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The following story appeared in the April 28 Idaho Catholic Register. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer COTTONWOOD – Sister Mary Forman, OSB, prioress of the Monastery of St. Gertrude, died on April 20. She was 75. “Sister Mary Forman was dedicated to the community and to the Church. She worked with us to make sure we lived out Benedictine values,” said Sister Janet Barnard, OSB. Sister Janet knew Sister Mary for 39 years. “She was a deep thinker and really reflected on the Rule of Benedict, the mystics and Scriptures. She was the only one of our Sisters who taught on a Ph.D. college level,” Sister Janet said. “Her reflections on Benedictine feast days were always thought provoking, drawing us deeper into the mystery of Jesus and how to live that out as Benedictines.” Sister Mary was elected prioress in 2015, although she had been teaching away from the monastery for years, said Sister Clarissa Goeckner, OSB. Sister Clarissa knew her from the time Sister Mary first entered St. Gertrude’s in 1973. “When Sister Mary returned to Cottonwood as prioress, we had to get reacquainted with her. We soon found out that she had incredible amounts of energy. We also learned that she loved learning, did not shrink from work, and was a woman of deep faith and prayer,” Sister Clarissa said. Sister Mary worked nonstop, but she never missed her day off, Sister Clarissa said. But even on her days off, Sister Mary would spend time translating Greek and Latin books into English, a pastime she found relaxing. “Many things could be said of Sister Mary, but one key point was she was a Benedictine to the core.” Although academic and contemplative, Sister Mary also enjoyed music and the arts. A favorite memory of Sister Janet’s is watching Sister Mary perform liturgical dance, especially at Christmas time. “Sister Mary took ballet when she was a little girl and so she did liturgical dance. She and two other sisters would do a liturgical dance to ‘Gentle Woman.’ Each time I hear that song I think of her dancing,” Sister Janet said. Both Sister Clarissa and Sister Janet remember Sister Mary’s laugh well. “We always knew she was home because of her laughter, which rose high above the rest of the Sisters,” Sister Clarissa said. Sister Mary also had big dreams and plans for the community, Sister Clarissa said. “One of her dreams was to finish writing the community history.” She fought cancer on and off again for the past six years. “This liver cancer was just too much,” Sister Clarissa said. Sister Mary was born the oldest of four girls in Boise on Sept. 7, 1947, to Major Neal Forman and Eugenia T. Forman. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Idaho State University in 1970, she worked as a pharmacist. She co-founded the Terry Reilly Clinic in Nampa, the first low-income clinic in that area. Sister Mary came from a strong Catholic family, Sister Janet said. Throughout college and in her career as a young adult, she was dedicated to parish life. One of her aunts was a Carmelite nun, which was a part of her inspiration to pursue religious life, said Sister Janet. “She was especially drawn to the communal prayer life and liturgies.” She entered the Monastery of St. Gertrude in 1973, professing her vows in 1976. She subsequently earned a master’s degree in theology from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. At the University of Toronto, she earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in medieval studies, and was honored with an open fellowship. Sister Mary’s friend, Abbot Placid Solari, chancellor at Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina, planned to present her with an honorary doctorate this spring. Her ministries were varied over the decades and spread throughout Idaho, North Dakota, Appalachia, Toronto and Minnesota. She served as a pharmacist, mission effectiveness educator, pastoral associate, and director of religious education. As a youth minister, she helped form the Idaho Catholic Youth program that continues today with the annual Idaho Catholic Youth Conference. She was a teaching assistant, adjunct professor, and visiting professor of theology, spending many years at the College of St. Benedict at St. John’s University. Her deep knowledge of Benedictine spirituality, charism and life also provided opportunities for her to minister as a spiritual director, retreat and workshop facilitator, and a consultant for men’s and women’s monastic communities. Sister Mary was elected a council member for the Federation of St. Gertrude in the 1990s, as well as a board member and, for two years, president of the American Benedictine Academy. She also served as associate editor of the American Benedictine Review, Magistra: A Journal of Women’s Spirituality in History, and Vox Benedictina. She wrote many articles on Benedictine topics, and two books: “Praying with the Desert Mothers,” and “One Heart, One Soul, Many Communities.” She was on a committee for promoting connection with the arts and music at the monastery’s retreat center. She also enjoyed singing in the monastery’s schola (a small ensemble of singers). She served as prioress for eight years. During her tenure, an extensive renovation of the Sisters’ residence was completed, as the Sisters moved toward expanding the definition of the community as the Center for Benedictine Life at the Monastery of St. Gertrude. Sister Mary was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her sisters: Andy Herbert of Tualatin, Ore., and Barbara K. Allen, of Coventry, R.I.; nieces and nephews; and the members of her monastic community. Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, April 26, at 1:30 p.m. at the Monastery. Memorial gifts can be made to the Monastery of St. Gertrude, 465 Keuterville Road, Cottonwood, ID, 83522, or at the website, stgertrudes.org/donate . If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

Feast Day: April 2 The following story appeared in the March 24 Idaho Catholic Register. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer The story of St. Mary of Egypt is at least 1500 years old. It was handed down orally until the seventh century, when monastic communities began to record her story in writing. Although the different stories about her have some discrepancies in details, the general story remains the same: She was a hermit in the 500s (some say 400s), who was discovered by pilgrims in the Judean desert during their Lenten penances. In each story, she was found old, naked and miraculously kept alive. After being begged by the pilgrims to bless them, St. Mary tells her story of conversion before dying. St. Sophronius, Bishop of Jerusalem, recorded the most accepted of the stories of St. Mary. It is used by the Byzantine Rite of the Catholic Church and in the Orthodox Churches in their liturgy for St. Mary, which is celebrated on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Mary was born to a Christian family in Egypt in the early fifth century. Although her family cared for her, she was rebellious and ran away to the great city of Alexandria when she was 12. She lost her virginity as soon as she could and sought sexual pleasures at every opportunity. However, she refused to be paid for her favors. She spun wool as her occupation, only working enough so that she could afford food and clothes. For 17 years, she lived a dissolute life of alcohol and sexual revelry, seeking only to please herself. Then one day, she became curious about the droves of people going to the harbor. She found out from a passerby that they were pilgrims going to Jerusalem for the celebration of Holy Week. Excited by the challenge to satiate her lust on a pilgrimage, she went to a group of men at one of the boats. She proposed that if they took her with them, they would have pleasure and entertainment. Seeing that she was serious about her shamelessness, they eagerly took her with them. Mary continued her partying in Jerusalem until Good Friday. She noticed people flocking into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to venerate a relic of the True Cross and decided it was worth the spectacle to join them. She shoved her way through the crowd and walked up to the open doorway. She attempted to step over the threshold, but was met with an indescribable force. She tried to push her way through the empty space, but every effort failed. Then she ran at the entrance with all her might, but to no avail. Exhausted, she went to the church courtyard and wept. Mary looked up and saw an icon of the Mother of God on the courtyard wall. Filled with hope, she looked into the eyes of the icon and repented. She begged the Blessed Virgin Mary to help her and allow her to venerate the Divine Cross. She also vowed to the Blessed Mother to live a penitent life with her help and to follow wherever the Blessed Mother led her for penance and salvation through her Son. After praying, Mary’s heart filled with a burning faith. She boldly went back to the church’s threshold and entered. In the story, she says, “Thus I understood the promises of God and realized how God receives those who repent. I threw myself on the floor and kissed the sacred dust. Then I went out and ran back to her who was my mediator.” Following the prodding of the Mother of God, Mary went to the Jordan River. After washing herself, she went to the Church of St. John the Baptist for Mass. She then went into the desert with a jug of water from the Jordan and two-and-a-half loaves of bread she had bought with alms. The first years of Mary’s life in the desert were torment. She went through severe withdrawals from her addictions to sex and alcohol. She was constantly tempted to return to her old life. She fought despair that she would ever be free from her sinful appetites. Through her many fears and temptations, she continually returned to the Mother of God. Mary would recall the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and cling to the reassurance of Mary’s help as mother and mediator. She also clung to the hope of the grace of her baptism. After 17 years of battling through her sin and the assaults of the devil, Mary finally found herself at peace. When she had been in the desert for 47 years, a priest named Zosima found her. He had joined a strict monastic community that went into the Judean desert during Lent to fast and pray. After figuring out that Mary was not a demon, Zosima ran after her to meet her. However, she kept running away from him because all her clothes had worn away and fallen off. At last, she shouted to him to throw her his cloak. After covering herself, she allowed him near her. She pointed out to him that as a priest, he was entrusted with the most Holy Eucharist and should not look for a blessing from her. Instead, he should be the one blessing others. But Zosima pleaded with her all the more because he knew she was the answer to his prayers to find spiritual direction. She relented, blessed him and shared her story. Zosima returned the next year on Holy Thursday and brought Mary communion, which she had not consumed since she first entered the desert. He returned the following year with communion again, but found she had died. According to the legend, a lion helped dig her grave. Then Zosima buried her. She is the patron saint of penitents, chastity, deliverance from demons and temptations, healing of fever and skin diseases. If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the March 24 Idaho Catholic Register. Bishop Peter Christensen lays his hands on the head of Brother Jonathan Kilkelly, VS, ordaining him to the Order of the Diaconate at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on March 19. The diaconate is the final step before being ordained to the priesthood. Brother Jonathan is a member of the Verbum Spei Fraternity based at Our Lady of Ephesus Monastery in Boise. (ICR photo/Emily Woodham) By Emily Woodham Staff Writer Matthew Kilkelly flew more than 18 hours from New Zealand to be in Boise for the transitional diaconate ordination of his son, Brother Jonathan Kilkelly of the Verbum Spei (“Word of Hope”) community. When asked what he thought of his son’s ordination, Matthew replied, in sign language, “Wonderful!” Matthew, who is deaf, taught Jonathan and his six siblings sign language when they were young children. “It was beautiful to watch Brother Jonathan interpret the ceremony to his dad, so that he could know what was being said,” said Ginger Mortensen, who attended the ordination. Brother Jonathan’s mother, Gabriel, was unable to attend due to her need to care for her sister and young children still at home. “She’s a saint,” Brother Jonathan said, whose two sisters are also in a religious community, Sisters of Mary Morningstar. About 250 gathered at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise for the ordination on March 19. Brother Jonathan was ordained by Bishop Peter Christensen. He concelebrated the Mass with Father Wandrille Sevin, the general superior for the worldwide Fraternity of Verbum Spei; Father Dominque Fauré, the prior for the Verbum Spei community at Our Lady of Ephesus monastery in Boise, and Father Johannes Kamphuis, V.S. Brother Jonathan thanks many who played role in his journey After his ordination, Deacon Jonathan thanked so many involved in his spiritual journey, beginning with a quote from mystic Marthe Robin: “Each soul has pages in its life unknown to itself which are written by the merits, the prayers, the penances and the sufferings of other souls.” There are so many, he said, who have played a part in the path of his life. “I am immensely grateful to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary for each one of you. Thank you for being instruments of God for me and for all the love and mercy you have shown me.” He thanked Bishop Peter for being a father to the Verbum Spei Brothers and to himself. “We truly appreciate all you do for us, and we consider ourselves very blessed to be so close to you,” he said to Bishop Peter. Brother Jonathan with his father, Matthew Kilkelly, who came from New Zealand to attend the ordination of his son to the diaconate by Bishop Peter Christensen at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Because Matthew Kilkelly is hearing-impaired, Brother Jonathan signed the Bishop’s homily to him. (ICR photo/Emily Woodham) He thanked his Verbum Spei Brothers for their example in prayer, patience and mercy. He thanked the religious Sisters who have been guardians of his vocation by their prayers. He thanked his parents and grandparents for their unconditional love and for teaching him to love God before all else. He signed his thanks to his hearing-impaired dad for his being there, for his faithfulness to God and to his family. He also thanked Father Dominique, the Prior and mentor at Our Lady of Ephesus Monastery. “Thank you for being so selfless in your care for me and my vocation and in your sharing of wisdom with me and the Brothers. You have given us everything,” he said. Bishop Peter, during his homily, echoed Deacon Jonathan’s gratitude to Father Dominique. “The Diocese of Boise is so grateful for your presence among us,” he said. “You and your brothers have given us all a profound gift by your life and prayer, allowing us to grow in the goodness of God’s presence among us through your commitment to serve as the living Word of Hope, as made so visible in each of you.” Baptism opens eyes to a new vision of life The Bishop urged Brother Jonathan to “know that you were chosen from all time to be dedicated into the service of the Lord as His dear companion, as were His first disciples. He has planned for your participation in bearing witness to His saving works through the sacrament of your ordination and the sacraments you will offer.” “Because of baptism, your life is seen differently,” the Bishop said. “The way with which we think about our life and death is filled with a greater sense of hope and meaning. We sense ever more clearly the closeness of the One to whom we ultimately belong. The friends we keep are of greater value; they help us on the journey. The worship we give directs our focus heavenward. The desires we have are to serve God and others, recognizing the inherent value, the dignity of every human life.” “The greatest pleasure that can be known is to know that we are loved by God and can serve Him as his instruments for his plan for the world, to assist our brothers and sisters on their journey to eternal salvation,” the Bishop said. “Our Lord will use you to do great things for His people.” Baptism, healing and service were themes in the Gospel reading (John 9:1-41) for the Mass, which was the story of Jesus healing a man who was born blind. “In the Gospel, we see Jesus moving as light through a dimmed world of understanding and sight,” Bishop Peter said. Jesus healed the man, although he did not ask to be healed. “Perhaps he did not ask for healing because he thought his ailment was beyond reach,” he said. In Jesus’ time, saliva was thought to have healing properties. Jesus’ use of saliva to make clay recalls the original creation of humanity as described in the book of Genesis, the Bishop said, noting that when Jesus mixed his saliva with the dirt, he was giving of his very self in the clay. “How incarnational! How powerful!” he said, noting also that Jesus gives of His very self in His body and blood in the Eucharist. After putting the clay on the man’s eyes, Jesus told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, which means “sent.” “The man washed, is able to see, and was sent forward,” he said, pointing out that this washing recalls our baptism . The vision given the blind man is two-fold, seeing the life around him and gaining a vision of eternal life in which another, greater reality has entered his world. “Life has greater meaning than ever previously imagined because he has been touched, not only by a prophet, but the very Son of God, Jesus Christ the Messiah.” The greatness of the miracle causes the man to worship, highlighting that his restored sight is far superior than that of the Pharisees. “The Pharisees expel the blind man, but Jesus welcomes him with the light of faith. And the healed man receives the gift.” “Jesus comes to us today, and we come to Him unaware of what He is able to do,” the Bishop said. “He stoops down and offers us healing, recalling the original order of our Creation as modeled out of clay by our loving God.” God’s creation, though blinded by sin, is washed anew in the waters of baptism, a sacrament that allows us to see with eyes that focus on more than this world alone. “Je-sus opens our eyes to God’s presence among us in the here and now and forever.” Three Verbum Spei Brothers are installed as lectors Before Brother Jonathan’s ordination to the Diaconate, Brothers John Paul O’Sullivan, Joseph Smith and Thomas Fransen, all of whom are also from New Zealand, were installed as lectors in the Rite of Lector at the Mass. As lectors, they are given the privilege to proclaim the Word of God at Mass. This is a first step toward ordination to the priesthood. The ministry of a lector is powerful, because the Word of God is loving, Bishop Peter said. “By your proclamation of the Word, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will help to make the eyes of others see ever more clearly God’s presence among men, leading them on the path made visible toward their eternal life in Heaven.” Brother Joseph’s parents, Peter and Marietta Smith, also travelled from New Zealand for the occasion. If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

A Moscow woman, trained in the Creighton Method of Fertility Care, says the Natural Family Planning method perfectly fits her philosophy of medicine and faith. The following story appeared in the January 27 Idaho Catholic Register. Monica Eggleston and her husband, Mark Houghton By Emily Woodham Staff Writer Monica Eggleston is a family practice and functional medicine nurse practitioner who is passionate about her Catholic faith and providing holistic medical care, which includes Natural Family Planning (NFP) for couples who want to plan their families without using contraception. The Catholic Church upholds that human life is sacred and begins at conception ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2270 ). This view of human life and its inherent dignity affects the Church’s teachings on marriage, family and community, including its teachings on family planning. The website for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states: “The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God’s design for married love.” NFP methods vary. In general, they are based on a woman’s fertility cycle. Depending on the method, a woman charts different signs and symptoms of fertility to determine fertile and infertile days in her cycle. Through prayer and discussion, couples discern whether they should achieve or avoid pregnancy. A few years ago, Eggleston re-discovered an NFP method called the “Creighton Model of Fertility Care.” The research of its co-founder, Dr. Thomas Hilgers, M.D., was a perfect fit for her philosophy of medicine and faith. The Creighton Model is all about health and healing, Eggleston said. “Dr. Hilgers says that gynecologic care has been so focused on abortion, sterilization and contraception that it lost the focus on actual health and healing and preserving the reproductive potential,” said Eggleston, a parishioner at St. Augustine’s Parish in Moscow. Eggleston works for Palouse Care Network, one of several pregnancy re-source centers throughout the state that offer alternatives to abortion. She also works at WISH Medical in Moscow, which offers resources to women facing unplanned pregnancies. “Dr. Hilgers was in medical school when Humanae vitae came out, and his work was basically a response to that,” said Eggleston. Humanae vitae is an encyclical written by Pope St. Paul VI in 1968, in which he upheld the Church’s teaching on sexuality and the problems of contraception. Hilgers investigated the Billings ovulation method of NFP and from there developed his Creighton Model. With financial support in part from the Diocese of Boise’s Office of Marriage and Family Life, Eggleston was able to finish her training as a Creighton Model Medical Consultant in April of this year. To become a consultant, a medical practitioner needs to attend two nine-day courses in Omaha and complete several other training requirements. Since she began offering classes in the Creighton Model System in November of 2021, 21 women and couples have been taught this method for fertility care that can be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy and monitor reproductive health in a manner consistent with Church teaching. Even though the classes promote the Catholic view, they are open to all women. More classes are being scheduled, she said. According to its website, creightonmodel.com , the model uses a chart with a number of physical metrics to determine patterns of reproductive health. The method’s effectiveness is about 99.5 percent for avoiding pregnancy and 96.8 percent for achieving pregnancy in couples of normal fertility. It also has effective applications for couples with infertility. Eggleston’s training in functional medicine primed her as well to learn NaPro Natural Procreative Technology. “NaPro looks at the root causes of health problems, not just treating symptoms,” she said. NaPro stems from the Creighton Model, and helps diagnose and treat fertility problems and many other female health concerns, including abnormal bleeding, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and PMS (premenstrual syndrome), she said. Eggleston began offering NaPro services in May of this year. “I have begun working with several couples with infertility, one who is now currently in her first trimester of pregnancy, praise God!” She has used NaPro protocols for progesterone support in pregnancy for women who have previously miscarried, who have PCOS and other reproductive health issues, and to treat women with postpartum depression. “We currently have a short waiting list for NaPro services, but will always work to quickly accommodate women who are pregnant or experiencing postpartum depression, due to the potential urgency of those situations,” she said. Currently, she is the only Creighton medical consultant using NaPro Technology in Idaho, although there are others who can see Idaho patients virtually. A nurse at Palouse Care Network also started the Creighton training in October. She and Eggleston can both teach the charting. With her medical consultant training, Eggleston can also provide the medical NaPro applications. “The Creighton Model is very professional, very standardized,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work and study, but the results of using Creighton and NaPro have been positive.” “Here at Palouse Care Network and WISH Medical, we are blessed to work and live in very generous faith, business, and medical communities, many of whose members support our services, and without whom we could not operate the way that we do,” she said. Some of the services at the centers have fees, but the centers depend primarily on donations. In addition to the specialized care offered by Eggleston, the clinics offer other reproductive medical care, free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, and social support, including sexual trauma support, pornography addiction recovery and post-abortion recovery, post-miscarriage support, parenting and relationship classes. Eggleston is appreciate of the sup-port the Diocese of Boise provided for her training. “There are many couples who are trying to follow the teachings of the Church and their conscience, and they need to know that there are effective tools that can help them,” she said. For more information about Palouse Care Network or to donate, go to palousecarenetwork.com . For more information on NaPro Technology, go to naprotechnology.com . If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

March for Life: Dobbs launches new era in pro-life cause The following story appeared in the January 27 Idaho Catholic Register. Olivia Works leads the annual March for Life down Capitol Boulevard and to the State Capitol on Jan. 21. About 700 participated in the march. (ICR photos/Vero Gutiérrez) By Emily Woodham Staff Writer BOISE – The recent Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and handed abortion back to the states was a huge victory for the pro-life movement, but those who support safeguarding all life cannot give in to the temptation to rest on their laurels, participants in the annual March for Life in Boise on Jan. 21 were told. “And as much as we have to celebrate, and it is a great deal, we have even more left to do because in truth, Dobbs is not the culmination of the pro-life movement, but it’s a second beginning,” said Megan Wold, the keynote speaker at the rally that drew about 700 marching down Capitol Boulevard to the steps of the State Capitol. Wold, a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito who wrote the majority opinion in the decision that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, opened her remarks with a moment of silence for the approximate 63 million lives lost to abortion since 1973. As marchers bowed their heads, about 25 protestors across the street from the State Capitol chanted for a reinstatement of federal rights for abortion. Although small in number, the shouting protestors punctuated the message from speakers that the work of the pro-life community is not done. Pro-life advocates at both the Life Mass that preceded the march and at the rally celebrated last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court decision, Dobbs v. Jackson, that overturned the Roe decision. The Dobbs case returned the right to state legislatures to determine laws regarding abortion. Due to that decision, this may be the final March for Life held in January in Boise, said Jason Herring, president of Right to Life of Idaho. Pro-life groups are considering moving the march to summer in commemoration of the Dobbs decision. “Roe never got to see its 50th birthday because of the work of pro-life advocates like you,” Herring told those attending. “We give honor to the brave justices of the Supreme Court who returned the power back to the people to protect life in our states.” Wold, a partner in Washington D.C. law firm Cooper & Kirk, said the Dobbs decision gives the power back to the people to protect life. “This is a time of great joy. But as we celebrate the decision, we also celebrate the effort of this movement, which for 50 years spoke the truth about unborn life and the grave evil of abortion.” Hundreds of lives have been saved due to the robust pro-life laws in Idaho, Wold said, referring to recent anti-abortion legislation and the Idaho State Supreme Court decisions that upheld that legislation. However, those laws will “not be the end of the story in Idaho,” she said. The threats made to the lives of Supreme Court justices who sided with Alito to overturn Roe underscore the fact that pro-life advocates will need to be fearless in the face of opposition and continue to promote the protection of human life, she said. “We must vote; we must share our views on life, by persuading our friends, families and neighbors. We must continue our prayers and our vigils, and we must march at events like this to show that the pro-life movement is also strong, also motivated, and will not stop acting to protect life,” she said. WOLD, WHO MOVED to Idaho with her family last year, told marchers that her infant had to be hospitalized in intensive care in December. During that time, she witnessed the care of premature babies, who were born at 26 weeks’ gestation and earlier. The experience, she said, strengthened her resolve that all human life is precious and must be protected. The science that has helped these premature babies to survive is the science that “has only helped to show the truth of what we speak for.” “Idahoans have shown to my fam-ily, during the crisis that we endured, that this is a people of prayer. We are a people of great love, of enormous generosity and with true passion for life. And together we will protect life in Idaho. And Idaho will remain a state that loves the unborn,” she said. Herring said there were only two social movements in the United States that were fought over personhood – slavery and abortion. Between the end of slavery in 1865 until the Civil Rights movement of a century later, advocates for equality dropped the ball by not continuing to fight for the dignity of all people, Herring said. Given the recent Dobbs decision, Herring expressed concern that this same kind of apathy – falsely thinking that advocacy is no longer needed – could happen to the pro-life movement. “Roe is dead. However, abortion is not dead,” Herring said. “The unnatural killing of a preborn child in the womb still continues to go on. We cannot tire; we cannot fatigue. We must continue to march for life every single year, if need be, to show that we will speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. We will defend the defenseless until all life in America is respected and protected under law.” At least 400 attended the Life Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Christensen on Saturday, Jan. 21. The Bishop’s homily focused on God’s love for each individual and how He sees each person as a pearl of great price. “You are so valuable in God’s mind. You are His work of art, and He will do anything to have you with Him forever,” he said. (ICR photo/Vero Gutiérrez) EARLIER IN THE DAY , Bishop Peter Christensen celebrated the annual Life Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist attended by at least 400. Embracing the enormous and life-changing love that Jesus has for us should define this next chapter in the pro-life movement following the Dobbs decision, the Bishop said. Bishop Peter began his homily by recognizing the life of Roger Graefe, a parishioner and former youth minister at Sacred Heart Parish in Boise, who recently passed away. The Bishop described Graefe as a man of “encouragement and joy,” When someone who had worked with Graefe in youth ministry described Graefe as “radically vulnerable,” Bishop Peter looked into the term more deeply. In doing so, he realized how important this was to Graefe’s childlike joy and faith. To be “radically vulnerable” has Latin origins “rooted in being open to woundedness,” Bishop Peter said, noting that Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven as buried treasure in a field and the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:44-46). Using that passage and also referring to Matt. 22:15-22 in which Jesus said to “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” Bishop Peter said that the people of Jesus time fell into three different camps: the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the true treasure seekers. The Pharisees, he said, hijacked religion and worship of God, transforming it into a heavy burden that was all about the externals. The Herodians, on the other hand, were more worried about pleasing Caesar than pleasing God. Jesus teaches His disciples a third way, the way of treasure, the Bishop said. “Let the treasure of great value transform your life. Get rid of all the other stuff. Get in relationship with your Heavenly Father who loves you deeply.” It may seem simple, but the Bishop warned that those who root themselves in the treasure and leave the superficiality and status quo of this world will “enter a new dimension that’s going to make you very vulnerable to other people.” Some don’t want the spiritual side of life because they might lose control, he said. “Some don’t want another side to life, they only want control of life as they see it.” “My brothers and sisters, disciples go deep. You will find the treasure, and when you find the treasure, you will realize it’s really the Treasure (God) who found you: you are the treasure.” “Do you belong to God or not? Whose face is upon you? Who’s on your heart? Is it Caesar? Or is it God? Are you a child of God? Or a child of Caesar?” Bishop Peter asked. Of the billions of people on the face of the earth throughout time, each person is unique, the Bishop said. Each person, to Jesus, is a treasure; a pearl of great price. “You are so valuable in God’s mind. You are His work of art, and He will do anything to have you with Him forever.” This knowledge of the value of hu-man life is the reason Catholics are inherently pro-life, he said. “We under-stand the value of every single human life, no exception, each unique in the mind and heart of God.” “Jesus is on a treasure hunt. He’s looking for the pearl of great price – that’s you, that’s all of our brothers and sisters throughout the world. He wants us. How much will He pay for us? Everything! He will give His entire life for love of His people,” he said. “Chapter two” of the pro-life movement, Bishop Peter, is our calling to bring the love of God in the world. “We know what it is to love and to be loved – vulnerably, recklessly, radically – to encourage one another to a better life,” he said. Those who continue to live out this treasure-focused life centered on Jesus Christ and His Kingdom “will continue to spread the Good News to others by our words and our actions, and abortion will be no more.” If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the December 16 Idaho Catholic Register. For many families, differing beliefs about religion, politics or values can turn festivities into heated arguments and painful words. Sometimes tense situations are exacerbated by past hurt and trauma common to many families. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer Families spread out hundreds of miles across the state or country over most the year come together during the holidays, suddenly only arms-length apart although perhaps still miles apart philosophically or politically. With that, hopes for holidays filled with peace and joy and love and laughter, sometimes fall apart. For many families, differing beliefs about religion, politics or values can turn festivities into heated arguments and painful words. Sometimes tense situations are exacerbated by past hurt and trauma common to many families. All this can lead to the question, “Is it worth going home for the holidays?” Jay Wonacott, director of marriage and family life for the Diocese of Boise, believes it is. “The family is all about love,” Wonacott said, referring to St. Pope John Paul II’s 1981exhortation Familiaris Consortio (“On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World”). The document describes the family as the “first school” of humanity and that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family.” Ideally, the family is that institution that “is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God’s love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the Church and His bride,” Wonacott said. However, it is a truism that most families fall well short of this lofty standard. Thus, it is a worthwhile exercise in advance of family get-togethers happen to reflect on our personal expectations, said Dr. Joe Lipetzky, Psy.D., a Catholic mental health provider at Cornerstone Psychological Associates. “Many privately hold a whimsical view of what family is: always happy and cheerful, always protecting each other and never hurting each other, and filled with loving conversation without ever an argument. A real family is quite the opposite,” Lipetzky said. Most all families experience the “lowest lows,” sometimes showing the worst side of themselves, he said. “But they can also work together through the issues and come out on the other side of it loving each other and understanding each other on a much deeper level than ever before.” Familial love can be elevated to agape love It is sometimes a challenging task for families to live up to the ideal, Wonacott points out. He refers to the C.S. Lewis classic, “The Four Loves,” where Lewis defines familial love (in the Greek, storge meaning “affection”) as a love that is not chosen freely. Instead, it is something into which we are born. Dr. Joe Lipetzky and Matthew Peck “It is the most welcoming and frustrating of loves,” Wonacott said. It many ways, love among family members mirrors the unconditional or (agape) love of God, because by nature of our familial relationship, the love is there. However, the familial love can be elevated by agape love, Christ’s love, which can then “drive us to love better,” Wonacott said. Matthew Peck, also a Catholic mental health provider at Cornerstone Psychological Associates, said the marriage relationship needs to be the first priority, above extended family relationships, always keeping in mind that marriage is a sacrament that should treated as such. It is important that before events with extended family that spouses communicate expectations, Peck said. “The number one way extended family can harm a marriage is when the couple is found unprepared and not on the same page,” he said. “Communicate with your spouse your thoughts and feelings around family plans and make sure you both understand each other and feel supported by one another.” The next priority after marriage are the couple’s children. To help prepare children for visits with extended family, Dr. Joe Lipetzky said it is important for parents to state that they are going to be the best versions of themselves, encouraging the kids to do the same. It can be helpful for parents to say, “We’re loving, and we’re going to be loving and be Christ-like for them. We want to treat them like we want to be treated.” This attitude shifts the focus from assuming the negative about each family member to trying to see the good intentions of everyone involved, he said. For older children who recognize the stresses that can come from family members with different views, parents should emphasize, “We aren’t going to fix them, and we don’t want to be fixed by them,” Dr. Lipetzky said. Children should also be reminded that if they are feeling stressed by a situation, that they come to their parents to talk about it. Giving children a code word to use when they are feeling overwhelmed can help them communicate more easily. When kids feel overwhelmed, it is important for parents to remove them from the situation, whether on a walk or to a different room, and to let them express their thoughts and feelings. “Parents need to listen and validate; just give them listening and understanding. When somebody feels heard, they calm down. This is natural, and it is a bonding process.” Don’t let one person spoil the whole party If there is historical conflict with an extended family member, it is important not to let that one person spoil the opportunity to see loved ones, Peck said. One can think ahead and strategize of how best to cope with a difficult person, he said. Part of that strategizing may include setting boundaries and stepping away if those boundaries are threatened. Another option is to ask a spouse or another third party to help keep interactions in check. Some introspection may also be necessary, Peck recommends. Before focusing on how a family member needs to change, it may be best to ask oneself, “What can I do? How do I need to change? How can I show kindness and charity in order to bring peace and harmony into this family?” During interactions, it can be helpful to keep in mind what Peck defines as three zones of stress, which he places on a scale of zero to 10. From zero to five, are normal feelings that can be easily managed. The next zone of stress – 5 to 7 – it can be helpful to divert attention by switching topics or moving to a different conversation or activity. For the more extreme level of feeling overwhelmed by a situation, taking a walk or finding another way to remove oneself from a situation may be necessary. In those rare situations when things become too tense and cannot be resolved with changing the topic or activity, then it is time for families to leave in as polite a manner as possible. A Christian should always be ready to take the “high road.” A Christian does not always have to have the final word or always be “right.” A holiday meal is not going to be the time to solve the world’s problems or theological and political disputes. Holiday meals are not a time to bring up past hurts with those we love. For the Christian, a family get-together is a perfect opportunity to set the example of that agape love to which St. Paul alludes – a love that is patient and kind, not jealous, pompous, inflated or rude. “It is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury.” (1 Cor. 13:5) Christians, by nature, should always look for the best in others, particularly in those we love. St. Paul also wrote, “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up.” (1 Thess. 5:11) If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the December 2 Idaho Catholic Register. From left, Father Dat Vu, pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary in Boise and Deacon Lou Aaron, parish administrator, are with Braden Stauts, right, the woodworker who crafted the cabinetry and cases for the reliquary. The reliquary is open before and after Masses, during office hours on weekdays and by appointment. (ICR photo/Vero Gutiérrez) By Emily Woodham Staff Writer When Deacon Lou and Renee Aaron went to France and Italy in December of 2018, they were struck by all the relics of saints he encountered. “I kind of just fell in love with relics,” said Deacon Aaron, the administrator at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Boise. “Over there, there’s a relic in every church and some had reliquaries,” which is a designated space or room with relics. Deacon Aaron’s encounter with the relics in Europe was not the first time the subject of relics came up at the parish he administers. A few months before the trip, a Polish family approached him about obtaining a relic of St. Maximilian Kolbe for Our Lady of the Rosary. About that same time, another parishioner suggested a reliquary for the church. After praying with the relics on his vacation, Deacon Aaron met with the environment team at Our Lady of the Rosary to make plans for a parish reliquary. The first hurdle was choosing where to build the reliquary. A section in the back of the church with rarely used pews seemed ideal. “I’ve been here for 25 years, and I had never seen anyone sit there except for Easter Sunday,” he said. The space determined, the team Braden Stauts, a woodworker who has done projects for Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell and for the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise. It was the right call. After discussing plans with the environment team, Stauts created a scale model that the parish accepted. He created the pieces of the reliquary in his workshop, while workers prepared the space by removing pews and covering the cement wall with plywood and drywall. Stauts began with the corner unit, which was for the altar to Mary. He then constructed eight units, one for each saint. Each unit had to be fitted to both the wall and the floor and then bolted together. Wiring was done for lighting for the units. A contractor then did the marble tops. From left, the relics of St. Louis de Montfort, Blessed Vassyl Valychkovsky and St. Padre Pio are among the nine relics on display at the reliquary. (ICR photo/Emily Woodham) After the units for each saint were installed, marble and columns were in place. Stauts then began the work of preparing the individual units for each saint. “They have some very excellent relics that are quite valuable, and so there was a concern to make sure that the cases were secure,” Stauts said. Each case has quarter-inch glass, with a special sliding mechanism and dead-bolt to the wall. Stauts took 2½ years to build all of the cabinetry and cases necessary for a reliquary. A convert to Catholicism and a parishioner at St. John’s, he had seen relics on several pilgrimages. But, it wasn’t until this project was completed that he more fully realized the value of relics, he said. The plans and construction of the reliquary seemed to coincide providentially with the acquirement of relics, Deacon Aaron said. The first relic to arrive was the one of St. Maximilian Kolbe. (Because St. Maximilian was cremated at Auschwitz, his relics come from his hair that his firar-barbers saved, believing that St. Maximilian would one day be a saint.) Then another Polish family flew to Poland to retrieve a relic of St. Faustina Kowalska, whose apparitions inspired the devotion to the Divine Mercy. As word of mouth spread about the plans for the reliquary, the parish started getting more donations of relics. A priest in Belgium donated the relics of St. Louis de Montfort, St. Bernadette of Lourdes and St. Rita of Cascia. A priest in Canada donated a relic of St. Padre Pio. Other sources donated the relics of St. Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantal, Blessed Vassyl Velychkovsky, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louis IX of France. (St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louis are not currently on display.) Relics (from the Latin reliquia, “remains”) are Vatican approved “remains” of saints. According to the Vatican’s Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, “The term ‘relics of the Saints’ principally signifies the bodies - or notable parts of the bodies - of the Saints who, as distinguished members of Christ’s mystical Body and as temples of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 3:16 and 6:19 and 2 Cor. 6: 16) in virtue of their heroic sanctity, now dwell in Heaven.” The directory goes on to say that objects which belonged to the Saints, such as clothes and manuscripts are also considered relics, as are objects which have touched their bodies or tombs such as oils, cloths, and images. One way of viewing veneration of relics is that just as God worked His graces through the physical presence of a saint while living on earth, He continues to work His graces through the physical presence of their relics, as they live on in Heaven. Scripture teaches that God acts through relics, especially in terms of healing. In fact, when surveying what Scripture has to say about sacred relics, one is left with the idea that healing is what relics “do.” When the corpse of a man was touched to the bones of the prophet Elisha the man came back to life and rose to his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21). A woman was healed of her hemorrhage simply by touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak (Matthew 9:20-22). The signs and wonders worked by the Apostles were so great that people would line the streets with the sick so that when Peter walked by at least his shadow might ‘touch’ them (Acts 5:12-15). When handkerchiefs or aprons that had been touched to Paul were applied to the sick, the people were healed and evil spirits were driven out of them (Acts 19:11-12). A relic of St. Maximilian Kolbe was the first obtained for Our Lady of the Rosary's reliquary. (ICR photo/Emily Woodham) In each of these instances, God has brought about a healing using a material object. The vehicle for the healing was the touching of that object. It is very important to note, however, that the cause of the healing is God; the relics are a means through which He acts. In other words, relics are not magic. They do not contain a power that is their own; a power separate from God. The bodies or major organs of saints are considered significant relics. Small fragments of their bodies or objects they came in contact with are considered non-significant relics. Relics are further classified as first-, second-, or third-class. First-class relics are actual fragments or parts of the body. Second-class relics are objects or fragments of objects that a saint personally owned. Third-class relics are objects that the saint touched or that were touched to another relic. “I’ve seen people just practically fall over when they’ve gone in the reliquary; they get blown away by the Holy Spirit. They either start crying or just get overwhelmed. It’s quite amazing to watch,” Deacon Aaron said. “It was a lot of work, but it turned out absolutely gorgeous.” If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

Boise woman chooses counter-cultural way of life The following story appeared in the September 10 Idaho Catholic Register. Sister Maria Juan Anderson receives her profession ring from Mother Mary McGreevy, Superior General of the Religious Sisters of Mercy. Her ring motto, engraved on her ring, is “The One Who Showed Mercy (Lk 10:37). By Emily Woodham Staff Writer ALMA, MICH. – People, including strangers, often ask Sister Maria Juan Anderson, RSM, why she chose the religious life. Her answer is simple: It was not her idea. When the Boise native, known before her consecration as Amanda Anderson, was discerning religious life, she felt like all the lights in the church went out except the one over her head whenever the intercessory prayer was said during a Mass for vocations. “It’s sort of a funny story now, but I believe the Lord was stirring my heart. He is gentle and if we are attentive, we can see and know how he is communicating with us through prayer and the liturgy,” Sister Maria Juan said. Her faith journey began in Boise where she was born and raised, the daughter of Wayne and Linda Anderson of Boise. From her Baptism as an infant to her Confirmation, she received all her sacraments at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Although her family was not devout, she said, her parents were faithful in making sure she and her brother received all the sacraments and went to Mass each Sunday. “This speaks to the power of sacramental grace,” she said. Sister Maria Juan kneels with four other Sisters also making their perpetual vows. It was not until she was 15 and did research to find a Confirmation saint that she was aware of the possibility of religious life. “As I read the stories of the saints’ lives, it was the first time I learned that there were men and women who loved our Lord so much, that they gave up everything to devote their lives to following Him,” she said. When she received the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2001, her life changed forever, she said. From that point on, through the grace of the sacrament and the power of the Holy Spirit, a fire was lit in her soul and her faith grew. An important mentor in her faith journey was her youth minister at the Cathedral, Lorissa Horn. She said Horn “lived her faith with intensity and joy.” “Lorissa taught me to pray and to know Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist,” Sister Maria Juan said. “She taught me how to pray the rosary and how to have a friendship with Our Lady.” About the Religious Sisters of Mercy The Religious Sisters of Mercy has its roots in Ireland with Venerable Mother Catherine McAuley. Born near Dublin in 1778, Catherine went to live with relatives after the death of both her parents. The relatives embodied the strong anti-Catholic atmosphere of the times. This was a difficult trial for Catherine, but through it she developed a spirituality based on God’s mercy. She found “peace in the Cross, joy in suffering, prayer in action and action in prayer,” according to a biography written about her. She sought to provide solace to sick and needy families, to train young girls for employment and to instruct poor children. When Catherine was 25, a retired Quaker couple invited her to live with them. Catherine proved to be a loving companion and holy example to them. On their death beds, they converted to Catholicism, and bequeathed their estate to her. With this inheritance, Catherine built a house on Baggot Street in Dublin as a home for poor girls. This first Home of Mercy opened on September 24, 1827, the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy. Her work with the poor and destitute led Catherine to desire a life of total consecration to Our Lord. Encouraged by the Archbishop, Catherine and two other women professed vows on December 12, 1831, and began the Religious Institute of the Sisters of Mercy. Often seen walking the streets to serve the sick and the poor, the “walking nuns” inspired many women to dedicate themselves to Christ and to the service of the Church, causing the Institute to spread rapidly. In the United States, the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma was formed in Alma, Mich. In 1973. Today, the order has communities and apostolates in 12 U.S. locations and four international communities. For more information, go to rsmofalma.org. Learning how to live out the truth and beauty of the Church’s teachings and the freedom they bring helped her navigate her high school years into adult-hood, she said. After graduating from public high school, she went to Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, to study music. It was there that she began to discern her vocation. “I began to sense in my heart in my prayer at Mass an invitation from Jesus to give him everything as a Sister. Did I hear a voice? No. It might have made my discernment and choice easier if I had,” she said. Instead, God spoke to her through moments in Mass through different scripture readings or prayers. “The scriptures are written for us, and I was starting to hear them in a whole new way. At first I was nervous because I didn’t know what this meant, but slowly through prayer and speaking with a spiritual director, it became clear to me that I really needed to look at religious life,” she said. Growing up, she assumed she would get married, have children and raise a family. “As I grew in my relationship with Jesus and awareness of His invitation to give Him all, I wrestled with giving up the beauty of marriage and family. But in my moments of prayer and honesty with Jesus, there was a deep peace in his call for my life to be a Sister,” she said. Trusting in Jesus’ love, and with the help of a spiritual director, she looked at different religious communities. Nothing became apparent at first. She graduated from college in 2007 and served as a FOCUS missionary for three years at North Dakota State University in Fargo. In 2010, she moved back to Idaho, serving as a youth minister at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mountain Home for one year. Then, she moved to Cincinnati to work in development and donor relations for the Dynamic Catholic Institute, the apostolate founded by well-known Catholic author and speaker Matthew Kelly. Through all her different experiences, she still could not find the right fit for a religious congregation. Her spiritual director recommended she try the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich. She went for a weekend visit in February of 2012 and found herself where she belonged. (See other story this issue about the Religious Sisters of Mercy.) One of the Sisters on the retreat explained to Sister Maria Juan the significance of the mercy cross that each Sister wears as part of her habit. The black outline of the cross represents the misery of humanity while the white cross in the center represents the mercy of God. “We often experience God’s mercy most in the midst of great misery, like light in the darkness,” she said. “Each Sister is called to stand with Christ at the place where those two realities meet; to be with those in great misery and unite them to God’s mercy.” As the Sister continued speaking during the retreat, Sister Maria Juan knew she wanted to her live her life with the Sisters of Mercy. She wanted to strive to conform her life to Jesus, spurred on by the Sisters in prayer and friendship and in service to those who long to encounter the mercy of God, she said. She entered the convent in August of 2012 and made her perpetual vows – the final step of consecration – on Aug. 16 at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw, Mich. “My parents and my brother are extremely proud and supportive of my vocation,” she said. Every vocation affects an entire family whether that means getting along with in-laws or moving away to a different city for work. The same is true in the religious life, she said. “My call is particularly for me, but also for my family,” she said. Thus, as a part of her perpetual vows, the family is asked to participate spiritually in giving their daughter and sister to the Church. The perpetual vows for the Sisters of Mercy of Alma include the public vows instated by the evangelical counsels of the Church: poverty, chastity and obedience. Religious institutes may add a fourth vow, according to their charism. For the Sisters of Mercy, their fourth vow is service to the poor, sick, and uneducated. The vows she has taken are counter-cultural, she said, given how current culture values money and power, sexual freedom and is trying to redefine human sexuality. “The culture says that freedom is being able to do whatever you want, so the three vows I just professed to God that I will live for the rest of my life look crazy and restrictive. The truth is, I am totally and radically more free than anyone living those worldly values,” she said. She sees her vows as a means of grace to live simply through poverty, to love all people with the love of Jesus through chastity and to be of service to the Church and the world through obedience. She is currently based in Knoxville, Tenn. where the Religious Sisters of Mercy has a community. There, she works for the bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville while she continues to pursue a master’s degree in philosophy from the Catholic University of America. If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the October 7 Idaho Catholic Register. Father Germán Ruis Rebollo, parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Caldwell, is now a citizen of the United States. (ICR photo/Vero Gutiérrez) By Vero Gutierrez Staff Writer CALDWELL – After fulfilling the legal requirements and passing the general knowledge exam, Father Germán Ruis Rebollo, parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Caldwell, is now a citizen of the United States. Father Germán views citizenship as a “true wealth for my ministry,” he said. “Learning the language and accessing the American culture provide an opportunity to better serve the priesthood. Also, it helps me to understand the people of the United States as well as those migrants who have come here to work. I feel close to them, and I can speak to them from my experience as a child of migrants.” “I like the American culture for its multiple values” added Father Germán. “I admire its discipline, order and punctuality. And, I like having a reason to feel patriotic as there are so many people who gave their lives for this country. This is a country that values freedom and has welcomed migrants from other cultures. They are very human and support you.” Father Germán’s plans have had great changes since he visited the United States for the first time. He had not yet discovered his vocation to the priest-hood, focusing instead on sports, money and material goods like so many young men struggling to find meaning in life. Over time, he discerned a vocation to the priest-hood, deciding to enter the seminary following the example of his uncle, Father Armando Ruis and his older brother, Father Juan Ruis. That’s when his interests and priorities changed completely, centering instead on God and the building of His kingdom. Father Germán is not the first in his family with links to the United States. His father, Juan Ruiz Martínez, who passed away 14 years ago, worked for 40 years in Chicago, becoming a citizen in 2008. So far, most of his family, including his siblings and his mother, have established residency here. Father Germán started his process toward citizen-ship with the help of Catholic Charities of Idaho. He was able to conclude the process with the help of a friend, Zuni Martínez, who knows about the subject after having worked for many years for an immigration law firm. Father Germán is grateful to Martínez and several others who helped him make the process easier, including the Archbishop of Morelia, Monsignor Carlos Garfias Merlos, who granted him permission to come here as part of an exchange agreement between the archdiocese and the Diocese of Boise. Learning English has been an important part of the process. Susan Müllin, a parishioner at St. John Paul II Community in Idaho Falls, gave him English instruction during the time that Father Germán served as parochial vicar there. She would also review his homilies whenever he celebrated an English Mass. Now, as parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell, Father Germán celebrates the 7:30 a.m. Spanish Mass as well as the Eucharistic celebrations in English on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the June 24 Idaho Catholic Register. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer The stories of the piety of the widowed queen, St. Olga of Kyiv (Ukraine), are similar to stories of other royal saints: She used her wealth and influence to build churches, to feed the poor and to spread the Gospel. However, what made Olga’s holy life so remarkable was its stark contrast to her life before her conversion. The most reliable stories about Olga come from the “Primary Chronicle of Kyivan Rus,” a collection of oral stories written in the 12th century. However, with the current war in Ukraine, debate over the details has become more prominent. This story of St. Olga follows the more traditional interpretations of the chronicle. Because of battles with the Byzantine Empire in the 9th century, tribes in eastern Europe asked Scandinavian Vikings, known as “the Rus,” for help. Kyiv (sometimes spelled, “Kiev”) became the seat of Viking rule for the Kyivan Rus Empire. This empire included modern Ukraine, Belarus and parts of Russia. Olga was from the city of Pskov, in modern northwestern Russia. It is unknown if she was born there, but it is believed that she was of Viking nobility. Her date of birth is also unknown because the dates of the Chronicle do not line up with other documented historical dates. However, many historians suggest that she was born in about 925. She was 15 when she was given in marriage to Igor, the Viking king who inherited the Kyivan Rus empire. In 945, Igor went to a Slavic tribe northwest of Kyiv, called the Drevlians, to demand hefty taxes. Not wanting war, the Drevlians gave all that was asked of them. However, on his way back to Kyiv, Igor decided he wanted more money from the Drevlians. Not known for his wisdom, he returned to the tribe and demanded they increase their tribute. They rebelled and murdered Igor by tearing apart his body. Because their only son, Sviatoslav, was 3, Olga became “Queen Regent,” a title given royalty until the successor to the throne is old enough to rule. The prince of the Drevlians, Prince Mal, saw an opportunity to marry Olga and take over the Kyivan Rus Empire. He assumed that she would be afraid and unwilling to rule such a vast and dangerous empire on her own. He believed she would welcome him as her next husband to rule for her and that after marrying her, he could simply get rid of her son. Prince Mal sent 20 chieftains to present his offer of marriage to Olga. She was incensed by the brazen request, but hid her feelings. She received the chieftains into her court with flattery. She insisted that the men should return to their boat and that during the next morning her subjects would carry them in their boat through the city streets, assuring all deference to Prince Mal’s wishes. Thinking Olga was sincere, the chieftains did as she wished. Through the night, Olga had her people secretly dig a large trench. When daylight broke, the Drevlian chieftains were lifted up in their boat and were paraded through the city, as the people shouted their approval. When they arrived at court, the boat was placed in the trench. To the Drevlians’ horror, they realized they had been betrayed. Olga gave the order, and they were buried alive. Olga continued scheme after scheme against the Drevlians until she completely crushed the tribe. Soon, word spread of her cunning wisdom. Although she was ruthless to her enemies, she was a just ruler over her people. She centralized and organized the government and made the nobility more accountable for their actions. In the 950s, she traveled to Constantinople and met with the Byzantine Emperor, Constantine VII (913-959). Seeing an opportunity to peacefully take the Kyivan Rus Empire, Constantine proposed marriage. She graciously refused, pointing out to him that she was still a pagan. So, Constantine taught her the faith and became her godfather. Constantine proposed to her again, but she declined, asserting that in the Church she could not marry her godfather. Instead of becoming angry that he had been duped by her, he was impressed by how shrewd she was. Because of their new relationship, their empires remained at peace. Although Olga’s motivation to be baptized may have been to safeguard her power, the grace at her baptism was transformative. She became sincerely devout, with a fervent love for Jesus and the Church. (Her conversion was before the Great Schism in 1054, which divided Byzantines from Catholics. This is sometimes a point of contention in current commentary, but it is clear that the Church was undivided during her lifetime. This means that Olga, like all Christians at that time, was Catholic.) She returned to Kyiv with a heart to bring the Gospel to her people, especially to her son, Sviatoslav. However, he scorned Olga’s new faith, saying that she was foolish. He refused to consider Christianity, afraid of what others would think of him if he converted. However, even though he did not convert, he agreed not to persecute Christians when he became king. Olga refused to recant or deny her faith despite Sviatoslav’s disdain for Christianity. She was just and honest in affairs of state, serving the poor and building churches. She appealed to the Frankish king (who was later named Holy Roman Emperor), Otto the Great (936-973), to send missionaries to Kyiv. To her dismay, the missionaries were not successful. However, her faithfulness and virtues made an impressive witness to all who knew her, especially her grandchildren. Olga died on July 11, 969. Her grandson, Vladimir I, took the throne in 980. About 10 years later, and still when the Church was united, he converted to Christianity. The Gospel took hold throughout the Kyivan Rus empire. St. Olga is the patron saint of converts and widows. She is especially revered in Ukraine. Her feast day is July 11. If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the June 10 Idaho Catholic Register. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer On June 18, 1529, a legatine (papal) court opened in England to decide on the legitimacy of the marriage between Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII (1509-1547). Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio from Italy was sent by Pope Clement VII (1523-1534) to preside over the court with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York. The pope desired peace at all costs with the volatile monarch of England. Henry had been outspoken against Martin Luther in Germany and the Protestant heresies that were tearing Europe apart. The pope did not want to lose such a powerful political ally. He hoped to find a way so that Henry could abandon his marriage to Catherine and marry his lover, Anne Boleyn. The pope’s legate, Cardinal Campeggio, was sent, despite his unorthodox life with his wife and five children. Not prepared for any resistance, he was confident he could get Henry’s marriage declared invalid. However, Campeggio underestimated John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. To many, Fisher seemed to be a gentle, quiet old man. He pastored the poorest diocese in the kingdom and had no interest in promotion to more wealthy dioceses. He was more interested in reading books and doing acts of charity than in the concerns of state. He was frequently called upon to give public sermons, which were often messages of repentance and God’s mercy. At the legatine court, he defied all popular opinion and expectations. He spoke with eloquence on the Sacrament of Marriage and the soundness of Henry’s marriage. The court became impotent, and Henry became furious. However, John was unconcerned. He had said that if he must die as St. John the Baptist died for upholding the sanctity of marriage, then he would do so. John Fisher was born in the town of Beverley in Yorkshire (northern England) in 1469. Historians are uncertain if he was the oldest or youngest of his three siblings. His father died when he was 8. His mother remarried and had four more children. Despite his duties in administration, Father John continued work on his doctorate and became the confessor and spiritual director for Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII (1485-1509). He was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1497. He finished his doctorate in 1501. After being appointed Chancellor of Cambridge several times, he was named chancellor “for life.” Historians say he must have been humble and hardworking. The people of Yorkshire are known for being hardy, plainspoken and practical, and John seems to have fit this description. Most bishops in England (and in Europe) focused their energy on nobility and courtly life. John, however, focused on pastoring his diocese and his duties to the university. Unlike most bishops, he frequently spent time in his diocese and personally visited families to minister to them. John was so bright that he was sent to the University of Cambridge when he was 12. He received his bachelor’s degree when he was 19. He earned a masters degree and was ordained a priest when he was 22. (He was so proficient in theology and was so consistent in virtue, that he received a papal dispensation to be ordained before the canonical age.) With Lady Margaret’s help, he brought better scholars to Cambridge to teach. The quality of academics at Cambridge improved, especially for those studying to become clergy. He wore simple clothes and a hair shirt for his personal penance. He seems to have been devoted to “Memento Mori” (“Remember Your Death”), a saying from ancient Christianity to encourage the faithful to live in preparation for heaven. He kept a skull on the altar when he said Mass and at the dinner table as a reminder of death’s immanence. Henry VII and Lady Margaret died in 1509. Although he had enjoyed a good relationship with them, his relationship with Henry VIII was strained. Even before the controversies of Henry’s marriage, John and Henry had butted heads over the lands and funds bequeathed by Lady Margaret to Cambridge. John was not close to Thomas More, a popular lawyer who became Lord High Chancellor of England, nor to Erasmus, a scholar in Europe, but the three were friends and exchanged letters. Erasmus declared that John was one of the few priests who actually lived a Christian life. Concerned about Protestantism, John wrote books in defense of the Catholic faith, including one that defended Henry VIII’s rebuttal against Lutheranism. His efforts to stem the tide of Protestantism were significantly hampered when King Henry became more focused on his desire to marry Anne Boleyn and decided to make himself head of the Church of England, negating all papal authority. John’s faith was so genuine and his character was so apparent, that Henry had trouble discrediting anything John said about Henry’s marriage and papal authority. Although the popularity of Protestantism was growing, to the chagrin of Henry, many in England identified John with John the Baptist. John was steadfast in defending the true Church. He refused to sign documents declaring Henry as head of the Church of England. He was imprisoned at the Tower of London at the same time as Thomas More. John and Thomas were in prison for more than a year when the pope declared John to be a cardinal. Henry decided to have John killed before the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, trying to avoid any identification with the old prophet. So he had John beheaded on June 22, 1535, which was the feast day of St. Alban, the first martyr of England. Henry’s plans to avoid John Fisher being viewed as a martyr completely failed. St. John Fisher was canonized in 1935. He is the only cardinal to be martyred. He is the patron saint of the Diocese of Rochester. His feast day is June 22. If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.

The following story appeared in the May 27 Idaho Catholic Register. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer Father Paul O’Donnell of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles didn’t discern his call to the priesthood until he was 30. “My family never thought I’d be the one to become a priest,” Father O’Donnell said. “The key for me was going to daily Mass. Once I started going to daily Mass, I realized the Lord was calling me.” After nine years of serving as a missionary and 20 years serving in Los Angeles, he is transferring to the Diocese of Boise to be pastor at St. Mark’s Parish in Boise beginning in July. Father O’Donnell was struck by the beauty of the state and the openness and goodness of the people when he visited friends and family in northern Idaho. “I just enjoyed it so much, and I always had the feeling that I would love to come back.” Later, he met Bishop Peter Christensen and they briefly discussed his coming to Idaho. However, before transferring to the Diocese of Boise, he wanted to finish his term at his parish in Lomita, Calif., St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Catholic Church. After completing his nine years of serving as pastor at St. Margaret Mary, the time was right to come to Boise, he said. “I’m really excited about going up to Idaho and serving at St. Mark’s. I’ve heard wonderful things about St. Mark’s,” he said. Father O’Donnell was raised in a large Catholic family with five siblings. His family lived just outside Chicago and then moved to New Jersey when he was 10. He attended Catholic schools until he was midway through high school. “I thought seriously about becoming a priest in the Eighth Grade,” he said. “I fell in love with my Seventh Grade teacher, who was a nun. I thought she was old, but she was just 22. She was full of the joy of the Lord. I realized that what I loved about her was that she loved the Lord. And that’s what I wanted.” His oldest brother went to a Maryknoll Junior Seminary for high school to discern the priesthood. Although his brother was not ordained, his time of discernment prompted Father O’Donnell to discern priesthood, too. However, he felt conflicted about a call during his high school years. “There were some family problems, and I became rebellious and taciturn,” he said. He struggled with his faith. “I understand some of the issues that young people are going through. Thanks be to God, the Lord is so good, loving and patient. He kept calling through all those years,” he said. Father O’Donnell received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts in 1978. He pursued a career as a professional artist and book illustrator. In college, he was an “on-again, off-again Catholic,” he said. But when he was living on his own as an artist, he began to change. “I started to live more like a monk, praying, going to daily Mass, and finding a good parish. That’s how the Lord called me.” He met members of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus when he was doing an art show in Mexico. He decided to pursue priest-hood through their congregation. He attended three universities during his 8½ years of formation: St. Jerome’s University in Canada, Catholic Theo-logical Union in Chicago, and Urbaniana University in Rome. Father O’Donnell was ordained on March 20, 1993, in Pasadena by Bishop Juan Arzube, then the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He served as a missionary in the Philippines for seven years and in Mexico for 2 years. As a young missionary, he studied Redemptoris Missio, Pope St. John Paul II’s document on the mission of the Church. The document continues to influence how he tries to live his life, he said. “A favorite quote from Redemptoris Missio is that the kingdom of God tends toward the transformation of relationships. Wherever one loves, serves, and forgives another, there the kingdom is being built,” he said. “Whether people are rich or poor, in need or able to give, the possibility for the transformation of our human relationships in Christ into mutual loving service is there.” Due to health issues, he stopped working in the mission field. He served as a chaplain and spiritual director for Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart in Los Angeles from 2004 to 2008. In 2009, he decided to do parish work and was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He served as administrator and then pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Lomita from 2013 until June of this year. With his personal experience as a Catholic school student and in working with Catholic schools as a pastor, Father O’Donnell is an ardent supporter of Catholic education. “Catholic schools are the best way to support Catholic families. The families are the first teachers of the faith, and the schools buttress what the kids learn at home about the faith,” he said. “Wherever I’ve worked, I’ve been blessed. I’ve had wonderful principals, and we’ve gotten along beautifully. If you work together, you can get so much done for the school,” he said. Catholic identity is the key issue for schools, he said. “Students can learn about all the other subjects in one way or another, but the Catholic identity is what will help these children through their whole life. You have to support Catholic education.” He doesn’t plan on changing everything that is good about St. Mark’s, one of the Diocese’s largest parishes. “I’m not going to St. Mark’s to impose my ideas about pastoral work or the Church. I’m going there hopefully to reflect the face of Jesus and to meet Jesus in each and every parishioner and each and every child in the school and to try and serve Him as best I can.” Father O’Donnell has traveled the country leading retreats and giving spiritual direction to priests, religious and laity. He continues to create art, write and perform music. He has written two books, “Night as Clear as Day” (a series of short stories) and “A Place of Springs” (a novella). He speaks Spanish, Italian and Tagalog. “During my years in the priesthood, the thing that sticks with me the most is how beautiful, faithful and merciful is our Lord Jesus. I went through a lot of years being too busy. He’s taught me over the years to first come to Him in prayer and Adoration and then do what Our Lady said at the wedding feast in Cana, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ He’s been very patient, kind and merciful to me.” If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, please consider buying a subscription to the Idaho Catholic Register. Your $20 yearly subscription also supports the work of the Diocese of Boise Communications Department, which includes not only the newspaper, but this website, social media posts and videos. You can subscribe here , or through your parish, or send a check to 1501 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID, 83705: or call 208-350-7554 to leave a credit card payment. Thank you, and God bless you.