November/December 2014 - Diocese of Great Falls

Transcription

The
Harvest
Vol. 29 No. 6
November / December
2014
Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in Montana — Your Family’s Catholic Newspaper — www.diocesegfb.org
Always to
Walk in
Christ
and not God to conform
to ours. When a behavior
By Bishop Michael Warfel
or a conviction is in
opposition to the values of
the kingdom, these must
be cast asunder before a
person can rightly come to
the Table of the Lord, the
central focus of Christian
worship.
There is a popular
I firmly believe that
song that is sung in many
the
emphasis
of the Church
of our parishes: All Are
and
of
her
ministers
has
Welcome. It was composed
to
be
heavily
weighted
in 1989 by Marty Haugen
on inviting people to the
for a priest who was
Table of the Lord and
raising money for a new
reception of the Eucharist.
parish church. For those
This is what evangelization
not familiar with the song,
is about – invitation to
the first verse captures the
life in Christ! Pastoral
general sense of the song.
efforts should be focused
It begins, “Let us build a
house where love can dwell primarily on getting people
to the sacraments and not
and all can safely live…”
driving them away. Pope
The refrain is “All are
Francis has spoken strongly
welcome, all are welcome,
about how the doors to
all are welcome in this
our churches must be open
place.”
for people to come in. At
I happen to really
the same time, there are
like the song. It is easily
genuine instances in which
sung and has a catching
it is quite inappropriate
melody. It expresses the
for someone to receive the
hope and sentiment that
Eucharist. We may not be
most of us have regarding
able to make judgments
the attitudes we should
regarding the interior
have as Catholics. I sing it
robustly when it is used at a disposition of any particular
parish celebration at which individual, but we can
make judgments regarding
I am presiding. Inclusion
behavior and expressed
is at the heart of Catholic
beliefs. We should
faith, so such a song
desperately want all people
accurately captures what
at the Table of the Lord, but
ought to be in the hearts
there are expectations to be
and minds of those who
have gathered to worship in met before someone can
rightfully receive.
spirit and in truth.
One obvious
As much as I enjoy
example
is the need of
the song and appreciate
baptism
before
a person
what it expresses, I am
can
be
permitted
to receive
somewhat uneasy that a
the
Eucharist.
While
deeper question begged
certainly welcome to the
by the lyrics of the song
Table of the Lord, there
is often not asked: “What
is a process that needs to
are we welcoming people
to?” The answer is summed be accomplished before a
person wanting to become
up in the central teaching
Catholic can actually be
of Jesus: “The kingdom
invited to receive the
of God is at hand. Reform
Lord in Communion.
your lives and believe in
They enter a period of
the Gospel.” The liturgy
instruction and formation
welcomes people to the
within the Rite of Christian
journey of conversion! The
Initiation of Adults (the
invitation to the kingdom
catechumenate). There
of God is extended to all
is also the situation
people of all time without
of someone baptized
exception, but not all
into another Christian
behaviors nor convictions
communion but who has
or beliefs are consistent
not been received into
with the values of the
communion with the
kingdom. The invitation is
to conform to God’s will
Pilgrims join Bishop Warfel on
Pilgrimage to Italy
By Darren Eultgen, Chancellor
On Reception
of Holy
Communion
continued on page 6
Pope Francis and Bishop Warfel share a warm greeting after the public audience.
Thirty-five pilgrims from parishes throughout the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
joined Bishop Michael Warfel on a special pilgrimage to Rome and Italy this past month.
The pilgrimage included attending a Wednesday audience to see Pope Francis, daily
Mass with the Bishop, and visits to the Vatican and holy sites in several other cities: Venice,
Padua, Assisi, and Florence.
“Pope Francis has called us to rediscover and renew our relationship with Christ
and His Church,” Bishop Warfel said. “It is my hope that this pilgrimage was another
opportunity for the people of our Diocese to embrace the beauty of our faith as we follow
in the footsteps of pilgrims who have journeyed to the Eternal City – the heart of the
Universal Church – throughout the ages.”
The pilgrimage began with departure on Monday, September 29, with arrival in
Venice. Highlights of the trip included:
•
For two days in Venice and Padua we looked at the Church’s great tradition of
Byzantine Art and Architecture by touring the city of Venice and visiting the Cathedral. In
Padua we explored the relationship between reason and faith with a tour of the University
of Padua, where Copernicus and Galileo taught.
•
For two days in Florence we explored the Renaissance era with a tour of the
Duomo, the Accademia and the Convento di San Marco the saw the great sculptures of
Michelangelo and the paintings of Fra Angelico.
•
On our way to Assisi we traveled the Tuscan countryside and stopped in Siena, were
we saw the Cathedral and house of St. Catherine. We then continued for our two-day visit
continued on page 2
“If we don’t invest in our kids, the
world is going to invest in them to
take them away from the Church.”
-- Amy Seymour, DRE, St. John
the Evangelist in Joliet, MT
See Full Story and How You Can Help
on Pages 10 & 11
Page 2 • The Harvest • November / December 2014 • Diocese of Great Falls-Billings • Established in 1904
Ryegate and
Dorothy Day Book
Ryegate Catholics
celebrated their centennial,
and at the same time
honored Servant of God
Dorothy Day. At 11:30
a.m., Sunday, October 12,
2014, Bishop Michael
Warfel presided at a Mass
in Ryegate’s St. Mathias
Church. The Bishop
and pastor of Ryegate
and Roundup, Father
Doug Krings, called the
congregation to celebrate
its 100th Anniversary, and
honor Dorothy Day, who
visited Ryegate in 1955, and
who died in 1980. During
the festive ceremony, Bishop
Warfel blessed a picture of
Dorothy Day and a plaque
which recalls her visit
to the parish. Ryegate
parishioners invite guests to
visit Dorothy’s Shrine and
pray there.
Retired diocesan
priest Father Robert J.
Paul Fox has written a
book to mark the 1955
visit of Dorothy Day. It is
entitled “Dorothy Day’s
Visit to Montana,” and is
available for $10.00. It is
a summary of Dorothy’s
life, and it includes reprints
of her articles on the visit
to Ryegate. Fox says the
book is from secondary
sources and skims the
surface. Readers would
be better informed, Fox
says, by reading William
Miller’s biography of
Dorothy Day or his history
of the Catholic Worker
entitled “A Harsh and
Dreadful Love.” To read
Day’s two autobiographies
would be best: “The Long
Loneliness,” and “Loaves
and Fishes.”
Dorothy Day is
fairly well known today as
the founder of the Catholic
Worker Movement in 1933,
and its newspaper, “The
Catholic Worker.” She
was a leading pacifist, but
few Montanans had ever
heard of her when she
visited Ryegate. Father
James Kettleson, pastor of
St. Mathias, had invited
her and met her at the
bus depot in Billings. He
took her to tour Our Lady
of Guadalupe Church, a
Hispanic parish in south
Billings. Father James
Kettleson, was interested
in social issues and
corresponded with Dorothy.
Kettleson died in a car
accident in 1959.
Dorothy Day spent
a week in Ryegate talking
with local Catholics, and
also visited St. Anthony’s
parish in Cody, Wyoming,
where she was scheduled
to speak. During her stay
in Ryegate, she visited
a Hutterite colony near
Grassrange, and had
lunch while sitting with
the women, and ordered
a handmade spinning
wheel before she left. The
only one in the area who
remembers Day’s visit is
Roy Stiles, whose ranch is
east of Broadview. Dorothy
visited his family during
her stay in Ryegate.
Day was born in
New York in 1897 and
moved with her family
to Oakland, California. After the earthquake in
1906, they moved to
Chicago where her father
worked as a newspaper
man and Dorothy attended
school two years at the
University in Urbana. At
the beginning of World
War I she was working as
a journalist for the radical
press in New York. During
her first years there, she
had an abortion; later, she
married and spent a year
in Europe. After a divorce
and time in Chicago and
New Orleans, she settled
down on Staten Island
with Forster Batterham,
a common-law husband.
When their child, Tamar,
was born in 1927, she left
Batterham, and the baby
baptized in the Catholic
Church and she became a
Catholic the same year.
She met Peter
Maurin who was a former
Christian Brother and
who had many ideas on
how to help the poor.
Together they published
the first issue of “The
Catholic Worker” on May
1, 1933, the year Roosevelt
was inaugurated and the
depression was invading
every part of American
life. Although their paper
had no Church approval,
it was delivered to many
Catholics, and during the
first month, $120.00 was
donated. Widespread
interest developed as
volunteers came to help.
When funds allowed, they
fed a morning breadline and made a few
apartments available to the
homeless. Catholic Worker
field houses opened in
Milwaukee, Chicago and
Pittsburgh.
Not all of the new
associates were ready
to embrace Dorothy’s
pacifism. As editor, she
marshaled her facts and
built arguments that
won over the majority.
Henceforth the Catholic
Worker was anti-war,
anti-conscription, and
anti-nuclear weaponry.
Since the Church adhered
to the “Just War Theory,”
Catholic bishops, editors,
college professors and
others disagreed with
this position. During the
Vietnam War, Dorothy and
Trappist monk Thomas
Merton, another pacifist,
were newsmakers and won
notoriety.
The bishops of
Vatican II made statements
favorable to some of
Dorothy’s positions. In
1983, in a U. S. National
Pastoral on Peace, the
American bishops declared
that both the “Just War
Theory” and principles of
pacifism were to be used
in deciding whether a war
was just.
To purchase a copy of “Dorothy Day’s Visit to Montana” by Father Robert
J. Paul Fox, send $10 (checks payable to “Catholic Foundation of Eastern
Montana”) to ATTN: Scott Westphal, Chancery Office, P O Box 1399,
Great Falls, MT, 59403-1399. Only a limited number is available. Be
sure to include your complete mailing address, and please include your
phone number.
Pilgrims join Bishop
continued from Front Page
to Assisi, where we began to understand the Evangelical
Simplicity of St. Francis and Clare by visiting the Basilicas,
the tomb of St. Francis and the charm of this simple Italian
city. Bishop Warfel celebrated and preached at the Basilica
of St. Francis, where thousands of pilgrims had gathered
on the weekend of the feast of St. Francis.
•
Finally, we journeyed to Rome, where we spent
four days in the city and the Vatican, including: the
Catacombs; the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
(tomb of St. Paul); Mass at St. Peter’s; and attended a Papal
Audience with Pope Francis. The pilgrims enjoyed many
other adventures in the Eternal City. See photos on Page 3.
Counselor
Positions Open
St. Thomas Summer Camp
St. Thomas Camp is located a picturesque setting
tucked in the Little Belt Mountains outside of Monarch
MT in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. Summer Camp
runs from the first of July to mid- August and provides a
wonderful, faith-filled outdoor experience for children
entering 5th grade to high school. Cabins are well
appointed, the food is good and it is a great summer job
opportunity. Counselors must be practicing Catholics
with at least one year of college, be role models of faith
and fun for young people, and be able to work Sunday
through Friday when camp is in session. Applications are
available at diocesegfb.org or by contacting Mandy Bell at
406-263-7485. Free Advertising!
Diocese of Great Falls-Billings parishes and
schools receive a free 4 col. inch ad (the size
of this message) in “The Harvest” (subject to
availability of space, first come - first served).
Please send your info for upcoming events to
Father Jay Peterson,
[email protected].
The Harvest • November / December 2014 • Diocese of Great Falls-Billings • Established in 1904 • Page 3
Pilgrims join Bishop Warfel on
Pilgrimage to Italy
Twenty
Something
By Christina Capecchi
Self-reflection
in the age of
selfies
Pilgrims from the Diocese gathered with Bishop Warfel in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica in
the Vatican. There are numerous national chapels and tombs of popes beneath St. Peter’s.
The Bishop presided in the Lithuanian Chapel, a place near to his heart due to his mother’s
Lithuanian heritage.
The clearest person featured in this photo is Pope Francis in his pope-mobile, but most of
the thirty-five diocesan pilgrims are visible in the crowd.
Secular Franciscan Order
Retreat
The annual regional retreat of Our Lady of the Rockies Secular Franciscan Order was held
September 5-7, 2014, at the Ursuline Centre in Great Falls. St. Clare Fraternity of Great
Falls hosted. The region covers all of Montana, with seven fraternities and more than 70
members. Submitted by Lee Schouviller, OFS.
Lena Dunham
is not done confessing.
That’s the headline of the
New York Times Magazine
profile just published
about the actress-turnedmemoirist, and it couldn’t
be more apt.
Though I’ve
never seen an episode of
her highly rated, superraunchy, nudity-filled
HBO show “Girls,” I
consider Lena something
of a cultural case study,
given how often she is
touted as the voice of my
generation. That voice
has never shied away
from revelation, however
unflattering or immoral.
It will reach
new heights this month,
when her memoir “Not
That Kind of Girl” is
released, the product of
a $3-million book deal
Lena signed with Random
House two years ago
at age 26. The Atlantic
called the memoir “a new
chapter in her campaign
of self-exposure” while
The New York Times
Magazine said it was
written “with a ferocious,
hilarious and occasionally
worrisome candor.”
Lena’s revelations
range from decades
of psychotherapy
(beginning when she
was 9) to the loss of her
virginity – diplomatically
summarized by the New
York Times Magazine as
a series of “questionable
personal choices.”
The critical
response that intrigued
me most came toward
the end of James
Parker’s Atlantic review:
“There’s something
very contemporary in
Dunham’s self-exposure,
her restlessly accelerated
processing of her own
experience.” He went
on to render a chilling
assessment of Life On
Perpetual Broadcast, that
21st-century youngadult proclivity. “That’s
modernity: the inside’s
on the outside, leaving a
vacuum on the inside.”
I often wonder
about the Facebook effect
on the inner life, what it
means when the time
between experiencing
and sharing is reduced to
a matter of seconds.
Reality TV stars
are questioned about
their willingness to
bare it all for national
consumption, and I’m
amused when these
boldfaced confessors
insist they don’t share
everything with the
cameras. Somehow Kim
Kardashian’s second go
at a nationally televised
wedding was supposed
to seem restrained
because the footage
ended right before the
actual ceremony and was
shot only by friends,
not producers. (I can’t
help but think of Dave
Letterman’s comment to
Kim when she was on
his show last year: “I just
wonder if you’re getting
good advice.”)
But it’s not just a
question for celebrities.
Self-disclosure is an
issue every conscientious
young adult grapples
with. What goes on the
blog and what stays in
the private journal? What
do you share with a close
friend, a group of online
followers, the World
Wide Web, God? Where’s
the line between selfaware and self-absorbed,
between naval gazing
and soul searching? Will
I know when I’ve crossed
it?
I find myself
composing tweets in
my head, a strange sort
of outside-looking-in
sensation that, though
aimed at capturing the
moment, surely hinders
my ability to be in it.
When it comes to my
social-media output, I try
to evaluate my intentions
and distinguish the
sociable impulse from
the narcissistic one. Am I
making a connection or
making a statement?
The Catholic
Church calls us to
develop the inner life,
beckoning us to bend
our knees, bow our
heads and close our
eyes, inviting us to
make our confession
before a priest, not a
camera. It gives us tools
specifically designed
for self-reflection like
spiritual direction and
that increasingly foreign,
healing prospect of the
continued on page 7
CDA New Members
Big Sky Cum Christo
By Bob Meyers
Table
of Contents
Diocesan Pilgrimage .1,2,3
D o r o t h y D ay E v e n t . . . . 2
Tw e n t y S o m e t h i n g. . . 3
B i g S k y C u m C h r i s t o. 4
H o l y C r o s s C e m e t e r y. 5
St. Vincent de Paul GF.5
2 0 1 5 Wo r l d m e e t ing of Families............6
NCCW Convention.......7
Sisters’Obituaries.......7,9
UGF News...................9
Youth Ministry Special......10, 11
Stewardship.....................12
Around the Diocese........13-15
Official Announcements.....14
S c h o o l N ew s. . . . . . . . 1 6 - 1 9
Subscription Address Changes..19
Care and Share Contribut i o n s w i l l b e p u bl i s h e d
monthly on our Web site:
w w w. d i o c e s e g f b . o r g
On September 8, 2014, five ladies took the formal pledge
and joined Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court
Mother Cabrini #1766 at St. Matthew’s Parish in Sidney.
Pictured left to right: Irma Saenz; Father Jim O’Neil; Kelly
Resig; Amanda Piatte; Becki Eggum and Trisha Klempel.
Also at that meeting the membership decided to once
again raffle tickets for local gift cards at the St. Matthew’s
Fall Dinner October 19 and the Holiday Bazaar December
5-6. Following our motto of unity and charity, our cup of
compassion donation for September went to the Sunrise
Pregnancy Clinic which assists parents and their babies.
Submitted by Janet Martineau
CDA Havre Parade
Publisher:
Most Rev. Michael W. Warfel
Submit News Articles to
Supervising Editor:
Rev. Jay H. Peterson
[email protected]
800-332-9998
406-727-6683, ext. 126
Design & Layout
Mearle Tilton
Advertising Billing and
Mailing List:
Laurie Horton
[email protected]
A pro-life float, sponsored by Catholic Daughters of
the Americas Court St. Theresa #1161 and Knights of
Columbus Council #1644, Havre, Montana, was in the Havre
Festival Days Parade held September 20, 2014.
PCCW Havre Lefse
Visit us at our
Web site:
www.diocesegfb.org
Past issues of “The
Harvest” can be found
online:
www.diocesegfb.org
(click on
“The Harvest” logo)
You can also visit us on
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
pages/Roman-CatholicDiocese-of-Great-FallsBillings/131628450231611
Every year, St. Jude Thaddeus PCCW ladies gather to make
lefse, the traditional Scandinavian flatbread, for sale at
the Christmas Bazaar. The Bazaar is slated this year for
December 6, 2014.
The Big Sky Cum Christo movement in the Eastern
Diocese of Montana is closing in on 50 years of active
ministry in 2015. The Cursillo Ministry (1965-1984)
and the Cum Christo Ministry (1984-today) still continue
to be special gifts to the many of us who have attended
one of the 591 weekends that have been held in Eastern
Montana. The first Cursillo weekend was held January 7,
1949, on the Island of Majorca, Spain. The first Cursillo
in the United States was held in Waco, Texas, in 1957. The first Cursillo in Montana took place in Great Falls
in February of 1965. The first weekend in Billings was
held in July of 1965. A total of 275 Cursillos were held
in 20 different cities in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
between 1965 and 1984. Since 1984, 315 Cum Christos
have been held in our Diocese. In June 2015, Miles City
will most likely be the site of our 600th weekend in
Eastern Montana.
Big Sky Cum Christo will be hosting our 50th
Anniversary Celebration with a Diocesan wide special
event June 19-21, 2015, in Billings. It will be held at
Billings Central High School. Bishop Michael Warfel
and Tom Peterson will be our featured speakers. Tom
Peterson, from Atlanta, GA is the President and Founder of
Catholics Come Home.org. There will be a youth program.
Everyone is welcome to attend our 50th Anniversary and
join us as we celebrate our remarkable history. Mark
your calendars and watch your local Church bulletins for
upcoming details and pre-registration details.
The next upcoming Cum Christo weekend in
Montana will be held in the Great Falls area. It is currently
being planned. It will be held at the Ursuline Center in
Great Falls November 20-23, 2014. Kevin O'Connell and
Barb Schlecht will be the upcoming Rector and Rectora.
For further information or applications contact the Great
Falls Cum Christo President, Carmen Thorsen (761-1805). The Sidney community will host the first weekends
of 2015 on February 5-8 and Feb 12-15 at St. Matthew’s
Parish Center in Sidney. Tom Ihde and Tracy Dehnow will
be there upcoming Rector and Rectora for Sidney.
The Lewistown community will host weekends Feb 1215 and Feb 19-22 at St. Leo’s Parish Center in Lewistown. Tom Meissner and Becky Jackson will be their upcoming
Rector and Rectora for Lewistown.
The Billings/Laurel weekends will be taking
place at St. Anthony’s Parish Center in Laurel, with dates
pending in March or April, 2015. John Stampfel and Julie
Palmershein are the upcoming Rector and Rectora for the
Billings/Laurel weekends.
And lastly, Miles City weekends will be held June
4-7 and June 11-14, 2015, at the Sacred Heart Parish
Center in Miles City. Clint Worman and Dannette Cremer
will be the upcoming Rector and Rectora.
All of our upcoming weekends desire your
participation and support either as a team member or as a
candidate. For more information, contact any of the above
mentioned Rectors or Rectoras and/or your local Parish
Priest.
Vision for a Renewed Holy
Cross Cemetery
“The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus which we have received” ( Pope
Francis , Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel).
We wish to share with you the idea that evangelizing is forever, even after earthly
life has ceased. Our places of “forever rest” can be instruments of evangelizing, when they
reflect the peace and the beauty of life that we have received by Jesus’ love.
In the diocese of Great Falls-Billings the two Diocesan owned Catholic cemeteries,
places of forever rest, are Mount Olivet Cemetery in Great Falls, and Holy Cross Cemetery in
Billings. Other Catholic cemeteries exist but they are not managed by the Diocese.
Presently, a course of action is happening to enhance Holy Cross Cemetery to a fuller,
richer environment which reflects the beauty of human life. There are plans in place for
Holy Cross to become a beautiful peaceful cemetery where families and friends will want
to spend time reflecting on the memories of their loved ones. Like with all improvements,
many things are needed to bring these plans to fruition.
In a recent report, MSU-B Business College students stated that in the United States
the current rate of cremation is 43.2%. In the state of Montana the current rate is 67.7%. These statistics helped us to see the opportunity to envision a different type of cemetery.
In September 2014, there will be available 44 new cremation plots, available to
purchase in the landscape around the Chapel. We will be opening and selling two new plot
sections that will now allow upright headstones. These two new sections will also feature
“family sections.” These family sections will be purchased in increments of 4 plots per each
family section. We are currently building a Rosary walk that will include 4 flower sections
representing the mysteries of the rosary: Joyful (white), Sorrowful (red), Glorious (yellow)
and Luminous (purple). We will be building an on-site business office, an equipment shed
and insulating, heating and adding plumbing to the existing work shop. Hopefully, these
building projects will be completed by the spring/summer of 2015. In the near future, a
water feature will be added. It will include places for the burials of cremains. Along with
these additions, we are envisioning accommodations in St. Anne’s Chapel which will allow
for small sacramental activities, including but not limited to, cremation funeral services and
weddings.
We believe that these new features will create an environment of peaceful welcoming
to everyone who uses and visits Holy Cross Cemetery. We pray that the new resources will
encourage all Christian people to look at becoming a lasting part of Holy Cross Cemetery.
This is our appeal: We need laborers in the field! Laborers - those willing to gift their talents
and materials, their time and their endless energy. We also, could use perennials for our
flower beds. If your perennials need thinning, we will happily accept the overflow. If you
have landscaping rocks, we would like to use them for the building of the water feature. If
you have wood chips, they would work for the Rosary walkway. If you have knowledge of
horticulture, your help would be appreciated in designing and beautifying the flower beds,
etc. Artistic eye, creative design, plumbing, electrical, water features, cement work, fencing,
as you can see the list is endless. With many hands, much can be accomplished.
Please prayerfully consider helping us to labor or be a provider of supplies or services
for a setting which evangelizes the beauty of God’s gift of love for those asleep in Christ.
This is your Diocesan cemetery. If you are interested in purchasing a memorial tree
or bench, or a plot please call or stop by. The Cemetery Manager for Holy Cross Cemetery
is Faye Urbanski. She is onsite at 1601 Mullowney Lane, Billings, MT, Monday through
Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Holy Cross phone number is 406-839-8387.
K of C Billings
St. Vincent de Paul of
Cascade County News
By Jan Cameron, Director of
Charity/Outreach
Our First Annual Friends of the Poor Walk/Run
was held September 20, 2014. We were unable to meet
our financial goal but we were blessed and energized by
the participation of wonderful spirits from Corpus Christi
Parish. The walk was held nationwide and helped raise
funds for St. Vincent de Paul Councils and Conferences.
All of the proceeds from our walk will be used locally to
directly benefit the people in our own community who
are struggling to make ends meet. We had a beautiful
fall day and walked 1.8 miles at Gibson Park. St. Dismas
Conference members made and served sandwiches to the
walkers. Following opening prayer led by Mayor Michael
Winters, walkers could be seen from a distance in our
Blue Sunglasses that coordinated with our T-shirts. The
youngest participant was a 2 week old baby boy! We want
to thank our sponsors: Sletten Construction, Kelly’s Signs,
First Interstate Bank, Snyder Drug and Faster Basset Coffee
House. We hope to see more teams in the September 2015
Walk! Mark your calendar now and become a part of this
fun event to help raise awareness of the needs of those
living in poverty!
St. Vincent de Paul Great Falls is partnering once
again with Town Pump Charitable Foundation this year
for their “Be A Friend In Deed, Helping Those In Need”
campaign to raise funds for our Food Bank. From now
through the end of November they will match every dollar
collected by us up to $15,000. Please help us reach this
goal. If you have ever prayed that your contribution be
multiplied, your prayers have been answered! Hunger and
food insecurity continue to be concerns in our community.
Helping families and individuals with food helps them
in so many ways. We need you to be the hands and feet
of Jesus to help us help those living next to us. Mail your
contribution marked “Town Pump Match” to 426 Central
Ave. W., Great Falls, MT 59404. You may also click on the
‘DONATE NOW’ tab on our website at www.svdpgreatfalls.
org. Payment will process without selecting card type.
PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING YOUR CHRISTMAS
DONATION EARLY - BEFORE THE END OF NOVEMBER!
We are beginning planning for the Christmas Basket
Give Away for 2014. We will be giving out food and gifts
to the kids in the families who apply. If your business
would like to sponsor a Christmas giving tree, please
contact Jan at 406-761-0870. Grocery lists will be available.
Sign-ups will take place Dec 1 – 15, 2014, at the Angel
Room on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 9 – 11 and
Tuesday, Thursday from 1 – 3 both weeks. Please consider
becoming a volunteer.
Invitation to Serve: We are inviting discussion on
initiating youth and young adult conferences to include all
of Great Falls and surrounding communities. Specifically,
please consider being a leader for one of these conferences.
Please also keep this need in your prayers. Please contact
Jan Cameron at 761-0870.
We are also in need of volunteers for home
visitation, the foundation of St. Vincent de Paul. Training is
provided. The Food Bank is in need of volunteers as well
who might want to help a couple of hours a day or week.
Our thrift store is accepting and always in need of
donations of appliances, furniture, household goods and
clothing including unusable clothing, blankets and any
textiles. If something is stained, torn or stretched out of
shape, we can still recycle it to benefit our charity.
Cascade County St.Vincent de Paul Society provides year round assistance
through our food bank, charity services and thrift stores at 426 Central Ave
West in Great Falls. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation, or have
any questions, please call Jan Cameron at 761-0870.
Knights of Columbus Council #13050 recently sponsored a framed image of Mary,
the Immaculate Conception that was blessed by Pope Francis June of 2013, and has been
traveling throughout the U.S. via KC Councils to encourage Marian prayer. The image,
painted in vivid colors, was displayed during a prayer service at St. Thomas the Apostle
Church in Billings on Tuesday, October 21, 2014, honoring Our Lady and her willingness
to be a vessel of God. Pictured with the image are Knights Mark Ball, Matt Helfrich & Dave
Bofto.
Diocesan Pilgrimage
Set for World Meeting
of Families Next Fall in
Philadelphia
Always Walk in Christ
continued from Front Page
Catholic Church. For them to receive Communion, they make a profession of faith prior
to their reception into the Catholic Church by saying: “I believe and profess all that the
holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.” Reception
of the Eucharist expects adherence to the teaching of the Church, otherwise, the person
is expressing something that is not true when they receive. They fall prey to what Fr. Ron
Rolheiser once wrote when he said some people want “Christ without his Church.” To
receive Communion means a person actually is in communion.
There are also moral inconsistencies that cause problems. Obvious examples that
can be cited deal with serious sin. For example, it is quite improper for people actively
involved in human trafficking, providing abortions, drug dealing, adultery, the sexual abuse
of children, pornographers, embezzlers, spousal abusers to receive the Eucharist. In my
17 years as a parish priest and now 17 more as a bishop, I actually have encountered each
of these examples and by people who regularly attended Mass. In addition to informing
proper authorities when required and in the case of a crime, I indicated to the individual
in each case that it would be inappropriate to receive the Eucharist until their situation was
corrected and they were reconciled with the Church. In a definite way, it is what St. Paul
insisted upon with regard to two parishioners in the Church of Corinth who had entered
into an incestuous marriage (1 Corinthians 5:15). St. Paul’s desire was not that they be
permanently expelled, but that they repent of their sin and return to life in Christ and be
restored to their place in the Church.
St. John asserts, “All sin is wrong doing, but not all sin leads to death” (1 John
5:17). All of us commit sin throughout our lives. It’s one of the reasons I receive the
Sacrament of Penance regularly. None of us are wholly immune to the pull of Original Sin
and the temptations that we face. In addition to the Sacrament of Penance, the Eucharist is a
key source of healing and forgiveness.
We should have confidence to receive the Eucharist knowing that it is by the grace
of God at work in us that we attain any degree of holiness. And we should know that there
are some matters that can separate us from participation in the sacramental life of the
Church. It is often hard to judge, in the normal pattern of Christian living, when a certain
behavior or a particular conviction actually leads to separation. There are many counter
Christian influences in society that can entice us and trick us in to making terrible decisions
with regard to our faith practice. Some of these decisions can and do end us separating us
from the Church. While not judging the person, we can and must make judgments about
whether an action or a belief of a person is inconsistent with the teaching of the Church.
Inside the missalettes that are found in most Catholic Churches, there is a guide for
the reception of communion. It is printed along with this article for the benefit of those
who have never read it. It is true that all are in fact welcome but the welcome is one which
includes the invitation to embrace the fullness of the teachings and the practices of the
Church.
FOR CATHOLICS
As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive
Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently.
In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be
conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is
conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior
sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for
confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act
of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon
916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.
FOR OUR FELLOW CHRISTIANS
We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers
and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this
Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which
separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ's
prayer for us "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21).
Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality
of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we
are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic
sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according
to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844
§4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish
National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches.
According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the
reception of Communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 §3).
FOR THOSE NOT RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION
All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a
prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another.
FOR NON-CHRISTIANS
We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ.
While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers
for the peace and the unity of the human family.
By Darren Eultgen, Chancellor
It is with great anticipation and joy that we
cordially invite you to the 2015 World Meeting of
Families, September 22nd through 27th at the Philadelphia
Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA. Since its inception
by Saint John Paul II in 1994, the World Meeting of Families
has sought to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across
the globe. Join us for a week of spiritual enrichment, as we
discuss the multifaceted issues facing families today during
the various keynotes and breakout sessions. You will hear practical talks from a wide variety
of engaging speakers on the reality of the Catholic
teaching on marriage and family life. With a central
goal of strengthening families in very practical ways, this
conference promises to give all who attend something
to take home and share in their own faith communities.
Following the event we anticipate on being blessed to
celebrate Holy Mass with Pope Francis!
In order to manage the registration process,
accommodations, travel, etc., we have engaged Canterbury
Pilgrimages, an organization that has been specializing in
Catholic Pilgrimages and events for over 21 years! With
their assistance, we have three simple goals;
•
•
•
Encourage as many attendees as possible to join our diocesan pilgrimage to Philadelphia
Share the conference together as a diocese
Most importantly, return with a renewed sense of purpose regarding the family ministries we serve.
Watch future issues of the Harvest for opportunities to
register.
K of C Billings Star
Council
District Deputy Art Loendorf presents the Star
Council Award for K of C Council 13050 of St Thomas the
Apostle Parish to Past Grand Knight Dave Bofto. This award
was for the 2013-2014 fraternal year. Star Council Award
represents exceptional volunteerism in areas of community,
church, youth, council, culture of life and family as well as
recruiting new members and those taking advantage of the
KC Insurance program.
NCCW Convention
Sister Bernadette
Installation of new officers shows Reverend James G. Stembler, Chair of Spiritual
Moderators-National Council of Catholic Women, and Executive President Rebecca
Woodhull. Also pictured are President Elect Sheila Hopkins and Treasurer Mary Matheus.
Articles and photos submitted by Joby Parker.
Washington, D.C. October 2014—Nearly 600 Catholic women leaders from around
the country gathered in Grand Rapids for their annual convention—a huge success for
Catholic women.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the site of the National Council of Catholic Women’s
2014 National Convention. Held at the historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel from September
24-27, the annual gathering of women leaders was a huge success, with nearly six hundred
registrants— representing hundreds of thousands of Catholic women nationwide (and
even Canada!)— who attended talks and educational seminars, worshipped, and enjoyed
fellowship.
Executive President Rebecca Woodhull said, “This has been a joy-filled convention.
You can just feel the energy of the ladies in every session. The Holy Spirit and Our Lady of
Good Counsel are with us!”
Nearly 40 priests and 7 bishops celebrated Holy Mass with the convention
participants. Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr., Episcopal Liaison, Bishop of Springfield-Cape
Girardeau, was the Principal Celebrant of the opening Mass, which was concelebrated by
Archbishop John Nienstedt, St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese; Bishop Earl A. Boyea, Lansing
Diocese; and Bishop Steven J. Raica, Gaylord Diocese. Friday liturgy was celebrated by
Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr., Principal Celebrant; Archbishop John Nienstedt; Bishop Paul
Bradley, Kalamazoo Diocese; Bishop Steven J. Raica; and Bishop Donald Hanchon, Detroit
Archdiocese. The closing Mass on Saturday was celebrated by Bishop David Walkowiak,
Grand Rapids Diocese. Beautiful liturgical music was provided by local choirs and
musicians.
In addition to daily Mass, convention attendees were able to enjoy morning and
evening prayer, Rosary on the River, reconciliation, and many lively activities such as a
purse auction, silent auction, and “Padres and Madres on Parade,” a talent show performed
by the Spiritual Advisors to NCCW. Each day of the convention, the women enjoyed the
opportunity to experience ArtPrize throughout the streets of Grand Rapids under a flawless
blue sky.
Nationally known speakers and authors Dr. Ralph Martin and Teresa Tomeo were
keynote speakers at the 2014 convention, whose theme was “Be the Voice of Catholic
Women: Catholic Women United in Truth.” Martin’s talk, "Catholic Women and the New
Evangelization: Why Bother" focused on what exactly is evangelization, and he stirred the
women to action: “Why evangelize? Souls are at stake!” Teresa Tomeo discussed “Families
and the Media: Helping Families Navigate Today's Cultural Challenges” and urged everyone
to work to change the culture that objectifies women and erodes their self-respect through
violent and pornographic media content.
Other speakers in the action-packed schedule included motivational speaker and
humorist Sheri Wohlfert as a rousing breakfast speaker; Joyce Coronel, award-winning
reporter and columnist for the Phoenix Catholic Sun; Jane Knuth, author of Thrift Store
Saints: Meeting Jesus 25 Cents at a Time; and Vicki Thorn, the founder of Project Rachel and
the executive director of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing.
A new program for evangelization, We Are Called to Witness, specifically created
for women by the NCCW Leadership Commission, was unveiled at the convention. This
program is designed to help members and affiliations discover and actively participate in
sharing the Good News, the joy of Jesus. The comprehensive program will be translated
into three languages and will be available on the NCCW Web site, nccw.org.
Convention attendees donated a “mountain” of diapers along with baby layette items to
HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid, Inc. of Grand Rapids.
Established in 1920, the National Council of Catholic Women acts through
its membership to support, empower, and educate all Catholic women in spirituality,
leadership and service. NCCW programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the
Church and society in the modern world. The 2015 Annual Convention will be held in
Orlando, Florida.
For more information, please contact Laraine Bennett at 703-224-0990 or e-mail
[email protected]. Please visit the NCCW Web site at nccw.org.
GREAT FALLS —Sister Bernadette Charvet, OSU, 93,
passed away on Thursday, October 2, 2014, at a local
nursing home.
A viewing was held prior to the vigil beginning
at 5:00 p.m. with the vigil that started at 7:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, October 7, 2014, at Ursuline Centre Chapel.
A funeral liturgy was held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday,
October 8, 2014, at Ursuline Centre Chapel. Burial
followed at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Schnider Funeral
Home handled the arrangements.
She entered the Ursuline Order in Festus, Missouri.
After her first vows, she went to New York and attended
New Rochelle College where she received a degree in
elementary education in January of 1946. She made her
final vows and returned to the west. She began teaching in
Great Falls and other places in Montana and Moscow, ID.
Sister Bernadette was an elementary teacher at Our Lady of
Lourdes Catholic School in Great Falls for many years. She
also taught in Idaho and California. She taught religious
education following her retirement.
Sister Bernadette entered Benefis Extended Care and
enjoyed being there. She also enjoyed a good laugh and
songs. She had a knack of knowing when people needed
help or a kind word. The nursing staffs at Benefis Extended
Care were very good to her. Art and decorating greeting
cards were a favorite pastime.
Sister Bernadette is survived by a sister in Yakima,
WA; many nieces and nephews; and other extended family.
Memorials in Sister Bernadette's name may be made
to the Ursuline Centre, 2300 Central Ave., Great Falls, MT
59401.
Twenty Something
continued from page 3
silent retreat.
In an Instagram era,
these offerings feel more
vital than ever. How can we
still our hearts when our
thumbs keep on tapping? Pulling the plug on
all social networks probably
isn’t the solution for most
of us. But we can turn to
this month’s Scripture, St.
Matthew’s account of the
greatest commandments,
for a litmus test on each
tweet: Is it drawing on a
love of self or a love of
neighbor?
Christina Capecchi is a freelance
writer from Inver Grove Heights,
Minn., and editor of SisterStory.
org, the official website of
National Catholic Sisters Week.
The Harvest (USPS 016493) is published
six times a year by the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Great Falls-Billings, 121 23rd Street South,
Great Falls, MT 59401-3997. Publication and
subscriptions are funded by the annual Care &
Share appeal and the Home Missions Committee
Grant. Periodicals Postage Paid at Great Falls, MT.
Postmaster and Subscriber:
Send address changes and all correspondence to
The Harvest, P.O. Box 1399, Great Falls, MT 59403-1399. Telephone: 406-727-6683; 800-332-9998; Fax: 406-454-3480;
E-mail: [email protected].
If you could turn your tax
dollars into a gift at year-end
that would benefit the future
of your parish or our entire
diocese, would you?
Utilizing the “Montana Endowment Tax Credit” helps you maximize your giving
potential. It gives you the option of giving to the Church what you would otherwise pay in
taxes.
For example, it’s possible to make a $2,500 gift to your parish or our diocese at less
than a $1,000 cost to you. That’s because you have diverted your tax dollars to the church
through the use of this tax credit.
The Montana Endowment Tax Credit is a dollar-for-dollar credit against the Montana
income tax you owe in 2014. This unique and generous tax credit is based on 40% of your
gift amount. This is different, and much better, than a tax deduction.
To qualify for this tax credit, your gift must be given to a permanent endowment
fund of your parish or one of the many endowments that support our entire diocese.
Earnings from these endowments are utilized year after year -- an outstanding way to
ensure the long-term viability of our Church! Your gift to an endowment fund will make
an impact forever through the earnings it produces.
Q: How can I qualify for this tax credit?
A: Individual taxpayers qualify for the 40% tax credit by creating a planned gift through
the donation of cash or another asset, such as stock, mineral rights, livestock, grain or real
estate.
Q: What do you mean by a “planned gift”?
A: In comparison to an outright gift, a planned gift generally brings the donor increased
financial and tax benefits. A planned gift can provide an excellent return for you and, in
the long run, may cost you nothing! With CD and money market rates as low as they are
now, people are wise to look at the planned gifts listed below.
Thank You to All Who
Supported Care and
Share 2014!
Annual Campaign
Concludes
The 2014 Care and Share Campaign ended October
31 and Bishop Warfel would like to thank ALL who gave
toward his annual appeal in support of the ministries of
our diocese. Truly, these ministries couldn’t exist without
the contributions of our parishioners.
Every church in our diocese receives a dollar goal
as its part of the annual Care and Share campaign and most
met or exceeded those goals. Those churches who haven’t
yet met their goal as of the end of the campaign may
continue to promote giving toward it at the parish level.
Parishioners are welcomed and appreciated for continuing
to make gifts toward the unmet goals.
Care and Share 2015 will begin the first weekend
of March 2015. Until then, please know your gifts for this
year are currently hard at work, making a great difference
for the Church in our diocese!
See a list of the churches, by Vicariate,
which met or exceeded their 2014
Care and Share goals by October 31 at
www.CatholicFoundationMt.org
Q : How do I make a “planned gift”?
A : Many ways. Following are some of the methods that you can use to qualify for the
credit:
• Charitable Gift Annuity
• Deferred Payment Gift Annuity
• Charitable Trust
• Life-Estate
• Gift of a Paid-Up Life Insurance Policy
Your financial professionals can advise you. These plans may sound “like Greek” to you,
but once explained, you’ll know that they can really be quite simple to enact. People all
across eastern Montana are taking advantage of this credit and helping our Catholic faith!
Q: Can my business get the Montana Endowment Tax Credit, too?
A: Yes! Businesses, corporations, partnerships, etc. may receive a 20% tax credit for
outright gifts of cash or other assets to a permanent endowment fund. For example, a
$500 donation from your business creates a $100 tax credit.
Q: How do I find out more?
A: Contact the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana at 800-332-9998, ext. 120 or
[email protected].
The Catholic Church is only as strong as your support
allows. It takes the loving and generous support of all of
us who listen to God’s call to build His church.
Cascade County Council of Great Falls Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Talk to your financial planner about receiving tax advantages for Estate
Planning options while helping us help those living in poverty.
426 Central Ave. West
Great Falls, MT 59404
406-452-5971
Please consider planning special donations such as
artwork, vehicles, real estate, and antiques.
Sign-Up to Attend
this Free Webinar
December 2nd
12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
You are invited to attend a free one-hour webinar, “Giving
to the Church: Win-Win Ideas.”
Those who attend will learn:
•
•
•
•
•
What is an endowment? Building for the future of the Catholic Church in our diocese
The generous Montana Endowment Tax Credit – how you can receive it
How a Charitable Gift Annuity works and the benefits it provides you, as the donor
Various assets you can give to help the Church and the benefits you will receive from each
How to make a gift of an appreciated asset (stock, mutual funds, etc.) to benefit your parish or the entire diocese
This webinar will be offered live on December
2nd, from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. You attend a
webinar through the internet and from the comfort of
your home or office.
The presenter will be Judy Held, President of the
Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana.
To register, visit www.CatholicFoundationMT.org
and click on “Giving to the Church: Win-Win Ideas”.
Or send an email to Judy Held at judy@
CatholicFoundationMT.org or call her at 800-332-9998,
ext. 120 and she will email the registration link to you
directly.
The University of Great Falls
By President Eugene J. McAllister, Ph.D.
I am very pleased to offer this annual message on the state of the University of Great
Falls, our University. I write on a beautiful sunny fall afternoon in Montana, with lots of
smiling students walking in twos or threes across our green campus to athletic practices,
science labs, and study sessions. We are a joyful place; everyone on campus says hello.
The big stories about our University this year are three. First, our student body
continues to develop into a very lively and interesting community, with more academically
excellent, committed and diverse students joining us. Second, we are building a student
experience on two bedrock foundations: (a) our Catholic purpose, particularly serving
others as witnessed by the Sisters of Providence and Pope Francis; and (b) our hometown,
we are Great Falls’ university. We are a Great Falls institution, founded in the early years
of the Depression, and we are intent on helping build Great Falls. Finally, our University
has been making significant investments in technology, technology for learning and for
expanding our geographic reach. We are a small university that is using technology to pack
a big punch.
Our incoming class has a median GPA of 3.4, part of a trend toward more
academically prepared students. We are attracting more students from California, Oregon,
and Washington, an affirmation of our valued-added and our uniqueness (and our
marketing efforts.) We are a diverse community. More than 20% of our full-time undergraduates are
members of a minority group. One of the more exciting aspects of our incoming class is
the growing presence of Hispanic students. Our Hispanic students have tripled in four
years. We have students from 15 different countries. Fifty-five percent of our students are
first generation to attend college.
We appreciate diversity. So many good things happen at a university when different
ideas, experiences, and viewpoints come together. However, for our University, diversity
is a starting point. We are intent on building a single, faith based, learning community.
As a Catholic/Christian university, as an American university, our goal is to be a unified
community.
We are a residential community. Seventy-five percent of our traditional age students
live on campus. Next fall, the living gets a lot nicer. We are building a nearly $5 million
apartment-style residence on campus. This new residence will be for sophomores and
juniors, with each student having his or her own bedroom, and plenty of common space
for learning. We will bid farewell to the Villa apartments, and rest easier knowing all of our
students are living on the south side of one of the busiest thoroughfares in Montana, 10th
Avenue South.
Last year’s State of the University letter mentioned a pilot program, Providence
Formation, which creates a personal formation around the call of assisting the poor and
vulnerable. Last year, we started with 25 freshmen. This year we have nearly 45 freshmen
and 20 sophomores who have adopted the kindergarten and first grade classes at Whittier
School, a grammar school serving many disadvantaged children. Our students also are
assisting persons with special needs at Eagle Mount and hosting an afternoon class on our
campus for the children living in the Great Falls Rescue Mission.
We are building a formation program around these acts of charity. Our students
begin by serving, then we pray and reflect, study together on Sunday afternoons, meet
Great Falls leaders, and join together in a course entitled Human Dignity. We want our
students to see themselves differently, to see the world differently, and to see themselves in
the world differently.
Providence Formation can become a signature element of our University, embracing
our Catholic purpose and making an important, and unique, contribution to our
hometown, Great Falls, Montana.
Technology has changed our world, including the world of higher education. Our
University is making significant investments in technology. Through the generosity of Fran
and Jim Wylder and Bob and Shirley Jorgensen, we have created a cutting edge high tech
classroom, beginning the transformation from a library to a learning and information
commons. Known affectionately as the “fishbowl,” the Jorgensen Wylder Classroom is a
wonderful place where sophisticated technology can bring ideas more vividly and readily
to our learning experience. This year we have also created technologically sophisticated
learning centers: the Math Center and the Writing & Critical Thinking Center. These are
part of our shift from a library, centered on book stacks, to a Learning and Information
Commons, using technology and community to promote learning.
With the help of Providence Health & Services (PH&S), our parent ministry, we have
made an important investment in on-line learning technology, known as Lync, a relatively
unique tool that allows distance students to log into a live class and participate fully with
the professor and students in that classroom. Our University offers an RN to BSN program,
which serves Providence nurses, from Alaska to Southern California. The promise of the
Lync program and our partnership with PH&S can help our University develop distance
learning programs that can be national, even global - what an amazing prospect for us.
This year, we received a $1 million bequest from a donor who stipulated he
remain anonymous. We believe God works in us and through us. May God embrace that
extraordinary man.
Permit me to close with a story about one of our recent graduates. Ellen Nutter
came to our University, thinking about becoming an elementary school teacher. She
took her math classes early, concerned that math might hold her back. Ellen fell in love
with math, becoming a math major. Through a personal interest, Ellen also began to read
medical journals. To the delight of our English faculty, Ellen also demonstrated an affinity
and talent for writing. This fall, Ellen is enrolled at Dartmouth College’s Ph.D. program
in bio-informatics. Not only is she receiving a full tuition scholarship, but also a very
generous stipend. Ellen tells us she wants to return as a professor at the University of Great
Falls. We told Ellen, first save the world, and then come back to our University.
Thank you most sincerely for all of your help for our University: prayers, gifts, and
presence. We are succeeding because of you. And we are succeeding not in a small way,
but in a big, bold way. We do all of this because we love our students.
Sincerely, President
Sister Carmen
Echevarria
December 25, 1930 –
Oct. 1, 2014
LEAVENWORTH, KS - The Sisters of Charity of
Leavenworth mourn the loss of Sister Carmen Echevarria
(formerly S. Johannes Echevarria), 83, who died
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, in Ross Hall at the Mother
House of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
Marie Carmen was born on December 25, 1930
in Butte, MT, the daughter of John and Leona Malloy
Echevarria. She graduated from Girls Central High School,
Butte, MT, and entered the religious community of the
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on August 18, 1950.
As Sister Johannes, she made her profession of vows on
August 15, 1952. She later returned to the use of her
baptismal name.
Sister Carmen taught in elementary and secondary
schools in the West and Midwest and was an Art Instructor
at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth. In 1980 she
participated in the Focus on Leadership Program in
Denver, CO. She served as a staff member in the Focus on
Leadership Program at Gonzaga University in Spokane and
the Still Point Renewal Center in Seattle, WA, and at the
Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, KS. Sister Carmen engaged
in pastoral ministry to elders at Holy Rosary Parish in
Billings, MT. She received a BS in Art from Saint Mary
College, Leavenworth, KS, and a MA in Art from Highlands
University, Las Vegas, NM. Sister Carmen retired to the
Mother House in 2004.
Survivors include friends and her SCL Community.
A vigil was held on Sunday, Oct. 5, in Ross Chapel
of the Sisters of Charity Mother House in Leavenworth.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in Ross Chapel
at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 6. Interment will follow
in Mount Olivet Cemetery on the Mother House grounds. Belden-Larkin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of
Charity of Leavenworth Retirement Fund, 4200 S 4th
Street, Leavenworth, KS 66048.
$100,000 matching challenge:
“Let’s invest in our youth!”
By Kristen West McGuire
St. Thomas Camp sat quiet and empty all summer long. Lack of staff and lack of
funding meant that for the first time in decades, no young Catholics from the Diocese
of Great Falls-Billings gathered in that beautiful mountain setting to grow in faith and
friendship.
Enter the good news: In August, 36 youth ministers from all across our diocese met
at St. Thomas Camp on retreat. Alongside Bishop Warfel, they prayed for the future of youth
ministry in our diocese.
Prayer works!
A generous, concerned couple recently pledged $100,000 to the Catholic Foundation
of Eastern Montana to immediately launch a vibrant program in youth and young adult
ministry. While giving a significant amount, the donors know it will take more than their
gift alone to make the difference needed. So they presented their gift as a MATCHING
CHALLENGE, to MATCH, dollar for dollar, your donation to benefit youth and young adult
ministry in our diocese.
“In pastoral visits this year, concern for our youth and the future of our Church
regularly surfaced, no matter the size of the community,” Bishop Michael Warfel notes. “It is
an answer to heartfelt prayer that these generous parishioners stepped forward to help our
diocese build a dynamic, new program to meet the needs of our youth and young adults.”
The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, explain, “We continually hear about
so many excellent youth activities happening in other dioceses from family members living
elsewhere and were inspired! We believe our young people in eastern Montana should have
the same opportunities to contribute and grow in faith as others. It is our hope and prayer
that the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings will utilize our contribution to offer these programs
and events for youth throughout our diocese. We realize the youth are the future of our
church and we need to support them.”
Amy Seymour, director of religious education at St. John the Evangelist in Joliet,
was thrilled to hear of this matching challenge. She says that her rural parish relies on
diocesan programs to help energize the few young teens in her program. “If we don’t invest
in our kids, the world is going to invest in them to take them away from the Church.” After
attending the youth ministers’ retreat, Seymour started a diocesan Facebook page for parish
youth and young adult ministers, so that they can share ideas and invite teens and young
adults from other parishes to join them at events they are sponsoring. That’s really important
for smaller parishes with fewer young people.
Building Vocations
Vocations are also a major concern of Catholics in
our diocese. Bishop Warfel said this is a consistent message
heard, alongside a need for youth ministry, in listening
sessions at most parishes. This is another great reason for
launching a strong program in Youth and Young Adult
Ministry. Such programs often lead to vocations, according
to a 2012 study by the Center for Applied Research in the
Apostolate. "It’s not just about being engaged in parish
ministries, but also being connected with other Catholics.
Diocesan youth rallies, national service programs, and
World Youth Day all unite us as a Church. When young
adults lead and serve others, that can lead to a vocation
of service to the Church locally," says Fr. Leo McDowell,
diocesan vocations director.
Creating a Perfect
Sunrise (not Storm)
The hard work and passion of dozens of youth
ministers in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, a financial
commitment by a generous couple, the voices of hundreds
of parishioners calling for a commitment to the future
brings us HOPE. Our prayers for our youth and young
adults are heard. Imagine…if we pray for and with our
young people…if we financially support our young
people…if we provide even more fruitful ministries…
imagine the harvest.
Imagine what can happen when we invest in the
future!
Campers at St. Thomas Camp play tug-of-war over the pond. The camp will be open next
summer, thanks be to God for our donors!
Bishop Warfel
hears parishioners
across diocese
express desire for
youth ministry
Parish Youth
Ministers
meet and
collaborate in
strong support
of youth and
young adult
program for
entire diocese
YOUR
donation
needed to
shine light
on the future
of youth and
young adult
ministry!
Generous
couple steps
forward to
offer $100,000
matching
challenge
grant to launch
vibrant, new
program
A new dawn of youth and
young adult ministry in our
diocese!
Bishop Warfel
commits to
hiring staff to
lead youth and
young adult
ministry
Service and Leadership
Zach Miske knows what makes a
difference for young people. “Youth rallies
and retreats. You shouldn’t underestimate the
influence of being around other youth who
are serious about their faith.”
The 16 year old junior at Wibaux
High School doesn’t feel singled out for
being a person of faith. All of the local
churches have youth group on Wednesday
night, and as many as twenty attend the
youth program at St. Philip Catholic Church.
“Everybody is fairly religious but nobody
is all that involved,” he notes. “Fr. Xavier
[Arimboor] asks me, “How is it that the kids
come to CCD, but not to Mass? ”
Maybe they just need to be invited.
Miske has attended Search retreats in the
Zach Miske- St. Philip Church, Wibaux neighboring Diocese of Bismarck because
it was closer…and he actually knew about
them. “I guess if there are youth rallies closer
to us, well, I never really hear about them. ” His experiences at Search were very positive.
“You go back to see kids you would not get to see any other time. People were looking
forward to seeing each other again.”
His advice for youth ministers is succinct. “Let us be a part of it. Get our input if
you are planning something, make it our project. “ Miske is right. A 2010 study by the
Wallace Foundation found that offering leadership opportunities increased retention and
engagement in out-of-school youth programs.
“Let us be a part of it. Get our input if you are planning something, make it
our project. ” -- Zach Miske
Keirsten Wethern has a heart
for service. “Serving others makes
me feel good about myself,” she
says. “I try to give back to my
community, because they have
given so much to me.” Wethern,
17, of St. Raphael Catholic Church
in Glasgow, clocked in more than
500 hours of community service
last summer. “Our church has a
lot of older people who need help
cleaning their houses, or doing
yard work. ” She sees her work as
a foundation for the future of her
church. “You have to rely on us;
Keirsten Wethern - St. Raphael Church,
we’re the next generation! If we
Glasgow
don’t start doing everything, it’s not
gonna’ get done!”
Her service extends far
beyond Glasgow. She attended Catholic Heart WorkCamp (heartworkcamp.com) in Billings
this summer with four other teens from her parish, and joined a mission group in Haiti
for two weeks of service to the impoverished people there. In past summers, she attended
Catholic Heart Workcamps in both Minneapolis and Chicago.
Wethern first got involved when she was in 6th grade. “There was a [CMIP] retreat
in Sidney that got me started, with singer Sara Hart. At first I thought it was silly, and a lot
of the kids were complaining about having to come. But then, as it went on, my spirituality
really opened up, seeing God in others.” The teen also has met friends through retreats and
service whom she sees again and again.
A 2011 study by The Barna Group found that young adult Christians don’t lose their
fire for the faith when they leave home, but are often disengaged by the time they are 16.
Wethern’s story highlights what happens when solid youth ministry keeps teens coming
back and growing.
“You have to rely on us; we’re the next generation! ” -- Keirsten Wethern
AN ADDED INCENTIVE AND BENEFIT:
Here’s why your gift of at least $1,000 to the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Endowment is a wise investment:
1. Your gift will be doubled (Thanks to the $100,000 challenge donors!)
2. Your gift can be made in a way that may generate a healthy Montana income tax credit
(much better than a tax deduction) that will reduce your 2014 income tax bill.
3. You will immediately be supporting the re-opening of St. Thomas Camp and the hiring
of a diocesan youth and young adult ministry director.
4. You will be supporting youth and young adult ministry for generations to come, for
your children, grandchildren and their children. This is the magic of an endowment!
5. Finally, you will be helping to send a strong message to the young people of our
diocese that you value their presence and put their needs first. Your support means the
world to them!
How You Can
Help!
By making a gift to meet this positive, uplifting
challenge, you will ensure that:
• A diocesan director of youth and young adult ministry is hired by April 1, 2015. (An interim coordinator position has been filled.
See page 14.)
• St. Thomas Camp in Monarch will be operational in the summer of 2015;
• A diocesan Youth Leadership Council will be formed to guide future ministry;
• Webinars, social media and online resource sharing will support local youth groups;
• Teenagers and young adults throughout our diocese will be invited to participate in diocesan, regional and national youth ministry conferences and retreats
• And much, much more!
EVERY donation, large or small, will be doubled
through December 31, 2014 (up to a total of $100,000).
Donations can be made to the new Youth and Young
Adult Ministry Program, supporting programs that need
funding immediately, or to the new Youth and Young
Adult Ministry Endowment to ensure the long-term
viability of focusing on youth in our diocese. [You may
use the enclosed envelope to make a gift or give online at
www.CatholicFoundationMT.org.]
Ministry is an Honor
Marley Manoukian - St. Mary Church, Malta
“Getting involved early on does help, even in
CCD,” says Marley Manoukian, 17, of St. Mary Catholic
Church in Malta. Today, Manoukian is an extraordinary
minister of holy communion and a lector at her church. “It
is such a high honor.”
She also has attended Catholic Heart Workcamps
the past two summers, and raves about the experience.
“Those have been the two best weeks that I ever had! It’s
refreshing to see how many other Catholic kids there who
are my age.” There will be even more young Catholics to
meet when Manoukian goes to Poland for World Youth Day
in 2016.
Manoukian points out that being Catholic
sometimes involves priority decisions that set her apart.
“Hanging out with Catholic kids is different. They were
raised like me, they know that their faith and their
relationships with God are more important.” Her nonCatholic friends often ask her questions about what the
Church teaches. “We get labeled as not being as accepting
but that is not is case. I am open to letting people know
what the Church teaches.”
Sharing the good news doesn’t have to just be
limited to friends. Helping adults prioritize programming
and funding is another area she is interested in. “My
cousin was on a youth leadership council. I would love to
be asked to serve in that way.”
“Getting involved early on does help, even in
CCD.” -- Marley Manoukian
Giving to the Catholic
Church at Year-End
by Judy Held, Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
Joyful celebrations lie ahead! Thanksgiving is
in the hearts of a Christian every day, but this one day
a year allows us to really focus on all the gifts God has
bestowed upon us, our family and friends. Advent
ushers in a most beautiful time in the church year and,
most definitely, the time of year when our collective
attention is focused on giving. While giving thanks for
our blessings and sharing our joy in the celebration
of the birth of our Savior are foremost on our minds,
some practical considerations arise. “Have I given
as much as I had hoped to yet this year in charitable
gifts?” and tax-planning considerations are running
through the thoughts of many of us.
As you decide upon your year-end giving,
won’t you please include the Catholic Church in the
Diocese of Great Falls-Billings? You can make a gift to
your own parish or to a fund that will help throughout
our diocese, such as building youth ministry, helping
to fund a seminarian’s education or taking care of our
elderly priests as they have cared for us for so many years.
Your gift can easily be structured to provide you excellent tax benefits and even a
lifelong, guaranteed income that could very well be an increase over investment returns you
are currently receiving.
To discuss or learn more about helping the Church at year-end, contact the
Catholic Foundation at (800)332-9998, ext. 120. Or send an email to stewardship@
CatholicFoundationMt.org.
Your year-end gift to the Catholic
Church matters!
What pays you an excellent rate, guarantees
your income, saves you taxes, and grows the
Church in our diocese?
A Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
Charitable Gift Annuity.
Let us show you how! When you invest
in a Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
Charitable Gift Annuity, you are investing in your
future and the future of the Church in our diocese.
By making your gift and locking in a great payout
rate today, you are securing more than just your
income – you are securing the future of our
Church in Eastern Montana!
To learn more, please contact us at
800.332.9998 ext. 120, emailing stewardship@
CatholicFoundationMT.org or sending in the form
below.
To see how you can support the Church
and secure your own income with a Catholic
Foundation of Eastern Montana Charitable Gift
Annuity,send in the coupon below or call 800332-9998, ext.120.
One-Life Gift Annuity Rates:
Age
Annual Payout Rate
55-59 4.0 – 4.3%
60-64
4.4 – 4.6%
65-69 4.7 - 5.0%
70 – 74 5.1 - 5.7%
75 - 79 5.8 - 6.6%
80-84 6.8 - 7.6%
85-89 7.8 - 8.7%
90 +
9.0%
Minimum amount is $5,000.
Two-life rates are available
upon request.
Please send me a sample Gift Annuity proposal in the amount of $_________________
Please contact me. The best time of day I may be reached is _____________________
Name(s)_____________________________________________Age(s)____________
Address_______________________________________________________________
City________________________________State__________Zip__________________
Email_______________________________________Phone_____________________
Please mail this form to Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana, PO Box 1399,
Great Falls, MT 59403-1399.
Do You Own
Mineral Rights?
Gifts of Mineral
Interests Help
the Catholic
Church
Owners of mineral rights - generally oil and gas
interests - have an opportunity to make important gifts to
the Catholic Church in Eastern Montana that could yield
excellent tax benefits for the donor. God has blessed many
in our diocese with increased oil and gas activity. Gifts
of mineral interests, whether full or partial, will help the
Catholic Church carry out its mission for generations of
Catholics to come.
Please consider making a gift of your land or
mineral interest to the Catholic Foundation of Eastern
Montana. For more information, please e-mail or call the
Foundation at 800-332-9998, ext. 120. We can offer advice
as to the next steps.
Tips for YearEnd Giving
• If making a gift by cash or check, either deliver
your gift in person or be sure it is postmarked by
December 31st. The date you deliver or mail your
donation is generally recognized as the gift date for
tax purposes. Please note: the date on the actual is not
recognized by the IRS as proof of your intent to give on a
particular date.
• You may also give online by credit card before
or on December 31. Visit www.CatholicFoundationMT.
org. The gift date is when the donation is charged to your
credit card, even if you don’t pay your bill until 2015.
• If you want your gift to be structured in the
form of a planned gift for greater tax or income benefits,
arrangements can be made after December 31. Just be sure
the asset is received by the Catholic Foundation of Eastern
Montana by December 31.
• Gifts of stock, mineral interests, paid-up life
insurance, real or personal property all take a certain
amount of preparation. Plan ahead accordingly; visit with
Foundation staff for instructions on how to make gifts
of these assets. Call 800 -332-9998, ext. 120 or email
[email protected].
Please use the envelope enclosed in this
issue of “The Harvest” for
your convenience, or send your gift to:
Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
PO Box 1399
Great Falls, MT 59403-1399
(Please include instructions as to
which parish or diocesan fund
your gift is designated.)
Around
the
Diocese
Send in your
photos
and stories!
When submitting
photos and articles
for publication in
“The Harvest:”
• If sending the
information by
e-mail please save
the document as
an RTF file or copy
and paste the story/
caption into the body
of the e-mail. When
sending photos
online, please save
them as TIFFs, JPGs,
or PDFs and attach
them to the e-mail.
St. Mary, Livingston Pro Life
The Gallatin Valley Right to Life organization donated two
benches to St. Mary in Livingston. One is near the fountain
between the rectory and the church, and the other is at
their Calvary Cemetery. The benches are inscribed “Come
to me, and I will give you rest” (front) and “MEMORIAL FOR
THE UNBORN Resting in God’s peace” (back). Father Leo
McDowell, pastor, is shown here blessing the bench at the
cemetery. Submitted by Jennifer Leinfelder.
St. Mary, Livingston
Lewistown Rosary Rally
Twelve thousand Rosary Rallies were held across the United
States on October 11, 2014, in memory of the “Day the Sun
Danced” in Fatima on October 13, 1917. On October 11, in
Lewistown, nearly 25 people gathered on the East Steps of
the Courthouse to praise God and to pray the rosary.
The “Day the Sun Danced” was predicted to take place
at Fatima several months earlier to three little shepherd
children. There were an estimated 70,000 to 100,000
people present to witness the “Day the Sun Danced” in
Fatima, Portugal. Atheist, agnostics, secular government
authorities and newspaper reporters witnessed the “Miracle
of the Sun.” Many miraculous healings and conversions
took place. The anti-religious government of Portugal at the
time of the phenomena had vowed that the Catholic Church
would no longer exist in Portugal in two years!
Catholics believe the Scripture “Do Whatever He tells You!”
and believe the Blessed Virgin Mary is closer to Jesus than
any other created being. In saying the rosary we meditate
on the life of Jesus, and we ask Mary to intercede in pray for
our intentions. Submitted by Pat Irish.
Malta, St. Mary Youth Gathering
Rev. Jay H.
Peterson’s
e-mail address
is: vicargeneral@
diocesegfb.org.
• Articles and photos
are published in the
order received,
upon approval by
Rev. Jay H. Peterson,
editor.
On August 15, 2014, the Feast of the Assumption of
Mary, Father Leo McDowell, pastor of St. Mary Church in
Livingston, and Deacon Lee Pico gathered with parishioners
to celebrate Mass in near-by Emigrant at the chapel
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Submitted by Jennifer
Leinfelder.
Glasgow, St. Raphael Youth
In Glasgow, St. Raphael’s Youth Ministry got off to a great
beginning this year with children’s ministry music, games
and great life nights on the Mass (high school) and Prayer
(junior high). Submitted by Mandy Bell.
St. Mary’s Parish in Malta hosted the St. John Paul II team
of Reach Youth Ministry for a weekend retreat on October
18-19, 2014. Middle and high school kids from St. Mary’s, St.
Francis’ Parish in Saco, and St. Leo’s Parish in Lewistown
had a good time while focusing on developing a personal
relationship with Jesus through the sacraments.
Mandy Bell to coordinate
youth and young adult
ministry in diocese starting
November 1
Mandy Bell has accepted a six-month contract to
coordinate youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese
of Great Falls-Billings, until a permanent Director of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry can be hired. Bell begins work on
November 1, 2014, and will be responsible for re-opening
and staffing St. Thomas Camp for summer 2015, creating
an advisory committee to plan for future diocesan youth
ministers’ retreats, and developing resources to bridge the
gap between confirmation (usually administered at age 8)
and youth ministry programs in local parishes.
Bell says, “I am really excited about this opportunity.
Since there has been no diocesan staff person focusing on
youth ministry for over a year, we’ve been trying to do this
on our own.” As a volunteer, Bell initiated and implemented
the August 2014 gathering of youth ministers from
around the diocese. “I feel called to support my colleagues
throughout Eastern Montana and facilitate communication
between those who serve our young people and the
chancery.”
In listening sessions across the diocese in 2013
and 2014, Bishop Michael Warfel heard the need for
focusing on youth and young adult ministry. It has been a
top concern of many parishioners. Bishop Warfel is able to
use earnings generated from an existing endowment gift
donated to the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana for
the greatest needs of the diocese to address this pressing
need in the short-term. “Hiring Mandy Bell as a consultant
will allow the Diocese to not lose momentum that has
been growing as a result of much of her efforts to organize
youth ministers in the Diocese,” says Warfel.
An area contact and certified trainer with Life Teen,
Bell also earned a B.S. in business administration from Old
Dominion University. She served as pastoral associate at
St. Raphael Catholic Church in Glasgow, as well as director
of religious education. Although she will now devote her
energies full-time to the diocese, she will not be relocating
to Great Falls for this temporary position. “I expect to be on
the road a lot,” she says, smiling. “That’s where the people
are.”
official
announcements
Bishop Michael W. Warfel announces, that, after
consultation in keeping with Canon 494, he has
named Richard Moog as the Diocesan Fiscal Officer. This is for a five-year term.
Bishop Michael W. Warfel announces that Deacon
Carlos Malaver-Parada is assigned to ministry at the
University of Great Falls. Following his ordination
scheduled for December 16, 2014, he will continue
to serve on campus as a priest, and continue his
studies there through this spring.
Billings, St. Pius X Box City
“Shown in this photo are St. Pius X Church youth and some of their leaders at “Cardboard
Box City.” Submitted by Kathy McCleary.”
Experiencing the Reality of Homelessness
Saturday, October 11, 2014, St. Pius X Church teens and adults participated in “Cardboard
Box City” on the campus of Rocky Mountain College in Billings. This annual event is
a fundraising event to benefit Family Promise, a local non-profit which helps families
transition from homelessness to adequate housing. The reality of what it is like to be
homeless sunk in for our parishioners around 10:00 p.m. when a fierce storm blew in
with strong winds, rain, and lighting. After a quick collection of belongings from flattened
storm-ravaged boxes, they were able to run to shelter at Rocky's Student Union. It was
there that Jessie Rohrer, director of youth ministry, said it struck her: “Our homeless
brothers and sisters don't have the luxury of running to shelter. I guess it just took a
cold and soaked state for me to truly appreciate what Family Promise does for numerous
families on a daily basis!” St. Pius X’s youth ministry group raised over $875, and their top
fundraiser was Ashley Niemi with $165. Submitted by Kathy McCleary.
Livingston, St. Mary Award
CHARITABLE
DONATION MADE TO
ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC
SCHOOL
The First Grade-Kindergarten class of Mrs. Walker was a recipient of the "One Class
at a Time" award from 1st Interstate and Q2 KTVQ from Billings and check for $300.00. This class along with Mrs. Beitel and the 2nd- 3rd graders visit the elderly at Frontier
Nursing home on a regular basis. The residents and our students love the time spent
together. The monies will be spent on items that can be used for crafts that the residents
and students do when they are visiting!
Registrations are Filling Fast for
Krakow 2016
Heidi Anderson, from Sidney is a young adult volunteering in Youth Ministry at St.
Matthew’s and working hard at her career as a Certified Massage Therapist. She had just
finished her sophomore year in high school in 2011 when she traveled to World Youth
Day in Madrid, Spain. “I left Madrid a changed person—even my parents noticed it,”
remembers Heidi. “All you hear about is negativity and gloom in our society and then at
World Youth Day, you find a community of young people your own age who are so joyful
and positive! It’s so cool to be with hundreds of thousands of Catholics when most of your
friends are home are not.”
With the next World Youth Day in Krakow Poland, Bishop Warfel is leading a
pilgrimage that is filling up fast. Dates are July 19-August 1, 2016, and only 20 about spots
are left. Heidi continued, “I felt a longing to go back (to World Youth Day) and I am so
excited to be part of this pilgrimage to Poland!”
Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to join but register soon!
Teens from 16-18 must be accompanied by a parent or chaperone. The
full cost is $3800, with a $200 deposit due as soon as possible. The
pilgrimage is expected to be filled by the end of December. Register today
at diocesegfb.org and click on the picture of Pope Francis to see the full
brochure, a webinar of travel details and tour enrollment form. Still have
questions? Contact Mandy Bell at [email protected] or 406263-7485 and keep up to date at Montana WYD Pilgrims on Facebook. Billings, St. Pius X Back to Church
“Back to Church” Sunday 2014 at St. Pius X in Billings included
parishioners Jon and Madonna Stepanek with caterer.” Submitted by
Kathy McCleary.”
St. Pius X in Billings joined churches of all faiths around the country
for “Back to Church Sunday,” celebrated at all weekend Masses Saturday,
September 20th and Sunday, September 21, 2014. Back to school, back
to church…it was the perfect season for new beginnings. Parishioners
were encouraged to invite a friend or family member who might not have
been to church in a while. The 5:00 p.m. Mass Saturday was followed by
hospitality with Mexican fare; Sunday’s 9:00 a.m. Mass had an enhanced
“Coffee & Rolls” gathering and following the 11:00 a.m. Mass a picnic
was held. Back to Church Sunday/Weekend was hosted by the Parish Life
Commission and the parish hopes to make this an annual affair.
On Saturday, October 4, 2014, at the St. Mary’s
Catholic School annual BASH fundraiser and auction held
at the Park County Fairgrounds in Livingston, Jack and
Patti Grundhofer of The Grundhofer Charitable Foundation
announced a donation of Fifty Thousand dollars
($50,000). In honor of St. Mary’s proudly celebrating its
100 year anniversary, this generous donation is accepted
with love, gratitude and humility by the children, parents
and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School. Page 16 • The Harvest • November / December 2014 • Diocese of Great Falls-Billings • Established in 1904
Middle School Fellowship Day
Holy Spirit Catholic
School’s annual GALA
Our middle school students and their teachers had a wonderful day at Black Eagle
Park to kick off the new school year. Students were divided into multi-class groups and
moved through various activities. The purpose of this annual fellowship day is to build
community among our middle school students, to introduce the 6th graders to the rest of
the middle school and to foster problem solving, friendship and cooperation among the
students. Father Dick Schlosser joined the group for a short discussion on the harmful effects
of gossip and couple of turns on the merry go round! What a great way to begin the school
year!
We enjoyed another successful event at Gala
2014! Our guests were presented with a delicious meal,
our biggest auction ever, fun games and a wonderful
community event. Special thanks go out to our Gala
committee of volunteers lead by Wendy Newman. These
ladies and gentleman work countless hours to organize
our biggest fundraiser. Their dedication to our school
is unsurpassed and very much appreciated! We are also
blessed to have many generous donors who help sponsor
our event: B & B Loan & Rental, Faure Holden Attorneys at
Law, Medicine River Ranch, Holy Spirit Parish, Guy Tabacco
Construction, Advanced Practice Physical Therapy, Allstate
Insurance, Associated Veterinary Services, Bloomgren and
Rivera, Church Harris Johnson & Williams, Douglas Wilson
& Co, JCCS, University of Great Falls, and Western Office
Equipment. Thank you all for your support. Mark your
calendars for autumn 2015 for our next Gala!
Our 8th Grade Leaders
HSCS Science Club
Every year we have to say good bye to a great group of students as they graduate
from our school and move into high school. It is a bittersweet occurrence because we are
sad to see them leave but excited to witness all their accomplishments. The start of a new
school year brings smiles again as we install a new class as leaders of Holy Spirit Catholic
School. This class may be small in numbers but they are huge in talents. We feel blessed to
watch these young teens grow and mature as they lead our students in prayer, in service, in
academics and in athletics. Welcome HSCS class of 2015!
HSCS Science Club
Last school year Holy Spirit was blessed to have a parent, Gina Hansen, implement
an after-school Science Club. We are even more blessed to have the club continue this school
year. Science club is available for any 1-5th grade HSCS students who want to participate.
Many fun and interesting adventures are in store for these students! Earlier in the school
year, the club ventured to Benton Lake to watch the Fish and Wildlife technicians tag and
release ducks. The purpose of tagging the ducks is to track migration and collect other data.
The students were also able to take a field trip to study the geological formations from
Great Falls to the canyon outside of Cascade. Thank you Gina for providing such amazing
experiences for our students.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Eighth Grade
Leaders
Eighth Graders are holding candles that were lit as
part of The Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 4, 2014.
The students are blessed and candles are lit to commission
the class as leaders of the school. Congratulations Eighth
Grade - we know you will make us proud!
Lourdes Has a
New Shepherd
Great Falls, OLL Tournament
Shown here is a picture of the 5th Grade girls from Our Lady of Lourdes, Great
Falls, who won the championship Parochial League Tournament at Great Falls Central on
October 17, 2014. They are as follows – Coach James Reed, back row Gabby Conley, Alex
Thompson, Kiahlee Trottrier, Emma Girres, Jamie Reed, front row Karsen Dane, Michaela
Hauk, Cayleigh Schneiderhan, Fr. Michael Schneider, Maddie Hermiller, and Christina
Brundege. Submitted by Father Michael Schneider.
Havre, St. Jude
The beginning of the 2014-2015 school year was
one of anticipation for Our Lady of Lourdes students with
the installation of a new pastor. We warmly welcome Father
Michael Schneider to our parish and school. Thank you for
your unwaivering support and willingness to interact with
and guide our school community.
Fun In The Fall
Some of the boarded-up windows in the St. Jude Thaddeus School's historical
building are being replaced. The BNSF Railway Foundation awarded a grant of $10,000
to the school in the summer of 2013, with which the project is being completed. A press
release from the school says that the windows that remain (after the seven which the grant
will help replace) will be gradually replaced with the funding from an ongoing capital
campaign. Billy Bretzke of Doll's Glass in Havre pushes out a window at St. Jude Thaddeus
School as part of the school's ongoing re-construction on their north-facing windows in
the original building built in 1915. Courtesy of The Havre Daily News
Ryan Holt, left, 7,
participates Friday during
the St. Jude Thaddeus
School annual Jog-A-Thon,
which raises money for the
school. During the run, the
school plays music while
the students keep track of
the laps they run. Courtesy
of The Havre Daily News.
First and Second Grade students were given a special
treat when they traveled to the Applestem Inc. Corn Maze.
The maze contains trails, a corn crib, straw bale maze and
many other hands-on activities. It was a day of outdoor
activity, learning and fun for all of the students. Corn
GF Central Students Complete Retreats
with Mandy Bell
Homecoming 2014 the
Highlight of the Fall
Central Seniors at Retreat
What does carrying a brick around all day have to do with keeping us from growing
closer to Christ? And why do we need to know that our families, friends, parish and faith
are the “roots” that keep us upright when we suffer storms in life? The theme of the
Freshman/Sophomore retreats held last month at the Ursuline Centre was “Brick”. The
brick showed how we carry our sin around, weighing us down until we confess and are
absolved of our sin in Reconciliation. The Junior/Senior retreat theme was based on Col
2:7 “Planted firmly in the faith” and they spent the day talking about their “roots” that are
unseen, then how to show their “branches” by making their faith visible as disciples of
Christ in the world. They also planted flower bulbs, made t-shirts and enjoyed reflection
time with the lovely art throughout the Ursuline Centre. Mandy Bell, the new Coordinator
of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the diocese was the retreat leader and was given
great assistance from Deacon Carlos Malaver-Parada, Fr. Jay Peterson, Fr. Lou Krauth, Fr. Ray
Nyquist and Fr. Ryan Erlenbush.
Homecoming King Adilijiang Ali and Queen Mikaela Sowers
Homecoming 2014 was a huge success!
“Homecoming of All Homecomings” was celebrated with
Sports Team Day, American Spirit Day, Throwback Day,
Dress Up Day and Mustang Spirit Day during the week
of September 15, 2104. Homecoming King Adilijiang
Ali and Queen Mikaela Sowers were crowned at halftime
of the Mustang football game as were class Prince and
Princesses. Representing the 9th grade were Jon Ruud and
Bryn Anderson, 10th grade Coulton Lewis and Chelsey
Schraner, and 11th grade Devon Sundy and Seija Offinger. The Mustang volleyball team defeated the Valier Panthers
3-1, and the football team defeated the Belt Huskies 5034. Thank you to everyone who made Homecoming 2014
such a great success.
Central Grad Meets With
Pope Francis
Mark your calendars for “Celebration 2015,” Great Falls Central’s largest fundraiser,
to be held Saturday night, April 18, 2015, at the Mansfield Convention Center. Come and
enjoy the evening filled with good food, games, silent and live auctions to support Central.
Look for more to come!
GFCC Students Selected to
Leadership Great Falls
Leadership Students L to R Michaela Munsterteiger, Kendall Such, and Allie Phillips
Sr. Mary Angela, SCTJM with Pope Francis
Sister Mary Angela, SCTJM, Great Falls Central Class
of 2007, recently met Pope Francis at a special Mass held
at a battlefield in Redipuglia, Italy. The Mass was to honor
those in WWI. Her order was responsible for the liturgy
preparation for this special Mass.
Leadership High School, a program that exposes young leaders to varying
elements that interact to form a strong and dynamic community, sponsored by the Great
Falls Chamber of Commerce, is off and running for the 2014-2015 school year. After
a comprehensive interview process, juniors Allie Phillips, Kendall Such and Michaela
Munsterteiger have been selected to represent Central. Students meet monthly with
students from other area high schools to discuss community needs, opportunities,
problems and resources while allowing interaction with civic leaders and decision makers. Central is proud to have Allie, Kendall, and Michaela represent the school.
St. Labre Native American Week
U Free Advertising!
Diocese of Great Falls-Billings parishes and
schools receive a free 4 col. inch ad (the size
of this message) in “The Harvest” (subject to
availability of space, first come - first served).
Please send your info for upcoming events to
Father Jay Peterson,
[email protected].
To START
or STOP
a Subscription
& for Address Changes
If you’re moving (even snowbirds!)
please contact Laurie Horton, Executive
Secretary, so she can update your new address.
[email protected]
727-6683, ext. 110
1-800-332-9998
The Native American Week included various dance styles.
The Crow and Cheyenne
students competed in setting
up tribal tee-pees.
“The Harvest”
Publishing Deadlines
advertisers
Monthly issue:
Nov. & Dec. 2014
Jan. & Feb. 2015
March & April 2015
May & June 2015
July & August 2015
Sept. & Oct. 2015
Deadline:
October 20
December 20
February 20
April 20
June 20
August 20
“The Harvest” is mailed out each month
to over 17,803 households
in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.
The Advertising Rate Sheet
is available online at: www.diocesegfb.org,
click the link “The Harvest” newspaper
or contact Laurie Horton by email:
[email protected] or call 406-727-6683,
800-332-9998, ext. 110. for more information.
Send in your photos
and stories to
Rev. Jay Peterson
When submitting photos and articles
for publication in “The Harvest:”
• If sending the information by e-mail please save the
document as an RTF file or copy and paste the story/
caption into the body of the e-mail.
• When sending photos online, please save them as
TIFFs, JPGs, or PDFs and attach them to the e-mail.
Rev. Jay H. Peterson’s e-mail address is:
[email protected].
• Articles and photos are published in the order
received, upon approval by Rev. Jay H. Peterson,
editor.
The St. Labre campus
celebrates Native American Week the
third week of September every year. Teachers incorporate Native American
themes throughout their classes.
Presenters are brought into each of
the schools throughout the week to
teach the students different aspect of
the Native culture. The middle school
and high school students participated
in learning the history of certain tribes, research different aspects of tribes, create Indian
dolls, produce ledger art, and make an array of different jewelry using beads. In the
elementary school the students learned how to play hand games, read Native stories, and
researched the buffalo.
Friday is a celebration day. The morning is started off with a parade that the
community is welcome to attend. The students’ projects and art work is displayed for all
to see. The high school sponsors a friendly competition between how fast students can put
up a tee-pee. There is a Crow team putting up a Crow style tee-pee and a Cheyenne team
putting up a Cheyenne style tee-pee. This year the Crow team put up their tee-pee in less
than 5 minutes. Other events happening throughout the day included hand games, a push
dance competition, and singing and drumming contests. St. Labre hosts a feast for all who
attend the festivities. They serve fry bread, pudding, stew, and menudo.
The grand finale of the week is a mini-Pow-Wow. Grand entry started at 12:30
p.m., and the pow-wow lasted until 2:00 p.m. This year there were two drum groups,
one from the middle school and one from high school. They drummed throughout the
Pow-Wow for the different dancers. There were students from every school dancing fancy
shawl, traditional men’s and women’s, jingle dress, and grass. The elementary school participated in a Mini-Miss St. Labre contest. Students
had to dance and be interviewed in front of the entire student body. The middle school
also sponsored a Junior Miss Princess contest, while the high school sponsored St. Labre
Princess contest. The winners were announced during the Pow-Wow.
This week was a huge success for St. Labre. It is a great time for the community to
come together and celebrate the Native American culture.
Corrections:
There was an oversight in the obituary of Father Izidorius Gedvila
in the September-October issue of The Harvest. He served as pastor
of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Stockett from 1971 to 1976. The editor apologizes for the oversight.

November/December 2014 - Diocese of Great Falls

Transcription

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