acceptance of children as a gift from God, even at seemingly inconvenient or difficult times, our Triune God has transformed and entered the world.

For those who want to learn more about Natural Family Planning and how to practice it as a couple, I encourage you to contact Peter Martin, our diocesan Director of Life, Marriage and Family, who can direct you to a local instructor.

NFP not only respects a woman’s body as God designed it, but it also helps couples to

recognize their fertility as a gift, through which a man and a woman united in the Sacrament of Marriage are invited to be co-creators with God. Because practicing NFP necessitates open and honest communication between husband and wife, and encourages respect and appreciation for the beauty and sacredness of children and family life, couples who use NFP have stronger marriages and a drastically lower divorce rate (around 2%) than the average population. NFP aids couples in embracing God’s plan for life, and proclaims the beauty of God’s design of human sexuality.

Evangelization Discernment Retreat

Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken of the need for “missionary discipleship,” so that Catholics can build a strong relationship with our Triune God, and are also passionate and equipped to share the joy of the Gospel with others. Here in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, our Office of Missionary Discipleship aims to help parishes build a culture of missionary discipleship, inviting Catholics into a deeper relationship with Christ and providing them with the skills to go out and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.

Sometimes we may be unsure of how the Lord wants us to be missionary disciples in our individual circumstances.

Perhaps you are active in your parish, are deepening your prayer life, and you’re looking for the right way to reach out to those who have fallen away from the practice of the faith or count themselves as a “none,” having no particular religious affiliation.

If you have the desire to share the love of the Triune God with others but are unsure of how or where to start, I encourage you to consider attending one of our upcoming evangelization discernment

2 p.m. - Mass and Rite of Candidacy for seminarians Brian Klein, Nicholas Gawarecki and Jordan Danielson - St. Mary's University

July 25, Saturday 2-4 p.m. - Virtual kick-off of Journeying Together: An Intercultural Encounter for Ministries with Youth and Young Adults

July 23, Thursday 10:31 a.m. - Guest Speaker on Real Presence Catholic Radio 1 p.m. - Holy Hour and Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting 4 p.m. - Weekly Zoom Meeting with Minnesota Bishops

July 26, Sunday 2:15 p.m. Mass followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - Camp Summit Youth Day Event - Crossings Center, Lewiston July 29, Wednesday 10 a.m. - Virtual Interview on PFY Live! program sponsored by Partnership for Youth

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retreats. These weekend retreats (one East and one West) are for those who sense a nudge from the Holy Spirit to make Jesus better known, but are seeking clarity regarding how the Lord is asking them to do that. The Eastern session is scheduled for July 31-August 2 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona. The Western retreat will be September 11-13 at Shalom Hill Farm near Windom.

Attendance numbers will be limited, so those interested are encouraged to sign up soon, and can contact Dr. Susan WindleyDaoust, Director of Missionary Discipleship, at swindley@ dowr.org or 507-858-1277.

The theme of the retreat is “Christ’s love compels us,” taken from 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” During these weekends, Dr. Susan WindleyDaoust, Fr. Jeff Dobbs (East), and Fr. Jonathan Fasnacht (West) will lead participants in days of prayer and discernment, to help attendees come away with a better understanding of how the Lord is calling them to evangelize and witness to Jesus in their lives. All with a heart for evangelization are welcome to attend. Blessed are you!

From the Bishop

�ear Friends in Christ,

Diaconate Ordination

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Rev. John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona-Rochester

July 30, Thursday 4 p.m. - Weekly Zoom Meeting with Minnesota Bishops August 2, Sunday First Profession of Vows - Sister Peter Marie, FSGM - St. Mary’s Church, Alton, IL August 15, Saturday 5 p.m. - Final Mass - Assumption Church, Canton

July 2020 w The Courier w dowr.org

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Migrants,

Book,

cont'd from pg. 2

cont'd from pg. 1

papal establishments throughout Rome.

Father Becker says that Vatican statehood enables the pope to govern the Church independently of Italy’s shifting rulers. His emblem, the tiara and the crossed keys of St. Peter, represents his innate sovereignty and divine mission. It appears prominently on the flag.

Even though Vatican City is the world’s smallest state, Becker says, its flag appears around the world at many Catholic churches and institutions. “That gives the papal flag a rare global profile,” he says. “It’s universal.”

Vatican Flags includes 150 color images spread across 200 pages of glossy text, treating papal flags over the past two centuries. The bibliography spans several languages, and the foreword comes from George Weigel, a commentator at the Ethics & Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. A biographer of Pope St. John Paul II, Weigel states that Vatican Flags “is full of important reminders that there are different forms of power in the world, and that the human condition cannot be reduced to politics alone, or economics alone, or some combination of politics-and-economics alone.”

Asylum,

cont'd from pg. 1 tion, poverty, violence, and corruption. Pope Francis reminds us that ‘we must . . . keep our eyes open ..., keep our hearts open ..., to remind everyone of the indispensable commitment

Fr. William Becker

The pope’s flag, he concludes, shows that “the realm of the spirit still counts, and soulcraft shapes the future at least as much as statecraft.”

Vatican Flags can be purchased for $20 at Amazon.com.

Maggie Sonnek is a freelance writer in Wabasha. Her work can be found at millcitycreativempls.com to save every human life, a moral duty that unites believers and non-believers.’ We cannot turn our backs on the vulnerable.”

Read the USCCB’s comment on the proposed asylum rule on the Conference’s website:

usccb.org/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/upload/usccb-comments-on-procedures-for-asylum-and-withholding-ofremoval-credible-fear-and-reasonable-fearreview-7-13-20.pdf

US Bishops Lament End to Federal Limits on Payday Loans

CNA STAFF, July 13, 2020 (CNA) - The revocation of restrictions on payday lenders by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau exposes poor and vulnerable persons to 'predatory and abusive lending practices', the US bishops' conference said last week.

On July 7 the CFPB removed requirements that lenders ensure borrowers can repay a loan before issuing it, and limited how many successive loans could be taken out by a borrower.

“The USCCB has long advocated for a strong Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule to prevent payday loan abuses to protect poor and vulnerable people. I am deeply disappointed by their final rule that strips away even the basic requirement that loans be made only when people can afford them, setting up workers and families to fail,” Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chair of the US bishops' domestic justice committee said July 10.

He called payday lending “modern day usury,” saying the loans “are structured in a way that makes it nearly impossible for borrowers to repay in the

July 2020 w The Courier w dowr.org

their existence is the encounter with God.” During his homily, the pope told the story of his encounter with an Ethiopian migrant during his visit to Lampedusa in 2013, recalling that he later found out that his translator at the time had “distilled” the migrant’s story because of the intensity of the suffering recounted.

“This happens today with Libya,” he said. “They give us a ‘distilled’ version. The war is bad, we know it, but you cannot imagine the hell they live through there in those detention camps. And these people only came with hope to cross the sea.”

Pope Francis has frequently spoken out about the plight of migrants detained in Libya this year. On June 14 the pope called on the international community to “take their plight to heart” and to identify pathways and means to provide them with the protection that they need for a dignified condition, adding that the health situation with the coronavirus pandemic has aggravated the migrants’ already precarious conditions.

Lampedusa, the southernmost part of Italy, is located 160 nautical miles from the Libyan capital of Tripoli. It is a primary destination for migrants from Africa seeking entry to Europe.

Pope Francis visited the Mediterranean island on July 8, 2013.

The trip, his first pastoral visit outside Rome, signaled that concern for migrants would be at the center of his pontificate.

The pope quoted part of his Lampedusa homily in the livestreamed Mass. He said: “The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people, makes us live in soap bubbles which, however lovely, are insubstantial; they offer a fleeting and empty illusion which results in indifference to others; indeed, it even leads to the globalization of indifference.”

“In this globalized world, we have fallen into globalized indifference. We have become used to the suffering of others: it doesn’t affect me; it doesn’t concern me; it’s none of my business.”

The pope then responded with a reflection on how the Apostles’ lives were transformed by their encounter with Christ.

“The personal encounter with the Lord, a time of grace and salvation, immediately entails a mission: ‘As you go, Jesus tells them, make this proclamation: The kingdom of heaven is at hand,’” he said.

“Encounter and mission cannot be separated.”

short timeframe, often with triple-digit interest rates.

The practice exploits the financial distress of vulnerable people and communities for the sake of profit, contributing to an economy of exclusion.”

Archbishop Coakley commented that the coronavirus crisis has heightened the importance of “economic protections and just lending practices.”

“We must work to ensure that those facing financial hardship are met with economic policies that promote the dignity of the human person and the pursuit of the common good. We encourage the U.S. Congress to take up measures to protect consumers and restrain predatory lending,” he concluded.

The payday lending industry lobbied for the rules to be rescinded; the CFPB has found that the industry collects between $7.3 and $7.7 billion dollars annually from the practices that would have been barred.

The CFPB has said that the “legal and evidentiary bases” for the rules, which had been announced in 2017, were “insufficient.” According to the bureau, the rescission “will help to ensure the continued availability of small dollar lending products for consumers who demand them.”

Kathy Kraninger, director of the CFPB, said July 7 that “our actions today ensure that consumers have access to credit from a competitive marketplace, have the best information to make informed financial decisions, and retain key protections without hindering that access.”

According to Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), 12 million Americans take out payday loans per year, at an average interest rate of 391 percent.

Grothman is cosponsor of the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act of 2019, a bill that would limit the interest rate on payday and car title loans.

The bill would expand the 2006 Military Lending Act rate cap - which only covers active military members and their families - to all consumers. It would cap all payday and car-title loans at a maximum of a 36% APR interest rate.

Several states have already capped the interest rate at 36% or lower.

The Church has consistently taught that usury is evil, including in numerous ecumenical councils.

In Vix pervenit, his 1745 encyclical on usury and other dishonest profit, Benedict XIV taught that a loan contract demands “that one return to another only as much as he has received. The sin rests on the fact that sometimes the creditor desires more than he has given. Therefore he contends some gain is owed him beyond that which he loaned, but any gain which exceeds the amount he gave is illicit and usurious.”

In his General Audience address of Feb. 10, 2016, Pope Francis taught that “Scripture persistently exhorts a generous response to requests for loans, without making petty calculations and without demanding impossible interest rates,” citing Leviticus.

“This lesson is always timely,” he said. “How many families there are on the street, victims of profiteering … It is a grave sin, usury is a sin that cries out in the presence of God.”

May We Be Profoundly Shaken This article is reprinted with permission from the website Where Peter Is (https://wherepeteris.com/ may-we-be-profoundly-shaken/), where it was posted on June 3, 2020.

By PAUL FAHEY

�

or the past couple of weeks I have taken up Pope Francis’s recent encouragement that we read his encyclical Laudato Si. I’m ashamed to say that I’d never read it before, but I decided that now is as good a time as any to remedy that problem. While I’m still only a couple of chapters into the document, there has been so much that has both resonated with me personally and has led me to reflect on the events of today. It’s truly a prophetic document. There is one passage in particular that’s stayed with me this past week, after the U.S. witnessed yet another murder of a person of color by a police officer and cities across the country have erupted in protest in response.

However, before I get to that teaching from Laudato Si, I want to go back to a homily Pope Francis gave a few weeks ago on the feast of Divine Mercy. When the pope spoke about mercy he first focused on who God is and the mercy he shows us. He said: God never tires of reaching out to lift us up when we fall. He wants us to see him, not as a taskmaster with whom we have to settle accounts, but as our Father who always raises us up. In life we go forward tentatively, uncertainly, like a toddler who takes a few steps and falls; a few steps more and falls again, yet each time his father puts him back on his feet. The hand that always puts us back on our feet is mercy: God knows that without mercy we will remain on the ground, that in order to keep walking, we need to be put back on our feet.

We need to continually remind ourselves about the truth of who we know God is. He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to chase after me, even though he knows my sins. He searches

Our goal is not to amass information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather to become painfully aware, to

dare to turn what is happening…into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it (LS 19).

Lay Formation & RCIA

Todd Graff

Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dowr.org

until he finds me. He crawls down into the ditches and thorns of my sin to pull me out. And, rather than scolding me for all the ways I failed, he rejoices when he carries me home. This is who God is. This is God’s mercy.

From there Pope Francis focused on how after we’ve received God’s mercy we need to show it to others. He said, “We need the Lord, who sees beyond that frailty an irrepressible beauty.… And if, like crystal, we are transparent before him, his light – the light of mercy – will shine in us and through us in the world.”

Through grace, the very life of God freely given to us to heal and transform us, God is making my heart like Jesus’ heart. Jesus’ command to love our enemies is also the promise that through him we will actually be able to. However, we are not passive observers in this process of healing and transformation. Growing in holiness requires our free cooperation. God is certainly the primary mover, sustainer, and the voice of inspiration, but our response is not without struggle.

In his homily, the pope warns us against succumbing to the “virus of selfish indifference,” which he describes as, “A virus spread by the thought that life is better if it is better for me, and that everything will be fine if it is fine for me.” Instead, he urges that “we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us: the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family!” In other words, we can rest on our indifference and privilege or we can allow ourselves to be “profoundly shaken” by the injustices around us, so we can respond with mercy and justice.

This brings me, finally, to that passage from Laudato Si that’s remained with me. Writing about how imperative it is for us to learn about and understand the many injustices in our world, Francis says:

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In other words, we cooperate with grace and avoid the virus of selfish indifference by listening to others and taking their suffering upon ourselves. It is from there that we are motivated to act with mercy and work for justice, because we have first allowed our hearts to be shaken by the suffering of others.

Nearly five years ago, I was “profoundly shaken” from my indifference in a way I will never forget. When the Syrian refugee crisis was receiving widespread attention, I initially thought of it as just one more terrible thing happening in the world. Then the picture of a little boy, Aylan Kurdi, began circulating on the internet. He was three years old in the picture, only a little older than my eldest son was at the time.

In the picture, Aylan was lying on a beach. His knees were tucked under him, his arms were at his sides, and his head full of light brown hair was turned to the side.

He looked just like my son did when he slept in his toddler bed. But this little boy wasn’t sleeping, he had drowned in the Aegean Sea and his body had washed up on the beach. Aylan died along with his brother and mother when his father was unable to hold onto them during a storm, and they were swept out to sea.

When I saw the image on my computer screen, I wept. When I read the story, I wept again. Every time I see the image, I still come close to tears. The power of this image broke through my indifference. It allowed me to—in a small way—experience the suffering of this family. This is the beginning of compassion, when a cold heart thaws enough to have a glimpse of the profound injustice in the world.

On Monday of this week, we celebrated the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church. The Gospel reading for the day was the story of Mary standing at the foot of the cross when Jesus, with his dying breaths, entrusted John the Apostle to her as her son. It was at Calvary that the prophecy of Simeon was fulfilled.

As only a mother could, Mary allowed her heart to be pierced by the suffering of her son. Mary is our model of compassion. In his book, Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict reflects on

Shaken, cont'd on pg. 13

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Vocations Life, Marriage & Family

6

Remember Your Community

By TEAGAN MCDERMOTT

�his past year I had the great privilege

of taking a course on the Trinity with Bishop Quinn. This class was profound and powerful for many reasons: we explored the deep mystery of the nature of God in each of His persons, we looked at the unfolding of doctrine around the Trinity, and (everyone's favorite) heresy! These are all amazing, but the thing that always stuck with me the most is the mystery of the community of the Trinity. We are made in the image and likeness of God and therefore made for and from relationships and community.

From the moment that we are conceived we are born into a community with our family. Nobody that has ever existed has existed in isolation. We are made for communion! This is a fundamental truth about our nature as human beings.

The closer we understand this truth the closer we will get to holistic life. After the fall there was a separation between the relationship with God, others and ourselves.

Our Lord, from the beginning, showed us how to

live the Christian life. It was always with others. First the Holy Family, then the Apostles and disciples, then with the whole Church in establishing the Eucharist.

That is why when a man enters into seminary formation, it is always in the context of community.

My brother seminarians have really taught me the importance and necessity of community. They push me to be better, frustrate me, help me when I am down, and overall bring me closer to God. “As iron sharpens iron” right? So naturally, when we were sent home from covid this was really difficult. I am sure that everyone has experienced this difficulty at some level during this year, because in a very real sense, it put a strain on what is natural to our nature.

Community teaches us to walk the path of sacrifice, it dispels the illusions of pride that we can do things by ourselves, and it gives us the opportunity to give ourselves away in love.

During these difficult times I encourage all of you to be intentional about fostering community in your lives. I wish to provide some ways to do so. The foundation of Catholic community is prayer. Right relationship with God is important before we have right relationship with others. Now others can most definitely bring us to God, but we also have the beautiful reality of the Eucharist. He loves you, spend some time with Him! Secondly, spend time with others. Nowadays we need to be prudent and careful of

Rev. Jason Kern Director of Vocations jkern@dowr.org

who we spend time with and around, but that should not completely rule out the fact that we can safely spend time with others. Reach out to people who might need support in any way. Make a phone call to a friend. Talk to people after Mass. Even if it is in a parking lot. Lastly, love your family! God has given us a primary community of people to be around.

Sometimes they can be the most difficult to love, but practicing sacrificial love with those who are immediately around you will help you grow in virtue with the larger community.

Teagan McDermott is in formation at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona.

USCCB Urges AG Barr to Enforce Obscenity Laws Peter Martin

Director of Faith Formation and Life, Marriage & Family pmartin@dowr.org

On April 30, 2020, MOST REV. SALVATORE CORDILEONE, MOST REV. PAUL COAKLEY and MOST REV. DAVID KONDERLA, chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth; Committee on Domestic Justice & Human Development; and Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, respectively, sent the following letter to US Attorney General William Barr.

�ear Attorney General Barr:

Please accept our prayers for you, your staff, and your loved ones during this trying time for our country. We wish to also commend your department on its work to end human trafficking and unlawful exploitation. We write to you today to urge you to confront the ongoing harms wrought by the pornography industry and to protect its victims. This should include enforcement of obscenity laws, investigation of pornography producers and website owners for criminality, national leadership in encouraging states and localities to develop rigorous policies against the industry and in the service of survivors, and more.

As you know, in December 2019, four members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked you to resume enforcement of federal obscenity laws in light of the evolution of internet pornography. On March 9 of this year, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight, citing gruesome examples of abuse, called upon your

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office to investigate the owners of a major website, “Pornhub.” Two days later, the Committee held a hearing on “Holding the Tech Industry Accountable in the Fight Against Online Child Sexual Exploitation.”

Now, in response to the global coronavirus pandemic and resulting social isolation, Pornhub has publicized offering free “premium” subscriptions.

The current pandemic is exacting a heavy and widespread emotional, social, and financial toll in our communities. In the face of the pandemic, the Church expresses her solidarity with all who are struggling or alone. In a March 27 reflection, Pope Francis affirmed our common “belonging as brothers and sisters” in the midst of crisis and reminded us that, despite the demands of distancing and isolation, “we are on the same boat” and are all “called to row together…. [S]o we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.”

Pornography is the antithesis of this. Rather than remembering and loving our fellow humans as brothers and sisters, it objectifies them – often directly exploiting them – and diminishes the health of users’ relationships with others. In fact, legislative chambers in at least 15 states have declared pornography a public health crisis in its own right.

But the reasons for the department to address the pornography industry are not limited to this moment. First, there are direct victims: the persons used in the productions. Many have their consent (even if technically legal) compromised by desperate circumstances while, for others, consent is completely absent. The department rightly pursues human traffickers; however, virtually unchecked proliferation of pornography fuels the demand that frequently results in commercial sexual exploitation.

Unprecedented, unlimited, and anonymous access to pornography via modern technology has led users to seek more and more extreme videos. Thus, nonenforcement or lax enforcement of obscenity laws

against producers and distributors may provide a gateway for this demand to metastasize, increasing the incidents of trafficking, child pornography, other abuse, and broader unjust conditions.

Second, pornography harms families and communities in perceptible ways. Especially when viewed by the young, it provides a terrible model and expectation of how persons should treat each other, potentially leading to coercion or violence.

The ubiquity of pornography in the hands of adolescents renders this not a concern of isolated incidents but of cultural proportions.

“Pornography use hurts the user by potentially diminishing his or her capacity for healthy human intimacy and relationships.” As pastors, we frequently see the pain that results from a pornography habit. Marriages that are injured or even broken by a spouse’s pornography use, which some divorce lawyers report as a factor in over half of their cases, have a ripple effect on children and society. Strong families are necessary for strong, safe communities.

Thank you for your valuable time and attention, and may God bless you.

Make Your Home More Holy Aaron Lofy

Director of Youth & Young Adults, alofy@dowr.org

The following article was posted April 3, 2020, to catholicmatch.com, which owns the rights.

By EMILY LOFY

�

re you single, living with a group of friends, and your shared space could just use some more grace?

Or perhaps you’re divorced, living alone, and your living space just needs a little warmth. Engaged?

Married? If you’re looking to grow in holiness in your everyday life, consider Enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home.

My husband and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary by Enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our home. With the spiritual guidance of a priest, we hosted a couple dozen of our friends on the eve of our anniversary for an unforgettable event. Since that day, I can honestly say that our home is a more peaceful and sacred place, with graces abounding to every person within.

But before I get too ahead of myself, let’s look at the reason behind this tradition.

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic tradition first beginning in 1907. It stems from the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as promulgated by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. St. Margaret Mary, a Visitation nun, had a series of visions of Jesus in which He disclosed to her “the marvels of his Love and the inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart.” He, in turn, made 12 promises to those who consecrate themselves and make reparations to His Sacred Heart: 1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.

2. I will establish peace in their families.

3. I will comfort them in their trials.

4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and, above all, in death.

5. I will shed abundant blessings on all their undertakings.

6. Sinners will find in My Heart an infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Lukewarm souls will become fervent.

8. Fervent souls will rapidly grow in holiness and perfection.

9. I will bless every place where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.

10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

12. I promise thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart stems from this 9th promise: He will bless every place in which an image of His Heart is exposed and honored.

The Enthronement sets Jesus as King and Lord over the home by giving His Heart a ‘throne’… a literal place of honor.

Those who wish to make the Enthronement first obtain the most beautiful image they can find of the Sacred Heart, to be established in the most prominent place in the home (with an option to also include the Immaculate Heart of Mary). After a short period of preparation, the official Enthronement ceremony takes place, ideally presided over by a priest, and with close friends in attendance.

During the ceremony, the image is blessed and set in its place while the member(s) of the household makes an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart. Then immediately following, a big party is thrown in celebration!

The image henceforth remains as a constant reminder of Jesus’ kingship over the house. It essentially links “the tabernacle of our parish church to

Jesus reminds us that our relationship with Him isn't merely a spectator sport. He desires to reside with us in our home.

11. The names of those who promote this devotion will be written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

Youth & Young Adults

With This Little-Known Devotion

7

our home, inviting our Lord to be our constant and most intimate Companion” (p. 6, The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). The member of the home makes their devotion to the Sacred Heart a way of life.

This devotion essentially links 'the tabernacle of our parish church to our home, inviting our Lord to be our constant and most intimate Companion.' Cardinal Burke notes in his book, The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that “the person living alone, no less than a family household, rightly desires that Christ be his or her constant Companion” (p. 6).

Cardinal Burke states also that “if the company of Christ is cultivated in our homes, His company will be cultivated in every sector of life for the transformation of our society and our world into a civilization of love” (p.7).

Jesus reminds us that our relationship with Him isn't merely a spectator sport. He desires to reside with us in our home. On the day of our own Enthronement ceremony, we had a Mass celebrated in our house. The gospel reading for the day just happened to be the story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who climbed a tree so he could see Jesus pass by. What did Jesus do when He came upon this man? He invited Himself to stay in Zacchaeus’ home.

There is truly no better way of inviting Jesus into your home than to give Him the ‘throne’ He rightfully deserves.

Emily Lofy is a regular contributor to CatholicMatch Institute, which "produces daily articles, weekly newsletters, videos, video courses, and books to provide single Catholics with advice on how to both live well and date well."

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Catholic Foundation

8

Seeds of Faith

Tuition Assistance Grants to Be Awarded for the 2020-2021 School Year Monica Herman

Executive Director Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota mherman@catholicfsmn.org

�to atholic education realizes a threefold purpose proclaim God’s message of love, build commu-

nity, and provide service. The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment, established in 2004 and stewarded by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, was created to aid families who seek a Catholic education for their children and who demonstrate financial need.

Congratulations!

Since our kick-off, the following parishes have met their goals for the 2020 Catholic Ministries Appeal:

Holy Family Kasson St. Ann Slayton St. Casimir Winona St. Joseph Waldorf St. Luke Sherburn St. Mary Lake Wilson St. Rose of Lima Lewiston

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An endowed fund is a way of giving that creates a permanent, continuous source of income for a ministry or mission as designated by donors. The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment was first established with a $2,000,000 portion from the extensive Seeds of Faith Campaign, which the Foundation prudently invests by following Catholic Responsible Investing principles. From investment earnings, more than $990,068 has been granted to families with financial need since 2012. The endowment will continue to grow, and with investment earnings each year, available funds for tuition assistance grants are expected from year to year.

The distribution of funds for the 2020-2021 school year will follow the Seeds of Faith Campaign case statement. It promised:

…we will establish a $2,000,000 endowment fund designated to provide tuition assistance to parents who seek a Catholic education for their children and who demonstrate a financial need. This endowment also will respond to a special need to provide tuition funding for the newly arrived immigrants in our diocese.

Last year, 200 families received tuition assistance totaling $134,400. This year, 219 families will receive assistance totaling $135,800. Funds are also

Prayer for a Pandemic

By CAMERON BELLM

May we who are merely inconvenienced Remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors Remember those most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close

available specifically for Hispanic families who demonstrate financial need through the Foundation’s Rothwell Endowments. This year’s earnings will allow us to distribute $16,500 to 28 families for the 2020-2021 school year. The application and process is the same for Seeds of Faith funds and Rothwell funds.

It is important to note that the funds “...will supplement, not replace, local efforts in providing parents with financial assistance. The Foundation will distribute annual earnings from this endowment in grants as assistance in tuition payments” (Seeds of Faith Case Statement). The intention of the Seeds of Faith Endowment is that “...no family shall be denied access to Catholic education because of the inability to pay.”

Each year, the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota receives letters from families who wish us to pass along their thanks to those who contributed to the Seeds of Faith Campaign. To those who generously contributed to the Seeds of Faith Campaign over a decade ago, thank you for touching the lives of others in this unique and much-needed way.

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota is committed to maintaining and preserving the endowment for generations of Catholic students to come.

The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment is stewarded by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota (EIN: 41-11691198), an independent Minnesota non-profit corporation that is tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).

Contributions are used only for the benefit of designated purposes identified in the endowment statement of purpose and for no other purposes. To learn more about the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, visit www.catholicfsmn.org

Remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips Remember those who have no safe place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market Remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home Remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our country, Let us choose love.

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.

Amen.

Resilience in schoolwork while they finish up their classes in practical nursing or dental hygiene. Others Sarah Vetter, LGSW are thrilled to be graduating this summer while Director facing the uncertainty of when they will be able Pregnancy, Parenting & Adoption to take their licensing boards and begin work Catholic Charities of Southern MN in their new field. Some are worried that online classes will rob them of the hands-on learning they need before beginning to work in healthcare. Through all this, I hear hope when I check " esilience" is the word that comes to mind in with my students. when I think of Catholic Charities’ Onward and All of our meetings are on the phone durUpward students. The Oxford Dictionary defines ing this time, but I can still see their toughness. resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly The perseverance to pursue their from difficulties; toughness; the goals shines bright in the midst of ability to spring back into shape." Through Onward many unknowns. Through Onward These single parents have been and Upward, these and Upward, these students receive pursuing college degrees while scholarships, individual mentoring, working and raising children. They students receive and emergency financial assistance, were resilient before the COVID-19 scholarships, indibut the students are the ones who pandemic. Some students felt like bring the perseverance and hard they were hanging on by a thread vidual mentoring, work. Through the uncertainty of before the pandemic changed life and emergency the COVID-19 pandemic, each stuin Minnesota, but they have sprung dent has kept her focus on the goal financial assistance, of graduating and providing a better back into shape in various ways.

Some of the single mothers we but the students are life for her children. serve welcomed the opportunity to Eight of the parents who particihave all their classes online, which the ones who bring pate in the Onward saved them time commuting to and Upward class and clinicals. Many appreci- the perseverance program are ated a little extra time at home with and hard work. graduating their kids. Most suddenly had their this semesschool-age children at home and ter.

They are now helping their kids with are looking forward to entering the

�

Catholic Charities

Uncertain Times

9

workforce in the healthcare field.

Many cite their children as their motivation to finish their schooling, earn a living wage, and give back to their communities by providing medical care in hospital and clinic settings.

Some have told me how their lives were impacted by someone in the healthcare field, which inspired them to pursue this career as well. We are honored to walk beside them as their dreams become a reality!

Amanda, a recent graduate, took the time to write a note about her experience in the Onward and Upward program:

As a single mom, young, trying to finish school, many things can be stressful, including finances. Knowing there are programs that help financially to encourage you to complete schooling to help you and your kids’ future long term is a HUGE reason why it is possible for me to achieve this goal. The staff, program and environment are all beyond welcoming and I could not be more grateful for the continuous support and encouragement.

Catholic Charities’ Onward and Upward program is looking forward to supporting more single parents in obtaining a college education in the healthcare field. We are committed to creating an individualized plan with each student in order to help her finish school, earn a living wage, obtain appropriate levels of debt, and save for her family’s future. Eligibility and applications are available online at www.ccsomn.org/ onwardandupward/

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Ask a Canon Lawyer

10

On Dispensations �ack in March when the COVID-19 “safer at home” measures were first

being put into place, Bishop Quinn granted a dispensation to all the faithful in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation. Even now that the public celebration of Mass is resuming in many parts of our diocese, this dispensation remains in effect. But what is a dispensation, and how can a bishop grant this?

What Is a Dispensation?

Canon 85 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law defines a dispensation as “relaxation of a merely ecclesiastical law in a particular case.”

To understand what this definition means, let’s go through the different categories of law that the Church recognizes. First of all, natural law is law that is built into the very nature of things. A good example of natural law are fundamental principles of morality, which are non-negotiable and unchanging.

E.g., murder is always wrong in and of itself; it’s not wrong just because a lawgiver arbitrarily decided it would be.

On the other hand, positive law is law that is created or made up. One familiar example of positive law is the secular civil law of a city, state, or national government. But more pertinent to our discussion here, divine positive law is law that God Himself has made up for us, which addresses things that go beyond the basic morality of natural law. The Church can also make up positive law, and we call this ecclesiastical law. Sometimes, as in the above-cited canon, this referred to as "merely ecclesiastical law," to emphasize the fact that the Church is making up these laws as a human judgement call for the sake of the good governance of the people of God, thereby

acknowledging that such a law is not a matter of divine revelation or something which comes directly from God. In terms of dispensations within the Church, the appropriate authority—which in many cases in the diocesan bishop, but in some specific circumstances could be the superior of a religious community or even the pastor of a parish—is able to dispense from this merely ecclesiastical law. That is, the proper authority figure can dispense from the Church’s practical human-made laws, but not from those things which God himself commands or from unchanging matters of right and wrong.

is that nobody can be obligated to do what is truly impossible. Therefore, nobody sins by not attending Mass in a situation where all the public Masses in the entire country are cancelled.

But then the question might be asked, in our current coronavirus pandemic, it seems that Catholics are not attending Mass because either: 1. There are What Is the Sunday Obligation? no public Masses to attend, or 2. Because they have The obligation to keep the Sabbath day holy is a mata medical condition or are at an age when attending ter of divine law, as it was given to us directMass would be dangerous for them. Since ly by God in the Ten Commandments. a Catholic in either of these situations Do y This divine law is reflected in our ou h would not be obligated to attend Mass a qu ave e ecclesial law, specifically in canon s anyway, what is the point of having tion cano a n b 1246 which tells us that: “On an official dispensation? l o a woul ut w tha d t Sundays and other holy days The short answer is: peace l y i k ou answ e to s e of obligation, the faithful are e of conscience for the faithful. r e e d he Ema re? obliged to participate in [i.e., il The period of time when all jcoo attend in person] the Mass.” public Masses were cancelled pe Attending Mass on Sunday with r@dowr was a difficult (we might even "Cou .org is obviously one way to keep say traumatic) time for sincere rie ques tion" r Catholics everywhere, and a disthe Lord’s day holy, and so this subje in the pensation from the Sunday oblispecific means of observing the ct lin gation was a reassurance that God Sabbath is one which the Church e. was not displeased with anyone for actively thinks it’s a good idea to not attempting the impossible. require of all Catholics. However, Further, in this time when public since this is a matter of merely eccleMasses are resuming in a limited way, it sial law, a bishop of a diocese can dishas become necessary for many Catholics to pense this obligation for his own people for a discern whether it is safe and prudent for them to sufficiently serious cause. return to community liturgical prayer in their parBut what the bishop cannot dispense from—even ishes. Knowing that there is currently no obligation if he wanted to for some reason!—is God’s own law of to attend Mass will hopefully give everyone an extra keeping Sunday holy. Therefore, even when Catholics sense of freedom in determining the best choice for are dispensed from the requirement to attend Sunday themselves and their families.

Mass, we are still obligated, under pain of sin, to find some way to set Sundays apart as a sacred time. This should be done first of all by abstaining from unnecessary work, but also by making time specifically for prayer. Incidentally, while watching a livestreamed or televised Mass doesn’t technically satisfy the usual obligation to attend Sunday Mass, it can be a helpful way to make Sunday an especially prayerful time when going to Mass in person is not safe or possible.

Why Bother with a Dispensation?

One other important point to keep in mind about the Sunday obligation is that there are other circumstances, outside of a formal dispensation, when a Catholic might be excused from it. For example, if a Catholic is too ill to go out, he or she does not sin by not attending Mass while sick. Also, an obligation is not binding when fulfilling that obligation would put a person in harm’s way. For instance, nobody is obligated to attend Mass when extreme winter weather makes the roads too dangerous to travel, or when they have a medical condition which makes it risky to be in a large crowd.

And of course, a very basic principle of canon law

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Jenna Cooper

Tribunal Coordinator & Judge jcooper@dowr.org

COVID-19 Magnifies Jack Lawlis

Policy & Outreach Coordinator Minnesota Catholic Conference

�ur families have emerged as many people’s pri-

mary community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This fits the family’s natural role in society, but the change has not been easy. Many families have experienced new challenges amid COVID-19.

Single parents are now the sole providers of both their family’s income and children’s education.

Low-income families, who already endure economic hardships, face uncertainty in a difficult job market.

COVID-19 has accentuated the crisis of family instability, apparent in high rates of divorce and rising rates of single parenthood and perpetuated by a societal disinterest in the success of the family as a community.

To combat this crisis, we must look to policy examples that strengthen families, like changes recently enacted in Hungary, which led to higher rates of marriage, lower rates of divorce, and a drop

Tell Congress to Include Catholic Schools in COVID-19 Relief Funding Catholic education helps nurture the faith of millions and lifts many from poverty.

Unfortunately, many Catholic schools across the nation are in danger of closing due to the financial impacts of COVID-19.

Congress is negotiating the next phase of COVID-19 relief funding. The House passed the HEROES Act on May 15, and now the Senate is crafting its own version. This is important because the HEROES Act excludes almost all non-public school students from eligibility for its emergency services and rescinds much of the emergency relief for non-public schools that was enacted through the CARES Act. As Catholic schools struggle financially because of the pandemic, ask your members of Congress to enact immediate aid to help students stay connected to their schools.

Visit www.MNCatholic.org/actioncenter or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your Members of Congress.

in abortions. In a world shaken by change, we achieve stability and flourishing by empowering families to fulfill their purpose as communities of life and love.

The Problem of Broken Families

In his encyclical Familiaris Consortio, Pope St. John Paul II reminds us of the family’s role as the foremost educator in society. He says:

The task of giving education is rooted in the primary vocation of married couples to participate in God's creative activity: by begetting in love and for love a new person who has within himself or herself the vocation to growth and development, parents by that very fact take on the task of helping that person effectively to live a fully human life.

Family formation is essential to the well-being of children, but not all receive this formation in its entirety. Almost a quarter of children in the United States live in a single-parent household. These children are more likely to commit suicide, become drug dependent, and perform below their peers in school.

In fact, while reading proficiency disparities exist among students of different races and ethnicities in Minnesota, research indicates that, for certain grades, the percentage of students proficient in reading matches almost identically to the percentage of two-parent households in each category. A child’s educational success cannot be accurately determined by race or ethnicity, but the data does show that children in two-parent households are more likely to succeed in school.

These disparities will only continue during COVID-19 as single parents, who relied on the school system, must now educate, supervise, and provide for their children all day. This is even more difficult for the 24 percent of single-parent households that live below the poverty line in Minnesota, compared to the four percent of impoverished households with married couples.

The most effective welfare mechanism is two

married parents in a household. Marriage serves the good of the family, fosters the formation of children, and is essential for a flourishing society. When a man and a woman discern marriage, both public policy and society should encourage, not inhibit, their decision.

The Family and Society Connected

Faith in the Public Arena

The Crisis of the Family

11

To strengthen society, lawmakers should look to policies that encourage marriage and support families, like what was enacted in Hungary following reform in 2010.

With a declining population and a suffering economy, Hungary enacted policies that focused on the family. It provided home-purchasing subsidies for families with children, decreased taxes owed by families with children, and provided interest-free loans to married couples which they need not pay back after having three children.

It even codified its commitment to the family in its constitution, stating, “Hungary shall protect the institution of marriage as the union of a man and a woman established by voluntary decision, and the family as the basis of the nation’s survival.”

Hungary’s focus on families has led to marriages increasing by 84 percent, divorces decreasing by 29 percent, and abortions decreasing by one-third between 2010 and 2019.

By incentivizing marriage and supporting family stability, Hungary shows that family-focused policy makes a difference.

Recognizing the importance of marriage and the family unit will lead to a stable and flourishing society.

The prosperity of society is tied to the health of each family, and by supporting public policy that upholds marriage and strengthens the family unit–the origin of development and virtue–we further the common good of all.

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Obituaries

Sister Mary Emmanuel Fallenstein, SSND, 92, professed in 1948, died April 6, 2020, in Notre Dame Health Care, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato.

A native of Mankato, she graduated from Good Counsel Academy in Mankato in 1945. She entered the SSND candidature that same year and professed first vows in 1948. She was an elementary grade teacher in several Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa Catholic schools, and also a pastoral minister. In the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, she taught at Ss. Peter & Paul School, Mankato (1975-83).

She also served as a receptionist and transportation coordinator for the School Sisters of Notre Dame at Good Counsel. Following retirement from parish work, she worked in the sewing room at Good Counsel for many years.

She is survived by her brother Gene and his family; her friends, colleagues and former students; and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND Associates. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Arvilla (Joanis) Fallenstein; her brother Joseph; and her sister, Margaret, who died as a young child.

Because of the pandemic restrictions on public gatherings, the funeral for Sister Mary Emmanuel will be held at a later date.

In the Diocese

12

Sister Ingrid Peterson, 84, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights, June 28, 2020.

Janet Peterson was born July 2, 1935, in Grantsburg, WI, to Elmer and Mary Grant Peterson. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1955 and made perpetual vows in 1961.

Professional studies included a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, 1963; master’s degree in speech and public address from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1969; and a Ph.D. in English: medieval and renaissance literature from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1982.

Sister Ingrid was a primary and secondary education teacher for 14 years. Upon completing further studies, she served as a college instructor in English for 11 years at the College of St. Teresa, Winona, and one year at Quincy University, Quincy, IL, after which she was an independent Scholar in Residence at Quincy University.

From 1992 to 2017, she taught and shared her Franciscan Scholarship as adjunct professor at the Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure University, New York (1992+); Franciscan Studies staff at Tau Center, Winona (199298); adjunct professor at St. Francis College, Altoona, PA (1995+); Franciscan Scholar and parish volunteer while in residence in Minong, WI (1998-2013); and adjunct professor at the Franciscan International Study Centre, Canterbury, England (2002-05). Sister Ingrid stated that the most important event in her professional life was to receive, in 2000, the Franciscan Institute Medal which was established in 1987 to honor scholars who have made outstanding contributions to Franciscan Studies in the areas of theology, spirituality, philosophy and history. After retiring, Sister Ingrid moved to Assisi Heights in 2017.

Throughout her life, Sister Ingrid published works of poetry, articles, and book reviews. Several books exist to which she contributed chapters, and others she

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co-authored. She published two books: Clare of Assisi: A Biographical Study and Keeping the Memory Green: Mother Alfred and the Sisters of St. Francis.

Sister Ingrid is survived by her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 65 years; her brother Laurence (Joële) Peterson of San Diego, CA; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Gerald Peterson.

A Memorial Liturgy will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Sister M. Andrea Zelenak, SSND, 90, professed in 1951, died July 4, 2020, in Notre Dame Health Care, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato.

A native of Minneapolis, she graduated from St. Anthony High School in 1947. She entered the SSND candidature that same year and professed first vows in 1951. She was an elementary grade teacher and administrator in several Minnesota Catholic schools, and also a pastoral minister. In the Diocese of WinonaRochester, she taught at Sacred Heart School, Heron Lake (1951-53) and St. Peter School, Hokah (1955-56).

Beginning in 1990, she served as pastoral minister and volunteer coordinator at Corpus Christi Parish, St. Paul, a position she held until 2007.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families; her friends, colleagues and former students; and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND Associates. She was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew and Mary (Varesinski) Zelenak; her sisters, Ann Flannery and Mary Zelenak; and her brother, Andrew.

Because of the pandemic restrictions on public gatherings, the funeral for Sister Andrea will be held at a later date.

Sister Valerie Kilian, 79, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Marys Campus, July 11, 2020.

Charleen Margaret Kilian was born June 6, 1941, in Chicago, IL, to Albert and Marie (Wagner) Kilian. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1959 and made perpetual vows in 1965.

Professional studies included a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, 1964, and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Loyola University, Chicago, in 1989. She received a religious studies certificate from the College of St. Teresa in 1968 and also parish pastoral education training in Watertown, SD, in 1982.

Sister Valerie taught 11 years in primary education at Queen of Angels School, Austin; St. James School, St. James; and Immaculate Conception School, Watertown, S.D. Following her years of teaching, Sister Valerie served as a pastoral minister at St. Joachim Parish, Plainview; St. Ann Parish, Slayton; and St. Mary Parish, Aspen, CO. At Assisi Heights, she ministered as a staff member of the Christian Community Center (1984-87) and as pastoral care coordinator (1989-92 and 2002-07). She was also a staff presenter and volunteer coordinator at Tau Center, Winona (1999-2002). For several years, Sister Valerie was a teacher’s assistant for Rochester Catholic Schools, provided services for Home Instead Senior Care and was a clinic companion for Sisters living at Assisi Heights.

Sister Valerie is survived by her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 61 years, and several cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents.

A Memorial Liturgy will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Keep a Good Thought

By JEANETTE FORTIER

�

s I continue my quarantine project of sorting through papers and photographs, two items have risen to the top of the pile. One is a photograph of a group of women, sitting at a long table in a parish social hall. Lots of smiles! Even Father was present for this CCW gathering. (If you don’t mind, I will leave out the names and location – to protect the innocent.) Many years later, when the parish president died, I was asked to sing for her funeral liturgy. I stopped into the sacristy to speak with the celebrant to make sure all directions were clear. I took my place for singing. The assembled mourners joined in the opening hymn and then Father spoke.

“As we begin this funeral liturgy for Jeanette...” I don’t remember what else he said, I just know my name was mentioned two more times before an assisting priest corrected him. The men from the funeral home got a good laugh out of it. The rest of us were gasping. I realize now, that the deceased don’t get to hear their name spoken at their funeral.

Now, I have a pretty good idea what it will sound like for me!

The second item was a newspaper clipping. A recent “This Day in History” column in the Rochester Post-Bulletin gave a news item from the years 19001920: The Keep A Good Thought Club. You were to send your name, address and birth date to the Minneapolis Tribune. There were no other details about the organization.

With the photograph and column sitting next to my computer, I keep a good thought of that parish president. A humble, hard-working mother of two, she took on the leadership of her parish CCW and with strength, led and encouraged her organization, always with a smile on her face. I keep a good thought of all the women in that photograph, remembering their hard work and the power of their prayers for parish members.

In these days of uncertainty, the Keep A Good Thought Club, seems like a great idea! Keep a good thought that the Lord will help us through. Share a good thought with family and friends. Encourage a good thought for those suffering through trials.

Bring to life a good thought about someone who has died. Speak their name. It will be a blessing!

An additional note: the following events have been canceled for 2020 and re-scheduled: Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention – September, 2021 Province of St.Paul/Minneapolis Conference – June, 2021 – St. Augusta, MN National Council of Catholic Women National Convention – August, 2021 – Arlington, VA

Keep a good thought and plan to attend!

If you would like a copy of our E-News online newsletter, contact me at fortierjeanette@gmail.com Jeanette Fortier is the president of the WinonaRochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

Shaken,

From the New Diaconate Director

cont'd from pg. 5 Simeon’s prophecy:

�

s I begin my new position as Director of the Permanent Diaconate, I just want to introduce myself to those who do not know me.

My name is Deacon John Hust and I have lived the last 21 years in Wabasha. My wife Nancy and I have been married 45 years and have six children and seven grandchildren, all within an hour from us. One year ago, I retired as the primary anesthesia provider at St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Wabasha and ended a 40-year anesthesia career. It was a great privilege to care for patients and their families.

I was ordained August 22, 2009 and have served the parishes of St. Felix in Wabasha and St. Agnes in Kellogg since ordination. At age 27 I began to realize my great need for God and His Church. Many people have helped me to grow in my faith and challenge me to live out the Gospel in all my relationships.

I know God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) desires to have a personal relationship with

me and with you.

Deacons are to be icons of Jesus Christ the servant, doing the Father’s will. The greatest gift of being a deacon is the gift of the many people I have met in serving. Whether it be at Baptisms, Funerals, prison ministry, or missionary work in Kenya; seeing and receiving Christ in the people is a great gift. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Christ and his Church.

May you and I continue on our journey of faith and grow in love for God and His people.

Together may we proclaim that Jesus is Lord!

The Televised Mass

Today, in the midst of so much suffering—in the world, our cities, and our homes—we must beg Mary to intercede for us, to ask her son to give us the grace we need to listen and learn from others. We need the Holy Spirit to wake us up from our self-centered concerns and make the suffering of others our own. We need the grace to be profoundly shaken out of our privileged indifference and confront every form of racism in our hearts and in our nation. Then the Lord can use us as agents of mercy and justice.

In the Diocese

From Mary we can learn what true com-passion is: quite unsentimentally assuming the sufferings of others as one’s own. In the writings of the Church Fathers, a lack of feeling—insensitivity toward the suffering of others—is considered typical of paganism. In contrast to this attitude, the Christian faith holds up the God who suffers with men, and thereby draws us into his ‘com-passion.’ The Mater Dolorosa [Suffering Mother], the mother whose heart is pierced by a sword, is an iconic image of this fundamental attitude of Christian faith.

By DEACON JOHN HUST

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Paul Fahey, is “a husband, father of four, parish director of religious education, and co-founder of Where Peter Is. He can be found at his website, Rejoice and be Glad: Catholicism in the Pope Francis Generation.

Is Offered Every Sunday Sioux Falls - KTTW Channel 7 at 7 a.m.

Sioux City - KPTH Channel 44 at 8:30 a.m.

Mankato - KEYC Channel 12 at 7:30 a.m.

Digital Channel 12.2 or Charter Channel 19 NEYC at 9:30 a.m.

Digital Channel 7 (DirecTV) or Channel 11 (DISH) KMNF at 9 a.m.

Rochester/Austin/Mason City KIMT Channel 3 at 7:30 a.m.

MyTV 3.2 at 9 a.m.

NEW Twin Cities - WFTC Digital Channel 29 or Channel 9.2 at 11:30 a.m.

Southeastern MN - HBC Channel 20 at 3 p.m. (repeated Wed. at 3:30 p.m.)

Winona/La Crosse/Eau Claire - WLAX/WEUX Channel 25/48 at 7:30 a.m. and on our website, dowr.org (click "Weekly Mass")

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July 2020

• The Courier