continued from page 1 - Diocese of New Ulm

y Sam Patet
The Prairie Catholic
Minnesota’s Most Rural Diocese Diocese of New Ulm Vol. 26 No. 9 May 2012
SLEEPY EYE – Five years of hard
work have finally paid off.
On Saturday, April 21, Bishop John
M. LeVoir ordained 11 men to the
permanent diaconate at the Church
of St. Mary in Sleepy Eye. He
couldn’t be more pleased.
“I’ve gotten to know these
candidates and their families over the
years,” Bishop LeVoir said in his
homily, “and it’s certainly a
privilege for me to be here today to
ordain these men to the diaconate.”
In November 2006, Archbishop
(then-Bishop) John C. Nienstedt
announced that the Diocese of New
So that we can provide
timely coverage of the
June 30 priestly
ordination of New Ulm
seminarian Deacon
Aaron Johanneck, there
will be a July edition of
“The Prairie Catholic” in
place of the June edition.
Ulm would be starting a permanent
diaconate formation program. Its
funding would come from the
Diocesan Ministries Appeal.
Twelve men entered the five-year
program in the fall of 2007. Today,
with the loss of two men and the
addition of one, 11 new deacons are
ready to serve.
Deacon Mark Kober, director of the
permanent diaconate program, said it
took a lot of dedication for these men
to finish.
“We’ve just got wonderful people,
wonderful family guys that are
overachievers,” he said.
by Sam Patet
The Prairie Catholic
NEW ULM – On Saturday night,
April 7, Darla Ramirez of Browton
did something she had been
dreaming about since high school:
She became a Catholic at the Church
of St. Anastasia’s Easter Vigil
liturgy. The 25-year-old is glad she
finally took the plunge.
“I’m extremely happy that I’m
Catholic, probably the happiest I’ve
ever been,” Ramirez said. “I feel like
I should have done this a long time
ago.”
The Easter Vigil is the most
important celebration of the Church
year because it commemorates the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead. At this liturgy, non-Catholic
adults enter the Church through
some or all of the sacraments of
initiation: Baptism, Confirmation,
and the Eucharist. This year, 47
adults in the Diocese of New Ulm
became Catholic.
The Prairie Catholic • Page 1 • May 2011
(photo by Ivan Rojas Photography)
Priest of diocese turns 100!
In April, Fr. Stephen Adrian celebrated his 100th birthday
surrounded by friends and family.
(read more page 5)
Over 900 on hand to witness ordination of 11 men to the permanent diaconate
NOTICE
to our readers
Visit us online!
www.dnu.org
(continued on page 6)
Forty-seven from diocese enter the Church at the Easter Vigil
Darla Ramirez (left)
meets with St.
Anastasia RCIA
instructor Sr. Lucille
Haas as part of the
process of
becoming Catholic.
(photo by Sam Patet)
There’s no place like home
Ramirez was baptized in the
Catholic Church as a baby, but she
grew up attending different Christian
churches. When she was in the
eighth grade, her family converted to
the Seventh-day Adventist Church,
and she started attending
(photo by Sam Patet)
Eleven men were ordained April 21 to the permanent diaconate by Bishop John M. LeVoir. Pictured, front row
(l-r): Deacon Ken Stalboerger, Deacon Michael McKeown, Deacon Roger Osborne, Deacon Michael Thoennes,
currently serving Holy Trinity, Winsted and St. Mary’s, Waverly. Middle row: Deacon Robert Reitsma, Deacon
Timothy Dolan, Deacon John Hansen, Deacon Steven Spilman, Deacon Mark Kober, diocesan director of the
permanent diaconate. Back row: Deacon Rick Christiansen, Deacon Jim Guldan, Bishop John M. LeVoir,
Deacon Jason Myhre, and Deacon Paul Treinen.
Maplewood Academy, a Seventhday
Adventist boarding school in
Hutchinson.
One experience, Ramirez said, that
inspired her to consider the Catholic
faith happened her junior year of
high school. Maplewood Academy’s
choir travelled to the Cathedral of St.
Paul (St. Paul, Minn.) to sing.
While her classmates flicked holy
water at one another, Ramirez
couldn’t help but bask in the
cathedral’s beauty. What touched her
heart the most, though – even more
than the cathedral’s beauty – was
experiencing the presence of God.
“I also felt a sense of, like, a sense of
(continued on page 10)

Publisher
Most Reverend John M. LeVoir
Editor in Chief
Dan Rossini
Editor
Christine Clancy
Reporter/Web site
Sam Patet
Submission deadline for
The Prairie Catholic is the 10th of
each month prior to publication
The Prairie Catholic,
the official newspaper for the
Diocese of New Ulm since
May 1972, is published monthly
except July and August.
Its office of publication is located at
1400 6th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073
(507) 359-2966.
Postmaster: Send notice on Form 3579, Prairie
Catholic, 1400 6th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073-
2099. Periodical postage paid at New Ulm and
additional mailing offices. USPS 926-760.
DIOCESAN DIRECTORY
Diocesan Pastoral Center
1400 6th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073
(507) 359-2966;
dnu@dnu.org ◆ www.dnu.org
Vicar General
Msgr. Douglas L. Grams
Chancellor
Msgr. Eugene Lozinski
Coordinator of Staff/Communications
Dan Rossini
Finance
Tom Holzer
Religious Education/Adult Faith Formation
Bryan Reising
Ecumenism
Fr. Paul Timmerman
Pastoral Administrators
Fr. Dennis Labat
Catholic Schools/Continuing Education
Karla Cross
Youth Ministry
Margaret McHugh
Worship/Lay Ministry Formation
Ann Przybilla
Social Concerns/Family Life
Christopher Loetscher
Family Life Education/Safe Environment
Sr. Candace Fier, ISSM
Missions
Fr. Philip Schotzko
San Lucas Mission
Msgr. Gregory Schaffer
Hispanic Ministry
Sr. Anna Marie Reha, SSND
Priest Personnel
Msgr. Douglas Grams
Development/Catholic Community Foundation
Wayne Pelzel
Tribunal
vacant
Permanent Diaconate
Deacon Mark Kober
Catholic Charities/Pastoral Planning
Thomas Keaveny
Vocations Team
Bishop John M. LeVoir, team leader;
Fr. Todd Petersen, director; Fr. Craig
Timmerman; associate director;
Margaret McHugh, vocation awareness
Bishop John M. LeVoir
May: The Month of Mary
May is a month especially dedicated
to honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the Mother of the Redeemer. In his
“Regina Coeli” message of May 9,
2010, Pope Benedict XVI called
Mary “the most beautiful flower to
blossom in creation,” since she was
the sinless Virgin Mother of Our
Savior. He went on to say: “Mary in
fact observed first and fully the word
of her Son, thus demonstrating that
she loved him not only as his mother,
but first still as humble and obedient
handmaid.” Mary is our model of
what it means to be holy.
I would encourage the praying of the
Rosary during the month of May,
either individually or as a family. A
good intention for which to pray the
Rosary is an increase in the number
of men and women answering
positively the call of Jesus to the
priesthood and consecrated life.
Also, May 31 is the feast of the
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary and a good day to attend Mass
to celebrate Mary in the liturgy.
Remember that in 1957, Bishop
1 New Ulm: 9:30 a.m. Catholic
Pastoral Center. Diocesan Staff
Meeting.
New Ulm: 12 p.m. Diocesan Staff
Appreciation Lunch.
New Ulm: 2 p.m. Catholic Pastoral
Center. Vocations Team Meeting.
2 New Ulm: 7 p.m. Cathedral of the
Holy Trinity. RED Night.
4 Morgan: 10 a.m. Church of St.
Michael. Mass.
Tracy: 1 p.m. Church of St. Mary.
May Crowning Mass.
5 Redwood Falls: 9:30 a.m. Church
of St. Catherine. Diocesan Pastoral
Council Meeting.
B E N OT A FRAID
Alphonse J. Schladweiler placed our
diocese under the protection of Mary
as “Our Lady of New Ulm.”
Ordination to the Diaconate
The ordination of 11 men as deacons
was gloriously celebrated, in a full
church, on Saturday, April 21, 2012,
at the Church of St. Mary in Sleepy
Eye. The newly ordained deacons,
their wives, and their families were
radiant with joy. The liturgy was
edifying as the diocese gave praise
and thanks to God for these
ordinations. The deacons are looking
forward to exercising their ministry
for the people of the Diocese of New
Ulm.
Pastoral Center Building
Committee
The diocese has formed a Pastoral
Center Building Committee to advise
me on the plans for the new Pastoral
Center building. Members of the
committee include construction
professionals who are parishioners in
the diocese and who have many
years of practical experience. We
have met already with the architect,
and will be meeting periodically with
the architect and the construction
firm. Please keep these meetings in
your prayers. The objective of the
diocese is to build, at a reasonable
cost, a solid building that meets our
needs, now and well into the future.
Marriage: One Man and
One Woman
On March 9, 2012, when we were in
Rome for our “ad limina” visit, Pope
Benedict XVI gave a talk to the
bishops of Minnesota, North Dakota,
and South Dakota on marriage. He
said to us: “Marriage and the family
are institutions that must be
promoted and defended from every
possible misrepresentation of their
true nature, since whatever is
injurious to them is injurious to
society itself.
“In this regard, particular mention
must be made of the powerful
political and cultural currents seeking
to alter the legal definition of
marriage. The Church’s
conscientious effort to resist this
pressure calls for a reasoned defense
of marriage as a natural institution
consisting of a specific communion
of persons, essentially rooted in the
complementarity of the sexes and
oriented to procreation. Sexual
differences cannot be dismissed as
irrelevant to the definition of
marriage. Defending the institution
of marriage as a social reality is
ultimately a question of justice, since
it entails safeguarding the good of
the entire human community and the
rights of parents and children alike.”
Stand Up for Religious Freedom
The United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops Ad Hoc Committee
for Religious Liberty issued a
document on April 12, 2012, entitled
“Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.”
This document concerns recent
governmental decisions that have
Bishop’s May Calendar
Watkins: 4 p.m. Church of St.
Anthony. Confirmation.
6 Hutchinson: 11 a.m. Church of
St. Anastasia. Confirmation.
8 New Ulm: 8:20 a.m. Cathedral of
the Holy Trinity. Reconciliation for
New Ulm Area Catholic Schools.
9 Olivia: 12:30 p.m. Church of St.
Aloysius. Committee on Parishes
Meeting.
North Mankato: 7 p.m. Church of
the Holy Rosary. Confirmation.
11 Willmar: 9 a.m. Church of St.
Mary. Marriage Amendment Parish
Leadership Training.
Willmar: 7 p.m. Church of St. Mary.
Marriage Amendment Lecture.
12 New Ulm: 5:30 p.m. Church of St.
Mary. Confirmation.
13 New Ulm: 3 p.m. Cathedral of the
Holy Trinity. First Profession of the
Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus.
14 New Ulm: 1 p.m. Catholic
Pastoral Center. Pastoral Center
Building Committee Meeting.
15 Willmar: Presbytery Day,
followed by Priests’ Council Meeting
and College of Consultors Meeting.
Mankato: 6 p.m. Applewood
Restaurant. Mankato Serra Club
Bishops’ Burse Night.
The Prairie Catholic • Page 2 • May 2012
attacked religious liberty in our
country. It calls to mind that
religious liberty is not a Catholic
issue only, but involves every citizen
of the United States.
The 12-page document calls for a
“Fortnight for Freedom” from June
21, the vigil of the feasts of St. John
Fisher and St. Thomas More, to July
4, Independence Day. “This special
period of prayer, study, catechesis,
and public action would emphasize
both our Christian and American
heritage of liberty,” the committee
said. “Dioceses and parishes around
the country could choose a date in
that period for special events that
would constitute a great national
campaign of teaching and witness for
religious liberty.”
Prayer is of the utmost importance to
ensure religious freedom. Action is
also important. More information on
the campaign for religious liberty can
be found on the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops Web
site, as well as the Minnesota
Catholic Conference Web site. The
Minnesota Catholic Conference is
cosponsoring a Rally for Religious
Freedom to be held in the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and
Minneapolis on June 8, 2012, at 12
p.m. The location for the rally is yet
to be determined. I plan on attending
this event and encourage others to do
so.
16 New Ulm: 1 p.m. Catholic
Pastoral Center. Finance Council
Meeting.
New Ulm: 7 p.m. Catholic Pastoral
Center. Property Committee Meeting.
18 Winsted: 7:30 p.m. Holy Trinity
High School Gym. Holy Trinity High
School Graduation.
19 Fairfax: 4 p.m. Church of St.
Andrew. 50th Anniversary of
Ordination to the Presbyterate of Fr.
John Brunner.
20 New Ulm: 2 p.m. Church of St.
Mary. Cathedral High School
Graduation.
(continued on page 4)

diocesan church
Happy, holy priests help Johanneck say yes to priesthood
by Sam Patet
The Prairie Catholic
NEW ULM – Ask a priest what
inspired his vocation, and more than
likely he’ll mention the name of a
priest.
This is true for Deacon Aaron
Johanneck, who will be ordained a
priest for the Diocese of New Ulm
on June 30, 2012, at the Cathedral of
the Holy Trinity in New Ulm.
Born and raised on a farm just
outside of Seaforth, Deacon
Johanneck attended the Church of
St. Mary in Seaforth with his
parents, Tom and Connie, and three
siblings.
His mother said that Deacon
Johanneck took his faith seriously.
She admits, though, that the
priesthood didn’t seem to be on his
radar while he was growing up.
“He never, ever said anything about
becoming a priest,” she said.
“I really wasn’t interested in the
priesthood,” Deacon Johanneck said.
“I just kind of assumed I’d get
married and have a family.”
Still, Deacon Johanneck said the
priests who served at St. Mary’s left
a positive impression on him,
especially Msgr. (then-Father) John
Richter.
“Msgr. John Richter was my pastor
when I was in high school,” Deacon
Johanneck said. “I just remember
always being struck by his example
of prayer,” whether he was praying
quietly in the front pew of church
before Mass or he was leading the
servers in a quick prayer before
processing down the center aisle.
After graduating from Wabasso
High School in 2001, Deacon
Johanneck went to the University of
St. Thomas in St. Paul, not knowing
what he wanted to study. Having
enjoyed band and musical theater in
high school, Deacon Johanneck
decided his sophomore year to study
vocal music education.
After one year, though, he
discovered that music education
wasn’t what he wanted to do.
Instead, he decided to major in a
field that he loved: Catholic Studies.
As part of his degree, Deacon
Johanneck studied in Rome the
spring of his junior year. It was
there, he said, that he began to think
about the priesthood more seriously.
Near the beginning of the semester,
he and his classmates went on a
weekend retreat in Viterbo, Italy.
While journaling outside on a sunny
day, Deacon Johanneck realized that
he wasn’t being open to God’s will.
He saw that he needed to start asking
God whether he wanted him to be a
priest or a married man.
It wasn’t only the retreat that got
Deacon Johanneck to think about the
priesthood. While in Rome, he saw
happy, holy priests enjoying life.
“I kind of had this notion in my mind
that either you’re called to marriage
– and you get to live a happy life
now,” Deacon Johanneck said, or
you’re called to the priesthood,
which will be miserable here on
earth, “but you’ll be happy in
heaven.”
“Seeing so many priests, so many
religious, people who were really
enjoying that life – that life given to
the Church,” he said, “helped open
me up to the possibility.”
Deacon Johanneck continued to
think about the priesthood after
returning to the United States. That
Bishop LeVoir announces official appointments
Effective July 2, 2012
Fr. James Devorak
appointed parochial
vicar (senior associate)
of St. John’s in Darwin,
and to assist in the AFC.
Fr. Anthony Hesse
appointed pastor of St.
George in West Newton
and St. Gregory the
Great in Lafayette, and to assist in
the AFC.
Fr. Paul Schumacher
appointed parochial
vicar (senior associate)
of Holy Trinity in
Winsted, and to assist in the AFC,
while remaining Coordinator of
AIDS ministry.
Fr. Joseph Steinbeisser
appointed pastor of St.
John’s in Darwin and St.
Gertrude’s in Forest
City, while remaining pastor of St.
Philip’s in Litchfield.
Fr. Paul Timmerman
appointed pastor of St.
Joseph’s in Montevideo
and St. Andrew’s in
Granite Falls, and sacramental
minister of St. Clara in Clara City.
Deacon Aaron Johanneck has been studying for the priesthood at the
North American College in Rome, Italy, minutes away from St. Peter’s
Basilica. He will be ordained a priest for the diocese on June 30, 2012,
at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm.
Fr. Philip Schotzko
appointed pastor of St.
Paul’s in Nicollet, in
addition to remaining
pastor of St. Peter’s in St. Peter.
Fr. John Berger to
retire from parish
ministry, while
continuing to serve as
judicial vicar for the diocesan
Marriage Tribunal.
Fr. Edward Ardolf
to retire from active
ministry.
summer, as he was planning what to
do after graduation, he suddenly
realized that all the things he enjoyed
doing – teaching, counseling, working
in the Church – were done by priests.
He couldn’t ignore it any longer: God
seemed to be calling him to the
priesthood.
His initial reaction was fear. As he
prayed and talked with others about it,
though, it became clear to him that
God wanted him to pursue the
priesthood, Deacon Johanneck said.
By Thanksgiving, he had contacted
the diocese’s Office of Vocations and
started the application process for the
seminary.
“I think I cried,” said Connie
Johanneck, when her son told her that
he was entering the seminary. “I think
I was maybe not totally shocked,” but
“on another side, I was a little
surprised.”
Seven years later, her happiness for
her son is just as strong.
“He seems to just love what he’s
doing,” she said. “As long as he’s
happy, we’re happy. You just want
your kids to be happy.”
With less than two months to go
before his ordination, Deacon
Johanneck is extremely excited. He’s
looking forward to celebrating the
sacraments, teaching, and helping
people in need. More than anything,
though, he’s looking forward to being
a spiritual father, a role Msgr. Richter
and the priests in Rome taught him
about so beautifully.
The Prairie Catholic • Page 3 • May 2012
Deacon
Aaron Johanneck
Age: 29
Parents: Tom and Connie
Siblings: Ashleigh, 27; Tim, 24;
Tessa, 22
Home Parish:
St. Mary’s, Seaforth
Education:
Wabasso High School, 2001;
Bachelor of Arts in Catholic
Studies from the University of St.
Thomas, with minors in sociology
and music, 2005
Seminary Education:
Pre-theology at the St. Paul
Seminary, St. Paul (2005-2007);
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
(STB) from the Pontifical
Gregorian University, Rome
(2007-2010);
License in Sacred Theology (STL)
from the Pontifical University of
the Holy Cross, Rome (2010present)
Hobbies:
Traveling, enjoying a good meal
and conversation, reading, running
Favorite Movies:
“The King’s Speech,” “The
Sound of Music,” “Les
Miserables” (the musical)
Seminary Volunteer Work:
Confirmation teacher, Church of
St. Agnes, St. Paul; Volunteer
with Missionaries of Charity,
Minneapolis and Rome; Tour
guide at St. Peter’s Basilica,
Vatican; Service as deacon at
Mass once a month at Camp
Darby (U.S. army post), Pisa,
Italy; Deacon internship at Church
of St. Mary, New Ulm, Oct. 2010
– June 2011
Favorite Scripture Verse:
John 15:9
Favorite Seminary Class:
“The Credibility of Revelation”
Mass of Thanksgiving
3 p.m. Sunday, July 1, at the
Church of St. Mary, Seaforth

por Obispo John M. LeVoir
Mayo: El Mes de María
Mayo es un mes muy especial ya
que honramos a la Virgen María, la
Madre del Redentor. En su mensaje
de Regina Coeli del 9 de Mayo,
2010, el Papa Benedicto XVI llamó
a María “la flor mas hermosa a
florecer en la creación,” puesto que
ella era la madre libre de pecado de
nuestro Salvador. El continuo
diciendo: “De hecho, María
primero observó de lleno la palabra
de su hijo, demostrando así que ella
lo amaba no sólo como su madre,
pero primero como una humilde y
servidora obediente...” María es
nuestro modelo de lo que significa
ser Santo.
Me gustaría pedirles que rezen el
Rosario durante el mes de Mayo, ya
sea individualmente o en familia.
Una intensión buena sería rezar por
el aumento de hombres y mujeres a
que respondan positivamente al
llamado de Jesús a las vocaciones
sacerdotales y religiosas. El 31 de
Mayo es la fiesta de la Visitación
de la Virgen María y un buen día
para ir a la Misa para celebrar a
María en la liturgia. En 1957,
Obispo Alphonse J. Schladweiler
puso a nuestra diócesis bajo la
protección de María como “Nuestra
Señora de New Ulm.”
La Ordenación al Diaconado
El Sábado, 21 de Abril del 2012 se
celebró gloriosamente la
Ordenación de once hombres como
diáconos en la Iglesia de Santa
María en Sleepy Eye. Los diáconos
recién ordenados, sus esposas y sus
familias estabán llenos de alegría.
La diócesis dió alabanza y gracias a
Dios por dicha ordenación. Ahora
los diáconos quisieran ejercer su
ministerio para el pueblo de la
Diócesis de New Ulm.
Matrimonio: Entre un hombre y
una Mujer
El 9 de Marzo, 2012, cuando
estábamos en Roma para la visita
ad limina, el Papa Benedicto XVI
No Tengas Miedo
dió una charla a los obispos de
Minnesota, Dakota del Norte y
Dakota del Sur sobre el
matrimionio. El nos dijo: “el
matrimonio y la familia son
instituciones que deben ser
promovidas y protegidas de
cualquier equívoco posible sobre su
auténtica verdad, ya que todo lo que
es perjudicial para ellos es
prejudicial para la sociedad.
“En este sentido,se debe mencionar
particularmente que hay poderosas
corrientes políticas y culturales que
buscan alterar la definición legal
del matrimonio. El esfuerzo
consciente de la Iglesia para
resisitir esta presión obliga a una
defensa razonada del matrimonio
como institución natural, que
consiste en una comunión
específica de personas, enraizada
esencialmente en la
complemetariedad de los sexos y
orientada a la procreación. La
alteridad sexual no puede
considerarse irrelevante en la
definición del matrimonio. La
defensa de la institución del
matrimonio como una realidad
social es en última instancia una
cuestión de justicia, ya que implica
salvaguardar el bien de toda la
comunidad humana y los derechos
de los padres e hijos por igual.”
Defender la Libertad Religiosa
El Comité Ad Hoc de Libertad
Religiosa de Obispo Católicos de
los Estados Unidos emitió una
declaración el 12 de Abril, 2012,
titulado La Primera y más Preciada
de Nuestras Libertades. Esta
declaración se refiere a las recientes
decisions gubernamentales que han
atacado a la libertad religiosa en
nuestro país. Debemos tener en
cuenta que la libertad religiosa no
es una cuestión católica solamente,
sino que involucra a todos los
ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos.
diocesan church
State’s bishops call for immigration reform
that protects rights and families
by Joe Towalski
The Catholic Spirit
Concerned about an “inconsistent,
ineffective” U.S. immigration
system and inadequate state-level
attempts at reform, Minnesota’s
Catholic bishops are calling for
comprehensive immigration reform
on the federal level that protects
basic human rights and keeps
families together.
Such reform, they noted, will
require changing hearts as well as
laws.
“We recognize that finding
solutions to the plight of immigrants
today will sometimes necessitate the
overcoming of boundaries in the
heart, not just on the land,”
according to the approximately
1,300-word statement, “Unlocking
the Gate in Our Hearts.”
“At some point, however, we must
reach out to human persons in need,
and the demands of our common
human nature compel us to open a
gate in the wall, so that what human
dignity demands is not denied to a
sister or brother,” it says. “But
before a gate finds its way into the
walls outside, there must be a gate
that opens in the heart.”
The statement is posted on the Web
site of the Minnesota Catholic
Conference (http://mncc.org) and
will also be made available in
printed form in both English and
Spanish.
State reforms inadequate
Minnesota’s bishops last released a
21 Sleepy Eye: 7:30 p.m.
Schoenstatt on the Lake. Rosary.
22 New Ulm: 10:30 a.m. Catholic
Pastoral Center. Priest Personnel
Board Meeting.
New Ulm: 2 p.m. Catholic Pastoral
Center. Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting.
New Ulm: 4 p.m. Catholic Pastoral
Center. Jubilarian Mass and Dinner.
23 New Ulm: 1 p.m. Catholic
statement on immigration in 2010.
Jason Adkins, MCC executive
director, said the new statement is
particularly important at a time
when federal reform efforts
continue to be lacking and several
“We wanted to point out again that
these state-based solutions, which
focus on enforcement and divide
families, are not prudent policies,”
Adkins said. “We need to be
resisting those policies because they
impede actual solutions at the
federal level. And, the federal level
is the proper level to address these
problems.
“Furthermore, as we’ve seen in both
Alabama and Arizona, these [state
bills] greatly threaten religious
freedom,” he added. “Those bills
make it a crime to harbor illegal
immigrants. This directly challenges
the Church’s mission to serve all
those in need, and the Church has
always been at the forefront of
serving the needs of undocumented
workers. So this is a threat not only
to the human dignity of
Bishop’s calendar (continued from page 2)
Pastoral Center. Priests’ Pension Plan
Board Meeting.
25 New Ulm: 10 a.m. Catholic
Pastoral Center. Parish Audit Team
Meeting.
27 New Ulm: 9:30 a.m. Cathedral of
the Holy Trinity, Mass.
Sleepy Eye: 2 p.m. Church of St.
Mary. St. Mary’s High School
Graduation.
The Prairie Catholic • Page 4 • May 2012
undocumented workers and those
coming into our country, it’s also a
threat to our religious mission as
well.”
While recognizing a nation’s right
to secure its
“Immigrants renew our country economically borders, regulate
and spiritually and their contribution is immigrant
numbers, and
important. ... Wherever they are coming from,
consider
there should be a place for them where they immigration’s
can earn their citizenship.”
impact on both
– Bishop John M. LeVoir the economy and
national security,
states – most prominently Arizona the bishops’ statement also says that
and Alabama – have tried to address economic hardship or persecution
the problem by enacting their own often compels people to seek basic
policies. Minnesota has been necessities and a “dignified
considering similar enforcement existence” in another country.
measures.
“The human right to life – the
foundation of every other right –
implies the right to emigrate,” they
write.
Federal reform, the statement says,
should include an earned
legalization program for foreign
nationals of good moral character,
policies that keep families together,
a revamped temporary worker
program, restoration of immigrants’
due process rights, and an effort to
address the root causes of migration
in the countries from which
migrants come.
For more on Catholic teaching
regarding immigration, visit the
MCC’s Web page at http://mncc.org
and the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops Web site at http://www.
justiceforimmigrants.org.
28 New Ulm: 8 a.m. New Ulm
Catholic Cemetery. Memorial Day
Mass.
29 Comfrey: 12 p.m. Church of St.
Paul. Pastoral Administrator Meeting.
30 New Ulm: 5 p.m. Holy Trinity
Convent. Investiture of the
Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus.

Celebrations to honor
priestly anniversaries
Fr. James “Jim” Devorak
will mark 40 years of priestly
ministry this
month. A Holy
Family Area
Faith
Community
Mass will be
celebrated on
Sunday, May 20
Fr. Devorak
at 10 a.m. at the
Training and
Community Center in Montevideo in
recognition of Fr. Devorak’s priestly
anniversary of ordination and his 12
years of ministry in the area faith
community (St. Clara, Clara City; St.
Andrew, Granite Falls; and St.
Joseph, Montevideo). Following
Mass there will be a lunch and an
open house from 1-3 p.m.
Effective July 2, Fr. Devorak will
serve as senior associate pastor of the
Church of St. John in Darwin and
assist in the Seeker of Souls Area
Faith Community, which also
includes the Church of St. Gertrude,
Forest City.
Fr. Devorak was ordained to the
priesthood on Aug. 27, 1972, at the
Church of St. Michael in Madison by
Bishop Alphonse J. Schladweiler.
During his priestly ministry, he has
also served the parishes of Holy
Redeemer, Marshall; Holy Rosary,
North Mankato; St. Mary, Willmar;
Holy Rosary, Graceville; St.
Barnabas, Barry; St. George,
Glencoe; St. Andrew, Fairfax; St.
Dionysius, Tyler; St. Genevieve,
Lake Benton; St. Pius X, Glencoe;
St. Anastasia, Hutchinson; and St.
Boniface, Stewart.
In addition, he has served as chaplain
for Marriage Encounter, and
Engaged Encounter, and the
Hutchinson Wing of the Civil Air
Patrol.
Msgr. Douglas Grams
will mark 25 years of priestly
ministry in June.
A Mass of
Thanksgiving
will be
celebrated
Sunday, June 10
at 10 a.m. at the
Church of St.
Mary in New
Msgr. Grams
Ulm, followed
by an open house reception until
2 p.m.
He was ordained June 13, 1987, at
the Church of the Holy Rosary in
North Mankato by Bishop Raymond
A. Lucker. In December 2005, he
was named a Prelate of Honor with
the title “Monsignor” by Pope
Benedict XVI.
Msgr. Grams currently serves as
pastor of the Church of St. Mary in
New Ulm in addition to serving as
vicar general of the diocese, director
of priest personnel, and as the
bishop’s delegate in matters
pertaining to sexual misconduct.
From 2007-2008, he served as the
diocesan administrator before the
appointment of Bishop John M.
LeVoir.
During his priestly ministry, he has
also served the parishes of St. Mary,
Sleepy Eye; the Cathedral of the
Holy Trinity, New Ulm; St. Mary,
Tracy; and St. Paul, Walnut Grove.
In 2010, Msgr. Grams received the
Diocesan Distinguished Service
Award for his “leadership as
diocesan administrator as well as his
ongoing commitment and service to
the people of the diocese.”
In recognition of Fr. John Brunner’s 50 years of priestly
ministry, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated by Bishop John M.
LeVoir, concelebrated by Fr. Brunner, on Saturday, May 19 at 4 p.m. at
the Church of St. Andrew in Fairfax. For details on Fr. Brunner’s years
of service to the diocese, see the April issue of “The Prairie Catholic.”
faith life
Happy 100th birthday Fr. Stephen Adrian!
by Sam Patet
The Prairie Catholic
NEW ULM – Not many people
have lived through both World
Wars, the Great Depression, nine
popes, and 18 U.S. presidents.
Fr. Stephen Adrian has. He turned
100 on April 14, 2012.
The St. Paul native has spent those
years serving the Lord with zeal.
“I feel a lot more priestly than I
ever did,” Fr. Adrian said.
Fr. Adrian was ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of St. Paul on June
3, 1939. He became a priest of the
Diocese of New Ulm in 1957 and
retired from active ministry in
1978. Even in his retirement, Fr.
Adrian has continued to help
parishes. From 1978 to 1985, he
assisted in the Diocese of Superior,
Wis. He moved to Sun Lakes,
Ariz., in 1985, and has been
assisting at the Church of St. Anne
in Gilbert, Ariz., for the last 27
years.
“He still has that fire in his eyes,
especially when he’s talking to the
children,” said Fr. Greg Schlarb, a
priest of the Diocese of Phoenix.
Fr. Schlarb was pastor of St.
Anne’s from 2006 to 2011.
Bishop John M. LeVoir visited Fr.
Adrian in January while he was on
retreat in Arizona with the bishops
of Minnesota, North Dakota, and
South Dakota.
“He said that he asked God to give
him a long life so that he could
labor for the salvation of souls and
through this labor, save his own
soul,” Bishop LeVoir said. “What a
privilege it was to meet and speak
with this wonderful priest.”
When he was in Minnesota, Fr.
Adrian had several assignments. He
was dean of seminarians at
Nazareth Hall Preparatory
Seminary in St. Paul. He was a
chaplain in the United States Navy
during World War II. He was
pastor of four parishes, including
St. Mary’s in Bird Island, St.
Mary’s in Sleepy Eye, and St.
Peter’s in St. Peter. He even helped
bring two groups of religious sisters
to the diocese: the Daughters of St.
Mary of Providence and the
Schoenstatt sisters.
Fr. Frederick Fink, an associate
pastor in Sleepy Eye from 1963 to
1964, said Fr. Adrian always had
work to do. Before the Second
Vatican Council, Fr. Fink said,
parishes did not have secretaries or
parish managers to help the pastor.
“He was a good manager, I think,
of things,” Fr. Fink said. “It was a
big parish and he had a high school
and a grade school.”
While he enjoyed his work in
Minnesota, Fr. Adrian said, he has
enjoyed his time at St. Anne’s even
more.
“As a pastor, you don’t get to do all
the spiritual work you’d like to do
because you’re concerned with
building, and repairing, and hiring,
and firing,” Fr. Adrian said. “But as
an assistant, you don’t have to do
that, so you can devote yourself
more to the spiritual life of the
people.”
Don’t think, though, that Fr. Adrian
slowed down at St. Anne’s. He
started a children’s Mass on
Saturday nights; he helped found a
Knights of Columbus council,
which has grown from 30 to 300
members; and he created Fr.
The Prairie Catholic • Page 5 • May 2012
On April 14, the Church of St. Anne in Gilbert, Ariz., celebrated Fr.
Stephen Adrian’s 100th birthday with a Mass and reception. Fr. Adrian
concelebrated and spoke after communion. Pictured, children gather
around Fr. Adrian to present him with a birthday gift: a quilt, decorated
with hearts made from their thumbprints. Even though he couldn’t see it
(he is legally blind), Fr. Adrian knew how much they loved him.
(photo by Ivan Rojas Photography)
Adrian’s Hail Mary Club, a club
that asks children to pray one Hail
Mary daily for vocations.
Even though Fr. Adrian no longer
can celebrate the children’s Mass
every Saturday, Fr. Schlarb said, he
still manages to hear confessions
every Saturday.
One group he still loves to work
with is children.
At the children’s Masses, Fr.
Adrian has the children sit around
the altar as he gives his homily, Fr.
Schlarb said. He tells modern-day
parables to teach them about the
readings. “His face lights up when
the children are there,” Fr. Schlarb
said.
“We owe so much devotion to the
children,” Fr. Adrian said. They are
the future Church, he continued,
and they need to be taught the faith
well.
What gives him strength to keep
going at 100 is his relationship with
God. Prayer, said Fr. Adrian, is the
foundation of his priesthood.
“I’m alone in my house here, and I
talk a lot to the good Lord. He
keeps me alive, he gives me ideas.
And the Holy Spirit is always
inspiring me,” he said.

(continued from page 1)
Dr. Richard Stern teaches homiletics
at St. Meinrad Seminary in St.
Meinrad, Ind. He taught the deacons
their homiletics course. Like Deacon
Kober, he thinks it required a great
commitment for them to make it to
ordination.
“It’s a long haul,” Stern said. Even
though many of them had full-time
jobs and families, he continued, they
were willing to put in a lot of time to
complete the program.
One thing that made the years of
classes, road trips, retreats, and latenight
papers bearable was the
community the deacons formed.
“When we first began back in 2007,
a real stress that we wanted to
impart to them was the community
aspect of formation,” Deacon Kober
said. “On the weekends at
Schoenstatt, they (the candidates
and their spouses) pray together,
they eat together, they have Mass
together, they socialize together, and
they have academics together.”
Bishop LeVoir said some of his
favorite memories from the program
were the times he spent with the
deacon candidates around the dinner
table. It was “very uplifting,” he said
in an interview, “eating lunch with
them – the candidates and their
wives – and enjoying the
conversation.”
The tight-knit community formed by
the deacons wasn’t just confined to
the dinner table, Deacon Kober said.
They shared prayer requests in
person and through e-mail, they
talked about the service work they
were doing, and some met in prayer
groups.
Grace of the sacrament will help
them face challenges
In his homily, Bishop LeVoir said
that deacons are called to imitate
Jesus Christ the servant. “People
will approach the deacons ... looking
for answers, looking for help,
because they represent the Church in
a special way,” he said. They will
have to speak out on difficult issues,
he said, including the dignity of
human life, religious freedom,
immigration, and marriage as a
union between one man and one
woman.
Fortunately, Bishop LeVoir
continued, they will not be alone.
God will give them the strength they
need.
“There’s also a special grace that
goes along with the sacrament, to
help the deacon to carry out this
responsibility, because it’s not
easy,” Bishop LeVoir said.
The ordination rite reached its high
point at the laying on of hands and
the prayer of ordination.
One by one, each candidate came
forward and knelt in front of Bishop
special report
Eleven new deacons ready to serve!
The most important part of the ordination liturgy is the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination. Pictured, Bishop LeVoir says the
prayer of ordination over the 11 men as they all kneel. (photos by Dan Rossini)
The monks, students, faculty and
Permanent Deacon Formation Office
of Saint Meinrad Seminary and
School of Theology congratulate the
new permanent deacons of the
Diocese of New Ulm.
Helping with your formation has
been a blessing to us.
Before ordaining the
men, Bishop LeVoir
needs to know they are
ready for their new
vocation. Here, the
permanent deacon
candidates respond to a
series of questions
asked by Bishop LeVoir,
including whether
they will imitate Jesus
Christ and whether they
will pray the Liturgy of
the Hours.
LeVoir. Bishop LeVoir laid his
hands on top of their heads and
prayed silently. Then, while all the
candidates were kneeling in a row,
Bishop LeVoir extended his hands
and prayed the prayer of ordination.
“Send forth upon them, Lord, we
pray, the Holy Spirit,” he said, “that
they may be strengthened by the gift
of your sevenfold grace for the
faithful carrying out of the work of
the ministry.”
When this prayer concluded, no
longer were the 11 men candidates;
instead, they were deacons of the
Catholic Church.
Soon the new deacons will receive
their first assignments from Bishop
LeVoir. It will take them some time
to get used to their new role in the
Church, Bishop LeVoir said. As
long as they keep trying to be better
deacons, he continued, they will be
just fine.
“My prayer is they receive the
graces” to “do whatever they’re
asked to do,” Deacon Kober said, to
“be the servants to the bishop that
they’re called to be.”
Following the ordination, a
reception was held at the Orchid Inn
The Prairie Catholic • Page 6 • May 2012
Bishop John M. LeVoir presents a copy of the Book of the Gospels to
Deacon John Hansen as he recites, "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose
herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe,
and practice what you teach." Looking on are (l-r) Deacon Mark Kober,
Deacon Mike Thoennes, and Nathan Hansen (Deacon Hansen's son).
in Sleepy Eye where guests
congratulated the new deacons and
enjoyed a light lunch.

NEW ULM – The third annual
Catholic Schools raffle final results
were announced during the March 1
drawing, and it left little doubt
about who the true winners were –
the more than 65 schools that
received every dollar raised.
Crushing their goals and pulling
away from prior-year benchmarks,
participants in the 2012 Catholic
United Financial annual raffle
raised $611,290 this year to support
Catholic education in Minnesota,
South Dakota, and North Dakota.
This program has now raised more
than $1,088,000 for Catholic
schools since 2009.
The journey to raise $500,000 or
more for Catholic education began
in January. Catholic United
Financial purchased all the prizes
and promotional materials for the
raffle. Students, their families, and
their fellow parishioners did the
legwork, hitting the streets and
selling tickets at $5 each from Jan.
13 to Feb. 23. All money from
ticket sales was returned to the
school.
Twelve schools in the New Ulm
diocese participated and raised
$93,290. They are: Holy Trinity,
Winsted – $11,845; Holy
Redeemer, Marshall – $10,855; St.
education
A win-win situation found in charitable remainder trusts
by Sam Patet
The Prairie Catholic
NEW ULM – Donating to a
charitable organization comes in all
shapes and sizes, from a monthly
withdrawal from one’s checking
account to a handful of pennies in a
children’s Sunday envelope.
One way retirees can make a
donation to the Catholic Church,
said Wayne Pelzel, director of the
Diocese of New Ulm’s Office of
Development, is through a
charitable remainder trust.
“It becomes a tremendously good
asset and a great investment
because everybody benefits from
the opportunity,” he said. “The
charity benefits, you benefit, your
children benefit; everybody comes
out a winner.”
Mike Boyle, who has been
practicing law in New Ulm for over
20 years, agrees with Pelzel’s
assessment. “It’s a win-win
situation, really, for both the charity
and the donor,” Boyle said.
How it works
A person with a large asset (the
donor) donates it to a charitable
organization, Pelzel said. The asset
could be stocks, a piece of real
estate, or farm land, he added.
It’s important that the asset is worth
a significant amount of money,
Boyle said, ideally something that
has greatly appreciated. One can
donate all or part of the asset, Boyle
continued.
The organization, acting as trustee,
sells the asset and invests it in the
trust, Pelzel said. Then, the trustee
pays the donor a pre-determined
amount of money each year from
the trust. The donor gets to decide
how much money this is and for
how many years it will be paid,
Pelzel said. Many retirees, he
added, set it up so that they receive
an annual income until they die.
When the donor dies, any remaining
money in the trust is given to the
charitable organization, Pelzel said.
That’s how this product gets its
name.
Many benefits
One benefit of creating a charitable
remainder trust is that the donor
avoids paying capital gains taxes. If
a donor sells the asset himself, he
will have to pay taxes on the
amount the asset has appreciated
(the capital gain), Pelzel said.
But, if the donor puts the asset into
a charitable remainder trust, neither
he nor the trustee will have to pay
these taxes, Pelzel said. “There’s no
way you’re going avoid that capital
gains tax,” Pelzel said, “unless you
gift that property to charity.”
Boyle mentioned another benefit:
Any money the charitable
remainder trust earns – whether it’s
through dividends, interest, or rent –
is tax exempt.
A final benefit is that the donor’s
children can receive the value of the
asset (even though it has been
donated) as a part of their
inheritance.
“The donor uses part of the income
from the trust to purchase
irrevocable life insurance on
2012 Catholic schools raffle exceeds expectations
more than $1 million raised for Catholic schools in three years
Working closely with the Catholic Community Foundation of St. Paul,
Diocese of New Ulm development director Wayne Pelzel is available
to assist those wishing to set up a charitable remainder trust.
(photo by Sam Patet)
Mary’s, Sleepy Eye – $10,450; St.
Mary’s, Bird Island – $9,155; St.
Pius X, Glencoe – $8,860; St.
Philip's, Litchfield – $8,095; St.
Edward’s, Minneota – $7,145; New
Ulm Area Catholic Schools –
$6,920; St. Peter’s, Canby – $6,075;
St. Anne, Wabasso – $5,890; St.
Anastasia, Hutchinson – $4,390;
and St. Raphael, Springfield –
$3,610
Visit the Catholic United Financial
Web site, www.catholicunited
financial.org, for a list of prize
winners.
themselves in the amount donated to
the trust,” Pelzel said. Their children
are the beneficiaries, he continued.
When the donor dies, the children
receive a payout from the life
insurance tax free, he said.
Both Pelzel and Boyle agree that one
Christopher Loetscher
Christopher Loetscher, director of
the Office of Social Concerns and
Family Life for the Diocese of New
Ulm, will retire on June 30 after 25
years of service.
In 1987, Loetscher was hired as
special assistant to Bishop
Raymond A. Lucker and as
coordinator of the diocesan and
regional pastoral councils. He
assisted in the development of the
diocese’s first Plan for Parishes. In
1988, he became director of the
Social Concerns and Rural Life
office, and in 1992, he was
appointed director of the Family
The Prairie Catholic • Page 7 • May 2012
should consult a lawyer and a tax
expert to put this product together.
They help ensure that the trust is set
up correctly and that it reaps the
most benefits for the donor and the
charity.
The legal jargon and number
crunching can be overwhelming for
the average donor. But, Pelzel said,
an overriding principle in the entire
process is that the donor’s requests
are honored. “The donor drives the
car and is going to make the decision
about how their wishes get carried
out,” he said.
Editor’s note: The Office of
Development works with the
Catholic Community Foundation in
setting up charitable remainder
trusts. For more information, go to
the Catholic Community
Foundation’s Web site –
www.catholiccommunityfoundation.
org – or contact Wayne Pelzel, 507-
359-2966; wpelzel@dnu.org.
Loetscher to retire after 25
years of service to diocese
Life office, where he coordinated
the diocesan marriage preparation
programs. In 2003, he assumed
additional responsibilities as the
diocesan victim assistance
coordinator.
Married to his wife Mary for 36
years, they have resided in New
Ulm for most of their married life.
Their five children attended the
New Ulm Area Catholic Schools,
and their youngest daughter will be
a sophomore at Cathedral High
School. They have two
granddaughters and await the birth
of their third grandchild.
“I am deeply grateful for the
privilege and grace to serve the
people of the Diocese of New Ulm,
under the direction of Bishops
Lucker, Nienstedt, and LeVoir,”
Loetscher said. “I am also grateful
for the cooperation, support, and
friendship I have received from coworkers,
pastoral leaders, women
religious, and members of the laity
for so many years.”

consecrated life
Ghent native making a difference in Portland helping women in dire straits
by Sam Patet
The Prairie Catholic
A chapter in Sr. Cathie Boerboom’s
life has come to a close.
On May 1, Sr. Cathie stepped down
as executive director of Rose
Haven, an organization in Portland,
Ore., that provides social services
to women in need and their
children. She helped found Rose
Haven 14 years ago.
“I had no dream that a person could
be as happy, and fulfilled, and
joyful, and giving as I have been
able to be,” Sr. Cathie said.
Cathleen Marie Boerboom grew up
on a farm outside of Ghent with her
parents – Vinny and Prudence
(“Putts”) – and three siblings. They
attended the Church of St. Eloi.
Life at the Boerboom household,
Sr. Cathie said, was full of joy.
“I’m one of those blessed people
who always knew I was loved,” she
said.
After graduating from Central
Catholic High School (now closed)
in Marshall in 1964, Sr. Cathie
attended the College of St.
Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn.
During her first year, she saw a
film on the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd, a religious order founded
in 1835 by St. Mary Euphrasia
Pelletier in Angers, France. She
was attracted to the sisters, and so
she decided to visit them at their
religious house in St. Paul. After
visiting, she knew she had to join
them. “I just knew in my bones that
that was the right place,” she said.
She applied to and was accepted by
the Good Shepherd Sisters, joining
their community in St. Paul in the
fall of 1965. The next eight years
were spent in prayer, study, and
service as she discerned whether
God was calling her to be a Good
Shepherd sister. She made her final
vows in December 1973.
She then spent time in Spokane,
Wash., in St. Paul, and even in
France at her order’s motherhouse
carrying out different apostolates,
including training Good Shepherd
sisters and helping women involved
in prostitution and abusive
relationships.
In 1992, she moved to Portland and
began working with people on the
street and serving as a jail chaplain.
Despite the good work she was
doing, she felt like something was
missing. Portland women did not
Hispanic/Latino youth gather
in Glencoe for annual retreat
GLENCOE – Over 50 Hispanic/Latino youth of the diocese gathered
Sunday, April 15 at St. Pius X in Glencoe for the annual youth retreat.
The youth reflected on the theme "Las Bases de Un Buen Cristiano"
(The Foundations of a Good Christian).
Sr. Cathie Boerboom (right) interacts with one of her guests at Rose
Haven, a social service provider for women and children in the
Portland area.
have a place to go for help no
matter what their needs were, Sr.
Cathie said. Organizations offered
services to specific groups (for
example, women dealing with
domestic violence). If you didn’t fit
that mold, you had to find help
elsewhere, she said.
“It just kinda broke my heart,
because I would see people being
abused on the street, being pawed
on,” Sr. Cathie said. “There was
just a longing to do something
else.”
Her longing turned into reality
when she and several others
founded Rose Haven in 1998. Sr.
Cathie described it as “a safe,
respect-filled place” where a
woman’s needs, whatever they
were, would be addressed.
Katie O’Brien has been Rose
Haven’s development officer since
2010. While Rose Haven provides
women with typical resources like
food and counseling, she said, it
also offers programs you wouldn’t
expect to see at a soup kitchen.
Rose Haven’s Web site advertises
NEW ULM – Bishop John M.
LeVoir and the Handmaids of the
Heart of Jesus invite all the faithful
to join in the celebration of the First
Professions of Vows of Sr. Mary
Joseph of the Sacrificial Lamb and
Sr. Maris Stella of the Priestly Heart
of Jesus on Sunday, May 13 at 3
p.m. at the Cathedral of the Holy
Trinity, New Ulm. A potluck
jewelry making, knitting, book
clubs, and makeup classes. O’Brien
said these programs fill a need that
all women have: the longing for
community.
“I’ve described (Rose Haven)
before as a living room for the
homeless and abused,” O’Brien
said. The women “create this
community of support for one
another that is so important to that
healing process.”
“Women are social,” Sr. Cathie
said. They “do a lot of stuff
together. And these women had
nowhere to be safe, where they
could trust the other people around
them.”
Rose Haven’s success can be
attributed to many factors,
including its dedicated staff
members, generous benefactors,
and tireless volunteers. The glue,
though, that has kept it together for
14 years is Sr. Cathie.
“She has a great presence about her
in a very non-threatening way, and
I think that’s why she is so loved by
reception will
follow Mass. Bring
a dish to pass if
you wish.
On March 24,
2010, Bishop
LeVoir established
the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus
as a Public Association of the
The Prairie Catholic • Page 8 • May 2012
everybody,” O’Brien said. She
praised Sr. Cathie’s knowledge,
communication skills, humility, and
sense of humor.
Patsy, 59, is one of the many
women who have been helped by
Sr. Cathie.
Originally from Portland, Patsy
moved to the San Francisco Bay
Area when she was 18 to pursue a
career as a musician. She returned
to Portland around 2000 to help her
mother who was ill. Eventually, she
had spent all of her money helping
her mother and was living in a
homeless shelter. Patsy said Sr.
Cathie provided much-needed help.
Sr. Cathie is “a very caring, kind
person,” Patsy said. “I’m really
impressed with her leadership
abilities and her networking skills.”
Her love for the women she sees,
Patsy said, is reflected in the top-ofthe-line
services she and her staff
offer.
While she is stepping back from her
role as executive director, she won’t
be stepping back from helping
women in need. Sr. Cathie said she
will be helping out in a new
program sponsored by the Sisters of
the Good Shepherd. She’s glad she
can continue to use her gifts to help
others.
“This is the most amazing group of
faith-filled, patient, accepting
people that you could ever
encounter,” Sr. Cathie said. “It’s
wonderful to be in the situation
where I can use my privilege to
help other people get on their feet.”
Handmaids to make first profession of vows
Sr. Mary
Joseph
Faithful.They are the first
religious order to be
established in the diocese.
For further information
about the Handmaids of the
Sr. Maris Heart of Jesus, contact
Stella Mother Mary Clare Roufs,
507-276-9128; handmaids1@
gmail.com.

Catholic life
Paying homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary
both in the Church and home
by Jeane Appel
DCCW Commission Coordinator
In this month of May, Mary’s
month, our thoughts instinctively
turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and
the Rosary.
– St. Francis de Sales said the
greatest method of praying is to
pray the Rosary.
– St. Thomas Aquinas preached for
40 straight days in Rome on just the
Hail Mary.
– St. John Vianney, patron saint of
priests, was seldom seen without a
rosary in his hand.
– Pope Adrian VI said, “The rosary
is the scourge of the devil.”
– Pope Paul VI said, “The rosary is
a treasure of graces.”
– Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest,
said, “The Rosary is the weapon.”
– Pope Leo XIII wrote several
encyclicals on the Rosary.
– Pope John XXIII spoke 38 times
about Mary and the Rosary. He
prayed 15 decades daily.
– St. Louis Marie de Montfort
wrote: “The rosary is the most
powerful weapon to touch the heart
of Jesus, our redeemer, who so
loves his mother.”
Our Lady has many titles. Mary,
“Our Lady of Good Counsel,” is the
patroness of the New Ulm Diocesan
Council of Catholic Women, and
she is the patron saint of the
diocese.
Do you know how the title, “Our
Lady of Good Counsel,”
The 17th biannual National
Council of Catholic Women
Province Conference will be held
June 19-20 at the Church of St.
Joseph, 315 SW 21st Street, Grand
Rapids, MN. The theme for the
two-day event is “Love in Motion.”
Bishop Paul D. Sirba, bishop of the
Diocese of Duluth, will be the main
celebrant at the opening liturgy.
The keynote speaker will be Judy
Under the leadership of
Bishop Alphonse J. Schladweiler,
the Diocese of New Ulm was
dedicated to Mary, the Mother
of God, on Jan. 31, 1958. She
is considered the patron saint
of the diocese.
originated? It was given to Mary
after a painting now found in a
13th-century Augustinian church at
Genazzano, Italy, about 30 miles
south of Rome. Measuring
approximately 16 inches by 18
inches, the image is a fresco
executed on a thin layer of porcelain
no thicker than an egg shell.
In the fifth century, during the reign
of Pope Sixtus III, the town of
Genazzano contributed a large
portion of its revenue for the Roman
basilica St. Mary Major. In
appreciation, a church was built in
Genazzano and was later entrusted
to the Augustinian order in 1356.
According to tradition, in the year
1467, in the midst of the festivities
Powers, president of the National
Council of Catholic Women. A
speaker has been scheduled for
each commission. A banquet with
entertainment will be held on
Wednesday evening.
All women and pastoral leaders are
invited to attend this educational
and spiritual event. For more
information or a registration form,
for the feast of St. Mark, the
townfolk suddenly heard
“exquisite music.” A mysterious
cloud descended and obliterated an
unfinished wall of the parish
church. In front of the people, the
cloud dissipated and a beautiful
fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and the Christ child was revealed.
Many miracles are said to have
occurred in the portrait’s presence,
and it was widely believed that it
had been miraculously transported
from a church in Albania.
Many popes had special devotion to
Our Lady of Good Counsel and
made pilgrimages to Genazzabo. In
1753, Pope Benedict XIV
established the Pious Union of Our
Lady of Good Counsel. The small
scapular of Our Lady of Good
Counsel (the white scapular) was
presented by the Hermits of St.
Augustine to Pope Leo XIII, who,
in December 1893, approved it and
endowed it with indulgences. On
April 22, 1903, that same pope
included the invocation in the
Litany of Loreto. In 1939, Pope
Pius XII placed his pontificate
under her maternal care and
composed a prayer to her. Our Lady
of Good Counsel’s feast day is
April 26.
The New Ulm Diocesan Council of
Catholic Women encourages
everyone to pray the Rosary often.
Through it, we ask Mary to lead our
Church, our families, our
communities, our country, and our
world to her Divine Son.
Province of St. Paul and Minneapolis to host
national CCW province conference
contact your parish Council of
Catholic Women president or
Leona Barten, conference chair,
218-326-1122 (work) or 218-328-
5520 (home); Shirley Nowak,
province director, 320-864-5162
(work) or 320-327-2338 (home) .
Registration deadline is June 10.
few years ago, attending
Mass in another diocese, I
was elated to hear the priest begin
a homily on the importance of
daily prayer. It is a subject we hear
far too seldom from the pulpit.
My elation soon turned to
disappointment, however. He
talked a lot about being aware of
the world around you, and your
own thoughts and feelings.
Shockingly, there was no mention
of God at all! I realized the priest
(apparently without knowing it)
was not really advocating prayer,
but a Buddhist-inspired form of
meditation.
Both Christians and Buddhists use
the term “meditation,” so it is no
wonder that sincere people
confuse the practices of the
separate religions. But the two are
quite different.
So what is the difference? In
“Crossing the Threshold of Hope,”
Pope John Paul II noted that
Buddhists seek to free themselves
from the world, while Christians
seek freedom from sin, through
God’s grace, in order to be united
with him (pp. 88-89). Eastern
meditation might relieve stress,
but it cannot save souls.
Doctor of Prayer St. Teresa of
Avila gives us further insight,
when she writes in the first chapter
of Interior Castle:
“If a person neither considers to
Whom he is addressing himself,
what he asks, nor what
he is who ventures to
speak to God, although
his lips may utter many
words, I do not call it
prayer.” In other
words, true prayer
recognizes how small
and sinful we are and
how great God is, and
The Prairie Catholic • Page 9 • May 2012
Christian prayer – much more
than Eastern meditation
A
God Alone
Suffices
by Connie Rossini
addresses itself towards him.
Eastern forms of meditation are
not addressed to anyone. The
question of God’s existence and
character does not come into play.
Christian prayer is communication
with God. The conversation we
have in prayer goes both ways. In
fact, God’s action during prayer is
more important than our words,
thoughts, or feelings. Prayer is a
search for God, who promises,
“You will seek me and find me;
when you seek me with all your
heart, I will be found by you”
(Jer 29:13-14). As the Song of
Songs envisions it, prayer is the
Beloved seeking the One who
loves her.
This seeking (and finding!) is the
purpose of our lives. You and I
were made for intimate union with
God. God is love, and he invites us
to share in the very love that unites
the Holy Trinity. The means to
this union is prayer.
This union with God unfolds in
stages. When we first start
praying, we have to work hard to
focus on God, to meditate on (that
is, ponder) his goodness, and to
worship him. Faithfulness to
prayer and to living a good
Christian life opens the door to the
gift of contemplation, when God
secretly begins to transform us and
draw us closer to him. The first
stages of prayer are concerned
with seeking, the later stages with
finding.
Non-Christian meditation aims too
low. It cannot fulfill our longing
for eternal love. Do not be afraid
to lift your sights higher. Do not
be afraid to seek the face of God in
prayer!
Connie Rossini is a
parishioner of the
Church of St. George,
West Newton Township.
She is a permanently
professed member of the
Third Order of
Discalced Carmelites.

social concerns
HHS mandate forces Catholics to violate basic moral principles
U.S. bishops issue call to action to defend religious liberty; urge strong lay involvement
The Health and Human Services
(HHS) has issued a rule that will
force employers, including religious
organizations, to provide and pay for
coverage of employees’
contraception, sterilization, and
abortion-inducing drugs even when
they have moral objections to them.
The rule, which takes effect on Aug.
1, 2012, does include a very narrow
religious exemption, which will fail
to protect most religious employers.
To be eligible for the exemption, a
religious organization must meet
four strict criteria.
It must:
– have the teaching of religious
values as its purpose
– primarily employ persons who
share its religious tenets
– primarily serve persons who share
its religious tenets, and
– be a nonprofit organization under
specific sections of the Internal
Revenue Code.
Religious organizations such as the
Catholic Church will be forced by
peace or being home there, and I
never felt that before,” Ramirez
said. As she stood in front of the
main altar and the tabernacle, she
said, she felt “a very warm
feeling.” Ramirez said it was one
of the best experiences of her life.
This experience motivated her to
read books about the Catholic faith
and to talk to her grandmother,
who was a practicing Catholic. Her
grandmother encouraged her to
look into the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults (RCIA), the
process by which adults prepare to
become Catholic.
Still, Ramirez said she didn’t have
the courage to join the RCIA.
Things changed, though, when one
of Ramirez’s Catholic friends
became ill in 2011. She called the
Church of St. Anastasia in
Hutchinson and asked a priest – Fr.
Jerry Meidl – to pray for her friend.
As their conversation came to a
close, Ramirez said, she felt
the government to choose between
dropping health-care coverage for
the thousands of employees in their
hospitals, schools, universities, and
service organizations or violating
their moral teachings.
What’s at stake?
The Center for Applied Research in
the Apostolate (CARA) illuminates
the scope of the rule's impact. It
states that in 2011, the Catholic
Church in the United States had
17,782 parishes; 5,774 elementary
schools; and 1,206 secondary
schools.
The Association of Catholic
Colleges and Universities states
there are 244 Catholic colleges and
universities in the U.S., and
according to the 2010 American
Hospital Association Annual
Survey, there are 629 Catholic
hospitals in the U.S. This does not
include the more than 1,500 local
agencies and institutions that make
up the Catholic Charities network
and the more than 400 Catholic
health care centers and specialized
inspired to ask Fr. Meidl about the
RCIA. He told her that it would be
starting at the parish in a couple of
weeks and that she could still sign
up. By the beginning of November,
Ramirez had signed up and was on
her way to becoming Catholic.
Thinking about her future
family
Not all of the 47 newly initiated
Catholics had an experience like
Ramirez did. Still, God was at
work in their lives.
Take Katelyn DeLanghe, 23, of
Marshall. Growing up, she and her
family were members of an
evangelical free church in
Marshall. She said she was not
baptized as an infant because her
church taught that people should
be baptized as adults.
DeLanghe never thought she
would convert to Catholicism. “My
faith and my ideas were strong
enough, so why would I have to
The USCCB Web site
(www.usccb.org) provides a link
that allows people to contact
Congress directly. In addition,
it recommends concerned
citizens to:
● Write Congress urging
support for the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179, S. 1467).
homes. Together these institutions
serve tens of millions of people in
the United States.
Call to action to defend
religious liberty
The U.S. bishops have issued a call
to action to defend religious liberty
and urged laity to work to protect the
First Freedom of the Bill of Rights.
They outlined their position in “Our
First, Most Cherished Freedom.”
The document can be found at
http://www.usccb.org/issues-andaction/religious-liberty/our-firstmost-cherished-liberty.cfm.
RCIA participants become Catholic (continued from page 1)
change what church I go to or what
I believe?” she said.
Her views began to change as she
and her husband, Eddie, talked
about raising a family. Eddie had
always been Catholic, DeLanghe
said, and they both wanted “to be
on the same page as far as church”
and their beliefs when they raised
their children. This desire led
DeLanghe to enter the RCIA
program at the Church of the Holy
Redeemer in Marshall.
Forming the whole person
Sr. Lucille Hass, OSF, has been
coordinator of RCIA at St.
Anastasia for the last six years.
This year, she worked with
Ramirez and two other candidates.
“It’s just exciting,” Sr. Lucille
said. “Each group is so different.”
They met on Wednesday nights,
Sr. Lucille said. At each meeting,
she and a team of St. Anastasia
“We have been staunch defenders of
religious liberty in the past. We have
a solemn duty to discharge that duty
today,” the bishops said in the
document, “for religious liberty is
under attack, both at home and
abroad.”
“This is not a Catholic issue. This is
not a Jewish issue. This is not an
Orthodox, Mormon, or Muslim
issue. It is an American issue,” they
said.
The document ends with a call to
action. “What we ask is nothing
parishioners talked with the
candidates about the upcoming
Sunday’s Gospel reading and
about the Church’s beliefs. Topics
included the role of Mary, the
sacraments, heaven and hell, and
the saints.
Ramirez said she loved being able
to ask the leaders anything, from
why Catholics genuflect in church
to how to pray the Glory Be.
DeLanghe, too, said she asked her
teachers a lot of questions.
“It’s been like a brain-full of
information from the get-go,”
DeLanghe said. “I feel now that I
probably know more about the
Catholic faith than a lot of people
who were brought up in it.”
While it’s extremely important that
the elect and candidates learn
about the Catholic faith, Sr. Lucille
said, it’s also important that they
form a bond with one another and
The Prairie Catholic • Page 10 • May 2012
In Minnesota:
Join the Minnesota Catholic
Conference Grassroots
Advocacy Network
(MNCAN). Visit
www.mncc. org and click
on “Take Action” under the
legislation tab.
● Get informed. Read the bishops FAQs regarding the HHS mandate as well as news releases on their
Web site, and watch Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s video.
more than that our God-given right
to religious liberty be respected. We
ask nothing less than that the
Constitution and laws of the United
States, which recognize that right, be
respected.” They specifically
addressed several groups: the laity,
those in public office, heads of
Catholic charitable agencies, priests,
and experts in communication, and
urged each to employ the gifts and
talents of its members for religious
liberty.
(courtesy of USCCB)
with the parish. “What’s so
important is to build a
community,” she said.
DeLanghe said she appreciated
doing the RCIA in a community.
“I’m glad,” she said, “that I have
other people going through it with
me and (that) I’m not by myself.”
In the months ahead, Ramirez and
DeLanghe plan on learning more
about the faith and on becoming
involved in their parish
communities. No matter what
activities they end up doing,
they’re glad they can finally call
the Catholic Church home.
“It’s kind of a new completeness,”
DeLanghe said about entering the
Church. “I’m glad that I decided
to. No regret about it.”
Editor’s note: If you or someone you
know would like more information
about the RICA process, contact the
diocesan Office of Worship, 507-
359-2966; aprzybilla@dnu.org.

around the diocese
Faithful of diocese gather at St. Anastasia
to celebrate annual Chrism Mass
HUTCHINSON – The Church of
St. Anastasia was filled for the
annual Chrism Mass held March
29. Bishop John M. LeVoir asked
priests at the Chrism Mass to
renew their promises they made at
ordination, and then asked the laity
to pray for their priests.
Following the renewal of priestly
promises, Bishop LeVoir blessed
the Oil of Catechumens and the
Oil of the Sick and consecrated the
Sacred Chrism. These holy oils
will be used in all parishes,
hospitals, and nursing homes of
the diocese throughout the year.
Bishop LeVoir
consecrates the
Sacred Chrism,
assisted by Diocese of
New Ulm seminarian
Andrew Illikman.
Clergy of the diocese renew their promises they made at ordination
during the annual Chrism Mass March 29 at the Church of St.
Anastasia in Hutchinson. (photos by Dan Rossini and Sam Patet)
Following the Chrism Mass, the holy oils
were distributed to representatives from
parishes throughout the diocese.
Darwin youth making a difference
DARWIN – On March 5, five adults and 23 youth from the Church of St. John's Youth Group, Darwin,
joined 11 more volunteers at Feed My Starving Children in Chanhassen. The group packaged life-saving
nutritional meals for adults and children in need all around the world. The group packaged 50 bags of
food into 36 boxes which equaled 18,000 meals!
F OR DATES OF PARISH FESTIVALS!
visit www.dnu.org for dates and times.
Or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Office of Communications, 1400 6th Street North,
New Ulm, MN 56073.
The Prairie Catholic • Page 11 • May 2012
Upcoming events
Reclaiming the Culture of
Marriage, sponsored by the
Diocese of New Ulm, will be held
May 11 from 7-9 p.m. at St. Mary’s
in Willmar. Bishop John M. LeVoir
will address the Sacrament of
Marriage as well as the ongoing
catechesis on marriage and family.
Addressing the Marriage Protection
Amendment will be Teresa Collett,
professor of law, and Jason Adkins,
executive director of the Minnesota
Catholic Conference and MCC staff.
Contact Sr. Candace Fier, diocesan
Office of Family Life, 507-359-
2966; cfier@dnu.org.
Schoenstatt on the Lake
May & June events: Marian
Pilgrimage Day in honor of Our
Blessed Mother, May 15; May
Crowning Family Retreat, May 18-
20; Father/Son Weekend, June 8-
10; Girls’ (ages 9-13) Summer
Camps, six sessions between June
11–July 26; Girls’ High School
Mission Camp and La Fiesta de
Maria, June 25-29. Call 507-794-
7727; e-mail schoenstatton
thelake@schsrsmary.org.
Virtual Learning
Community for Faith
Formation (VLCFF) Cycle 4
May 20–June 23. Registration
closes on May 16. VLCFF is an
Internet-based e-learning initiative
for adult faith and catechist
formation sponsored by the
Institute for Pastoral Initiatives of
the University of Dayton
(http://vlc.udayton.edu/) and the
Diocese of New Ulm. Contact
Bryan Reising, 507-359-2966;
breising@dnu.org, or visit
http://vlc.udayton.edu. Scholarships
available for those involved in
catechetical ministry.
Certification Program in
Church Business
Administration, June 4-15 at the
Saint Paul Seminary School of
Divinity of the University of St.
Thomas. Visit www.stthomas.edu/
spssod/nacba/default.html or call
651-962-5050.
Good Shepherd SERRA Club
to meet June 7 at Divine Providence
Chapel and Marian Conference
Room in Sleepy Eye at 7 p.m.
Speaker will be Deacon Jim Guldan.
Call 507-747-2181.
Diocese of New Ulm
Summer Discipleship
Camps for junior high and senior
high youth. Girls’ camp, June 10-
14; Boys’ camp, July 8-12. Camps
will be held at the Center for Youth
Ministry, Renville. Register with
your parish youth minister or call
Cindy at 507-233-5325;
cblickem@dnu.org or visit http://
www.dnu.org/word/youth.html.
Summer Splash with School
Sisters of Notre Dame for girls
(grades 6-8) and their mom or
significant female adult, June 22-23.
Cost: $60 per pair (scholarships
available). Call 507-388-0618;
mbschramlssnd@ yahoo.com, or
register online by June 15 at
www.ssndcentralpacific.org/
summersplash.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN
How the
GOOD
NEWS
Gets Around to YOU!
For many, new media has become a part of daily life and the way we
communicate has changed significantly in recent years. Through the Catholic
Communications Campaign (CCC), Catholics can be united in the Holy Father’s
invitation for each of us “confidently and with an informed and responsible
creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made
possible” (Message for the 45th World Communications Day, Jan. 5, 2011).
Please give generously to the Catholic Communication Campaign
collection in your parish on the weekend of May 19-20. Half of the
proceeds remain in our diocese to fund local communications
work, which includes “The Prairie Catholic.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S.
bishops want to provide an
opportunity for all Catholics to
deepen their relationship with
Jesus Christ, according to a new
document from the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB). “Disciples Called to
Witness: The New
Evangelization” focuses on
reaching out to Catholics,
practicing or not, who have lost a
sense of the faith in an effort to
re-energize them.
“Every Catholic has a role in the
Minnesota’s Most Rural Diocese Diocese of New Ulm Vol. 26 No. 9 May 2012
Church, and every Catholic is
called to spread the Gospel,” said
Bishop David L. Ricken of
Green Bay, chairman of the
USCCB Committee on
Evangelization and Catechesis.
“But in order to evangelize, a
person must first be evangelized.
This is really the heart of the
New Evangelization.”
The document examines what the
New Evangelization is, its focus,
its importance for the Church and
how dioceses and parishes can
promote it.
ICONS OF CHRIST
THE SERVANT
“The New Evangelization is a
call to each person to deepen his
or her own faith, have confidence
in the Gospel, and possess a
willingness to share the Gospel,”
the document states. “It is a
personal encounter with the
person of Jesus, which brings
peace and joy.”
The full text of the document is
available online: www.usccb.org/
beliefs-and-teachings/how-weteach/new-evangelization/
disciples-called-to-witness/.
WASHINGTON – The Vatican
has approved the publication
of the “Rite for the Blessing of
a Child in the Womb,” in
English and Spanish printed in a
combined booklet. It should be
available for parishes by
Mother’s Day. The U.S. bishops,
who collaborated on the
development of the blessing,
welcomed the announcement of
the approval.
“I’m impressed with the beauty
of this blessing for human life in
the womb,” said Cardinal Daniel
N. DiNardo of Galveston-
Eleven men from a variety of
backgrounds, careers, and
corners of the diocese – all
married with families – lay
prostrate on the floor of the
Church of St. Mary in Sleepy
Eye as a sign of humility and
submission to God as the
“Litany of the Saints” is sung .
The men were ordained to
the Order of the Diaconate
on April 21 by Bishop John
M. LeVoir, following five long
years of preparation for their
new ministry.
Houston, chairman of the
Committee on Pro-Life Activities
of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “I
can think of no better day to
announce this news than on the
feast of the Annunciation, when
we remember Mary’s ‘yes’ to
God and the incarnation of that
child in her womb that saved the
world.”
The blessing was prepared to
support parents awaiting the birth
of their child, to encourage parish
(Read more, page 1)
prayers for and recognition of the
precious gift of the child in the
womb, and to foster respect for
human life within society. It can
be offered within the context of
the Mass as well as outside of
Mass.
For further information visit the
U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops Web site at
www.usccb.org.
(as of 4/25/12)
(photo by Dan Rossini)