My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The historic United States Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe vs Wade will be remembered as a moment of recognition and obligation; recognition that the court’s decision will save untold innocent, unborn lives, and a reminder of our common obligation to reach out to pregnant women and children in need of our help. Many faithful in our diocese have worked tirelessly over the years to provide a courageous witness in the public square to the rights of the unborn and the sanctity of human life. Their actions have been heroic and prophetic, and…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, For almost twenty years, young people involved in our parish high school youth ministry have volunteered a week of their summer vacation for a service trip, assisting people in need in a variety of places. They carry out this mission work with Catholic Heart Workcamp (CHWC), a youth service organization that enables teens to engage in short-term service trips all over the United States. In addition to daily work on behalf of those in need, CHWC provides our young people the opportunity to engage their Catholic faith in meaningful ways, encounter Jesus in the…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this great solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi), we are invited to join the Catholic Church in the United States in a time of Eucharistic revival, a time to be renewed in our devotion to Jesus as He comes to us in the most Blessed Sacrament. This special effort is led by Bishop Andrew Cozzens, of Crookston, MN, and aims to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with Jesus through the Holy Eucharist in the hearts of all Catholics, which in turn…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The first letter of St. John stands as a Scriptural bridge between the Gospel of John and the other epistles of the Beloved Apostle. In this first letter, which is really more of a theological reflection (the other two letters of John have an introductory address and closing salutation that place them more squarely in the category of “letters”), John teaches his readers something of the nature of God (culminating in the famous and pithy verse “God is love”) and man’s relationship to the Divinity. This short book of the Bible can shed some…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus.” "For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.’"As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart…read more