The Archdiocesan Young Adult Leadership Conference Feb. 7 will feature Mass and a question-and-answer session with Archbishop John Nienstedt, and break-out sessions about witness, discipleship and best practices in young adult ministry.

The second annual conference runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stitzmann Hall at the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Lunch is included in the $10 cost.

For more information and to register, visit the event’s page.

Pastor in Savage to receive national award

Father Michael Tix, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Savage, has been selected to receive the National Catholic Educational Association’s Distinguished Pastor Award at the organization’s national convention April 7 in Orlando, Fla. He is one of 12 pastors to be honored nationally.

Father Tix has been pastor of the parish and its 500-student St. John the Baptist School for 11 years. “He strongly believes healthy parish, healthy school; healthy school, healthy parish. He does not separate that at all,” said Cheri Gardner, the school’s director of education. “He’s visible, he attends activities, he leads the community in all the faith aspects.”

“He’s a big supporter of Catholic education,” added Principal Mike Smalley.

DeLaSalle teacher named distinguished educator

DeLaSalle High School teacher Emily Beckman, 33, received the 2014 Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award Nov. 22 in Chicago at the Huether Lasallian Conference, an annual gathering of Lasallian educators. A parishioner of St. Joseph in Rosemount, Beckman said being a Lasallian educator means sharing one’s heart with others and “to really reach out and try to make an impact on everyone’s life.”

Beckman, an IT specialist who teaches classes on yearbook design and broadcast journalism at the Minneapolis school, was one of two awardees from the organization’s Midwest district. The award is sponsored by the Christian Brothers Conference.

Former archdiocese auxiliary bishop marks 25 years of ordination

Bishop Emeritus Joseph Charron of Des Moines celebrated the silver anniversary of his ordination as bishop Jan. 25 at St. Ambrose Cathedral. A priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Bishop Charron was ordained an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1990 and named the eighth bishop of Des Moines in 1994. He retired in 2007. He was succeeded by Bishop Richard E. Pates, also a former auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Ahead of the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is providing prayer resources as part of its “9 Days for Life” Jan. 17-25. During that time, U.S. bishops urge Catholics to pray for a “culture of life.”

Ways to join

• Nine Days for Life app available at iTunes and Google Play.
• Text “9DAYS” to 55000 to receive a link to new novena content on your phone each day
• Visit 9daysforlife.com for online content, a printable novena to download and to sign up to receive updates via email.

Event promotes healing from sexual abuse of children

St. Paul parish in Ham Lake will host a prayer service Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. to promote healing in the Church and the community from the sexual abuse of children. The event is a chance for people to listen to and support one another in the search for healing from the pain that abuse causes, and to ask for God’s help and guidance.

The church is located at 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE in Ham Lake.

Composer and pianist Steven C recently released a CD called “Christmas Beyond,” which he recorded at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

The parishioner of St. Joseph in West St. Paul incorporates classic Christmas music, plus selections that go beyond the Christmas season. His last song, “The Road Home,” is a tribute to composer Stephen Paulus, who died during the final stages of the project.

For more information about the CD, visit www.stevencmusic.com.

Bishops to review school committee recommendation

In April, recognizing both the need to achieve financial sustainability and the desire to ensure high quality Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Archbishop John Nienstedt announced the formation of a steering committee to examine Catholic school governance.

The Vision 2020 Committee convened for the first time in June and worked throughout the summer and fall to understand the current state of Catholic elementary schools within the archdiocese and learn more about the stresses they are facing.

In October, the Vision 2020 Committee submitted a recommendation to Archbishop Nienstedt about an alternative governance and leadership structure for Catholic schools in the archdiocese. Archbishop Nienstedt and Bishop Andrew Cozzens, vicar for education, will take the recommendation under advisement.

According to Bishop Cozzens, “The great input given by our Vision 2020 Committee not only helped us better understand the current needs of Catholic schools, but also gave us valuable insight into issues affecting the future sustainability of schools in the archdiocese.

“As we move forward,” Bishop Cozzens continued, “the work done by Vision 2020 will inform discussions of ways to improve the fiscal health of the schools, make schools accessible and affordable to more families, and expand enrollment.”

Center for Mission to manage CRS Rice Bowl

Starting in 2015, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Center for Mission will manage Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl, the 40-year-old Lenten program that combines prayer, fasting and almsgiving to help feed the hungry around the world and locally; 25 percent of the Rice Bowl collection returns to the archdiocese and is distributed to Catholic Charities.

Parishes and schools are encouraged to order CRS Rice Bowl materials free of charge by the end of December. Materials are available in English and Spanish. To order, call 1-800-222-0025 or visit crsricebowl.org. For more information about CRS Rice Bowl in the archdiocese, contact Deacon Mickey Friesen, director of the Center for Mission, at (651) 291-4445 or friesenm@archspm.org.

The Rediscover: app version 2.0 is now available to download for iPhone and Android devices. Version 2.0 builds on the first app with new and enhanced features to support Catholics on their faith journey, including:

• Look and Listen: A new section for news, videos, plus Rediscover: Music and Movies, where users can discover Christian artists across genres, and movies that go deeper than entertainment.
• Confession Helper: A comprehensive guide through the confession process, including an examination of conscience and prayers to recite during confession.
• Find A Location: Now it’s easier for users to find a parish in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, with live search results as they type, plus filter options for Mass, confession and adoration times, and locations.
• My Faith Life: Users can keep their favorite content at their fingertips by bookmarking app content. Plus, goal scheduling is more flexible, with options for weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual reminders.
• For First-Time Users: Enhanced in-app documentation walks users through features.

Since the Rediscover: app was first launched in February 2013, more than 8,700 users have downloaded it. Rediscover: app 2.0 can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store and Google Play. For more information, visit rediscoverapp.com.

New website launches for Minn. Catholic Directory

Subscribers to the Minnesota Catholic Directory website will see a fresh, new look. Along with a clean, user-friendly design, the new directory site is mobile ready, so subscribers can access information about any parish or Catholic school within all Minnesota dioceses. Users also can look up parish listings by deanery on the new site.

New subscribers can sign up for the directory by visiting mncatholicdirectory.com.

Current subscribers received an email last week with their new login information, including a temporary password. If you are a current subscriber and did not receive this email, please email directory@www.thecatholicspirit.com.

“Christmas is about caring,” said Maple Grove Grand Knight Patrick Farrelly. “We Knights are starting our Christmas season by giving the gift of warmth.”

“We gave away 100 Coats for Kids in Bloomington last year,” said Bloomington Grand Knight Tony Spano. “It was fortuitous; last winter was so cold.” This year, Spano’s council gave away 300 coats with a retail value of $22,000.

Chapters in Duluth and Moorhead also distributed coats, which are funded by donations.

Since 2009, the Knights of Columbus has given away 200,000 coats to children. The Coats for Kids program originated in Connecticut and has expanded among the organization’s local chapters.

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic family organization. Founded in 1882, it has grown to nearly two million members worldwide. Its main principle is charity.

For more information about the Knights of Columbus, visit www.kofc.org.

Do you or someone you know have an amazing and elaborate Christmas light display? We want to know about it. Please send us an email at CatholicSpirit@archspm.org or call (651) 291-4444. We will follow up and, hopefully, pay a visit to take photos that will be featured in a December edition of The Catholic Spirit.

St. Bridget prepares to celebrate centennial

St. Bridget, a Catholic community on the north side of Minneapolis, is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2015.

Former parishioners, alumni of the parish school and people who used to live in the neighborhood are invited to help the parish plan the various celebrations that will mark the milestone anniversary.

Planned activities include a block party, all-school reunion, centenary dinner dance, a pilgrimage to Ireland and the Monastery of St. Bridget at Kildare, and various religious celebrations throughout the year.

For more information, please call the parish office at (612) 529-7779, or visit www.stbridgetnorthside.org.

From the USCCB

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Peter Christensen, 61, of Superior, Wis., as bishop of Boise City, Idaho, and accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael Driscoll, 75, from pastoral governance of that diocese.
The appointment was publicized in Washington Nov. 4 by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Peter Christensen was born Dec. 24, 1952, in Pasadena, Calif. He studied at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., at the University of Montana in Missoula, at St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, and at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on May 25, 1985.

He served as associate pastor of St. Olaf, Minneapolis (1985-1989), spiritual director/counselor of St. John Vianney College Seminary (1989-1992), rector of St. John Vianney College Seminary (1992-1999) and pastor of Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul (1999-2007). Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Superior, Wis., on June 28, 2007. He was ordained a bishop on Sept.14 of that year.

The Diocese of Boise City comprises the entire state of Idaho and has a total population of 1,595,728 people, of which 175,530, or 11 percent, are Catholic.

Cathedral of St. Paul seeks wedding photos for exhibit

The Cathedral of St. Paul plans to open an exhibit highlighting weddings held at the Cathedral over the past 100-years as part of its centennial events. The exhibit, “100 Years of Marriage,” will open in June 2015.

To submit your photographs of a wedding at the Cathedral, complete the online submission form at www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/100-years-of-marriage. The website gives detailed instructions on how to create a digital copy of your photo, what to include in your submission, as well as the opportunity to include any special family stories about the wedding. If you don’t have a digital copy, the staff at the Welcome Center on the lower level of the Cathedral will make a copy.

By constructing donated photographs into a 100-year timeline, visitors will be able to see the evolution of weddings over time, as well as how world events shaped the style and nature of weddings held at the Cathedral.

For more information about the Centennial Anniversary of the Cathedral of St. Paul, visit www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/centennial.

More than 40 parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have sister relationships with parishes across the globe, a tangible way to heed Pope Francis’ call to be a Church of missionary disciples.

An annual conference dedicated to supporting and establishing sister parish relationships will take its inspiration from the pope’s “Joy of the Gospel” from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, at St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. The event is hosted by the Archdiocesan Parish Partnerships Team and will feature lay missioner Marty Roers.

Various sister parish relationships have been insightful and educational for St. Joan of Arc (Minneapolis) parishioner Louise Eidsmoe and Our Lady of Grace (Edina) parishioner Steve Kraemer.

In sharing about their respective parish partnerships, Eidsmoe and Kraemer have sparked ideas, such as using Skype to “attend” Mass with their sister parish, or “sharing a meal” by hosting a parish dinner with the same food at the same time.

The conference will highlight ideas such as these and help attendees identify what global solidarity means to them.

The cost of the conference is $10. To register, visit www.centerformission.org, or contact John Twohy at (651) 439-1943 or johntwohy@centurylink.net. Free copies of Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel” will be available.

African immigrant retreat slated for Nov. 8

The Archdiocesan Commission for Black Catholics is sponsoring an African immigrant Catholic retreat for adults from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, at St. Peter Claver in St. Paul.

The retreat is an outcome of the African Immigrant Catholic Summit held in October 2013. The event’s theme is “A Day of Reflection on Growing in the Faith with Family.” All parishioners of African descent are encouraged to attend.

RSVPs are not required, but are strongly encouraged and appreciated for planning and logistic purposes. RSVP by Monday, Nov. 3, via email to CommBlackCatholicsMN@archspm.org.

CCF Legacy of Faith Award goes to Tom Gainor

Tom Gainor of St. Joseph in West St. Paul received the Legacy of Faith Award from the Catholic Community Foundation on Oct. 16 at Town and Country in St. Paul. Founding board member Larry McGough and Bishop Andrew Cozzens presented the award.

Gainor served as president of the foundation’s board of directors from 1992 to 2001 and has continued to help promote The Legacy Fund, which recently offered grants totaling $103,500 to eight Catholic elementary schools in the archdiocese.

He continues to serve the board and also is involved with other local Catholic organizations, including Catholic Charities, St. John Vianney College Seminary, Total Life Care Centers, St. Thomas Academy and Convent of the Visitation.

The foundation was established in 1992 to financially support the Catholic community.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, who is drafting a papal encyclical on the environment, will give a public lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in the OEC Auditorium at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Cardinal Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will present “Faith and the Call for a Human Ecology” as part of the Faith, Food & the Environment symposium sponsored by Catholic Rural Life.

Cardinal Turkson is an internationally recognized authority on the ethics of agriculture and the environment. His public lecture is expected to provide a preview of Pope Francis’ forthcoming encyclical on the environment.

Attendance is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. To reserve seating, register at ffesymposium.eventbrite.com.

Catholic Community Foundation grants help Catholic schools

The Catholic Community Foundation distributed grants totaling $736,500 to the 84 kindergarten through eighth-grade schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for the 2014-2015 school year to use for tuition aid. Several schools will receive an additional Legacy Impact Grant to support greatest needs or designated initiatives, such as curriculum software and language instruction.

Grants for tuition aid ($633,000) are made possible by donors who established or contributed to endowments at the Catholic Community Foundation, many of which are designated to provide permanent support for Catholic school students in need. The Legacy Impact Grants ($103,500) are awards directed by the Catholic Community Foundation to needs in the Catholic community.

Anyone can contribute to the Catholic Community Foundation to support Catholic education and other charitable causes. For more information, contact Mike Biver, senior gift planning officer,
at (651) 389-0875 or biverm@ccf-mn.org.

Twin Cities social worker receives national award

Catholic Charities USA recognized Mary Ann Sullivan, a longtime social service worker in the Twin Cities, with a national award for her contributions to children’s social services. Sullivan received the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Award, named for a former bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens and longtime leader in the Catholic Charities network, at CCUSA’s annual gathering in Charlotte, N.C., Oct. 5.

“Throughout her career, Mary Ann has worked to strengthen families and build a better future for children in need,” said Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA and former executive director of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minnesota. “Her leadership and example have helped her agency to provide shelter to those who lacked a home, assist at-risk youth in achieving their full potential, give safety and security to immigrants seeking refuge, help young mothers who lacked prenatal care, and advocate for dignified shelter and housing options for those in need.”

Archdiocese launches social media to better connect Catholics

Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have a new way to get the word out about news and events from their parish, Catholic school and Catholic organization on social media. Here’s how:

• Like the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on Facebook
• Follow @ArchdioceseSPM on Twitter

Send your photos, event information, articles and more to socialmedia@archspm.org. Content will be selected from submissions to be featured on Facebook, Twitter and/or the archdiocesan website, archspm.org, in accordance with the archdiocese’s social media policy, also posted on its website.

Like and Follow the archdiocese on Facebook and Twitter to keep updated on archdiocesan events, Catholic articles of interest and news about what’s happening in the archdiocese.

Two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been deemed “2014 Schools of Excellence” by the Cardinal Newman Society.

St. Agnes School in St. Paul and Providence Academy in Plymouth have been recognized again by the organization for excellence in academics and Catholic identity.

The Honor Roll was created by the Acton Institute in 2004, with the Cardinal Newman Society assuming it in 2012. All Catholic high schools in the U.S. are eligible to apply for the biannual award; honorees this year include 71 schools located in 26 states. Another Minnesota school, Chesterton Academy in Edina, was recognized.

Part of the Cardinal Newman Society’s mission is “helping Catholic families and promoting faithful Catholic education.”

The Catholic Spirit announces retirement of longtime employee

John Wolszon, longtime production supervisor at The Catholic Spirit, will retire in early October, bringing to a close nearly 40 years of service to the newspaper and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

When he began his employment, the newspaper was called the Catholic Bulletin and was printed solely in black and white. Color was added in the mid-1990s, along with a name change to The Catholic Spirit. In 2012, the newspaper and its staff became part of the archdiocese.

One of Wolszon’s many achievements was winning the B. Charles Tierney Award in 2001, which is given to an archdiocesan employee to recognize outstanding service.

“I truly love my job,” Wolszon said at the time. “It’s the people I work with that makes this job work for me.”

One of the first tasks for Wolszon, who lives in Stillwater, as he begins his retirement will be working on his annual Christmas light display. It’s legendary in his community, with people driving for miles to see it.