Bishop Zielinski welcomes the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Diocese of New Ulm
NEW ULM - Five days after Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, a symbolic act marking the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025 that is dedicated to the service of prisoners, poor people, and victims of war, New Ulm’s bishop Chad Zielinski welcomed the Holy Year locally with a Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.
Before entering the cathedral doors, with swords raised, the local Knights lined the stairway to the entrance of the church where Bishop Chad Zielinski held high the crucifix, marking the local opening of Jubilee Year 2025.
Prior to the liturgy, approximately 100 faithful gathered in the nearby Cathedral School gymnasium for a brief ceremony before the 10 a.m. Mass introducing the Jubilee Year. The ceremony’s lector read from the pope’s Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, affirming that in the heart of each person, “hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.”
“O Father, you are the hope that does not disappoint and the beginning and end of all things,” Bishop Zielinski proclaimed, asking God to bless the start of our Jubilee Year journey.
Following the ceremony, those gathered proceeded in song to the cathedral. The procession was led by Bishop Zielinski, who was guided by a large crucifix held by seminarian Brent Sundve. Before entering the cathedral doors, with swords raised, the local Knights lined the stairway to the entrance of the church where the bishop held high the crucifix, marking the local opening of Jubilee Year 2025.
A jubilee year, also known as a “Holy Year,” is a special worldwide celebration that usually occurs every 25 years within the Catholic Church. Pope Boniface VIII called the first jubilee in 1300, with Holy Years offered at various intervals.
The Jubilee of Hope invites Catholics to grow in their faith and draw closer to Christ through the reception of the sacraments and participation in Holy Year activities such as visiting designated churches and shrines. The Diocese of New Ulm has two pilgrimage sites, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Schoenstatt Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye.
During the Jubilee Year, Catholics can obtain special plenary indulgences and remission from punishment for sins that have already been forgiven. (Visit the Diocese of New Ulm website dnu.org or call (507) 233-5361 for details.)
The Diocese of New Ulm has also set up a special webpage offering resources on the Jubilee year. It includes information on the upcoming diocesan pilgrimage and pilgrimage site locations and a unique 27-week prayer guide Behold, Your Mother, provided in print and audio. This prayer guide, developed by the Diocese of New Ulm Office of Evangelization and the Office of Worship, is designed to help participants grow in their relationship with Mary - the patroness of the Diocese of New Ulm.)
The Jubilee Year will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, 2026, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Dioceses worldwide will conclude their local celebrations of the Holy Year on Dec. 28, 2025.
U.S. Bishops Affirm Advancement of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Sister Annella Zervas, OSB
The bishops affirmed their support for the advancement of the cause of beatification and canonization at the local level.
BALTIMORE - At their November Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on the cause of beatification and canonization of Sister Annella Zervas, a professed religious of the Order of Saint Benedict.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, facilitated the presentation to the bishops. With 206 votes in favor, 7 votes against, and 11 abstentions, the bishops affirmed their support for the advancement of the cause of beatification and canonization at the local level.
By a voice vote, the bishops affirmed their support for the advancement of the cause of beatification and canonization at the local level.
A brief biography of Sister Annella Zervas was provided by the Diocese of Crookston:
Anna Cordelia Zervas was born on April 7, 1900, in Moorhead, Minnesota. From a young age, she exhibited a deep devotion to the Eucharist and prayer and attended Mass daily. At age fifteen, she entered the convent of the Benedictine Sisters in St. Joseph, Minnesota. She received the Benedictine habit in 1918, receiving the name Sister Mary Annella, made her simple profession in July 1919, and her solemn profession in July 1922. Sister Annella was known for her devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, as well as for her kindness, generosity, sense of humor, musical talent and artistic abilities.
About a year after her solemn profession, Sister Annella began suffering from a severe, undiagnosable illness. The illness was marked with extreme physical suffering that eventually prevented her from living in the monastery and forced her to return to her family for care. Despite the pain, Sister Annella maintained unwavering faith and joy, and she focused on the spiritual welfare of others, inspiring others with her kindness and calm. Holy Communion was her greatest consolation in her suffering, and she trusted that God had a special reason for her suffering, and that He would bring it to an end when He wished, remarking, “I am buying my ticket for eternity, and it is well worth the price.”
Sister Annella passed away on August 14, 1926, at the age of 26. She is remembered as an “apostle of suffering for our day,” with her life serving as a testament to radical trust in God and full obedience to His holy will. Central to Sister Annella’s legacy is her belief that the Eucharist is life’s greatest consolation, teaching the importance of recognizing God’s true presence in this sacrament. Her life serves as an example of profound trust and obedience, offering a model of holiness for Catholics around the world.
US bishops elect Archbishop Hebda as treasurer-elect, five new committee chairs
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis was elected treasurer of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 12, bringing valuable experience from his own archdiocese to the conference post.
BALTIMORE (OSV NEWS) - The bishops chose Archbishop Hebda over Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, in a 156-84 vote on the morning of the first public session of the U.S. bishops’ fall assembly held in Baltimore Nov. 11-14. He will serve as treasurer-elect for the next year before taking office officially at the end of the bishops’ November meeting in 2025.
The Harvard-educated Archbishop Hebda has been at the helm of the Twin Cities archdiocese since 2015, where he has led an effort to restructure and realign resources following the resignation of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt in 2015 for mismanaging clergy sexual abuse cases. He was first named apostolic administrator in 2015 and then led the archdiocese as its archbishop the year after. CONTINUE READING
Faithful servant Msgr. John Richter dies
SLEEPY EYE – Mass of Christian Burial for Monsignor John A. Richter of Sleepy Eye, MN will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye.
Visitation will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 7 p.m. The 4th Degree Knights of Columbus will have an Honor Guard at the visitation and will lead the Rosary at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, which everyone is invited to attend and pray for Monsignor John. Visitation will continue on Thursday, October 31, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye with the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Honor Guard present. Interment at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Bird Island, MN will follow the funeral luncheon.
The service will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/stmarysleepyeye. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.
John Andrew Richter was born on January 20, 1938, in Bird Island, to William and Clara (Majeski) Richter. He grew up in Bird Island and after the 8th grade, he attended Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul MN. John obtained his Baccalaureate Degree in history from the St. Paul Seminary. He was ordained into the priesthood on February 22, 1964, at the Church of St. Mary in Bird Island by Bishop Alphonse J. Schladweiler. Following his ordination, Msgr. Richter went on to serve the parish communities of New Ulm (Cathedral of the Holy Trinity with teaching duties at Cathedral High School), Hutchinson, Montevideo, Madison, Canby, Sleepy Eye (while also serving as superintendent of St. Mary’s Catholic School and chaplain of Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye), Wabasso, Seaforth, Lucan, Wanda, and Searles. He served as rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm from 2002 to 2015, at which time he became senior associate pastor at the Cathedral and also assisted in the Holy Cross Area Faith Community (New Ulm, Searles, Lafayette, West Newton Township). He also served as diocesan director of Vocations and the Bishop’s Liaison to the Charismatic Renewal and on various diocesan committees.
On September 14, 2005, Msgr. Richter was named Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of “Monsignor” by Pope Benedict XVI.
In 1998, he received the Diocesan Distinguished Service Medal from the second bishop of New Ulm Bishop Raymond A. Lucker in recognition of his “faithful ministry and effective educational leadership,” and on May 23, 2019, he was inducted into the Knights of Columbus Hall of Fame.
Following retirement from active ministry in 2017, Msgr. Richter served as chaplain to the Divine Providence Community Home/Lake Villa Maria in Sleepy Eye. He was a beloved priest who will be remembered for his service to God and his parishioners that brought him great joy.
Monsignor Richter died on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, under hospice care at Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye, MN. He is survived by his siblings, Patricia O’Connor of Sioux Falls, SD, Germaine Schaeffer of St. Paul, MN and Kathleen Neubauer of Hastings, NE; sister-in-law, Kay Richter of Champion, MN; and brother-in-law, Jack Davidson of Clive, IA; and forty-six nieces and nephews and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Clara; siblings and their spouses, Margaret (Hubert) Schneider, Helen (Martin) Schulte, William (Dory) Richter, Barbara (Richard) Baumann, Aggie Davidson, Charles Richter, Bill O’Connor, Jim Schaeffer and Don Neubauer.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Divine Providence Community Home or St. Benedict Monastery Shrine in Sivagangai, India.