Announcements

On the fifth anniversary of Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on fraternity and social friendship, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released an invitation for reflection.

I often find it interesting to learn the history behind certain names. I’ve heard many stories from parents at baptisms of how their child was named after a beloved family member or patron saint. In my own family, “Bernard” was such a name – as it was shared by my father.

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

The Minnesota Catholic Conference, in collaboration with other religious communities and school advocates, proposes strengthening the Safe Schools Program by creating a consistent school safety funding stream of $100 per student for all students, irrespective of where they attend school—public, charter, nonpublic, or tribal.

While the extraordinary challenges of our times generally rule our news feeds—particularly in recent weeks—I find hope in the resilience and faith of our brothers and sisters overcoming tragedy.

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10, and the Catholic Church marks the Jubilee of Consolation on September 15. In recognition of the continuing mental health crisis, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced a new component within the ongoing National Catholic Mental Health Campaign focused on amplifying local engagement on mental health.

Today, the universal Church celebrates our Blessed Mother under the title, Our Lady of Sorrows. That Our Lady can be recognized under so many titles was confusing for me as a boy. I remember asking my mother if Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady of Loreto were cousins!

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

I am so grateful for the many promises of prayers that have been coming in from the Holy Father, Pope Leo, and from so many from all around the globe, all praying for the families of Annunciation Parish and School and for all who were impacted by this morning’s senseless violence.    

Please pray for all those affected by the shooting today at Annunciation in Minneapolis. Updates to come from The Catholic Spirit.

As America emerges from the “dog days of summer," it seems fitting that we would be celebrating National Dog Day. One of my predecessors, Archbishop Flynn, was a great dog lover and always had a few four-legged companions keeping him company. After he passed, I had the pleasure of sharing a residence with his Megan and Katie until they found their way to Louisiana, where they had been promised by Archbishop Flynn to a dog-loving priest.

In fall 2025, watch for a new video series on reclaiming the peace, rest and leisure of Sundays with the Lord and family.

Archbishop Hebda is asking all parishes of the archdiocese to join in a nationwide special appeal for humanitarian relief and pastoral support in Gaza on or near the weekend of August 30-31.

I was privileged this weekend to gather with Bishops Izen and Kenney and the seminarians from our Archdiocese for the annual “Seminary Expedition,” organized by our vocations director, Father Mark Pavlak.

It often seems that humility and surrender can go hand-in-hand—at least when the Lord is involved.

As we celebrate our Archdiocese’s 175th birthday, my heart is filled with gratitude for the many gifts our Lord has bestowed upon this local Church since our founding. In recent years, these blessings include the fruits that we received from Synod 2022.

Summer continues flying by: it’s hard to believe that we’re already at the end of July. My peers tell me that the sands of time seem to speed up the older we get. I ran into a number of our seminarians yesterday at the mass for the annual Steubenville Conference, however, and noted that they were already talking about the return to school and wondered where the summer had gone.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities are inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of daily prayer to stop taxpayer funding of the abortion industry.