Regional parish volunteers (called Ambassadors) have been trained by CRS Fair Trade, a program of Catholic Relief Services that offers certified fair trade coffee, chocolate and handcrafts to socially conscious consumers who can purchase these products from a range of retailers and partners.  Fair Trade is an approach that guarantees farmers and artisans a fair price for their products and safe working conditions, and builds stable, long-term relationships between producers in developing countries and Fair Trade companies in the U.S.

CRS Ambassadors  promote Fair Trade within the Catholic community by encouraging Catholic churches, schools and institutions to use and sell Fair Trade products. Among those trained were Bob Walz, Coordinator for Justice and Outreach at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale, MN.  Mr. Walz is available to work with Minnesota dioceses along the Wisconsin border and the Diocese of Superior. Contact him for referrals to Fair Trade Ambassador in other areas or the CRS Midwest office.

“Catholics can feel gratified that they are helping to build a market that is moral and consistent with Catholic social teachings,” Walz said. “Moreover, when we purchase and use fair trade goods in our Catholic institutions and at home, we are providing economic help to those most in need and we are doing it with dignity. We are living gospel values.”

CRS’ Fair Trade program has grown from two retail partners in 2004 to 16 today, including coffee, chocolate and handcraft retailers.  All of these companies help Catholic schools, parishes, and households shop responsibly for the benefit of disadvantaged producers. To find CRS partners dedicated to Fair Trade, visit http://crsfairtrade.org.

To help support CRS Fair Trade, Catholics can:

• Hold a Fair Trade coffee break at their parish or schools
• Join the CRS Fair Trade Network
• Buy Fair Trade items or give a Fair Trade gift for Mother’s Day
• Host a Fair Trade Sale in their parish, school or even home
• Become a CRS Fair Trade fan on Facebook

Teen abortions drop to lowest number ever as young people embrace life for their unborn babies

But Planned Parenthood sets new record even as state abortion numbers decline

The dramatic drop—560 fewer babies were killed than in 2008—demonstrates that pregnant women are being helped and empowered to choose life by the numerous resources available to them across the state.

“MCCL is pleased to see that more and more minor girls are rejecting abortion, in spite of Planned Parenthood’s aggressive marketing efforts that target teenagers,” said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. “Pro-life efforts to provide real help to pregnant girls and women continue to succeed. We want every pregnant woman to know that we will help them every step of the way, and that no one should ever force them to have an abortion.”

The 579 abortions performed on minor girls last year was the lowest number of abortions on minors ever recorded in Minnesota.  Minor abortions peaked at 2,327 in 1980.

Even though the abortion total was the lowest in 34 years, Planned Parenthood managed to increase its abortions last year to a record 3,996.  Planned Parenthood performed 1,600 more abortions than the next largest provider.  It now performs more than 32 percent of all abortions in the state—its highest percentage ever.

“Despite its claims to the contrary, Planned Parenthood clearly is not concerned with reducing the number of abortions performed in Minnesota,” Fischbach said.  “Today’s report confirms that Planned Parenthood’s aggressive marketing of abortion to teenagers, minorities and low-income women is enabling it to achieve its business goal of performing more abortions every year.”

Other increases in 2009: Chemical abortions using the dangerous and sometimes lethal RU486 drug rose to 19 percent of all abortions, and taxpayer-funded abortions rose to 31.9 percent of all abortions.  Both of these were the highest percentages ever in the state.

The total number of reported abortions performed in Minnesota since 1973 is 555,650.

The following is additional information concerning “Induced Abortions in Minnesota, 2009, Report to the Legislature,” released July 1, 2010, by the Minnesota Department of Health:

40% of women who received an abortion in 2009 had at least one prior abortion.  A total of 949 women reported they had had 3 or more prior abortions

15,158 women received information about abortion risks, complications and alternatives under the Woman’s Right to Know informed consent law, which is 2,770 more than the number who underwent abortions

31.9% of all abortions were taxpayer funded in 2009—this is the highest percentage since the Minnesota Supreme Court’s 1995 Doe v. Gomez decision required taxpayers to pay for elective abortions.  Self-funded abortions are at their lowest level since state abortion reporting began in 1998

Planned Parenthood performed an average of more than 10 abortions every day in 2009, for a total of 3,996.  The provider increased its abortions by 1% while total abortions decreased 4.3%

Planned Parenthood now performs 32% of abortions in Minnesota, its largest percentage since abortion reporting began in 1998.  It has been the state’s largest abortionist since 2004

Planned Parenthood increased its abortions by 63% from 2000 to 2009; total abortions dropped 14% over the same period

Abortionists:

• 98 different people performed abortions in 2009
• 8 physicians each performed more than 600 abortions last year
• Minnesota’s 7 abortion clinics performed more than 99% of all abortions in 2009

Abortions performed on minors (under age 18) declined 10% to 579 from 645 in 2008.  With very few exceptions, abortions performed on minors have been declining steadily since 1987.  In 2006, abortions on minors spiked 16% after Planned Parenthood opened two feeder clinics in Twin Cities suburbs and marketed its services to minors

Race and abortion: African Americans—4% of population, 24% of abortions; Asians—3% of population, 7% of abortions; Caucasians—90% of population, 60% of abortions; Hispanics—3% of population, 6% of abortions

Chemical abortions (RU486) accounted for 19% of the 2009 total, up from 17% in 2008

Rape, incest or “continued pregnancy will cause impairment of major bodily function” combined represented less than 1% of all abortions in 2009

Suction was the most common form of abortion, used for 75% of abortions (76% in 2008). Six instillation (saline) abortions were performed; induction of labor, as a form of abortion, decreased to 6

Reasons women gave for their abortions (more than one reason could be given):

• Less than 1% for rape, incest, “impairment of major bodily function”
• 64% “does not want child at this time”
• 31% economic reasons (down 1% from 2008)

Complications:

• 9 occurred during abortion procedure (6 cervical lacerations, 2 hemorrhage, 1 other)
• 79 occurred after abortion procedure

Trafficking in persons is the coerced use of people as a form of commerce, in slave labor and extreme forms of sexual exploitation. It is a multibillion-dollar-a-year growth industry.

Just last month, the U.S. State Department released its 2010 Report on Human Trafficking. Its authors estimate that 12.3 million adults and children are currently held in modern-day slavery, including forced labor and prostitution. And for the first time, the report included the United States in its rankings, based on the same standards on which we judge other countries. This is a reminder that trafficking is not just a foreign enterprise, but occurs in many American cities as well. In fact, human trafficking is the third-largest criminal enterprise worldwide, behind trafficking in drugs and weapons. Yet there were only 4,166 successful prosecutions of human traffickers in 2009.

Read this month’s letter from CRS President Ken Hackett.

Seminary to host diaconal formation institute

One of the great resources we have in this local archdiocese is The St. Paul Seminary.  Not only does it do a fantastic job of educating and forming our seminarians, but it also provides similar opportunities for lay pastoral leaders.

Our archdiocesan Vocation Office is also most appropriately located there. Recently, the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute has been added to the mix.

I am happy at this point to an­nounce the addition of the Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation as well as the Institute for Diaconal Formation.

These offices will be organized at the Center for Formation at The St. Paul Seminary under the supervision of Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan and the coordination of Bishop Lee Piché. You will hear more about these initiatives in the future, but I am pleased to share with you the purpose and mission of the Institute for Diaconal Formation.

As I announced here in this column over a year ago, I had established a committee under the chairmanship of Father Michael Skluza­cek to study our diaconate program in light of the recently published National Directory for the Forma­tion, Life and Ministry of Permanent Deacons in the United States.

The committee did an excellent job in studying the situation and has now made a series of recommendations, which I have accepted.

Deacon as servant

Perhaps a little bit of background may be helpful here: While the role of the deacon traces its origin to the earliest days of the church (cf Acts 6:1-7), nevertheless, the role fell out of usage for nearly a thousand years.  The Second Vatican Council re­stored it to its proper rank, reestablishing it as an integral part of the church’s life.

The deacon is a servant of the Word, a servant of the altar and a servant of charity. Here in this archdiocese, we have more than 140 active deacons who serve as chaplains in hospitals, nursing homes and correctional facilities.

Deacons also care for the disabled and homebound, work to restore broken marriages and family lives, lead RCIA classes, minister the sacraments of baptism and matrimony, preside at funerals, and bring the Holy Eucharist to the sick and homebound. Finally, and most appropriately, they are attending to the needs of the poor.

While I suspended the admission of new diaconal candidates during this period of study and recommendation, I am now pleased to announce that any man wishing to apply for the diaconate should sign up for the Catechetical Institute, which is now a pre-requisite for formal diaconate training in the Institute for Diaconal Formation.

Interested men — and their wives, if possible — should make application to begin the Catechetical Institute this September (go to www.stthomas.edu/spssod).

Ordinations coming

Throughout this period of research and suspended admission, we have still had men preparing for ordination as permanent deacons.  God willing, I will ordain eight more men to this order on Sept. 25, 2010.

I ask you to pray for these men as well as those who will follow. The diaconate fulfills a special and unique role in the church’s apostolic life. As St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote, “Without bishop, priest and deacon, one cannot speak of the Church.”

God bless you!

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development has collaborated with eleven Catholic organizations to create a new Web site to help college students and campus ministers promote Catholic social teaching on campus.

The Web site, “Transforming Our World: Our Catholic Faith in Action,” can be found at www.usccb.org/campus.

Site elements include principles of Catholic social teaching, prayer materials, small group resources, tools for action, and multimedia such as videos and podcasts. The home page features quotes from Church leaders, ideas of the week and an invitation to site visitors to submit resources and ideas for possible features on the Web site. Collaborators hope the Web site will become an online clearinghouse featuring “best practices” to promote Catholic social teaching on campus.

Development of the site was initiated to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the U.S. bishops’ statement Sharing Catholic Social Teaching. The spring 2010 launch of the site responds to Pope Benedict XVI’s Message for World Youth Day 2010, in which he mentioned challenges such as respect for the environment, just division of goods, solidarity with poor countries, promotion of dignity in labor, building a culture of life, and promoting peace.

“They are challenges to which you are called to respond to build a more just and fraternal world,” Pope Benedict said.

Collaborators involved in the Web site include Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Catholic Campus Ministry Association, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, Catholic Relief Services, Fellowship of Catholic University Students, The National Association of Diocesan Directors of Campus Ministry, National Council of Catholic Women, National Catholic Student Coalition, National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association, and Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

Have you ever been frustrated, burdened and overwhelmed by the problems of our world? Have you ever been tempted to resign to fate and adapt the do-nothing-attitude? I have been hit hard and troubled by both. Today, I have been inspired by the words of the late Bishop Ken Untener (although often attributed to the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero) and the story of Jan Kline of St. John Vianney parish in Kirkland, Wa.

In the words of Bishop Untener, “We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us…We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is the beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God to enter and do the rest.”

These words and spirituality were made real with the story of Jan Kline. Jan visited Catholic Relief Services in Ghana four years ago. She traveled with me in a CRS vehicle on a dead bumpy and dusty road for miles unending to the village of Jawani in Ghana. She wanted to experience a maternal and child care clinic session. At the meeting, Jan was pleased to hear me tell pregnant women and lactating mothers to practice personal hygiene and make sure their babies drink safe clean water to protect them from water borne diseases. One of the mothers staring at me with surprise asked, “Where and how can we get clean water in our village?” What a pity! I did not have an answer for her. The only source of water they had was a pond.

This was a turning moment in Jan’s life. She was speechless and fought back tears. “Water is life and a basic human right” and no one should suffer this way for lack of clean water, she said. It was then and there she made a firm and passionate resolution to do something about it. Today as I write this story, Jan has raised funds among the good people of Seattle to provide 20 boreholes in 20 communities, including Jawani – thus extending access to safe drinking water to many people in Northern Ghana. The gift of water is the gift of life. What a great gift! Thanks a lot, Jan Kline.

In the last couple of days, Jan led a seven member delegation from Seattle to visit some of the beneficiary communities in Northern Ghana to celebrate the gift of water with the people. I had the pleasure to be the host and the tour guide as they visited and interacted with these communities. I asked Jan, how did you manage to raise so much money for 20 boreholes in this harsh economy? She answered, “I simply went home and told the story to my family, my friends, neighbors, parishioners, Christians and non-Christians. The magic is, tell the story to the right people at the right time and the response will be unbelievable.”

During meetings with community members, culture was exchanged, challenges and hopes shared with joy, meals and gifts were shared, love of one another experienced – thus making solidarity real. At the end of the visit, one of the delegates said, “I thought it was about water – but it’s much more than water. It’s about experiencing the people, their love, their generosity and their care for each other. We are all part of the human face of God. My call now is to share that human face of God with as many people in the U.S. as much as I can. I am called to solidarity. I cannot do less.”

Thomas Awiapo works for CRS in Ghana. As a child in Ghana, Thomas was a beneficiary of CRS school feeding programs. Now, as an adult, he travels to the U.S. annually on behalf of CRS to tell his inspiring story to American Catholics at schools, parishes and communities.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. CRS alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.