Happy Independence Day! Mary, patroness of our nation, pray for us!
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Office of Vicar General
Very Reverend William D. Thompson
To: Priests, Deacons, Diocesan Employees, Parish Administrators, Parish Secretaries, and Seminarians
From: Very Rev. William D. Thompson, Vicar General
Re: July Diocesan Update
Date: July 1, 2020
Happy Independence Day!
Mary, patroness of our nation, pray for us!
Appointments:
The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, announces the following:
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 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 the Baptist 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.
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 the Permanent Diaconate
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 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.
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.
Office of Vocations:
Pastoral Year: Adam Worm, a seminarian of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, has been appointed to a Pastoral
Year at Holy Spirit Parish in Rochester, effective May 15, 2020.
Office of Human Resources:
Staff Changes: Effective June 24, there were two personnel changes at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. Both Michele Klein,
Administrative Assistant, and C.J. Kallevig, Ecclesiastical Notary, are no longer employed by the Diocese of Winona-
Rochester. We’re grateful for their service at the Pastoral Center over the past couple of years, and wish them both well
as they pursue other opportunities. Please feel free to contact Dave Fricke should you have any questions or concerns.
Office of the Vicar General:
Confirmation Requests: Since some pastors are choosing to request faculties to Confirm students from their high school
Confirmation classes, this is a good opportunity to review the protocol for when priests wish to Confirm baptized
Catholics.
❖ When a pastor wishes to Confirm a baptized Catholic, either at Easter or another time of
year, he must request faculties to do so.
❖ A pastor only needs permission to Confirm a baptized Catholic. If a pastor is receiving a non-
Catholic into the Church, he does not need permission to Confirm.
❖ In the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, faculties to Confirm can be granted by the Vicar
General. Please address your requests to him.
❖ Requests to Confirm should come from the Pastor, even if the one who is to Confirm is
another priest (e.g., Parochial Vicar).
❖ Requests should be made by way of a formal letter. This letter should include 1) the name(s) of the person(s) to
be Confirmed, 2) the location and date of the proposed Confirmation, 3) the date and location of
the person(s)’ baptism. For your convenience, there is a template permission request letter
included in the attachments.
Office of Life, Marriage and Family, and Faith Formation:
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week: “Live the truth and beauty of God’s plan for married love!” is the theme of
this year’s Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, July 19-25, a national educational campaign of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to celebrate God’s vision for marriage and promote the methods of Natural
Family Planning.
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Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a general title for ethical, natural, safe, and effective methods for both achieving and
avoiding pregnancy in marriage. NFP methods teach couples how to observe and interpret the wife’s signs of fertility and
infertility. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, NFP methods “respect the bodies of the spouses,
encourage tenderness between them and favor the education of an authentic freedom” (CCC, no. 2370). The dates of
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae (July 25), which
articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love, and responsible parenthood.
Please promote Natural Family Planning
Awareness week in your parish(es).
Bulletin inserts, social media graphics,
web banners, and more can be found here.
Supreme Court Decision: (From USCCB News Releases) The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB),
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, provided a statement on the decision issued today by the Supreme Court of the
United States – combining Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga., Altitude Express v. Zarda, and R.G. & G.R.
Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Opportunity Employment Comm’n. The justices ruled that the prohibition
on “sex” discrimination in employment in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 now prohibits
discrimination based on “sexual orientation” and “transgender” status.
Archbishop Gomez’s statement follows:
I am deeply concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively redefined the legal meaning of ‘sex’ in our
nation’s civil rights law. This is an injustice that will have implications in many areas of life.
By erasing the beautiful differences and complementary relationship between man and woman, we ignore the
glory of God’s creation and harm the human family, the first building block of society. Our sex, whether we are
male or female, is part of God’s plan for creation and for our lives. As Pope Francis has taught with such
sensitivity, to live in the truth with God’s intended gifts in our lives requires that we receive our bodily and sexual
identity with gratitude from our Creator. No one can find true happiness by pursuing a path that is contrary to
God’s plan.
Every human person is made in the image and likeness of God and, without exception, must be treated with
dignity, compassion, and respect. Protecting our neighbors from unjust discrimination does not require
redefining human nature.
We pray that the Church, with the help of Mary, the Mother of God, will be able to continue her mission to bring
Jesus Christ to every man and woman.
On August 23, 2019, the USCCB, joined by other national religious organizations, filed amicus curiae briefs in the cases.
They are available at http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/amicus-briefs/upload/Bostock-8-23-
19.pdf and http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/amicus-briefs/upload/Harris-8-23-19.pdf.
Office of Missionary Discipleship, Lay Formation and RCIA:
Evangelization Discernment Retreat: The East and West evangelization discernment retreats, "Christ's Love Compels Us,"
are currently ON and we are taking reservations. The decision to cancel the East retreat will occur the second week in
July, or, if it runs, COVID-19 restrictions will be detailed at that time. Pastors, it would be appreciated if you encouraged
one person who is "on fire" from your parish / cluster to attend. Please post the attached flyer, and put it on your
Facebook page, email, or website.
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Sample bulletin announcement:
Christ's Love Compels Us: an Evangelization Discernment Retreat. July 31-Aug. 2 at IHM Seminary, Sept. 11-13
at Shalom Hill Farm.
• Do you sense a nudge from God that He is calling you to share His love with others?
• Are you not sure how to best share the gospel?
• Do you want time and space to explore and pray through the possibilities?
• Do you need courage, hope, support, and time to ask God for both?
Join us as we come together and ask the Holy Spirit how we can make the name of Jesus known and loved
through our lives. All are welcome. COVID-19 restrictions will be in place. Limited numbers allowed; reserve now!
More info and online registration here: https://rebrand.ly/retreatRSVP
Sustaining Community Zoom Meeting: Join us on July 16, at 9:00 am, for a 45-minute Sharing Tips for Sustaining
Community in COVID-19 Zoom meeting. We will share what has worked for sustaining church community in this
pandemic. Come and share, or just come to listen and learn. Pastors and parish staff are welcome. Please RSVP to receive
the Zoom link, by contacting Susan Windley-Daoust at swindley@dowr.org.
Praying for Non-Practicing Family: August is a month perfectly dedicated to praying for
fallen away family members to return to the faith, because it ends with the feasts of St.
Monica and St. Augustine of Hippo. Possibilities and resources will be sent to pastors in mid-
July.
Office of Vicar for Clergy:
Annual Meeting of the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals: The Board of Directors would like to extend a
special invitation to clergy and religious to attend the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting of the American Academy of
FertilityCare Professionals, featuring Creighton Model FertilityCare System & NaProTECHNOLOGY. Interested priests,
sisters, and brothers are welcome to attend this year’s meeting for non-credit registration free of charge. The deadline
for this complimentary registration is July 16, 2020.
Premier Banks Clergy Golf Outing: The Premier Banks golf outing for priests, deacons, and seminarians, is currently
scheduled for Monday, August 24, at the Owatonna Country Club. If circumstances due to COVID-19 become such that it
is not possible to hold the outing this year, a notification will be sent out.
Rochester Serra Club Clergy Golf Outing: The Clergy Golf Outing and Banquet, scheduled for July 27, and hosted by the
Rochester Serra Club, has been cancelled for this year. They hope to host this event in 2021.
Office of Divine Worship:
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene: A reminder that July 22 is the newly elevated Feast of St. Mary
Magdalene. Due to the raise in rank, the Lectionary readings found in the Proper of Saints section
are now required, the Gloria is used, and there is a new Proper Preface. The preface can be found
here, and chant notation is available there as well. For the Liturgy of the Hours, the Te Deum is now
used.
St. Faustina Feast Day: Pope Francis has recently inscribed St. Faustina Kowalska into the General
Roman Calendar on October 5, as an Optional Memorial. Since English texts are not yet available, the
Common of Virgins: For one Virgin or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Religious may be
used. More info can be found here, and Spanish info can be found here.
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This falls on the same day as the new Optional Memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos for the Dioceses of the United
States. More information, as well as some texts, can be found here, and here in Spanish. Since both celebrations are of
the same rank, either of them may be optionally chosen.
Litany of Loreto: Pope Francis has added three new titles of the Blessed Mother to the Litany of Loreto for devotional
use. In a letter to the Bishop Conferences, he has specified that “Mother of Mercy,” “Mother of Hope,” and “Comfort of
Migrants” are to be added in specific places in the Litany. The official English version of the titles has not yet been
released.
Office of SPOF:
Pope Francis Approves Miracle Attributed to Intercession of Pauline Jaricot:
(From the Vatican News Agency Agenzia Fides) "It is a moment of great joy for the
Pontifical Mission Societies all over the world. We are extremely happy because the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints has made known the recognition of the
miracle attributed to Pauline Jaricot, French laywoman, foundress of the Pontifical
Society of the Propagation of the Faith, the first of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
This is a very important step: it means that her commitment to the mission, made
of prayer and charity, speaks and is still significant today for the universal Church": this is what Archbishop Giampietro
Dal Toso, President of the Pontifical Mission Societies and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of
Peoples, told Agenzia Fides, commenting on the promulgation of the Decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
On May 26, the Holy Father Francis authorized Cardinal Angelo Becciu, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of
Saints, to promulgate the Decree concerning the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God
Pauline Maria Jaricot, Foundress of the Societies of the "Council of the Propagation of the Faith" and of the "Living
Rosary;” born on July 22, 1799 in Lyon (France) and died there on January 9, 1862.
News and Upcoming Events:
Eucharistic Congress: All are invited to participate in an upcoming Eucharistic Congress October 9-10,
in Philadelphia, an opportunity to profess our faith more profoundly in the true and real presence of
Christ in the Holy Eucharist. The Congress will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul
and the Shrine of St. Katherine Drexel, and is sponsored by the Council of Major Superiors of
Women Religious (CMSWR). More information and registration can be found online. A flyer is also
attached.
Death Notices:
Sr. Monique Schwirtz, OSF, 81, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes,
Rochester, died May 7. Ellen Elise Schwirtz was born May 24, 1938, in Grand Rapids, MN, to John
Robert Schwirtz & Victoria Radosevich. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1958 & made perpetual
vows in 1964. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Ed., a Master’s Degree in Elementary
Ed. Admin., & studies in Gerontology & Spiritual Direction. Sr. Monique taught & was principal at
several schools, including St. Theodore, Albert Lea, & Sacred Heart, Waseca. She was also Family
Resource Coordinator, Mankato; Director of Daily Life & Service, Assisi Heights; on Congregational
Leadership; Spiritual Director; & volunteer at the Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca.
Save the Date:
❖ Thu., July 16: Sharing Tips for Sustaining Community in COVID-19, 9:00 am, Zoom
❖ Sat., July 18: Pre-Cana Session, St. John Vianney Parish, Fairmont
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❖ Fri., July 31 – Sun., Aug. 2: “His Love Compels Us” Evangelization Discernment Retreat (East), Immaculate Heart of
Mary Seminary, Winona
❖ Mon., Aug. 24: Premier Banks Clergy Golf Outing, Owatonna Country Club
❖ Fri., Sept. 11 – Sun., Sept. 13: “His Love Compels Us” Evangelization Discernment Retreat (West), Shalom Hill Farm,
Windom
❖ Mon., Sept. 21 – Thu., Sept. 24: Presbyteral Days, Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center, Okoboji, IA
❖ Sun., Nov. 8 – Fri., Nov. 13: Preached Priest Retreat, Alverna Center, Winona
Attachments:
Evangelization Discernment Retreat Flyer
Eucharistic Congress Flyer
Ethics and Medics, May 2020
The monthly Diocesan Update is sent out on the 1st of the month (or a day before or after if the 1st is on a holiday or
weekend). The deadline for submitting information is the 25th of the month. All information submitted after the 25th will
go in the following month’s update. There will not be an Update in the month of June.
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