WEST RIVER INSIDE Vision with Action,.............................pages 2-3 Summit, ............................................page 5 2018 Annual Appeal,.........................pages 11-13 50th Anniversaries, ...........................page 14 CSS Honors Richard Thompson, .....page 17 Informing Catholics in Western South Dakota since May 1973 Drought in Africa, ..............................page 19 Diocese of Rapid City COctoberatholic 2017 South Dakota Volume 46 Number 6 www.rapidcitydiocese.org Black Elk, Cause for Canonization to open ning stages, when someone be- Y AURIE ALLSTROM B L H comes a saint in the universal On October 21, at 4 p.m. church, they become a saint for Bishop Robert Gruss will cele- everyone. Even people from other brate Mass at Holy Rosary continents can pray intercessory Church near Pine Ridge. Every- prayers to Black Elk. I have people one in the diocese is invited to who are non-Indians calling and attend this celebration, which asking if they can come. I say, will mark the opening of the ‘please do.’” Cause for Canonization of Black Elk was one of the peo- Nicholas Black Elk. A meal will ple who signed a petition for Ka- be served after Mass. teri Tekakwitha to be named a Deacon Marlon Leneaugh, saint. When St. Kateri Tekak- diocesan Director of Native Min- witha was canonized in Rome, istry, Rapid City, said, “This Mass Oct. 21, 2012, Black Elk’s eldest is a diocesan-wide celebration. grandson, George Looks Twice, Even though we are in the begin- met Mark Thiel, of Marquette University Raynor Memorial Li- braries, (and archivist for the Tekakwitha Conference and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Mis- sions). He asked how to begin a cause for his grandfather. Thiel en- listed the endorsement of Arch- Nicholas Black Elk teaching Broken Nose’s children on (Photo by Fr. Eugene Buechel, SJ, courtesy of bishop Charles J. Chaput, the Pine Ridge Reservation, in 1927 or 1928. Marquette University Archives) Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and White is an enrolled member of many years, is explained on page mystery, estimated between 1858- Episcopal Moderator of the the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the 6.) 1866. He came from a family of Tekakwitha Conference. Arch- Pine Ridge Reservation. The pos- “From everything I’ve read medicine men and he carried on bishop Chaput is also a former tulator leads an investigation on about him I believe he was a saint. their work. “A medicine man is Bishop of Rapid City, 1988-1997. the life of the person proposed for I want to be part of the cause,” said comparable to what we know With a letter from Archbishop sainthood in order to establish the White. “I’ve heard a lot of stories today as a physician,” said Deacon Chaput, petitions began circulat- merit of the cause. White said this about Nicholas, I just have to Leneaugh. ing. Looks Twice, along with is part of the early stages of the gather information to prove those Mailing Label Mailing other grandchildren of Black Elk, process. If the cause is found to stories.” He is searching though Black Elk, Continued on page 6 presented a petition with more have merit, Black Elk would be writings by and about Black Elk. See also, “Emulate Black Elk than 1600 signatures to Bishop the first person ever canonized Currently, Deacon Ben Black Bear Gruss on March 14, 2016. from the Diocese of Rapid City. from St. Francis Mission is trans- as a model of faith,” page 8 Last February, Bishop Gruss White is being assisted by Fr. Joe lating some of Black Elk’s writings and “Black Elk: he prayed appointed Bill White, Porcupine, Daoust, SJ, Pine Ridge. (The can- from Lakota to English. with his pipe and rosary,” diocesan postulator of the cause. onization process, which takes Black Elk’s date of birth is a page 18. ‘Vision2 WRC with action can changeNo Greater the Love world’ October 2017 Our Diocesan Priority Plan was com- describes the mission of the Diocese of across the diocese, we had a very successful St. Thomas More High pleted and implementation began over a Rapid City in many ways. But the mission campaign in the We Walk by Faith Appeal, School. year ago. As you recall, the process of goes beyond the wonderful ministry that raising over 18.5 million dollars. This These and other creating a priority plan led to the develop- takes place across the diocese. We also have completed phase one of our diocesan plans. issues were the catalysts ment of a vision statement. Vision state- to have sufficient resources, both in terms In that process we also helped fund the for the facility master ments reveal the overall vision and mission of facilities and finances, to fulfill our sacred building of two Newman Centers in our planning process. This of an organization. In the words of the late mission. This is why Funding the Mission is diocese. process resulted in the Bishop Nelson Mandela, “Vision without action is one of our priorities. But in many ways, our needs have only development of a Facil- Robert Gruss just a dream, action without vision just To move this priority forward, I met increased. Our current Chancery staff is lo- ity Master Plan for the passes time, and vision with action can with key members of the chancery staff and cated in two places — on Cathedral Drive Terra Sancta Campus change the world.” Rapid City Catholic School System lead- and at the Terra Sancta Annex. Our spaces looking out many years Diocese of The vision of the Diocese of Rapid City ership. We discussed the many needs of the in both locations are inadequate and overall into the future. This Rapid City reflects the vision and mission of Jesus in chancery, the retreat center and the school. ministry is best accomplished when we are plan includes a new his public ministry: Reconcile — Make A facility master planning process was all in one place. The retreat center has been pastoral center and a fine arts/multi- Disciples — Live the Mission. These are the engaged over the course of several months, a great gift for the diocese. Its use is far be- purpose events center at the Terra Sancta foundation stones for moving the diocese beginning in January and concluding this yond what we could have imagined. But for campus, as well as additional classrooms for forward into the future. Vision with action past June. The purpose of this process was large diocesan events, the retreat center has St. Elizabeth Seton School. Rapid City will tangibly make present the kingdom of to discern the needs of each entity necessary also become insufficient. The Rapid City Catholic School System leaders simultane- God. to continue to live the mission of Jesus Catholic School System has pressing needs ously engaged in a master planning process The vision statement of the Diocese of Christ throughout the whole diocese. as well. High school plays and the many for the St. Thomas More campus. This mas- Rapid City became the building block for To backtrack a little bit, much wonderful things needed to make them successful are ter plan includes a new kitchen and lunch creating the three Diocesan Pastoral Prior- ministry has happened since we purchased currently taking place in an old, dilapidated room for the middle school as well as future ities — Reconciliation, Forming Disciples, and renovated the former St. Martin gym at St. Elizabeth Seton School. At St. plans for additional classrooms and a new and Funding the Mission. These priorities Monastery to create the wonderful retreat Thomas More Middle School the students gymnasium. These are some needs among serve to guide our diocesan efforts over the center and elementary school we currently begin eating lunch at 10:30 in the morning next few years. The Priority Plan as a whole enjoy. Through the generosity of people because of shared space limitations at Vision, Continued next page ‘Our current Chancery staff is located in two places — on Cathe- dral Drive and at the Terra Sancta Annex. Our space needs in both locations are inadequate and overall ministry is best accomplished when we are all in one place. The retreat center has been a great gift for the diocese. Its use is far beyond what we could have imagined. But for large diocesan events, the retreat center has also become insufficient.’ October 2017 WRC 3 Vision, continued from previous page important in looking to the future, build- sponses and interviewed three companies. Let us turn to the Holy Spirit daily, asking ings are not the complete story regarding We have selected Community Consulting that he stir up the gifts in our own hearts our needs. There is a great need to fully fund Services (CCS) to assist in conducting a and give us the courage and strength to step others identified on the facility master plans our priests’ retirement. It is currently funded feasibility study to help determine what out in faith, hope, love and trust. He will for both the Terra Sancta and St. Thomas at around sixty percent. The Rapid City might be possible in terms of raising the “teach us everything” (Jn 14:26) and “guide More campuses. The basic footprint of both Catholic School System needs to grow its money necessary to fund the various needs us to all truth” ( Jn 16:13). completed master plans are below my endowment to support tuition assistance outlined above. This study will take place As our Holy Father Pope Francis en- column. and to make salaries and benefits more over the course of the next three months, courages us: “Keeping our missionary fer- As I wrote in Through Him, With Him competitive so as to retain and attract qual- with completion, hopefully, by year’s end.