Every July 26, we celebrate the feast day of

July 2013 Inside 2 Feast of St. James: July 25 Calling Us to Holiness 3 Ordinary Time is Never Ordinary 4 Fulfilling God s Plan for His Life 5 Why Do Catholics? 6 Stewardship: A Need to Give 7 Called to Serve the Poor: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul 11300 Frankfort Pkwy NE St. Michael, MN 55376 www.stmcatholicchurch.org Marriage and Prayer: Keeping God at the Center Every July 26, we celebrate the feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition holds that Anne and Joachim were a pious couple who, while having been married for many years, were unable to have children. After fervent prayer, they were blessed with Mary, their only child. We don t know much about their lives and background nevertheless, as the parents entrusted with raising the Mother of God, they provide us with a wonderful example of the power of prayer within a marriage. Anne and Joachim may be declared saints by the Church, but we are all called to be saints in our ordinary lives. Indeed, examples of this dedication Bill and Nancy Stanchina (third row, far left) with their three children and 11 grandchildren. to marriage and prayer can also be found right here in our own parish. For Bill and Nancy Stanchina in particular, prayer has not only strengthened and guided them through their marriage, but also through their entire lives. Bill and Nancy first met in Livonia, Mich. when they were in the ninth grade. I knew Bill was the one when I first met him I never doubted, says Nancy. Our love of God started with us when we first met. We shared Him from the heart in a lot of our personal conversations starting when we were 14 years old. In courtship, in engagement and in marriage, I believe God has always been the one constant of our lives and duly recognized. He has always been between us, and always will be. The Stanchinas were married four years later in 1968, and now have three children and 11 grandchildren. After moving eight times and belonging to seven different parishes, they have been parishioners at St. Michael for the past 11 years. Bill and Nancy have strived to incorporate prayer especially praying for one another into their everyday lives. We for the most part do not pray prescribed prayers we pray from the heart in words the Lord gives us, Bill says. Though we pray separately many times throughout the day, we are constantly in each other s prayers, and I feel that many of the deep spiritual discussions we have are truly a form of prayer. God is truly at the center of our marriage. We not only made a solemn vow to each other, we made a solemn vow to Him, as well. And I truly believe He helps us keep that vow among all of the devil s distractions and temptations in this secular world. My faith has given me strength and peace in our marriage, and a great deal of joy, adds Nancy. From the time our children were preschoolers, I would pray for their future continued on back cover

Feast of St. James: July 25 Calling Us to Holiness The beauty of St. James the Great s character lies in his undivided heart a heart which treasured its Lord from its very depths. The Gospel story (Luke 5:1-11) recounts that, after laborious fishing efforts, Simon, James and John had caught nothing. When Jesus directed Simon to lower the nets again, they caught an astonishing quantity of fish. At the sight of this miraculous catch of fish, they began to understand that this man Jesus was not someone to merely pass by that this man must be divine. He called them to leave all and follow Him. From this moment forward, St. James had a relentless resolve to follow his newfound Messiah. Christ made James one of the Twelve Apostles, giving him the mission to proclaim the Good News, and the authority to heal the sick and suffering. Jesus also allowed him some special privileges. For instance, when Jairus daughter was raised, James, along with John and Peter, were the only ones Jesus allowed to accompany Him. When Christ sought God s presence in an intimate way through prayer from a mountaintop, He brought along with Him only James, John and Peter. There, they witnessed the glorious transfiguration of Jesus. He also chose these three to be at His side during His excruciating Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Clearly he was one of Christ s most beloved followers. This brave saint was also one of the first martyrs of the Church. King Herod Agrippa killed him with a sword in an early Church persecution. Confidence in God arms us... with that supernatural courage which causes us to dread nothing in our struggle for the kingdom of God: that conquering intrepidity which has animated the martyrs, wrote Dietrich von Hildebrand in Transformation in Christ. St. James certainly had this conquering intrepidity. St. James is the patron saint of hatmakers, rheumatoid sufferers, and laborers. Let us not allow such a Saint to pass by unnoticed. Let us emulate his dedication to God in our daily lives. As Pope John Paul II taught on the XXXIX World Day of Prayer for Vocations, To you all beloved of God and saints by vocation... (Rm 1:7). These words of the Apostle Paul to the Christians of Rome introduce the theme of... The vocation to holiness. Holiness! This is the grace and aim of every believer, he expresses. We are called to be as holy as we can be just as holy as St. James today, not tomorrow. Alleluia, truly, He is coming soon! We are called to be as holy as we can be just as holy as St. James today, not tomorrow. 2

A Letter From Our Pastor Ordinary Time is Never Ordinary Dear Parishioners, Glancing at the liturgical calendar for July, I was surprised to see that each Sunday in July is a Sunday in Ordinary Time. Are you aware that the last time we had a month when all of the Sundays were in Ordinary Time was October 2012? First of all, let me make it clear that there is nothing Ordinary about Ordinary Time. If you are old enough, you may recall the term Ordinary Time did not exist until after Vatican II (actually in 1969). Prior to that, the Church called Sundays the 1 st or 2 nd Sunday, and so on, after Epiphany or after Pentecost. Thus, the seasons of the Church year were Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and then Advent again. What difference does it all make? First of all, we need to understand that Ordinary Time does not mean or imply that this time in the Church calendar is commonplace. You may have heard the expression that every Sunday is Little Easter, and that is absolutely true, even during so-called Ordinary Time. In our mathematics lessons in school, we learned (at least some of us did) that there were cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. That sounds almost Catholic. Cardinal numbers were one, two, three, while ordinal numbers were first, second, third. Our Catholic term Ordinary Time actually came from the Latin, tempus per annum ( time through the year ). What is important to us as Catholics, though, is that we need to understand that our sense of stewardship and our sense of discipleship do not lessen because we call this time of year ordinary. Sometimes, our faith becomes too cerebral, too much of an intellectual pursuit. Surely you have heard the term faith in action. That is what stewardship really is; how we live out our faith by doing things. Reading Scripture, praying, Bible study, and trying to study our faith from a deeper perspective are very important. However, it is equally important that we do something specific to show that our perception of stewardship is alive and active. We are not necessarily talking about preaching on street corners or praying in public places. It may be something as simple as looking in our closets and identifying things we no longer need nor use. Give them away. Ordinary Time should be an incentive for us to do extraordinary things. It is worth noting that the color of liturgical garments (what we priests wear at Mass) during Ordinary Time is green. Green is the color of life. Green is the color of hope. Green is the color most of us associate with positives, with planting and nurturing and with the rhythms of life. It is with a smile that I note that my message for Ordinary Time is not too different from my message for Advent or Christmas or Lent or Easter. As Catholics, and as good stewards, every day is a challenge to live out our lives as disciples of Christ. Every day is a challenge to truly be a good steward. There are peaks and valleys and meadows and pastures. Perhaps this (Ordinary Time) is not a mountaintop (Christmas and Easter), but it is certainly a verdant field, and we are called to plant, nurture, and harvest now as much as any time. May God bless you in your stewardship journeys. Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Peter Richards, Pastor 3

Fulfilling God s P 4 Even when he was very young, Deacon Paul Shovelain had a sense of God s plan for his life. Since I was a young boy, I had the desire to become a priest, he says. My parents were very strict and they always made sure I was paying attention at Mass. Having to pay attention, I actually learned a lot about Catholicism. My family has been very supportive. Deacon Paul was ordained a transitional deacon on May 4, at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, thereby entering into the final leg of his journey to the priesthood. Deacon Paul was born here in St. Michael, and he was raised in our parish community. He attended St. Michael Catholic School for kindergarten through sixth grade, and he went on to attend St. Michael-Albertville High School. All of these aspects of his life have greatly influenced his vocational journey. When I talk about my vocation, I talk about three things my family life, the priests I looked up to, and the youth ministry, Deacon Paul says. Those things have given me strength to fulfill my vocation as a disciple of Christ. Having been raised in St. Michael Parish, Deacon Paul has greatly admired the priests he has known who have served as pastors for our parish, including our current pastor, Fr. Richards, and former pastors, Fr. Michael Becker and Fr. Denny Dempsey the latter being the first priest that Paul can remember serving under at the altar. These priests set the stage for Paul s vocation, and they were joined by a number of other priests who have encouraged him during his time in seminary. The other inspiration for Deacon Paul s call to the priesthood came through youth ministry. Sharing the faith with others in high school really called me to holiness, he says. I received a lot of joy from it. Now in seminary, I continue to go back there and help with the youth group when I can. It continues to bring me a lot of joy. Seeing the smiles on their faces and how they light up when they talk about Christ, it s amazing to see the joy in their eyes.

lan for His Life Deacon Paul s first real step towards the priesthood came when he went to St. John Vianney College Seminary. He has since finished his time at St. John Vianney, and he is now at St. Paul Seminary working on his Master of Divinity degree. Now that he is a transitional deacon, his preparation for the priesthood has reached a new level. It s been wonderful, Deacon Paul says. The ordination Mass itself was very powerful. Laying on the floor and hearing the people read the litany of the saints was a great blessing. Preaching has been a wonderful blessing. I ve preached several times now, and it s been wonderful. Please continue to keep Deacon Paul in your prayers as he finishes up his journey to the priesthood over the next year. Why Do Catholics? Why do Catholics have two different creeds the Apostles Creed (said during the rosary) and the Nicene Creed (said at Mass)? A creed is a summary of the principal articles of faith professed by the church. There can be more than one creed, since different creeds can include different levels of detail or word the same truths differently. The Apostles Creed is a brief statement of the fundamental Christian beliefs. Tradition tells us that the Apostles Creed was handed down from the Apostles themselves. It was probably first written down sometime after the Apostolic age. The Nicene Creed presents our beliefs in more detail than the Apostles Creed. It was named after the Council of Nicaea, which ended in 325 A.D. They were dealing with a heresy at the time called Arianism, which denied that the Son was equal to the Father. That is why the Nicene Creed added more specific language regarding the Son, such as that he is true God from true God consubstantial with the Father. Other language was added after the first Council of Constantinople in 381 that brought it approximately to the wording still used today. There is another Catholic creed that most people don t know about called The Credo and the People of God, proclaimed by Pope Paul VI back in 1968, that is approximately six pages long. Imagine reciting that at Mass every week! 5

Stewardship: A Need to Give When the church needs a new roof or the local food bank needs donations, we jump at the chance to give for the sake of the need. It s part of our human nature we identify a need, and we want to give of our time, talent and treasure to help. But as a stewardship people, we are called to give of ourselves not simply because the Church has needs, but because each of us has a need to give. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states in its pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for all of the many blessings each of us has received (67). As fellow members of the body of Christ, created in God s image, we should strive to go beyond simply coexisting with one another on earth. The life we live should be fueled by love for each other. This love should dictate how we live by giving of ourselves. Jesus Christ showed us the perfect example of this self-giving love when 6 He died on the cross. His death was a completely selfless act. He gave of Himself for our sake, offering us through that gift life everlasting. As Christ s disciples, we follow His example, and we give of ourselves for the sake of others, out of love and an inherent need to give. That s not to say that we gain nothing through our gifts. In fact, in His goodness, God sees to it that we do. Most of us have experienced what happens when we give of our time, talent or treasure. We feel as though we get more out of it than we give. If you speak to someone who serves at the soup kitchen or someone who has made it a regular practice to tithe to the Church, you are likely to find that he or she feels blessed to be able to give. As the U.S. bishops point out, To be a Christian disciple is a rewarding way of life, a way of companionship with Jesus, and the practice of stewardship as a part of it is itself a source of deep joy. Those who live this way are happy people who have found the meaning and purpose of living (Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, 21). Find out for yourself. Get involved in a ministry. Make a commitment to put some money in the collection basket next Sunday. Don t wait to find out if there is a need give of yourself right now. You will be richly blessed for doing so. We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for all of the many blessings each of us has received Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, 67

Called to Serve the Poor: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Saints are excellent role models of holiness and each of their paths to sainthood are similar in that they served God ceaselessly, but different in that some were called to sainthood as youth, some through marriage, others by serving the poor, or through a religious vocation. Each of us is called to holiness in a unique way. The members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, or Vincentians, are called to holiness through works of charity. Founded in the 1800s by Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the society aims to emulate the charitable works of St. Vincent de Paul, who is known as The Apostle of Charity and the Father of the Poor. The society strives to provide assistance to those in need, always bearing in mind that whether we are financially rich or poor, we are all blessed with time, talent and treasure, and we are called to share with others. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a wonderful organization, both well thought out and well orchestrated, says Deacon Greg Steele, the recently nominated spiritual director of the ministry. We haven t officially started the ministry here at St. Michael s, but we ve had two meetings and we re very excited about it. I look forward to seeing where the ministry goes and how we can serve the city of St. Michael, the county, and anyone who steps in our door that needs something. Thirty-five parishioners have already made a commitment to the Society, and are praying and discerning the focus of it and how to allocate the resources we have in our community. We could be one of a lot of different things, depending upon our gifts and talents, says Deacon Greg. We are considering assisting the poor in our area through a food pantry, medical help, a store with clothing and other items, and by offering home visits to shut-ins. We are really looking at the demands and needs of those we would serve. Such a large part of starting a St. Vincent de Paul Society is praying that we pick the right services to offer. St. Michael s nascent Society of St. Vincent de Paul has met with neighboring Societies in the state of Minnesota and Deacon Greg Steele, spiritual director of our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry. beyond, in the process receiving assistance with the new ministry s launch. Prayers and volunteers are always needed and welcome. Anyone interested in learning more or volunteering may contact Deacon Greg Steele via email at gsteele@stmcatholicchurch.org, or by calling him at 763-263-2450 or 763-497-2745. From the outside, our community looks very rich, but there are a lot of people here locally who are losing everything and who are poor, says Deacon Greg. We want to bring assistance to those people, and we are blessed by the full support of our pastor and parish administrator and by the many prayers we ve been receiving. Please check the bulletin for additional updates on the formation of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and prayerfully consider how you might be able to help those in need throughout our community, for Christ welcomed into the kingdom those who fed, clothed, visited and cared for the less fortunate. Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40). 7

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 6 St. Michael, MN 11300 Frankfort Parkway St. Michael, MN 55376 Sunday Mass Saturday Vigil, 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Daily Mass Monday, 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. Thursday, 7:30 a.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, 8:00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 7:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., 3:30 p.m. - 4:35 p.m. Tuesday, 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Address Service Requested NEW! VISIT US ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/stmcatholicchurch Quotes for Catholic Living Persons are far more powerful than things as causes of happiness, precisely because persons are images of God, and things merely bear the traces of God s workmanship. Frank Sheed Marriage and Prayer continued from front cover spouses, as I did starting in sixth grade to pray for my future husband. God would just place these things on my heart and I would gladly pray for them. All I asked God for was a good husband, good children and a happy home He has given me these gifts and I thank Him and praise Him for all of them! Over the years, in addition to many blessings, the family has also weathered some hard times, ranging from moving difficulties down to illness and injury. Through it all, prayer has kept them strong. Although prayer has strengthened our marriage, there are other important aspects of life for which I have prayed, Nancy says. I have prayed about and for the new Christians we were to meet in each move in advance. I ve prayed about each house we would purchase with each move in advance. I have prayed about the church we would attend with each move in advance. Since the Lord is at the center of our marriage, it is easy and natural to turn to Him in good times, and not so good times, says Bill. Approximately 25 years ago, my wife was diagnosed with MS and her first episode was pretty debilitating. The Lord revealed to her that the doctors will say you have MS multiple sclerosis but you will know that you have MS, My Savior. Over the years, the Lord has revealed to Nan various dietary remedies that she has found helpful in keeping the illness somewhat in check. Those techniques and her strong faith have kept her reasonably healthy. Bill and Nancy encourage couples to keep God at the center of their marriage, and to work at praying together, and for each other, from the heart. Nancy suggests that studying the Scriptures can be a great place to start. If you don t know the Scriptures, study them together and tell each other what the scripture means to you, she says. You learn so very much that way about each other. Start with the book of John. And don t be afraid to ask for the impossible. We know our God can do impossible things!