From the Parochial Vicar - August 5, 2018

August 6, 2018

From the Parochial Vicar - August 5, 2018

I am thankful for our youth. I am thankful for our young adults. I am thankful for our youth ministry and young adult ministry. When I arrived at Saint Mark Catholic Church one year ago, it was a Tuesday. Fr. John told Fr. Becker and me that there was Young Adult Group, and he wanted at least one of us there whenever they met. Also, we were told that we were going to be present Sunday night for Life Teen and Wednesday nights for Fraternus/Fidelis. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights we tried to balance commissions’ meetings and Edge youth ministry for the middle school students. So, yes, Fr. John “volun-told” us to be present. Within one month, however, we shared in his commitment to accompany these young people. Sunday through Wednesday, the parish hall, school gym, and classrooms in the Kerin Center overflow with the parish’s youth: your children. And they all have one desire: to encounter the Lord.

I am thankful for our faith formation staff, youth ministers, Life Teen core team, and K-5 catechists. I am grateful to our school teachers, especially in the religion department, for daily catechizing our youth. I am ever grateful to the adults that give of their time, talent, and treasure to be sure that our youth ministry programs provide opportunities for our children to enter into a relationship with the Lord. Whether someone goes to public school, Catholic school, or homeschool, I have witnessed each one in our youth ministry programs form virtuous friendships together and encourage each other to remain faithful no matter where they will scatter after their youth nights and activities.

It has become clear to me and the other priests here that Saint Mark—a parish that forms intentional disciples—must be as present as possible to our youth and young adults as they navigate a world that has rejected Christ. In hearing confessions, being part of small group discussions, going on outings with our youth, and even meeting groups of our high schoolers at the local coffee shop, the kids share their struggles and burdens in ways that they have never shared with anyone else. I wish there was a magic formula to take away those afflictions. What youth ministry does, however, is instill the hope of Christ and the strength of community. Pope Francis, speaking to youth ministers in 2014, said that youth ministry is “much more than the promotion of a series of activities for young people. This ministry consists in walking with them, accompanying them personally in the complex and at times difficult contexts in which they are immersed. … Youth ministry is called to gather the questions of young people of today and, from them, to initiate a true and honest dialogue to bring Christ into their lives.”

As families are preparing to get back into the swing of school and other academic-year-activities, there has been plenty of discussion in the parish about the relationship between catechesis (faith formation) and youth ministry. While these two environments overlap in some respects, just learning principles and doctrine about Christ and his Church is not enough to initiate a relationship with Christ that is sustainable. In fact, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said in his Encyclical Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love), “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” An ethical choice is made logically from different data points so that one can say, “Aha! This is a good thing for myself and those around me.” But an encounter with the love of God is ongoing, rich, and lived in the wider community. “We cannot love what we do not know,” says St. Augustine; so, learning of Christ and his Church must be coupled with opportunities to grow in love of the event and person of Christ.

What can we do as a parish? First, we can all thank God for our young Church, present in our youth; thank God for their new ideas, fresh perspectives, and zealous hearts. Second, we can pray daily for our youth. We can pray that God protect and enlighten them. Third, we can affirm them. Tell them how good it is to see them participating at Mass and present at the parish. Fourth, we can reach out to the Faith Formation and Youth Ministry offices and ask, “With my gifts and talents, how can I help our young people to encounter Jesus by cooperating with youth ministry?”

The Church needs our youth. The Church needs our young people. The Church needs you and I to provide the opportunities for them to full heartedly pursue Jesus and his righteousness.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • February 13, 2026
Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on the true state of our hearts as it relates to stewardship. Do we think of stewardship as something we take care of once a year, simply a matter of ticking off boxes on a commitment card — or do we choose to embrace it as a spirituality and a way of life that allows us to grow in conformity to Christ every day? Our first reading, from the Book of Sirach, teaches that our good God has given us the freedom to make this choice — “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” The concept of stewardship helps us live out this fundamental choice to put God first. Stewardship is not meant to be a mere external exercise that we participate in on an occasional basis. It is meant to be embraced as a way of life — a life that involves a continuous conversion of heart. In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus illustrates the difference between an external observance of the law and a true conversion of heart, saying, “You have heard that it was said … you shall not kill … But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Our Lord is asking us not only for exterior acts, but for a true change of heart. In stewardship terms, that means seeing everything as a gift from Him, to be used for His glory and the good of others. In the week ahead, let us examine the state of our hearts and ask whether we have allowed stewardship to shape the way we live each day. When we do, we open ourselves to its deeper meaning and its power to change our hearts. The choice is ours. Pastoral Pondering I am appreciative of the cooperation we have had with the recent changes in the distribution of Communion. Please be mindful that each person has the right to choose the manner in which he or she receives Holy Communion. As long as that choice is in conformity with what the Church allows, the individual is free to exercise that right. We all have preferences and pious practices that are important to us. It is important, however, that we do not pass judgment on the reasons someone else chooses differently from us. No one knows the heart of another; God alone knows those things. Clearly, if someone is doing something that is improper or sacrilegious, we have a moral obligation to say something. However, when another is making a legitimate choice, he or she is free to do so. We all need to be conscious of the importance of exercising charity, especially with one another. As we prepare to embark on our Lenten journey, please take time to pray and ponder what you need to do (and not do) to make this a truly fruitful Lent. Taking time for prayer and reflection and asking the Lord to guide you in choosing your Lenten sacrifices and works of charity, is a wonderful way to prepare for and to receive the full grace of this special season of the liturgical year. Penance, of course, is a regular part of Catholic life. Every Friday throughout the year is a day of penance. During Lent, every Friday is a day of abstinence from meat; outside of Lent, one may choose an alternative form of penance. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting for those between the ages of 14 and 60. Let us pray for one another that our Lenten observances may help us grow in holiness, become more attentive to the promptings of the Spirit, and be instruments of the light of Christ in the world.

From the Pastor - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • February 6, 2026
Today’s readings are both encouragement and instruction for us as Christian stewards. They offer clear direction on what matters most to God and how He calls us to use the gifts He has entrusted to us. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah gives us straightforward guidance: “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own.” There is no ambiguity here. Caring for our brothers and sisters in need is not optional — it is a fundamental responsibility of the Christian steward. Yet the Lord also reminds us of His generosity when we live this way. “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed.” When we give of ourselves, we do not lose — we gain. God’s grace grows within us, and we experience deeper joy and peace as our lives become more aligned with His will. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks plainly to His disciples — and to us — calling us the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” But salt loses its purpose if it goes stale, and light cannot shine if it is hidden. Our faith must be lived, not concealed. We are called to act so that others may see the way we serve, how we care for the vulnerable, how we prioritize our families, and above all, how we love God — and through our witness, give glory to Him. Pastoral Pondering With everything that’s been going on in Minneapolis and in other areas of the country, I have had a number of folks ask me how we should respond as Catholics. The following is my opinion, based on sound Catholic teaching. First and foremost, Catholics are called to respond to civil unrest neither with indifference nor with partisan reflex, but with faith‑formed conscience, rooted in the Gospel, the dignity of the human person, and the pursuit of the common good.  The Church offers clear moral principles—even when facts are still unfolding or emotions are intense. 1. Begin with the Dignity of Every Human Life The Catholic response must start with mourning the loss of life, regardless of ideology, immigration status, profession, or political alignment. Recent unrest in Minneapolis followed multiple fatal shootings involving federal agents, resulting in the deaths of American citizens and triggering widespread protests and confrontations. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the USCCB, emphasized: “Peace is built on respect for people… Public authorities especially have a responsibility to safeguard the well‑being of people in service to the common good.” Catholics must resist any rhetoric that dehumanizes protesters, immigrants, law‑enforcement officers, or public officials. Every person involved is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; USCCB, Life and Dignity of the Human Person). 2. Reject Violence — from Any Side The Church is unequivocal: violence against persons is morally unacceptable, whether it comes from rioters, vigilantes, or excessive use of force by authorities. Recent demonstrations in Minneapolis have included street takeovers, clashes with law enforcement, and use of tear gas, batons, and flash‑bangs. Catholic leaders have consistently called for restraint and nonviolence. Also, as Bishop Robert Barron warned, destroying property, interfering with law enforcement or intimidation or mob action do not advance justice and instead deepen wounds. The same can be said of the disruption of church services. At the same time, the Church also insists that the use of state power must be proportionate and accountable, especially when lethal force is involved (CCC §§2263–2267). 3. Pray — Publicly and Persistently — for Peace and Conversion The Church’s first response is spiritual, not performative. In January 2026, Archbishop Coakley asked dioceses across the country to hold a Holy Hour for peace, explicitly in response to unrest connected to immigration enforcement and deaths in Minneapolis. As Catholics we should pray for the dead and their families, pray for healing in affected communities, pray for law‑enforcement officers placed in morally complex situations, and pray for public officials making consequential decisions. This is not passivity. It is placing the crisis under the Lordship of Christ. 4. Support Lawful Protest — Not Lawlessness Catholic teaching affirms the right to peaceful protest against injustice. The USCCB teaches that political participation, including protest, is legitimate when it respects human life, respects the rule of law, and seeks the common good rather than domination or chaos (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship). However, Catholics must refuse participation in rioting, property destruction, intimidation, or disruption of worship (explicitly condemned by bishops). As several Catholic leaders noted, anger does not sanctify actions. 5. Insist on Truth, Due Process, and Accountability Catholics should resist both instant condemnation without facts, and blind defense without accountability. The Church supports transparent investigations, lawful oversight of enforcement agencies, and respect for constitutional and human rights. Ongoing legal review and court interventions in Minnesota illustrate the importance of due process in moments of unrest. 6. Engage Politically — but Never Reduce Faith to Politics Catholics may contact elected officials, advocate for humane immigration policies, and support reforms aligned with human dignity. But the bishops repeatedly warn against substituting ideology for the Gospel. As Catholic World Report summarized: “The current climate of fear and polarization… does not meet the standard set by Christ in the Gospel.” No party, platform, or protest movement substitutes for Christian charity and moral clarity. 7. Build Peace Locally Finally, Catholics are called to act close to home by supporting local parishes offering prayer or aid, participating in dialogue rather than online outrage, and assisting immigrants, families of victims, and first responders. Catholic Social Teaching emphasizes that peace is built from the ground up, in families, parishes, and neighborhoods (Call to Community and Participation).