continued from page 1 - Diocese of New Ulm

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.
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