Catholic Hotdish

Meghan Wenger (Photo courtesy of Convent of the Visitation School)

Thanks to places like the Pontifical North American College and the University of St. Thomas Catholic Studies program in Rome, seminarians and students with Minnesota connections are sometimes invited to participate in papal Masses.

Today, for example, Meghan Wenger, a 2009 grad of Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights, will read at the Easter Vigil Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.

Meghan, who is studying this semester with the UST program and whose home parish is St. Thomas More in St. Paul, is a junior at Boston College. The Mass will be televised today at 2 p.m. central time on EWTN.

“I feel honored and humbled to have been asked. I am looking forward to being able to participate in the Mass in a special way,” Meghan said in an email.

Two other students in the UST Rome program also have roles in Easter Triduum liturgies at the Vatican.

• Evan Beacom of St. Augustin parish in Des Moines, Iowa, participated in the Good Friday liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica.

• John LoCoco of St. Mary’s Visitation parish in Elm Grove, Wis., will read at the Easter Sunday Mass.

Image licensed under Creative Commons license.

Were you looking for fish fries last month? You were not alone.

Fish Fries and Lenten Dinners 1,122

Gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit 1,084

Investigation under way concerning alleged misuse of archdiocesan funds 579

Papal address to Minnesota bishops focuses on marriage, family life 478

‘To the thresholds of the apostles’ 393

Lent 2012 381

The Hunger Games 380

Archdiocese hires communications director 339

Archdiocesan chief financial officer announces plans to retire 331

Music adds rich worship experience during Chrism Mass 310

Featured speaker Matthew Kelly delivers remarks at the archdiocesan men's conference March 31 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

As I walked around the Cathedral of St. Paul at the annual archdiocesan men’s conference on Saturday, it was hard to ignore the large crowd of men gathered in the pews. In fact, I did not spot one empty spot, much less one empty pew. From front to back, from side to side, the Cathedral was jam packed.

I believe we can thank Father Bill Baer for that. He is doing a marvelous job as the chaplain of the new men’s apostolate, and the numbers show his success. He announced that 1,800 men came, which was 200 more than organizers had planned for.

A guy I went to grade school with, Kelly Scott of St. Charles Borromeo, came in after it started with his son, Luke. They looked high and low for a spot to sit, and apparently didn’t find one, as I saw them standing later on.

The big draw this year was featured speaker Matthew Kelly. According to his website, he was born in Sydney, Australia and began speaking and writing there in 1993. Since then, he has written 12 books and traveled to more than 50 countries to deliver a message centered on helping people become the best versions of themselves. Among his titles is a book on the Catholic faith entitled, “Rediscovering Catholicism.”

His talk was dynamic, and he both energized and challenged the men to be better Catholics and better versions of themselves. Be sure to watch next week’s edition of The Catholic Spirit for more on his talk and the conference.

For now, let me say that I found myself energized by Kelly. I have never heard him speak before, and only recently found out about his books. I walked away wanting to read at least one of them. For that, I can thank some of the guys I met who are huge Matthew Kelly fans. One of them owns all 12 books.

If anyone doubts that much is going on with men spiritually in our culture and our church, the men’s conference is proof that God is at work in the hearts and lives of men. I was very encouraged by what I saw. So, also, was Archbishop John Nienstedt, who celebrated Mass, gave a brief talk and delivered the final blessing at the end. I’m sure he is very pleased to see such a gathering of men at the Cathedral.

If Father Baer keeps this up – and I have every confidence he will – it’s only going to get better. The nice part for me is I get to document good news like this. And, meet lots of good men in the process.

COMMENTARY

What’s all the fuss about “The Hunger Games” trilogy?

There’s not much not to like about the books: love story, drama, humor, revolution, friendship, family, patriotism, murder, mystery, sci-fi, war, military strategy, mind games.

No religion, outwardly at least. But definitely moral choices. The idea of people being willing to sacrifice their lives to save others, that has a familiar ring to it.

Thousands of young people reading the Suzanne Collins series have adults following suit, and the movie is a box office blockbuster.

Personally I wonder, has this tour de force come out in time?

Is this our future?

Can a make-believe story that shows dramatically a society in which a very few are extremely well-off and the rest of a nation an underclass wake up its readers to what’s happening in the United States this very day?

Can reading this fiction penetrate enough American brains so that we see the reality of our own 2012 culture, one in which one life is more valued than another? One in which the middle-class is not just shrinking but being hammered into submission?

Yes, “The Hunger Games” is about the evil of war and the horror of taking the life of another. The very thought of children killing other children is abhorent — as is the killing of any child, any human being at any stage (even in its mother’s womb). And children killing children as a form of entertainment for a privileged upper class doubly so.

But readers (and moviegoers) have to be able to equate the context of this futuristic, post-apocalyptic trilogy to life right now, and then to life as it very well could be in the years ahead.

Medicine, food, rights for just a few?

In “The Hunger Games,” the privileged in the Capitol district have incredibly advanced health care, science-fiction type of treatments, while in backwater District 12 where heroine Katniss lives, her mother treats the sick and wounded on her kitchen table with homemade remedies.

Some Christians today want to destroy the small steps the United States has taken to provide health care for those who aren’t fortunate enough to work for companies that have insurance plans.  As one of the books’ characters applies moss to a wound to slow bleeding, I recalled a benefit a corporate CEO received upon retirement: His health care paid for the rest of his life. Like with the millions this man was making every year he hadn’t stashed away enough to pay for his own health care!

In “The Hunger Games” there are fences around each of the districts of the fictional country of Panem, and those who dare to illegally cross a border in search of food are punished or killed. It is impossible for a thinking person not to picture Mexican workers willing to risk their lives to sneak over, under and around U.S. borders in search of work so they can eat and feed their families.

Is it right and good and just for Katniss to cross the border to help her mother and sister survive but not right and good and just for Juan and Juanita to do the same?

When some Mexicans enter the United States they do so illegally.  Absolutely.

But tell me you can read “The Hunger Games” and not hope that Katniss doesn’t get caught on the wrong side of the fence.

You may or may not agree with the Catholic bishops of this country as they protest forcing Catholic institutions to pay for contraceptives and sterilization in their employees’ health insurance policies because it is a violation of the freedom of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment. But you were on the side of Katniss, Peeta and Gale as they struggled to overcome the conscience-compromising policies of a powerful fictional government, weren’t you?

Time to ask ourselves hard questions

Here’s a good question to ask after reading or viewing “The Hunger Games”: What’s happening in my world that troubles my conscience but that I feel I can’t do anything about?

And how about a few more questions. We learn through authoritative studies about the growing gap between the rich and the poor. When we read “The Hunger Games” or see the film, it isn’t a reach to see how that kind of society of haves and have-nots is happening in our day. What might it take for America’s middle class to dissolve to the point that those with decent salaries and benefits could become like the underclass in Ms. Collins’ fictional world?

Would it take a so-called “right-to-work” act?

Maybe legislating collective bargaining rights out of existence?

Dissolving the nation’s health care act?

Sending good-paying jobs overseas where people are willing to work for half the salary so that a corporate CEO can retire with health care paid for life?

We see and hear the stories everyday about people who lost their jobs, lost their homes. They used to donate food to the food shelf; now they feed their families thanks to those same food shelves.

Talk about hunger games.

Bob Zyskowski is The Catholic Spirit’s associate publisher / general manager.

Matthew Kelly

Still haven’t registered for the Archdiocesan Men’s Conference? No problem! Walk-in registrations are welcome. The event will be held from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 31, at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Cost is $15.

More information

Conference to give men ‘fresh perspective,’ speaker says

What if you could make a pilgrimage right in the middle of the Twin Cities?

Pilgrimages to Fatima, Lourdes, the Holy Land and Rome are great if one can make those kinds of trips. The Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain — The Way of St. James — is gaining such popularity it’s been the focus of a Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez movie. That last one is 500 miles of walking through the French/Spanish countryside.

But for three years now, folks have been going on a much shorter walking trip through New York City. Meghan Clark chronicles the 13.5-mile journey well in photos and story.

So here’s the question for you?

Think we could do something similar in the Twin Cities?

Where would you start? What stops would you make along the way, and why?

What should be “can’t-miss” opportunities? What might be prayerful events to include, people to speak to the group (maybe about the history of the place, the architecture, etc.)?

What would make a good, interesting route?

Remember, this would be a walking activity, a trip that would be completed in one day. Lots of daylight hours from mid-May through July would make for the best time of year. Figure it’s 10 miles between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul.

Comment to this post or email your suggestions to zyskowskir@archspm.org.

Junior guard Luke Scott of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis keeps the ball away from a Minneapolis Washburn defender during the state Class AAA championship game March 24 at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Two story lines emerged from the state boys basketball tournament in Class AAA. One was the dramatic win by the DeLaSalle High School boys on Saturday, March 24 at Target Center in Minneapolis to complete the first boys-girls sweep of state titles in school history. The girls won the championship the week before, winning their second consecutive title.

The second was the fact that the Scott family now has produced its third state basketball champion. Junior Luke joins his older brother, Joe, and older sister, Veronica, as gold-medal winners. Joe played on the Islanders’ championship team of 2006, while Veronica played for Totino-Grace’s title team in 2008. Though records are not kept on things like this, it may be the most amazing family title run ever. All three made the all-tournament team.

I went to grade school (St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony) with the kids’ dad, Kelly, who played for the Gophers in the early 1980s with the likes of Randy Breuer, and was on the last Gopher team to win the Big Ten title (1982). Kelly was featured in The Catholic Spirit for a program he runs called Spirit and Sport. He also has written a book about his playing days called “Inspirations from the Bench.”

Kelly emailed me yesterday to make sure I was aware of yet another milestone in the Scott household. Indeed, I knew about Luke and was looking for him in the championship game, and was fortunate to get a few photos of him (see photo above). As excited as Kelly was about his son’s basketball success, something else fueled his pride even more. He writes:

“The neatest thing was what a neighbor said about Luke. He said his sons were so excited as Luke was named Player of the Game for Thursday’s game [62-49 win over Grand Rapids in the state quarterfinals]. But what really caught their hearts is when they went to the [eucharistic] adoration chapel that night – there was Luke in deep prayer. You see, Luke goes to the adoration chapel every day to lift up the family and the world in prayer. As much as it was very exciting to win a state championship, he knows what is even more exciting is to spend that time in the presence of our King and Savior.
I am blessed to have his example to the family.”

Perhaps, Luke may have lifted up a prayer to Brother Michael Collins, long-time president of the school who died Jan. 8 after a very short battle with lung cancer. Brother Michael’s name came up during the interviews after the state-championship game. I watched head coach Dave Thorson choke up when he started talking about Brother Michael.

“The last three months have been very tough. My best friend died in January – Brother Michael Collins,” Thorson said. “He’s smiling up there someplace.”

Thorson’s sentiments were echoed by assistant coach Todd Anderson, who said both the boys and girls teams were inspired by Brother Michael in a special way this season. In fact, players on both teams wore jerseys with the letters BMC embroidered on them, in a tribute to Brother Michael. Players from the boys team could be seen grabbing at their emblems and pointing to them after the championship game.

“He’s been with us the whole time, if you want to know the truth,” Anderson said. “You can almost feel that presence.”

Hearing those comments by Thorson and Anderson made me flash back to 2006, moments after the DeLaSalle boys had won their previous state title. Thorson and Brother Michael embraced, and I was able to capture that moment with my camera. Little did I know how meaningful that image would be.

The DeLaSalle boys and girls gave me lots to photograph this year. Congratulations to both teams – and the Scott family – for making history!

Q: What did you enjoy about the state boys and girls basketball tournaments?

A wonderfully interesting online discussion has been going on all day today about people’s favorite music for Lent.

Simcha Fisher in her regular blog for NCRegister.com noted that Lenten music doesn’t get the props that Christmas music does. She named some of her favorites, and offered an opinion, which all good commentary should: She refuses to even call “Ashes” a hymn.

Eventually she asked, “What Lenten music do you hope to hear this year?” What a great way to get people engaged in things spiritual.

Comments keep coming

Fisher’s post went up at 7 a.m., and by 8:07 “Christina” had chimed in with her favorites, including “Were You There” and “Calvary,” noting that the Negro spirituals seemed especially appropriate for the season. She add a couple other hymns as well.

Now by 5 p.m. CDT there are an additional 30 comments — including one by your humble servant — and a disappointing flavor has tainted the cyber-discussion for me.

Please noted the language. I wrote “tainted” — not “ruined.” It’s still a good, engaging activity.

But when we’re talking about sacred music, do we have to take sides?

Our church is divided enough; do we have to paint our musical taste red or blue, too?

Here’s what I mean.

Many of the favorites early on mirrored blogger Fisher in leaning to the classical or serious music genre, so much so that a relatively early commenter wrote:

Shawn O’Brien, a member of St. Boniface in St. Bonifacius, sent a note saying that his daughter, Katelyn, a gifted writer and a senior at Watertown-Mayer High School, wrote a poem for a creative writing class and it was recently published in a national teen magazine. The poem subsequently has been published in a few area church bulletins as well. Here is Katelyn’s poem:

Sunday Morning

Every Sunday Morning you can be sure to see,

The beautiful old couple sitting in pew three.

I can’t help but notice the love in his eyes,

Not just for his bride, but his God lifted high.

The strong bond between this man and his wife,

It’s something I’ll strive for my entire life.

I sometimes notice my thoughts drift away,

I think of their love and forget to pray.

We say the Lord’s Prayer, the church as a whole,

Her hand in his, they pray with their souls.

He steals a glance of the woman on his arm,

He smiles and blinks as a tear causes alarm.

He bows his head, quickly finishes his prayer,

Squeezes her hand, and smiles with care.

As Mass comes to close, he looks at the cross,

Mouths a quick thank you, then nods in awe.

Now Mass is over, I slide out of my pew,

Smile at the man, who then smiles too.

The lesson I learned is short but true,

Love is so strong, it captivates you.

Providence Academy senior AnnMarie Healy takes a moment during her state championship celebration to pose for a photo with her uncle, Father Andrew Cozzens, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

As the Providence Academy girls basketball team was celebrating its state Class AA championship at Target Center on Saturday, I scanned the crowd of pumped up fans that stayed to watch the post-game festivities.

I was looking for Father Andrew Cozzens, a priest of the archdiocese who currently serves at the St. Paul Seminary. Several weeks ago, I learned that his niece, senior AnnMarie Healy, is one of the team’s top players. This discovery came as I worked on a feature story on her scoring 1,000 points and, in turn, giving $1,000 to the charity of her choice, thanks to an anonymous donor.

Sure enough, Father Cozzens was in the stands watching Lions players cut down the net. With very little prompting, he came down from the stands and onto the court to greet his niece and get a photo taken with her. I was only too happy to oblige.

It was a touching scene, with Father Cozzens turning to hug her after I snapped a few photos. He was instrumental in helping Healy pick her charity, the newly-formed Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in the Diocese of New Ulm. Who knows? Maybe Healy will join them someday. She certainly is open to that possibility.

But, for the moment, she is busy celebrating the first state title for her team. There could be more. She is only one of two seniors on the squad this year, along with forward Katie Nordick. There are a bunch of talented players returning next year who could make another run at the title. And, with a talented coach, Ray Finley, who now has won state titles with three different schools, there’s no telling what this team could do next year and beyond.

Congratulations to Healy and all of her teammates on a job well done! They appeared to be in trouble during the state finals against Sauk Centre, but they came on strong in the second half to erase a five-point deficit and win, 46-40. Don’t be surprised to see the Lions back in the state tournament next year!

Q: What is your favorite memory of this year’s state girls basketball tournament?