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Diocese announces two new seminarians
Bishop James P. Powers has announced the recent acceptance of two young men as college seminarians for the Diocese of Superior. They are Noah Roe, son of Phil and Janelle Roe, Superior, and Benjamin Schmitt, son of John and Kate Schmitt, Somerset. Both men are 18 years old and will start their first year at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary at St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota, this August. The Roe family are members of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Superior; the Schmitt family belongs to St. Anne’s Parish, Somerset. The diocesan Office of Vocations released this statement: “This is an exciting time for the Diocese of Superior. We look forward to assisting these young men (and their families) on their journey of discernment to diocesan priesthood. Please keep them in your prayers.”
Fraud presentation at chancery
On June 25, Matt Rouse, an eServices Sales Specialist with the National Bank of Commerce, Superior, gave a presentation on fraud awareness at the Diocese of Superior Chancery. Rouse focused on teaching chancery employees how to keep their personal accounts secure, how to recognize devices that steal credit card information and how to avoid becoming victims of phishing scams, among other things. His suggestions included using long phrases, all lowercase, as passwords because they are harder to hack; choosing silly answers for security questions to avoid using personal information, such as family names and hometowns, that can be found online; avoiding posting vacation locations in real time on social media; and staying current on security updates to prevent virus and malware attacks. Online accounts, and even smart refrigerators and thermostats, can be hacked. “You are all taking risks,” he said. Individuals must weigh that risk against the convenience, Rouse added. The first line of defense is to monitor online accounts. “Just keep an eye on things,” he advised. The bank offers presentations as a community service; for more information, email Rouse at .
Medford student attends STEM conference
Melika Steele, a fourth-grader at Holy Rosary School, Medford, was nominated to go to a STEM conference at the University of Minnesota, hosted by the National Youth Leadership Forum Pathways. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics; the conference was June 24-28. For more information on the National Youth Leadership Forum’s parent company Envision, go to https://www.envisionexperience.com/
N.E.W. Koinonia debuts new website
The Northeast Wisconsin Koinonia recently updated otswebsite, new Koinonia.org. The site has pages that offer information about its history, upcoming retreats, links to newsletters and a page about Fr. J. P. Slowey, the first spiritual director for the group in the diocese.
Knights convene in Minnesota
KC Supreme Convention will be held Aug. 6-8 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. There will be an opening party Monday, Aug. 5. The convention will include daily Mass and opportunity for Eucharistic adoration in addition to the business sessions and seminars. Area tours are available, including visits to both the Cathedral of St. Paul and the Basilica of Mary and other local sites. Learn more at supreme2019.mnknights.org.
NFP Awareness Week July 21-27
“Love, Naturally!” is the theme of this year’s Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, a national educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to celebrate God’s design for married love and the gift of life and to raise awareness of Natural Family Planning methods. “NFP,” as the U.S. bishops have written, is supportive of Catholic beliefs because it “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being.” The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, July 21–27, highlight the anniversary of Humanae vitae (July 25) as well as the feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne (July 26), Mary’s parents. For resources and more, visit www.usccb.org/nfp/awareness-week/index.cfm.
Parish to celebrate 150 years
One of the oldest Catholic parishes in Polk County, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Farmington, will celebrate its 150th anniversary Sunday, July 21. The celebration will include 9 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop James P. Powers, with former pastors and current clergy in attendance, as well as former parishioners who have joined religious life. There will be a catered meal at 11:15 a.m. Please RSVP with Connie Demulling by July 14 at 715-294-3618.
