Minnesota Catholic Conference
The Minnesota Catholic Conference makes up one-third of Minnesota for Marriage, the other two-thirds being the Minnesota Family Council and the National Organization for Marriage.
Representatives from MNCC will be in various parts of the state drumming up support for the anti-gay marriage amendment in local churches.
There’s a “Marriage Matters” event with Jason Adkins of the Minnesota Catholic Conference on Sept. 20 to “Renew your understanding of what marriage is and why it matters to all of us” at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Delano. The invite (PDF) asks people to “help preserve the importance of marriage for our children, our community and our future.”
Adkins will also be in St. Cloud for a presentation called, “The Marriage Amendment from the Catholic Perspective” on Sept. 30 at Christ Our Light Parish—North.
The invite (PDF) says, “Learn how you can talk to your neighbors over the fence, to your families at the dinner table or engage in a conversation on this highly charged, but important topic of today.
In south central Minnesota, a representative of the Diocese of New Ulm gave a presentation on Sept. 5 at a community center in Springfield called “Marriage Unique for a Reason” that “outlined the Church’s teaching on marriage, its importance for our society and some of the possible consequences if the definition of marriage is changed.
And on Sept 12, Richard Aleman, the outreach coordinator for the Minnesota Catholic COnference will give a program “discussing the importance of the Marriage Amendment.” at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Social Hall in Fairfax. “Mr. Aleman will cover the spiritual, cultural, social and legal ramifications of this issue. Help preserve the importance of marriage for our children, our communities, and our future.” the invite reads.
Teresa Collett
Another big name in the pro-marriage amendment side, University of St. Thomas law professor Teresa Collett will be doing a series of speaking engagements in Catholic settings. Collett has been a frequent testifier against allowing same-sex couples to marry.
Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata is hosting a “Reclaiming the Culture of Marriage” presentation on Sept. 18 with Father John Paul Erickson, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship, and Teresa Collet, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, “This presentation will renew your understanding of marriage and address misconceptions of the Church’s teachings on this topic,” the invite reads (PDF). The event will also be emceed by Crystal Crocker who is the Outreach Coordinator for Minnesota Catholic Conference.
Collett will speak at “Our Lady of the Rosary PATRONAL FEAST DAY CELEBRATION” on Oct. 7 in Duluth.
The parish office is also a hub for yard signs. “This is a great way to show your support for the Marriage Amendment and help others see that they are not alone in supporting and defending
marriage between one man and one woman,” the church bulletin reads (PDF).
A presentation called, “Marriage Matters: Catholics Care. Catholics Vote: The Minnesota Marriage Amendment will be held on Sept. 13 at the CSSR Hall in Brooklyn Center. The presenters will be Fr. Michael Izen speaking on “The Theology of Marriage” and Professor Teresa Collett, who will speak on “Reclaiming the Culture for Life and Marriage,” according to the invite (PDF).
The Nativity of Mary Catholic Church in Bloomington is hosting a “Reclaiming the Culture of Marriage” presentation (PDF) on Sept. 6 with Teresa Collett “speaking on behalf of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis.”
Bishops and priests share the message
The state’s bishops and priests are doing their own informational events as well.
Bishop Michael Hoeppner of the Diocese of Crookston is visiting every deanery in the area to “share with all the lay faithful the importance of this November’s ballot initiative in Minnesota” (PDF). He’ll be visiting: Sept. 11th St. Rose of Lima, Argyle @ 7:00 PM, Sept. 12th St. Peter’s, Park Rapids @ 7:00 PM, Oct. 14th St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls @ 2:30 PM, Oct. 16th Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes @ 7:00 PM, Oct. 24th St. Philip’s, Bemidji @ 7:00 PM.
Father Eric Hastings and Attorney Al Jacobson will present “Reclaiming the Culture of Marriage,” an “informational event about the proposed marriage amendment, from both the biblical and legal perspective” at St. Francis Catholic Church Hall in Brainerd on Sept. 12. The church is also a hub for free Vote Yes yard signs.
The Diocese of Duluth is bringing in a big name speaker in October. Archbishop-designate Salvatore Cordileone, also known as the Father of Prop 8, will present “GOD’S PLAN FOR MARRIAGE”
at the Mitchell Auditorium atthe College of St. Scholastica (PDF).
Southwest Deanery CCW (Council of Catholic Women) is hosting a “Fall Institute” on Sept. 27 at St. Andrew’s Church in Elysian. The program includes speaker, Theresa Cermak of Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women who “will discuss an update on the church’s position regarding the Marriage Amendment” (PDF).
St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Eagan is having a “Marriage and the Amendment – Ask Your Priests Your Questions,” event on Sept. 30 with Fr. Lachowitzer and Fr. O’Neill
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Savage is having a “Marriage Matters” event on Spt. 11.
Church of the Risen Savior, in Burnsville is having a “Why Marriage Matters” event on Sept. 29 (PDF).
Church of the Holy Family is advertizing an event at Holy Family Academy on Sept. 8 called “De-Christianization and the Catholic Counter-revolution: combating secularism and defending marriage in our society” by Raymond DeSouza, KM, Director of Evangelization for Diocese of LaCrosse (PDF).
Holy Family has also set up a Marriage Committee which is viewing videos by NOM’s Jennifer Roback Morse starting each week on Sept. 6.
Holy Hours
Some churches are hosting special “holy hours” for the marriage amendment or having tabling events before and after masses.
St. Mary’s Parish in Winona is having a special “holy rosary” (PDF). “The Holy Rosary will be offered for the protection of marriage, family and religious freedom each Tuesday at 4:50pm before 5:15pm Mass at St. Mary’s Church until Election Day, November 6, 2012.”
The Church of St. Peter in North St. Paul is having a “Holy Hour for Marriage” on Sept. 9 (PDF). They are also a hub for yard signs.
Church of St. Peter in Mendota will have a marriage amendment table (PDF) from Sept. 9 to 23 after mass.
Blessed Sacrament Church in Hibbing is also hosting a “special Holy Hour” each Sunday starting Sept. 9 until the election (PDF). “We will be gathering to implore God’s mercy in the passage of the Marriage Amendment and for the protection of all human life. Please come and pray with us.”
St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in Excelsior has a “Marriage Amendment Display with “Action support items… brochures, flyers, prayer cards, lawn signs, bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc. Tools to assist you in helping spread the work on voting “Yes” in November, protecting the definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman.”
Fundraisers and rallies
Several churches have hosted fundraisers and several more are planned for the next month.
St. Isidore & St. Mary Catholic Churches are advertizing a “Marriage Amendment Rally” on Sept. 9 at the iconic Tobies restaurant in Hinckley (PDF).
“The purpose of this rally is to bring people together from Carlton to Pine City to learn more about the Marriage Amendment.”
Immaculate Heart Church in Crosslake, raised $9,000 for the amendment at an August 18 fundraiser at Antlers restaurant. “The money will be used to purchase marketing media in support of a “YES VOTE” in November,” a church bulletin reads (PDF).
Ss. Peter and Paul and St.Thomas the Apostle churches in Corocoran are hosting a “Pork Chop Dinner for Marriage on Sept. 8. The menu will include grilled pork chops, potato salad, coleslaw, rolls and bu/er and beverages. A FREE WILL OFFERING will be taken with any profits going to support: Minnesota for Marriage. Materials for VOTE YES on the Marriage Amendment will be available.”
Does anybody really take Catholicism seriously anymore? It's the single most destructive organized religion in the history of the world!
To speak of the Catholic Church and "moral authority" in the same sentence does indeed require the use of quotation marks. The Church has been priggish and bullying about intruding into absolutely everyone else's expressions of sexuality but appallingly indifferent to the atrocities and cover-up within its own ranks. Their failure to protect children does not reach even the lowest possible common denominator of human decency. The refusal to cooperate with civil authorities continues to this very day and is rooted in arrogance and an utter contempt for the law. It reaches to – indeed emanates from – the very highest level of authority within the Catholic Church. This pope is the person entrusted by the previous pope to "handle" the child abuse scandals and that's exactly what he did – handle the scandal, not the abuse. His reward was to ascend to the throne of St. Peter. And the American bishops are threatening the nuns because while they go about their good works they aren't sufficiently judgemental about other people's sexuality? Don't waste time in Leviticus. THIS is the abomination. And from these people we are supposed to take moral guidance about how other people express their loving commitments to each other?
It's not about whether anyone takes the church's teaching seriously. The Catholic Church is intervening in civil matters at the state and federal level and is using its perceived moral authority to lend weight to its recommendations for government to dictate how other people should live the most private aspects of their lives. That should concern everyone.
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