C

atholic

Herald

DIOCESE OF SUPERIOR

www.superiorcatholicherald.org Vol 150/Edition 18, 12 Pages Oct. 1, 2020

ANITA DRAPER

CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF ADRAPER@CATHOLICDOS.ORG

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ctively living out their Catholic faith as individuals and a couple - following the churchs teachings on Natural Family Planning in particular - has sometimes been challenging for Nick and Emily Frase. But for Nick, who grew up in the Diocese of Superior, the lesson that being a faithful Catholic wouldnt always come easy was built into his forma- tion. Strength in their faith and the support of a solid Christian community has guided the Virginia couple through trying times. Having that community of a bunch of people just trying to do marriage and parenthood to the best of their ability has made all the difference with us remaining faithful to the church and each other, Emily said. Weve met a lot of faithful couples who are in agreement that the era of comfortable Christianity is over, Nick agreed. We cannot rely on the broader culture to inculcate our children with a baseline Judeo-Christian ethic, the sort of thing taken for granted by previous generations.

His story

Born in Milwaukee, Nick spent most of his childhood in Hudson. He and his parents, Mike and Cyndee Frase, were parishioners at St. Patrick Par- ish, where his parents remain active members. In those years, the parish had more than its share of tragedies, most of them stemming from the placement of a priest who sexually assaulted teens, likely committed two murders in 2002 to cover up his crimes, and then killed himself in 2004. Anyone with knowledge of the diocese knows we had some tough times at St. Patricks, Nick said. Thats probably not the most revolutionary thing spoken, but it has impressed on me the importance of witnessing to our faith even when inconve- nient. He credits one of his good friends, now Fr. David Neus- chwander, a diocesan priest who serves in Hayward and Cable, with inspiring him to own his faith in high school. You can read Butlers (Lives of the Saints), but theres no replacement for actually having friends that model holiness on a day-to-day basis, through good times and bad, Nick added. After graduating Hudson High School, Nick left for the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2006, where he earned a bachelors degree in history with a minor in theology. He graduated in 2010 and head- ed offto Washington, D.C. I was not career-minded at the time, he observed. In the nations capital, Nick landed in the nonprofit world,

Authenticity at heart of Frase family's faith

See FRASE, Page 12

Emily and Nick Frase walk with their children, Evelyn and Thomas. Raised in the Diocese of Superior, Nick now lives with his family in Virginia. (Submitted photo) JENNY SNARSKI

CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF JSNARSKI@CATHOLICDOS.ORG

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n July of 1989, Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA, the African American Catholic religious sister who championed the integration of her culture and creed, addressed the bish- ops of the United States. Sr. Thea began her message in a way characteristic of her fully Black, fully Catho- lic style - spirited song. Responding to her own stated ques- tion, What does it mean to be Black in the Church and society? Bowman closed her eyes and began to sing the slave spiritual Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Can you hear me, church? Can you help me, church? she called out before singing the final notes. What a woman, what a gift! A mover and a shaker, is how Sr. Marla Lang, Bow- mans classmate in the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adorations high school program, described her. Sr. Marla, outreach coordinator for the Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center in Arbor Vitae, offered a virtual presentation on Sr. Thea Bowman in mid-August, which included her own life experiences, videos of Sr. Thea and sharing of participants experiences. Sr. Marla was honored to visit Sr. Theas home diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, in June 2018, when Sr. Thea was declared a Servant of God by the local bishop, the first step in the canonization process. During that trip, Sr. Marla accepted an invitation to visit Sr. Theas hometown of Canton, about 30 miles from Jackson. As they arrived at Cantons welcome center, Lang noticed a road sign for High- way 51. Curious, she asked her guide if it could be the same Highway 51 of her home address in northern Wisconsin. It was, and the road had once been a major U.S. route running from New Orleans to the Michi- gan-Wisconsin state line between Hurley and Ironwood, although much of it is now co-signed with interstates I-55 and I-39. I couldnt believe it, Sr. Marla said of realizing there was a direct connection between the two places. The woman then pointed out the auction block across the road. It took her a minute

The legacy of FSPA Sr. Thea Bowman

See LEGACY, Page 8