Office of Very Reverend William D. Thompson

To: , , Diocesan Employees, Administrators, Parish Secretaries, and Seminarians From: Very Rev. William D. Thompson, Vicar General Re: September Diocesan Update Date: September 1, 2020

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; Nights and days, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. praise and exalt him above all forever. All you winds, bless the Lord; Light and darkness, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. praise and exalt him above all forever. Fire and heat, bless the Lord; Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. praise and exalt him above all forever. Cold and chill, bless the Lord; Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. praise and exalt him above all forever. Dew and rain, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ~ Daniel 3: 64-74 Frost and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Hoarfrost and snow, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.

Appointments: The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, of the of Winona-Rochester, announces the following: Very Rev. Thomas Loomis: reappointed Dean of the Rochester , effective September 1, 2020.

Loyola Catholic Schools Ms. Jennifer Fraze: reappointed to a three-year term on the Loyola Catholic Schools Board of Trustees, effective July 22, 2020, through June 30, 2023. Mr. Gary Zellmer: reappointed to a three-year term on the Loyola Catholic Schools Board of Trustees, effective July 22, 2020, through June 30, 2023.

Office of Divine Worship: Large Print Roman Missal: The National Catholic Partnership on Disability now offers a large print Third Edition of the Roman Missal in English, to priests and deacons with vision issues. It is available both in file form on a CD and printed forms. They are free of charge, but they do ask for a to their organization. The missals are available in three sizes of type. They can be found at this link: https://ncpd.org/roman-missal. Office of SPOF: Holy Land Collection: In early April, moved this year’s Holy Land collection, which normally takes place on Good Friday, to Sunday, September 13. The Christian communities in the Holy Land benefit every year from the generosity of the faithful from all over the world. This solidarity enables them to continue their evangelical presence, in addition to maintaining schools and social structures that assist all citizens with healthcare, education, and peaceful coexistence, attending above all to the weakest and poorest. Please publish this date change in your bulletins, websites. etc. Please send all monies received in this collection to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Special Collections.

Office of Life, Marriage and Family, and Faith Formation: Marriage Anniversary Mass: The annual Marriage Anniversary Mass will take place at 2:00 pm on Sunday, September 13, at Holy Spirit Parish in Rochester. Please post the attached flyer and add the following paragraph to your bulletins: The Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Bishop of Winona-Rochester, in recognition and gratitude of your years of marriage, requests the honor of your presence at the Diocesan Marriage Anniversary Mass: Sunday, September 13. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will take place at two o’clock in the afternoon at Holy Spirit Parish, 5455 50th Ave NW, Rochester. In order to keep you and your spouse safe, we are asking that ONLY the celebrating couple attend the Mass. There will not be a reception, but an anniversary certificate will be given to each couple after Mass. If you wish to participate online only, please register at www.dowr.org (and let us know that is your preference) and we will send you the liturgy program via e-mail.

Pre-Cana: Please see the attached listing of Pre-Cana offerings for this year.

Catechetical Sunday: The will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 20. On this day, catechists may be formally commissioned for ministry to the community. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each baptized person plays in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel.

The 2020 Catechetical Sunday theme is taken from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (11:23): “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to You.” The theme focuses on the primary substance of catechesis, which is an invitation to a whole new life given by Christ Himself. It emphasizes that living faith necessitates movement, inspiring all those who hear the Word to share it as witnesses of the true and living God.

Attached is a certificate you may use for a Commissioning Service. Numerous other resources are available at the USCCB website, including prayer cards, posters, and a Commissioning Service Liturgy Resource (also available in Spanish).

Faith Formation Guidelines: The COVID-19 Guidelines for Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Programs of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester have been sent to all priests, Faith Formation Directors, and Youth Ministry Directors. They can also be found on the diocese’s COVID-19 page, and are addressed on the diocese’s COVID-19 FAQ page.

Respect Life Month: This month each parish will be receiving materials to assist in celebrating Respect Life Month in October. The 2020 theme is “Live the Gospel of Life,” and the tagline is “to imitate Christ and follow in his footsteps” (Evangelium vitae 51). Please see the attached document for an explanation of the materials you will be receiving. Thank you for all you do during Respect Life Month!

Office of Missionary Discipleship, Lay Formation and RCIA: Update on Missionary Discipleship: Later this week, Fr. Will Thompson, Vicar General, will be sending out an update to priests and deacons on current diocesan plans for Missionary Discipleship. This will especially address moving forward in light of having to cancel most of the spring deanery workshops, and postponing our annual Ministry Days. are

2 asked to share this update with the staff / parishioners on the leadership teams that did / were going to attend the spring deanery meetings.

Alpha Training: If you want to foster spiritual community in your parish, refocus on the basic good news in a time of pandemic, and do some spiritual outreach to those outside of the Church, consider running Alpha Online this fall. (This also works very well as the Inquiry stage of RCIA.) Although Alpha is typically in-person, there are some advantages to Alpha Online, including attracting new people who wouldn’t come in person but are open to Zoom. It is also entirely free if you have Zoom Pro (otherwise, you spend $60 for three months of Zoom Pro).

Those interested in experiencing Alpha Online are welcome to a Zoom meeting Tuesday, September 8, 10:30 am-Noon. Susan Windley-Daoust will introduce Alpha and how it works online. Starting September 22, we will meet and “do Alpha” on Tuesdays, 11:00 am-12:15 pm, until late November. Most people new to Alpha have more confidence offering it if they have been through the process themselves. For more information, contact Susan Windley-Daoust at [email protected].

Discipleship Quads: Susan Windley-Daoust will be offering a 45-minute introduction to Discipleship Quads, via Zoom, on Friday, September 18, at noon. Find out how simple they are to implement, and how these small groups can be the engine of deeper discipleship, connection, and outreach in your parish. They can be offered in-person or online. Contact Rosalie Beyer (subject line: Discipleship Quad sign up) at [email protected] to register.

Evangelization Discernment Retreat: The second (western) session of the Christ’s Love Compels Us: Evangelization Discernment Retreat will be September 11-13, at Shalom Hill Farm near Windom, and co-led by Dr. Susan Windley- Daoust and Fr. Jonathan Fasnacht. There are a couple of spots left! Please consider signing up, or encouraging others who may be looking for time and space to discern their call to share the Gospel. COVID-19 protocols will be in place. Contact Susan Windley-Daoust at [email protected] with any questions. Registration and more information can be found here.

Fall Ministry Day: An online diocesan Fall Ministry Day will be held Thursday, October 15, 9:00 am-3:15 pm (with a midday break between the morning and afternoon sessions). The for the day is, “New Wine into New Wineskins: The ‘How’ of Missionary Discipleship in Our New Reality.” Rich Curran from the Parish Success Group, who was the scheduled presenter / facilitator for our June Ministry Days, will lead the day. Program and registration information will be forthcoming. For more information, please contact Susan Windley-Daoust, Director of Missionary Discipleship (507-858-1277 / [email protected]) or Todd Graff, Director of Lay Formation and RCIA (507-858-1270 / [email protected]).

RCIA Update: As we continue to navigate this pandemic, Christian initiation ministry is significantly affected. This past spring, a RCIA resource page was developed, to address questions pastors and RCIA leaders may be facing regarding the Elect and Candidates, and the celebration of the RCIA rites and Sacraments of Initiation. We encourage to carry on with RCIA ministry (i.e., catechesis, service, prayer, liturgical rites, etc.) as they are able while following COVID-19 protocols. This is an opportune time to focus on “one-on-one” formation and mentorship with catechumens and candidates. For guidance on in-person formation sessions, the diocesan Faith Formation Guidelines should be consulted and followed. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of help to you in any way: ❖ Todd Graff (507-858-1270 / [email protected]) ❖ Camille Withrow (507-858-1271 / [email protected])

Institute of Lay Formation: Formation sessions for our diocesan Institute of Lay Formation were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hoped, at that time, that we would be able to resume the Institute’s normal formation program this fall. However, to protect the safety and well-being of our students, we will not be resuming in-person formation sessions at this time. 3

Online sessions will be offered for students this fall as a way to provide support and formation during this interim period, until we are able to resume meeting in-person. Once in-person sessions do resume, our current class will officially begin its third year of formation in the Institute. Online formation opportunities will also be offered for our Institute alumni during this time. For more information about the Institute, please contact Todd Graff ([email protected] / 507-858-1270).

Revive Parishes: The diocese will be working with Revive Parishes this year, and using their minicourses to provide mission focus for our ministry and apostolate work. These video and discussion modules are excellent: engaging, strong content, clear instruction on how to focus on mission in good times and bad. Minicourses will be offered online, facilitated by our diocesan staff. Any parishes that would like to preview or work through a Revive Parishes minicourse on their own are very welcome to do so. Please contact Susan Windley-Daoust for more information, [email protected], and register for free and preview resources at www.reviveparishes.com/winona-rochester. ❖ Revive Parishes – First Diocesan Offering, September 17 and 24, October 1 and 8; 9:00-10:00 am, via Zoom: A four- week minicourse on Discipleship with Julianne Stanz, facilitated by Susan Windley-Daoust. Want to be a first adopter? This course is an overview of what Missionary Discipleship looks like in the present era, and the roles of pre- evangelization, evangelization, catechesis, and mission. To sign up, contact Rosalie Beyer (subject line: Revive Parishes September sign up) at [email protected].

News and Upcoming Events: Consecration of the Diocese: On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop Quinn will renew the consecration of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at a special 5:15 pm Mass at the of the Sacred Heart in Winona. The IHM Seminarians and will be in attendance, along with parishioners of the Cathedral. All are welcome to this annual event, but those interested in coming are asked to RSVP to the Cathedral at 507-452-4770 by noon on September 7. The Mass will also be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Webinar on Racism: On September 9, from 10:00 am to noon, the Minnesota Catholic Conference will be hosting the webinar Open Wide Our Hearts: The Confronts Racism. This forum is primarily for priests, deacons, educators, and lay ecclesial ministers, but is also open to the public. Attendees will hear from Bishop Quinn, Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and featured speaker Bishop Shelton Fabre, Chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. Registration and details can be found here.

Priesthood Sunday: Priesthood Sunday, the last Sunday of September (this year, September 27) is a special day to honor our priests. Especially now, when we hear about so many scandals in the Church, it is important to acknowledge and thank all the priests who so faithfully serve the Lord and the people of God. This is a wonderful opportunity to show our gratitude to our priests, for all that they do for us. You can find more information on this day and how to celebrate it here.

Death Notices: Fr. Robert Glenn Maher, 89, died Aug. 14. He was born to Edna & John Maher on Mar. 9, 1931, & grew up in Kenneth. He graduated from St. Anthony High School in Lismore, & attended IHM in Winona, & Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was ordained May 30, 1957, at St. Anthony in Lismore. He served at St. Augustine in Austin, then become for St. Marys Hospital in Rochester. Fr. Bob was a small plane pilot, & because of his love of flying joined the US Air Force in 1969. He served in many places, including Germany, AK, SD, FL, CA, TX, CA, CO, & NV, & attained the rank of full Colonel. He served as USAF Inspector General of & was awarded multiple honors and citations. He retired in 1994, lived in CA, & spent the last 20+ years of his life in Las Vegas.

4 Sr. Marice Hughes, OSF, 93, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died Aug. 21. Margaret Mary Hughes was born Aug. 17, 1927, in Waseca, to William & Ida (Busch) Hughes. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1947 & made perpetual vows in 1953. Studies include a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Ed. & Latin from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, & a Master’s Degree in Education from St. Mary’s University, Winona. Sr. Marice taught at St. Theodore, Albert Lea; St. John Vianney, Fairmont; Cotter High School, Winona; & Sacred Heart, Waseca. Other ministries include Religious Ed. Coordinator at Sacred Heart, Waseca. In 2002, Sr. Marice moved back to Assisi Heights where she was office assistant & then dedicated her final years to prayer ministry.

Save the Date: ❖ Tue., Sept. 8: Alpha Online Meeting, 10:30 am, Zoom ❖ Tue., Sept. 8: Reconsecration of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 5:15 pm Mass, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona ❖ Wed., Sept. 9: Open Wide Our Hearts Webinar on Racism, 10:00 am ❖ Fri., Sept. 11 – Sun., Sept. 13: “His Love Compels Us” Evangelization Discernment Retreat (West), Shalom Hill Farm, Windom ❖ Sun., Sept. 13: Marriage Anniversary Mass, 2:00 pm, Holy Spirit Parish, Rochester ❖ Fri., Sept. 18: Discipleship Quad Introduction, 12:00 pm, Zoom ❖ Sun., Sept. 20: Catechetical Sunday ❖ Sun., Sept. 27: Priesthood Sunday ❖ Sun., Sept. 27: Immigration Sunday / World Day of Migrants and Refugees ❖ Sat., Oct. 10: Pre-Cana, St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish, Mankato ❖ Thu., Oct. 15: Ministry Day, Online ❖ Sat., Feb. 27: Pre-Cana, St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish, Mankato ❖ Sat., Mar. 6: Pre-Cana, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, St. Charles ❖ Sat., Apr. 17: Pre-Cana, St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish, Mankato

Attachments: Marriage Anniversary Mass Flyer Catechist Certificate Respect Life Materials – Explanation Pre-Cana Dates Racism Webinar Flyer Ethics and Medics, July 2020

The monthly Diocesan Update is sent out on the 1st of the month (or a day before or after if the 1st is on a holiday or weekend). The deadline for submitting information is the 25th of the month. All information submitted after the 25th will go in the following month’s update. There will not be an Update in the month of June.

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