Blessed Sacrament Church

Peter Herbeck, an evangelist with Renewal Ministries and a well-known Catholic TV and radio host, now lives in Michigan, but he is originally from New Ulm and made a quick connection with the 340 men who turned out for this year’s diocesan Men of Faith conference Feb. 17 at Marshall School in Duluth.

He was even joined for one of his talks by his daughter, Rachel Herbeck, who works for the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

Peter Herbeck, the main speaker at the annual men's conference, was joined by his daughter, Rachel Herbeck, who works for the Minnesota Catholic Conference and became the first woman to present at the men’s conference. (Kyle Eller / The Northern Cross)

He began the first of his four talks with “identity and destiny,” reminding the men that they are beloved and chosen of God, sanctified by the Spirit, and bound for glory.

“The most important thing we can know is who God is and what God thinks of us,” he said. Knowing this in one’s heart can bring identity, confidence, and peace, and a path away from addiction, porn, alcohol and the other things people do in search of what the world cannot fill.

As evidence that the world is not enough, he offered the example of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who despite his historic accomplishments fell into addiction and depression before encountering God.

“Not even 22 gold medals and the adulation of the world” could fill his soul, Herbeck said.

Herbeck, in keeping with the recent men’s conference practice, gave his second talk twice, allowing half of the audience to have an opportunity to go to confession. In it, he painted a stark picture of the challenges of our times, quoting Pope St. John Paul II that these days are part of the “final confrontation” with antiChrist and Pope Benedict saying that humanity is pushing God to the horizon.

“What could be more fundamental than what is a person, what is a man, what is a woman, what is a marriage?” Herbeck asked.

He said a fundamental value emerging in the culture is a kind of self-created freedom in which we define who we are. But this is in contradiction to the truth, he said. That there is a design and meaning to creation, and defining truth on our own is a kind of idolatry.

He made clear that this battle is not against other people. “Our enemies are spiritual forces, not other people, no matter how much they disagree,” he said.

But he also said the church in the West has been “so weak and so cowardly” in the face of it.

“How many Catholics are genuflecting to everything that’s going on?” he asked.

“If men don’t stand up, our wives and our children are going to be in deep trouble,” he added.

He shared a story from his own life as evidence that turning to God can make all the difference. His father was a World War II veteran and a good man, but his alcoholism had damaged the family. However, his adult sister had an experience in prayer that led her to bring her mother and siblings together to recommit to Jesus. Soon after, Herbeck’s father came to him and asked for help, and the whole family found renewal and healing, with all seven children coming back to faith.

“It was the most transformative experience of my life,” he said.

He urged the men to lead their families in prayer and trust Jesus to be with them, knowing Jesus wants to heal mind and heart. “It’s fundamentally a spiritual battle,” he said.

Herbeck’s third talk was about “winning the battle at home.” He shared personal stories of his own marriage and parenting, and he was joined during part of the talk by his daughter, Rachel, who talked about her difficulties with the faith growing up and how she and her father persevered.

“Faith in our family was always personal, but it was never private,” she said.

In his final talk, Herbeck told stories from his mission work and how God was working in it. He urged the men to bring the Gospel to the people they meet each day, just by learning how to share simply what Jesus means to them and asking God to create openings with people they knew who might be suffering or in need.

“Then count on Jesus to be there,” he said.

— By Deacon Kyle Eller / The Northern Cross

On March 12, St. John the Evangelist Church in Duluth, fresh off hosting the daughter of St. Gianna Molla in October, will host another distinguished guest: George Weigel, who is a distinguished senior fellow of the Ethics and public Policy Center, author of three volumes on the life of Pope St. John Paul, and a distinguished conservative Catholic intellectual and media figure.

The event at St. John’s will focus on St. John Paul II. It will begin with Mass at 6:30 p.m. and be followed by Weigel’s presentation, based on his latest book, “Lessons in Hope,” the third of his volumes on John Paul.

Weigel agreed to be interviewed by email in advance of his appearance this month. The interview follows:

George Weigel

The Northern Cross: Would you tell our readers a bit about what you will be speaking on in Duluth? I understand from Father Kunst that it is related to your newest book, about your personal friendship with Pope St. John Paul II.

Weigel: Yes, that’s right. I’ll be talking about “Lessons in Hope: My Unexpected Life with St. John Paul II,” but also about the pope and his legacy. “Lessons in Hope” is a book, of stories, quite different in that sense from the two volumes of my John Paul II biography, “Witness to Hope” and “The End and the Beginning,” so I hope the talk (and the book) will help people come to know John Paul is a more personal way.

TNC: Is there an anecdote from that friendship you would be willing share to give readers a flavor of what you will be talking about?

Weigel: In March 1996, John Paul said to me, in respect of other biographical efforts, “They try to understand me from outside, but I can only be understood from inside.” That idea — learning a saint “from inside” — will help frame my remarks. I’ll also be introducing the audience to some of the remarkable cast of characters that surrounded John Paul II, and helped form his “inside.”

TNC: It’s now nearly 13 years since Pope John Paul went to the house of the Father. Those days were so full of powerful, memorable scenes: his last gestures, the large, peaceful crowds, the cries that he immediately be recognized a saint. I’m sure they must often come to mind for you. Now, more than a decade later, is he remembered and revered as you imagined he would be? Or to put it another way, how do you see John Paul’s place in the church as a member of the Church Triumphant?

Weigel: He’s obviously a venerated figure all over the world. Unfortunately, his insistence on the great Catholic “both/and” — truth and mercy, revelation and reason, love and responsibility — is being forgotten in some parts of the church. And it doesn’t seem as if the senior diplomats of the Vatican have learned much from the most politically consequential pope in a millennium, which is a real shame. As for John Paul’s place as a member of the Church Triumphant, I’m sure he’s a powerful intercessor for many people — as well as a continuing model for priests and bishops.

TNC: St. John Paul’s long, fruitful pontificate left a great body of teaching, and many of the issues he dealt with not only remain with us but sometimes have come dramatically to the fore. I’m thinking, for instance, of his Theology of the Body and the meaning and “language” of the body in an adequate Christian anthropology, and how this relates to gender ideology and the definition of marriage; or of his great teachings on the family in light of contemporary ecclesiastical debates about pastoral outreach to those in irregular situations; or of his great encyclical on moral theology in light of debates over the meaning of Christian conscience. What, in your view, are some of the most important things John Paul’s teaching has still to offer us in 2018?

Weigel: The Theology of the Body is the most coherent Catholic response to the cultural tsunami of the sexual revolution ever articulated, and ought to be a much larger part of catechesis and marriage preparation, although it’s already had an effect on both. John Paul’s social doctrine, with its emphasis on the imperative of a vibrant public moral culture for both democracy and the free economy, has a lot to say to contemporary American discontents. And then there is Veritatis Splendor, the great encyclical on moral theology, which tried to re-ballast a Western world collapsing into moral subjectivism; that’s still a huge issue, and there is much still to learn from Veritatis Splendor. I’d also cite his encyclical on faith and reason, which ought to be read by every Catholic educator today, as we try to keep Catholic education, especially Catholic higher education, from imploding into the incoherence you see on so many campuses today.

TNC: Many believe that Pope John Paul II changed people’s expectations of the papacy, because of his great gifts of charisma and communication and his willingness to travel the world and evangelize and be a public figure. Pope Francis is also a pope who seems to embrace that kind of a role. (In fact, some who are younger may not recall that there was a pope with “star power” before Francis.) How would you compare and contrast the way they live out that aspect of their ministry?

Weigel: The pope has been at the center of the world Catholic conversation — and the world’s perception of the Church — at least since Pius IX (1846-1878), and perhaps since Pius VII (1800-1823). There are obvious advantages to this, but there are also disadvantages. The pope cannot and should not be the protagonist of everything in the Church. We all have our roles in the Body of Christ, and we all have a responsibility to live as missionary disciples. Both John Paul II and Francis have insisted on that.

— By Deacon Kyle Eller / The Northern Cross

Why are there empty seats at the Olympics? Don’t you wonder? After spending billions of dollars on new venues for the premier event in amateur sports, how is it that there are so many empty seats? It seems the price of Super Bowl tickets always skyrockets, March Madness looks packed for the Big Dance, and even our high school basketball and hockey tournaments seem to do better with attendance. What’s up with the Olympics?

Organizers say they have sold more than 90 percent of available seats. Some blame weather and transportation snafus, and some people would rather watch things on TV. A spokeswoman said: “We can’t control the people who don’t show up.” Also, for an Olympic movement that still makes billions of dollars in revenue, does attendance really matter?

Bishop Paul Sirba Fiat Voluntas Tua

In the realm of the spiritual, we are about to enter into the holiest of the celebrations in our liturgical year. Olympic athletes deny themselves many things in order to win a medal or just for the glory of participating in the Olympic Games. We are shooting for eternal life with Jesus. Shouldn’t we be marking our calendars for participating in the most important and amazing encounter with Jesus Christ in the world?

Holy Week is ordered to the commemoration of Christ’s Passion, death and Resurrection, what we call the Paschal Mystery. To use the language of Pope Francis, we accompany Jesus Christ in the mystery. We enter into the scandal of the cross with Jesus, and we experience a foretaste of heaven at Easter.

As clergy we have the privilege of shepherding the faithful into the sobriety of the Eucharist these holy days. An antidote to the sense of noise in the culture is silence. Silence bears communion. “Silence mediates the kiss of the Holy Spirit,” said St. Bernard of Clairvaux. We unplug and meditate on the love of God for us sinners.

How do we get people to the empty seats in our churches if they have no desire? The mystery of pain is a possible door for the Gospel to enter. While pain can lead people to hate God — curse God and die — pain can also be a vehicle for leading people to God. “Where pain is, pastoral ministry should be lodging,” Deacon James Keating has argued. Instead of a deeper retreat into technology, drugs, pornography, or whatever else, our invitation, witness, encouragement, and accompaniment can lead our brothers and sisters to Jesus.

If our training for our spiritual Olympics includes prayer, fasting, almsgiving, Lenten missions, confessions, acts of mercy, Stations of the Cross, and fish fries, our Holy Week is the finish line and goal. It is the celebration of victory!

The Mass of Chrism is celebrated on Monday, March 26, at the Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. The Mass is a sign of unity and communion of priests with their bishop. All of the faithful are invited. Check your parish schedules for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. These celebrations offer us a real experience of the work Christ accomplished of human redemption and the perfect glorification of God the Father through His Paschal Mystery. All are invited, and please God every seat will be filled for the banquet of the Lamb of God!

Bishop Paul Sirba is the ninth bishop of Duluth.

Since writing a monthly column for The Northern Cross I have dedicated one month, usually February, to an issue related to Catholic schools. I have a huge heart for Catholic education, because I know that the faith formation I received in Catholic schools played a major role in developing my inclination to seek Christ when it comes to others, myself, and life situations. I am confident that the moments in my life in which I have experienced the greatest joy, gratitude, and appreciation have been when I have been attentive and intentional about following that inclination. I can’t help desiring the same sort of opportunity for my family, and for all children, for that matter.

For the first time in 50 years, I am not attending, working at, or having children attend Catholic schools. I do have two sons at a Catholic university in St. Louis, but they are so far away I find it difficult for me to claim that as being involved. My passion for Catholic schools has not wavered, and in so many ways I can be even more objective and supportive of these institutions from an outside perspective.

Betsy Kneepkens Faith and Family

I know that many Catholic parents of young children agonize over the decision of what school they will send their little ones to. I also know, sadly, that the vast majority of parents in our diocese don’t have a choice of a Catholic school, because there is no Catholic school near them. However, for those who do have a choice, they discover that a Catholic school setting is an excellent way to start their children’s formal educational process.

Through my personal observation and by means of my children’s experience, I would strongly advocate that there is a significant advantage to sending your young children to an educational environment that shares the values you have in your Catholic home. Providing a sound foundation more readily allows a child to build strong character traits which will be essential as they battle the secular imposition of an ungodly society.

Most Catholic school administrators acknowledge that when parents do look into our parochial schools, attracting them to those first few years, pre-K to end of elementary, is not terribly difficult. There is a willingness by parents to establish a firm foundation, and they easily see the value of doing so.

Who could pass up a young child able to pray the rosary or recite a reading at a mid-week school Mass or observing the concern these young people express when collecting money for programs like Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl project? I think these ever-present experiences provide the reasons parents choose Catholic schools, even over the strong academic habits and discipline that is inherent in the parochial school culture. When parents compare these sort of attributes with the local secular school, Catholic schools shine brightly every time, and I get it.

As a parent whose children have all gone through nine years (Kindergarten through eighth grade) of Catholic education, I would like to challenge parents who are considering removing their child from the Catholic school to attend a secular middle school. I know the vast majority of our Catholic schools only go up to fourth or fifth grade, but I believe this needs to change.

Catholic schools largely help a child discover the best version of themselves. Fully discovering their purpose is impossible without figuring out what God is calling them to. Although the early years support and develop a tenderness of heart for others through Christ, the challenges of living those lessons out begin to become more difficult during those middle school years.

Many of my friends who have transitioned their children to a public middle school when they still had an option for a Catholic school environment would often share their reasons. Most often I heard that they no longer wanted to shelter their child because they knew they would have to go to a public high school eventually.

I hear those friends’ reasoning, but my experience would say the longer you can keep a child in a Catholic school, the greater amount of skills you can equip your son or daughter with in order to face the inevitable. Our children live in a godless, anti- Christian culture, and without the proper tools, they can easily succumb to the influences of that culture. Furthermore, if I had chosen a secular elementary for my little ones, I would be sure to consider a Catholic middle school to aid them when they might need it the most.

Now that my youngest is in high school, I can see the product of that formation in my older children as they went from high school to college. Middle school years were difficult, and that time of their life presented opportunities to understand, develop, and use the virtues necessary to combat life’s evils. Perhaps my children would be considered “sheltered” in our Catholic school. I found that giving them as much exposure to formal Catholic thought and responses has best prepared them for this nearly anti-Christian culture.

With four of my six children through high school, I can’t help but be cognizant of the many times our children were presented with immoral opportunities that could have had disastrous results. My children have been far from perfect, and I can fill a newspaper with stories of those imperfections, but I can say that the skills they received in those middle school years linger in their thoughts when posed with the difficult choices. Parents need support to raise their children in this world. Some may call it sheltered, but I call Catholic middle school education additional reinforcement to help my kids become the best version of themselves as intended by our Creator.

From a parent of many years of parenting, if you have young children in our Catholic school system, keep them there. If you your Catholic school doesn’t have a middle school, do what you can to see that this changes. If your child attends a secular school and there is a choice of a Catholic school, please take some time to call the school to find out all the wonderful things they have to offer your child. For the sake of a more holy world, let’s grow our Catholic schools in this region.

Betsy Kneepkens is director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Duluth and a mother of six.

Lent runs from Feb. 14 to April 1. Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14) and Good Friday (March 30) are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection. More information on fast and abstinence can be found at www.usccb.org.

I’m not sure exactly when I first encountered the phenomenon of “prayer shaming,” but I do remember how deeply it offended me. I still find it one of the most disturbing turns our culture has taken in the past few years. (And that’s saying something.)

If you pay attention to current events, you have encountered it too. According to the Internet, pundits, and many politicians, we are now supposed to be upset when someone says victims of some tragedy are in her “thoughts and prayers.”

Deacon Kyle Eller Mere Catholicism

The idea is that saying we’re praying for someone means we’re not “doing something.” The implication is that saying we’re praying is just putting a pious face on indifference or even an opposition to solving problems.

The most common place this comes up these days is mass shootings and the issue of gun control, although I have seen it in other contexts too, perhaps the most unlikely of which was a conservative Christian Facebook friend dismissing prayer (in contrast to military solutions) as a response to terrorism.

There are many things wrong with this. Most egregious is that treating prayer as an ineffectual waste of time is blasphemy, used as social pressure to enforce practical atheism. It is an attempt to coerce everyone to act as though God did not exist or face the consequence of being considered a rube at best or monster at worst.

Another obvious problem is the harsh personal judgment prayer shaming involves. I have no doubt there are hypocrites who claim to pray in order to appear as though they care about things they don’t care about. But I wouldn’t accuse someone of that without overwhelming evidence. Does disagreeing about gun control really qualify? I suggest obviously not.

Just in the interest of full disclosure on that subject, I’m very open minded about it. I’m not a big gun guy, although I have training and experience with them. I don’t for a second think that guns are the main cause of (or solution for) mass violence — it seems beyond dispute to me that the disease is a deeper crisis of meaning and communion. At the same time, treating symptoms can be worthwhile, and I’m open to the possibility some particular gun regulation could help.

There are intelligent and good faith people and rational arguments on both sides of that important debate. Pretending, instead, that everyone on the other side is some inhuman monster contributes nothing but bullying and character assassination. To do this by attacking prayer, one of the noblest and deepest responses of the human heart, makes it even more toxic and destructive.

The question remains: How should we, as Catholic Christians, respond to prayer shaming?

The glib but true answer is that we should pray more and act more effectively. The two go together.

Sometimes prayer is all we really have, but usually God calls us both to prayer and to action. St. James tells us, “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16).

And while God does sometimes work miracles, most of the time he works through secondary causes, like us. If my child is sick and I pray for healing, I know from the outset that it’s likely he will work through a doctor, and when that happens, we rightly thank both God and the doctor.

In fact, this is one of the reasons our prayer is so important: It’s essential to making our action fruitful. In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “without me you can do nothing” (15:5). As countless spiritual writers attest and countless saints’ lives demonstrate, it is through prayer — through the interior life — that our actions really become effective.

So putting prayer and action in opposition to each other is a fatal mistake likely to sap our action of its vitality and effectiveness. Those in a position to act for good have all the more reason to pray. Acting with God’s help is far better than acting without it.

We need God’s wisdom, too. This is all the more true when it comes to problems that are deep and difficult and seemingly intractable, and solutions are complicated and murky and partial, full of subtle trade-offs and unintended consequences. Many of our deep problems are like that, despite the fact that we live in an arrogant time, when many people seem to approach the world like overgrown high school sophomores, who have their surefire “simple, obvious solutions” no one before them was smart enough or good-willed enough to try.

Coming to God in prayer demands the opposite approach — the humility of not having all the answers and recognizing part of the problem is in me, in my own limits, my own brokenness, my own pride.

And of course the truth is that God does act, usually mysteriously, in his providence. Sometimes the Berlin Wall does really fall without a shot fired. Why wouldn’t we ask him to come to our aid in these problems, in his time and in his way? Why wouldn’t we want to stay close to him and discern where he is acting?

So yes, it’s glib but true. Our response to prayer shaming ought to be that we pray more and therefore act more effectively. The two go together.

Deacon Kyle Eller is editor of The Northern Cross. Reach him at keller@dioceseduluth.org.

The sixth annual diocesan Women of Faith Conference Feb. 24 at Marshall School in Duluth, centered on the theme “Beyond Me,” will bring in two headline speakers, for the first time including a man.

Father Jim Sichko, a full-time evangelist and preacher who travels the country with storytelling, humor, and music, is one of the Papal Missionaries of Mercy Pope Francis named during the Year of Mercy in 2016 — one of only 100 in the United States. He will be the first speaker, with two talks — “#GiveandReceive” and “Six Steps to Being a Catholic Christian Leader.”

Father Jim Sichko	Teresa Tomeo

Closing out the day will be Teresa Tomeo, host of a daily radio talk show called “Catholic Connection” and a well-known speaker and journalist, who will be giving talks called “Beyond Me, My Selfie, and I” and “Beyond Sunday — Being a 24-7 Catholic.”

Hilaire Hauer, who serves on the planning committee for the conference, said there are some other new twists to the event this year too.

“We are so blessed that women throughout the diocese travel the distance to Duluth to share this experience together, and so we thought we would reserve a few hotel rooms so that those who could would have the chance to make a ‘Girls’ Weekend’ out of it,” she said.

That effort has been assisted by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery, who are offering rooms at the new Center for Spirituality and Enrichment at a special $50 a night rate.

This year’s women’s conference will offer ample opportunity for prayer, with perpetual adoration throughout the day and the weekend vigil Mass with Bishop Paul Sirba to close the event. Before that, there will be praise and worship featuring local Catholic musician Eric Cyr, who will be debuting a song he composed for the conference.

Father Sichko’s booking came about in a unique way, Hauer said. “How we came to find him was that our conference committee chair experienced a retreat with him in Kansas City, and she was so moved by that experience that she actually called him directly, and he said yes,” Hauer said. “Praise God for these experiences!”

The conference runs from 7:30 a.m. through Mass, which begins at 4:15 p.m. The day also includes opportunities for confession. Cost is $30, with an additional $10 late fee after Feb. 10. (Materials and lunch are also not guaranteed after that date.)

“We have a high level of interest in the conference and it grows each year,” Hauer said. “It’s exciting to see all that is happening throughout the diocese, and it’s amazing to see nearly 500 women making the day of it.”

— By Deacon Kyle Eller / The Northern Cross

Pope Francis has asked Catholics to “Share the Journey” with migrants and refugees aground the world. Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl offers Catholics in the United States a way to encounter Lent, to encounter the causes of migration and displacement, and to learn about the challenges faced by families around the world in their dioceses, parishes, and homes.

CRS Rice Bowl, the agency’s flagship Lenten program, now in its fifth decade, will begin once again on Ash Wednesday – Feb. 14 – giving Catholics throughout the country an opportunity to encounter the stories of people in need around the world.

“From CRS’ work in more than 100 countries, we know that people do not want to leave their homes, that they do so because they feel they have no other choice,” said Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of church engagement. “Lenten sacrifices contributed through CRS Rice Bowl help give them that choice by providing sustenance and livelihoods in communities around the world.”

Started as an ecumenical effort in the diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1975, CRS Rice Bowl soon spread across the country as it called on Catholics to perform a simple act of Lenten sacrifice — substitute a lowcost meatless meal for more expensive dining once a week during Lent and put the money saved in a cardboard rice bowl.

That concept remains at the heart of the program, even as it has expanded to include broader Lenten faith enrichment through a wide variety of resources available for the millions of Catholics who participate. These include prayer resources, a daily Lenten calendar, weekly stories of hope that introduce families from around the world, and recipes from various countries for meatless meals that can be enjoyed on Fridays during Lent. Funds collected in the rice bowls, which are turned in at the end of Lent, are distributed both around the world and in local communities to combat hunger — 75 percent of every donation goes to CRS programming in targeted countries worldwide, while 25 percent remains in the local diocese from which the donation came, supporting initiatives that help alleviate poverty.

Last year, in the Diocese of Duluth, funds went to Backus Community Center Community Cafe, International Falls; Bridges of Hope Resource Connection Services, Brainerd; Falls Hunger Coalition, International Falls; Fuel Up Forestview, Baxter; Grace House of Itasca County, Grand Rapids; Second Harvest Kids Packs to Go Backpack Program, Grand Rapids; Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative, Duluth; Neighbors Helping Neighbors Foodshelf, Nashwauk; Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, Duluth; and Servants of Shelter, International Falls.

But the goal is to go beyond collecting money and spur discussions in churches and around family dinner tables about the meaning of Lent and the daily reality that people living in poverty face.

“We see CRS Rice Bowl as much more than a fund-raising opportunity,” said Rosenhauer. “It is an opportunity for Catholics in America to encounter what Lent means, what poverty means, what resilience means, what hope means.

“We want families to participate together so they can experience the joyous feeling of solidarity that comes from generosity and sacrifice,” she said. “We know from years of experience that CRS Rice Bowl can be life-changing.”

As part of CRS Rice Bowl, speakers from around the world will travel throughout the United States telling their stories of how CRS Rice Bowl-supported programs are changing lives. For Thomas Awiapo, a feeding program in his village in Ghana funded by CRS Rice Bowl brought him as a hungry young orphan to school for food. He stayed for an education, eventually a master’s degree in the United States, returning to Ghana for a career with CRS there. Cassandra Bassainthe, who left Haiti as a young child, will talk about why she returned to her home country to help the poor and vulnerable. Micter Chaola of Malawi and Jacques Kabore of Burkina Faso will share their experiences working in agriculture in their respective countries.

“CRS Rice Bowl does far more than feed people,” Rosenhauer said. “It also helps develop agriculture so that families and communities can support themselves. As we heed the request of Pope Francis and ‘Share the Journey,’ we know that the best way you can help a migrant is to make sure that she doesn’t have to leave home in the first place. That’s what CRS Rice Bowl can help accomplish.”

CRS Rice Bowl materials are designed for families, parishes, educators, universities and dioceses. They are available in print, on the web, and through the mobile app, and in both English and Spanish.

Printed materials can be ordered for groups of 25 or more for free. Call (800) 222-0025 or visit crsricebowl.org to place an order.

Join the CRS Rice Bowl Facebook group and download the app from the iTunes or Google Play stores.

To learn more about CRS Rice Bowl, visit crsricebowl.org.

— The Northern Cross

The seventh annual Men of Faith Conference for the Diocese of Duluth is set for Feb. 17 at Marshall School in Duluth and will feature Peter Herbeck, co-host of the weekly EWTN television shows “The Choices We Face” and “Crossing the Goal,” in addition to the daily radio show “Fire on the Earth.”

Herbeck, who lives in Michigan, is also vice president and director of missions for Renewal Ministries, an organization that seeks to foster renewal and evangelization in the Catholic Church by helping people know the personal love of God. He is a frequent conference speaker and author who has worked in evangelization in the United States and abroad for more than three decades.

Peter Herbeck

Deacon John Weiske, one of the lead organizers of the annual diocesan men’s conference, said the theme this year is “Men of the Spirit.” Herbeck’s talks will involve spiritual formation.

Deacon Weiske said this year seems to be following trends comparable to recent years.

“We anticipate we’ll be around 350 again” for attendance, he said.

But there are some areas he’d like to see improve. For instance, he said while walk-ons on the day of the conference are welcome, organizers would prefer registrations by Feb. 12, and the conference can’t guarantee food after that.

“Last year we had 50 walk-ons,” he said. “Typically we may have about 30.”

He said he would also like those who have come in the past to reach out and invite other men to join them, especially younger men and fathers and sons.

“One of our goals is try and encourage younger men to participate,” he said. “The majority of the men are 60 and older.”

Ages 16 and up are welcome.

In addition to the talks, the day will include daily Mass with Bishop Paul Sirba and opportunities for confession, with at least 15 priests hearing confessions. As in recent years, one of the presentations will be given twice, allowing those attending to split into two groups, with half hearing the talk and the other half having an opportunity to take a break and go to confession.

The conference begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Cost after Feb. 5 is $40, $25 for students. Register online at www.duluthcatholicmen.org.

— By Deacon Kyle Eller / The Northern Cross