VOL. 80 NO. 6 WWW.BISMARCKDIOCESE.COM JUNE 2021 Dakota Catholic Action Reporting on Catholic action in western ND since 1941 With the heart of Jesus Photos by Deacon Joe Krupinsky At transitional diaconate ordination last summer, Bishop Kagan with the four men to be ordained to the priesthood on June 11—(l-r) Ben Franchuk, Nick Vetter, Jacob Degele and Greg Hilzendeger. Four men to be ordained priests June 11 By Sonia Mullally priesthood fi rst came to his mind God has done in my life. It can be and Our Lady of Grace quite DCA Editor when he witnessed the faith on fi re summarized as being seven years simply as being leading people Four men will be ordained in Fr. Josh of learning to love Jesus. This to encounter the Person of Jesus to the holy priesthood on June Ehli, now process of learning to love Him Christ and to love them with His 11—the Solemnity of the Most rector of the has certainly been one of great Heart.” Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s a most Cathedral consolation and encouragement, Rev. Mr. Ben Franchuk of the Holy but also one of suff ering and fi tting date for priestly ordination Ben’s vocation story began in Spirit. sacrifi ce.” as these four young men join high school in Dickinson while he Jacob was a After ordination, Jacob heads to their brother priests in fully was an avid sophomore in Minot to serve as parochial vicar at transforming their heart to Jesus participant in high school one of the parishes and as religion Christ and His Church. the SEARCH at Dickinson instructor at the Catholic high Deacons Jacob Degele, Ben program. Trinity and Rev. Mr. Jacob Degele school there. Franchuk, Greg Hilzendeger and He went on Fr. Ehli was Nick Vetter enter the brotherhood “I can’t wait to begin my to college, the chaplain there. of priests at the Mass of Holy assignment at Our Lady of Grace earned a While his faith was Ordination at the Cathedral of the and Bishop Ryan in Minot. It has degree in strengthening during high school, Holy Spirit beginning at 3 p.m. been beautiful praying for the mechanical Jesus fl ooded Jacob’s mind The Mass will be livestreamed parishioners and students for the engineering with thoughts of the priesthood. from the Cathedral for those who past few months. My heart is being and landed Serving morning Mass at the high Rev. Mr. Ben Franchuk would like to join online. prepared daily to love them with his dream job, school three days a week cemented This class of four is the largest the Heart of Christ.” all while hearing the whisper of the desire. During his fi rst year of ordained by Bishop Kagan since Jacob is ready to put his years the calling to the priesthood in the college at the University of North the group of six men ordained of formation and desire to serve very back of his mind. In prayer, Dakota, he decided to join the in 2013. All four men have been God’s people into practice. Ben never stopped asking for studying in seminary for several seminary. “I see my role at Bishop Ryan Continued on page 3 years and will now be assigned as “As I approach ordination, priests in the diocese. I am amazed at how quickly my seven years in formation Rev. Mr. Jacob Degele have gone by,” Jacob shared. A LOOK INSIDE Jacob, whose home parish is “Refl ecting on my time, leaves St. Joseph in Dickinson, said the me in awe about the work which Parable of the Talents Pietà statue placed Bismarck St. Mary’s Academy s A life-size marble casting of tudents raised over $18,000 for Michelangelo’s Pietà will have a home the diocesan African Mission at the campus of St. Mary’s Central High water lter project ..................Page 6 School in Bismarck ........................Page 8 | JUNE 2021 2 Dakota Catholic Action Bishop David D. Kagan Summer blessings bestowed upon us and perhaps, at fi rst, we missed for them and all of our priests, Pope and the Church’s greatest FROM THE BISHOP them, but the blessings were ours, but also continue to pray that the missionary and the co-founders of nonetheless. Lord will send more men to His the Church of Rome. During our For a moment, let us look to the vineyard because we know that the just-concluded Easter Season, we blessings the Lord God is and will “harvest is great, but the laborers have come to know better these give to us during this month. The are few.” two great saints and hopefully, fi rst blessings come to us in the Thursday, June 24 is the we have come to appreciate even many beautiful feasts we celebrate Solemnity of the Nativity of St. more the Apostolic faith which in our sacred liturgy. The fi rst John the Baptist. Recall that only we have inherited. May we know, Sunday of June is the beautiful two saints in the entire history understand and live this faith with Solemnity of Corpus Christi of the Church have the days of their spirit of love and devotion! which gives us an opportunity to their births and deaths celebrated Since the summer season also adore Our Blessed Lord present universally: The Blessed Virgin begins in June, please do not Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity Mary and St. John the Baptist. The forget that even though schedules in the Blessed Sacrament. We do Church wants us to remember that may change and vacations may be so at Holy Mass and in solemn their births and earthly lives were taken, your obligation to worship procession; in truth, the Holy essential to God’s plan to redeem God faithfully every Sunday Eucharist is the source and us through the Incarnation of His remains the same. As Saint Teresa summit of our lives. Divine Son Jesus. of Calcutta said so beautifully: Bishop David D. Kagan This June 11, the Solemnity of The following Tuesday, June “God does not expect us to be the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 29, we celebrate the Solemnity successful, He expects us to be As we arrive at the month the Lord God will bless our of SS. Peter and Paul, the fi rst faithful.” of June, we Catholics have so entire diocese with His gift of the much to be grateful to God for sacred priesthood as four men in our personal lives and in our are ordained to the priesthood lives as members of His Church. of Jesus Christ for the love and BISHOP’S SCHEDULE When we examine carefully and service of God and His Church. JUNE AND JULY 2021 prayerfully our own lives, we What a gift and what a response discover the many blessings we June 1-4 • Clergy Retreat, Assumption June 24 • Finance Council Meeting, from God to our fervent prayers have received. More often than Abbey, Richardton Center for Pastoral Ministry, for vocations! As these new priests not these blessings came to us in June 5 • Corpus Christi Vigil Mass Bismarck, 10 a.m. take up their priestly ministry the moments of our daily lives with Eucharistic Procession, June 26 • Opus Dei Mass, Cathedral among us, please continue to pray Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, Bismarck, 5 p.m. 10 a.m. June 7 • Women’s Care Center Meeting, June 28 • Big Smoke benefi t, Minot Chancery, Bismarck, 5 p.m. July 7 • Real Presence Radio interview, BISHOP IN ACTION June 9 • Mass and annual visit at 9 a.m. Marillac Manor, Bismarck, July 11 • Town and Country Mass, Fort 8:30 a.m. Rice, 11:30 a.m. June 10 • Real Presence Radio interview, July 16 • Cabinet Meeting, Chancery, 9 a.m. Bismarck 10 a.m. June 11 • Priestly Ordination, Cathedral July 16 • Mass for Cor Christi, University of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, of Mary, 4:30 p.m. 3 p.m. July 22 • Mass for students attending June 17 • Mass for students attending Steubenville Rochester, BCYC, Church of the Ascension, Church of St. Joseph, Mandan, Bismarck, 8 a.m. 8 a.m. June 18 • Cabinet Meeting, Chancery, July 22 • First Profession Mass for Sr. Bismarck, 10 a.m. Mary Scholastica, Cathedral of June 20 • Confi rmation at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, St. Agnes, Kenmare, 10:30 a.m. 10 a.m. June 21 • Seminarian Golf Tournament, July 25 • 60th Anniversary Mass at Prairie West, Mandan, 12 p.m. St. John the Apostle, Minot, June 23 • ND Catholic Conference 3 p.m. meeting, St. James Basilica, Jamestown, 10 a.m. Staff photo Bismarck resident, Marci Loomis, was honored as the 2021 recipient of the Caritas Award SOCIAL MEDIA from Catholic Charities North Dakota. Loomis was recognized for her leadership and contributions in service to the poor through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul—Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Conference. Board chairman, Steve Lies (left), and Bishop Kagan Visit our website at www.bismarckdiocese.com presented the award at a luncheon on May 11. Get news, photos, videos and more from around the diocese. Dakota Catholic Action Reporting on Catholic action in western ND since 1941 Publisher: Most Reverend David D. Kagan, D.D., P.A., J.C.L., Bishop of Bismarck Editor: Sonia Mullally, [email protected] Center for Pastoral Ministry - Diocese of Bismarck USPS0011-5770 520 N. Washington Street, PO Box 1137, Bismarck, ND 58501-1137 Phone: 701-222-3035 Fax: 701-222-0269 Search “Bismarck Diocese” on YouTube for www.bismarckdiocese.com videos from the Church in western N.D.