M ay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.

Transcription

1 Advent 2013 The Servant Newsletter for the Permanent Deacon Community Inside this issue: Council Update Deacons in Action Pastoral Support Community Weekend Chaplet of Mary 6 Making a Difference 9 Formation 10 Anniversaries 11 Calendar 12 Editor s & Contact 13 Year At-a-Glance 14 M ay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

2 Page 2 Deacon Council Update Deacon Jim Bauhs Prayers and best wishes that your Advent has been filled with peace and joy! Your Deacon Council has continued to work throughout the year and has finished our first year operating under our approved constitution and by-laws. Before closing out 2013, please join me in thanking four of our brothers who are completing their appointments to the Council. Deacons Rich Heineman, Jack Nicklay, Dick Roy and Phil Stewart have served our community tirelessly and well. We are all indebted to them for their service, guidance, prayer and fraternity. We wish them well in whatever the future holds for them. We are looking ahead to 2014 with anticipation and energy. The Council has submitted our recommendation to the Archbishop for new appointments to fill out the council. In January we will have elections for President and Secretary. This will then establish the election pattern supporting two-year terms for the Council Officers (President, Vice-president, Treasurer and Secretary). The Council will also establish working committees that meet in alternating months. See the back page for the Council 2014 year-at-a-glance calendar. Please consider becoming active in the Council and its efforts. Feel free to contact one of the Council members or me with any questions or comments. Have a very Blessed Advent and Christmas Deacons in Action Deacon Larry Lawinger It is great comfort to those in the hospital to be able to receive the Eucharist. This can be challenging if one must stop at the church before and after each visit. My service assignment is to provide pastoral care to those at Maple Grove Hospital. Over the past 16 months I have worked with many different groups to receive the necessary support and approvals for the installation of a Tabernacle at the hospital. My deep appreciation is extended to Chaplain Joel Jueckstock, Fr. Jim Livingston, Fr. Paul Treacy and especially Fr. John Paul Erickson for their support and assistance in making this extension of care a reality. The Mass of dedication of the Tabernacle was held on October 2nd. I was honored to serve as Deacon of the Mass with Fr. John Paul Erickson the celebrant and Fr. Jim Livingston, Fr. Paul Treacy, and Fr. Kevin Magner as the concelebrants. If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact me. Deacon Larry Lawinger - larry.lawinger@lci-online.com "The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak. Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, N.47

3 Page 3 Diaconate Community Pastoral Support Susan Amos Palmer We are called to serve one another and to walk humbly with God. Pastoral care, Christian listening and confidentiality were all covered during my and my husband s, Deacon Rod, formation for the diaconate. We learned to tune in to the other person within ministry, our families, extended families and the diaconate family. To have community, we must build each other up, listen to one another, be willing to help one another, and most importantly, to pray. Our Holy Mother Mary, in messages delivered to the visionaries of Medjugore, continues to ask us to Pray, Pray, Pray. In the Diaconate Council s Pastoral Council (DCPC), we pray for you all, care about you, and reach out to you. Prayer requests go out from time to time as families ask. We honor each person and only send out requests made by the deacon or deacon s wife, sharing as much or as little as the family desires. We are here for you and ask only that you reach back, letting us know what we can do and what prayers you need. We can pray and communicate the needs in our community, but we truly need you all to communicate with us. If you are not hearing from your class prayer chain contact, please let me know. Some classes do not have a contact and I would welcome people willing to take on another class besides their own. Again, let me know. This is who we are on the DCPC: Deacon Jim McLauglin, bobbie.jim@mclaughlin.net, (H) Judy Qualye, tmquayle@usfamily.net, (H) Char Murphy, jwcbmurphy@comcast.net, (H), (C) Mary Ann Stickney, (H) Deacon George Nugent, gnugent@allsaintschurch.com, (C) Susan Amos Palmer, susanamospalmer@hotmail.com, (H), (C) and (pastoral support cell phone) As we approach Christmas and the new year, I want to go on record as being thankful for the Diaconate Community. It is a treasure for us all. Peace, Susan Solidarity in sharing sorrow and instilling hope is the premise and condition to receive in inheritance the Kingdom prepared for us. One who practices mercy does not fear death. - Pope Francis - Nov 27, 2013 Editor Jim s Note: I have the privilege of being my class representative for the communication of community pastoral items. This is a very simple, but powerful ministry. The ability to share the prayers, praise and concerns of our brothers and sisters in the diaconate community takes very little time and effort. Just a reliable and frequently used account and a distribution list to the members of your ordination class are the only technology requirements. If you are willing to take on this ministry of pastoral support, please contact Susan as noted above. May God continue to bless you!

4 Page 4 Community Weekend - November 8-10, 2013 Deacon Jim Bauhs Another Diaconate Community weekend has come and gone. On November 8-10, approximately 70 members of this community gathered at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, MN. Our weekend is an opportunity for the community to come together, to pray, to bond, to relax, and to reconnect. A few key highlights to the weekend. Friday evening s keynote was given by Fr. Steven Hoffman, Pastor of Church of St. Luke's in Clearwater, MN. The title of his presentation was The Eucharistic Heart of our Life, which was delivered in the chapel in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. A couple of key messages that I picked up on in his very rich talk are: The Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ, is the solution to all the world s problems. - Blessed John Paul II Revised Serenity Prayer: Grant me the grace to accept the people I cannot change. The wisdom to change the one I can. And to recognize that one is me. Pray that Jesus will take us more deeply into the Paschal Mystery. Saturday evening included Mass with Bishop Piché, dinner and then his talk titled In the Furnace of Humiliation, a very powerful presentation highlighting the sanctifying and salvific properties of fire and humility. Bishop Piché completed his talk and then answered every question asked. Those present gathered around our Shepherd and prayed for and over him. A truly moving experience. Our community is blessed to have individuals like Margene Bauhs, Shellee Leif and Deacon Ron Smisek who once again raised the bar on hospitality and organization. Shellee had prepared all the packets, and Margene worked with the Center staff on logistics and organized the weekend. Thank you both! Thanks again to Deacon Ron Smisek for arranging all the music and liturgy aids. Please plan to join us next year on November 14-16, 2014

5 Page 5 Community Weekend - Evaluation & Survey Results Deacon Jim Bauhs We look to improve the community weekend each year with feedback from on-site evaluations by those in attendance, and on-line and mailed surveys to those who were not able to attend. I very much appreciate all the feedback and thank everyone who took the time to provide it. I will provide a brief glimpse at the returns from both. Be assured that those planning next year s weekend will receive the full unedited returns. 43 members (26 deacons, 16 wives, 1 other) completed the on-site evaluation. The form was a combination of rating scales and free-form comment fields. On a 10-point scale the overall rating and value were both rated 8.8. Some of the key themes I gleaned from the comments were: Don t try to pack so much into the agenda Organize topics for the women Have less deacon business topics Add a mix to the music, don t need to sing/chant all of the Hours. We also followed up with those who were not in attendance by using an online survey tool (SurveyMonkey); and for those without , we mailed paper copies. We received 59 online responses and 23 paper surveys. I have included graphs showing the summary of the results. Nearly 66% of those not in attendance said that Yes they plan to attend or are Unsure for next year. Not surprisingly, given how busy deacons and families are, the categories of Family and Church duties topped the list of preventing reasons. Some of the other reasons were: Health Cost Transportation Unaware that one could attend part of the weekend All this information will be shared with the committee that will plan next year s events, including the Community Dinner and Community Weekend. Remember next year s weekend will be: November 14-16, 2014

6 The Chaplet of the Crown of the 12 Stars of Mary A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1b The Twelve-Star Devotion is of baroque origin and expression. It originated with the special attention attributed to Mary as Regina Mundi or Imperatrix Mundi in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In this newer devotion, the chaplet called the Crown of 12 Stars, the stars symbolize Mary s motherhood and Queenship over all of Israel, the 12 stars representing the 12 tribes and also the 12 apostles. When we reflect on the life of Mary, we can see that each star could represent a particular aspect of Mary s virtues virtues that exemplify her excellence, her power and her goodness. St. John, the beloved disciple of Jesus and Mary was privileged to behold a wonderful sign in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1b 1. The first star represents Mary s Compassion. O Mother of all people, you know all of our sufferings and our hopes. You maternally feel our struggles. We ask you to receive our cry and take the entire human family under your maternal protection. Hail Mary.. 2. The second star is the star of Purity. Our Lord, descending to earth beheld all women; He chose one for Himself who among them all was found pleasing. He found her to have a pure heart and every reckoning of perfection. Because of this, He chose her, the pure and most fair one. Hail Mary..

7 3. Mercy is the third star. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. Most gracious advocate, turn your eyes of mercy toward us, and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. Hail Mary.. 4. The fourth star represents Mary s virtue of Patience. Mary s whole life was a continual exercise of her patience; for, as the angel revealed to St. Bridget, as a rose grows up amongst thorns, so did the Blessed Virgin grow up amongst tribulations. (St. Alphonsus di Liguori) Hail Mary.. 5. The fifth star represents Love. Mary was endowed with the gift of love, which she alone knew how to give more ardently and perfectly than all creatures combined; to love God entirely for His own sake, purely, intensely and without defect. Hail Mary.. 6. The Blessed Virgin is the perfect example of Charity. The Church sees in Mary the highest expression of the feminine genius and finds her a source of constant inspiration. Putting herself at God s service, Mary also put herself completely at the service of others. Hail Mary.. 7. In the seventh star, we see the virtue of Obedience. Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her. Above all creatures, may you be blessed, you, the handmaid of the Lord, who in the fullest way obeyed the Divine call! Hail Mary.. 8. The eighth star represents the Strength of the Blessed Mother, as evidenced as her Son was raised on the cross. Mary stood by Him, sharing His suffering. May she, who is our spiritual Mother and patroness in heaven, help us to find renewed strength at the cross of Christ and so come to share in His rising to new life. Hail Mary.. 9. The ninth star denotes Humility. Mary, humble servant of God Most High, the Son to whom you gave birth has made you the servant of humanity. Your life was always a humble and generous service to those whom you touched. Hail Mary.. 10.Through the virtue of Trust, the tenth star, we see that on the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine. Jesus said to her, Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servers, Do whatever He tells you. Hail Mary..

8 11. Devotion is the eleventh star: Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son. You abandoned yourself completely to God s call and thus became a wellspring of goodness which flows from Him. Hail Mary Completing the Crown of Twelve Stars is Faithfulness: Virgin Mary, help us to live, like you, the beatitudes of believers, and to dedicate ourselves with unceasing charity, sharing your faith with all of those who seek your Son. Hail Mary.. Leader Leader All Through all the designated virtues describing the Blessed Virgin Mary, she earnestly desires to inspire all of us to be joyous witnesses to others, growing and rejoicing in the Lord who created us. Let us allow ourselves to be led by our Blessed Mother to recognize that we need God and His mercy, and in this way enter into His Kingdom of justice, of love, and of peace. Amen. Mary, Queen of all Virtues, Pray for us. Special Thanks to the Diaconate Community of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio for sharing this Chaplet.

9 Page 9 Making a Difference as a Community Deacon Peter Bellavance Greetings to my brother Deacons, I come to you with a heavy heart. I am still touched by our prayer together with Bishop Piché and the heavy burden on all those of our Archdiocese community; those who were hurt, those that are fallen, and those working to pick up the pieces. As I have prayed for what I, and we as a deacon community can do, I was pulled back to Pope Francis recent consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I believe it is in just these times that we need to call upon her for a renewal of our hearts to Christ and seeking her intercession. In seeking her help, I am called to a recent book that is gaining popularity as it calls us also to consecrate our lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That book is 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC. In the spiritual battle that surrounds us, we are called to step out in faith and bring leadership and direction to a community in great need of healing. I believe this consecration is part of that answer. As I ponder Pope Francis words at the consecration, I am reminded of our call as Deacons. He states: Today let us all ask ourselves whether we are afraid of what God might ask, or of what he does ask. Do I let myself be surprised by God, as Mary was, or do I remain caught up in my own safety zone: in forms of material, intellectual or ideological security, taking refuge in my own projects and plans? Do I truly let God into my life? How do I answer him?... And I ask myself: am I a Christian by fits and starts, or am I a Christian full-time? Our culture of the ephemeral, the relative, also takes its toll on the way we live our faith. God asks us to be faithful to him, daily, in our everyday life. He goes on to say that, even if we are sometimes unfaithful to him, he remains faithful. In his mercy, he never tires of stretching out his hand to lift us up, to encourage us to continue our journey, to come back and tell him of our weakness, so that he can grant us his strength. This is the real journey: to walk with the Lord always, even at moments of weakness, even in our sins. Never to prefer a makeshift path of our own. That kills us. Faith is ultimate fidelity, like that of Mary.... Take Mary. After the Annunciation, her first act is one of charity towards her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth. Her first words are: "My soul magnifies the Lord", in other words, a song of praise and thanksgiving to God not only for what he did for her, but for what he had done throughout the history of salvation. Everything is his gift. If we can realize that everything is God's gift, how happy will our hearts be! With Pope Francis words ringing in my ears, I would like to recommend to all of us that we step out in faith and speak to our pastors about starting a group in our parish of parishioners who are willing to use the 33 days to Morning Glory to guide their retreat followed by the consecration of themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If you have not heard of this book, you can go to where you can find out about this program. They have a DVD series as well as the books for a leader and for members. Books are also available on Amazon.com. It is a great retreat using St Louis De Montfort s works as the base, but using St Maximillian Kolbe s, Blessed Mother Theresa s and Blessed John Paul II s devotional writings and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to provide much of the material for this 33 day retreat and consecration. I believe this is a time of great need for prayer and action, which calls us to listen to what is going on around us; to truly step out in faith; and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, bring healing and hope to a community in great need of healing. Your Brother in Christ, Deacon Peter Bellavance

10 Page 10 Formation Director s Update Deacon Joe Michalak Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Diaconate Inquiry Sessions Spring 2014 If you know of anyone who is interested in finding out more about the Vocation of the Permanent Diaconate, please invite him to attend our series of four Diaconate Inquiry Sessions. The sessions are designed to give the basic information on what a deacon is and does, how one might begin to respond to the Lord s call to Holy Orders, and what the discernment and formation process looks like. Even if one is not sure; he will want to apply now to diaconate formation and come to find out more. There is no commitment. The Inquiry Sessions are also designed to give a taste of what diaconate discernment and formation is like. We therefore ask you to share this information and encourage men to attend all four sessions in the series. If the man is married, his wife should also attend. Among the topics covered: Who is a deacon? The theology (and a little history) of the permanent diaconate Holy Orders and the deacon as Bishop s Man Diaconal spirituality and the three-fold charism of diaconate vocation The New Evangelization and the context for the modern diaconate What the diaconate vocation looks like in this Archdiocese How diaconate is expressed in celibacy and marriage and family The role of the wife of a married deacon The structure of diaconate formation in the Institute for Diaconate Formation at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity The application and discernment process Each session will include: Praying the Liturgy of the Hours or Mass Instruction & discussion Questions for reflection and application Place: St. Paul Seminary campus at UST Dates and Times: Thursdays, March 27, April 3, April 10, 6:30-9:00 pm, and Saturday, April 12, 8:00 am-noon. To Register for the Inquiry Sessions, please contact: Deacon Russ Kocemba at or kocemba@msn.com - or - Shellee Leif at or sjleif@stthomas.edu To apply for admission to diaconate formation, the man must be at least in the first year of the Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute, be between 29 and 59 years old, and attend a series of Inquiry Sessions. We will repeat the Inquiry Sessions in the fall of 2014.

11 Page 11 Ordination Anniversaries 2013 saw ordination anniversaries (half or full decade) for 39 members of our Community. Six members and wives pictured at right were present and joined by Bishop Piché at the weekend to receive our gratitude directly. When you see any of your brothers listed below, please congratulate them and thank them for their service. 35 years Deacon Francis Asenbrenner Deacon Charles Bernard Deacon Peter D'Heilly Deacon Donald Pendergast Deacon John Deacon James Salchert Smith 30 years Deacon George Babcock Deacon Thomas Dolan Deacon Joseph Schramer Deacon Del Wilkinson 25 years Deacon Peter Bednarczyk Deacon Ronald Freeman Deacon John Nicklay Deacon Richard Stevens Deacon Randy Deacon David Deacon David 20 years 15 years Deacon Terry Deacon David Deacon Thomas Beer Ingwell Quayle Deacon Rip Riordan Deacon Alphonse Schroeder Deacon Scott Wright 10 years Deacon Sean Curtan Deacon James DeShane Deacon William Heiman Deacon James Meyer Deacon Stephen Najarian Deacon Michael Bauer Holst Huibregtse Deacon Michael Humbert Deacon Edward Janes Deacon Allan Schroeder Wurdock Deacon Jim Bauhs 5 years Deacon John Deacon Ramón Belian Garcia DeGollado Deacon Michael Martin Jr. Deacon Newell Deacon Luis Deacon Gary McGee Rubi Schneider Deacon Timothy Zinda T he Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve. Matthew 20:28

12 Page February 14 March March 27 April 3, 10, 12 April May 3 May 9 June 8-12 June Nov Lector Installation - SPS Chapel - 7:00 pm Men s Formation & Deacons Retreat All Deacons Welcome - Prior Lake Diaconate Inquiry Sessions 3 Thursdays & 1 Saturday at the Seminary NADD Conference - Atlanta, GA Ordination Transitional Deacon Basilica Minneapolis - 10:00 am Community Dinner - St. Paul Seminary National Directors Institute - Columbus, OH Summer Immersion Week - Collegeville Community Weekend - Buffalo, MN 2015 April Nov July 22-26, NADD Conference - St. Paul / Minneapolis Community Weekend - Buffalo, MN National Diaconate Congress New Orleans, LA Put these Community events on your calendar! Deacon Council Meetings At the St. Paul Seminary 3rd Thursday each Month. Except July & November All are Welcome

13 Page 13 Editor s Corner Deacon Jim Bauhs As you can see there is much going on. I am absolutely certain there is even more that would be of interest. If you have an event that Deacons, Wives or Widows would be interested or invited please let me know to be included on the calendar of events. Please consider writing an article for your newsletter. I am always available to assist. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. It is a joy to serve with you. Next Publication - Lent 2014 Your brother in Christ, Jim "An authentic faith - which is never comfortable or completely personal - always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it." Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, N.183 Contact Information Director of Diaconate Deacon Joe Michalak jtmichalak@stthomas.edu Assistant to Deacon Director - Shellee Leif sjleif@stthomas.edu President of Deacon Council Deacon Jim Bauhs Deacon.Jim.Bauhs@gmail.com Director Of Clergy Services Deacon John Vomastek vomastekj@archspm.org Diaconate Pastoral Support (available 24 x 7) - Susan Amos Palmer, susanamospalmer@hotmail.com Editor of Deacon Newsletter Deacon Jim Bauhs Deacon.Jim.Bauhs@gmail.com

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