N.D. March for Life Photo recap of pro-life marchers converging to the North Dakota State Capitol on January 29 ...............Page 3

Dakota Catholic ActionVOL. 80 NO. 3 MARCH 2021

Reporting on Catholic action in western ND since 1941

www.bisMARCkdioCese.CoM

Making sawdustDeacon Doug spends hours building countless items for churches, schools and individuals ....................................Page 4

A LOOK INSIDE

By Fr. David MormanDiocesan Missionary

“We are in exile,” were words that came from the lips of the Bishop of Nakuru, Kenya, when measures were announced by President Kenyatta Uhuru regarding the lockdown because of the coronavirus in March 2020.

The protocols established during the lockdown included banning of gatherings of more than 10 people, wearing face masks in public, sanitization of hands and maintenance of social distance. Police established checkpoints on roadways and made visits to places where people gather, especially markets and churches, to enforce the protocols. Violators could be sent to COVID detention centers, where they would have to pay for their own detention for 14 days, to ensure they did not have the coronavirus. Life became more difficult for the poorest people who lost jobs.

Parts of Kenya were also plagued with locusts and floods during the months of the

lockdown. The faithful of the Church were not able to celebrate Sunday Mass for four months. It did seem as if we were in exile.

The Bismarck African Mission, that serves more than 450 AIDS orphans, was affected by the aforementioned measures. It was a very sad day when I announced, after consultation with others, that the Mission would shut down its operations until we could grasp the nature of the lockdown. For three weeks, we pondered what to do in these days.

Working with the pastor of the parish and the local chief, we reached a decision that Mission Saturdays could continue, although they would have to be modified. We instructed one member of each family to come for their monthly allotment of maize and cash stipend. These gifts, provided by the generosity of the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, alleviated hunger and helped with other needs in the lives of the orphans we serve. These modified Mission

Saturdays continued until November when we resumed the usual form of these Saturdays and began to make preparations for the resumption of school on Jan. 4, 2021.

During the months of lockdown, we were able to have seminars for small groups of orphans. Alumni of the orphan education program were summoned to make presentations on various aspects of life including education and chastity. Alumni were able to listen to the concerns and needs of the orphans and give advice and counsel.

The last international flight left Nairobi on March 25, 2020. It was then that I, too, realized that I was in exile. There was the experience of isolation from all that was familiar and comfortable along with the uncertainties of the

dangers of the pandemic, knowing there was no way I could leave Kenya as all the border crossings were closed. A saving grace during the months of total lockdown was the daily celebration of the Mass with the six sisters in their convent that is adjacent to the Mission House. I would also share daily meals with them—a great consolation.

Two projects were undertaken during these months—the first was to type the psalms and canticles of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer into Kiswahili so that I could pray with them and continue learning the language. The second project was to spend time weeding an area about the size of a football field. At the end of each day, I realized how blessed and fortunate that I have been and need to be a person of gratitude, even in exile.

African Mission serves more than 450 AIDS orphans

32ndAnnual African Mission Appeal

March 6-7

Providing duringa pandemic

2 | Dakota Catholic Action MARCH 2021

In this month of March, the Church celebrates two most beautiful feasts which are related directly to each other and to the very life of the Church itself.

The Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on March 19 and six days later, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord on March 25. Our Holy Father Francis last

December 8 declared a Year of Saint Joseph which will end on December 8, 2021. It is a special year for all Catholics throughout the world to focus their prayers and meditation on the person of St. Joseph, the divinely chosen foster-father of Jesus and the chaste and upright spouse of Mary, Mother of God.

While there is not a single word recorded in the New Testament spoken by St. Joseph, his silent presence is a most powerful statement on that virtue which we know as the “obedience of faith.” God Himself revealed to St. Joseph His plan for the redemption of the world, the place of his betrothed, Mary, in this plan and St. Joseph’s place in the same plan. Because Joseph is that good and just man, he believed what God revealed to him, trusted that it would be just as he had heard, and then did with humble obedience what God asked of him. St. Joseph is the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the chosen Guardian of the Lord’s Holy Family and so

it is no wonder that Blessed Pope Pius IX declared him the Patron of the Universal Church.

While this Solemnity is not a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, and since it falls within the season of Lent, the Church urges us to celebrate it with joy and greater solemnity because to honor St. Joseph is to give glory to the Lord Jesus Who said that anyone who hears the word of God and keeps it is His relative.

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord on March 25 is very familiar to us. It is the First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary and the Church, from the earliest days, always understood that when Our Blessed Lady fully submitted her will to God’s will with her unconditional fiat God became man and our definitive redemption from the sin of Adam and Eve had begun and would be perfected by the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus from the dead on that first Easter. Both of these celebrations

demand our own response of that “obedience of faith” so beautifully expressed by St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother and, in the same way, not just our words but our actions, not just once in a lifetime but every day.

Both of these days allow us to understand better why we observe the discipline of Lent in that Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph give us the example of how to prepare for the coming of Christ into the world, but also how to live with Him in the world and to be ready to be reunited with Him in heaven. Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph give us excellent examples of that fidelity to God in everyday life that will make us saints if we believe in Him and His will for us and then daily trust in Him by that “obedience of faith” that simply says: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

By celebrating these two great Lenten feasts, may our resolve to be holy be strengthened. May we be faithful to Him.

bishop David D. Kagan

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Publisher: Most Reverend David D. Kagan, D.D., P.A., J.C.L., Bishop of Bismarck

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Dakota Catholic ActionReporting on Catholic action in western ND since 1941

May our resolve to be holy be strengthenedFROM THE BISHOP

Bishop David D. Kagan

BISHOP iN ACTioN

Submitted photoBishop Kagan stepped up to the podium to present the final question at the annual Know Your Faith Contest during Catholic Schools Week in early February. This year’s contest was held in Minot. Schools participating were Minot Bishop Ryan, Dickinson Trinity, Bismarck St. Mary’s, East Grand Forks (Minn.) Sacred Heart and this year’s champion, Fargo Shanley.

March 4 • Real Presence Radio interview, 9 a.m.

March 7 • Confirmation at Church of St. Nicholas, Garrison, 1 p.m.

March 12 • Home on the Range Board Meeting, Center for Pastoral Ministry, Bismarck, 12 p.m.

March 14 • Confirmation at Sacred Heart, Glen Ullin, 11 a.m.

March 17 • Catholic Charities Board of Directors Meeting, Fargo, 10 a.m.

March 19 • Cabinet Meeting, Chancery, Bismarck, 10 a.m.

March 21 • Confirmation at Sts. Peter and Paul, Strasburg, 8:45 a.m.

March 27 • Palm Sunday Vigil Mass, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, 5 p.m.

March 29 • Chrism Mass, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, 11 a.m.

BISHOP’S sCHedULe MARCH 2021

MARCH 2021 Dakota Catholic Action | 3Catholic Action Bringing Christ into everyday life

Photos by Lyle Ripplinger

North dakota March for Life January 29, 2021

4 | Dakota Catholic Action MARCH 2021

By Maria FleckDCA Writer

Pope Francis has proclaimed our current liturgical year the year of St. Joseph. In light of this, it seems only fitting to highlight our diocese’s resident carpenter, Deacon Doug Helbing. Like the humble foster father of Jesus, Deacon Helbing is a woodworker who over the years has crafted many beautiful items in humble service of others.

Born and raised in southwestern Wisconsin, Deacon Helbing grew up on a dairy farm. In high school, he was required to sign up for one of two classes: typing or woodworking. For him, the decision was obvious. He enjoyed his woodwork class, but did not really get into woodworking until much later when he was married with children and had moved to North Dakota.

A job opportunity brought him and his family to Mandan years ago. He was ordained to the diaconate for the diocese in 2006 and has served at St. Joseph’s and Christ the King parishes there. He retired from active ministry in June 2014 and yet remains available to minster when needed. This has freed up time to spend more hours in the workshop connected to his Mandan home.

He’s built countless items for churches, schools and individuals throughout the years. Christ the King Montessori School is one of the many places that has benefited from Deacon Helbing’s talents. “When [Sister Chiara] needs something, she just lets me know what she needs, and I build it for her,” explained Deacon Doug.

Most of the things in the school were his handiwork, like the tables, chairs and bookshelves, just to name a few. He also built the school’s tabernacle.

Over the years, Deacon Doug has crafted many tabernacles, including one for Fr. Nick Schneider’s private chapel. “He first gave me a picture of the Blessed Virgin to put on the door,” he recalled. “I said I have something else I think I’d rather put on the door. I built it and took it over and delivered it. He came into the office and saw it. He got out his phone and took a picture.” Instead of an image of Mary, on the door was carved a beautiful image of the Sacred Heart.

The tabernacle used for the annual diocesan Thirst Conference was also built by Deacon Helbing, as well as the ambo, deacon’s chair, bishop’s chair and the large altar. He has built at least four other altars for priests’ private chapels. “If they can find me a picture of what they want, most times I can build what they show in the picture,” he said and the wide range of his projects exemplifies this talent. All his work is uniquely beautiful, reflecting his own deep love of God.

The recently-established St. Mary Sisters have also benefited from his wonderful work in the form of kneelers, shelves and desks. Deacon Helbing also built shelves for Saint Anne School in Bismarck. Additionally, he’s built various pieces for the St. Mary’s Academy and High School. The altar and ambo used weekly at the Academy were crafted by him and the confession stands at the high school were as well.

Word of his talent and generosity has even crossed state boundaries. While Bishop Kagan was visiting the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in New Ulm, Minn., he discovered they had need of a chair. Bishop Kagan, who had seen Deacon Helbing’s work in the Montessori school, recommended him to them. He ended up building them a beautiful chair after the sisters sent him the plans and dimensions. “God works in wonderful, mysterious ways,” he said.

Chances are if you have complimented Deacon Helbing on his work, you have heard him respond, “I just like making sawdust.” He is incredibly humble about his work and offers his time and talent as a part of his diaconal

vocation in service of God and the Church.

Diakonia, the Greek word for deacon, literally means service or ministry. Deacons have a unique call to service, and Deacon Helbing has responded to this call with his unique talent.

“God gives everyone different talents. He’s given me the talent of being able to build things.” Deacon Helbing loves to do projects for anyone who asks. All he needs are the specifics or a picture, and he can build it. “It’s a gift,” he expressed. “I call it the gift of making sawdust.”

Deacon Doug built a beautiful chair for the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in New Ulm, Minn. after the sisters sent him the plans and dimensions.

Kneelers were among the special projects that Deacon Doug created for the St. Mary Sisters in the diocese.

A tabernacle with an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Fr. Nick Schneider’s private chapel is one of the many items Deacon Doug has created.

Deacon Doug Helbing spends hours in his workshop connected to his Mandan home building countless items for churches, schools and individuals.

The gift of making sawdustDeacon Doug Helbing shares his woodworking talent

PRAY FoR THe PRiesTs, ReLiGioUs, deACoNs seRViNG oUR dioCese ANd THose iN FoRMATioN ANd LAY MiNisTeRs

An invitation from the Bismarck-Mandan Serra ClubMar. 1 Seminarian Jacob DegeleMar. 2 Fr. Bill RuelleMar. 3 Deacon Jim BelohlavekMar. 4 All Music MinistersMar. 5 Sr. Nancy Miller, OSBMar. 6 Sr. Lucille Heidt, OSBMar. 7 Fr. Wayne SattlerMar. 8 Deacon Robert BohnMar. 9 Deacon Daniel Barone

Mar. 10 All Liturgical MinistersMar. 11 Fr. Boniface Muggli,

OSBMar. 12 Seminarians and those

in Religious FormationMar. 13 Fr. Dennis SchaferMar. 14 Deacon Steve BrannanMar. 15 Lay Ministers in the

DioceseMar. 16 Bishop David Kagan

Mar. 17 Seminarian Ben Franchuk

Mar. 18 Fr. Nick SchneiderMar. 19 Deacon Dan BrookeMar. 20 Sr. Rita Miller, OSBMar. 21 Sr. Marie Hunkler, OSBMar. 22 Msgr. Patrick

SchumacherMar. 23 Deacon Dallas Carlson

Mar. 24 Fr. Valerian Odermann, OSB

Mar. 25 Sr. Agatha Muggli, OSBMar. 26 Fr. Frank SchusterMar. 27 Deacon Lynn ClancyMar. 28 Fr. Robert SheaMar. 29 Sr. Margaret Nelson, OSBMar. 30 Msgr. James SheaMar. 31 Seminarian Greg

Hilzendeger

MARCH 2021 Dakota Catholic Action | 5

By Maria FleckDCA Writer

Thanks to the parishioners in the generosity of the Bismarck Diocese, we are excited to be planning the expansion of the health and wellness program within the African Mission.

As you can imagine, our orphans face a multitude of health and wellness challenges. The prevalence of AIDS continues to affect every aspect of health management throughout Africa. We currently provide annual AIDS testing for all mission orphans. Transportation to the local government facility and medication education are given to all orphans who test positive. Annually, we also administer deworming treatments for each orphan to counter the parasites caused by poor sanitary conditions and the lack of proper footwear.

Our new wellness program expansion will include baseline services for each orphan including tracking height and weight, eye exams, hearing tests and basic oral hygiene instruction. Due to a geographical proclivity to congenital heart disease, heart rate monitoring will be included for each orphan. Vaccinations against common illnesses and disease will also be available as part of our wellness program. We have

recently acquired a machine to test for anemia and blood disorders which will be used to monitor nutritionally at-risk orphans.

Providing continuing health education is an important wellness goal for the mission. Classes on hygiene, nutrition, dental care, health education and chastity, are all ways to keep our orphans safe and healthy. Preventative medicine can make a big difference in the lives of our orphans and the entire community. We are very proud that many of the services will be administered by some of our post-secondary alumni who will be trained and licensed to provide health care assistance. In coming full circle, from students to leaders, their participation is truly a success story for our mission and its future.

In addition, this past year, the Mission purchased laboratory equipment for the parish clinic and provided the necessary training for the staff. As a result, the clinic just received their highest rating for their care by the local government.

With access to this new lab equipment and the expanded health and wellness program, the donations and prayers from the people of the Bismarck Diocese are making a difference in the lives of our poorest brothers and sisters in Kenya.

Regular periodic check-ins with our orphans are essential in helping them remain healthy.

Submitted photosLab equipment purchased by Bismarck Mission for St Elizabeth’s Clinic and being presented to the pastor, Fr. Henry Momanyi (foreground) by Fr. David Morman and a member of the clinic staff.

African Mission health and wellness program expands

Benedictine-Bismarck is a top-notch, well-run facility, and we liked the idea that it was

faith-based. It’s a very close knit community. It has a small-town feel and a real family

atmosphere. We have peace of mind knowing the staff truly wants dad and eveyone else

to live their life to the best that they can be every day.

Assisted Living • Basic Care • Short-Term Care/Rehab • Skilled Nursing4580 Coleman St. Bismarck, ND 58503 • benedictinebismarck.org • 701-751-5678

Formerly St. Gabriel’s Community

secure.together.

FATHER MARK AUNEBenedictine-Bismarck Current Family Member

6 | Dakota Catholic Action MARCH 2021

Lifting up our brothers and sisters in need.At the beginning of the new school term in

January 2021, the Orphan Education Program had enrollment of 465 children and youth at Gekano, Ichuni and Manga parishes in the Diocese of Kisii. On Mission Saturdays, they come to receive an allotment of maize and a monthly stipend. We pay school fees and give money for required school uniforms. We have orphans in 216 schools: three in Polytechnics (trade school), 85 different secondary schools, and 128 diverse primary schools in Kisii and Nyamira Counties. We serve 337 Catholics, 89 Seventh Day Adventists, 20 Pentecostals (PAG church) and 19 of other faith

backgrounds.In November 2019, the Mission fulfilled

one of its goals—expanding to the Manga parish where there are 61 orphans enrolled. With the permission of Bishop Joseph of the Diocese of Kisii and working with the pastor, Bismarck Mission was able to extend its reach of serving some of the most vulnerable children in Kenya.

After the Christmas gathering for the orphans in December 2019, alumni of the Orphan Education Program met and discussed among themselves the idea of forming into a group to assist the Bismarck Mission as a way to express their gratitude. Eventually, they named themselves “Bismarck Beneficiaries.” They have served the Mission by conducting small-group sessions for current orphans during which they addressed life issues of an orphan from their experiences.

The Beneficiaries seek to raise funds to assist with school fees for orphans in the Education Program. Their trial project was making bricks, a labor-intensive process of mixing clay soil, earth and water and placing this mixture into moldings to dry. Once dried, a kiln is constructed and the bricks are fired. The alumni have completed their first project; as of this writing, they are in the process of writing a report detailing their expenses and profits once the bricks are sold.

The Mission’s annual Christmas gathering brought our orphans and staff together to celebrate the birth of Christ along with distributing gifts of flour and cooking oil used to make holiday treats like mandazi (a form of fried bread). Each orphan also received a bottle of soda and a loaf of bread. Thanks to a generous donor from the Diocese of Bismarck, each child was excited to get $5, which is equivalent to a day’s wage in Kenya.

Orphan Program & Orphan Education Program

Bismarck Beneficiaries (Alumni Group)

Housing Program

Christmas Celebration

Post-Secondary Education

MARCH 2021 Dakota Catholic Action | 7

Lifting up our brothers and sisters in need.The Bismarck Post-Secondary Education

Scholarship Program is designed to assist former members of the Bismarck Mission with continuing financial support for schooling beyond secondary school in a college, university or trade school. A qualifying student is one who is a past member, in-good-standing of the Bismarck Mission and otherwise meets all requirements for acceptance into a post-secondary academic program. At the beginning of the January term, Bismarck Mission was sponsoring 25 students.

Vivian, a young woman taking a course in fashion design and dress making at an area vocational school, was granted a sewing machine to assist with her schooling. Once finished with school, the sewing machine will enable her to operate her own business of making and mending clothing.

We have welcomed Bismarck Mission alum, Joseph Gwaro, recently hired to assist with our Heifer Program. Joseph holds a degree in agricultural sciences and we are proud to claim him as a former Orphan Education Program student.

The Heifer Program gifts heifers to local orphans and Catholic widows of Gekano parish. Families are required to raise their own grass and care for the heifer. The heifer, in turn, provides them with milk and a way to become economically independent. As part of the program, the heifer is also inseminated. The subsequent calf, if female, goes to the next program participant. If the calf is male, the current participant keeps that cow. We could use your prayers for females as our current ratio of three bulls to one heifer has been disappointing!

We are proud to report that the success story of Water With Blessings (WWB) continues to grow. This woman-to-woman ministry focuses on providing clean water to single mothers and grandmothers caring for children and mothers who care for sick and elderly family members. Lilian Kwamboka, project coordinator, is a graduate of our Orphan Education Program. Since July 1, 2020, Lilian has trained 93 area women to use this unique water filtration system and provide safe water for their families.

WWB has substantially cut down on the cases of dysentery, diarrhea and presence of parasites in participants. Women are able to filter and store sanitary drinking water for their families at no cost. This program is a prime example of empowering women to take control of their future and improve the destiny for themselves and their families.

The Mission’s annual Christmas gathering brought our orphans and staff together to celebrate the birth of Christ along with distributing gifts of flour and cooking oil used to make holiday treats like mandazi (a form of fried bread). Each orphan also received a bottle of soda and a loaf of bread. Thanks to a generous donor from the Diocese of Bismarck, each child was excited to get $5, which is equivalent to a day’s wage in Kenya.

Housing Program

Heifer Program

From a thank you note that was signed Water child:Dear Mama maji (water mother),Thank you for joining us in this wonderful mission (of) clean water for God’s

thirsty children. Never forget that you are a water woman! Because you care and share more children will be healthy and happy. You are the blessing in water blessings (Water with Blessings). Mothers and grandmothers who are water women are helping God to bring clean water to children. These are women with big hearts.

My mother loves me so much! She wants me to be healthy so I feel strong and happy every day because she has special filter that will make water clean.

Water With Blessings

Christmas Celebration

32ndAnnual African Mission Appeal

March 6-7Post-Secondary Education

Seven houses were constructed for Gekano widows and orphans this year. Bismarck mission awarded the supplies for the houses and the approved families supplied the labor. With proper maintenance, each house will last 30 years.

8 | Dakota Catholic Action MARCH 2021

Fr. denis Fornier, osb

Father Denis Fournier, OSB, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, at the Richardton Health Center in Richardton at the age of 86.

A private Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021 at Assumption Abbey, followed by burial in the Abbey cemetery.

He was born May 15, 1934 to Alfred and Cecilia (Baril) Fournier of Red Lake Falls, Minn. and baptized Richard James. After completing elementary school and two years of high school in Minnesota, he got on a Trailways bus and headed west for Assumption Abbey high school.

After completing high school and two years of college, Richard—given the name Denis by the Abbey—made triennial vows on July 11, 1955. He completed his college education at St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., and did seminary studies at Assumption Abbey. During the summer, and whenever the seminarians had “free” time, they helped a construction crew build the new Abbey high school where he taught after he was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1960. Father Denis continued his education at Marquette University

the summers of 1959 and 1960 and was again at Marquette for the second semester and summer session of 1962. In 1963, he earned an MA in English from that university. In 1964 he continued his education at the University of Wisconsin during the summer, and the same in 1965 at St. Louis University.

On June 2, 1966, Father Denis was appointed second assistant pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Devils Lake, N.D. In 1968, he returned to the Abbey as Registrar of Assumption College. He held that position, in addition to teaching, until the college closed in 1971. From 1971 to 1973, he taught English at the College of Great Falls, Great Falls, Mont. From 1973 to 1977, he taught English at what was then Mary College in Bismarck. In 1977, he returned to the Abbey to write a history of the community at the request of Abbot Robert West who also appointed him prior. He then began an assignment to Assumption Abbey’s dependent priory in Bogotá, Columbia where he became the director of the primary school there in 1981.

When he returned from Bogotá, he was assigned as an assistant in the archives in 1984, and then as archivist in 1986. He then went on to Ph.D. studies in English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln earning his degree on Dec. 23, 1989, and returned to what is now known as the University of Mary, teaching full-time until May of 2003, when he had to retire after triple bypass surgery and suffering

a small stroke.In “retirement,” Father Denis

did pastoral work in the Catholic parishes in Wibaux and Glendive, Mont., on a part-time basis from 2003 to 2005, and full-time from 2006 until 2008. On Sept. 19, 2008, he became associate pastor in New Town and held that position until June 2010, when he retired to the Abbey for good. He

continued to do archival work, and weekend pastoral work for as long as he could manage.

Father Denis was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers LeRoy and Ramon, and his sister Nancy. He is survived by his sisters-in-law Jerri of Mason City, Iowa and Harriet of El Paso, Texas.

obiTUARY

Fr. Denis Fornier, OSB

Protecting our childrenThe Diocese of Bismarck is firmly committed to the health and protection

of our children, young people and vulnerable adults. With the hope of healing the pain and suffering from sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, we encourage anyone who has suffered from this abuse to please come forward and let us know. To report allegations of sexual abuse, please contact: Dale Eberle, Chancellor, Diocese of Bismarck, PO Box 1575, Bismarck, ND 58502-1575. Phone: 701.223.1347 or 1.877.405.7435. Email the victim assistance coordinator, Joyce McDowall, at victimassistance@bismarckdiocese.com.

code of conductThe Catholic Church must be exemplary: Clergy, staff, whether diocesan

or parish, and volunteers are held accountable for their behavior. To enable the highest level of accountability, there must be a clear and unambiguous definition of appropriate behavior. To this end, this Code of Conduct is defined for the Diocese of Bismarck and it provides a foundation for implementing effective and enforceable standards for all personnel. View the Code of Conduct at http://www.bismarckdiocese.com.

Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for March

Intention for evangelization - Sacrament of reconciliationLet us pray that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God.

Bishop Kagan celebrated Mass with the students at Bishop Ryan Catholic Schools on Feb. 5.

The annual Know Your Faith contest was held Feb. 3 at Bishop Ryan in Minot. This year’s champion was the team from Fargo Shanley.

Photo by Deacon Joe KrupinskyThe students at St. Mary’s Grade School in Bismarck welcomed Bishop Kagan for Mass at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary on Feb. 2.

Dressed as Batman, Fr. Josh Waltz visited with the children while celebrating Superhero Day at St. Joseph Catholic Montessori School and School of The Holy Family in Mandan.

The students at St. Joseph Catholic Montessori School and School of The Holy Family in Mandan played Minute to Win it “Bible Style” building Babel out of Solo cups.

Father Robert Shea, pastor at St. Wenceslaus in Dickinson, shared about the Sacred Heart of Jesus with TEE (Trinity Elementary East) students.Titan Tots Preschool (part of the Dickinson Trinity

Schools) dressed as saints.

Jan. 31 — Feb. 6Catholic Schools Week 2021

MARCH 2021 Dakota Catholic Action | 9

The biggest event of the North Dakota 2021 legislative session so far concerned a bill that drew national attention and generated an unprecedented number of emails and phone calls, but never had a committee hearing or a floor vote. The bill was Senate Bill 2180, which would have required priests to violate the seal of confession to report information about child abuse.

Here is a short recap. SB 2180 would have required clergy to reveal information about child abuse, even if the information was received in the capacity as a spiritual advisor. For Catholics, that means the seal of confession. Most bills in North Dakota get a hearing and a floor vote, but following an outcry from Catholics and others, the bill was withdrawn from further consideration even before it had a hearing.

While we could claim victory and move on, there are lingering misunderstandings about the bill and existing law that warrant attention. Moreover, there are lessons to be learned from this experience.

Let’s start with the existing law. For decades, all clergy in North Dakota have been mandated reporters of suspected child abuse. Over ninety percent of what a member of the clergy sees, hears or learns could be reportable. If a pastor sees something in a church service that gives reason to suspect abuse, it must be reported. If a member of the clergy sees something at a wedding reception that is suspicious, it must be reported. If they witness anything at a school, daycare or religious education class, it must be reported.

There is only one narrow situation where the mandate does

not apply. It does not apply when the knowledge or suspicion is derived from information received in the capacity of spiritual adviser. This is a non-sectarian and broader way of legally describing what was once known as the priest-penitent privilege.

Senate Bill 2180 did only one thing. It removed this narrow exemption from the mandatory reporting requirement. This would have been unprecedented in American law. Slightly over a majority of the states require clergy to be mandated reporters. A handful of those do not explicitly exempt priest-penitent communications. However, some of those states have other laws that would protect those communications and the legislative history in the remaining states does not indicate that those laws were meant to require divulging confessions. With SB 2180, North Dakota would have become the first state to ever intentionally and explicitly require priests to violate the seal of confession.

In the Catholic Church, a priest cannot, under any circumstances, disclose what the penitent revealed. The “seal of confession” is absolute. A priest cannot break the seal, directly or indirectly, for any reason, even if forced by the law or threatened with death. Breaking the seal leads to automatic excommunication.

SB 2180, therefore, would have placed a Catholic priest in the position of either violating his deeply-held obligation to God to protect the parishioner’s confession or face fines and possible imprisonment.

It is not just the Catholic faithful whose religious freedom was threatened by SB 2180. Just about every faith tradition has some form

of spiritual counseling. Following the Reformation, other Christian traditions preserved the seal of confession. Both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod doctrines preserve it. In fact, the North Dakota District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod had already prepared testimony in opposition to SB 2180 before the bill was withdrawn.

The Anglican tradition also retained the seal of confession, which was recognized in English law since the ninth century. Recognition of the seal of confession has continued in that tradition to the Episcopal Church.

The Orthodox Church states: “The secrecy of the Mystery of Penance is considered an unquestionable rule in the entire Orthodox Church.... Betrayal of the secrecy of confession will lead to canonical punishment of the priest.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also mandates confession and church rules require that confessional communications be kept confidential.

News media from across the nation covered the bill. Both bishops had letters read at Mass. Catholics responded to the action

alerts from the North Dakota Catholic Conference in large numbers. Legislators said they had never received so many emails and phone calls about a bill. The talk in the halls of the capitol was that senators wanted the bill to go away.

Eventually, the bill’s prime sponsor, Senator Judy Lee from West Fargo, withdrew the bill. Before doing so, she was allowed time on the Senate floor to explain her reasons for the bill. She said her purpose was to call attention to the problem of child abuse in North Dakota and the country.

The problem is real and serious. We need to do more to protect children. Indeed, in our efforts on the bill, we never questioned nor intended to impugn the motives of the bill’s sponsors.

Nevertheless, laws are not just about intentions. SB 2180, despite good intentions, would have been an unprecedented infringement upon religious freedom. It demonstrates the need to be vigilant.

g Dodson serves as executive director of the N.D. Catholic Conference, the official liaison for the dioceses of Fargo and Bismarck in matters of public policy.

Balancing Church & StateCHRISTOPHER DODSON

Unprecedented infringement upon religious freedom

g 40 Days for Life begins Feb. 17Now through March 28, you’re invited to join other Christians for 40 Days for Life—40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion. You’re also invited to stand and peacefully pray during a 40-day vigil (which began on Feb. 17) on the N.D. Capitol grounds at 6th Street and Boulevard Ave. from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Help spread the word about this important community outreach. For more information or to volunteer, go to www.40daysforlife.com/bismarck or contact: Diane Huck at 701-527-3265.

g Lenten parish mission March 7-9Ascension in Bismarck is hosting a Lenten parish mission entitled “Strengthening our Faith When It’s Stormy” presented by: Dr. Chris Burgwald, Director of Adult Discipleship & Evangelization

from the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Throughout the centuries the Church has experienced corruption, turmoil, and chaos and yet we cling to our faith because Jesus promised us that the “gates of hell will not prevail” against His Church. In these talks Dr. Burgwald explains how we can strengthen our faith in times of turmoil, and the reasons why we can confidently proclaim “I am proud to be Catholic.” The schedule is: Sunday, March 7 – 3 p.m. adoration/prayer/music followed by 3:30 p.m. presentation; Monday, March 8 – 6:30 p.m. evening prayer with 7 p.m. presentation; and Tuesday, March 9 – 6:30 p.m. evening prayer and 7 p.m. presentation. Attend for an opportunity to have Jesus “calm the storms” in your life. These talks are highly encouraged for adults and teens. No registration required. Free-will offering.

g Corazon weekendsThe diocesan program for troubled marriages called Corazon will be available on two upcoming weekends—April 30-May 2 and August 20-22. Couples who may be in a marriage in crisis are encouraged to attend a weekend. All confidences are kept and privacy for anyone inquiring about or attending a Corazon retreat is a priority. For questions, contact Amanda at 204-7205. For couple registration or additional information, visit bismarckdiocese.com/corazon.

g Patriotic rosary at Spirit of LifeCome in prayer to heal our nation. A patriotic rosary dedicates one Hail Mary in a traditional Catholic rosary to each state of the United States and asks God’s protection and guidance for our nation. This will be said the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at Spirit of Life in Mandan.

Please join as we come together and unite to strengthen our nation.

g Hannah’s Hope infertility support groupAre you and your spouse, or someone you know, struggling with infertility? The Diocese of Bismarck Office of Respect Life facilitates a support group for couples suffering with infertility. The group is made up of other couples also walking the infertility path and is based on the teachings of the Church regarding infertility. The focus is on spiritual healing and moral support. Daily prayers are offered for all members by an appointed chaplain. For more information or to sign up, go to bismarckdiocese.com/hope or call Amanda at 701-204-7205.

UPCOMING eVeNTs

NOTICEBy an act of His Holiness Pope Francis, Norman J. Dukart has

been dispensed from all obligations and rights of the clerical state and is permanently excluded from exercising any sacred ministry.

Ordained .................................................................6/2/1967 Faculties for Priestly Ministries Permanently Removed ................................... 3/20/2002 Dismissed from the Clerical State......................... 2/8/2021

10 | Dakota Catholic Action MARCH 2021

This January 22 marked the 48th anniversary of the devastating landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, making abortion legal to all without the government interfering. Since that day, the United States is estimated to have lost over 62 million lives to abortion. While abortion is tragic because it ends the life of an innocent child, often times, the pain and trauma it causes to the mother and father is ignored and unrecognized.

In collaboration with the Diocese of Rapid City, the Diocese of Bismarck offers healing opportunities to those souls who are seeking solace from past abortion self-loathing, guilt and grief. Rachel’s Vineyard is one of these programs. It is named after Rachel in the Bible, who weeps for her lost children (Matthew 2:18). It is the largest post-abortion ministry in the world and offers a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion—a therapy of the soul.

The Rachel’s Vineyard of the Western Dakotas team offers a weekend retreat to women and men in search of healing. This year, during the strange times we are all living in, the team is

excited to again offer a safe and confidential Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat April 23-25. For more information, or to sign up for the weekend, please contact Carol Kling, director of the Rachel’s Vineyard of the Western Dakotas, at 605-374-5639 or email ckling@sdplains.com. Confidentiality and safety are assured to all inquiries and attendees. The retreat is based on Catholicism but is open to and welcomes individuals of all denominations. Learn more about Rachel’s Vineyard at rachelsvineyard.org.

Here is a sampling of just a few testimonials from Rachel’s Vineyard Retreatants testifying to the powerful healing effects of the program:

“No words can explain the healing I experienced on this weekend retreat. It was conducted with love and gentleness in an area of my life that was war-torn, raw and bleeding. God’s mercy and love was behind this retreat. It was so important for me to dig deep and release the pain of the past. I believe this made room and God, then, filled that room with genuine love for lost children, family, friends, and especially ourselves.”

Another noted: After several years [of emotional pain], this

journey took me to a special place of healing. Rachel’s Vineyard. This is where I experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness and I had come to forgive myself. I left the retreat no longer bound to my past sinful actions. I realized no matter what I had done, no sin was beyond the reach of God’s grace.”

Another said: “Being a man, I never really thought I needed to talk about the abortion she had. I have never forgotten that day, but I never really thought it would affect me like it has. The retreat helped me see clearly. Now I have asked for her forgiveness, and for my daughter’s forgiveness. I will always remember, but now I know I am forgiven.”

Rachel’s Vineyard and Catholic Social Services are also offering a professional training series live, via Zoom, titled “Rachel’s Vineyard: Healing the Trauma Wounds of Abortion.” This training is for medical and mental health professionals, clergy, school professionals and lay people, anyone interested in the post-abortion counseling. This training is a quarterly, one-day event (once every four months), starting February 22, 2021 through October 17, 2022. Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) also will

be available. This Rachel’s Vineyard

training series is hosted by Dr. Theresa Karminski Burke, the founder and executive director of Rachel’s Vineyard. Her programs offer a unique, sensory-based treatment which integrates emotional, psychological and spiritual dimensions. Topics for professionals include: “A Crash Course in Trauma,” “Understanding Shame-Based Identities” and “Brain Science—How Emotional Trauma Impacts the Brain.” Topics for all include: “Care-Fronting Conflict,” “The Power of Secrets: Breaking Free from Trauma with Truth” and “What’s the Connection Between Trauma & Addictions?” For more information, contact Amy at ajulian@diorc.org or 605-343-3541 or visit https://fb.me/e/g3VIFVOIP on Facebook. To register, visit terrasancta.org/trauma.

g Amanda is the director of the diocesan Office of Family Ministry and Respect Life that provides information and resources for marriage preparation, marriage encounters, natural family planning and other opportu-nities and ministries. She can be reached at ajensen@bismarckdiocese.com or 701-204-7205.

AMANDA JENSEN

Healing opportunities for post-abortion trauma

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MARCH 2021 Dakota Catholic Action | 11

During “serious illness conversations,” some doctors will ply their patients with this question: “What is your minimally acceptable quality of life?”

Behind the question can be the implication that if patients are experiencing a low quality of life, their medical treatments can be discontinued because their life has become “no longer worth living.”

This can even become a shorthand to justify actions like physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. Making quality of life assessments about ourselves or others can lead us to devalue the gift of human life by insisting it must have a certain amount of “quality” before it can be deemed “meaningful” or “worthwhile.”

The clearest rebuttal of the “quality of life” error I’ve come across was from a 64-year-old retired Boeing computer programmer named John Peyton (1945-2009). He lived in Kent, Washington, and had an unusually aggressive form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease made him totally dependent on Patricia, his wife of 40 years. She dressed him, fed him and regularly shifted his body position in the living room recliner where he spent his declining months.

As Peyton’s once-strong voice gradually began to fade away, he continued to use it publicly to oppose and lobby against Initiative 1000, the assisted suicide initiative in Washington.

When he was interviewed by Laura Ingraham of Fox News, he said, “I’m one of those people who is somewhat of a target of the initiative and I don’t know how we as a society could really consider making doctors into killers.”

Laura countered: “John, I think a lot of people who are for this type of assisted suicide

would say, ‘Look, what about the quality of life?’ ‘Look, you know, people suffering like you — what kind of quality of life do you really have?’ What do you say to those people?”

His reply was as brilliant as it was simple: “I have a marvelous quality of life! Right

now, I am totally dependent. I can do nothing for myself. I’m effectively paralyzed. But I have a family. I have friends. I have my church community. I have loving support all around me. I don’t understand how anyone could deny that I have a very high quality of life, and it gets me to understand and be compassionate toward those without the support that I have. Rather than giving them the temptation to kill themselves, we should be trying to figure out how to help them to have the quality of life I enjoy.”

Peyton’s answer cuts to the heart of the matter: if anyone who is sick or dying is facing a low quality of life, we should take steps to raise and improve it. His story also reminds us how the one-sided category of “quality of life” can easily tempt us in the wrong direction when it comes to basic moral duties owed to our loved ones in compromised states like a coma, ALS, stroke, Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Instead of making quality of life judgments about people, we should be making “quality of treatment” judgments for those who are ailing and vulnerable, and perhaps “quality of help” judgments against ourselves.

As such, our focus should be on the benefits and burdens of a proposed medical intervention rather than on trying to impose our own conclusion that certain individuals no longer have enough value or meaning in their lives to merit receiving a particular treatment. Their humanity is violated if they are treated according to their functionality or quality of life, rather than according to their personal dignity.

Of course, everyone has a certain natural fear or hesitation when it comes to living in a disabled or compromised state. We may also be afraid of “being a burden to others.” When we acknowledge that the gift of life has “absolute value,” that doesn’t mean we must do absolutely everything scientifically available to maintain it, but it does mean that we should exercise good stewardship over it, making use of ordinary means of treatment and receiving supportive care, even in the face of imminent decline.

It also means the decision to refuse or stop a particular medical treatment should be based on the judgment that the treatment itself is extraordinary, that is to say, it offers minimal benefit or is unduly burdensome. It should not be because we conclude that someone’s life itself lacks value and needs to end.

Individuals struggling with grave ailments, even though they may be very compromised and unable to act as their own decision makers, remain persons of great moral worth. They contribute to the common good simply by being, rather than by doing or choosing. Moreover, they continually call each of us to a higher and more beautiful standard of full acceptance, loving support and authentic care, even and especially in the midst of very challenging medical circumstances. They raise the bar for us, and we should respond by elevating their quality of life. g Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. He also serves as a professor of bioethics at the University of Mary in Bismarck. See www.ncbcenter.org

FR. TAD PACHOLCZYK

Making Sense out of Bioethics

The “quality of life” error

Ag AttitudesJAMES ODERMANN

The trail Jesus blazed means following the first commandment

“I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me.”

I reflected on the first commandment as I shivered through chores, contemplating the events of the past months. In short, the news really speaks to the core issue about power, about control, about money.

Money seems to be the god that has overtaken the public conscience and moral compass to become the common denominator. The desire for money has become the idolatry which has permeated society, mostly because success on a secular level is measured by the accumulation of earthly assets.

But, as I emptied buckets of

grain for the animals, I rhetorically queried, “Is God proud of what I am doing? Is God the reason for what I am doing? Does God really care?”

“Yes. Yes. Yes,” were the answers that engulfed me. It really doesn’t matter whether it is feeding calves, tilling the soil, helping a newborn calf get its first drink or relaxing on the porch because God is there: everywhere.

The same is true in all vocations and careers. The key is to recognize and appreciate God’s presence as a sort of personal coach, providing graces from the Holy Spirit to exercise free will and answer God’s call.

I contemplated these questions

and more as I walked to the comfort of a warm office. I reflected on the season of Lent and how I could exercise my Catholic faith. I thought about Jesus and his lack of concern for power and control, for money.

The Lenten readings are sources for meditation and understanding that Jesus’ preaching is as applicable today as it was 2,000 years ago. Excerpts from Gospels during Lent give the template on how to be a disciple:

When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing. When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. We know that God does not listen

to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.

I contemplated further. I exist because of God, not because of earthly treasure. My life is a gift from God and I will be judged by how I use the gifts God has bestowed to me. Did I help those in need? Did I offer encouragement, lend a helping hand? Did I love as Jesus loves me?

Lent is a time to reconnect. I need to worry less about power and control—and find the trail to Jesus. Care to join me?

g Odermann lives with his wife, Leona, on the family farm in Billings County. They are members of the Church of St. Patrick in Dickinson and assist with eucharistic celebrations there as well as at the Churches of St. Bernard (Belfield) and St. Mary (Medora).

12 | Dakota Catholic Action MARCH 2021

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