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Praying for the sick
Bishop Lee Piché gives a blessing to Nancy Goers, a member of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, after a special Mass for World Day of the Sick Feb. 8 at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton.

POPE FRANCIS: Unforgettable images & inspiration
During his nine and a half months leading the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has demonstrated his skill at communicating the Gospel message in simple and direct language.
At times, he also has demonstrated that actions speak louder than words. Below are some memorable papal quotes and photos from 2013.

Woodcarver’s faith, talents go into Cozzens’ crosier
When professional woodcarver Paul Sirba received a request from Bishop-elect Andrew Cozzens to make a crosier, he learned that a bishop’s influence — and word of mouth — reaches beyond a diocese.

‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner’
“It is an unrealistic and impossible expectation that we will ever be able to completely eliminate all risk of clergy sexual misconduct and abuse from our Church, no matter how hard we try. But that is no reason for not trying and doing all that we can to do better. Ultimately, however, as weak, imperfect, sinful human people, we must rely on God´s grace and mercy to sustain us and help us in all of our efforts to heal, to reconcile and to protect each other from harm.” – Father Timothy Norris

Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse committed in 1970s
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said it will investigate and respond to claims raised in a lawsuit filed against Father Jerome Kern.

Program is ‘Christmas miracle’ for those in need
Catholics reach out to those in need through organizations like Sponsor A Family, which recruits sponsors who purchase gifts for families that are struggling with basic needs.

Food ministry a win-win for parish and local businesses
Volunteers from St. Patrick parish in Edina collect prepared, perishable food donations from local restaurants and deliver them to Sharing and Caring Hands.

Vatican’s media adviser offers ‘Top 10’ ways to understand Pope Francis
No matter how some media may want to spin it, Pope Francis won’t fit into the political categories of left or right, and he will challenge everyone with the truth of the Gospel, said the Vatican’s media adviser. “Pope Francis is not a politically correct pope,” rather, he is “a loyal son of the church” […]

Q&A with the bishop-elect
In a follow-up interview on the day Father Andrew Cozzens was appointed an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he spoke with The Catholic Spirit about his family, his vocation, Pope Francis and a variety of other topics. The following is an edited version of the Oct. 11 interview.
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