In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo

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In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo
New
June 2021 | Vol. 42 | No. 6
                                                     Earth
                                                     The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Fargo

                                            In service to God
                                             and the faithful
                                                        Four Fargo Diocese
                                                     seminarians are ordained

      From Bishop Folda:
                              Confirmation makes           St. John’s Academy, Jamestown,
     Holy Communion and
                               us strong in Christ              to add 7th and 8th grade
       the dignity of life

                                                                NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                  1
In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo
Join Bishop John Folda as we invoke God’s                     ON TH
                      blessing upon our rural communities                        Newly-or
                                                                                 during hi

                     4th annual                                                  TAB

                     RURAL LIFE
                                      celebration
                                                                                 1
              Sunday, June 27, 2021
    Russ and Mary Mauch Farm
    16305 Hwy 13, Barney, ND
                                             • Event is free and open to all     20
                                             • Bring a container of soil or
    (1/4 mile east of Barney on Hwy 13)        seed from your field or garden
    4:00   Welcome                             to be blessed
    4:15   Blessing of land and machinery    • If it rains, we’ll move indoors
    4:30   Mass                              • For more information, visit

                                                                                 22
    6:00   Meal and entertainment              fargodiocese.org/rural-life

                                                                                 32
2      NEW EARTH MARCH 2021
In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo
ON THE COVER:
Newly-ordained to the Holy Priesthood, Father Kevin Lorsung recites part of the Eucharistic Prayer
during his ordination Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary (Kristina Lahr | New Earth)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                                                                    (ISSN# 10676406)

                                                                                                        Our mission is to serve Catholic parishes in
                                                                                                           Eastern N.D. as the official monthly
                                                                                                           publication of the Diocese of Fargo.

                                                                                                                     Publisher
                                                                                                               Most Rev. John T. Folda
                                                                                                                 Bishop of Fargo

                                                                                                                         Editor
                                                                                                                       Paul Braun

                                                                                                                   Assistant editor

14
                                                                                                                    Kristina Lahr

                                                                                                                    Designer
                                                                                                         Stephanie Drietz - Drietz Designs

                                                                                                                   Subscriptions
                                                                                                     Parish contributions make it possible for
                                          FROM BISHOP FOLDA                                            each registered Catholic household in
                                          4     Holy Communion and the dignity of life               the diocese to receive 11 issues per year.
                                                                                                        Those outside the diocese wishing
                                          ASK A PRIEST                                                      to receive New Earth, go to
                                          7     My parents don’t want me to hang out with                  fargodiocese.org/new-earth.

20
                                                some friends because they think they’re a
                                                bad influence on me. But aren’t we called                          Postmaster
                                                to evangelize?                                               Send address changes or
                                                                                                             subscription requests to:
                                          COVER STORY                                                               New Earth
                                          14    In service to God and the faithful                         5201 Bishops Blvd S., Suite A
                                                                                                                 Fargo, ND 58104
                                          FAITH AND CULTURE
                                          19    Blessings: A Biblical, liturgical, and personal                Contact Information
                                                way to strengthen your family                             To contact the New Earth staff:
                                                                                                             news@fargodiocese.org
                                          NEXT GEN                                                               (701) 356-7900

22
                                          20 Devils Lake school breaks ground                           Deadline to submit articles, story ideas,
                                             for new chapel and learning center                        advertisements, and announcements for
                                                                                                         the July/August issue is July 14, 2021.
                                          22 St. John’s Academy, Jamestown,
                                                                                                         All submissions are subject to editing
                                             to add 7th and 8th grade                                               and placement.

                                          US/WORLD NEWS                                                    New Earth is published by the
                                                                                                        Catholic Diocese of Fargo, a nonprofit
                                          32 Archbishop Aquila: Germany's synodal                            North Dakota corporation,
                                             path needs repentance, belief, truth                           5201 Bishops Blvd. S, Suite A

32
                                                                                                                  Fargo, ND 58104.
                                          SIDEWALK STORIES                                                         (701) 356-7900.
                                          35 “Save” of twins an unexpected, double blessing
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                                                                                                         Member of the Catholic Press Association
In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo
FROM BISHOP FOLDA

Holy Communion and the dignity of life

                                       E
                                                 very year around this      this is needed. This is not meant to discourage anyone from            the fam
                                                 time, the Church cel-      receiving the Eucharist, but to encourage everyone to do so in         abomin
                                                 ebrates the Solemnity      a state of grace.                                                      respons
                                           of the Body and Blood of            But now the question arises: what about those who act in            that is, b
                                           Christ, or Corpus Christi.       ways that are contrary to our faith? What about Catholic officials     and at
                                           With Masses and processions,     and public figures who support and advocate for abortion               comma
                                           we contemplate the incom-        and euthanasia in public policy? Should one who holds such a           other gr
                                           parable mystery of the Eu-       position be allowed to receive the Eucharist? In point of fact, any    It is wor
                                           charist, which continues to      person who actively promotes or facilitates abortion, whether          Cardina
                                           nourish us as followers of       it be a politician, a voter, a business owner, a health care worker,       It is q
                                           Jesus Christ. Especially now,    or a family member, is acting contrary to divine law and makes         Church w
                                           as we emerge from the re-        themselves unworthy to receive Holy Communion. We cannot               the Chu
                                           strictions of the pandemic,      compartmentalize our public acts from God’s will, not even in          life. For
                                           it seems opportune to recall     the name of pluralism, democracy, or compassion, and formal            advocat
                                           the necessary place of the       cooperation with the evil of abortion prevents us from being           be an e
                                           Eucharist in the Church and      in full communion with Christ and his Church.                          This is n
 in our lives as Catholics. The Eucharist is Christ, sacramentally             Our current President is Catholic, and often described as           on the p
 and really present among us, sustaining us through communion              “devout.” Yet he has vigorously acted to expand provision of            it would
 in his sacred Body and Blood. As Pope Benedict XVI taught,                 abortion not only in this country but in other countries as            moral la
“Without the Eucharist, the Church simply does not exist.”                  well. Now he seeks to remove the long-standing prohibition of          the Wo
     The act of receiving the Eucharist is conventionally called            using public funds for abortion. In other words, abortion could        adheren
“Holy Communion.” By receiving the Eucharist, we enter into a               become even more available, and we could be forced to pay              calls us
 deeply personal union with Jesus himself, who said, “Whoever               for it. This is more than benign toleration of abortion; this is
 eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”              overt and active promotion of a moral act that is intrinsically
 (John 6:56). But receiving the Eucharist is also an act of com-            evil. In terms of moral theology, this can only be viewed as
 munion with the Church, which is the mystical body of Christ.              formal cooperation with evil, i.e., consent with the intention
 When we come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ,              of the one who performs the evil act.
 we essentially declare ourselves to be in full communion with                 This issue has arisen before, and was addressed by Cardinal
 Jesus and the Church that he established. And of course, this              Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, in a 2004 letter
 requires that one must be in a state of grace, i.e. free from              of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the bishops
 mortal sin that cuts us off from God’s divine life.                        of the United States. He wrote: “Regarding the grave sin of
     For this reason it is necessary to recall that receiving Holy          abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation
 Communion is not a right but a gift and a privilege. The Church            becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician,
 has always taught that one may not receive Holy Communion                  as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive
 if in a state of mortal sin, i.e., if one has knowingly and willfully      abortion and euthanasia laws), his pastor should meet with
 separated himself from Christ and his Church through grave sin.            him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing
 St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, tells us clearly:        him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until
“Whoever eats unworthily of the bread and drinks from the Lord’s            he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning
 cup makes himself guilty of profaning the body and the blood               him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”
 of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27). With St. Paul’s admonition in mind,              Nor is this question limited to the United States. In their 2007
 we must examine our consciences carefully as we approach the               Aparecida document, the bishops of Latin America said, “We hope
 altar to receive our Lord and make regular use of the Sacrament            that legislators, heads of government, and health professionals,
 of Reconciliation to receive forgiveness and healing whenever              conscious of the dignity of human life and of the rootedness of

     We cannot compartmentalize our public acts from God’s will, not
     even in the name of pluralism, democracy, or compassion, and
     formal cooperation with the evil of abortion prevents us from being
     in full communion with Christ and his Church. –Bishop John Folda
 4            NEW EARTH MAY 2021
In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo
from       the family in our peoples, will defend and protect it from the       God’s law and refuse to repent, then we exclude ourselves from
o so in     abominable crimes of abortion and euthanasia; that is their          communion with him, especially the communion manifested
            responsibility… We must adhere to ‘eucharistic coherence,’           through receiving the Eucharist.
 act in     that is, be conscious that they cannot receive Holy Communion          Let us all examine our consciences and strive to conform
fficials    and at the same time act with deeds or words against the             ourselves to God’s law, and let us pray especially for our leaders
ortion      commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and            who have a public responsibility to promote the common good
such a      other grave crimes against life and the family are encouraged.”      and the dignity of every human life, including the unborn.
ct, any     It is worth noting that a principal author of this document was
hether      Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis.
worker,         It is quite simply impossible to be in full communion with the
makes       Church while taking a position that is so diametrically opposed to
 annot
ven in
            the Church’s most basic moral teaching on the dignity of human
            life. For this reason, it is inadmissible for anyone who publicly                BISHOP FOLDA’S
                                                                                                CALENDAR
 ormal      advocates for abortion to receive the Eucharist, which should
 being      be an expression of communion with Christ and his Church.
            This is not a political statement. It is a pastoral judgment based
  ed as     on the public acts of those who call themselves Catholic, and
            it would be the same regardless of one’s party affiliation. The
 ion of
            moral laws of the Church are not optional; they are founded on
                                                                                                June 19 • 10:30 a.m.
 ies as                                                                                             Sister Debra Berr, SMP,
tion of     the Word of God and apply to everyone. Yes, we all fail in our
                                                                                            50th Anniversary of Profession, Maryvale
  could     adherence to the divine law because of sin, and God graciously
  o pay     calls us to repentance. But if we openly stand in opposition to                     June 20 • 10:30 a.m.
 this is                                                                                  Mass of Installation for Father Richard Fineo,
 sically                                                                                           St. John’s Church, St. John
  ed as
ention                                                                                              June 22 • 3 p.m.
                                                                                       Diocesan Finance meeting, Pastoral Center, Fargo
 rdinal                                                                                            June 23 • 10 a.m.
  letter                                                                                 North Dakota Catholic Conference, Jamestown
 shops
 sin of                                                                                             June 27 • 4 p.m.
ration                                                                                            Rural Life Celebration, Barney
 itician,
 issive                                                                                            June 28 • 11 a.m.
t with                                                                                    Catholic United Financial, Rose Creek, Fargo
rming                                                                                                        July 5
n until
arning
               Prayer Intention of Pope Francis                                                 Pastoral Center closed, 4th of July

                             July                                                                           July 16
r 2007                                                                               Made for Greatness Men’s Retreat, Stickelstad Lodge
e hope
 ionals,
                                                                                                    July 17 • 4 p.m.
 ess of                       Social Friendship                                         Centennial Mass, St. Alphonsus School, Langdon

not                We pray that, in social, economic, and                                           July 31 • 11 a.m.
                                                                                         Jubilee Mass for Franciscan Sisters, Hankinson
                  political situations of conflict, we may be
and               courageous and passionate architects of                                                    Aug. 2
 ing                        dialogue and friendship.                                          Putt for a Purpose, Rose Creek, Fargo

                                                                                                             NEW EARTH MAY 2021                       5
In service to God and the faithful - Diocese of Fargo
SAINT OF THE MONTH
                                                                               O Jesus, our great High
            Sts. Peter and Paul                                                Priest, hear my humble
                                                                               prayers on behalf of your
                      By Paul Braun                                            priests. Give them a deep
                                                                               faith, a bright and firm hope
                                                                               and a burning love, which
                                                                               will ever increase through-
                                                                               out their priestly life.
                                                                               In their loneliness, comfort
                                                                               them. In their sorrows,
                                                                               strengthen them. In their
                                                                               frustrations, remind them
                                                                               that through suffering the
                                                                               soul is purified. Show them
                                                                               that they are needed by the
                                                                  PRAYER FOR   Church; they are needed by
                                                                               souls; they are needed for
                                                                    PRIESTS    the work of redemption.
                                                                               Amen.

            Feast day: June 29
       Death: Between 64 and 68 A.D.

T
      he Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a solemnity feast
      day for the Catholic Church in many parts of the
      world. We Catholics know these two saints well. St.
Peter was the first Pope and was given the keys to Christ’s
kingdom by Christ himself. St. Paul was converted in the
dramatic vision he had of Christ on the road to Damascus
and became an evangelizer who opened the Christian faith
to Gentiles and pagans.
   But why does the Church celebrate these two monumental
pillars of the Christian faith together? Sts. Peter and Paul’s
feast day honors the martyrdom of the two saints, sometime
between AD 64 and 68. While the church recognizes that
they may not have died on the same day, tradition says
that this is the day that they were both martyred in Rome
by Emperor Nero.
   Because he was not a Roman citizen, St. Peter was crucified.
Tradition has it that he was crucified upside down at his
own request, because he felt unworthy to die in the same
manner as the Lord. St. Paul was beheaded, also on orders
from Emperor Nero.
   The day is a solemnity, a feast day of the highest rank
reserved for the most important events, like events in the
lives of Jesus or Mary. Therefore, this emphasizes just how
important the two saints are to the Catholic faith.
   Historical information from Catholic Online.
FOCUS ON THE FAITH

               My parents don’t want me to hang out with
             some friends because they think they’re a bad
       influence on me. But aren’t we called to evangelize?
                                                                               That brings me to the specific question you asked. Yes, Christians
                                                                           are always called to evangelize, to help other people know
                         ASK A PRIEST                                      and love Jesus. However, it is key to remember that Christians
                                                                           can evangelize others only when they’re already strong in the
                         FATHER GREGORY HAMAN                              community      of the Church. If most of your friends are not
                                                                           practicing the faith, and you’re the only Christian among them,
                         Pastor of churches in LaMoure, Dickey, and Verona
                                                                           it is a lot more likely that they’ll be a bigger influence on you
                                                                           than you on them. It’s often been repeated that, “you are the

B
                                                                           average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
        y the sound of your question, I assume that you’re writing as
                                                                               Although statements like that are generalizations, it is true
        a teenager still living at home. If that’s the case, you’re
                                                                           that we are much more influenced by the people and the
        probably feeling similar to 95% of other teenagers through-
                                                                           environment around us than we might realize. It is great that
 out history. Teens often struggle between their parents and
                                                                           you want to be a good example to you friends, but you’ll only
 their friends, and that’s part of growing up. Before we separate
                                                                           be able to be that if your primary friendships are with people
 from home physically, we start to do so emotionally. We’re
                                                                           who share your faith and make it stronger. When your “cup” is
 preparing to take flight.
                                                                           filled up by such people, you will be able to overflow with good
    If you’re not being filled up by love and and                          influences to your friends. If you’re not being filled up by love
                                                                                 support from good Christian friends, your ability to share
    support from good Christian friends, your faith with others will be lacking.
    your ability to share your faith with Christians have countless chances to be a good witness to
                                                                           their faith almost every day if we’re looking for the opportunities.
    others will be lacking. – Father Gregory Haman However, unless our primary relationships are filling us up—both
                                                                           in the sharing of our faith and in other wholesome pursuits—
    Contrary to popular opinion, however, teenagers who feel
                                                                           then we won’t have much to give to others.
 stifled at home do not have parents who, in fact, hate them and
 want to ruin their lives. Parents actually love their teenage sons
 and daughters as much as they ever did and just want to help
 them. This brings up the main question you could ask yourself:
“Why are my parents worried about my friends’ influence?” And
 in fact, there’s only one way to learn that answer: Talk to them.
    If your parents are saying they think some of your friends are
 bad influences, there’s a good chance that they can see things
 you might not. They don’t want you friendless, so they would
 be happy to see you with friends that are good for you. Maybe
 they can remember some of their teenage friends who led
 them to decisions they came to regret. That could be a helpful
 conversation to have with them. Parents naturally have a wider
 perspective on life, having lived through the effects of their own
 teenage and young-adult decisions. They’re not trying to hurt
 you; they’re trying to help you. Ask if your friends could come
 over to the house. Your parents might be a lot more open to
 that instead of hanging out with those friends outside of the
 house. If you really want to give your friends a good image of
 Jesus, then maybe spending time with your whole family could
 do that for them.

                                                                                                     NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                      7
Father Vincent J. Tuchscherer                                                      Sister Geraldine Krom
        passes away May 19                                                               passes away May 19

F                                                                             V
    ather Vincent was born April 17, 1928 in Rugby to Casper                         iolet Josephine Krom was born Nov. 29, 1927 to John
    and Mary (Schreiner) Tuchscherer. He grew up and attended                        L. and Rose Bisihn Krom, near Langdon. She attended
    school in Rugby before graduating from Crosier Seminary                          a one-room rural school near Easby. After her mother’s
in Onamia, Minn.                                                              death, she lived in St. John’s Orphanage and attended high
   He served in parishes in Edgeley, Gackle, Jud, Conway,                     school at Sacred Heart Academy in Fargo.
Napoleon, Hope, Page, Finley, Grafton, the University of North                   While living at St. John’s Orphanage, Violet was impressed
Dakota, Balta, Fulda, and Orrin throughout his ministry in the                and inspired by the Presentation Sisters’ ministry to the children
Diocese of Fargo. He also served in various missions in other                 housed and cared for there. It was this example that attracted
communities throughout North Dakota. His longest tenure                       her to the Sisters and their work. She was named Sister Mary
was 17 years at Balta, Fulda, and Orrin. He retired from active               Geraldine and was professed Aug. 16, 1947.
priesthood when he was 70 years old.                                             During her 74 years of ministry in the Congregation, Sister
   He was a proud of his 40+ years of sobriety and he enjoyed                 Geraldine served three different times at the Bishop’s Residence
ministering to others who struggle with sobriety.                             as cook and housekeeper to the late Bishops Dworschak and
   He is survived by his brother-in-law, John Bachmeier, his                  Driscoll, plus the many clergy and guests. She served in a
special nephew, William (Judy) Erbstoesser, Clifford, ND and                  similar capacity at St. Alphonsus School, Langdon; City Hospital,
many other nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.                   New Rockford; the former St. Joseph Hospital, Grafton; St.
   He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers and sisters,             Michael’s Rectory, Grand Forks; and Cardinal Muench Seminary,
Maggie (Bob) Herbage, Fran Bachmeier, Delores (Nick) Roller,                  Fargo, where she was head cook. Sister Geraldine spent seven
Catherine Brandon, Ann (Henry) Weiler, Jim Tuchscherer, Frank                 years of retirement in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Tuchscherer, Roy (Pauline) Tuchscherer, Dominic (Mary) Tuchscherer,              Sister Geraldine is pre-deceased by her parents, her four
and Catherine (Jude) Brandon.                                                 sisters, Rose Hooey, Mary Avery, Lillian Doxrud, Betty Blom,
   Mass of Christian Burial was held on May 24 at Holy Cross                  and her four brothers: Walter, Jake, Edward, and Ralph.
Church in West Fargo.

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8            NEW EARTH JUNE 2021
On March 25, 1941, she professed her vows as a Sister of Mary
                                                                             of the Presentation. While in France for Religious Congregation
                                                                             Formation, World War II broke out, and she was a prisoner of
                                                                             war at Vittel, France from 1942–44. In 1948, she received her
                                                                             Bachelors of Elementary Education from Catholic University,
                                                                             Washington, D.C.
                                                                                Sister Eloise Marie taught elementary children throughout
                                                                             her 56 years of ministry beginning in Oakwood in 1948. She
                 Sister Eloise Marie Pulskamp                                continued to teach at schools in Wild Rice, Willow City, Oakes,
                                                                             Valley City, Harvey, Washington, Ill., and Princeton, Ill.
                     passes away May 18                                         She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Aloysius
                                                                             (Annie); sisters Cecilia (Francis) Schreiner, Rose Mary (Walter)

            S
                                                                             Cramer, Rita (Ambrose) Braun, Sister Mary Leo, SMP; brother-
 o John           ister Eloise Marie (Agnes Frances) Pulskamp of Valley City in-law Urban Panther and sister-in-law Shirley Pulskamp.
ttended           died at Maryvale Convent May 18 at 100 years of age.
                                                                                She is survived by her Religious Community, the Sisters of
 other’s          The funeral Mass was held May 28 at Maryvale Convent
                                                                             Mary of the Presentation, brothers Joseph and Leo (Roberta);
  d high    Chapel in Valley City.
                                                                             sisters Bertha Panther and Sister Mary Jane, SMP, as well as
               Sister Eloise Marie was born Feb. 28, 1921 near Cummings nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and nephews and great-nieces
  ressed    to Jacob and Bertha (Mueller) Pulskamp. She attended school and nephews.
 hildren    at Notre Dame Academy, Willow City and graduated in 1938.
ttracted
  r Mary

 , Sister
 idence
ak and
ed in a
 ospital,
 on; St.
minary,
t seven

er four
y Blom,
 .

              Over 100 faithful attended the Memorial Day Mass
 __           at Holy Cross Cemetery North in Fargo on May 31.
__            Bishop John Folda celebrated Mass in the cemetery’s
__          stone chapel near the graves of military veterans. Fargo
 __           American Legion Post 2 performed a 21-gun salute
             before Mass, the West Fargo Fourth Degree Assembly
              of the Knights of Columbus were the honor guard,
 __
             and musicians from Sts. Anne and Joachim Church in
                Fargo provided music. (Paul Braun | New Earth)
 __

__
s

                                                                                                     NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                  9
pilgrimage to the shrine of

                              Our Lady of the Prairies
                               SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021
                               Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
                               CARMEL OF MARY MONASTERY
                               17765 78th St. SE
                               Wahpeton, N.D. 58075
                                     2 p.m. Guest Speaker: Father Peter Anderl
                                     3 p.m. Rosary
                                     5 p.m. Holy Mass: Bishop John T. Folda
                                     6 p.m. Picnic

                                Father Anderl will give his talk on the
                                Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the lives
                                of the saints, and he will bring his collection
                                of 800+ relics on this special occasion!
                                                                                                        Congratulations
                                                                                                        Father Kevin Lorsung!
                                                                                                        SPS Class of 2021
     for more info: 701-640-6152 • the monastery: 701-642-2360 carmelofmary.org
            • carmelofmary@gmail.com • facebook: carmel of mary                                                              semssp.org

                                                                        Providing
                                                                      Compassionate
                                                                       Care in North
                                                                      Dakota for Over
                                                                        100 Years.
                                                                                                             www.smphs.org

                   Caring for you                                                       Our North Dakota Ministries
                                                                                          • Bottineau - St. Andrew’s Health Center
                                                                                          • Enderlin - Maryhill Manor
                                                                                          • Fargo - Rosewood on Broadway & Villa Maria
                   SMP Health System                                                      • Harvey - St. Aloisius Medical Center
                                                                                          • Jamestown - Ave Maria Village
                                                                                          • Rolla - Presentation Medical Center
                                                                                          • Valley City - Sheyenne Care Center

10               NEW EARTH JUNE 2021
SANCTIFYING GRACE
                                  Fr. Miller explains the sacraments

                        Confirmation makes us strong in Christ
                                                                             flesh, our fallen human nature, with its many weaknesses and
                                                                             inordinate desires. The name tells us we are being made strong
                                                                             for battle as true soldiers of Christ.
                                SANCTIFYING GRACE                               Confirmation uses chrism oil, blessed by the Bishop. We
                                                                             sometimes use oil to sooth and limber our skin and limbs. In
                                FATHER JAYSON MILLER                         ancient times, gladiators, athletes, and soldiers would oil their
                                Liturgy/Priest Secretary to the Bishop       bodies to prepare for competition or battle. This symbolism
                                                                             carries over to the Sacrament of Confirmation. The use of oil

        T
                                                                             reminds us that God prepares us through Confirmation for a
               he Sacrament of Confirmation can be called a “more”           great contest: a spiritual contest of faith.
               sacrament. It confirms and deepens the grace of Baptism.         The chrism oil also has a certain fragrance, due to the mixture
g!             Baptism brought us into a relationship with God and           of balsam with olive oil. The smell of our bodies can either be
        made us his children. Confirmation strengthens us to live out        pleasing and attractive to others or repulsive. The pleasing aroma
        our Baptism in the world. God doesn’t want us to be immature         of the Chrism oil reminds us that we are to be the “good aroma
p.org   Christians, shunning the responsibility that comes with grace.       of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15). Through our good works, we should
        So he gives us another sacrament to push us on to adulthood          attract people to the Gospel, just as pleasing fragrances make
        and spiritual maturity with the help of grace.                       our bodies attractive. Confirmation therefore gives us this grace
           Many cultures have ceremonies for coming of age, which signal     to be Christ in the world.
        the passage from adolescence to adulthood. The Sacrament of             In Confirmation, the sacred chrism is put onto the forehead
        Confirmation helps us to become adult Christians. Specifically,      in the Sign of the Cross. The forehead is that part of us that is
        Confirmation makes us strong and courageous followers of Jesus       most visible to others. It is the part of us that blushes when
        Christ, able to bear witness to the cross of Christ to a world       we are ashamed. How fitting to put the Sign of the Cross, the
        that lacks truth, discipline, and firmness of purpose. To become     symbol of the king we serve, on the most visible part of ourselves.
        mature adults naturally, we must take on responsibility and          People will either see us blush with shame when we are confronted
        not expect others to perpetually take care of us, as rightfully      for our faith, or they will see us boldly stand with the cross of
        happened in childhood. To mature spiritually, we must live out       Christ (Heb. 12:2). Our mature Christian lives should speak of
        our faith in public, taking responsibility for the mission Jesus     nothing but the cross of Christ, without fear or shame. Like
rg      left for each member of his Church: “Go and make disciples of
        all nations” (Matt. 28:19-20). Failure to live out our faith keeps
                                                                             St. Paul, the saving cross of Jesus is our one message to the
                                                                             world, and through bold proclamation, it becomes the power
        us in a state of perpetual spiritual adolescence.                    and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:23-24). This cross is drawn on our
           The Rite of Confirmation makes clear to us the nature of          forehead as the Bishop seals us with the gift of the Holy Spirit;
        the sacrament, and the grace it contains. First the name itself.     Confirmation gives us the grace to live the cross publically.
        To confirm means to make firm or strong. God wants to make              Most of our readers have probably already received Confirmation.
        strong in us the grace of Baptism and the gifts of the Holy          Does it still affect us? Yes, like Baptism, Confirmation inscribes
        Spirit we received therein. He deepens and completes the             a permanent and indelible mark on the soul. This seal acts as a
        graces of Baptism, but he also wants to make us strong with a        continual conduit of grace for us, as long as we are disposed to
        new strength, because as adult Christians, we are like soldiers      receive it, so we can ask the Holy Spirit to stir into flame the gift
aria    going out to battle against a deadly enemy. Our enemy is not         of God we received through Confirmation. We all need grace
        a standing army, but rather Satan and the demons who prowl           to live as adult Christians and soldiers of Christ in the spiritual
        through the world seeking the destruction of souls. Our enemy        battle we are in. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, God
        is the pride of this world that would lure us away from the          continues to give us everything we need to win the battle.
        cross through many seductive promises. Our enemy is our own

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12           NEW EARTH JUNE 2021
TATTERED PAGES
                                                             A review of Catholic books, movies, music

                       O’Connor’s A Prayer Journal showcases
                        growing pains of one tested in faith
                                                                          those who find themselves in fields of work in which one’s faith
                                                                          is called into question openly or indirectly. In this day, that’s
         TATTERED PAGES                                                   most of them.
         BERNADETTE O’KEEFE                                                  There is also a beauty to the sureness with which she accepts
                                                                          her vocation in prayer: “I must write down that I am to be an
         Parishioner of Cathedral of St. Mary, Fargo
                                                                          artist” (29). She enjoyed writing and knew she was good at it.

      R
                                                                          If the journal had been longer, perhaps there could be some-
             eading someone’s journal seems like an invasion of privacy thing to say about her better days. To catch a glimpse of that
             of the greatest degree. As Catholics, we seem to have a fuller picture, one would need to read her letters or essays.
             habit of publishing the private writings of saints, but this I’d also note that, as these were private entries, they are less
      is done to better show the ways they pursued and loved God polished than her other works. But they still have that glimmer, the
      and offered their sufferings to him. While she is not a saint, succinct and penetrating lens that can be seen in her later, more
      Flannery O’Connor’s conversations with God as recorded in developed works. This book in particular shows the growing
      the brief pages of A Prayer Journal might be familiar.              pains in a life that would not last very long.
                                                                             O’Connor was singled out for her talent and became a popular
        I dread, Oh Lord, losing my faith...                              writer, paying her bills by doing speaking tours. But her travels
cy      [My mind] is a prey to all sorts of                               slowly ceased as she struggled against lupus. O’Connor died in
                                                                          1964. She was 39 years old.
        intellectual quackery.                       —Flannery O’Connor      This publication of a very private work treats O’Connor with
         A Prayer Journal gives us the private reflections of Flannery    great  respect, including a facsimile of the actual journal after
      O’Connor, a young woman who is now held as one of the greatest the corrected transcription. (O’Connor had some trouble with
      writers in the American Literary Canon. Born on March 25, her spelling—another relatable characteristic—so the publishers
      1925 in Savanah, Ga., O’Connor was raised in a devout Catholic chose to correct those instances to remove distractions). Seeing
      family and spent most of her life on their farm in Milledgeville, her own writing makes these struggles and childlike honesty
ney   Ga. While she considered herself a novelist, she is most widely all the more real. And before the transcription, there is an
      known for her short stories—such as A Good Man is Hard to introduction by W.A. Sessions, a good friend of O’Connor’s who
      Find—usually set in the American South and deal with people published many of her works during her lifetime, describing the
      in need of grace.                                                   events in her timeline that affected these entries.
0        These journal entries were written from January 1946 to             All of this together gives a fuller, more honest story of a
      September 1947 while she attended writers’ workshops in Iowa        woman    who can seem like a titan to those who read her works:
      City. The first few pages of the journal have been lost, but the she was a person who knew she was in need of grace.
      first full sentence we read is her frank statement: “Dear God, I
      cannot love Thee the way I want to” (3). The following entries
      depict a woman in her early twenties away from home for
      the first time, facing the sea of other influences in the largely
      secular artistic community she found herself in. While her writing
      greatly benefited from the intellectual atmosphere, there is a
                                                                                                      “A Prayer Journal”
      skepticism that wanted to creep in as well. O’Connor was fully                                                 by
      aware of it and brought it to prayer: “I dread, Oh Lord, losing my                                   Flannery O’Connor.
      faith... [My mind] is a prey to all sorts of intellectual quackery”
      (5). It is these admissions of weakness and her resolutions to                                                2013.
      keep trying that model the ups and downs of so many of our
S     prayer lives. This book may be particularly encouraging for

                                                                                                 NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                    13
In service to God                                      T
                                                               he first weekend in June was a joyous
                                                               one for the Fargo Diocese when Bishop
                                                               John Folda ordained three transitional

 and the faithful
                                                        deacons and a new priest. Father Kevin Lorsung,
                                                        a native of Isanti, Minn., was ordained to the
                                                        priesthood on June 5 and has been assigned
                                                        to serve as parochial vicar at St. James Basilica
                                                        in Jamestown, along with St. Mary’s Church in
      Four Fargo Diocese seminarians are ordained       Buchanan and St. Mathias Church in Windsor.
                                                           Father Lorsung’s vocation to the priesthood
                                                        was something he thought about on and off in
                                                        high school, but he put those thoughts aside
                                                        in college.
                                                           “I first heard the call to the priesthood at a
                                                        youth conference called Steubenville which I
                                                        attended right before high school,” said Father
                                                        Lorsung. “It was there that my relationship
                                                        with God was forever changed as I realized
                                                        the love that he had for me, and I responded
                                                        with a deepening prayer life. Fast forward to
                                                        my senior year and the idea of the priesthood
                                                        had taken a back seat. I was heading to North
                                                        Dakota State University to study Civil Engineering
                                                        and to discern marriage through dating. My
                                                        time at St. Paul’s Newman Center, even though
                                                        only a year, was a year of deep personal and
                                                        spiritual growth, and I became involved in many
                                                        things including adoration and daily Mass.
                                                           “Through my time spent gazing at the Lord
                                                        and him gazing back at me, I came to realize
                                                        that I would never have true peace if I did not
                                                        enter seminary. As diocesan vocations director
                                                        Father Kurtis Gunwall wisely told me, ‘Kevin,
                                                        you didn’t discern your vocation, you assumed
                                                        your vocation.’ With these words and a wise
                                                        spiritual director, I was able to discern that
                                                        I needed to enter seminary, which I did the
                                                        following year for the Diocese of Fargo, which
                                                        had basically become my home due to siblings
                                                        living in the area and all the priests that I got
                                                        to know.”
                                                           In his homily, Bishop John Folda reminded
                                                        those gathered that the priestly vocation is a
                                                        continuation of Christ’s mission on Earth. “The
              FATHER KEVIN                              gift of a new priest is an awesome blessing,”
                LORSUNG                                 said Bishop Folda. “We should be awed and
                                                        amazed, and even brought to silence at God’s
                                                        generosity. He gives us this man to carry on
                                                        the work that his own beloved son began.
     Bishop Folda lays his hands on Deacon Kevin        Remembering the words of St. John Vianney,
     Lorsung during the Mass of Priestly Ordination    “The priesthood is nothing but the love of the
     on June 5th, 2021 at the Cathedral of St. Mary.    heart of Christ.” Jesus Christ chooses this man,
     (Kristina Lahr / New Earth)                        your son and brother, and conforms him to his

14           NEW EARTH MAY 2021
Deacon Kevin Lorsung prostrates himself before

                                                                               Transitional Diaconate
                   the altar as the faithf ul invoke the litany of the
 oyous             saints during Deacon Lorsung’s ordination Mass.
  ishop            (Kristina Lahr / New Earth
 tional                                                                           On the evening of June 4, the Diocese of Fargo welcomed
orsung,                                                                        three seminarians to the order of the Transitional Diaconate.
 to the                                                                        Robert Foertsch, Matthew Kensok, and Joseph Littlefield
  igned                                                                        pledged their devotion and service to God and Bishop Folda.
 asilica                                                                          As transitional deacons, these men will spend the year
  rch in                                                                       preparing for the next step of Holy Orders at the end of their
 ndsor.                                                                        fourth-year theology studies. Transitional deacons proclaim
 thood                                                                         the gospel at Mass, preach, and baptize, among other duties,
d off in                                                                       but they also prepare to be ordained to the priesthood, and
   aside                                                                       take a vow to forgo all outside exclusive relationships in order
                                                                               to focus on their preparation for the priesthood.
 d at a                                                                           New Earth asked each of the new transitional deacons to
  hich I                                                                       tell their discernment stories so the faithful can get to know
Father                                                                         them as they prepare to be ordained as priests next year.
 nship
alized
onded
ard to
thood                                                                                                DEACON ROBERT
North
eering                                                                                                  FOERTSCH
 g. My
hough
al and
  many
ass.
e Lord
 ealize    own heart. Through the priesthood, Jesus is always with his
 id not    people; teaching, sanctifying and shepherding them.”
 rector       As he begins his priestly ministry, Father Lorsung says his
 Kevin,    journey would not have been possible without the early support
 umed      of his family, especially his parents, and the examples set in
a wise     their home of prayer and Mass attendance. As for the future,
n that     Father Lorsung says he is eager to get started.
 d the        “As I look forward to the priesthood, I am so very excited and
which      also a bit nervous, which I’ve been told is a good thing,” said
 blings    Father Lorsung. “With being in seminary for so long, there is
 t I got   an element of wonder that I am now going to serve you, the
           good people of the Fargo Diocese, as his priest. I am excited
 inded     about all the elements of parish life, and I’m excited to learn
on is a    from my future pastor, Father Pfeifer. What I look forward to
 . “The    the most is all the sacraments that I will be able to preside
 ssing,”   at, and in particular the amazing sacrament of Reconcilia-
 d and     tion. This sacrament has been very powerful for me and to
 God’s     be an instrument of God’s love and hope in the confessional         DEACON ROBERT FOERTSCH
rry on     is honestly breathtaking. I also look forward to presiding at          I am originally from Wyndmere. After high school I
began.     Mass and feeding the people with the Body and Blood of              attended North Dakota State University, receiving a degree
anney,     our Lord Jesus Christ. I also look forward to getting to know       in Computer Science. After working at NDSU for a few years
of the     the people of my parishes and helping them grow closer to           after graduation, and after prayer and discernment, I left my
s man,     God. I am excited to just live the life of a parish priest with     job to enter seminary.
  to his   the realization that every day is unique and an adventure!”

                                                                                                     NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                    15
Seminary has been a long and important journey in my own          is right around the corner. What a blessing! I am extremely grateful
life of faith, and I am grateful for the opportunity to grow more     for all the support I have received from friends, family, seminary
deeply in my relationship with Jesus Christ through the spiritual     formators, and the faithful of the Diocese of Fargo. My prayer
and academic formation found in our seminaries.                       is that God will use me as his instrument for his greater glory.
    I am overjoyed to have reached this milestone in my formational
journey and am excited to be able to serve the people of God
in the role of deacon. It is a great blessing to be able to be a
part of the lives of so many faithful Catholics in North Dakota.

           DEACON MATTHEW                                                             DEACON
               KENSOK                                                            JOSEPH LITTLEFIELD

DEACON MATTHEW KENSOK                                                 DEACON JOSEPH LITTLEFIELD
   It’s hard to believe that it’s already been six years since I          I have been seriously discerning my vocation to the priest-
first felt called to the priesthood and entered seminary. After a     hood since I was 14 years old. Thus, my formation journey has
retreat experience and through times of adoration at the NDSU         been a long one… over 10 years in the making! On one hand,
Newman Center, I felt a call to the priesthood. Jesus whispered       it’s truly been a long time coming while on the other hand, it’s
a quiet but profound invitation into the very depth of my being:      hard for me to believe that it’s finally here!
“Be my priest.” I fell in love with Jesus in the Eucharist, and we        Before I entered seminary, I thought eight years of school
began a journey of discernment together.                              and formation was such a long time. The first four went slower,
   After each year of seminary, the Lord just kept inviting me        but that last three have really flown by. Like any other Christian
back. My love and desire for the priesthood only grew and             pursing their vocation in life, I have had many ups and downs,
matured with time. In my first years of seminary, the question        especially during my time in seminary. Through it all, the Lord
I asked was, “am I called to be a priest?” In these past few          has always granted me the special grace of his peace and his
years, the question has changed to, “what kind of priest am I         love which only he can give.
                                                                                                                                             h
called to be?” I was no longer looking simply to ordination. I            As I approach my deacon ordination, I am filled with so much
was looking beyond ordination, to my future ministry in service       joy, peace, and confidence. The Lord has been so good to me
of Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church.                            in calling me to this great vocation, and I know this is only the
   As I am ordained a transitional deacon, my “discernment”           beginning. I’m really excited and looking forward to seeing what
comes to an end. I am looking forward with joy to my ministry         the Lord has in store for me in my future life and ministry as a
of the sacraments, preaching, and serving God’s people. In these      deacon and not so far off as a priest!
past months, as I thought of ordination, it was a thought of joyful
acceptance: “Let’s do this!” I am excited for this new chapter of
my life—a chapter entitled “Deacon Year.” And then priesthood

16           NEW EARTH JUNE 2021
Bishop’s
 ateful
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prayer
 glory.

                           Charity Golf Classic

                                                                Monday, August 2, 2021
                                                                Rose Creek Golf Course
                                                                 Fargo, North Dakota
              To register your team, contact:
                                                                      11:00 AM - Registration
                                                                     12:30 PM - Shotgun Start
priest-              Brenda Hagemeier                             Followed by Social and Banquet
ey has                 701-356-7928
 hand,       brenda.hagemeier@fargodiocese.org
nd, it’s
                             �
 chool
 ower,                  Steve Schons
ristian                 701-356-7926
owns,          steve.schons@fargodiocese.org
e Lord
nd his
                      Register online:
           http://www.fargodiocese.org/puttpurpose
 much
 to me
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g what
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                                                                  Catholic Development Foundation
                                                               5201 Bishops Blvd. S, Suite A, Fargo, ND

                                                     Proceeds will benefit seminarian education and youth programs
                                                                      within the Diocese of Fargo.
                                                                                    NEW EARTH JUNE 2021              17
STORIES OF FAITH

 When the crops need rain and the church has no roof
           By Father Bert Miller | Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Park River and St. Luke’s Church in Veseleyville

T
       his spring, farmers have lamented that there has been no      be for another month. The heavens co-operated; there was
       rain for their crops. I remember 23 years ago when there      no rain.
       was a similar drought through the summer and fall, about         When the pastor returned, the meeting was called. The
three months with no rain.                                           company representative said that if there was an error in color,
   There was a church in that region that had a leaking roof.        the company would pay $60,000 on the roof, the roofing maker
During the springs of two years, the roof had leaked so badly        would pay $60,000 and the church would pay $60,000.
that buckets caught most of the water. Some of the buckets              That’s when the secretary produced her tape and transcript
were balanced on wooden planks over the tops of the pews.            of the meeting. She read the transcript and played the tape.
On weekends, the catching structure severely limited space for       Both clearly stated the color choice. The rep looked at his chips
the churchgoers.                                                     and realized that the color delivered was on the backside of
   The people grumbled about the situation. Water, water,            the color ordered. It was clearly the contractor’s fault. He said
everywhere! You stand in it! You sit in it! The kids play in it!     the church would not have to pay anything for the new roof.
What a mess!                                                         Good news for the church!
   It took a while to find a company with a fine reputation to          Now, the roof had been open for six weeks, and it had not
replace a roof like this one. Finally, in a neighboring state, a     rained a drop. Could that situation continue another six weeks
company about 200 miles away expressed interest in the project.      until the new roof was fabricated and delivered for installation?
They came for site inspections of this 12-gabelled church roof          In the end, the skies were closed (no rain fell) and the church
with like-numbered valleys. They thought they could do it.           roof was open for three months. The farmers still got a relatively
   They bid on it and met with church elders to determine the        good crop—60-fold instead of their expected 100-fold.
color of the roofing material. A responsible secretary decided          The farmers survived and the parishioners cheered for their
she would record the meeting. She knew she would not be able         new roof sheltering them from rain, snow, and wind. The roof
to keep up with all the details.                                     has not leaked for 23 years.
   The church agreed to the $180,000 roofing price and picked a
color for the roofing materials. The parishioners worried about
how the old roof could be removed and the new roof installed
without the inside of the church getting wetter. They prayed.
   It was around then that the spring rains stopped. The pastor
went to Europe to see relatives and was stranded there by a
volcanic eruption. Planes could not fly in that area of the world.                              Grand Forks, ND | normanfuneral.com | 701.746.4337

He would have to wait to travel home.
   While he was waiting, the roofers appeared, removed the
entire outer structure of the roof, and began putting the new
roofing material into one of the valleys. It was a hot, sunny day!
                                                                                                         WANT TO
   A parishioner noticed the work going on and the “awful”                                              ADVERTISE
brown color of the roofing materials. He questioned whether                                           IN NEW EARTH?
that was the color ordered. The secretary who recorded the
meeting said it certainly was not.                                                                      Contact Kristina Lahr
   She called the pastor in Europe and asked what she should                                              (701) 356-7900
do. He said, “Stop the project. Do whatever you have to. Get                                               newearthads@
the contractor to stop and fix the error.”                                                                fargodiocese.org
   She got the project stopped. They would not do anything more
until the pastor got home for a contract meeting. That wouldn’t

18          NEW EARTH JUNE 2021
( C a t h o l i c
                                                                                  C u  l t u r e
                                                                                                 m e )
of
                                                                                 in th    e  H o
e was

d. The                           Blessings: A Biblical, liturgical, and
                               personal way to strengthen your family
n color,
maker

nscript                                                                           LITURGICAL. Speaking of thanksgiving, “Eucharist” means
e tape.                                                                          “thanksgiving” and the Mass is a great example of a Trinitarian
               CATHOLIC CULTURE IN THE HOME                                       liturgical blessing. Consider this dynamic of prayer, thanks, and
s chips
 ide of                                                                           blessing at the Mass. The priest prays “Blessed are you Lord,
               TIM MOSSER                                                         God of all creation for through your goodness” we have gifts
 e said
w roof.        Director of the Respect Life Office of the Diocese of Fargo        of bread and wine to offer. We respond—adding the gift of

           I
                                                                                  our very lives—“Blessed be God forever.” This dialog continues
              have fond memories as a child of me and my siblings all asking      when we affirm that it is “right and just”—even “our duty
ad not
              my parents for “hug and kiss and blessing” every night before       and our salvation”—to give the Father thanks. All gifts come
weeks
              we went to bed. I can vividly recall the sense of love, joy, and    from the Father and we thank him. The priest continues with
ation?
           peace that came over me every time my parents touched my               the Eucharistic Prayer where he asks the Father to “bless and
 hurch                                                                            approve our offerings” and calls on the Spirit to make them holy
           head and prayed a simple, one-sentence blessing.
atively                                                                           so that we can have the most personal encounter with Jesus
              The combination of the physical and spiritual have a profound
           effect on all of us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that    in Holy Communion. The Father gives us the gifts to offer, the
r their                                                                           Spirit makes them holy, and we then consume these life-giving,
           blessings are the first of the sacramentals. They don’t confer
e roof                                                                            transubstantiated gifts as the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of
           grace, but they prepare us to receive and cooperate with grace.
           The Catechism also states that, “Blessing expresses the basic          Jesus. Everything—including us—comes from God and returns
           movement of Christian prayer: it is an encounter between God           to God. No wonder the Eucharist is the “source and summit”
           and man” (2626). That’s it! A prayer of blessing is an encounter       of the Christian life (CCC 1324)!
           with God. In a very real way, through the cooperation of my               PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE. Blessing is closely related to
           earthly parents, I was encountering my heavenly Father—and             living a life of love, joy, peace and gratitude. Our son, Romeo,
           was prepared to receive and cooperate with his grace.                  is a great example of this. We are very grateful for the blessing
              Blessings are all around us. Let’s look at them from a biblical,    he is to me and my wife—even on the difficult days—because
746.4337
           liturgical, and personal perspective.                                  the shared sacrifice it takes to raise him well brings our family
                                                                                  closer to each other and closer to God. Romeo lights up a room
              BIBLICAL. Some form of the word “bless” occurs hundreds             no matter where he goes with his joyful presence and genuine
           of times in the Bible. When God created man in his image as
                                                                                  love he shares with others. We recently reconnected with an
           male and female, he blessed them and said to be fertile and
                                                                                  old friend who had not met Romeo yet and Romeo’s happy
           multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Abraham is blessed by God
                                                                                  greeting and smile set the stage for a wonderful conversation.
           and told that he (ultimately through Jesus) will be a blessing
                                                                                  When it was time to go, he gave my friend a big hug and smile,
           to all people. Aaron, the priest, blesses the people with the
                                                                                  bringing a deep sense of love, joy, and peace to all of us.
           famous, “The Lord bless and keep you” blessing (Num. 6:24-
           26). Dozens of Psalms and canticles, as well as many of Paul’s            Now, my wife and I bless each other and Romeo every day—
           letters contain some formulation of “Blessed be God.”                  just like my parents did—through physical touch and those
                                                                                  same prayers of blessing. Romeo welcomes our blessing and
              When Elizabeth encounters Mary and baby Jesus in her
                                                                                  then is always waiting with a big hug and a duck-billed kiss for
           womb, she is filled with the Holy Spirit and declares, “Blessed
                                                                                  us after we bless him. I pray that continuing my personal family
           are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb”
                                                                                  tradition of “hug and kiss and blessing”—along with biblical
           (Luke 1:42). Zachariah and Simeon are both filled with the Holy
                                                                                  and liturgical blessings—will help us live joyful, grateful lives,
           Spirit and “bless” (praise or give thanks to) God. This attitude
                                                                                  help us facilitate Godly encounters, and empower us to be a
           of praise and gratitude should also be our response to God’s
                                                                                  blessing to all those we meet.
           gift of blessings to us.
                                                                                                         NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                    19
Architect’s rendering of the exterior of the new
     Architect’s rendering of the interior of the new St. Mary’s Academy chapel.      facility at St. Joseph’s Elementary/St. Mary’s
                                  (submitted photo)                                    Academy in Devils Lake. (submitted photo)

                                    A place for all to worship
                    Devils Lake school breaks ground for new chapel and learning center
                                                            By Paul Braun

S
      herry Kurtz, music teacher at St. Joseph’s Elementary/St.       will give students the technological tools they need for a future
      Mary’s Academy Catholic School in Devils Lake, loves to         in their chosen career fields.
      help her students make a joyful sound each week at the             A committee formed to secure funding for the project was
all school Mass. But for the last two years she says it has been      able to raise the entire amount in just two years. St. Joseph
hard trying to worship in a gymnasium that’s not well suited          Catholic School students raised $5,000 of that amount by making
for the celebration of the Eucharist. Soon, all that will change.     and selling rosaries and other hand-made religious items.
   On May 18, St. Joseph’s Elementary/St. Mary’s Academy                 During his homily at the Mass that followed the official
broke ground on a new facility large enough to allow all 190          groundbreaking, Bishop Folda gave thanks to God and all those
students to attend Mass together. The $2.5 million project will       who made the day possible.
include St. Mary’s Academy Chapel and the St. Joseph Learning            “The addition of a new chapel and learning center at St. Joseph
Center.                                                               Catholic School is a testimony to the fact that the heart of this
   With the addition of seventh and eighth grade classes to the       school is Jesus himself,” said Bishop Folda. “He is the reason
Pre-K through sixth grade school the last two years, Mass had         this school exists, and we seek only to know him and love him
to be moved into the gym to accommodate all of the students           more fully through this great endeavor now beginning.”
at one time. The new chapel will be able to hold up to 250               Construction on the new addition will get underway in early
students, so there’s room to grow for the future as well.             August, and should be completed by the start of the 2022–23
   The new learning resource center will house a library and a        school year.
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) lab which

  (l to r) Father Chad Wilhelm, pastor of St. Joseph Church in
    Devils Lake, Bishop John Folda, and Father Steven Wirth,            Fifth graders from St. Joseph Catholic School bury a religious
 parochial vicar of St. Joseph's, turn over the first dirt during a      medal on the site where the foundation will be laid for the
  groundbreaking ceremony for the f uture St. Mary’s Academy              new St. Mary’s Academy chapel. (Paul Braun | New Earth)
Chapel and Learning Resource Center. (Paul Braun | New Earth)

20            NEW EARTH JUNE 2021
NEXT GEN

                                                                                               Saints come in groups
                                                     Faith-based housing community coming to NDSU August 1
                                                           By Joe Hendrickx | Development Coordinator at St. Paul Newman Center, Fargo

           A
                   s we gear up for an exciting new milestone in St. Paul’s          sisters or FOCUS missionaries. As the years went on, more
                   Newman Center history—opening up the faith-based                  students came together to rent other houses on the Newman
                   housing, Newman Living—I’ve been asking myself this:              block, so we couldn’t just describe them as the “men’s house”
           what is the biggest benefit of Catholic college students living           or “women’s house” anymore. At the Newman Center, we’re
           in community?                                                             all excited to extend this blessing to 80 students with the new
              While living in a beautiful, new, secure apartment just across         faith-based housing.
           from campus gives an abundance of benefits in itself, the greatest           Some quick trivia: The Bison football programs’ head coach
           gift Newman Living gives to the students is realized in this:             with the most wins is Craig Bohl. The bible verse that his players
           saints often come in groups.                                              heard him constantly quote was none other than Proverbs 27:17,
              I’m reminded of course of saints who became great friends             “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This is
           while studying together at university, like Sts. Ignatius of Loyola,      what we’re embodying with Newman Living: young Catholics
  uture    Francis Xavier, and Peter Faber, but there are so many more.              helping to form others into saints. How much more important
           Think of Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross; or Monica, Augustine,    is sanctity than football championships (but we appreciate
ct was     and Ambrose; Francis and Clare; not even to mention the 1st               those too)!
 oseph     and 2nd Century early Church saints/friends. The list goes on.               Here’s the call to action for you, reading this right now: please
making        Asking graduating seniors or recent alumni what their biggest          pray for us. If you know current or potential NDSU students,
ms.        Newman Center grace was typically reveals a short list. Our               let them know about Newman Living, and let us know, too.
 fficial   students are blessed with a place to receive the Sacraments               We would love to extend an invitation and give them a tour of
 those     while at college, to listen and discuss God’s inspired word in            the new housing. Pray for saints to rise up during these times,
           Bible studies, to step up into various leadership roles, and to           and pray for the St. Paul’s Newman Center students to, in the
           be a witness to others on campus, etc. However, nearly every-             words of St. Paul, “fight the good fight, keep the faith, and finish
 oseph
           one says this: one of the biggest graces I received through the           the race.”
 of this
 eason     Newman Center was Christ-centered friendships.                           LEASING NOW
 e him        The Catholic housing idea first started with the Bosco and               If you or a student you know is interested in living at Newman
           Clare houses. Right away, the men living in the Bosco house              Living this fall, visit our website bisoncatholic.org/housing or
n early    that first year all became priests or Fellowship of Catholic             give our leasing agent William a call at (701) 235-0142.
22–23      University Students (FOCUS) missionaries. The women living
           in the Clare house their first year all became either religious

                                                                                        REDEEMED WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 2022

                                                                                                       FRIDAY · MARCH 4
                                                                                                     SATURDAY · MARCH 5
                                                                                                            FARGO
                 Newman Living will have the capacity to house 82 students
                 from the tri-college community. (submitted photo)

                                                                                                             NEW EARTH JUNE 2021                     21
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