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Dear Faithful of the Diocese, We are inviting you to make a difference in the lives of our unborn children by providing you an opportunity to financially support organizations who work hard to ensure the protection of all human life. The I Shall Give Half campaign is a response to a poor choice made recently by our national legislators. For 45 years, the United States Congress – whether controlled by Democrats or Republicans – has maintained that taxpayers should not be forced against their conscience to pay for abortions. Abandoning this compromise in a time of national emergency serves only to divide people in the very moment we should be united. The recently passed America Rescue Plan Act appropriates $450 billion to state and local governments and health-related agencies with no restrictions on how much of that could go to abortion or abortion-related services. Stimulus checks are already being issued in the amount of $1,400 per person for those who qualify under certain criteria in the legislation. “I Shall Give Half” is a campaign to invite you to give half of your stimulus check to a pro-life organization of your choice. We recognize that not all can afford to give a sum of $700. Some may be able to afford very little, and others may be able to give the total amount of $1,400. Whatever gift can be given, a gift of some amount is encouraged to be donated as a charitable almsgiving to protect the lives of our unborn children. You can send your donation to National Right to Life, 1446 Duke Street, Alexandria, Va., 22314 or you can donate online to National Right to Life’s Education Fund at www.nrlc.org/donate/ . Feel free to donate to any pro-life organization you feel called to support. This I Shall Give Half campaign is inspired by the Gospel story of Zacchaeus’ words to Jesus – a commitment to follow, and our Lord’s response to him. Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house…” – Luke 19: 8-10 The conversion of Zacchaeus begins with simple curiosity. St. Luke tells us that when Zacchaeus learned that Jesus was coming to his town of Jericho, he very much wanted to see Him. He must have heard of Jesus. Perhaps he had heard accounts of His miracles, so that like many others, he wondered: “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” (Luke 9:9). Perhaps it was more personal for Zacchaeus. Perhaps, in addition to having heard about His miracles, he had heard that Jesus associated with tax collectors. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Perhaps Zacchaeus asked himself: What kind of rabbi is this Jesus? Can a man attested by God, a righteous man, draw near to sinners? Is there, after all, hope for me? This is the first point that makes the story of Zacchaeus meaningful for us. Perhaps we have lived with faith and hope for so long that we have forgotten what it is like to live without them! Perhaps it has been a long time since we wondered, “Is there, after all, hope for me? Does God, who is love, really want to come into my life? What about my sins?” Lent is the perfect liturgical season for us to reflect anew on this. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus, but there is a large crowd. Many others want to see Him, too. Zacchaeus was not the only one who had heard of Jesus and wanted to see Him. St. Luke tells us that a certain drama builds because Zacchaeus was not very tall, and the crowd prevented him from getting a look. He climbed a sycamore tree so he could have an unimpaired view. When Jesus came to that spot, He looked up and called Zacchaeus by name: “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5) Yes, Zacchaeus has done his best to get a peek at Jesus, but Jesus is the one in control. He is the one who takes the initiative, which, we will see, is ordered to Zacchaeus coming to faith and salvation. Here is a second point at which the story of Zacchaeus and our own stories intersect: God superabundantly fulfills desires. When we pray, we often ask for too little, like the Samaritan woman who would have been content with the gift of miraculous water so that she no longer had to return to the well every day. Jesus gives her not only that, but also the living water of faith and eternal life! For Zacchaeus, what a difference between simply getting a glimpse of Jesus and extending hospitality to Him. So, we see the irony. On that day in Jericho, everyone longed to get a look at Jesus, but only one – one who everyone considered a sinner – had the privilege of Jesus coming under his roof. Nothing Jesus did provoked the question about who He is more than His acts of forgiving sins. The real question about Jesus is: “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:49). That this is in play here is evident from the reaction of those who witnessed Jesus entering Zacchaeus’ house: “And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ ” (Luke 19:7) In the Bible, this grumbling is a sign of lack of faith. People grumble when they disapprove of the way God is conducting His business. For example, in a similar context: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them’ ” (Luke 15:1–2). Jesus responds to this murmuring by telling these three parables: the shepherd who looks for and finds his lost sheep; the woman who finds her lost coin; and the father who finds his lost son (the prodigal son). Zacchaeus responds to Jesus with this declaration: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” (Luke 19:8) The conversion of Zacchaeus is Jesus’ response – His apologia, His justification for His actions – to those who grumble. And this is the third and most important lesson for the I Shall Give Half campaign. Meeting Jesus puts Zacchaeus’ life in order. Jesus gives Him a new perspective – God’s own perspective. He re-evaluates his priorities. In meeting Zacchaeus’ need for God’s love, Jesus unleashes His capacity to love others, especially the poor: “the half of my goods I give to the poor.” Zacchaeus teaches us how to respond when Jesus “comes under our roof” – the roof of our churches in the Sacrifice of the Mass, and the roof of our hearts in Holy Communion. Jesus comes to us in our need and in our poverty for His love, and this bears the fruit of making us attentive to the needs of others. Love for the poor is the great sign of having encountered God’s love for us in our poverty. The Catholic Church in the United States has a proud record of love for the unborn. It is one of the brightest lights bearing witness to our encounter with Christ, first in Baptism and then regularly in Holy Communion, during which we confess our unworthiness that He should come under our roof. The I Shall Give Half campaign is an opportunity for us to coordinate our efforts in loving the poorest and most vulnerable among us – the unborn – and to bear witness to the new perspective of our faith, to God’s own hierarchy of values. Let us remember that Jesus takes personally every act of love that we show to those who are truly the least of those to whom He has united Himself: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). The I Shall Give Half campaign is a great opportunity for Catholics in Idaho to contribute to making that light shine even brighter as a sign to the world that Jesus’ words about Zacchaeus echo through the centuries. That is the fourth point of the relevance of the story of Zacchaeus for us today: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9). Finally, the Holy Spirit always provides for the needs of the Church. He bestows gifts that are suited to address those needs. He has been very generous in moving the hearts of men and women to do what they can to protect the lives of the unborn threatened by abortion. While all are called to the pro-life apostolate through prayer and bearing witness to our faith in the God of life, some among us receive a further call to be on the frontlines in the war between the culture of life and the culture of death. We can help those on the frontlines be more effective in their mission by providing financial support. The spirit of the I Shall Give Half campaign is really the Holy Spirit, Who appeals to those who do not need all of their stimulus money to donate what they can to support those for whom the same Holy Spirit is prompting to wage the battle for life on many fronts.

The following story appeared in the April 16 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register Naomi Kerns by Emily Woodham Staff Writer Naomi Kerns does not regret her decision to leave public education in 2014 so she could teach at Boise’s Sacred Heart Catholic School. She loves incorporating her faith as she teaches her fourth grade students. This year, her hard work is being recognized by the National Catholic Education Association. Kerns is the only Catholic school employee in Idaho to receive the NCEA’s “Lead. Learn. Proclaim.” award, which recognizes “outstanding efforts, contributions, and achievements on behalf of Catholic school education,” according to the NCEA website. Teachers are nominated by others to receive the national award. “As a child, I always wanted to become a teacher. I started by ‘teaching’ my younger brothers in the basement of our house,” Kerns said. “I’ve always loved school, both as a student and a teacher. I love working with students; I want them to have the same love for school I feel.” After graduating from Gonzaga University in Spokane in 2006, she taught for seven years at a public high school before coming to Sacred Heart. “I inherited the 4th grade job from a talented and beloved veteran teacher,” Kerns said, referring to Lu Doles. “After accepting the job, I went in to look through all her files and to my surprise found a fourth-grade assignment belonging to my husband when he attended Sacred Heart Catholic school 30 years ago,” she said. “It was the sign I needed to know I had made the best professional decision of my life.” Faith provides the window, she said, to see her students in God’s likeness. Faith also connects her to her students. “Our shared beliefs guide our purpose at school, no matter what subject we are learning about,” she said. Being in a Catholic community helps her keep perspective, and her colleagues help motivate her to be the best person and educator possible. “The work we do is bigger than ourselves and our school,” she said. “Teaching is a special job in that no matter what is going on in the world outside the classroom, being with the kids always feels like a safe place.” Kerns challenges herself to find new ways to reach her students. Although she has been teaching for 15 years, she continually looks for opportunities to hone her skills. “I love to attend conferences and research new ideas online, and I often look to my own students to help me reinvent lessons,” she said. As much as she loves teaching, however, she does encounter obstacles. “My greatest challenge in teaching is witnessing a student deal with real emotional hardship,” she said. “I pour myself into helping them feel their worth and the love we have and God has for them, but sometimes the student is still hurting when he or she leaves my class. It can feel defeating. I think about and pray for these students long after they leave my classroom.” Her favorite aspect of teaching is seeing students get excited about learning. “I love the feeling when a student gets hooked on a book or finds renewed enthusiasm about school. To me, helping a student have a positive approach to learning is more important than any content I can teach,” she said. Her favorite approach in the classroom is to apply St. Therese of Lisieux’s “Little Way,” which emphasizes making small differences to change the world. “All my students know of my love for St. Therese and her teachings.” A favorite quote of hers from St. Therese: “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” The NCEA awards are given to school administrators, pastors and teachers who are currently employed NCEA members who have served in Catholic education for at least five years. Recipients must also lead an active faith life and demonstrate leadership and virtues in the school setting. Recipients were honored at the NCEA conference in early April. 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 originally appeared as part of a series of stories on the topic of suicide in the Jan. 15 issue of The Idaho Catholic Register. We will post more stories from the series in the days ahead. Need is urgent for Catholics to understand, respond to suicide Catholic teaching about the fate of a soul who has committed suicide was a major factor in leading Geri Wilkinson to join the Catholic Church not long after her husband, Jerry, ended his life by jumping off an Idaho Falls bridge. And it was the support of Church members, especially her Cursillo prayer group, that made life more bearable for Gail Jampolsky of Lewiston after her son, Ian, took his life. For other Catholics, the response, at least initially, was not as positive. “The first thing I found when I googled suicide and the Catholic Church was that suicide is a mortal sin,” said Tom Holstein of Boise, whose 17-year-old grandson took his own life. “For me, at first, the Church was not helpful,” said Holstein. “It’s such a touchy subject and I felt like I couldn’t get any help. It’s kind of taboo to talk about for most people, not just Catholics,” he said. Holstein, a member of St. Mary’s Parish in Boise, eventually found the support he needed when he joined a suicide survivors’ group at the United Methodist Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise. While Patty Wills’ experience with the Church after her son died by suicide was positive (her story is told on page 6 of today’s issue), a close friend of hers left the Church after the suicide of a loved one. “Although her experience was with the Archdiocese of Seattle, it is very relevant as far as the wounds that are created for devout Catholics who have to fight for a Catholic burial for a loved one who died by suicide,” Wills said. CATHOLIC TEACHING that suicide is a mortal sin leads many in the Church to wrongly conclude that those who commit suicide go to hell. Nearly all of the people the Idaho Catholic Register interviewed for this series had friends or family members tell them as much. Part of that misunderstanding is attributable to the Church’s former practice of denying Christian burial to those who commit suicide. Perhaps a larger contributor to the false notion about the eternal fate of suicide victims is a lack of proper understanding about what it takes to commit mortal sin. The three conditions identified in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that must together be met to constitute mortal sin are grave matter, full knowledge and deliberate consent. (CCC, paragraphs 1856-1861) The Church’s understanding of the mental state of those who commit suicide has increased along with society’s understanding in recent decades. “By the time I was studying the issue at Mount Angel Seminary in the early ‘70s, we were being taught the mental health issues around suicide,” said Father Tom Loucks, a retired priest for the Diocese of Boise. The Church walks a fine line in getting people contemplating suicide to understand both the severity and finality of suicide while, at the same time, helping survivors to understand the extent of God’s mercy. For many centuries, the Church taught that those who took their own lives could not be given a Christian funeral or buried in consecrated ground, writes Michelle Arnold, a former apologist for Catholic Answers. But, in so doing, the Church “wasn’t passing judgment on the salvation of the individual soul,” Arnold said. “Rather, the deprivation of Christian funeral rites was a pastoral discipline intended to teach Catholics the gravity of suicide. Although the Church no longer requires that Christian funeral rites be denied to people who commit suicide, the Church does still recognize the objective gravity of the act,” she writes. Father Nathan Dail, parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Lewiston, said the Church “does not profess that (those who commit) suicide cannot be saved, but it is important to remind all people, especially those facing temptations, of the grave wound it inflicts on the world,” particularly the tragic loss and grief for loved ones left behind. Father Dail is reminded of a line in the Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life” when Clarence says, “Strange isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” Gail Jampolsky with her son, Ian Curtis. A veteran, Sgt. Curtis completed two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before taking his own life. (Courtesy photo/Pam Jampolsky) GAIL JAMPOLSKY will always feel the hole left behind from the suicide of her son, Ian, a Gulf War veteran who died in 2014. Ian was the link who reminded Jampolsky of Ian’s father, Michael, who died in a tragic accident at age 24 when Ian was a baby. “I’ll never not hurt for the loss of my child. He was the only son of a husband I tragically lost. Ian was five months old when his dad was killed. That baby kept me going during those dark days. He was my tie to Michael.” Now that tie is gone, or so Jampolsky thought. Ian’s son, Brycen, just a baby when Ian died and now almost 8, “has an uncanny resemblance,” to Ian. Life does go on. For Jampolsky, it was her faith, her family and the community at All Saints Parish that made the journey through suicide bearable. For his two sisters – one older and one younger – the healing is ongoing. “The oldest one gets emotional very quickly and the younger one who was closer to him in age kind of waffles in between being so mad at him for not being there for her wedding and her children and missing him terribly,” Jampolsky said. All family members agree it is important to talk about Ian. “I never believed that just because someone is dead, you don’t mention their name. Talking about them honors them and shows their life mattered. Ian wasn’t a saint, but I loved him deeply,” Jampolsky said. Jampolsky also didn’t shy away from saying how her son died. The first line of his obituary in the Lewiston Tribune reads: “In a moment when memories of war mixed with alcohol proved to be too much to bear, Ian was unable to see tomorrow and took his life July 10, 2014.” The wording of the obituary “was done for the sake of honesty,” Jampolsky said. “A 24-year old just doesn’t ‘pass away at home.’ We need to be honest. This isn’t a shameful thing; it’s the truth.” Jampolsky doesn’t regret her approach. The obituary led to further stories in the local newspaper and beyond about Ian’s death and the need to address suicide, especially among our nation’s veterans. When the bronze sculpture, “The Silent Battle,” was unveiled by the national “Eyes of Freedom” organization (see limacompanymemorial.org) project, it was done in Lewiston because of the publicity generated by Ian’s suicide. In another dramatic turn of events, an appliance repairman told Jampolsky that he received a call from a young man he had coached in basketball telling the coach that he decided against committing suicide after reading about Ian’s death. “I’m convinced that our decisions to share with others about Ian’s death where Holy Spirit-inspired decisions,” Jampolsky said. IAN MICHAEL CURTIS was always on the go. “He never had a delay button,” his mother says. He started Scouting in the first grade and went on to become an Eagle Scout. He was in sixth grade when the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the World Trade Center happened. “Before he left for school that day, he said he wanted to go into the military so people won’t fly planes into buildings,” Jampolsky said. He was not an academic in school, “but he was a smart kid with great questions.” Six months after high school, he was in Iraq. He loved the discipline and regimen of military life. “I prayed for a tough sergeant, and he got one,” Jampolsky said. After serving nearly a year in Iraq, Ian came home to marry his high school sweetheart, Elayna. He was then deployed to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska, not an easy place for a young couple to be, especially for Elayna who had never been far from her Lewiston home. Barely past their teen years, the Alaska adventure was a strain on their marriage. After Alaska, Ian was deployed back to the Middle East, this time in Afghanistan. After his return, Ian and his wife moved to Texas, where he was stationed at Fort Hood. That’s where their son, Brycen, was born. “At Fort Hood, they separated him from his battle buddies and that’s very hard; they have that shared experience that only those who have served overseas get,” Jampolsky said. In Fort Hood, Ian’s drinking became more of an issue. His deployment complete, Ian and his family returned to Lewiston. He had become a sergeant and thought about re-upping, but because of a drawdown in troop levels in the Middle East and because he was having marital issues, Ian received an honorable discharge. Back in Lewiston, he was hired by a local outdoor shop that gave preference to veterans, but it would be awhile before he could start. “It was three to four months without a steady job, the drinking was getting worse, and he was spiraling with his PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” Jam-polsky said. “When he was in Alaska, he started buying guns, and that was very frightening for me,” Jampolsky said. “I asked him, ‘What do you need all these guns for?’ He said it was a feeling he had that he had to protect us because of the things he had seen.” During all of this, even before the drinking started to get worse, before the marital problems and before the PTSD, Jampolsky and her son had many heart-to-heart conversations. “As things worsened, I even asked him about suicide. He vehemently said – many times – that he knew what it was like to grow up without a dad and that he would never do that to his son.” Dealing with PTSD, Ian said he knew he needed to get professional help. The counseling could not start until the job did and the job was still on hold. Ian, feeling especially despondent started drinking heavily. His wife and son in bed, he watched the movie, “Lone Survivor,” about the only Navy SEAL to survive a mission to capture a Taliban leader. Just before midnight, Elayna heard gunfire. Her husband had fatally shot himself. He was 24, the same age as his dad when he died. “Like I said, he didn’t have a delay button where he would stop and think things through,” Jampolsky said. “He was thinking, ‘I’ve fought to try not to drink, I’ve fought to put my bad memories of war behind me. I’ve fought for my marriage and my finances.’ He was at that moment where he just didn’t want to hurt any-more.” Ian’s son was only 15 months old at the time. “I don’t think he ever logically thought about his child and the things we talked about. That wasn’t in his mind at the moment,” Ian’s mother said. About an hour after Ian’s wife had told Jampolsky and the initial shock had worn off, Jampolsky had an emotion she didn’t expect. Peace. “God could not have stood in front of me more. I knew Ian was at peace. I didn’t have to worry about my child anymore because he was at peace. I know that was an odd feeling to have, but I can’t deny it.” WHILE IAN WAS young and struggling with a starting a career, Jerry Wilkinson wrestled with starting life over after retirement. Jeri Wilkinson and her husband, Jerry. The two were married nearly 18 years before Jerry died by suicide. (Courtesy photo/Geri Wilkinson) Wilkinson was a busy guy. When he wasn’t driving bus, hauling employees from Idaho Falls to the Idaho National Laboratory about an hour west, he was tending to his 30-acre farm. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he like to fish and hunt. In his later years, he took up gardening and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. He married Jeri, his second wife, in 1994. The two made a good pair. They even had the same name and spelled it the same way until Jeri changed her spelling to avoid confusion. He was taking anti-depressants and confessed to Jeri even before they had married that he had attempted suicide previously. But Jerry’s depression was manageable until he turned 75 and “something changed,” she says. He decided he wanted to sell the farm and leave behind windy eastern Idaho winters for sunny St. George Utah. “He loved the farm, so that was so out of character for him, but we put the farm up for sale and found a house in St. George.” But then Jerry started to have second thoughts, even after they had made an offer on the St. George house and auctioned off the farm equipment. “He started getting stressed and anxious, worrying about every little detail, even little things like would the movers unload the truck once we got to St. George.” Because of his doubts, Jeri suggested they not move to St. George and buy a home or a condominium in Idaho Falls instead. He agreed to that, but, again, started having second thoughts and having trouble sleeping. “He would get very withdrawn. I tried to get him to talk but he would snap at me if I wanted to talk.” Living in a hotel, they were trying to close on the Idaho Falls house, but Jerry’s mental state and anxiety worsened. “One morning, I suggested that we get him admitted for help. It told him I could handle getting the house closed on,” she said. Later that same day, they were headed to the post office. He stopped to go for a walk near Idaho Falls’ Pancheri Street bridge, while she remained in the car, poring over house sale documents. “Then I couldn’t see him out the car window anymore.” Minutes later, she found him floating face down in the Snake River. “I called 911 while I watched the current take him away,” she said. Two days later, Jeri Wilkinson divers found his body. Jeri believes Jerry’s feeling of being overwhelmed by the sale of the house and by that morning’s conversation about admitting him to a hospital were the tipping points for her husband of nearly 18 years. “I felt guilty, and I felt shame,” she says. “Once the shock started to dissipate, I kept thinking about what had happened to him. Is he in hell?” She spoke to a couple of pastors in their Lutheran faith, but was not satisfied with their answers. She continued a search for answers, she said, “reading everything I could get my hands on.” She joined an online suicide survivors’ group called Alliance For Hope. One of the contributors to the online forum was a Catholic priest. “I got such relief from him,” especially his point that while suicide, in some cases, can be a mortal sin, in many cases, “when someone’s mind is that ill, it is an illness like cancer or anything else. God certainly has the power to find a way for them to have salvation, if it’s His will to give them that grace.” Born in Rigby, Jeri was baptized into the Latter-day Saints faith when she was 8, although her family did not regularly attend. She recalls that when she was about 12, her mother received instruction in the Catholic faith in nearby Rexburg. “We didn’t join, but it planted a seed. Over the years, I’ve always felt drawn to the Catholic faith.” After she met Jerry, who was Lutheran, she decided to join that faith. A year after Jerry’s death and needing a fresh start, Jeri moved to Boise to be closer to a son and daughter-in-law. It was at the time that she began to think about Catholicism once again. She enrolled in RCIA at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Boise. She persuaded her sister in Idaho Falls to take RCIA with her at Christ the King Parish 280 miles away. Jeri joined that Easter about six years ago, and her sister joined a year later. Her husband’s suicide “knocked me down, I felt gutted and like I didn’t have control over anything, which made me totally lean on God,” Jeri said. “I have felt His providence in my life since then,” even though a challenging cancer scare made me “feel like for a second time in my life, I had no control.” The Church needs to provide more support for those contemplating suicide and those left behind, Jeri said. “We have lots of support groups for widows and widowers, but we need suicide survivors’ group,” she said. TOM HOLSTEIN of Boise found a support group at a nearby Methodist church when he felt like there was nowhere for him to turn within his own Catholic faith after his 17-year-old grandson inexplicably ended his life. Even though he couldn’t find the help he needed right away, he knew his fellow Catholics cared. The morning after his grandson died, Holstein attended Mass at Sacred Heart Parish on the Boise bench. “During the Prayers of the Faithful when they asked who we should pray for, I said we should pray for my grandson who just committed suicide. I kind of broke down and several parishioners came over and hugged me. The priest said my grandson is on his way to heaven.” Holstein’s grandson (who we will call “Dave” to honor Holstein’s request that he not be identified) was everything and more of what would be regarded as a stellar, all-around high school student. National Honor Society. Junior High Leadership Program. Class Treasurer. Debate team. Basketball, football, and, his favorite, lacrosse. “He was a happy person until the very last day.” And that last day will forever be a mystery to the entire family. It was not like Holstein did not know his grandson. “I had talked to him several times the week before (his death) via text or phone. There was not a hint that anything was wrong.” The day Dave died, however, his friends, the family would later learn, noticed that something was wrong. They spoke to a teacher after school who contacted Dave’s mother. His mom finally contacted him. Dave said he was working his job at a nearby grocery store. When his parents drove to the store, they could not find his car in the parking lot. At about 5:30 in the evening, Dave sent a text saying he was at Simplot Park and for people “not to be upset with him or anybody else,” and that he was going to a better place. The friends who had noticed his peculiar behavior said he had sent a message over Snapchat showing a gun on the ground with the message, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Holstein said his grandson did not exhibit any of the signs that many people with suicide ideation experience. However, he was fascinated with the idea of reincarnation and left a suicide letter to his family that spoke of reincarnation. Holstein not only had a difficult time understanding the Catholic teaching regarding suicide, but also found himself almost immediately facing tough conversation from family members who were not Catholic or no longer practicing. “Within three days after Dave’s death (a close relative) told me that the Catholic Church says that if you commit suicide, you are going to hell.” The suicide survivors’ group at the Cathedral of the Rockies became an anchor for Holstein as did the Norman Vincent Peale book, “The Healing of Sorrow.” After the funeral, Holstein said he commented to one of Dave’s friends that “I am so mad at my grandson.” The friend’s dad told Holstein, “You can’t be mad. He was just a kid. He’s 17. They still don’t know what’s going on with the world.” Even though it has been more than three years, Davie’s mom continues to get counseling. Holstein said his son (Dave’s dad) “is trying to get through it the best he can.” Dave’s two brothers “are doing ok, we think, but the younger one will never talk about it.” That despite the fact that the family makes a point to talk about Dave “all the time as if he’s still here. We haven’t forgotten him and never will.” SUICIDE REMAINS the second-leading cause of death for teens. In rural states like Idaho, the crisis is even more acute. Deacon Sal Carranza, who heads up the Diocese of Boise’s Youth and Young Adult Ministries, notes that the increasing rate of suicide is taking its toll on the approximate 56 youth ministers across the Diocese. “Youth ministers not only impart the faith, but also make sure it is relational,” Deacon Carranza said. “Once you build that bond with them, they welcome you into their lives, including the messiness and struggles. That trust from our young people is a tremendous blessing because we can then help them, but it also carries a burden because as the young people empty themselves of their struggles, our youth leaders cannot help but walk away burdened for them. That’s just part of youth ministry during any year. Now enter COVID and the stress is heightened, not only in our youth but also in our ministers and their spouses and children.” Two youth ministers have had recent experiences with youths in their groups who attempted suicide or who were close to friends in the community who completed suicide. In Burley, the youth minister and youths knew a young woman who committed suicide. Her husband called 911, and then he also took his life. The Diocese recently sponsored a training session during which staff from Catholic Charities of Idaho trained youth ministers in how to deal with suicide and de-escalate suicidal situations. “Our direct ministry is no longer just with the young, but with the ministers who help them,” Deacon Carranza said. Father Dominique Faure, a Boise priest with the Verbum Spei fraternity, says the challenge for the Church as a mother is “trying to educate in showing the gravity of taking one’s life, but at the same time, she must show compassion for the families of those who commit suicide. She would clearly invoke the mercy of Christ, knowing so well that He came for those whose yoke is too heavy.” He emphasized the importance of friendship and community. “It is fundamentally through friendship that once can give a new hope to someone who despairs. Apostles have to rediscover that their first call is to be friends of Christ and, then, experts in the science of friendship,” Father Faure said. Parishes must become a “real community, a family where the voiceless can be listened to. We are less of a well-run organization and more a network of charity.” 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 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 Jan. 29 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register. Deacon Lou Aaron, known to some as Chef Lou, was recently profiled in the National Catholic Register and then interviewed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York for Cardinal Dolan’s show on The Catholic Channel. He was also interviewed on EWTN’s “Son Rise Morning Show,” on Jan. 19. (ICR photo/Vero Gutiérrez) BOISE -Two of the highest prelates of the Catholic Church were joined by an Idaho deacon on a national radio show on Jan. 19, the day before a presidential inauguration. It was the deacon who stole the show. "Deacon Lou Aaron, you are an inspiration!" gushed His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York, after a lengthy interview with Deacon Aaron, also the administrator at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Boise. Deacon Aaron’s interview followed an interview by Archbishop Dolan of His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory, archbishop of Washington, D.C. about the upcoming inaugural events in the Capitol City. Cardinal Gregory, the first African-American to be appointed to the College of Cardinals, was to give the opening prayer at that night’s first-ever national memorial to those who have died from the corona virus. It was slightly intimidating to follow Cardinal Gregory, Deacon Aaron said. If he was intimidated, it didn't show as the Boise deacon recounted his reversion story, his call to the diaconate and answered questions from Cardinal Dolan about his bacon cheeseburger and trademarked "Idaho Ice Cream Potato." Deacon Aaron, known in Idaho as “Chef Lou,” is no stranger to national attention. The owner of the iconic Westside Drive-In, he’s been a regular on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and has also been on NBC’s “Today Show” and recently profiled in the national “Catholic Rural Life” magazine. This most recent spate of publicity comes as a result of a Jan. 11 National Catholic Register article by Alexandra Greeley, a food writer, restaurant critic and cookbook author. That article (reprinted on this page below) prompted the invitation to Deacon Aaron to appear on Cardinal Dolan's program, "Conversations With Cardinal Dolan," which airs weekdays on Sirius XM's "The Catholic Channel." On the same day, Deacon Aaron was also a guest on EWTN's "Son Rise Morning Show." Cardinal Cardinal Timothy Dolan Dolan asked Deacon Aaron if the “spirit of service, hospitality and welcome,” required in the demanding restaurant business was a preparation for Deacon Aaron’s call to the diaconate. “Those are precisely the attributes that Holy Mother Church looks for in diaconal candidates,” Cardinal Dolan noted. While not discounting that possibility, Deacon Aaron noted that he had for several years ignored the promptings to become a deacon. “I had two restaurants (the Westside Drive-In now has an east Boise location on Parkcenter Boulevard in addition to the original west State street restaurant) and a novelty ice cream company, so I didn’t have time,” Deacon Aaron said. In 2012, he heard another deacon preaching from the 21st chapter in the Gospel of John where Jesus tells Simon Peter three times to “feed my sheep,” and then says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” “I knew then that He was going to start dressing me,” Deacon Aaron said. Three years into the four-year formation period, Deacon Aaron told Cardinal Dolan, he was diagnosed with what doctors told him was an “incurable lymphoma” and thought he would have to give up the diaconate. But, at a Christmas Eve Mass, “God told me, ‘I will be with you.’ ” “On Christmas Day, I was a new man. I called the (deacon formation) director and told him I was in this for the long haul.” Deacon Aaron was ordained in 2016. Deacon Aaron also told Cardinal Dolan about his current assignment at Our Lady of the Rosary. Not long after Deacon Aaron was ordained, his parish temporarily lost its priest. Deacon Aaron got a telephone call from Bishop Peter Christensen inviting him to lunch. “When the Bishop calls for lunch, just say no,” Deacon Aaron joked. The Bishop surmised that since Deacon Aaron could run three businesses, why couldn’t he run a parish? Initially, the job as administrator at Our Lady of the Rosary took only one to two days a week, but quickly morphed into a full-time job. Deacon Aaron turned the restaurants over to his son and daughter. "It's amazing where God puts you when you say yes," the deacon told the Cardinal. Cardinal Dolan also asked Deacon Aaron about his ministry to the incarcerated and the homeless. “Knowing that I was close to that myself in the 1980s, I always felt a calling to reach out to those in prison as well as the homeless,” Deacon Aaron said. Understanding how difficult it is for those just released from prison to get jobs, Deacon Aaron set out to do exactly that at his restaurants. About 75 percent of his employees are either "convicts, the homeless or refugees," he told the Cardinal. "We have fantastic success stories of many who are now married and have kids and own their own homes." Deacon Aaron shared his faith journey with Cardinal Dolan's listeners, including his struggles with alcoholism and the loss of their home in a fire. After all that, Cardinal Dolan said, “Let’s get to more substantive matters: Tell me about your bacon cheese-burger.” The Cardinal also wanted to know about the Idaho Potato Ice Cream. When Deacon Aaron told him how the dessert is made, the Cardinal said to his co-host, Father Dave Dwyer, "Father, call the travel agent and get two tickets to Boise, Idaho." To listen to the Cardinal Dolan interview, go to www.siriusxm.com/channels/the-catholic-channel . Type in "Deacon Lou Aaron" on the search menu. Click on "Free Trial" if you are not a Sirius XM subscriber. To hear Deacon Aaron's interview on the Son Rise Morning Show, go to www.ewtn. com/radio/audio-archive and type in Deacon Lou Aaron. Below is the story that appeared in the Jan. 11 National Catholic Register: Diners, drive-ins and the diaconate Deacon (chef) Lou Aaron (Photo courtesy KTVB - Channel 7) By Alexendra Greeley National Catholic Register A resident of Boise, Idaho, Chef Lou Aaron may be familiar to folks who watch Guy Fieri’s Food Network shows, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” or “Guy’s Grocery Games.” Or, if you live near Boise, you can watch his cooking spots on NBC affiliate KTVB-TV. You can also browse the internet and see him on Pinterest. No wonder he has created a following -- he is the creative chef who owns the “Famous Westside Drive-In” that features an Idaho favorite, the Idaho Finger Steaks. Chef Aaron was raised in a Catholic family, attended 12 years of Catholic school, and as a youth, served as an altar boy. But, as so many youths do, after high school, he left the faith. As he said, “I became a man of the earth, and went through my early 20s living the life of the devil.” His life continued on a downward path. He started heavily drinking and became an alcoholic. “The problem escalated,” he said, “because I was a really good cook, so I could hide my drinking. I started cooking at 14, and it was easy to drink in the restaurant kitchen. You can work and drink at the same time. … I wanted to be a partier and I did not know my faith like so many cradle Catholics … but I prayed every night during those dark ages and asked the Lord to get me to stop drinking.” Chef Lou admitted that even after he married in the late 1980s and had children, he continued drinking, always having a stash of beer in the garage. Then, one day in 1993, God finally answered his prayer in a way only God could answer. He came home from work, to find out that his wife had found the stash of hundreds of empty beer cans that were in a cubby hole behind the refrigerator and confronted him. He admitted that he was an alcoholic and made a resolution to stop drinking – a resolution he has held for the last 28 years. (Editor’s note: In his interview with Cardinal Dolan, Deacon Aaron said he prayed every night, “Lord please help me stop drinking, but by the next morning I was drinking again.” But on April 26, 1993, after the confrontation with his wife, “God took me by the hand and said you are done.” He never went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and never had withdrawals, he told Cardinal Dolan.) Their marriage went through a rough transition – his wife had married a drunk who was now sober, and it took some adjusting. During this time, they started discussing going back to church because of their children. But, even then, after three years, the couple never attended a service. Then God decided to intervene rather dramatically. “In 1996, the Holy Spirit burned our house down,” he said, remembering how a bag of ashes near the garage door ignited the house fire. “We lost almost everything,” he said. “It was really tragic, and my kids had night-mares for months. But when you lose everything but still have family, that is a blessing.” He added that he was “100 percent convinced that it was God answering prayers.” He and his family started going to several different churches and finally ended up at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Boise. In 1998, they had their marriage blessed, and his wife and kids were confirmed. It changed their lives forever. “I finally learned my faith and became a defender of it,” he said, “and I realized that God wants us to live the faith, not just go through the motions.” Over the next few years, he felt a calling to the diaconate and was ordained in 2016. God also guided Chef Aaron to embrace all his culinary training and experiences, including his appearance on “Great Chefs of the West” on PBS, in 1986. He was a traveling corporate chef for a large restaurant chain in 1994 when he stumbled onto the “For Sale” sign that was posted on the Westside Drive-In. He always dreamed of owning a “French bistro” for fine dining, but this burger joint was the furthest thing from that. He actually used to go to the Westside when he was a kid. He saw something in the ’50s feel of the place and developed a vision for it, so he bought it. Chef Aaron said, “I changed the menu, and all dishes are made from scratch. We became a destination spot in Boise and really, nationally, through the exposure of the national media.” His huge menu is All-American, with such dishes as his homemade meat-balls, pork ribs and his novelty dessert, the “Idaho Ice Cream Potato.” The most popular item? Of course, the cheeseburger, but close seconds are his roast prime rib (featured on Triple D), and the ever-popular and unique “Finger Steaks.” Sometimes, God sends signals he wants you to follow through on. In 2003, when he was trying to hire skilled staff for his restaurant, he had trouble finding the right people. He thought, “If I call myself a Catholic, I need to live like a Catholic.” He began hiring convicts, the homeless, refugees and people who were on their last leg of hope. For the last 17 years, it has blossomed into a huge ministry. At one point last year, 18 of his 24 staff had either been previously incarcerated, or were currently (or formerly) homeless or refugees. He feels it is a payback to the community he lives in. He said, “The staff are family, so we help them out as a family helps out, with all we can give. We give them second, third and sometimes even fourth chances. We go into the game knowing they will take extra effort. … It is part of our mission statement to commit to the human factor. We try to give them hope that they have a future.” As of now, Chef Aaron works at both restaurants only a few days of the week, handing the operations over to his son and daughter while he works as the administrator at the parish he started attending 23 years ago, Our Lady of the Rosary in Boise. About the writer: A convert to Catholicism, Alexandra Greeley is a food writer, restaurant critic, and cookbook author. She wrote “Cooking with the Saints” Alexandra Greenly: © 2021 EWTN News, Inc. Reprinted with permission from the National Catholic Register - www.ncregister.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.

The following story appeared in the Jan. 29 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register. Deacon Aleksander Dembowski (Courtesy photo) If Deacon Adrian Leszko were part of an (American) football coaching staff, he would be the one traveling the country looking for four- and five-star recruits. Deacon Leszko, along with help from others, was instrumental in helping to entice the latest recruit, Deacon Aleksander Dembowski, now in his final year of study at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in suburban Detroit, to choose to make the Diocese of Boise his home. Last year, Deacon Leszko introduced Deacon Pawel Pawliszko to the Diocese. Both were ordained deacons in the Diocese of Boise last September. “Credit has to be given especially to Deacon Adrian, who was the first one to take a chance visiting our Diocese, and, then, like the disciples of Christ, went back to the seminary preaching the ‘good news’ of Idaho to those with ears to hear,” said Father Nathan Dail, vocations director for recruitment for the Diocese of Boise. All three are seminarians at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary. The seminary is a formation center of primarily Polish men who wish to serve the Church in North America. Because the seminary is not tied to any one diocese, seminarians not only discern their call to priesthood, but also where they will serve if they are ordained. The three deacons’ decisions to serve the Diocese of Boise means that four men are scheduled to be ordained on June 3. Deacon Joshua Falce – the only non-Pole – is also set to be ordained that day. It has been over a decade – 2010 – since that many men were ordained in the Diocese of Boise. Six were ordained in 2008, including Father Mariusz Majewski, also a native of Poland and currently Rector at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. “Aleksander has an inspiring story,” Father Dail said. “He was ordained a deacon and ready for priestly ordination in Poland, but after seeing for himself how the priesthood is lived in America, he said he saw a light, a fire of the Holy Spirit in so many priests here that he’d never witnessed before. It just so happens that right when our Bishop was invoking the Holy Spirit upon our Diocese and especially our priests, that Aleksander reached out to us and said he was interested in our Diocese.” Father Caleb Vogel, vocations director for seminarians and vicar general, went with Father Dail to meet Deacon Dembowski. “We were both impressed by his humility and sincerity and the transition (to our Diocese) was very smooth, another sign of God’s providence,” said Father Dail, who is also parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Lewiston. Deacon Aleksander Dembowski was born in Warsaw and grew up in MiÅ„sk Mazowiecki, a small city near the Polish capital. He graduated from Salesian High School and then studied public relations, marketing and social communications at the University of Warsaw. He’s worked for a newspaper, a public relations agency, a real estate agency and as a bartender in a hotel. A cradle Catholic, he attended children’s rosary meetings as a boy. He began to think about priesthood when he was in Rome for the 2011 beatification of St. John Paul II (the world’s first Polish Pope) and for World Youth Day in Madrid that same year. Also influential were his numerous pilgrimages to the Our Lady in Czestochowa Shrine, a venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin about 160 miles from his home. “What encouraged me to become a priest was the desire to lead young people to Jesus,” Deacon Dembowski. He attended seminary in Warsaw for the Diocese of Warszawa-Praga. After six years’ study, he graduated with distinction with a Master of Divinity. The topic of his master’s thesis was public relations in the Catholic Church in an era of new media. During his time in seminary, he helped organize vocations retreats and coordinated the Polish pilgrims who would attend World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland in 2016 and also in Panama in 2019. Deacon Dembowski, 28, visited Idaho during Christmas break. “I was welcomed there just like at home. I am very happy and thank God and the people that I can be part of the Diocese of Boise in Idaho.” Deacon Dembowski’s interests include new media, soccer, movies and reading crime stories. “I prefer to spend my free time writing and, sometimes, cooking.” “The Church in Poland is exploding with priests,” Father Dail said. “The Polish men we now have felt a call to missionary dioceses like ours so that we could profit from their abundance.” “We were really blessed to come across Aleksander.” Father Dail said. “The trick is to get high-quality guys, like Adrian and Pawel, and others follow. Our Lord is truly blessing us from the land of Poland.” 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.

Emeritus Bishop Weigand marks 40 years as a bishop The following story appeared in the Jan. 29 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register. Bishop William Weigand, right, with Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, center, and Pope Francis. (Courtesy photo) Bishop William Weigand, perhaps one of the only priests ordained in the Diocese of Boise to have ever been ordained a bishop, was recently honored in his current home Diocese of Sacramento at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the episcopate. Bishop Weigand, who went to school in St. Maries, Idaho, and served parishes in Lewiston and Homedale, is currently Bishop Emeritus for the Diocese of Sacramento, where he served from 1994-2008 as bishop. Before that, he was bishop for the Diocese of Salt Lake City from 1980 until he received the call to Sacramento in late 1993. It was in Idaho where Bishop Weigand first served as a priest. It was serving under an Idaho bishop, Bishop Sylvester Treinen, that he accepted a call to serve nearly a decade in the Diocese of Boise’s mission in Cali, Colombia, and learned many of the administrative skills required to become a bishop. Now 84, Bishop Weigand assists current Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto on occasion, but spends most of his time gardening, cooking, and studying. He makes a yearly pilgrimage in his travel trailer to northern Idaho where his nephew has a cabin. They fish on Priest Lake, and Bishop Weigand celebrates Mass at Mary Immaculate Parish in St. Maries. Last summer was the first year, after 27 annual trips, that he was unable to go due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Idaho is still in my DNA, especially when it comes to going to the mountains and fishing,” he said, as well as occasionally touching base with priests he served with both in Idaho and in Colombia. Among them: Father Henry Carmona, Father Ron Wekerle, Father Joe Schmidt and his seminary classmate, Father Bill Taylor. Bishop Weigand, as far as our records show, is one of only two men ordained in Idaho who went on to become a bishop. The other is Bishop Nicolas Walsh, the first editor of the Idaho Catholic Register, who was vocations director for the Diocese of Boise when Bishop Weigand enrolled at Mt. Angel Minor (high school) Seminary. Bishop Walsh was serving as chancellor for the Diocese and as a pastor at St. Mary’s in Caldwell when Pope Paul VI, appointed him as Bishop of Yakima, Wash., in 1974. William K. Weigand was born in Bend, Ore. He moved a lot during his boyhood years because his dad was a manager for JC Penney stores. When he was in the seventh-grade, the family moved to St. Maries where he attended and graduated from St. Maries Academy, a school operated by the Benedictine Sisters based in Cottonwood. During his first year of high school in 1951, he enrolled at Mt. Angel Minor Seminary. He spent six years there, including his first two years of college. He completed his four years in theology at St. Thomas Seminary in Seattle. He was ordained at St. Mary Immaculate Church in St. Maries on May 25, 1963, the first priest to be ordained by Bishop Treinen. “He practiced on me and I always told him that he did OK,” Bishop Weigand said. His first assignment was the former Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Lewiston, but he was there only a year when Bishop Treinen asked him to come to Boise to serve as vice chancellor of the Diocese under Monsignor Nicholas Hughes who had just been appointed rector of the Cathedral. Bishop Weigand was named Chancellor a year later, at age 28. “I was a little worried about how some of the priests, particularly the older priests, would react but everyone treated me wonderfully.” The Chancellor Goes to Cali During the time Father Weigand was serving as Chancellor, Pope Paul VI was asking U.S. bishops to send priests to Latin America, which had lots of Catholics, but few priests. “They had been relying on priests from Spain and from religious orders, but the Church was asking for priests to work among the poor and to promote local vocations.” Bishop Weigand. The Diocese of Boise established a mission, St. John the Baptist, on the southwestern perimeter of Cali, Colombia. Father Weigand was the third priest to go there, following closely behind the first, his former vocations director, Father Nicolas Walsh. In promoting vocations, they wanted the people to understand that “being poor is no obstacle to serving the Church.” The mission, which lasted for 30 years, changed the culture of the priesthood from one that relied on foreign-born clergy and those from the upper class “to one that focused on the talent and dedication of the common people,” Bishop Weigand said. Bishop Treinen asked that his Idaho priests be willing to serve three-year terms. Father Weigand served three terms and part of a fourth, or about 10 years. “Bishop Treinen didn’t want to put too big a burden on the priest volunteers, but I felt it was God’s will that I apply myself.” Looking back on the experience, he sees that decade as the best training ground to be a bishop. “Being out of the country helped me to appreciate how we serve a universal Church, a worldview that I may not have gained had I stayed in Idaho.” Further, the Idaho mission served about 60,000 people, as large as some dioceses. “We had a huge challenge to provide religious instruction for youth, to prepare people for Confirmation and marriage. We also established social service ministries that included medical clinics and food pantries. So we had to develop networks of lots of people to help. All these ministries were satellite communities, of sorts, under the umbrella of the parish. It was almost the exact image of a diocese.” Even though some were suspicious of American priests because of U.S. military incursions in Latin America, the priests were able to win trust because they lived among the people. “They knew that we could go home to a more comfortable life, but that we were there as ministers of the Church without any personal gain involved.” That was unlike the Marxist groups that were trying to get a foothold in the region. “The leaders of the Marxist movements did not come from the poor. but from the middle class and the universities. They would go back to their middle-class homes at night. While they worked among the poor to try and organize politically, our philosophy was to preach the gospel, presenting the Word of God and the sacraments; telling the people that God loved them in their poverty and that they had dignity as a result of their baptism.” The mission grew to the point that the Diocese of Boise created a second mission there, St. Mark’s, under the direction of Father Henry Carmona, now pastor at Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Pocatello. After about a decade in Cali, Father Weigand was told by Bishop Treinen that he needed to come home for a break. Father Weigand said he had to decide to leave or stay for good. “I knew that if I came back after a break, I would stay there (in Cali) for the rest of my life.” Thus, his bittersweet departure in 1978 was for the last time as a priest there. He has been back to visit a number of times, the most recent three years ago. “It’s so gratifying to see that over this 50-year period that the neighborhood where we started was a poor people’s quarter and now it is a middle-class neighborhood. Houses are now three-stories instead of one-story and the parish we started now has four or five priests.” Local vocations, for which the Idaho priests prayed and worked, have flourished. Now priests from Mexico, Central America and South America come to the United States and to European countries to help with priest shortages in those nations. For example, the Diocese of Boise has several Hispanic priests, including two more, Father Jesús Cruz Hernández and Father Moisés Urzúa Torres, of the Missionaries Servants of the Word, who arrived just this week. After his return to Idaho, Bishop Treinen sent Father Weigand to St. Hubert Parish in Homedale. “It was a good ministry, a little lighter assignment, but it was like Cali, on a smaller scale, because of its cultural diversity.” The parish, where he served for nearly three years, also included the communities of Wilder and Marsing. “There was a significant Hispanic population of farmworkers, also a significant Basque population as well as Austrians and Croatians who came to that part of Idaho in 1914-15.” The Utah Bishop In November 1980, Bishop Treinen had just returned from a trip. Opening his mail, he noticed a letter from Archbishop Jean Jadot, the apostolic delegate to the United States. Surprised at its content, he called Father Wiegand. “We need to meet tonight,” he told Father Weigand. The priest knew it was important because Bishop Treinen did not keep late hours, but he wanted to meet Father Weigand that night midway between Boise and Homedale. They met in a parking lot of a Mexican restaurant on the east side of Nampa. Bishop Treinen read the letter from Archbishop Jadot asking that Father Weigand accept the bishopric in Salt Lake City. “I didn’t know what to say, other than I would pray about it, talk to my spiritual director and get back.” However, Bishop Treinen said, the apostolic delegate needed an answer right away. Father Weigand insisted on more time. “I wanted to tell them no, but instead I said I would think about it. I needed three days to consult two or three priests.” The answer yes, Father Weigand was ordained a bishop on Nov. 17, 1980, at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. “I followed a great bishop (Bishop Joseph Federal) who did the hard work of following the Second Vatican Council, so my priority was to finish the implementation of the Council by involving more of the laity in leadership,” Bishop Weigand said. His second priority: increasing outreach to Utah’s growing Hispanic community, which is where his Spanish-speaking skills came in handy. “I’m quite sure my Spanish speaking was one of the reasons I was called as bishop there.” Other priorities included promoting vocations among native Utahans and making the diocese financially independent “so that we no longer had to be considered a missionary diocese.” That effort had begun under Bishop Federal who copied the Diocesan Development Plan (DDP) developed in Idaho by Bishop Treinen, now called the Idaho Catholic Appeal. Finally, Bishop Weigand oversaw a complete refurbishing of the interior of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. The $10 million project, up to that time the largest project in the history of the diocese, also included seismic retrofits to protect the edifice against earthquakes. By the time, Bishop Weigand left Salt Lake City, all but about $300,000 of the debt on the project had been paid. California bound The call to Sacramento, like the call to Salt Lake City, was not expected, although Bishop Weigand had an inkling that something was in the works. Out of the blue, he received a call from Archbishop Eldon Curtiss of Omaha. Archbishop Curtiss was a contemporary of Bishop Weigand’s, also born in the Diocese of Baker and just five years ahead of Bishop Weigand at Mount Angel. (For a time, Archbishop Curtiss served at St. Bernard’s Parish in Jordan Valley, Ore., just over the Idaho border and was Bishop of Helena before his call to Omaha.) Archbishop Curtiss asked Bishop Weigand how he was doing with his liver disease. Bishop Weigand had long suffered from liver disease and would later receive a liver transplant. The call from the archbishop seemed strange to Bishop Weigand, but it made more sense while he was attending a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting just a few weeks later. “I was on a coffee break in a crowded hallway when Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan (then the apostolic nuncio to the United States) pulled me aside and said, ‘Pope John Paul II wants you to go to Sacramento.’ It was so loud in there, I didn’t think I was hearing him correctly.” “I did not want to go. I was quite happy in Utah,” Bishop Weigand said, but obedience often takes precedence over personal preference in the Christian life. He was installed as Bishop of Sacramento on Jan. 27, 1994. His years in Sacramento included a massive diocesan synod, its first in 70 years. The synod, split into three sessions, was from 2002-06. The second and third sessions were to follow up on the implementation of the initiatives from the 67,000 parishioners who participated in the first phase. As in Salt Lake, the Bishop also presided over a $35 million renovation of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. He worked to increase vocations and Catholic education in the northern California diocese. During this time, Bishop Weigand’s liver disease was progressing. Through all his years of serving as a bishop, he endured ill health, diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a disease that affects the bile ducts and can eventually damage the liver. The bishop received the transplant in April 2005 and was back to work that October. However, he had been told that the transplant might last but a few years, one of the reasons that Bishop Weigand in 2007 requested that a co-adjutor bishop be appointed to share the increasing workload. In October of that year, Bishop Jaime Soto, then the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Orange, moved to Sacramento to begin to share responsibilities with Bishop Weigand. On Nov. 29, 2008, Bishop Soto was installed as Bishop of Sacramento. Bishop Emeritus Few, including Bishop Weigand, believed that he would still be going strong nearly 16 years after a liver transplant. “My health is pretty good. My knees give out so I use a cane a bit and my shoulders give out, but, hey, I’m 84. There are people, including many in Idaho, who are quite surprised to learn that I’m still alive,” he quipped. During pre-COVID times, he assisted Bishop Soto with Confirmations and other duties when called upon. He lives within walking distance of the Chancery so would visit his office at least once weekly to check his mail and visit with staff. Excepting last year, due to the pandemic, he takes his travel trailer to Yosemite National Park and along the California and Oregon coasts. “It has been an amazing 40 years as Bishop and 57 years as a priest. God has been so good to me.” Recently, Bishop Weigand accompanied Bishop Soto on his ad limina visit to see Pope Francis. Bishop Soto was so impressed by the interaction between the Pope and Bishop Weigand that he wrote about it on the Diocese of Sacramento website: “The 40th anniversary of my predecessor, Bishop Weigand, brings back a memory from the visit he and I made to Rome, together with other bishops from our region. During the audience with the Holy Father, Pope Francis, there was a wonderfully personal moment between Bishop Weigand and Pope Francis. My reflections on that occasion were published on the diocesan website. I take this opportunity to share them again. After greeting the Holy Father and sharing with him a gift from the Diocese of Sacramento, I introduced Bishop Weigand at my side. Bishop Weigand took Pope Francis’s hand, drew close to him and said, “Somos de la misma edad.” (We are of the same age.) With one hand still clasping Bishop Weigand’s hand, the Pope rested his other hand on their fraternal grasp, giving a sly smile in response, “Entonces, los dos somos jóvenes.” (Then, we are both young.). Bishop Weigand related to the Pope that he had been a bishop for 40 years. The Holy Father rested his free hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Has cargado mucho peso.” (You have carried much weight.) They continued to chat. Bishop Weigand spoke about his many years of ministry in the Archdiocese of Cali, Colombia. To which the Pope said, ”That’s why your Spanish is so good.” What a blessing to share that apostolic yet fraternal, personal moment between my predecessor and the Successor of Peter. Sharing in that moment made me more appreciative of the relationships that bind us to one another. In that fraternal communion, we are also bound closely to Christ who has called us to love Him and feed His flock. With the renaissance splendor of the apostolic palace around us, the humble, personal, and tender conversation between two brothers who are disciples of the Lord gives substance to the apostolic tradition. As important as are the magisterial teaching and traditions of the Catholic Church, so is the practice of ecclesial communion lived out in the personal ascetic of fraternity. In that sweet moment at the door of the Papal study it was clearly a blessing and a duty. To paraphrase an expression of the well-known Catholic laywoman, Dorothy Day, it is the duty of delight. God bless you, Bishop Weigand, for you have been and continue to be a blessing for this local Church of Sacramento.” 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 Feb. 12 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register MOUNTAIN HOME – Air Force Chaplain Major Father Onyema Okorie has heard confessions, celebrated Mass, and ministered to the sick around the world, including areas where most would fear to tread. A joyful priest with an immense smile, it is not hard to picture him gently baptizing a baby in a serene chapel. It is also not difficult to imagine the peace his kind yet strong demeanor must bring, as he holds the hand of someone dying from shrapnel wounds in a war zone. Father Okorie arrived at Mountain Home Air Force Base in May of last year and quickly made connections with Bishop Peter Christensen and clergy in the Diocese of Boise. (Catholic military chaplains are under the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and their bishop, Archbishop Timothy Broglio. “Our military is a part of God’s family, and we need the support of the Church. I really appreciate the support of Bishop Christensen,” he said. Clergy throughout the Diocese of Boise have been very welcoming, he said. Before Mountain Home, Father Okorie served in the United Kingdom and, prior to that, in Germany. In 2007, he served in Iraq. Father Okorie was recognized by the Air Force in 2008 for being a “premiere combat chaplain” and for “amazing ministry to isolated forces,” including Special Forces, according to Stars and Stripes newspaper. “Personally, it has been truly a rare privilege as a chaplain to serve our U.S. military personnel in combat or war zones during my deployments,” he said, adding that he is “often humbled by the faith and resilience” of the men and women serving in the military. Affirming the adage that “there is no atheist in the foxhole,” Father Okorie said that most every-one turns to faith when in combat zones, praying for God’s protection and to make it home safely to family and loved ones. Their faith connects them to family, he said. Father Okorie believes his call to the priesthood came even before he was born. “After reflecting on my life experience, I would say my vocation started in the womb,” he said. He is from southern Nigeria, which is predominantly Christian and more peaceful than northern Nigeria where some priests are being kidnapped and murdered for their faith. Father Okorie is the fourth and youngest child in his family. Two months before he was born, the doctor warned his mother that her son was so large that she might not be able to birth him safely. She prayed and, despite his size, he was born without emergency intervention. She named him “Onyemau-chechukwu,” which means, “Who knows the mind of God?” It was easy to choose the priesthood, he said, because he was surrounded by such faith. His parents, especially his mother, were involved in church life, and his childhood memories are of being at home or at the church. “That’s how I got recruited,” he said. Nuns in Catholic school taught him from pre-school through the elementary grades. In fifth grade, the Sisters gave him an assessment test because he was so bright. He skipped sixth grade and went to minor seminary from seventh grade through high school. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree from seminary college, he transferred to the Diocese of Fresno, Calif., where he was ordained in 1999. His call to the military chaplaincy came on Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked by terrorists. His bishop was reluctant to let him go, but Father Okorie knew he was called to the military. He chose the Air Force, enrolling in Officers’ Training School and then to the Chaplain Basic Corps. While serving in the Air Force, he earned his master's degree in mental health counseling. “Ministry in the military is very different from the local parish. It is a very multi-faith environment,” he said. “Chaplains have to learn to work with one another and serve the multi-faiths we have here in the military.” All air-men and women and their families are served, no matter their beliefs, he said. Father Okorie is the Acting Wing Chaplain, while the Wing Chaplain is deployed elsewhere. He oversees all chapel worship, programs and events. He supervises all the chaplains as well as the Religious Affairs Airmen, civilian employees, contractors and numerous volunteers who help with chapel programs and events. Many military families live off base, thus it is important for them to feel accepted and to have a sense of belonging in their parishes, especially because most military families live away from home and extended family, Father Okorie said. “Military families just want to be welcomed and included. Let them know you appreciate their service,” he said. After 17 years in the chaplaincy, Father Okorie is convinced that the spirit of self-sacrifice is one of the greatest virtues a community can learn from military families. Men and women are in the military because they want to serve something bigger than themselves, he said. “They sacrifice a lot. They are always willing to help. They are often deployed during major family events. They miss birthdays and ceremonies. Thank God for video and livestreaming,” he said. Parishes will find that veterans and military families are great volunteers. “They love to serve and never get tired of serving,” he said. While there are differences between being a parish priest and a military chaplain, there are commonalities to addressing the life experiences of all the faithful. On vocations to the priesthood, for example, Father Okorie said that fam-ily life is still the primary training field for vocations. “Parents influence their children in the choices they make. I grew up knowing the Church was very important in the life of my family. I knew that God meant everything — for me, that was the foundation.” What parents view as important is what children will see as important, Father Okorie said. “If not for my family, I probably would have been a doc-tor or a lawyer,” he said. The priests and nuns in his parish and schools also influenced him as role models. Parents, he said, need to plant seeds of faith in their children when they are young. Whatever a child is called to do later in life, the seeds of faith are planted and will eventually be of help. “Trust me!” he said, “that Catholic guilty conscience will kick in, and they will go to church on Sunday morning.” 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.

St. John the Evangelist Cathedral begins project to restore tabernacle to center of sanctuary The following story appeared in the Feb. 12 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register. Tabernacle to be placed at St. John’ s Cathedral. Parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral parish and members of the Church from throughout the Diocese will have plenty to celebrate this year as the Cathedral celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Cathedral was dedicated on March 27, 1921, but the official celebration of the centennial is planned for June 6. By then the mother church of the Diocese of Boise will have completed a renovation and a restoration. The renovation is of the stairs leading to the east and southern entrances of the Cathedral, a project recently completed. The restoration is the return of the Tabernacle and the dome under which it rests to its original location in the center of the altar area. That will mean moving the Bishop’s Chair and the canopy, now in the center, over it to the north wall of the sanctuary. “The mission of the Church is to bring souls to Christ and make Him the center of our lives,” said Father Mariusz Majewski and Deacon Daniel Gamboa, parish administrator, in a letter to parishioners. “We believe this should be reflected in our worship space, especially at the Mother Church of our Diocese. Restoring Jesus to the center of our Cathedral, the most prominent place of honor, will assist the faithful into a deeper understanding of Christ truly present and alive in the tabernacle, and lead to a deepening of true adoration and devotion.” The Cathedral launched a fundraising effort this month to raise the estimated $200,000 it will cost to complete the restoration. The project begins the week of Feb. 15 and is expected to take about 90 days, Deacon Gamboa said. Weekend Masses will not be disturbed by the construction, though the view of the back of the sanctuary will be obstructed. The daily 8:30 Mass and Exposition will continue to be held in the main sanctuary upstairs, but the daily 12:15 p.m. Mass will be celebrated in the downstairs chapel, where it was celebrated before the pandemic. The project is timed to be completed in time for Corpus Christi Sunday on June 6, the feast that celebrates the Body and Blood of Christ. At that time, the Cathedral will celebrate its centennial, the centennial of its organ, the renovation of the steps and the restoration of the sanctuary. Events will begin on Saturday evening, June 5 with a Mass followed by an organ concert. After the Sunday, June 6 Corpus Christi Mass, a procession of the Blessed Sacrament will take place through downtown, followed by a street fair. The plan is to close Eighth Street in front of the Cathedral’s main entrance to create room for food and other street festival vendors. Each parish is invited to send delegates to the Mass, procession and festival, Deacon Gamboa said. “We are inviting the whole Diocese, as this is the Mother Church of the Diocese, to participate in this project and celebrate with us. The Cathedral belongs to everyone.” According to an announcement on the Cathedral website, boisecathedral.org, the 90-day restoration project will include: Restoration of the tabernacle and the 4.5-ton reredos (dome and columns housing the tabernacle) to its original location. Restoration of the Bishop's baldacchino and cathedra (canopy and chair) to north wall of sanctuary. Restoration of the original baptismal font to new location north of the existing baptismal pool. Relocation of the ambry to a new location on the north wall below the St. Joseph statue. Relocation of the Sacred Heart statue to where the tabernacle is currently located. Raising the current crucifix in the sanctuary to a higher level. Buying a new tabernacle and monstrance Deacon Gamboa said he approached Bishop Peter with the idea a couple of years ago. "We walked the area several times to get a vision of what we were looking at and what we wanted," Deacon Gamboa said. "The bishop was fully supportive of our wish to relocate the tabernacle front and center.” Regarding the placement of the tabernacle, Paragraph 314 of The Roman Missal states, "In accordance with the structure of each church and legitimate local customs, the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, conspicuous, worthily decorated and suitable for prayer." Two churches in the Treasure Valley - Our Lady of the Rosary in east Boise and Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell - have recently relocated their tabernacles to the front center of the sanctuary. Those wanting to the contribute to the project can go to https://www.osvhub.com/boisecathedral/funds and choose "Tabernacle Project" at the bottom of the page. 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.

Grateful for unanswered prayer and support from Diocese, seminarian presses on toward ordination. Seminarian Tim Segert participates in the choir at Mount Angel Seminary. The Boise native is completing his pastoral year this year at St. Mark’s Parish in Boise and hopes to be ordained as a deacon next year and as a priest in 2023. (Courtesy photo/Mount Angel Seminary) The following story appeared in the March 12 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register By Gene Fadness Editor Those donating to the Idaho Catholic Appeal may have no idea – this side of heaven – of the ripple effect of their generosity. Tim Segert, a seminarian at Mount Angel Seminary currently serving his pastoral year in Boise, knows that seminary would not be financially feasible for him without the Idaho Catholic Appeal. Indeed, he may not even be Catholic if not for Appeal donations that help finance campus ministry centers. It was through the influence of students involved at Bronco Catholic that Segert, formerly a Baptist, was influenced to pursue Catholicism. Now, thanks in part to the Appeal, Segert is on his way toward ordination and a spiritual harvest yet to be determined. Much of the approximate $3 million raised by the Appeal goes to pay expenses for Segert and a dozen other seminarians now studying at Mount Angel, Bishop White Seminary or St. Peter and Paul Seminary in Michigan. The Appeal also helps meet expenses related to the formation of 20 candidates now preparing to be ordained deacons, as well as funding ongoing formation for priests and deacons. Further, donations to the Idaho Catholic Appeal are also used to help fund the campus ministries at Boise State, the University of Idaho and Idaho State University, ministries that played a pivotal role in the decisions of Segert and many others to pursue priesthood. “I would have had hundreds of thousands of debt in student loans that would have been hard to pay off on a priest’s salary,” said Segert, who is scheduled to be ordained a deacon next year and a priest in 2023. “I am eternally grateful to the people of God who have made it possible.” FAITH HAS ALWAYS been an important part of Segert’s life, although he has been Catholic for only nine years. He was raised in a devout Protestant home in Boise, where reading the Bible and going to church were frequent experiences. He remembers being baptized when he was 5. Segert attended Boise State where he was involved in Campus Crusade for Christ and various evangelical churches, including Calvary Chapel. It was also at Boise State that he first encountered committed Catholics. “Previous to that, the Catholics I had met didn’t know their faith and didn’t seem to care. So, I wasn’t that impressed. I thought being a Catholic was more of a cultural thing.” Until he started dating a Catholic girl, who was not only committed to her faith, but was a convert from a Protestant background. That intrigued him. He knew of many Catholics who became Protestant, but not the other way around. He asked her to share with him what caused her to change her faith tradition. That was when the books started coming. As soon as he would finish one, she would have another, many from Catholic converts like Dr. Scott Hahn and Peter Kreeft. Though she offered him books and didn’t hesitate to share her faith, he didn’t feel pressure from her to become Catholic. “She gave me room, she never forced it.” Her books led to others. “I read dozens of books before I ever attended Mass,” he said. “Intellectually I was becoming Catholic. It was happening very slowly, but it was happening.” He knew it was happening particularly during discussions with fellow Protestants. “I found myself defending the Catholic Church a lot without being Catholic,” he said. It was then that he decided he should start attending Mass. “If I didn’t start looking into it seriously, I would be intellectually dishonest with myself.” The first time he visited the St. Paul’s Student Center on the Boise State campus, he looked around to make sure no one was watching. “I was embarrassed to be there at first. I didn’t want my Protestant friends to see me going in there.” It was while sitting in the chapel at St. Paul’s that his intellectual conversion also made room for a spiritual change of heart. “I remember feeling someone present in there. I knew it was Christ, I knew it was a good presence. I remember saying to myself, ‘This is the Christ I already know.’ ” The first time he visited the St. Paul’s Student Center on the Boise State campus, he looked around to make sure no one was watching. “I was embarrassed to be there at first. I didn’t want my Protestant friends to see me going in there.” It was while sitting in the chapel at St. Paul’s that his intellectual conversion also made room for a spiritual change of heart. “I remember feeling someone present in there. I knew it was Christ, I knew it was a good presence. I remember saying to myself, ‘This is the Christ I already know.’ ” At the time, he did not understand the doctrine of the Real Presence. However, due in part to that peaceful presence he encountered, “I never doubted the Real Presence as soon as I learned about it.” He took RCIA from Father Hugh Feiss, OSB, then the campus chaplain, and the late Deacon Chuck Skorro. “They were a huge influence, but even more so was the community fostered at the Catholic student center,” Segert said. In 2012, during his senior year, Segert was received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. AFTER GRADUATION from BSU, he entered graduate school at Western Carolina University, pursuing a degree in higher educational administration. He was involved in the Catholic student group there and, after earning his master’s degree, accepted a job at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., as the administrator of three residence halls. He had not entertained the notion of becoming a priest until a Dominican priest came to speak at one of his young adult activities. “I don’t remember the words he said, but I do remember that his life story was similar to mine. He was a convert who had been brought into the faith intellectually. His story really shook me and gave me a feeling that I needed to do something more with my faith.” He spoke with the priest afterward, telling him that his talk had “convicted” him. “The priest told me that that might be the Holy Spirit, which terrified me,” he said. “I struggled with that for months, so much so that my hands would break out into a rash. I would pray to God to leave me alone, even praying the rosary more to tell the Lord to leave me alone about this. I get why Jonah ran.” Precisely the opposite happened. “Priesthood became this persistent thought working its way to the back of my mind that I couldn’t get rid of,” Segert said. After a couple of months wrestling with God, Segert agreed to attend a re-treat with the Dominicans to consider becoming a priest through a religious order. It wasn’t a fit. “I was disappointed that the Dominicans didn’t work.” Not long afterward, he visited the St. John Paul II National Shrine near the CUA campus. “I was blown away by the millions of lives affected by this man who was a diocesan priest.” That opened him to considering diocesan priesthood, but then the choice was between the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and his home Diocese of Boise. “You couldn’t pick two more polar opposite dioceses. One has a large land area with a low Catholic population and the other was very densely populated, covering a small geographic area, but lots of Catholics.” While there are advantages to having so many Catholics as well as fellow priests and religious orders in a small, geographic area, there is also the advantage of hearing frequently from one’s bishop. “I could tell he wrote it, not a secretary,” Segert said, of a communication he received from Bishop Peter. The Bishop assured Segert that in the Diocese of Boise, he would not be a number or a stranger to the Bishop or anyone in the local church. “You will be known by name here,” the Bishop told him. “That likely would not have happened in D.C.,” Segert said. Segert enrolled at Mount Angel Seminary four years ago, is now serving his pastoral year, and then returns for two more years beginning this fall. He is thankful for the sound education at Mount Angel, where he has received his master’s degree in philosophy, “a field I didn’t know I loved until I found it. Most people don’t like it, but I do.” But, as was the case at St. Paul’s Student Center, it’s been the community formed with fellow seminarians, some of whom are now priests, that has been as important as the intellectual development. “I feel like we are best friends. They are fellow soldiers who have been in the trenches with me. We’ve grown together and seen a lot of things together,” Segert said. “It can be difficult at times. It’s a special camaraderie, unlike other types of friendships.” He also loves the stability of the Benedictine spirituality at Mount Angel. “It is a balanced, harmonious life that creates strong community. You know that no matter what else you are doing in life, when you come back to Mount Angel, it will always be like it was. They say you can never go back home because it will have changed. But, Mount Angel, while it isn’t home, is a place that you can go back to that doesn’t change.” SEGERT’S PARENTS remain actively involved in their Baptist faith. “We are mutually at peace with each other,” he said. “We can talk a lot about our faith without it being contentious. My parents are remarkably supportive.” That is especially true when you consider Segert is their only child, meaning they will never have grandchildren. Segert views celibacy and priesthood as inextricably linked. “The priesthood is built on sacrifice. Jesus Christ is sacrifice, the Mass is a sacrifice. The priesthood is built on that cornerstone of sacrifice,” he said. Catholic priests stand out in the world, partly because of their celibacy, he said. “Many see that total dedication to Christ when they see celibacy,” he said. “It’s a mystery that points to the kingdom of God by its very sacrificial nature.” His pastoral year at St. Mark’s has included an initiative to get people back to Mass, even those who were not attending before COVID (see story on Page 12). He’s also rebooted the altar server program after it was shut down by COVID. He teaches a religion class at St. Mark’s Catholic School and helps with the RCIA program. Serving in day-to-day parish life has not been more than he anticipated, but the faith of the people surpasses expectation. “I’m very impressed with the good number of faithful Catholics who live out their faith so well in their daily lives. You don’t get to see that at seminary.” Segert is fully aware of the challenges faced by the Church: the loss of so many, particularly young people and the divisions within the Church. Despite that, “I have great faith that God is going to do great things in the Church because He said He would. The Church is still built on the solid rock of Peter, and that won’t change.” “I am most excited about the movement of the Holy Spirit in the church. People are rediscovering what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and the gifts they can receive,” Segert said. “The normal Christian’s prayer can have great efficacy if he knows what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing. I’ve seen miracles occur because of a Christian’s prayer, and I don’t use that term lightly.” 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.

One Boise family’s journey into the Church is a microcosm of the past year’s daunting challenges. Joshua Shultz is baptized by Bishop Peter Christensen during a special liturgy last year during a time when churches across the state were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shultz, an ICU nurse, sought and received permission to enter into the Church with his wife and five children due to the high-risk nature of his job and the uncertainty regarding the severity of the virus at the time. (Courtesy photo/Joshua Shultz) By Gene Fadness Editor Last year’s Rite of Election ceremonies held throughout the state were among the last “open” events before the COVID-19 pandemic closed churches across Idaho, just as the faithful were preparing to celebrate the Easter liturgies when about 800 future Catholics were to be received into the Church. Idaho’s first COVID case was reported almost exactly one year ago, on March 13. A year later the Diocese still adapts to a pandemic that, while lessening, lingers. This year, some Rite of Election ceremonies were among the first more open events on a larger scale that could be held as the state begins a hoped-for return to normalcy. Still, some parishes elected to hold their own Rites of Election with their priests rather than a deanery-wide event with the Bishop present. But for those more comfortable with a larger venue, Bishop Peter Christensen did travel through the Diocese, leading Rites of Election in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Caldwell and Boise. The Rite of Acceptance, the Rite of Election and the Scrutinies that lead to the Easter Vigil are memorable and sacred events, especially for those entering the Church. This is especially true for Josh Shultz, an ICU critical care nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise. Last year’s Rite of Election began a chain of events that made his entry into the Church and that of his family, even more remarkable and unusual than most. His story is a microcosm of the unusual year experienced by many of the faithful. The Shultz family with Bishop Peter. From left, Travis, Ethan, Natalie, Christin, Joshua, Trinity, Bishop Peter and Josiah.(Courtesy photo/Shultz family) BISHOP PETER could not help but take notice when he heard these names called during last year’s Rite of Election at St. John’s Cathedral: Joshua Shultz, Christin Shultz, Ethan Shultz, Josiah Shultz, Natalie Shultz and Trinity Shultz. On his way out of the Cathedral, he grabbed Josh Shultz by the arm. “What’s your story?” the Bishop asked Shultz. Shultz gave the Bishop a shortened version of his 10-year journey to Catholicism, one that took him from an evangelical and then Presbyterian background and five years of seminary study and a Masters of Divinity. Shultz grew up in a devoutly evangelical home, his dad the worship leader for their congregation. “I knew the Bible from early on, which eventually led me to Catholicism,” he said. Shultz married Christin, also an evangelical Christian. He became a registered nurse, but his love for the Bible led him to enroll at the Master’s Seminary, the seminary on the campus of the church founded by nationally known radio preacher and author, John MacArthur. He began to have problems with their view of scripture and transferred to Westminster Theological Seminary and, while there, he and his wife joined the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a denomination that broke away from the more theologically liberal Presbyterian Church USA. While studying for his master’s degree, Shultz came across early teaching on issues such as infant baptism. Convinced that was the correct view of baptism, the youngest of their five children became the first one baptized as an infant. But that didn’t end the questions. If Rome was right on baptism, what else could it be right about, he wondered. His graduate thesis was, “Mariology and the Doctrine of Adoption,” a choice he later acknowledged, “was really a bad idea if you want to stay Protestant.” Despite his questions, he really wanted to stay Protestant. Not only did he love his church and his family, but he knew a conversion to Catholicism would create what might become an insurmountable rift with some family members on both sides of the family. “Over 10 years, I tried to do everything in my power to take myself out of the Catholic argument. I tried to be Orthodox Presbyterian, Anglican, Lutheran, anything but Rome,” he said. “I loved the church we were attending, and I remember praying, ‘Please show me where I’m wrong on this.’ ” Shultz contacted other converts who had similar backgrounds in theological study: former Presbyterian minister Scott Hahn of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology; Dr. Bryan Cross of Called to Communion; Michael Barber of John Paul the Great Catholic University; and an Anglican priest near his hometown whose entire congregation had converted to Catholicism. The more he studied, the more it seemed that con-version was inevitable. “There was that moment I remember driving home and being in tears about where I was at, knowing this wasn’t going to be an easy road,” he said. Out of respect for Christin’s equally devout upbringing, Shultz determined he not would enter the Church without her. She was clearly not comfortable with many of the things he was saying throughout the near decade of his study. Thus his surprise and “huge relief” when, on a 10th anniversary trip to Stanley, Idaho, she told him she was willing to enroll in RCIA. By this time, the family had moved to Idaho, even though his job was still in San Diego where he would work one week there and then spend one week here. ALTHOUGH IT SEEMED as if their arduous journey was about to end, that was not to be the case. The Rite of Acceptance at Holy Apostles Catholic Church in Meridian was happening on a weekend that Shultz was not in Boise. Christin called to tell her husband that she did not think she would be able to go to the ceremony. “After the call,” Shultz said, “I remember realizing that we might be done and that we would be going back to the Presbyterian Church. I remember telling the Lord, ‘I think this journey is over. If you want us to keep going, you’re going to have to handle it.’ ” However, Christin did end up going to the Rite of Acceptance. As she and her children received the Sign of the Cross on their ears, eyes, lips, hearts, shoulders, hands and feet, “something happened that is more Christin’s story to tell,” Shultz said. Christin called her husband back later that night. Having difficulty talking through her tears, she told Josh, “I know that this is what we are supposed to do for our family.” “That was the first of several miracles on our RCIA journey,” Shultz said. The next step was to start informing family. In January, about three months before last Easter, Shultz began writing letters to family members, knowing that the reaction would, at least initially, not be favorable. But, still the relief was palpable. Entry into the Church was now just a few weeks away. At the Rite of Election at St. John’s Cathedral, the family all came forward, and all met the Bishop. Later that night, Shultz had that conversation with Bishop Peter who quizzed him about his family’s long journey that was about to culminate with an Easter Vigil that, while perhaps not attended by family members, would be attended by dozens of fellow RCIA students, their sponsors from California and many friends. THEN, COVID. That Rite of Election and that encounter with the Bishop was one of the last public events in the Cathedral before the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of churches and the delay of the Sacraments of Initiation for new Catholics for an indefinite period. For Shultz, the pandemic hit especially close to home because his job took him into the center of it. He worked 14-hour shifts for the first 12 days after the pandemic hit southern California. Because he did not want to possibly take the virus to his family or others, he slept in his van and showered in the hospital basement. The number of cases increased, including those coming into San Diego from across the border. He really wondered whether he, or the 30 to 40 nurses he supervised, would survive. As troubling as the pandemic was, so also was the specter of closed churches and delayed sacraments. Now back in Idaho, he contacted his RCIA leaders. “I told them I was an ICU nurse and would really love to see this through with my family.” Shultz was told he would have to wait. He contacted priests in southern California who told him if he and his family could make it back down, they would find a way for his family to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. But flights were closed, and he worried about exposing his family to increased risk. The friend who was a former Anglican priest who had led his entire congregation into the Church suggested that Shultz write the Bishop and share his unique circumstance. On Holy Thursday, Shultz wrote Bishop Peter, but being Holy Week, he knew he might not hear back right away. He watched a livestream of the Easter Vigil Mass with Bishop Peter almost alone in the Cathedral. This was supposed to have been the culmination of a 10-year journey, a night of celebration with family and friends. “Watching that Saturday night vigil was one of the darkest moments in my life. I have never had my spirit attacked that much. I couldn’t finish watching it.” The following Tuesday, a call came from Bishop Peter. He told Shultz how his letter had moved him, especially the comment that he may not live to celebrate the Catholic faith with his family. The Bishop asked Shultz when he had to return to California. When Shultz said he would have to return just two days later (Thursday), Bishop Peter asked him if he could bring his family to the Cathedral the following night with just himself, his family and sponsors present. If they could do so, he would give them the Sacraments of Initiation. Shultz immediately called his sponsor, Deacon John Gabriele in San Diego. He and his wife, Angie, drove all night to make the 14-hour trip to Boise. Bishop Peter, with the help of Father Mariusz Majewski and Father Dominique Faure, heard their confessions, baptized those who needed baptism, confirmed them, gave them First Holy Communion and blessed their marriage. “It was the most amazing night of our lives, having that peace with my wife and kids,” Shultz said. “It gave me so much confidence and joy to be able to go back to San Diego and minister to people as a nurse over the next year.” Bishop Peter describes the night in the small chapel in the Cathedral’s basement as a “clandestine catacomb experience.” The Shultz family were not the only ones blessed by the experience. “For me, it was a resurrection moment,” Bishop Peter said. Shultz now works full-time at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise. He and is family are parishioners at St. John’s Cathedral. 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 12 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register Above, Father Nathan Dail leads an outdoor Mass at the recent SEEK Conference. Father Dail becomes chaplain at the center on July 6. (ICR file photos) Bishop Peter Christensen has named Father Nathan Dail, currently parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Lewiston, as the chaplain at St. Paul’s Catholic Student Center on the Boise State University campus. The appointment is effective July 6. Since 2014, Jesuits have been assigned to the campus center, but a joint agreement between the Diocese of Boise and the Jesuits West Province returns diocesan priests to the center, also called Bronco Catholic. The current chaplain is Father Mahn Tran, S.J., who has been assisted by Kyle Baker. In a statement read during Masses at the student center, Bishop Peter Christensen thanked Father Tran and Baker and said Father Dail would be a “good fit” as chaplain. “Although Father Nathan Dail was ordained just three years ago, he has already proven himself to be a highly energized promoter of young adult ministry.” Bishop Peter said. Father Dail will work closely with Andrew Furphy, who remains administrator of campus ministry programs. “Also, I am so grateful for the presence of our FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary team at BSU,” Bishop Peter said. “I know Father Nathan will work in collaboration with FOCUS, bringing the Gospel to the BSU campus.” Father Dail was hiking in the St. Joe National Forest north of Lewiston when Father Nathan Dail he saw on his phone that he had missed a call from Bishop Peter. “That’s when you start high-tailing uphill to find a place where I could get enough service to call him back,” Father Dail said. “It’s hard to put into words what first came to mind when the Bishop told me of my new assignment,” he said. “I was overlooking a deep valley with a slow moving river, scattered snow and evergreen trees all around and below me. It was a moment of great peace,” he said. The priest said “held a deep peace about the next step,” as well as a “sense of loss as I thought of all the wonderful families in Lewiston that I will soon be leaving. They’ve done so much to help form me into the priest I am today,” he said, jokingly adding, “I blame all my defects on them.” 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.

On March 17, Bishop Peter celebrated the annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. During this Mass, our priests renew their solemn vows to the Bishop and to the People of God. In many urban dioceses, the Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Thursday, but it is not possible to do that in geographically large rural dioceses like the Diocese of Boise because some priests would not be able to return in time to their parishes for Holy Thursday night liturgies. Thus, while this Mass took place on March 17, Holy Week, especially Holy Thursday, is an appropriate time to be reminded of the sacred call of priesthood, both the ordained priesthood and the priesthood of believers. This video, taken from the Chrism Mass in Boise, was produced by Sophia Chumich. During the same Mass, the sacred oils that will be used in the parishes of the Diocese for Baptisms, Confirmations and Anointing of the Sick are consecrated by the Bishop. About 55 priests attended the Mass. Bishop Peter said he believes that is the highest attendance of priests throughout the Diocese in the seven years he has presided at a Chrism Mass. Bishop Peter also paid tribute to priests celebrating hallmark anniversaries: Father John Legerski, 40 years; Father Antony Chinnabathini, 25 years; and Father Calvin Blankinship, 25 years. Below is the homily the Bishop shared with the priests and others in attendance: Welcome to this Chrism Mass, this time when we bless the oils - the tools of our trade as priests – and we make a renewal of our priestly promises. We say “I am” to the promises we have made and remake at this liturgy today. The third promise is worthy of our reflection in a special way today. It reads: Are you resolved to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God in the Holy Eucharist and the other liturgical rites and to discharge faithful the sacred office of teaching, following Christ the Head and Shepherd, not seeking any gain, but moved only by zeal for souls? Isn’t that what Jesus does? He moved through this life with a zeal for souls, to bring them home to salvation for His Father in Heaven. His zeal is apparent as He makes His mission statement when He begins his public ministry, proclaiming it by reading the passage from the Prophet Isaiah, which prophesized of Jesus’ coming centuries earlier. When handed the scroll of Isaiah in His own synagogue, Jesus knew right where to turn. The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God; To comfort all who mourn; to place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, To give them oil of gladness instead of mourning, a glorious mantle instead of a faint spirit. … You yourselves shall be called “Priests of the LORD,” “Ministers of our God” you shall be called. … For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, an everlasting covenant I will make with them. Their offspring shall be renowned among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; All who see them shall acknowledge them: “They are offspring the LORD has blessed.” (Isa. 61:1-3, 6, 8-9) Harry White and Liz Ramey bring forward the Sacred Chrism to be consecrated by Bishop Peter to anoint the newly baptized, seal candidates for Confirmation and anoint the hands of priests at their ordination. (Photo courtesy of Mark Bolland) Jesus brings new order to this world He created, a world that had collapsed due to the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. They had fallen to seduction to sin by the great seducer, Satan. Jesus now has come to restore order using His priesthood, a priesthood that has been passed on to those He has chosen to follow in the great work of making all things new in him. You are His chosen priests! Let’s look at his Mission Statement as He proclaimed it in His home synagogue: It begins by saying that His Mission is an anointed one, anointed by God the Father. Jesus is anointed as the Christ, the Savior sent to redeem the world. Anointed, as we heard, to bring glad tidings to the poor. An announcement is being made of a new order coming: Jesus is the Prophet , bringing glad tidings to the poor, announcing the plan of good news as it is now being revealed to all peoples. Jesus has been sent among us to proclaim liberty to captives. Jesus is the giver of a new sort of law. He comes as a Judge , but one who judges with mercy and forgiveness. He gives recovery of sight to the blind. Jesus is a powerful doctor of sorts, able to reverse blindness, giving sight to allow people to see things they have never seen before. Jesus makes all things new by His healing power. He comes to us to let the oppressed go free. Jesus is the great warrior who alone can engage in a battle against the evil one. He moves forward, as does a general at war, having the ability to change the course of history, tipping the scales of oppression to new freedom for the people who all upon him in their need. Jesus proclaims a year acceptable to the Lord. Now He is revealed as King , able to do what only a King, a Lord, is able to announce with assurance: This is the acceptable time, and all of this is fulfilled in your hearing. All of this Jesus will do because He is true priest, prophet and king. My brother priests, we have been appointed by Jesus the High Priest to carry on in the mission He has handed on to us at this time in the history of our world. He gifts us with a share in His own Spirit, His own Holy Spirit giving us the ability to do as He has done. We are to be a prophet , announcing the Kingdom of God present, a time of favor coming to those who are poor in spirit, to those who know they need the glad tidings of Christ, the anointed Son of God who is sent to earth for their salvation. We are to judge rightly the things of this earth, freeing those enslaved and held captive by the imprisonment of their own sins and held in bondage by a lie chosen and lived. We are to liberate with mercy and forgiveness those who seek the freedom Christ has shown, a freedom that He has proven to be able to deliver. We are doctors of souls . We are practitioners who give clarity of sight and new strength for others to see the way of Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, thus allowing those we are called to serve to see the world aright -- our patiently teaching others that the truth matters! We are to be warriors of justice . We need to be courageous, going against the tide of false-hoods present in our own culture today by not giving into the pressures that surround us and not changing the handed-down teachings of our Church by a kiss of lies that only can lead, once again, to an ultimate betrayal. As our King protects His people, know that Jesus has entrusted you and me to do the same: to watch over and care for the flock we have been given to guard. We are His priests, His prophets, His representatives – representatives of the Great King. We are called to protect. Together, as His beloved priests, we are to announce a time of favor to all who gather to hear us. This is the time of salvation, the time that Our Lord continues to announce. The Preface for the Eucharist that we will hear today concludes with these words: As they (your priests) give up their lives for you and for the salvation of their brothers and sisters, they strive to be conformed to the image of Christ Himself and offer you a constant witness of faith and love. It is asked of us, and it has been made possible for us, to give up our lives for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. How do we do this and how do we get the strength to carry on? It is simply this – know and believe, as He has already told you so many times before: you are loved. You are His beloved, His chosen one. He has called you to Himself as His priest. Upon you His favor rests, as you experienced on the day you were ordained. My brothers, today hear the words Jesus speaks to your heart. Let yourselves be loved. Let yourself be loved by your Lord. Hear it often, accept it often. Doing so will allow us to move forward in your ministry with zeal for souls. God bless you and thank you for the service you offer in His Name and by His strength! 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.