All Announcements

Going way back to my days as an elementary school student, I would always get a little melancholic on the last day of June. I would wait the whole school year for summer to come, and the last day of June would signal to me that one of our three Pittsburgh summer months was already over. I would have been happy to vote for a 31st day of June, even if it meant knocking February down to 27 days.

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and Editions de Signe have produced a book and graphic novel to spotlight the people, parishes, Catholic schools and other Catholic entities that have contributed to the strength of this local Church from 1850 to today to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese.

Today, I am off to St. Mary’s University in Winona for the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Assembly. Every other year, the priests in the Archdiocese gather for four days of prayer, learning and discussion, all with the intention of strengthening our fraternity as brothers in Christ. We are blessed this year to have Bishop Donald Hying, the bishop of Madison, leading us in our reflections. I always look forward to this time with our priests but am especially excited to hear from Bishop Hying.

I write today from sunny San Diego, where the bishops of the U.S. are gathering for a triennial retreat. Almost without exception, every bishop that I have encountered has spoken about his prayers for our State in the aftermath of this weekend’s tragic shootings.

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has been named one of the Top Workplaces in Minnesota by the Minnesota Star Tribune and a national standard Top Workplace. A complete list was published in the Star Tribune Top Workplaces special section June 15.  

Archbishop Hebda: I ask all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the repose of the souls of Minnesota House Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with prayers of recovery for Senator John Hoffman and his wife.  

Congress is finalizing the Budget Reconciliation package—and time is running out. Now is the critical moment to speak up and ensure the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) is included.

To support parents as the primary educators of their children, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has published, “Reclaiming Sundays: Recover Sunday as a Day for the Lord and Family.”

Come, Holy Spirit! That has been our fervent prayer each time that Bishop Izen, Bishop Kenney and I have celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation this Easter season. That was also certainly the prayer at the center of our moving Pentecost celebrations throughout the Archdiocese this past weekend, and that remains our prayer today as we celebrate the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, a commemoration introduced to the universal calendar just a few years ago by Pope Francis to be always celebrated the Monday after Pentecost.

After the conclusion of the Minnesota Legislature’s special session, Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) celebrates a series of important policy victories that affirm human dignity and advance the common good.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Ask your members of Congress to insist that the administration reverse the terminations of Catholic Relief Services’ Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole Food for Education programs, to continue lifesaving and life-affirming food aid.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

I hope today you are enjoying a restful Memorial Day and honoring in some way the brave women and men who gave their lives for our country. The Catholic Cemeteries welcomes hundreds of the faithful each year to Memorial Day Masses held at multiple locations throughout our archdiocese. This year I was blessed to have the Mass at Calvary Cemetery. With a number of my predecessors buried there, I tried to be on my best behavior. I’m hoping that Archbishop Ireland, a proud army chaplain at the time of the Civil War, was pleased by our celebration.

This weekend, you might have noticed something new at your parish. Maybe it was hanging in your church’s front entrance, or perhaps you noticed it in the parish hall while you were having coffee and donuts. Wherever it might be, I suspect that it will be hard to miss: It’s a large, blue poster marking the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese and inviting you to be an Archdiocesan Jubilee Pilgrim.

Catholic and other nonpublic schools serve the common good, and our students deserve access to the support they need to succeed. Let’s make sure our leaders follow through on their commitment.

My suspicion is that many of you, like me, had your eyes glued to the screen last Thursday as the Vatican livestream introduced us to our newly elected pope, Leo XIV.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective April 23, 2025 Reverend Philippe Vigneron, assigned as moderator

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda With Catholics around the world, I give thanks for the election of Pope Leo XIV as successor of Saint Peter. We

The papal conclave begins Wednesday, May 7 in Rome. Please pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for the cardinals as they gather, as well as for the man who will be named our next pope.

Yesterday, the Church celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast day was instituted by St. John Paul II, drawing on the writings and visions of the Polish mystic, St. Faustina Kowalska. This feast held deep personal significance for St. John Paul II, who often preached about God’s great mercy. He was an avid student of St. Faustina’s writings and had been instrumental when in Krakow in helping the Holy See to understand Faustina’s writings in their proper context. It was considered providential that he passed on to eternal life on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday twenty years ago, after having beatified and canonized St. Faustina. The feast today has universal significance for our Church, bringing to a conclusion the Octave of Easter.

I apologize for the late arrival of this edition of the Weekly Word. To mark the passing of Pope Francis, the Archdiocesan Offices were closed yesterday. While I was sorry to be causing this delay, I was grateful for the opportunity to have time to reflect on the life of Pope Francis and on his extraordinary witness, and to join the Church in praying that our merciful God would give rest to the soul of the one who had assigned me to this Archdiocese, nearly nine years ago. 

From Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda  It is with profound sadness that I learned this morning of the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Along

The Holy See announced the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on April 21. Please join in prayer for the repose of his soul.