Some Church historians recognize a pattern: About every 500 years, the Church goes through an acute crisis that “tends to be a bit unique,” said Father Leonard Andrie, pastor of St. Therese in Deephaven. Consider, he said, the Great Schism of 1054, and about 500 years later, the Protestant Reformation “splintering our brothers and sisters in the various denominations” and accompanying wars.
The 16th century was a very difficult time for the Church, Father Andrie said. “But here we are, 500 years later. We’re seeing our own challenges today,” he said, both inside the Church and in the secular culture.
Father Leonard Andrie
With his love of Church history, Father Andrie thought a course on that history was in order. The course, to be offered Nov. 16 through May 31 in person and livestreamed, will describe key players and movements of each period “to give people a sense of their identity and where we’ve been in the challenges of the Church,” Father Andrie recently told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley.
Father Andrie said he has learned that when a priest gives a homily more as a lecture, people quickly tune out. But if a priest tells a story, it captures the audience’s attention.
“I think this is why our Lord often told stories in the Gospel,” he said. “So, we want to just present this story, if you want to put it that way, of our family history — that we’re part of something bigger than just ourselves, and these are our brothers and sisters who’ve gone before us and how they’ve lived the faith heroically,” he said. And to describe where some mistakes have been made, which also provides an appreciation of the Church and its challenges, he said.
Father Andrie said he wants to help participants “fall in love with our Lord Jesus Christ a lot more.” The course also will help give “kind of a lens for our current situation,” he said, “and some of the challenges that we’re facing, and give people more confidence that the struggles we face now sometimes aren’t new.”
God is still in charge and the Holy Spirit still guides, Father Andrie said. A plan is in place for the faithful today just as much as in previous eras, he said.
Participants can take the course by livestream or in person at St. Therese in Deephaven. The first of 15 two-hour sessions is Nov. 16, and is offered at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., including time for questions. Successive sessions will be held Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and 21, Jan. 11 and 18, Feb. 1 and 15, March 8 and 22, April 5 and 19, and May 3, 17 and 31.
The cost is $25, which includes the book, “Timeless: The History of the Catholic Church,” and other materials. To register and pay online for the course and materials, visit the St. Therese website, st-therese.org/bible-study.
To hear more details and the full interview, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It airs at 9 p.m. Nov. 12, 1 p.m. Nov. 13 and 2 p.m. Nov. 14 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who describes his partnership with Bishop Andrew Cozzens and gives thoughts about a new auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese; and Bernadette Gockowski and Alison Duffy, who discuss “Known by God,” an upcoming retreat for grieving mothers who lost a baby before birth.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
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