C
atholic
Herald
DIOCESE OF SUPERIOR
www.superiorcatholicherald.org Vol 151/Edition 19, 12 Pages Oct. 14, 2021
ANITA DRAPER
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF ADRAPER@CATHOLICDOS.ORG
R
e-grounding Catholic school teach- ers and religious educators in their disciple-making mission - while offering encouragement in stressful times and an opportunity for spiritual growth - is the aim of the Diocese of Superior's 2021 Fall Conference. Initially scheduled to take place at St. Joseph, Rice Lake, on Oct. 29, the conference was changed to a virtual format as COVID-19 infection rates surged in parts of the diocese. ChrisHurtubise,whoseiceofEvan- gelization and Missionary Discipleship is sponsoring the online event in partnership withtheiceofCatholicFormationand its director, school superintendent Peggy Schoenfuss, said the pan- demic's impact on parishes and schools varies widely. Some schools are oper- ating almost normally, he said, while others have high infection rates and large numbers of quarantined students. The 16 counties in our diocese, and the parishes and schools all around our diocese, are in a lot of different places right now, coming out of the pandem- ic, he explained. Strategically, it made sense to let indi- vidual parishes and schools make their own decisions about whether, where and how to hold gatherings, he added. In non-pandemic years - when the event isn't held virtually - more than 300 Catholic schools and religious education teachers, clergy members and parish staffers typically attend the conference, which begins with Mass celebrated by Bishop James P. Powers. A keynote speaker offers morning and after- noon talks, and attendees choose breakout sessions corresponding to their professional interests. This year, Bishop Powers will give a short talk that sets the tone for the day, which will be provided to attendees via email link to Youtube, and keynote speaker Ryan O'Ha- ra, a popular retreat leader from the Twin Cities who has given many talks around the diocese, will offer a longer, 40-minute presentation. Hurtubise complimented O'Hara, com- menting on How amazing he is he and his
Fall Conference focuses on 'disciple-making business'
Ryan O'Hara
See CONFERENCE, Page 3
Members of Cathedral Parish in Superior pray outside the WE Women's Health Clinic in Duluth with 40 Days for Life-Duluth coordinator Paulette Moreland. (Catholic Herald photo by Jenny Snarski)
O
ne of the challenges related to any of the multiple Respect Life issues is that every situation and circumstance is unique. We want to apply a clear set of black-and-white principles to assess the morality of what is right or wrong, but the vari- ables even within one family dealing with how to defend and protect life are complicated. Catholic moral ethics provide clear parameters to form a conscience, but the definition of serious sin also re- quires that full consciousness and free will be in play. That said, morality as studied and discussed in a classroom rarely has access to the personalities and emotions at play in the moment of making a moral decision. Given the highly polemic narra- tives surrounding abortion and crisis pregnancies,itisevenmoredicult to have conversations that take a calm and curious approach to a woman and her pregnancy. As someone who has been through ive pregnancies, not one like any other, I have had a much harder time navigating my own positions on where right and wrong are to be found. There is no question the command- ment of Thou shall not kill makes clear that murder is wrong, but one block of First Street in downtown Duluth shows just how many angles can be squashed together, making it diculttodelineatetheshadesofgray. The Women's Care Center, a preg- nancy and parenting resource center in Duluth, is on the north side of the street at the corner of First Street and First Avenue. If you walk past their door and continue towards Second Avenue, you will pass what appears to have been condos or apartments at some point. The beautiful three-sto- ry red brick complex, complete with arched bay windows, is all boarded up with an extra barrier built on the street level to prevent access. Across the street is the Clayton Jackson McGhie memorial; its mission is to foster racial justice and promote healing and reconciliation in the com- munity. The story behind the memorial is a 1920 lynching of three black men, wrongly accused of raping a white woman, who were abducted from the
Promoting life
Together on the Journey
Jenny Snarski
See 40 DAYS, Page 3
Understanding the obstacles
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