Listening Sessions with Archbishop Hebda to Help Inform Pope Francis’ Choice for our New Archbishop

Monday, October 5:

1 – 3 p.m., Rauenhorst Ballroom, Coeur de Catherine, St. Catherine University, St. Paul

7 – 9 p.m., St. Stephen, Anoka

Tuesday, October 6:

1 – 3 p.m., For women and men in consecrated life, Carondelet Center, St. Paul

7 – 9 p.m., Pax Christi, Eden Prairie

Monday, November 2, 7 – 9 p.m., Saint Peter, Forest Lake

Tuesday, November 3, 7 – 9 p.m., Divine Mercy, Faribault

Wednesday, November 4, 7 – 9 p.m., Woulfe Alumni Hall, Anderson Student Center, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul

Additional listening sessions are being scheduled for Latino Ministry parishes (in Spanish) and priests.

Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of dialogue in the life of the Church. And in the spirit of speaking and listening in charity, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is hosting a series of listening sessions. Archbishop Hebda will lead the sessions to hear your input on our strengths, our challenges, and what characteristics are important in a new archbishop. Feedback gathered during these sessions will be shared with those responsible for advising Pope Francis as he makes this important choice and with the new Archbishop whenever he is named. Summaries will be published in The Catholic Spirit.

Our retreat with Fr. Mike and Pope Francis.  Yes, it was that week, time out of time, the most memorable retreat of a lifetime.  Everyone was watching the Pope so no need to write how wonderful the message, so wise and merciful, Pope Francis moving seamlessly from deep prayer to joyful communion with God’s people.  

front row: Sr. Caroline, Fr. Mike Crosby Sr. Anne

second row: Sr. Gabriel, Sr. Lucie, Sr. Kate, Sr. Francis, Sr. Helen

A special feast day greeting to Friar Bob Frazzella.  We know him as a frequent visitor to our Blog.  We all appreciate friendly visits.  Right?  Thank you, Bob.

     Please meet some of our new friends.    Gina comes from sisterstory.org out of St. Catherine University in St. Paul.  Some months ago Sr. Kate shared her life in relation to her love for music and sharing this gift with the Sisters at the monastery and the larger community that prays with us.  We will apprise you when the video is ready for your viewing via this Blog.

     Sr. Gabriel and Lowell renewed their friendship from days on the farm in Nebraska where they fished, hunted squirrels and rabbits and played every game that children’s imagination can devise.  It was ten years since their last visit and they and they shared deeply of how their faith had shaped their lives.

     Bishop Patrick Chilekwa Chisanga was born in 1971 in Kamuchanga in the Copperbelt region of Zambia, Africa.  He entered Franciscan Conventual Order in 1990. Patrick was ordained nine years later in 1999 and pursued studies in psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2002-2006). His pastoral assignments have included parish ministry and formation work at St. Bonaventure College in Lusaka. He served as Provincial of the Franciscan Conventuals  in Zambia for four years. At the time of his nomination, Friar Patrick was serving as a formator at St. Bonaventure College in Lusaka.

     He was named Bishop of the Mansa Diocese by Pope Francis in November of 2013 and ordained bishop in February of 2014.   The Diocese of Mansa is in northern Zambia and currently includes about 1.6 million people, of whom 434,000 are Catholic.  The diocese has 16 parishes. Bishop Patrick has opened 5 new parishes in just over a year.  At 44, he is one of the youngest Catholic bishops in the Church.

     On the Fourth of July we celebrated and prayed for freedom for all God´s people.   Fr. Thomas Joseph was with us as presider at the Eucharist and stayed for fellowship.  Thomas Joseph is from India.  After ordination he worked with Teresa in Calcutta.  Later he spent some time in Mexico where he became fluent in Spanish.  Archbishop Harry Flynn invited Thomas Joseph to serve here in St. Paul/Minneapolis where he ministers with great  joy and love for God’s people.

Religious Sisters and Brothers from our Archdiocese joined our new Administrator,  Archbishop Bernard Hebda, at the Basilica Block Party.   How many Sisters and Brothers do you recognize?

Do you remember the lovely Ella Fitzgerald?  Her song was “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” 

It looks that way in Sister Caroline’s photo of a corner of our garden.

And it is not just easy, it is fun for the grey, red and white squirrels who play together in the lush foliage of the little pine forest behind the monastery.

I think this photo deserves a poem.

EDGE

I understand an edge: a border, isn’t it, a first wedge into

something else, something new? – somewhere you can only

get past by falling, falling, and giving yourself into the hands

of gravity, flying to the nest you, the one that only appears

beyond the limits of what came before. There are sharp edges

that cut your fingers when you cling to them, and there are

long concavities that curl upwards and lift you till you are

flung into space, a free place wide enough for fear, euphoria

and second thoughts, a space where something is born that

turns you wide-eyed toward the welcoming curve of newness,

and you find yourself at the beginning, the threshold,

the other side.

Kate Martin 8/ 09

but it is not green peace in our woods behind the Monastery.

 A baby owl fell into a window well at the back of our building, and evidently mom and dad flew in to comfort the youngster.

Sister Margaret called the Minnesota Raptor Center and a young volunteer was sent to the rescue. 

All is well.  Well, not exactly. 

There is a feathery fight going on between the crows and the owls, the crows resenting the territorial takeover of the owls.  

“Add insult to injury,” the Minnesota Raptor Center is sending over an orphan owl to join the first family.  Stay tuned.

The Confirmation Class from Assumption Parish and some of the dads spent their Saturday removing Garlic Mustard from our woods.  

Garlic Mustard is an invasive species and is on the “noxious weed” list of the Department of Natural Resources. 

Papa Francisco is coming to the East Coast.

While in Washington D.C. The Pope will present ceremonially to the Catholic community Padre Serra as a holy person before God.

If you would like to read the words and commentary from this amazing friar here are three of best books recently published.

It is the day after Pentecost Sunday, and this year known throughout the United States as Memorial Day.

How could we not remember back to the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, LIFE in the Lord with the promise of life everlasting.

Our Pascal Candle was painted by our dear friend and often lector Doug Westendorp.

Our Cross, designed by John Buscemi, invites us to walk with the Lord through the cross to fullness of life.