PARISH NEWSLETTER. All Part of God s Plan. Ben Stefonowicz

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1 MAY 2016 PARISH NEWSLETTER Lakeville, Minnesota Parishioner Ben Stefonowicz didn t always appreciate the rich community and faith life here at All Saints. Having grown up in the parish, Ben was active within the community in a number of ways from altar serving, participating in the youth group s Peer Ministry program, and even serving as a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion. Peer Ministry, says Ben, was particularly influential in his faith formation, allowing him to participate in a number of Steubenville Conferences and retreats which really made the faith come alive for him. These experiences also taught Ben a lot about the beauty of service. There were a lot of moments within the service I did that provided me great joy joy just from all of the fun that I was having with friends, but also joy from the actual service itself, Ben says. Despite these early experiences, however, Ben still found his faith life floundering during his early college years. Pulled away by the common temptations and pitfalls facing young adults, Ben shares that he was Catholic in name only during this time. Yet even still, he felt compelled to All Part of God s Plan Ben Stefonowicz Looking back on his faith journey, parishioner Ben Stefonowicz realizes that the foundation he received at All Saints uniquely prepared him for his missionary work through St. Paul s Outreach. continue attending Mass every Sunday, even when studying abroad in Italy. It was in this foreign country that Ben had a kind of epiphany, pushing him to move out of the lukewarm waters in which he had been swimming over the past years. I was in Italy going to Mass, Ben says. While sitting in the church, it suddenly hit me that I was getting just as much from a Mass in Italian as one in English, which struck me as pretty pathetic. That was when I suddenly realized that there was either something wrong with me or the faith that I supposedly professed. This prompted Ben to begin searching for the truth, leading him to his first encounter with St. Paul s Outreach, or SPO, through the continued on page 7 we GROW we SERVE we WORK we INVITE we CARE we PRAY

2 ALL SAINTS BOY SCOUTS EARN RANK OF EAGLE On March 6, four young men from Troop 260, chartered by All Saints received their eagle, the highest rank in Boy Scouting. Not only did these scouts devote their time and talents to working towards a host of Boy Scout Merit Badges, but they also completed individual service project requirements in order to earn the Eagle Scout rank. These Eagle Scouts- Patrick Votel, Curtis LeMaire, Alex Heuer, and Ross Bellefeuille are four among many that have contributed service and leadership to our parish and to the broader community through scouting. All Saints serves as the sponsoring organization for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venture because the Boy Scouts of America has consistently stressed the necessity of the spiritual life and the importance of dependence on God in the life of young people and their leaders. With the addition of a spiritual emphasis provided by parish and troop leaders scouting can and does lead young people to Christ. Each year more than a dozen young people at All Saints earn scouting recognition related to their Catholic faith, and many more have chosen to complete their scouting service requirements through parish ministries like Super Saturday Service. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting provides resources and support to local packs, troops, and crews to draw a direct connection between the principles of scouting and living out an active Catholic life of faith. The scout oath serves as an example of the connection between Catholicism and scouting principles. On my honor I will do my best : Our honor is a quality we possess because of our dignity as human beings and children of God. Our best means to keep striving to do what we know is right, To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law : Faithful citizenship at home, school, church, and community call us to do what is right and to treat others with respect. To help other people at all times : Our Lord told us that love of our neighbor was like the first law of love of God. Christian charity or love prompts us to help others. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight : God asks is to take special care to the two gifts of the soul intellect and will. In doing so we seek to know what is right and true, to love what is good, and to act on what is good. The next time you meet an Eagle Scout, remember that not only is he well trained in outdoor skills, he is formed in to engage his faith in his service, citizenship and leadership. 2 On Monday, May 30, we will celebrate a Memorial Day Mass at All Saints Catholic Cemetery located at Holyoke Ave. in Lakeville. (In the event of inclement weather, Mass will be held in the main church.) As is our custom, this is in memory of all those buried there, and in particular for military members. Mass will begin at 11 a.m. and we invite all parishioners to join in our remembrance service. VFW Post 210 of Lakeville and American Legion Post 44 will present its annual Memorial Day color guard visits at 12 area cemeteries to honor the military service members buried there. The tour of ceremonies will visit All Saints Church Cemetery around 12 p.m. The stops on the route will each include a brief presentation, the Color Guard, and the Lakeville North High School band. Afterward, there will be a brief program at the Lakeville Veterans Memorial at Aronson Park starting around 12:30 p.m. Similar Memorial Day ceremonies have been performed in Lakeville for more than 50 years.

3 A Letter From Our Pastor MOM BRINGS CALM, MARY BRINGS PEACE My Dear Friends in Christ, While still a seminarian, I was asked by a former work colleague to participate in his wedding to a woman who was not Catholic. I was a reader and we talked a little bit about the music, too. She insisted on having Schubert s Ave Maria (probably the most familiar tune in the many different versions), despite not being Catholic. As a rookie theologian, I reminded her that her stripe of Christianity was not that enamored by the Hail Mary and Catholic devotion to her, and the Ave Maria is a musical version of a hymn to Mary based on the Hail Mary. She told me, I may not be Catholic, but Mary is our mother, too. Fair enough. For as many questions as I get about the role of Mary in the life of the Church from people trying to discern entry into the Church or figure out Catholicism, my default is to think that other Christians are hostile to Mary. I don t think it is true. There may be misunderstandings about what we believe, and there may even be hostility to the Church, but in reality, I think very few people have any actual hostility to the Blessed Virgin. Mary even enjoys a revered role in the Koran, despite Islam s denial of the divinity of Christ. It all relates back to Mary being our mother, and mothers very often are the uniters of their families. Appreciation of the Blessed Virgin can be a catalyst to unity, and those who advocate for newly defined dogmas about Mary insist that formally declaring them is necessary for the Church to be completely unified. That may or may not be true, but her attractiveness to the human spirit cannot be denied. In my office, I have prints of two different paintings of Mary. The first is called the Praying Virgin by Sassoferrato in the 1600s, and is the subject of multiple copies, a Renaissance version of flattery and knock-off production. The second is Madonna of the Pilgrims by Caravaggio, and shows Mary welcoming a small group of humble and tattered pilgrims as she holds the Baby Jesus. Caravaggio did that for a wealthy church in Rome to remind them that Mary welcomes the simple as much as the wealthy. Some of the most beautiful art and music in history is inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary, and often exudes a sense of peace and calm. Mom brings calm. Mary brings peace. As Catholics, we need to appreciate Mary and her motherly care, and not place her in a box out of fear she may be offensive to some other Christians. Sadly, there was a time in our recent history where it was implied that if we were to ever be unified in Christianity, we needed to soft-pedal Mary. I don t believe that is true and I don t believe most people have issues with the real Mary. We need to appreciate and share her for what she is chosen by God to be His mother and the first disciple of Jesus Christ. Mary is the first witness to Jesus and our example of fidelity. Mary is not just a good example, though. She is our mother who nurtures us, intercedes for us, and hopes for us. All heavenly golf jokes aside, Mary is our mother as Catholics, and like my friends wife said, she is other Christians mother, as well. She is not meant to be hoarded, but to be shared. Mary is not God, but is our mother and the world s, too. Knowing her and her desire can be a source of great unity among all followers of Jesus and others, too. Rejoice in the gift of Mary during this Marian month of May. Sincerely in Christ, Fr. Tom Wilson Pastor 3

4 ALL SAINTS WITH CRAYON By ANNI My devotion and relationship to Mary is similar to that of a child who sits at the feet of their mother with crayons and paper. The child is not always in verbal communication, but aware of her presence, having her close, and feeling safe and secure in her love. I see myself on the floor busying myself in creativity, being totally happy and eager to show her my finished project. I offer it to her, and everything else I do that is worthy of such a loving mother. There was a void in my life after my mother s passing. On many occasions, I longed to pick up the phone to talk to her. It was in those moments I realized I had a mother in Mary, and needed her like never before. She takes me close to Jesus through meditation, prayer, and my consecration to Jesus though her loving hands (Marian Consecration). For me, she is always there. Everyone has different needs and wants in a mother. Mary is perfect and can be everything for us, and in ways no earthly mother is able. She so perfectly knows our hearts, our needs, wants, our joys and sorrow, worries and fears. As a mother, she understood the demands of raising a child in trying times and difficult circumstances. Mary s fiat (her yes to God) grew to include the joys but also the worries and fears that came with raising children. She suffered three terrifying days concerned for the safety and whereabouts of Jesus. You can share Picture yourself at her feet, a child on the floor with the crayons and paper. What words would you choose? What gift might you give her? Ask her to follow you though your days and feel close and secure in the love of your beautiful Mother. with her your trials, and the terror and heartache of fearing your child has become lost. Mary is no stranger to hardship. Life brought unexpected and unwanted change. Her heart was troubled after Simeon s prophesies. She experienced homelessness, having been uprooted and moved into unfamiliar territories. She knew poverty, having left nearly of all of their belongings behind while fleeing into Egypt. At her Child s deathbed, beneath the cross, she held her lifeless Son in her arms for the last time. We can go to her in our own grief that comes from having lost hope or a job or a loved one. Stay at her feet. 4

5 S AND PAPER E WAHL I imagine Mary with the apostles in the upper room after Jesus crucifixion sharing stories relating to His early life, perhaps even preparing food with the love of a mother, while she was in desperate need of comfort herself. Picture yourself at her feet, a child on the floor with the crayons and paper. What words would you choose? What gift might you give her? Ask her to follow you though your days and feel close and secure in the love of your beautiful Mother. Mary s inner and outer beauty is a frequent subject for artists. Even the angel Gabriel was blown away when he saw her soul and exclaimed Hail Mary full of grace. The Lord is with you! A friend taught me a method of meditative drawing called Zen Tangle. Mary was my favorite subject. This process uses deliberate and repetitive strokes of a pen while creating designs and patterns. I find it relaxing and comforting, especially having my Blessed Mother in the design. When asked if I would paint something to brighten up the Youth Room, I agreed, but only if we could get some young people to work alongside me. Together, we began the work of creating a Zen Tangle mural, where our youth are depicted as safe and secure protected under Mary s Mantle of protection. You are invited to view this spectacular piece at the Mother s Day Brunch on May 8 in Murphy Hall. 5

6 ALL SAINTS CELEBRATING THE CORONATION OF MARY The May Crowning F or many Catholics, May Crownings of statues or icons of the Blessed Mother have become rites of spring. Like flowers blooming or Mother s Day, this annual Marian devotion reminds us that the cold of winter is behind us, and it ushers in a month during which the Catholic Church pays special homage to Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Generally taking place during the first weekend of the month, May Crownings bring children often, recent First Communicants out in their Sunday best to participate in processions and adorn statues of the Blessed Mother with crowns of flowers or actual gold crowns. Additionally, the children often place roses at her feet, and Catholics carry out similar practices in their homes by placing roses around statues of the Blessed Virgin, or even adding ornamentation to images of Mary. But where did this practice come from, and how did it develop into the tradition that we currently know and love? The Coronation of Mary had been a popular subject in European art and literature for centuries, but the tradition of the May Crowning can be most accurately traced back to the late 16th century. Perhaps inspired by the practice of adding ornamentation to Marian icons that had been carried out by some Eastern churches, Pope Clement VIII added two crowns to the icon of Mary with the Infant Jesus in the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. The crowns were eventually lost, but were replaced by Gregory XVI in 1837 in a rite that was to become the standard practice for crowning. While the May Crowning is not an official liturgical celebration on the Church calendar, it is an important practice in honoring Mary as the Queen of the Universe, and its imagery is especially influential in the faith formation of children. As Liz Kelly writes in May Crowning, Mass, and Merton and Other Reasons I Love Being Catholic, One of the defining aspects of being Catholic is devotion to Mary. I favor no Marian celebration more highly than May Crowning, the feast that recognizes Mary as queen of heaven and earth. To a person of any age, this is a mighty big title, but to a child of five or six or seven, it expands to enchanting, magical proportions. How many queens does one get a chance to meet in a lifetime, much less crown? This year, make a special effort to honor the coronation of Mary through participation in our May Crowning devotion on Sunday, May 1, after the 9 a.m. Mass, in St. Mary s Chapel. 6

7 All Part of God s Plan continued from front cover Newman Center at Minnesota University. There, he met individuals who were truly passionate about their faith. I began asking them questions about why they believed this and why they were living this way, Ben says. Through these questions, I began to understand that I really had these beliefs too the beliefs that I had really received at All Saints and that this was perhaps why I had continued going to Mas all this time. Through these conversations, Ben s life began to transform, and he started truly practicing his faith and found himself becoming increasingly open to the Lord s will. As his senior year began wrapping up, Ben had already lined up a full-time job. Yet, he increasingly felt a calling on his heart to serve the Lord as an SPO missionary. This was a struggle for Ben, not only because it would force him to give up his carefully made career plans, but also because he felt deeply unworthy. I didn t feel worthy of being a missionary, considering where my life had just been, he says. But that feeling just didn t go away, and I began to see that this was something God was calling me to do. Finally, Ben resolved to apply for the position, allowing God s plan for him to unfold. He was accepted in May 2015 and, after summer training, began his full-time mission work at Texas State University this past August. As an SPO missionary, Ben is tasked with building up Catholic communities among college students, enabling them to successfully live out their faith. One of the main ways this is accomplished is through their household program, in which both the Men s and Women s households live with fellow Catholic students, receiving fellowship, spiritual formation, and accountability. Currently, Ben co-leads a male household consisting of 10 students, where he has seen the young men transform daily, becoming much more like men and less like boys. In the process, Ben has continued his own faith journey, learning to trust God more completely and to constantly strive to love Him in the small things. The more that I get involved in this, the more I see stewardship through the everyday sacrifices and things that I m called to do as a missionary, Ben says. I used to continued on next page As a St. Paul s Outreach missionary, Ben Stefonowicz and his colleagues work to evangelize college campuses by creating intimate Catholic communities. Ben Stefonowicz has particularly enjoyed working with his household, where he has watched members transform, becoming much more like men, and less like boys. 7

8 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Lakeville, MN Permit # 27 ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC CHURCH Holyoke Ave Lakeville, MN Address Service Requested we GROW we SERVE we WORK we INVITE we CARE we PRAY Weekend Masses: Saturday Vigil, 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Daily Masses: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7:30 a.m.; Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. & 8:30 a.m. (when school is in session); Saturday, 8:00 a.m. Confessions: Private confession is available in St. Mary s Chapel on Saturdays from 8:30-9:30 a.m. & 3:30-4:30 p.m. and by private appointment All Part of God s Plan continued from page 7 worry so much about my future and the resources I would have, whereas now I ve experienced a kind of freedom from those worries. My time in ministry has helped me to more perfectly understand the Father s love for me. Ben realizes now that God used all of his past experiences, even the negative, to uniquely shape him in his role as a college missionary. He is also deeply thankful for the spiritual support and foundation that he received at All Saints, which he now realizes was instrumental in the journey. I think the reason I was able to hold onto my faith, even despite all of those temptations and struggles, was because of the community that I benefited from at All Saints, Ben says. I didn t always appreciate it then, but I see it now as something both very beautiful and encouraging. The more that I get involved in this, the more I see stewardship through the everyday sacrifices and things that I m called to do as a missionary. I used to worry so much about my future and the resources I would have, whereas now I ve experienced a kind of freedom from those worries. My time in ministry has helped me to more perfectly understand my Father s love for me. Ben Stefonowicz