BASILICA · 2019. 12. 30. · BASILICA is published twice per year by The Basilica Landmark....

THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCYPracticing mercy in our lives

BASILICATHE BASIL ICA OF SA INT MARY FALL 2016

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CONTENTS

VOL. XXIII Number II, Fall 2016, The Basilica of Saint Mary ©2016

M A G A Z I N E O F T H E B A S I L I C A O F S A I N T M A R Y

ED I TORCecilia Hofmeister

DES I GNERCarol Evans

PHOTO ED I TORMichael Jensen

PHOTOGRAPHERMichael JensenElyse Rethlake

CONTR I BUT I NG WR I T ERSShelby Andersson, Father John Bauer,

Heather Craig, Ann T. Deiman-Thornton,Mae Desaire, Erik Hane, Nick Hansen,Susan Hansen, Cecilia Hofmeister,

Elsa Hofmeister, Kelli Kester, David Nimmer,Judy Ring, Johan M.J.van Parys,

Ann Wikcynski

PR I N T I NGBolger Vision Beyond Print

PRODUCT I ONM. Rita Nagan

PROOFREADERSue Hayes

ADV I SORJohan M.J. van Parys, Ph.D.

MANAG ING ED I TORMae Desaire

FOUND I NG ED I TORSDavid Walsh, C. Andrew Tubbs,

Margaret Nelson

Circulation: 20,000 Printed in the United States of America

The Roman Catholic Church

6 The Basilica Welcomes Archbishop Hebda: Interview

by Johan M.J. van Parys

10 The Spiritual Works of Mercy: Emulating mercy in every aspect of our lives

by Kelli Kester

12 Admonish One Another: Three people passing blessings forward

by Judy Ring

14 Encourage One Another: Providing supportin times of struggle

by Shelby Andersson

16 Comfort One Another: Sharing our humanity

by Elsa Hofmeister

18 Be Patient with One Another: Sharing a spirit of helpfulness

by Ann T. Deiman-Thornton

20 Forgive One Another: Practicing forgiveness starts in the family

by Elaine Hargrove

22 Pray for One Another: Mercy and grace in times of trouble

by Susan Hansen

24 Enlighten One Another: The importance of art in a church of words

by Erik Hane

25 In Reverence and Respect:Taizé prayer at The Basilica

by David Nimmer

26 Who is Our Neighbor? Welcoming immigrant families

by Nick Hansen

28 Landmark Events

by Meghan Gustafson

31 Planned Giving: Maximize the tax benefitof your charitable gift

by Lori Hume, Susan Link, and Letty Van Ert

DEPARTMENTS

3 From the Editor

4 From the Rector, Fr.John Bauer

5 President’s Column, by Ann Wikczynski

9 Archives by Heather Craig

30 Ask Johan by Johan M.J. van Parys, Ph.D.

About the Cover: Evening prayer service welcomingArchbishop Hebda at The Basilica on the eve of hisInstallation Mass, May 13, 2016.

COVER PHOTO ©MICHAEL JENSEN

FEATURES

FALL 2016

BASILICA is published twice per year byThe Basilica Landmark. BASILICA acceptsunsolicited manuscripts and photos fromparishioners, but reserves the right to editand publish such material at its discretion.

Send submissions to:Basilica Magazine, c/o Cecilia Hofmeister, The Basilica of Saint Mary, P.O. Box 50010,

Minneapolis, MN 55405-0010. All contributions become the

property of BASILICA.

BASILICA

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Cecilia Hofmeister

The Year of MercyReflecting on a central tenant of faith

CATHOLICS around the world have spentthe last year exploring the concept of mercy

in celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Inthe spring issue of BASILICA, we examined how The Basilica of Saint Mary embodies thecorporal works of mercy. In this issue, we willconsider how the parish enacts the SpiritualWorks of Mercy.

I think of corporal works as being more“marketable.” When we envision volunteering,generally we think of ministering to physicalneeds: we collect food and water, distributeclothes and shoes, and provide shelter to thosein need. There is a specific need that must bemet which requires the completion of a specifictask to satisfy. The Spiritual Works of Mercy,however, allow us to serve our fellow humanbeings in an entirely different way.

Our faith repeatedly reminds us that a per-son is both body and soul. Social activist andCatholic convert Dorothy Day reminded us that“Food for the body is not enough; there must befood for the soul.” We find such food for thesoul in the spiritual acts of mercy.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy are somewhatmore difficult to identify than the corporalones. The corporal works are all grouped inMatthew 25:35-46, but discerning the spiritualworks requires more digging and reflection.Pope Francis lists the seven spiritual works inhis papal bull announcing the Jubilee year asfollows: “to counsel the doubtful, instruct theignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted,forgive offences, bear patiently those who do usill, and pray for the living and the dead.”

There are many ways to interpret these direc-tives, but the general message remains the same:our spiritual selves need just as much attentionand care as our physical bodies. Sometimes weforget the crucial work that needs to be doneboth in and on ourselves. Even those rich inmaterial goods may be poor in spirit.

© MICHAEL JEN

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FROM THE EDITOR

The Spiritual Works of Mercy ask us to givesomething that is truly of ourselves. There maybe no physical representation of a spiritual actof mercy, but its effects are just as profoundlytouching as if there were. A show of compas-sion is more healing than we realize.

The Eucharist displays the ultimate combina-tion of the corporal and Spiritual Works ofMercy: Christ’s physical sacrifice gives us accessto the Lord’s spiritual grace. As Pope Franciswrote in his papal bull, “Jesus Christ is the faceof the Father’s mercy. These words might wellsum up the mystery of the Christian faith.” Ourfaith is mercy itself.

As we contemplate the end of the officialyear of mercy, let us remember that God’smercy, and our duty to show mercy to others, is never ending. 9

— Cecilia Hofmeister

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BY FATHER JOHN BAUER

Preach Christ AlwaysPracticing the Spiritual Works of Mercy

THESE words are the last verses of Psalm48, a Hymn of Thanksgiving for

Jerusalem’s Deliverance. Psalm 48 is one ofthe psalms that is used for Morning Prayeron Thursday of week one in the Liturgy ofthe Hours. Over the years I have prayedthese words numerous times. They remindme that — as others have led us to thispresent moment by sharing their faith inGod with us — it is now our responsibilityto “tell the next generation” about the gracious and wondrous work of our God.

The ways we “tell the next generation”about our God are many and varied. Oneof the most obvious ways, though, is by living lives of faith-filled witness. And Iknow of no better way to offer this witnessthan by practicing the Corporal andSpiritual Works of Mercy.

The Corporal Works of Mercy are thoseacts by which we help our neighbor in spe-cific and tangible ways with their materialand physical needs. The Spiritual Works ofMercy — which is the focus of this issue ofBASILICA magazine — are based onChrist’s teachings and Christian practicesince the beginnings of our Church.Traditionally they are listed as: counseling

the doubtful; instructing the ignorant;admonishing the sinner; comforting thesorrowful; forgiving injuries; bearingwrongs patiently; and praying for the livingand the dead. They are acts of compassionby which we help our neighbor in specificand tangible ways with their emotionaland spiritual needs.

The key to practicing the Spiritual Worksof Mercy is by finding concrete and specificthings we can do for our neighbor in need.It is not enough to think kind thoughts andto have good intentions. Rather we mustcontinually look for and perform thoseactions by which we can give witness toour faith. Certainly we don’t always do thiswell. Sometimes we may fail at it miser-ably. The important thing, though, is thatwe continue to try. We need to strive to befaithful in our efforts and not worry aboutthe success of those efforts. For it is by thefaithful witness of our lives that we “tell the next generation that such is our Godforever and always; it is He who leads us.”

It is said that St. Francis once told hisfollowers to “Preach Christ always; usewords if necessary.” The articles in thisissue of Basilica magazine are examples ofpeople who are preaching Christ and giv-ing witness to the Spiritual Works of Mercyin their lives. They remind us that whilethe ways we “tell the next generationabout our God” are many and varied, theyare accomplished in simple, tangible, andspecific acts of kindness and charity. 9

RECTOR’S COLUMN

4 BASILICA / FALL 2016

“Walk through Zion, walk all around it;

Count the number of its towers.

Review all its ramparts, examine its castles,

That you may tell the next generation that

such is God,

Our God forever and always;

it is He who leads us.”

— Psalm 48

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BY ANN WILCZYNSKI

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

The Basilica Landmark’s PlanServing the growing needs of our community

In recent years, members of The BasilicaLandmark board of directors have

been thrilled to see great advancements madepossible throughout our campus. By now, you may have enjoyed the

improvements throughout the historicReardon Rectory, from the elevator and towerto the complete renovation of the fourthfloor to house our irreplaceable archive andart collections. Soon, the St. Anthony ofPadua Chapel will be under renovation and


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we have the generosity of many to thankfor that. We are lucky in that the samefirm, Conrad Schmit Studios, whose artistsrestored the Sacristy, will also restore the St. Anthony chapel. I don’t know aboutyou, but every time I walk through theNarthex or Sacristy, I am reminded of howthe interior of the Church will someday look.All of this work is possible through the

generosity of thousands of donors and volunteers. During this year, we enjoyed afantastic Landmark Ball, and another greatBasilica Block Party. Events like those take a lot of time and effort, and show howlucky we are to have a community who values our beloved Basilica and campusbuildings. I hope you will join me in mark-ing your calendar for next year’s Ball, to beheld at the new US Bank stadium on May20, 2017, and next year’s Block Party, onJuly 7 & 8, 2017. I hope you will also join me in making a

gift to the Annual Fund for 2016; a generousbenefactor is matching new gifts of anyamount and another donor is offering $100for each new donor, so new donors will notonly double their money, but will haveanother $100 added!The Basilica Landmark continues to

make good on its three-year plan to updateour campus for today’s needs. We hope verymuch to break ground this year on renova-

tions to Cowley, a much-used part of ourcampus that could now use some attention.Expanded meeting rooms and a brighterand more functional entrance are improve-ments that will support the life of thisparish and provide desperately neededspaces for large groups.You might say it is a “good problem;” —

we’re lucky enough to be in need of morespace, as we continue to grow the parishand also serve our community. 9

— Ann Wilczynski is presidentof The Basilica Landmark

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FEATURE

THE Archdiocese of Saint Paul andMinneapolis welcomed The Most

Reverend Bernard A.Hebda as the new arch-bishop during a special Installation Mass onMay 13, 2016 at the Cathedral of Saint Paul.Archbishop Hebda visited The Basilica the nightbefore his installation for an evening of prayer.

In the following interview, ArchbishopHebda discusses his history and his hopes for The Basilica and the Archdiocese withJohan van Parys, The Basilica’s director of liturgy and sacred arts.

InterviewThe Basilica welcomes Archbishop Hebda to the Twin Cities

Johan van Parys: Archbishop Hebda,thanks so much for agreeing to thisinterview. We just want to get to knowyou a little better. Would you tell me a bitabout your childhood?

Archbishop Hebda: I was born on thesouth side of Pittsburgh — the oldest of fourchildren. My father’s parents emigratedfrom Poland. My mother’s family was Irish.Our neighborhood was an old ethnic neigh-borhood like we have here in northeastMinneapolis; a neighborhood of steel millsand a big brewery. Every ethnic group hadits own church, funeral home, and bar. Myparents’ churches were four blocks apart,but no Irish would attend the Polish churchand vice versa. As a compromise, I wasbaptized in the German church.

For the first seven years of their marriage,my parents had been unable to have chil-dren, but after a novena to St. Anthony Iwas born (hence my middle name).

JvP: When did you decide to become apriest? Did you have a specific experienceof “the call” or was is a gradual realization?

Archbishop: I thought of being a priesteven as a little kid. I wanted either to be apriest or a bus driver. So, as I was finishinggrade school, I invited the vocation directorfrom the Capuchins to dinner. I hoped hewould help me convince my parents toallow me to go to their high school seminary.

My parents showed the priest my less-than-tidy room as proof that I was not ready togo to seminary. So my parents said no.

After high school, I went back to thesame Capuchin priest to ask him aboutentering seminary. He recommended Iattend college and experience the world. SoI went to college and sort of forgot aboutthe priesthood.

JvP: Where did you end up going to college and what did you study?

Archbishop: I studied InternationalRelations at Harvard and from there went onto Columbia where I studied InternationalLaw. My hope in those years was to workfor the United Nations or another interna-tional organization.

JvP: Those are intense studies. Did youhave any time to even think about pursu-ing your priestly vocation?

Archbishop: During my studies at Columbia,I started to attend daily Mass. That is wherethe Lord seems to grab people and I startedthinking again about becoming a priest.

Still, at the end of law school, I foundmyself up to my eyeballs in debt so I neededto work. I returned to Pittsburgh, moved inwith my parents to save money (sharing aroom with my two younger brothers), andstarted working for a law firm.

By the end of the first year, I realized that the more I invested myself in law, the

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taught in Italian. Canon law, however, wasstill taught in Latin.

JvP: When were you ordained?

Archbishop: I was ordained a priest on July1, 1989. I was almost 30 years old and mid-way though my canon law studies.

JvP: What happened after you finishedyour studies in Rome?

Archbishop: After graduating from theGregorian University, I returned to Pittsburghand served both in the diocesan tribunal


FEATURE

less likely I would ever go to seminary. So Itook a leave from the law firm and wentback to school.

JvP: Is that when you formally enteredseminary?

Archbishop: I studied philosophy at DuquesneUniversity while living at St. Paul Seminaryin Pittsburgh. After one year at Duquesne,then-bishop Bevilacqua sent me to Rome tostudy at the Gregorian University. I spentfive years there — studying theology andcanon law. In those days, theology was

and in the bishop’s office for two years. Then, while continuing my work in the

tribunal, I was sent to the neighborhoodwhere I had lived as a child, to assist threeother priests in the merger of seven parishesinto one new parish, which the bishop opti-mistically called “Prince of Peace.” I wasthere for three years.

After that I served as director of theNeuman Center at Slippery Rock University,in Pennsylvania. There were 9,000 students— half of them Catholic. I loved it there.

JvP: So, you were doing pastoral work inaddition to your work in the chancery?

Archbishop: Yes, but things changed drasti-cally at the end of my first year at theNeuman Center.

The Holy See was looking for an Americanpriest to work at the Pontifical Council forLegislative Texts. The requirements weredegrees in both American civil law andcanon law, as well as some knowledge ofItalian. I seemed to fit the profile so mybishop asked me to go to Rome.

I was not too excited about that, but heinsisted I try it at least for a year. So I beganmy work there on September 10, 1996. Afterthat year, I was ready to go home, but thebishop encouraged me to serve the full five-year term. Nearing the end of the five years,however, I was promoted to under secretary,and that started another round of five years.By then I had come to love my work. Thank-fully, I was able to do some pastoral workin addition to my Vatican job. I was part-time spiritual director at the North AmericanCollege and I did pastoral work with MotherTeresa’s Sisters of Charity.

JvP: It looks like you might have beendestined for a long career in Rome?

Archbishop: After 13 years, my time in Romecame to an end. My mother had become illand I was trying to find a way to be closerto home. One day I was called to the officeof the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregationsfor Bishops — not unusual as part of my job.

(Opposite) Fr. Bauer greets Archbishop Hebda. (Left)Representatives of the different ethnic communitieswelcomed Archbishop Hebda with poetry, song, and dance.

Continued

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FEATURE

Entering his office,however, I found thecardinal seated at hisdesk with a map of theUnited States in frontof him. Pointing at themap, he told me thatthe Holy Father hadappointed me to be thenext bishop of Gaylord,MI. He also mentionedthat I would be closerto my mom. I told thecardinal that my momlived in Florida andshowed the distance on the map. “At least you are in the samecountry, he said.I was ordained a

bishop on December 1, 2009 in the cathedralof Gaylord.

JvP: How was your time in Gaylord?

Archbishop: Gaylord is a beautiful place.There are about 60,000 Catholics in thewhole diocese. The town itself has about3,600 inhabitants. I loved the people andwould have been very happy to stay there.During my four years in Gaylord, we wentthrough an important strategic planningprocess that was to result in a pastoral letter.No sooner was the letter written than I

received a call from the Papal Nuncio inWashington, D.C., letting me know that the Holy Father had decided to send me toNewark. That was in September of 2013.

JvP: That must have been a big change.

Archbishop: There is indeed a great contrast between Gaylord and Newark. There are 20times more Catholics in the archdiocese ofNewark than in the diocese of Gaylord eventhough territorially Newark is 1/25th thesize of Gaylord. Also, Gaylord is veryhomogenous while Newark is rich in diver-sity with large immigrant communities.

And then I received another surprise callfrom the Nuncio, asking me to come toSaint Paul and Minneapolis as apostolicadministrator in June of 2015. This was followed by an even bigger surprise when Ilearned in March of 2016 that I was to bethe new archbishop here.

JvP: In all those years of pursuing yourvocation and throughout your variedministry, do you have any memorableexperience of God’s presence in the world?

Archbishop: I have had many strong expe-riences of God’s presence throughout mylife. Often they are most unexpected. It seems that the Lord places us in the right spot, sosomeone may help us or we may helpsomeone else. This became very clear duringa summer I spent in Lourdes. That was avery powerful spiritual experience.Also, my years in Rome were blessed.

Being there during the pontificate of SaintJohn Paul II — who was very charismatic —moreover, since all roads lead to Rome, Iwas able to meet church leaders fromthroughout the world and learn from them.It is amazing how God is at work in so manydifferent places in so many different ways.

JvP: How do you see God at work here?What are your impressions and hopes forour archdiocese?

Archbishop: My first months here haveobviously been devoted to the criminal caseagainst the archdiocese and the bankruptcycase. The criminal case has been dismissedand we are still working on the bankruptcy.

I very much look forward to moving forward. I want to visit our parishes and schools, toget to know our priests and our people better.My first impression is that our local

church takes great pride in its rich history.This became very clear during the listeningsession we held throughout the archdioceselast fall. Among the many strengths identi-fied in those sessions, the most commonwere our rich diversity, strong schools, beau-tiful liturgy and committed social outreach.These are all great strengths which I hopewe can continue and build on together.

JvP: What are your impressions andhopes for The Basilica?

Archbishop: I am so impressed by your vital parish community. There is a beautiful connection between strong liturgy andstrong social action. The outreach I see atThe Basilica is incredible. And so many people are involved. They take their faithseriously. It is clear that what you celebrateon Sunday impacts what you do during the week.You also have a great blend of tradition

and yet you have something so very con-temporary. You are so sensitive and attuneto the needs of the people living in our citiesin 2016. Your motto “a traditional churchwith a modern message,” says it very well.I hope to figure out what the secret is to

the vitality of The Basilica. Thank you forinviting me, and keep up the good work. 9

(Right) Representatives of the different ethnic commu-nities welcomed Archbishop Hebda with poetry, song,and dance. (Below) Senator Amy Klobuchar, along withother political representatives, welcomed ArchbishopHebda.

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ARCHIVES

A Heart for The BasilicaThe CSJ teaching sisters of The Basilica School

NESTLED in the archives of the Sisters ofSt. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) is a

poignant collection of letters from BasilicaSchool 7th graders. In 1971, a shortage ofteaching Sisters led the Provincial Councilto withdraw from the school. The Principal, Sr. Elizabeth Schoenberger argued that TheBasilica was unique in its successful integra-tion of very poor and well-off students withinone community, and urged a reconsidera-tion. The students were more pointed intheir protests.“We don’t want our Sisters to go,” wrote

Joni Johnson in carefully looping cursive.“We love our Sisters and will fight to keepthem. Basilica is the nicest school I haveever been to.”CSJ Sisters have been integral to our

parish schools since the ImmaculateConception school opened December 10,1868 with two CSJ Sisters in charge. Sisterstravelled by horse and buggy, later by foot(lunch baskets in hand), taxi and finally arented Pontiac; first from St. Anthony’sConvent, then Academy of the Holy Angels,and later St. Margaret’s Academy. In 1966,Bishop Leonard Cowley built The Basilicaconvent, but its five Sisters would residethere only six years.

122 Sisters taught at the Basilica Schoolbetween 1913 and 1971. Up through the1950s, Msgr. Reardon insisted every class-room be led by a Sister. Dressed in blacklong-sleeved habits, the Sisters taught class-rooms of 30 to 40 students, plus art, gymand singing. They took shifts serving soupat lunchtime, and returned to The Basilicaafter their own community Mass on Sundaymornings to teach the Religious Educationclasses for public school students.Msgr. Reardon’s death in 1963, as well as

Vatican II, heralded changes. Sisters gradu-ally exchanged their habits for morerelaxed garb. They began to socialize morewith parents and held conferences. The firstlay teachers were hired, and by 1971 onlyfour sisters were teaching classes.For being such an integral part of our

community, the Sisters left few tangiblerecords here. Discouraged from appearingin photographs, they do live on in the storiestold by school alumni. “I just loved those nuns, we had so much

fun with them,” recalled John Dwight Long(’28). “They were very gentle towards us,but firm on studying.”Evelyn Skay Bauer (’38), spoke fondly of

Sister Colma O’Brien, one of many BasilicaSchool Sisters originally from Ireland. Witha new baby sister at home, Evelyn’s extraresponsibilities for her many siblings causedher to fall behind on her catechism. SisterColma was disappointed in her progress,

but once apprised of the situation, gaveEvelyn medals for the baby and her mother.“She had me stay after school and helpedme,” Evelyn said warmly. “And she’d bringme a whole big slice of homemade breadthat thick with butter all over it, and a bigglass of milk.” Sister Mary Clare Korb (1962-1971), in a

1999 interview, summed it up, “I think allthe Sisters, we knew, that we really had aheart for The Basilica.” 9

Heather Craig is the archivist for The Basilica.

(left) 8th grade students at the Basilica School, 1947.Sisters Bernard Dunphy (principal) and Albertus McGee(8th grade) with (l-r) Bob Cavanaugh, Joe Mayer, DickEllsbury, David Sorenson and Reginald Heriny,

(above) Graduation, June 1964. Sister Georgetta,Principal of Basilica School, with: (l-r) Debbie Gordon,Kathy Phillips, Patty Hartman, Janet Young, MaureenBuckley, Marcy Muldoon, Kathy Collins and LynetteDahl. Her eulogy noted she “won her student’s respectwith her fairness, her humor, and the genuinely excel-lent teaching.”

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BY HEATHER CRAIG

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Laure, who is blind, and Werner, we shinewith the light of the Holy Spirit. The SpiritualWorks of Mercy are made to illuminate ourlives with love. Yet, unlike the corporalworks, we cannot see the results of ouractions; we instead have to “look” for thelight. Faith is required to trust we are mak-ing peace and touching hearts.

BY KELLI KESTER

FEATURE

Weare the people who willmake peace. While theSpiritual Works of Mercy are

different from the corporal works of mercy,they, too, inspire and encourage us to bepeacemakers. One difference between theCorporal and Spiritual Works is their origin— whereas the corporal works of mercy arefrom Matthew’s Gospel, the Spiritual Worksof Mercy are derived from all sorts of mean-ingful scripture such as Proverbs andCorinthians, and Christian tradition. And,instead of ministering to the human body,the spiritual works minister to the humanheart. What encompasses all works ofmercy is the life of Christ. His actions, hiswords, and his spiritual life enable us, asfollowers, to emulate mercy in every aspectof our lives. Or at least persuade us to try! When considering these works, I am

reminded of the title and depth of thePulitzer Prize winning novel, All the Light WeCannot See written by Anthony Doerr. Asone reviewer quipped, “Doerr illuminatesthe ways, against all odds, people try to begood to one another.” Attempting to liveout the Spiritual Works of Mercy, againstthe backdrop of our hurting world, is aninfinitely important way to try to be good toone another. When we are good to people,like the book’s main characters, Marie-


The Spiritual Works of MercyEmulating mercy in every aspect of our lives

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Some of the words used to describe theSpiritual Works of Mercy are difficult tohear. “Admonishing those who havesinned,” is brought to mind. Dictionariestell us “admonish” was borrowed in the14th century (via Anglo-French) fromVulgar Latin admonestare, which is itself an alteration of the Latin verb admonere,meaning “to warn.” What seems a morepastoral definition is “to caution, to adviseagainst something.” We are called to advisewith humility and consider this authorita-tive line from Matthew, “Remove the woodenbeam from your eye first; then you will seeclearly to remove the splinter from yourbrother’s eye.”

Has anyone ever told you they will prayfor you? (I hope so!) Many years ago I wasdiscerning over a difficult decision and agood friend let me know he would pray forme. I said, “Really? You will pray for me?”It’s such a simple statement that many ofus likely say to people often without consid-ering the implications. To take the time toutter another’s name during the sacred actof praying is significant. It is acknowledgingour connectedness, our shared humanity,and our lived faith. People struggle, peoplepray. And God’s light shines.

Practicing patience, counseling, enlight-ening, forgiving, comforting — theseactions allow us to live out our spiritualityin ways that remind us we are surroundedby sacredness, by holiness. We are beingdeliberate followers of Jesus. As you readthe stories in this issue, it will become


FEATURE

THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY:

• Admonish those who have sinned

• Enlighten those in darkness

• Counsel those who are in doubt

• Comfort those who are afflicted

• Be patient with those in error

• Forgive those who offended you

• Pray for the living and the dead

increasingly evident we are surrounded, too, with spiritual workers at our cherishedBasilica of Saint Mary. And, you, are morethan likely one of them. Indeed, let us continue to pray for one another. 9

Kelli Kester has been the Coordinator ofLearning and Confirmation for Children andYouth at The Basilica for 9 years. Kelli loves the Triduum, traveling, and trying to matter.

–

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Admonish One AnotherThree people passing blessings forward

Weare often told “be the bestyou can be.” But can we goit alone and be the best

possible person? Scripture calls us toadmonish one another, yet hold each otherup. Bob Christenson and David Erb havebeen busy doing just that. Since playinghigh school football and hockey together,Bob and Dave have been friends, but notcontinuously connected. Interestingly, itwas through some suffering that they cameback together. Now they use the blessingsthey received to pass it forward.

Bob and Dave attended Highland ParkCatholic School in St. Paul; they becamefast friends, playing sports including foot-ball and hockey. Dave states their parentswere friends and basically interchangeable.Both of the mothers were church-going,rosary-praying women. Bob will tell youhis success can be tied directly to his par-ents, his father, a teacher, and his motherwho partnered in raising the 11 children,instilling the importance of a faith-filledlife with gifts of hope, centered in love. Hisfather studied with him nightly makingsure he could pass high school. With hisdad’s encouragement, Bob overcome thestruggles of dyslexia long before it was adiagnosed condition. Through hard workand parental support, he got into college

and eventually medical school. When Bobspeaks of his wife, he says he would not behere if not for her. After retiring from awonderful career, Bob wanted to pass onthe blessings he received. He chose tobecome a volunteer at The Basilica’sOutreach Program.

Dave’s story takes him to college and 18years in the Army Reserves. He worked asan Engineering Manager at LockheedMartin before retiring. After retirement hedecided to head home to Minnesota. Hewill tell you his life had turned into awreck; he drank hard, stumbling back,barely able to carry his luggage.

The story between the two friends is ajourney through recovery. Thirty eightyears ago Bob Christenson found it. Sixyears ago he helped Dave embark on hispath to sobriety. Dave will tell you thatBob saved his life; that was the beginningof a strong bond, rooted in the past with afocus on the future, a reconnection thatwould help others. When asked, they willtell you their friendship is built on history,but mutual respect is what helps keep itcentered. Bob and Dave have nothing tohide from each other. That means there’sbeen a time or two when one had to get inthe other’s face; calling him out to be thebest he can be.

BY JUDY RING


SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY

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Dave was on the way to the liquor storewhen Bob and a few others called him to alunch meeting. They sternly told him itwas time; time to get his life in order. Davesays it was a unbelievable miracle that henever made it to the liquor store that dayand has not had another drink.

Life isn’t always smooth in recovery.There have been bumps in the road forBob. But then he remembers to slow down.Sometimes while driving his car! But typi-cally to remind himself he doesn’t alwayshave to be first. He works on being present,focusing on his emotional sobriety, whichhelps maintain his chemical sobriety.

It wasn’t enough for Bob and Dave tohelp each other. They felt the need to helpothers and have done so through theOutreach Program at The Basilica. As theyworked on their recovery and their out-reach they have encountered others withsimilar struggles. One of those people wasBrenda Winder. Brenda was in recoveryafter being homeless, a drug and alcoholabuser estranged from her family.

With the help of the gentlemen, Brendajoined the Next Step program. With a bitmore than a gentle push from many peo-ple including Mary Beth Chapel from NextStep, Brenda eventually agreed to become

a volunteer. Early on she helped set up forthe Thursday morning Outreach meetings.Later on, Brenda was trained as an advo-cate for the homeless. Brenda connectswith others by sharing her past, whichhelps participants in the program.

All three can tell you what Proverbs11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessings willbe enriched and one who waters will him-self be watered.” The blessings they havereceived are countless. Brenda is no longerhomeless, she has advanced her educationat MCTC and most importantly she hasreconnected with her family. Brendaproudly states she is a grandmother whocherishes time she spends with her grand-children.

Brenda gives credit to Bob and Dave.She says the two don’t mince words whenit comes time to admonish. They praise herprogress and also let her know when sheneeds to improve. She appreciates theirhonesty and continues to do more thanjust agree to disagree. She takes actionwhen they let her know it’s best. She alsogives credit to Mary Beth for keeping heron the right path.

The key to the success for all seems to becommunity. Without support and encour-agement from others along the way, the

walk would be more difficult. Walking adifficult journey with someone beside youcan make each step more bearable.Knowing others are pulling for you helpskeep things in perspective.

Brenda will tell you that Dave and Boblet her know she was worth it. She says shenow has hope and that is a wonderfulthing. Dave is proud to say that he wasable to tell his mother he had come back tothe Church and quit drinking before shepassed a few years ago. They will all tellyou it is blessings that each one of themget from the other. Blessings Repeated. 9

Judy Ring is a wife, mother, grandmother, andvolunteer who works at Xcel Energy as anAccount Manager. She is a member of thefinance committee and Spiritual Gifts Team atThe Basilica.


(L to r) Bob Christenson, Brenda Winder, and David ErbPHOTO © ELYSE RETHLAKE

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EncourageOne AnotherProviding support in times of struggle

Animportant part of Christian life is coming togetherin community, to support and encourage oneanother in times of doubt, especially in times of

religious doubt. Rafiann Olchefske was a Jehovah’s Witness, who,with the support and encouragement of her fellow Christians,was baptized at The Basilica last year.

While Rafiann had left her parent’s church several yearsago, she decided that Catholicism was right for her in early2015. It wasn’t an easy decision. Part of her struggle was thatshe “didn’t want to make a decision that [would] cause conflictin [her] family.”

In the beginning, she felt that she couldn’t reach out for help because that was like admitting weakness. But Rafiannultimately did reach out to the community when she beganfeeling scared about the enormity of her decision, which was achallenge for some of her family and friends to understand.“They felt like I am going astray from the right path.” In herheart, Refiann knew this was right for her. She began lookingforward to the homily every Sunday but was sad that she wasunable to take part in Holy Communion. During this time, herChristian community was a great source of strength for her.

BY SHELBY ANDERSSON

PHOTO ©

MICHAEL JEN

SEN



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Rafiann said her husband’s cousin, aCatholic, spoke with her at length abouther struggles. Her RCIA group, two sponsorsand Paula were there for her to answerquestions, cheer her, and offer their support.During this time they “talked a lot and theyprayed for [her].” Rafiann met another person who was going through similarstruggles, and she found comfort in speak-ing with her. She said that “sometimes wejust cried together, but it helped.”

Many sent Rafiann cards and prayersduring the Easter season. She said that shehadn’t even met some of those offeringtheir support. Despite that, “they prayed for[her]” and “it touched [her] heart.” Her husband was also a great support duringthis time, joining the parish with her andencouraging her. Rafiann expressed hergratefulness for the support of the commu-nity. “God showed me His love and Hisgrace through these people. All the encour-agements I received helped me a lot. Godreally used our Christian brothers and sistersto show us He loves me and I will alwaysfeel very strongly connected to my supportsystem from church. They are family tome.” Now she “feel[s] compelled to helpothers who have the same struggle.”Rafiann said that she “want[s] them to seethat it’s okay to be scared, to admit thatyou are scared and reach out to others forhelp. God sent them to us and He sent us tothem. It’s a wonderful cycle to love andsupport one another. It is a gift.”

Rafiann has “always been attracted tothe Catholic faith; [her] mother’s side of thefamily are devout Catholics.” But it wasn’tuntil she started looking for a church to joinin early 2015 that she came back to aCatholic church. Rafiann credits her mater-nal grandmother for her initial interest injoining the Catholic Curch. Of her grand-mother, Rafiann said that she “was thegreatest person [she] knew.” She “never

heard her say one bad thing about otherpeople, not even once. She was kind andshe put others before herself. ...she lived herlife a true Christian, 24/7.”

The encouragement she found in herChristian community helped Rafiann onher journey. “The way The Basilica comestogether to support all...is unbelievable.”Rafiann said that she “never saw thatmuch love and support from people whodon’t know each other before. It’s priceless.”

Rafiann didn’t have to struggle alone,she had the support of her community, and wants people to know that “a word ofencouragement goes a long way, muchmore than you realize. It helped me somuch. Please give others the same gift.”Having received that gift herself, Rafiannfeels called to encourage others on theirChristian journey. Rafiann says this stemsfrom her faith and she “love[s] how inclu-sive the Catholic church is — we are taughtto love everyone, even those who don’t loveus back.”

Community and supporting one anotheris important. If you feel called to reach outto another in their times of struggle youmay have a much more significant impacton that person's life than you imagine. Weare called to love one another; encourage-ment and support are wonderful ways toshare that love. 9

Shelby Andersson moved to the Twin Cities alittle over a year ago. As a parishioner of TheBasilica, she is thankful for all the encourage-ment and support she has received from herChristian community.



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The Basilica’s Emmaus Ministry has itsroots in the BeFriender National Ministry, anational, ecumenical non-profit organiza-tion that provides leadership training andongoing support for a listening ministry oflay pastoral care in churches, health caresettings such as hospitals, assisted living-skilled care facilities, or other organizations.Bill Pederson, a Basilica parishioner, has

been an Emmaus volunteer minister for sixyears. He explains that the ministry onceused the BeFriender name, but that somepeople found the word confusing. Theywere not sure just what type of friendshipwas being offered to them. The name,Emmaus, comes from the gospel story(Luke 24:13-35) wherein two of the disci-ples walking to the town of Emmaus arejoined by a stranger. That stranger is theresurrected Jesus Christ, but they do notrecognize him at first. It is only after they

Of all the Spiritual Works ofMercy, to comfort the afflictedseems the most tender. It does

not admonish or correct; it doesn’t instructor attempt to change. It simply comforts,human to human, soul to soul. For thosewith aching hearts who are struggling withpain, dealing with loss, or handling a hurt,the need to have that suffering understoodis very compelling. When we can tell ourstory, when we are heard, we know that weare not alone.At The Basilica of Saint Mary, listening

to those who suffer has not been left tochance. The Emmaus Ministry ensures thatthose who need a compassionate, listeningear will always be able to find one. Thisministry is composed of a group of individ-uals who have pledged themselves to reachout to those who are suffering. Their goal is“not to cure, but to comfort.”

ComfortOne AnotherSharing our humanity

BY ELSA HOFMEISTER


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shared their stories that they realized they were in the presence ofGod and that their “hearts were burning.” The Emmaus ministersare always aware of the presence of Christ in themselves and inevery human being. They hope to make that sacred presence felt asthey listen to those who are suffering.

Bill says that those who come to him, or to one of the other members of the ministry, often say things like, “I can’t believe you’redoing this,” or “I can’t believe that anyone cares enough to listen tome.” Once they understand that their words are held in the strictestconfidence and that they will not be judged for whatever they say,they relax and talk freely. They may describe that free feeling as akind of deliverance or say that a door of hope seems to have opened.

The group of ministers meets once a month and all membersagree that they receive more than they give at their Emmaus sessions.They are deeply touched by the stories they hear, and they marvel atthe beauty and resilience of the human spirit once it has the libertyto honestly express itself. We are inhabitants of Earth, and Earth is

PHOTO ©

MICHAEL JEN

SEN

not a celestial realm. That we all hurt is a central truth of ourcondition. None of us escapes the frustrations and hardships ofour imperfect natures, and we will not until we arrive at ourfinal heavenly destination. It is realizing we are not alone thathelps us get through our pain without giving up. Both theEmmaus ministers and the recipients of their care come to thisawareness over and over again as they work together.

Whatever your story — you may have moved or retired, lost a loved one or become ill — an Emmaus minister is readyto walk with you and help you discover that Christ is truly present within you. 9

Elsa Thompson Hofmeister is a retired educator and a parishioner of The Cathedral of Saint Paul. She is the author of ExtraordinaryOrdinary Lives, a story of vocations in the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.

For more information, contact Cathy Edwards, 612.317.3474, [email protected].


Bill Pederson

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HOW many of us, as we were growingup, were told “patience is a virtue”?Perhaps we did not get something

at a store we were begging for. Maybe wehad uncontained excitement for an upcomingholiday. Or we were en route to a summervacation up north, and we could not wait to arrive. We have all heard this sayingnumerous times in our lives. It is among the best lessons our parents, caregivers, andteachers could have taught us. Frequentlywe are confronted with situations where we have to exercise patience. It is not untiladulthood where we realize how importantit is to be patient, and yet how truly chal-lenging it can be.

As part of our Christian tradition, theSpiritual Works of Mercy help guide ourbehavior. According to the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishops, the sevenSpiritual Works of Mercy include the follow-ing: counseling the doubtful, instructing theignorant, admonishing the sinner, comfort-ing the sorrowful, forgiving injuries, bearingwrongs patiently, and praying for the livingand the dead (www.usccb.org).


In a time where we are bombarded withdivisive rhetoric from our media, when tensions in our city seem to be rising, andeveryone seems to have a strong opinionabout our pending presidential election,demonstrating compassion, empathy, andpatience with one another can be very difficult. Yet, the alternative is to live withanger and frustration filling our hearts,rather than the love Christ called us to have for each other.

At the root of patience is the ability toeither help or hinder another human being.Without patience, we can cause others frus-tration, discomfort, or even suffering. TheBasilica of Saint Mary is committed to pro-viding equal access to services and resourcesfor all its parishioners. For example, anindividual with celiac disease can receivelow-gluten host at Eucharist. The Basilicaalso provides hearing devices for individualssuffering from hearing loss. A person who isvisually impaired may request a large printprogram at Mass.

Peggy Wolfe, an 86-year-old parishionerwho has attended The Basilica for 11 years,

Be Patient with One AnotherSharing a spirit of helpfulness

BY ANN T. DEIMAN-THORNTON


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serves on the church’s Disability AwarenessCommittee. Working on behalf of thechurch, the committee takes their role ofensuring the church is adhering to all ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) require-ments very seriously. For the last 16 years,Wolfe has experienced gradual vision lossas a result of macular degeneration.Further, Wolfe is also hearing impaired. Though she was initially drawn to The

Basilica because of the beautiful music sheheard at Mass, she said she “loves the spiritof helpfulness.” She is especially apprecia-tive of the wonderful ushers who volunteertheir time at The Basilica, but she also values the many parishioners and fellowcommittee members who help her. Sheacknowledges that it is difficult to ask forhelp, and says this can be a hurdle to over-come when you are initially experiencingsome type of loss. Yet, in order to deal withbarriers, one must be able to ask for help. Wolfe does not view her losses as limita-

tions. Rather, with an optimistic and positiveattitude, she admits she cannot change thecourse of action her health has taken and

PHOTOS © ELYSE RETHLAKE


would prefer to use her experience as a wayto help others. She has published a bookabout her experience titled Vision Loss:Strategies for Living with Hope and Independence.Wolfe’s mother and uncle also experiencedvision loss. She taps into her experience inhelping them cope, along with her personalinsight, to shed light on how to successfullylive with vision loss. According to theCenter for Disease Control and Prevention,approximately 14 million people above theage of 12 are living with vision loss in theUnited States (www.cdc.gov). LaVail Valentines is another instrumental

member of the Disability AwarenessCommittee and recently participated in anaccessibility audit of The Basilica’s buildingsand grounds. LaVail has limited mobilitydue to a stroke and now uses a wheelchair.In order to thoroughly assess The Basilicacampus he traveled every pathway andopened every door. The concluding reportbrought to light several accessibility issuesthat will be addressed by the Parish Councilexecutive committee. LaVail said being apart of such an important group makes

Members of the DisabilityAwareness Committee, PeggyWolfe and LaVail Valentines.

him feel like he is helping people have aeasier time accessing one of the most importpart of their lives. We are called to be patient, kind, forgiving,

and loving towards one another. Theresources and services provided by TheBasilica can certainly assist those of us inneed of help and support. However, we canalso help one another on an individualbasis. Often times, it is in small ways, thingsthat we often take for granted, when we canmake a big difference. Smile. Laugh. Helpguide someone down a flight of stairs. Offerto drive your fellow parishioner to Mass.Share a meal or a cup of coffee. An extendedhand of support can make a world of differ-ence to someone in need. After all, are wenot all in need at some point in our lives? 9

Ann T. Deiman-Thornton has been a memberof The Basilica for 16 years and is a resident ofNorth Minneapolis. She is deeply concernedabout making our community a better place.


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ForgiveOne AnotherPracticing forgiveness starts in the family

WHEN Pope Francis said, “Withinthe family, we learn how to for-give,” he implied that the act of

forgiveness does not come easy for us; it issomething we need to be taught. And yetforgiveness is central to Christian life. Christtells the parable of the servant who owes alarge debt to his master. He asks his mastertime to pay the debt, but the master goesfurther and forgives the debt completely.Unmercifully, the forgiven servant goes outand demands a much smaller debt fromanother. When the master finds out, he not


BY ELAINE HARGROVE

only demands the unmerciful servant paythe debt in full; he throws him in jail untilthe debt is paid. Christ ends the parable saying, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive yourbrother or sister from your heart” (Matthew18: 21-35). Clearly, forgiving one another isvitally important. But frequently it is difficultto forgive those who have hurt us deeply.How does one learn to forgive?

One Basilica couple that has learned howto forgive is the Whites — Jerry andConstance. They graciously agreed to be

“In the Year of Mercy, every Christian family can become a

privileged place…for experiencing the joy of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the essence of the love which can understand

mistakes and mend them. How miserable we would be if

God did not forgive us! Within the family we learn how to

forgive, because we are certain that we are understood and

supported, whatever the mistakes we make.”

— Pope Francis

Feast of the Holy Family, December 27, 2015


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interviewed for BASILICA. When asked aboutforgiveness, they explained they both hadrough starts in life. Constance was given upfor adoption when she was 5 years old, andJerry was raised by a single mother.Constance describes herself as a young adult as a “lost soul.” Jerry turned to drugsto dull his own pain. Although Jerry wasstruggling with addiction at the time hemarried Constance, he claimed he wasclean. His deception led Constance to saytheir marriage “began with a lie.” Theresentments that had begun in childhoodfestered and continued to build for them as adults.

Finally, Jerry turned to treatment for hisaddiction, and Constance accompanied him.

The Whites began to learn about practicingforgiveness in treatment. There they readAlcoholics Anonymous (also known as the“Big Book”), and Jerry was struck by whathe found there concerning holding ontoresentment. “Resentment is the ‘numberone’ offender,” the book states on page 64.“From it stem all forms of spiritual disease,for we have been not only mentally andphysically ill, we have been spiritually sick.When the spiritual malady is overcome, westraighten out mentally and physically.”

Although vitally important, Jerry notedthat letting go of resentments did not comeeasily and is an act of the will. “There isnothing good about resentment. Resentment

PHOTO ?



is heavy and it only gets heavier the longerwe carry it. Harboring resentments shuts offthe sunlight of the Spirit,” Jerry says. “Itaffects how I am as a person, walkingaround with hate in my heart. It is alwayseasier to see the negative.” One tip theWhites offered is that praying for othersmakes it difficult to hold onto resentment.In time, the heart will follow.

Once forgiveness comes, then real rela-tionships between people can begin. Andthat can positively impact people’s lives —not just the lives of the couple, but for thoseobserving the marriage as well.

Jerry said he had once heard televangelistJoyce Meyers say that forgiveness isn’t forthe person being forgiven, it is for the personwho does the forgiving. Jerry agrees, saying“Forgiving others is one of the most freeingthings I have ever done.” He rememberedwatching Mel Gibson’s 2004 film, ThePassion of the Christ, particularly the scenewhere Christ forgave from the cross. “Whoam I not to forgive?” Jerry asked. “SeeingChrist having mercy for others, seeing himhaving an open heart for people...It’s ourcalling. Seeing Christ’s example made me abetter human being and made me quickerto forgive.”

As he practiced forgiveness, Jerry also discovered that the more he forgave, thecloser he grew to God. “Every time I makethe conscious choice to forgive someone, I amdoing what God wants me to do,” he says.

Today both Constance and Jerry serve asEucharistic ministers at The Basilica, wherethey try to be examples to the parish.

“Seeing married couples praying and servingtogether as part of the Church strengthensthe church. Marriage can be good — youhave to not be so selfish, and then you takeit out to the world. We need to fight againstour nature and be less selfish,” they said.

“Forgiveness is sharable,” Constance says.“Learning how to forgive, then sharing thatwith others, leads to a ripple effect.”

Jerry agrees. “We are all God’s children,and we all need to have forgiveness.” 9

Elaine Hargrove was a member of the RCIA2015-16 class. She works at an ethics researchcenter at the University of Minnesota, where sheearned a Ph.D. in journalism. Her dissertationtopic was the press coverage of the My Lai massacre.

Jerry and Constance White

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Pray forOne AnotherMercy and grace in times of trouble

“Our Father, who art in heaven…,”“Bless us, Oh Lord, and thesethy gifts…,” “Now I lay me

down to sleep….” For many of us, these linesare familiar companions. We have repeatedthe words during Mass, when seated arounda table with family and friends, or as part ofa bedtime ritual. They are perhaps a few ofthe most familiar prayers in our lives, butthey are by no means the only way we communicate with God.

Prayer can take almost as many forms asthere are people. It is both uniquely individualand collective in nature. It can be spokenout loud when we gather as a community,lifting our voices to God in word and insong. It can be meditative and reflective innature. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk whopracticed contemplative prayer regularly,understood prayer isn’t always about ustalking to God but rather being silent beforeHim, open to His voice.

During Mass, prayers are offered up forvarious individuals in our community; however, not every individual is named. Atthe end of the intercession, the lector says,“and for all those who have requested ourprayers.” Have you ever wondered about

BY SUSAN HANSEN

those anonymous requests? There is a veryactive group of individuals showing God’slove and mercy on a daily basis, quietly andsteadfastly praying over each and everyindividual request. They are the volunteerswho make up The Basilica of Saint Mary’sprayer chain.

Prayer requests reach the prayer chain bya number of methods. It might be a phonecall to The Basilica’s receptionist or on aform filled out by a guest at an outreachprogram, such as those sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul ministry. It may comeabout as the result of a conversation withone of The Basilica’s staff members or besubmitted via the website. Regardless of how the request arrives, it is added to a listwhich is then sent to the members of theprayer chain.

In speaking with several prayer chain volunteers, it was clear each has beentouched in some way by this ministry. LouCooney Erickson, Mary Ritten and JudyMaguire all bring their own unique perspec-tives and individuality. Mary prefers to praythe first thing every morning, a practice shebegan when she was young. Judy, on theother hand, prays in the evening, finding



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those quiet hours the perfect way to end theday. As a hospital chaplain, Lou is often ina position to offer support to patients andtheir families throughout the day.While the women may approach prayer

differently, they share a common bond intheir empathy and their deep desire to makea difference. The requests they receive arevaried — and often heartbreaking: the childwith a serious illness, a woman in an abusiverelationship, a family torn apart by chemi-cal dependency. Sometimes the same requestis made over the course of many weeks.According to Judy, seeing these names regu-

larly helps her identify with them as individ-uals. While she may never actually meet thepeople involved, they become much more toher than just names on a list. The lives of the prayer chain volunteers

are also impacted. Mary said being involvedin the prayer chain brings her closer to boththe parish and to the general community.In her words, “it is a grace for me; it is goodfor my soul.” Lou echoed those sentiments,stating she feels both humbled and privi-leged to be a part of the chain. It remindsher “we are all sisters and brothers in thislife together, and all in need and desire of

God’s good grace, love, mercy and ever-presence.” Judy has family members struggling with

serious health issues. Her involvement helpsher to keep going despite her own circum-stances. She said it isn’t about understandingthe why of a difficult situation, but findingthe strength to continue — and that is whatshe asks for on behalf of each individual.But she doesn’t stop there. She is also mind-ful of the friends and family who may alsobe suffering. St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-97) described

prayer as “an uplifting of the heart, aglance toward heaven, a cry of gratitudeand love in times of sorrow as well as joy. Itis something noble, something supernatural,which expands the soul and unites it toGod.” Mary, Lou, Judy and all of the othervolunteers on the prayer chain exemplifythis sentiment and are truly a blessing to the parish and the community. 9

Susan Hansen is a parishioner who works as asoftware trainer at a local law firm.

If you would like to request prayer, youcan do so at mary.org or call the churchoffices at 612.333.1381. If you would like to become involved in

this ministry, please contact Cathy Edwardsat [email protected].


StreetSong-MN collaborated with Cantus for two spring performances atthe Ordway and the Minneapolis Public Library April 10 and 11.

(L to R) Mary Ritten, Judy Maguireand Nancy Cooney Erickson.

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difficult to put into words and art can oftenbe the spark that helps us start to contem-plate the beautiful mysteries of our faith.

Kathy Dhaemers, The Basilica’s associatedirector of sacred arts, knows this andbelieves it to be crucial. In conversationabout the role of art in our community, shedescribes it as being an “entry point,” a wayto connect people with ideas that are bestshown, rather than told. Art can be a com-munal and personal activity all at once, aspace where a person can have his or herown experience with a piece while also stillbeing part of a larger group.

Bringing art into to The Basilica providesmore opportunity to draw in people whomight otherwise feel like outsiders, reachingthem not through the same words they mayhave heard before, but through their appre-ciation of the creative aesthetic. In this way,it can also be an effective means of commu-nicating with members of other faiths out-side Catholicism; art can be a commonground between people of different ideolo-gies. It takes The Basilica communitybeyond just The Basilica building.

Johan van Parys also feels this sense verystrongly. As The Basilica’s director of liturgyand sacred arts, he is in a position that fewparishes other than ours have. He believesthe most crucial role art can play in ourcommunity is one of representation. TheBasilica is a church originally built byNorthern Europeans; as such, the figures wesee represented in much of the older art donot reflect the increasingly diverse racialand cultural makeup of our modern parish.Johan said, “People should be able to recog-nize themselves in our art.” He’s bringing inartists from a variety backgrounds, cultivat-ing The Basilica’s Pope John XXIII Gallery,hosting various artistic events and more.This is critical, and sits at the core of thewelcoming spirit The Basilica puts forth intothe world. We should all be able to recognize ourselves here and engage withthe art.

WORDS are a fundamental andcentral part of the way we rou-tinely explore our Catholic faith.

We read the bible, recite the prayers, hear thesermon, confess our sins. These activities allinvolve thinking deeply about language,both our own and the Church’s, and some-times that can make us think about ourspirituality purely in terms of text. If thatsounds flat, it should; the tricky part is thatwhile we know that words aren’t the wholestory of our spirituality, it can be tough toexplain the other parts. How do we get atthe bits of our faith that don’t involvewords, or share these parts with others?

Art has long had an important role inthe way Catholicism connects to people,especially to people who might otherwise beunfamiliar with our faith community. Asmuch as the words matter, this is also areligion of sounds and sights, colors andcontours, images and icons. Art can be avehicle to share our faith or to enlightenone another as the Spiritual Works of Mercycall us to do. How do we feel every time wewalk into The Basilica and look around?There’s something unique about the waywe interact with art — whether it’s a paint-ing, sculpture, or icon, that speaks to us likewords cannot. Religion has so much that is

The Basilica’s art is not just “decoration;”it can be the best way to experienceCatholicism’s mysteries while also findingcommon ground with each other. After all,so much of our faith lies beyond any of ourverbal abilities. 9

Erik Hane is a writer, editor, and literary agentbased in Minneapolis, new to both the parishand the Twin Cities.

Haitian Praise, DeAnne L.Parks48 x 24”, oil and charcoal(Exhibited at The Basilica, May 2014)

BY ERIK HANE

Enlighten One AnotherThe importance of art in a church of words

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In Reverence and RespectTaizé prayer at The Basilica

Iwould not have believed its effect on me:Driving into Minneapolis during rushhour, walking into the basement of achurch, sitting in a hard-back chair, singingthe same verse over and over again. And,yet, it brings me the greatest peace I have Ihave ever known.It’s the once-a-month Taizé Prayer service

at The Basilica of Saint Mary. As the prayerbooklet says, “We sing uncomplicated,repetitive songs, uncluttered by too manywords. A few words sung over and overagain enhance the meditative quality ofprayer, allowing an encounter with themystery of God through the beauty of simplicity.”It doesn’t hurt for those of us with

mediocre voices that we are accompaniedby a piano, flute and, sometimes, a cello —all beautifully played. The light is low, theroom is quiet, the candles are lit, and thescene is inviting. It takes place in a Catholicchurch but the service is ecumenical — nopreaching, prompting, or proselytizing. I am a bit surprised at how good my

voice sounds, at least to me; however, I dosit next to my friend Cindy Lamont, whocan not only carry a tune but sing the har-mony. Yet, I am freer here, not burdenedwith the usual concerns, causes, and con-flicts. If there’s a flow, I am in it. If there’s apattern, I am part of it.

The melodies are lovely, but the wordsare lyrical, sheer poetry: Calm me Lord as you calmed the storms.Still me Lord, keep me from harm.Let all the tumult within me cease.Enfold me Lord, in your peace. I hesitate to write about this service

because one of its great values is the inti-macy, with only 30 or 40 people in theroom. The feeling is one of being amongthe fortunate, the chosen, the lucky. On theother hand, anyone going to a meditativeprayer service would probably come withan attitude of reverence and respect. Taizé is a small village in the hills of

Burgundy, France, and has been the homeof an ecumenical group of brothers fromvarious denominations, whose life centersaround common prayer. Today the commu-nity includes Protestants and Catholics; thebrothers come from 20 countries throughoutthe world.Brother Roger, who came to the village in

1940, offered his house as a place of refuge,for those fleeing from the Nazi occupation.After the war ended, he was joined by asmall group of others, who committed them-selves to celibacy and a communal life.The Basilica seems a perfect place for the

service because it was formally consecratedwhen Brother Roger arrived in Taizé.


BY DAVE NIMMER

Fathers Dennis Dease, Michael O’Connelland, now, John Bauer have led the churchas much with their hearts as their heads.Over the years, The Basilica has seemed tome to be a place that welcomes those whoseek comfort and comforts those who seekunderstanding. I am always in need of both.For one hour a month, in that church, in

the basement, sitting on a wooden chair, Ifeel as though I am in the care of God, as Iunderstand him/her. Sometimes the spiritlingers after I leave and sometimes itdoesn’t. But for a moment I can feel thatelusive peace, the kind that passes allunderstanding.Some may think me foolish, or simply

frightened of growing more fragile and fee-ble and grasping at a religious straw. Foronce in my life, what others think doesn’tseem to matter. If The Basilica offered thisservice five days a week, I’d be thereMonday through Friday. 9

Dave Nimmer is a retired news reporter…and a seeker. This story first appeared MinnesotaGood Age magazine and was granted reprintpermissions by the author.

Visit mary.org for Taizé prayer dates.

PHOTO © STACY GLAUS


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Who is Our Neighbor?Welcoming immigrant families

BY NICK HANSEN

“HOLD all of these dates with light-ness,” says Janice Andersen to a

group of about a dozen members of theRefugee Family Committee at the CowleyCenter on a Saturday morning in July. Thecommittee is making plans to welcome thesecond refugee family. The first familyarrived in early 2016. This family will becoming from a refugee camp in Turkey, butthe recent political unrest has caused somedoubt as to when the family would arrive.

Since last December, in response to PopeFrancis’ declaration of a Jubilee of Mercy, ateam of volunteers has helped two familiesof refugees, one from Somalia and one fromIraq, settle in the Twin Cities area. (A third

family is expected in the fall). The grouphas also organized collection drives forrefugee families and provided educationaloutreach on the struggles facing migrantpopulations.

The Basilica is working in conjunctionwith Lutheran Social Services (LSS) to coor-dinate the families’ arrival and setup in theTwin Cities. The parish “co-sponsors” thefamily by helping with rent for the first sixmonths, assisting with the setup of theirapartment, and helping them get acclimat-ed to living in Minnesota.

While figuring out a humane solution tothe complex geopolitical problems relatedto refugee populations seems impossible,

A Guiding Light: A group of parishioners has helped twofamilies from refugee camps resettle inthe Twin Cities and bring attention toissues facing refugee populations.

Members of The Basilica Staff, Refugee Family Committee, and Lutheran Social Services awaitthe arrival of the Iraqi refugee family at the Minneapolis/St.Paul International Airport.

FEATURE


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PHOTO © MAE DESAIRE

Basilica volunteers have found out thatsometimes it really is just the little thingsthat can help ease the transition into life ina new country.

Around the conference table, someone inthe group mentions bringing bottled waterto the airport for the family. A few othersvolunteer to help set up furniture in thenew family’s apartment in suburbanMinneapolis. Another volunteer showssome homemade welcome signs she hadmade. They were red and green withcrossed American and Iraqi flags. Across thetop, in Arabic, it read, “Welcome toMinnesota.” The phrase was written outphonetically on the back for the Americanwelcomers.

The arrivals of both families were inspira-tional and thoughtful moments for the volunteers. “I kept imagining what life wasgoing to be like for the children: going toschool, learning English, and the very differ-ent life they will have in the United States.As a teacher, I see the vast differencesbetween refugee parents and their childrenwho grow up in America, in a very differentculture. I kept thinking what a difference afew years will make — ‘Do they know whatthey are getting into?’ Then again, do anyof us, ever?” said Rachel Ziegler, who wel-comed the second family at the airport.

Dawn Pajunen served on the mentorship

team with the first family that had lived in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya.Pajunen, along with three other parish-ioners, worked directly with the families tohelp them adjust to life in a new country.Sometimes that adjustment involves teach-ing some very basic things, like traffic.

“There are no stop signs in refugeecamps. Traffic was a whole new experiencefor them and they were afraid of cars,” saidPajunen.

There were also some heartfelt momentswhile working with the family from Somalia.A group took the family to the Como ParkConservatory to see the flowers. The childrenreally wanted to go to the zoo as well. Whilethe children, who were born and raised inDadaab, had little first-hand knowledge ofsome of the African animals at the exhibits,the parents knew them well.

“They were telling the kids about [theanimals]. It was kind of cool that they couldshare a little bit about their homeland thattheir kids have never seen,” said Pajunen.

Even though the life experiences of thefamilies and their American sponsors werevastly different, there were still some simi-larities.

“Thinking about those first few times Iwas with the family, the thing that stillstands out to me was how we were morealike than different. As I watched the 17-

year-old daughter get ready for school, fixing her hair just right, rearranging her outfit, all while her mom was telling her tohurry up, I thought of my own daughter atthat age. Listening to the son’s desire to geta driving permit, he could have been myson,” said Donna Krisch, another volunteer.

The conversation continues in the confer-ence room at the Cowley Center. One volunteer shares her experiences from arecent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.Another talks about organizing a dinner for the sponsored families.

Bringing to light the vast number ofissues facing migrants and refugees is noeasy task, but through patience, prayer, andlightness, the committee has helped easethe burden for a few who are struggling. 9

Nick Hansen is a member of the refugee family committee.

The Iraqi refugee family and greeterson their way to baggage claim.

FEATURE


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LANDMARK EVENTS

Landmark Ball

PHOTOS ©ELYSE RETHLAKE

1 Dr. Deirdre Palmer, Event Chair 2 A beautiful eveningat ARIA in Minneapolis 3 Mundus serenading the guests4 Ken and Andrea Hjelm 5 Auctioneer Pat Brenna with(l to r) Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Father John Bauer6 Party guests dressed to impress 7 A toast to TheBasilica Landmark.

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 11/7/16 11:30 AM

29

LANDMARK EVENTS

Cities 97Basilica Block Party

1 Party-goers on The Basilica’s frontlawn 2 Andra Day on the Preferred-One Stage 3 American Authorsmade it snow on Friday night of theBlock Party 4 Death Cab for Cutieon the Great Clips Stage.

BLOCK PARTY PHOTOS: 1) HAYLEY BEEKMAN;2) DYLAN NOVACEK; 3) GARY MUKAI;4) KYLE HOWARD

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 11/7/16 11:30 AM

thus in effect having his back to them? Thelatter had been the custom for centuriesuntil it was changed in the 1960s in light ofthe Second Vatican Council.

Those in favor of the pre-Vatican II pos-ture argue that the proper way to celebrateMass is “ad orientem,” or by facing east.According to tradition, Christ will returnfrom the east. Thus, the priest and theassembly facing east during Mass are pray-ing in the anticipation of Christ’s return.

Those in favor of the priest facing theassembly point to the liturgy document ofthe Second Vatican Council which encour-ages full, active, and conscious participationof the faithful. Interfacing with the priest isseen as very important in this context.

Robert Cardinal Sarah, prefect of theCongregation for Divine Worship and theSacraments expressed his support of areturn to the “ad orientem” position during atalk he delivered in London on July 5, 2016.He also called for this change to be imple-mented on the first Sunday of Advent thisyear, saying: “Dear fathers, I humbly andfraternally ask you to implement this prac-tice wherever possible, with prudence andwith the necessary catechesis, certainly, butalso with a pastor’s confidence that this issomething good for the Church, somethinggood for our people. Your own pastoraljudgement will determine how and whenthis is possible, but perhaps beginning thison the first Sunday of Advent this year.”

This statement was picked up by the pressand caused a flurry of speculations. As a

Dear Johan,Is it true that Pope Francis will be demand-

ing that the priests face east when celebratingMass? I grew up before Vatican II and would be delighted to have that and other venerabletraditions come back. It would solve so manyproblems.

Gentle Reader,Whether or not a 180 degree turn by the

priest would solve all that many problemsis yet to be seen. However, yours is a goodquestion deserving of a very simple answer:NO. Still, I understand why you ask.

Recently, much ado has been made overthe priest’s posture during Mass. Should hecontinue to face the congregation as hasbeen the custom since the Second VaticanCouncil? Or should he turn around andface the same direction as the congregation,

AskJohan

Johan M. J. van Parys, Ph.D., has been TheBasilica’s director of liturgy and sacred artssince 1995. He has published numerous articleson liturgy and art. His books include Symbolsthat Surround Us and What’s the Smoke for?And Other Burning Questions about theLiturgy, a collection of all previous Ask Johancolumns.

© MICHAEL JEN

SEN

result, the Archbishop of Westminster madeit clear that his priests were not to celebrate“ad orientem.” More importantly, the then-Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi issueda clarification affirming that “CardinalSarah is always rightly concerned with thedignity of the celebration of Mass.”However,“some of his phrasing has been badly inter-preted, as if he had announced new, differentindications from those now given in liturgi-cal norms.” The General Instruction of theRoman Missal “remains fully in force,”including the prescription that the altarshould be built away from the wall so “thatMass can be celebrated at it facing the people,which is desirable wherever possible.”

Father Lombardi also referenced a visitPope Francis made to the Congregation forDivine worship. On that occasion the popeclearly stated that the Mass we have beencelebrating since the Second VaticanCouncil is the ‘ordinary’ form and that theextraordinary form or so-called TridentineMass which was first permitted under strictcircumstances by Saint John Paul II andmore widely permitted by Pope EmeritusBenedict XVI “should not take the place ofthat ‘ordinary’ form.”

So, until Pope Francis or his successorchanges the Roman Missal or unless we are celebrating the extraordinary form, weare not to turn anywhere else but to oneanother. 9

ASK JOHAN


16101063_•BSM Feb'06 10/28/16 7:31 PM


Planned GivingMaximize the tax benefit of your charitable gift

There are many blessings that come fromgiving to a charitable cause. By now

you may know that when you make a giftto The Basilica Landmark, you can beassured that not only are you preserving thepast, you are restoring and enhancing ourbeautiful landmark church for the future.

Did you know that a recent change in thetax law permanently extends a taxpayer’sability to make a tax-free transfer from anIRA to The Basilica Landmark? Using anIRA to accomplish your charitable giving isa great way to leverage your gifts to TheBasilica Landmark. If you are age 70½ orolder, you may make a tax-free transfer ofup to $100,000 directly from your traditionalor Roth IRA to The Basilica Landmark with-out increasing your taxable income or with-holding. Funds transferred from your IRAdirectly to The Basilica Landmark will loweryour adjusted gross income, and will alsocount toward your minimum required distribution.

Including The Basilica Landmark as anamed beneficiary of a retirement asset,such as an IRA or 401(k) is a great strategyto maximize the tax efficiency of your giving.Simply list The Basilica Landmark on thebeneficiary designation form provided byyour employer or IRA administrator andspecify the dollar amount or percentage ofthe assets you would like the endowmentfund to receive. If the retirement asset hasnot previously been subject to income tax(such as 401(k) contributions), upon yourdeath the assets will pass to The BasilicaLandmark without income tax ever beingpaid. Your estate may also be able to take acharitable estate tax deduction for this gift,reducing the amount of estate tax it pays.

It is also important to note that specificallynaming a charity as a beneficiary of retire-ment assets is greatly preferred to namingyour “estate” as the beneficiary and thenusing retirement assets to fund a charitablebequest in your will or trust. Paying pre-taxassets into your estate will cause your estateto pay income tax on those assets, possiblyreducing the amount the charity, or yourother beneficiaries, will ultimately receive.Your financial advisor can assist with ques-tions about maximizing the tax benefits ofyour charitable gifts.

Whether you make a specific gift in yourwill or give directly from your retirementsavings, it’s important to use the followingbeneficiary designation language:

BY LORI HUME, SUSAN LINK, AND LETTY VAN ERT

THE BASILICA LANDMARK

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” — Acts 20:35

The Basilica Landmark’s missionis to preserve, restore, andadvance the historic Basilica ofSaint Mary for all generations.

“I, [name] of [city, state, zip code] give[$____________ or __________%] to The Basilica Landmark, P.O. Box 50070,Minneapolis, MN 55405.”

Giving a gift through an IRA or includingThe Basilica Landmark in your will, trust,and/or beneficiary designations is simple toaccomplish and will have a significantimpact on our community. Be sure to consultyour own estate planning attorney, finan-cial and tax advisors to help you includeThe Basilica Landmark in your plans. 9

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 11/7/16 11:35 AM

-

You helped Kerry on a path to stability.

THANK YOU!

DONATE. VOLUNTEER. ADVOCATE. Visit cctwincities.org or call 612-204-8500

CATHOLIC CHARITIES SERVES THOSE MOST IN NEED.

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 10/28/16 7:31 PM

ENGINEERYOUR FUTURE.

EARN YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE.At the School of Engineering, you can build your career and a better world, all at the same time. We offer convenient evening and weekend classes to support work-life balance.

Degree Options:• Electrical Engineering• Manufacturing Engineering• Mechanical Engineering• Regulatory Science• Systems Engineering• Technology Management

stthomas.edu/gradengineering

Funeral Chapels, Cemeteries, and Cremation Services

Proudly serving The Basilica Community from two locations:

Welander Quist-Davies Chapel2301 Dupont Ave at Hennepin Ave S.Minneapolis(612) 377-2203

Edina ChapelW. 50th St and Vernon Ave

at Highway 100Edina

(952) 920-3996

Call or go online today for a free, no obligation brochure.www.washburn-mcreavy.com

Family Owned and Operated for over 150 Years.

Presented by The Basilica of Saint Mary & The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

Friday, December 16, 2016Get tickets at www.mary.org or call 612.317.3432.

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 10/28/16 7:31 PM

Comfort inward. Kindne� outward.

served at �e Basilica, available at KOWALSKI’S.

Join us for afestive evening!

The Basilica Landmark BallSaturday, May 20, 2017

Us Bank Stadium

for tickets and informationvisit mary.org/landmarkball

or call 612.317.3428.

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 10/28/16 7:32 PM

Transitional Care Unit NOW OPEN!Back to health. Back to home. We’ll help you get there.• Amenity-rich private rooms to help

you heal in comfort

• State-of-the-art services and therapies

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Most insurance accepted——including Medicare.

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A DV E R T I S E In the BASILICA magazine

Circulation 20,000

Contact [email protected] for information and rates

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 10/28/16 7:32 PM

BASILICA Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MN

Permit Number 2750

Basilica MagazineThe Basilica of Saint Mary88 North 17th StreetMinneapolis, Minnesota 55403612.333.1381

M I S S ION S TAT EMENT

The Basilica of Saint Mary

As disciples of Jesus Christ we:

• Practice biblical stewardship • Share our faith with others in word and deed

• Pursue ecumenical and interfaith relationships • Extend Christian hospitality, and

• Rejoice in rich diversity.

As Co-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of St.Paul and Minneapolis we are committed to provide:• Inspiring liturgies and sacred arts • Transforming life-long learning opportunities

• Engaging service to one another and justice for all.

“The Basilica of Saint Mary is a community rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The Basilica Landmark’s Missionis to preserve, restore, and advance the historic

Basilica of Saint Mary for all generations.

SICILLVM

BA

SILI

CÆ

SA

NCTÆ MARIÆM

INN

EA

PO

LITANÆ

16101063_•BSM Feb'06 11/9/16 4:18 PM

BASILICA · 2019. 12. 30. · BASILICA is published twice per year by The Basilica Landmark....

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Transcript of BASILICA · 2019. 12. 30. · BASILICA is published twice per year by The Basilica Landmark....