The need to maintain connections with people is not lost on Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
In an episode of “Practicing Catholic” set to debut 9 p.m. March 18, the archbishop recalls the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person Mass was suspended and many people noted how painful that was. Parishioners realized the importance of community to the Catholic faith, as God calls people not only individually, but also as a community, members of the body of Christ, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda
“For us, whether we be bishops, priests, laypeople, deacons … how important it is that we really work at strengthening that communion,” Archbishop Hebda said as he shared with host Patrick Conley several ways that he stays in touch with priests and others.
The strength of community was displayed again at an ecumenical prayer service for peace in Ukraine March 6 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, the archbishop said, where he was joined by faith leaders from the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Maronite rite church in Minneapolis, the Episcopal Church in Minnesota and the Ukrainian Catholic rite parish in Minneapolis.
Examples of community include invitations to priests across the archdiocese for presbyteral assemblies, including one held this past year in Winona, the archbishop said. Even on “off years,” a gathering is held in the summer, he said.
Especially during COVID, the archbishop said, “we felt a need to have greater contact.”
The archbishop recently joined Bill Lentsch, chief operating officer for the archdiocese, for two town hall-type gatherings for priests via Zoom. The archbishop said he felt the dialogue was good, and he was inspired by the number of priests who participated.
“It’s our desire to be of greater service to our parishes, and to do that, we certainly have to be of greater service to our pastors,” he said.
To hear more examples of community building and additional interviews, tune in to the latest “Practicing Catholic,” which also airs on Relevant Radio 1 p.m. March 19 and 2 p.m. March 20.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Jose Aguto from Catholic Climate Covenant, who discusses Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’” and shares thoughts on climate change; and Father Daniel Griffith, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis, who discusses Catholic social teaching.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic (Spotify)
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