Faith & Family Newsletter #3

Faith & Family News
Office of Marriage & Family Newsletter Diocese of St. Cloud
August 2005 Number 3

This summer, the Office of Marriage and Family celebrated their first birthday! Throughout this past year, the OMF staff has worked hard to become more efficient and sought ways to better serve you. Even though we have merged offices and changed our name, marriage and family ministry is not new to us. We are actually continuing an almost 60 year tradition of serving the people of God in the Diocese of St. Cloud. In fact, Lent 2006 marks the St. Cloud Diocese’s 60th season of marriage preparation courses.

Beginning with this issue, the Faith & Family News is also available at our web-site. We can cut costs considerably through a newsletter link via e-mail. By providing your e-mail address, you help us: save money and resources; be good Christian stewards of the gifts we are entrusted; and will offer you additional up-to-date resources in a more timely fashion. Especially for those of you in ministry, we can notify you when time sensitive materials are available, instead of waiting months before the next newsletter is published.

Your address will only be used by the Office of Marriage & Family for this purpose. Please send your e-mail address to omf@gw.stcdio.org and include your name(s), address, and e-mail address. We appreciate your assistance.

Theology of the Body: The Fall Conference will be held on Friday, October 21, 2005 at Cathedral High School’s Performing Arts Center (the old Holy Angels Church). The theme is “Theology of the Body.” The conference combines our Marriage Ministry Day, Natural Family Planning Up-Date and Marriage Enrichment Day.

We are very fortunate to have Christopher West, a nationally known speaker on Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body as our keynote speaker. Christopher teaches the theology of the body at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver and at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Melbourne, Australia. He also serves as the Theology of the Body Staff Advisor for the GIFT Foundation. His books, extensive lecturing, numerous tapes, and his radio and TV appearances have sparked an international groundswell of interest in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. He is married to Wendy and they have three children.

To register, or for further details, visit our web-site. Please register early. Because of Christopher’s well known reputation as a passionate and engaging speaker (and the Performing Arts Center has limited seating,) we expect the conference to fill quickly.

Respect Life Workshop: The Fall Respect Life Workshop will be held Saturday, September 17, 2005 at the Pastoral Center in St. Cloud from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here to register. Ryan Coiner, the field coordinator for the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment and Fr. Thomas Knoblach, Consultant for Healthcare Ethics for the Diocese of St. Cloud are the keynote speakers. Ryan works in Washington DC and deals regularly with the legislative bodies and the life issues presented to Congress. He will be speaking about the up-coming issues that our law-makers will face as well as getting ready for the 2006 elections. Fr. Knoblach will present on end of life issues. I will also give a PowerPoint presentation, developed for adult faith formation groups, on beginning of life issues.

Catholic Men’s Conference: The Ninth Annual Catholic Men’s Conference will be held Saturday, Feb 25th at St. John’s University. Father Jack Spaulding, from St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Mesa, AZ will be our keynote speaker. You may remember Fr. Jack as our second Catholic Men’s Conference speaker on the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He was so well received that many have asked for him to return. The theme this year will be Purity. Fr. Jack has worked for many years with the Life Teen program and is a challenging and invigorating presenter.

The day will begin with Mass, followed by refreshments and Fr. Jack’s first presentation. After lunch a variety of workshops on various topics will be offered, as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fr Jack Spaulding will present after the workshops, and the day will end with closing prayer. More details will be forthcoming or you can keep informed through our web site at www.stclouddiocese.org/OMF/annual/ MensConference.html

HUMANAE VITAE AWARD: We want to honor someone who has diligently and courageously promoted the teachings of the Church, especially in regards to sexuality and the prophetic teachings of Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae. See details on how to submit a nomination for this award on page 5.

Catholic Teaching on Barrier Methods of Contraception Brochure: Fr. Tom Knoblach, PhD, Consultant for Healthcare Ethics for the Diocese of Saint Cloud has developed a brochure explaining the Church’s teachings on barrier methods of contraception. For the text of the brochure go to our web-site at http://www.stcdio.org/NFP/BarrierMethods.htm

Your Sexual Exposure Brochure: Designed for teens and young adults, this brochure includes factual information regarding sexual activity. The chart illustrates, for example, that if a person has 3 sexual partners, and assuming the person they are having sexual contact with has had the same number of partners, they then have been exposed to 7 people. If a person has had 6 sexual partners, they have been exposed to 63 people, if a person has had 10 sexual partners, they have been exposed to 1023, etc. On the reverse side of the chart are helpful quotes regarding being chaste. This is an excellent handout for teens when discussing chastity.

PowerPoint Presentations: Tailor made for several different age groups, respect life power point presentations have been developed. The sixth or seventh grade level presentation includes fetal development and abortion. The eighth, ninth or confirmation level includes fetal development, abortion, in vitro fertilization, stem cell research and human cloning. Euthanasia and capitol punishment can also be added. Adult presentations focus primarily on in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, human cloning, euthanasia and capitol punishment. Take home handouts accompany the presentations. To schedule, call the Office of Marriage & Family at (320) 252-4721.

DVD on the Vocation of Marriage: The Knights of Columbus have produced an excellent DVD on “The Vocation of Marriage: Vocation to Love and Service of Life.” This 29 minute DVD is a comprehensive overview of the sacrament. I highly recommend this DVD for confirmation, RCIA, marriage preparation and enrichment programs. Through a generous discount from the Knights of Columbus, we will be distributing this DVD to each parish this fall.

Stop in or call us
We are always seeking new and more effective ways to promote the dignity of the human person, strengthen family life and proclaim the beautiful teachings of our Church. Please stop and visit, browse our library and resource room, or call and let us know how we can serve you, your ministry and your family better.

May Christ, the redeemer of the world, bless you and your family. Chris Codden, Director

Celebrated on the 4th Monday in September, Family Day is a national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple, effective way to reduce youth substance abuse and raise healthier children.

The more often teenagers eat dinner with their families the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs. That is the reason the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University created Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children. Now in its fifth year, Family Day is gaining significant momentum across the nation, with corporate America, not-for-profit organizations and all levels of government supporting and participating in the initiative, as well as the Office of Marriage and Family for the Diocese of St. Cloud. We encourage all parishioners to celebrate Family Day by eating dinner together on September 26th and everyday. More importantly, talk with your kids. During dinner, turn off the TV and let the answering machine record your calls. Involve the entire family in planning and cooking the meal. Start a family tradition of beginning family meals with a prayer or by lighting candles. Remember to have dessert or consider a board game after dinner to keep the conversations going. Family Day embodies the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. Starting a Sunday ritual of attending service and sharing a meal as a family is a meaningful tradition that will increase parental engagement and communication with your children. Knowing that teens who attend religious services once a week are at a substantially lower risk for substance abuse should also encourage parents. For more information visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org

Whatever they might claim to the contrary, kids can do chores! Relax your standards a bit, assign age-specific tasks, and you’ve got a small army of assistants at your beck and call.

For example: Everyone can follow basic cleanup rules:
“ Nothing but the furniture on the floor,” and “Books in the bookcase, toys in the toy box.”

And no child can say, “I’m too old for the chore,” because Mom and Dad do each of these, too!
From Faith & Family Danielle Bean writes from Center Harbor, New Hampshire

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING

Hello! As the summer winds down and we begin planning for the fall, we’ve realized the number of initiatives promoting NFP have kept us very busy! First and foremost, an increasing number of couples are receiving instruction in Natural Family Planning. Also, more and more engaged couples attending our diocesan marriage courses commit to learning NFP. All praise and thanks to the Holy Spirit, our Certified NFP Instructors, our inspiring NFP Witness Couples, and our talented staff!

We are currently in the process of producing an NFP Lullaby CD. Talented musicians from our

diocese have already recorded a number of beautiful songs for this project. When the production process is complete, the CD will be given to parents in the diocese who are preparing for baptism. We pray that when the couples reflect on this sacrament, Church teaching, and their responsibilities, they will also take a second look at Natural Family Planning. Thanks to all who worked so hard on this CD and donated their time and talent, especially Anita Fischer, Ted Manderfeld, Donny Codden and Jason Ploof.

Christopher West will be in St. Cloud on Friday, October 21, 2005 at the Holy Angels Performing Arts Center. He will present "And The Two Became One: Unity, the Eucharist, and God's Plan for Marital Love" from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Following his talk, one of the afternoon sessions will include a panel of NFP-Only Physicians discussing the harms of contraception and the benefits of NFP. We are most grateful to our physicians for their willingness to share their medical expertise. Since we anticipate a full house for the event, please register early! Click here to register.

At our request, Fr. Thomas Knoblach, PhD, wrote a paper, Catholic Teaching on Barrier Methods of Contraception. Our experience has shown that many people readily understand the abortifacient aspect of the hormonal contraceptives (the birth control pill, patches, shots, etc.), but there remains much misunderstanding about Church Teaching and the barrier methods of contraception. We are so pleased with Fr. Tom's paper, we put it into brochure format. Contact our office if you would like a brochure or visit http://www.stcdio.org/NFP/BarrierMethods.htm. This brochure will be of great assistance in understanding this important Church Teaching. We truly appreciate Fr. Tom and his inspired work!

Other initiatives, such as the Humanae Vitae Award, are described elsewhere in this newsletter. Please take the time to nominate a special person for this award.

As always, I am at your service. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance!

Fr. Bill Vouk’s column will assist in our understanding of God and His plan for human sexuality. Fr. Bill completed a licentiate degree at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington D.C. and also obtained a licentiate degree in canon law at Catholic University of America.
Last time: God is a Communion of Persons

Last time we saw that of all God’s material creation, only man is made in His image and likeness. And since God is a communion of persons, it makes sense that man will be, if not a communion of persons in himself individually, at least capable of communion with others. When He creates man, God reveals Himself in the Bible as having discussed the matter with Himself: “Let us make man in our image…” (Genesis 1:26). Man is created like God in his ability to say, as God does, “us” – that is, to be in communion with other persons.

Only man, in all of material creation, is capable of this communion, because only he can give of himself. The rest of creation reflects the love of God in its ability to be given to another by a person, but only a person can give himself. And as a person, man can give not only creation back to God as a gift, but also the supreme gift of his very self, freely and consciously, to God. When he does this, man becomes fully what he was made to be – namely, the image of God, who is Love. That is, it is in the communion of love with God that man realizes himself.

Even though man lost his relationship with God because of sin (which is both the act which breaks relationship with God and the state of being outside that relationship), God never stopped calling man to come back to Him. He made and renewed His covenant with His people over and over again, finally becoming flesh and blood to make the relationship of self-giving love between man and God possible again. Although God takes the initiative, first in creating man capable of communion with Him and then in endowing him with grace so that he can enter that communion, God never forces man to love Him. Man keeps his freedom, his will, with which he is able to choose to love God. In fact, without this freedom, love is impossible, and man cannot become himself. Yet man’s freedom is always exercised as a gift from God. For this reason, man’s relationship with God is always one of dependence on his Creator. And since freedom can never be real without truth, man must recognize the truth of his dependence on God in order to truly love Him. Thus man’s proper relationship with God can be summed up in one act: worship.

Beginning in 1999, the Diocese of Saint Cloud has annually presented the Humanae Vitae Award to a person who has exhibited extraordinary courage in promoting the teachings of Humanae Vitae. Past recipients of this award include: the late Bishop George Speltz, Monsignor Daniel Taufen, Father Anthony Oelrich, and Father Edwin Kraemer.

The prophetic encyclical, written by Pope Paul VI and released July 25, 1968, explains Catholic Church teaching about human life and the reasons natural methods are morally acceptable for achievement or postponement of pregnancy. Humanae Vitae describes the two inseparable meanings of the marital act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning. Cooperating with God's design for human love and marriage allows each spouse to participate in total self-giving and receiving of the other.

We are blessed to have many other persons in our diocese who have courageously promoted this important Church teaching through ministry, education, and witness. Who do you know that has promoted the teachings of the Church and has proclaimed the truth about human sexuality? What impact has this had on you, your parish, and your community? How has this person witnessed through their vocation the prophetic message of Humanae Vitae?

Please submit your nominee by writing a descriptive essay (not more than 500 words) of his/her qualifications. Send, fax, or e-mail nominations before October 15, 2005 to: Office of Marriage & Family/Humane Vitae Award, 305 N 7th Av, Suite 100, St. Cloud, MN 56303, FAX: 320-258-7658 or e-mail OMF@gw.stcdio.org.

Nominations will be reviewed and the recipient selected by the Natural Family Planning Advisory Committee. The Humanae Vitae Award will be presented on January 21, 2006, at the Humanae Vitae Award Dinner.

MENOPAUSE IS NATURAL: IT'S NOT A DISEASE!
Sheila Reineke, NFP Program Coordinator

Menopause is a normal biological event, which marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. It is a natural part of the aging process for women. Menopause is generally considered complete when a woman has not menstruated for at least one year. At this time, 51 years is the average age at which women will experience menopause.

As women age, there is a natural and gradual reduction in the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries. Most often, this function of hormone production is taken over by the adrenal gland. High stress levels impair the work of the adrenal gland, and hormone imbalances may result.

This hormone imbalance can cause women to experience uncomfortable symptoms. Each woman experiences her own variation of the typical symptoms. Some women experience severe and very bothersome symptoms, while others have mild symptoms or no problem at all. There are studies that suggest the signs and symptoms of menopause vary between cultural groups. For example, up to 80% of American women report having hot flushes during menopause, but only 10% of Japanese women report having hot flushes. At this time we cannot be certain of the reasons for these differences, but there is speculation that the differences may be due to diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

Typical symptoms of decreased estrogen and hormonal imbalance may include: irregular menstrual cycles, hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes, decreased libido, anxiety, fatigue, etc. Because these symptoms often occur several years prior to menopause, the term perimenopause is often used. Of course women desire an end to these uncomfortable symptoms. But, is hormone replacement therapy best?

One approach is to do the simplest, or least invasive things first. Mary Therese Egizio, R.N., in her article, Menopause is Not a Disease (Diocese of Memphis NFP Center Perspective Summer/Fall 2005 newsletter) suggests focusing on lowering stress, increasing exercise, and improving nutrition. Her recommendations concerning Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) and Coconut Oil were impressive. The article can be found online at http://www.cdom.org/departments/nfpcenter.htm. Click on Summer/Fall 2005 Newsletter. The author lists a variety of other websites with helpful ideas to decrease perimenopausal symptoms.

Some women in this transitional time of life, desire to achieve a pregnancy, or have serious reason to avoid pregnancy. Natural Family Planning continues to be effective and reliable during this time of fluctuating hormones. Sometimes, women desire a "refresher course" in NFP, as they may have used NFP effectively for many years without chart reviews or instruction. If you would like a refresher course, chart review, or additional information, please contact the office and we will be happy to assist you.

"WHAT IS THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
& WHY IS IT CHANGING SO MANY LIVES?"
Dorothy Kantor, Marriage Preparation Course Coordinator

This is the caption from an article written by Christopher West, who teaches theology of the body

at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver and at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of numerous articles and books about this subject. He will be the keynote speaker at the October 21, 2005 Marriage Ministry Workshop, sponsored by the St. Cloud Diocese Office of Marriage and Family. This workshop is recommended for priests, deacons and lay people who prepare couples for the Sacrament of Matrimony or who want enrichment. I implore anyone, especially, religious, sponsor couples and Marriage Course speakers to attend this “once in a life time” educational opportunity.

In the above mentioned article Christopher West explains, “Pope John Paul II devoted the first major teaching project of his pontificate to developing what he called a ‘theology of the body’. . . According to John Paul II, God created the body as a ‘sign’ of his own divine mystery. This is why he speaks of the body as a ‘theology,’ a study of God . . through an in-depth reflection on the Scriptures, John Paul seeks to answer two of the most important, universal questions: (1) ‘ What’s it mean to be human?’ and (2) ‘How do I live my life in a way that brings true happiness and fulfillment?’. . . This collection of 129 short talks has already begun a “sexual counter-revolution” that’s changing lives around the world.”

To read the above mentioned article in its entirety and learn more about Theology of the Body, go to Catholic Educator’s Resource Center’s website at www.catholiceducation.org and click on subscribe. You must subscribe in order to enter the website; subscriptions are free, your email address will not be shared and you will receive no solicitations. Once you have subscribed, go to http://catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0109.html. (By the way, this website offers you access to a plethora of current Catholic resource information on a wide variety of moral topics.)

A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to attend a six night theology of the body workshop, taught by Fr. Tom Knoblach. What a powerful explanation of the true meaning of my own sexuality and how it fits into God’s plan, what really was God’s plan when he created man and woman, why God expected me to be chaste before marriage, what is authentic love, why I shouldn’t use artificial contraception and why it really doesn’t offer true sexual freedom.

My understanding of theology of the body is in its infancy, the 129 documents are overflowing with profound insights and teachings never before realized; it is probably going to take me a lifetime to comprehend and appreciate all of it! I have an unquenchable thirst to learn more about this all-inclusive theology; the more knowledge I gain the more my life is motivated by its message.

I am looking forward to having you join us at the workshop on Friday, October 21, so you too can be motivated by his message!

Location, Location, Location…“Just put a note on my car as to where I am supposed to be in the morning!” That was what I heard the chef say the night before our annual Mother Daughter breakfast after a two week notice that we were moving from The Lighthouse to the Stardome, and

a less than 24 hour notice that it was moved from the Stardome to the St. Cloud Civic Center! Well he made it, and the food was hot and delicious (despite a plate shortage). Anita Fischer and Sounds of Praise did a fantastic job! The benefit of Sartell’s Prom being held in the same space that evening resulted in some fantastic decorations and fun family photos. I want to thank every one for being so flexible about the “moves” at the last minute. We are already planning next year’s event. Since we are celebrating our 60th anniversary as a diocesan office, we plan to return to the St. Cloud Civic Center featuring a fashion show of wedding dresses from the 1960’s. The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women has taken on the task of providing the entertainment. Any proceeds will go the Diocesan Respect Life Grant fund. If you were married during that decade (1960-1969) and would like to model your dress (or have someone else who would model it for you) please contact me by December 1st at 1-800-624-9019 Ext #320, aloecken@gw.stcdio.org or Eva Koep 218-583-4294. See you next year on Saturday, May 13.

Office of Marriage & Family
Diocese of St. Cloud
305 North Seventh Avenue, Suite 100
St. Cloud, MN 56303