CATHOLIC ACTION Volume 71, Number 10 the Catholic Voice for the Diocese of Bismarck November 2012
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DAKOTA CATHOLIC ACTION Volume 71, Number 10 The Catholic Voice for the Diocese of Bismarck November 2012 INDEX From the Bishop’s Desk .................2 Obituaries .....................................3 The Catholic Difference ..................5 ND Catholic Conference .................8 Stewardship ..................................9 Kenya Connection ................... 10-11 We Are Family .............................13 Ag Attitudes ................................15 Calendar of Events ......................15 Deacon Appointments Serra Club Vice President Myron Senechal, right, created Fr. Rushford, left, a symbolic walking cane out of diamond willow wood. The following deacon appointments, with Fr. Rushford receives cane the permission of Bishop David D. Kagan, D.D., P.A., J.C.L. are effective Octo- representing his life ber 21, 2012. Serra Club vice president creates walking cane honoring priest’s military service Deacon Dallas Carlson By Matthew Kurtz to serve St. Retired priest William Rushford has a motto Joseph Parish, Dallas Carlson Ryan Nelson that has served him well during his life of ser- Dickinson. vice: “To give somebody the privilege of lead- Deacon Ryan Nelson to ing, you first must show that you can be led.” serve St. Patrick Parish, Dick- Fr. Rushford, who recently turned 88, said he inson. first remembers being led by Fr. Florian Krank, Deacon Tony Ternes to serve who surprisingly “grabbed [Rushford’s] ear and Spirit of Life Parish, Mandan. wouldn’t let go,” took him back to the sacristy and briefed him for five minutes on how to be The following appointment, Tony Ternes an altar server in the 1930s. with the permission of Bishop After growing up in Marmarth, N.D., Fr. David D. Kagan, D.D., P.A., Rushford was also led directly into the military J.C.L. is effective November 1, after high school to serve in WWII at age 18. 2012. “My future was already planned,” he ex- plained from his rocking chair at Emmaus Deacon Jerome Volk reas- Place, a residence for retired priests in Bis- signed to Spirit of Life Parish, marck. He said he “died every day” for three Mandan, from Queen of Peace years as a rifleman during WWII, fighting for Fr. Rushford’s “Cane of Life” includes an embedded crucifix, Parish, Dickinson. Jerome Volk the 7th Infantry of the US Army in the South Marian medal, and St. Joseph medal, which its creator says is Pacific until Dec. 1945. While serving his coun- like “carrying the holy family in your hand.” try, Fr. Rushford grew to understand what it ALL SOULS DAY LITURGY meant to serve God and realized his vocation to diamonds, which Senechal said represent the 12 ALL ARE INVITED the priesthood. apostles of Christ. “The whole purpose of basic training in the “The true cane of life has a lot of bumps in military is to teach everybody to say, ‘Yes, sir’ it,” Senechal explained, referencing the unpre- and ‘No, sir’ and mean it,” Fr. Rushford said. dictable contour of the diamond willow wood. After being led for the first 30 years of his To signify the “bumps” in Fr. Rushford’s life, life, Fr. Rushford was ordained a priest in 1955 Senechal placed military memorial pins on the and spent the next 40 years leading his parish- lower half of the cane from Fr. Rushford’s 27 This year the annual All Souls Day liturgy for the years of service as chaplain in the US Army 7th deceased bishops, priests and deacons of the ioners in the Bismarck Diocese. The list of par- Diocese of Bismarck will be celebrated: ishes he served is a litany in itself from Minot, Infantry. Senechal, a Vietnam veteran himself, Marmarth and Medora to Bowman, Butte and noted that all the bumps are “smoothed over by Friday, November 2, 2012 Ray, to name a few. his perseverance in prayer and love of Christ.” Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck He is now being recognized for his accom- On the cane’s crook is a leather strap to 11:00 a.m. CDT plishments. Myron Senechal, vice president symbolize Fr. Rushford’s service to cowboys of the Bismarck-Mandan Serra Club, a group and ranchers at parishes in the N.D. Badlands. This annual Mass is an opportunity to that promotes and supports religious vocations, Since Fr. Rushford is “an avid hunter and fisher- commemorate all the faithful departed and to crafted Fr. Rushford what he calls a “cane of man,” there used to be pheasant rooster tail remember the dedicated work and the generous lives of service of those who served here in life.” Fr. Rushford has been a Serra member for feathers with the strap, but Senechal removed previous years and to acknowledge the debt that 53 years. The cane, carved from diamond wil- them because “they were nice to see but highly the church owes to them for the solid foundation low wood, is full of symbolism. impractical” for a cane. of faith that they laid. Senechal chose the whitish wood to symbol- Although Fr. Rushford spent many years ize the pure, “Christ-centered life” of a priest leading, he will continue (now with his “cane of Please spread the word, share this invitation. and aimed to make the cane as if “you’re car- life”) to follow the Lord as he always has. rying the holy family in your hand” by embed- For a closer look at the “cane of life” and ding a crucifix, a Marian medal and a St. Joseph more details about Fr. Rushford’s military ac- Most Reverend David D. Kagan, D.D., P.A., J.C.L. medal into the diamonds of the wood. Bet- complishments, visit www.bismarckdiocese. Bishop of Bismarck ter yet, the wood of the cane naturally has 12 com/dakota-catholic-action. • Dakota Catholic Action November 2012 BISHOP’S FROM SCHEDULE Bishop David D. Kagan, D.D., P.A., J.C.L. THE November 1-30, 2012 November 1 -All Saints Day, Liturgy @ Our Lady of Annunciation Chapel, 11:00 a.m. and Annual Visitation, @ University of Mary, Harold BISHOP’S Schafer Leadership Center, Bismarck November 2 -All Souls Day Liturgy for Deceased Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, 11:00 a.m.; DESK Luncheon for Priests follows at the Center for Pastoral Ministry -Priests’ Benefit Association Meeting, Center for Pastoral Ministry, Bismarck, 2:00 p.m. Right to life must be November 4 -Confirmation, Church of St. Joseph, Williston, 1:30 p.m. November 6 defended in voting booth -Diocese of Fargo My Dear Friends in Christ Jesus, dignity. November 7 n this “Year of Faith” each Catholic Thus, if there is no respect for the life -Provision for Future Meeting, Center for Pastoral Ministry, citizen has the privilege and duty to and dignity of each person from concep- Bismarck, 11:00 a.m. participate in our Nation’s govern- tion to natural death, then every other -Confirmation, Church of Sacred Heart, Wilton, 7:00 p.m. ing by the exercise of our constitu- moral evil can be justified. There are Itional right to vote in national, state and some things we must never do, as indi- November 8 local elections. As your Bishop I urge you viduals or as a society, because they are -Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting, Center for Pastoral to exercise this cherished right. always incompatible with love of God Ministry, Bismarck, 10:00 a.m. I will not tell you how to vote. How- and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply November 10 ever, I ask you to vote as a Catholic citizen flawed that they are always opposed to -Confirmation, Church of Christ the King, Mandan, 4:30 p.m. with a properly formed Catholic con- the authentic good of persons. These are science. A properly formed Catholic con- called “intrinsically evil” actions. They November 12-15 science will never contradict the Church’s must always be rejected and opposed and -USCCB November Meetings, Baltimore, MD teachings in matters of faith and morals. must never be supported or condoned. A November 17 In this letter I wish to explain what this prime example is the intentional taking -Deacon Ordination, Diocese of Fargo, 10:30 a.m. means in direct relation to the issues on of innocent human life as in abortion and which each person’s vote will have a last- euthanasia. November 18 ing impact. In this election year, the positions of -Confirmation, Church of St. Mary, Bismarck, 2:00 p.m. What is “a properly formed Catholic the two political parties and the positions November 19 conscience?” The Catechism says: “A of their candidates are well known. What -Holy Hour and Mass, Priests First Workshop, 7:30 a.m., well-formed conscience is upright and I ask each of you to do before you vote is Chancery, Bismarck truthful. It formulates its judgments to consider carefully what our Catholic -Speaker, Priests First Workshop, Center for Pastoral Ministry, according to reason, in conformity with Church teaches about these issues, then Bismarck, 1:00 p.m. the true good willed by the wisdom of consider how your vote for a particular the Creator. Everyone must avail himself candidate will contribute to the common November 20 of the means to form his conscience.” good of us all as persons with that human -Liturgy, Priests First Workshop, Chancery, 8:00 a.m. (1798) The Catholic Church’s teachings dignity which must be respected and -Speaker, Priests First Workshop, Center for Pastoral Ministry, are the means for us to properly form our protected always. Bismarck, 9:00 a.m. consciences so that we seek always what is We know that we have a representa- November 21 true and good. tive form of government and that those At the heart of all Catholic moral and we elect are to represent us.