Young adult leadership conference is Feb. 7

The Archdiocesan Young Adult Leadership Conference Feb. 7 will feature Mass and a question-and-answer session with Archbishop John Nienstedt, and break-out sessions about witness, discipleship and best practices in young adult ministry.

The second annual conference runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stitzmann Hall at the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Lunch is included in the $10 cost.

For more information and to register, visit the event’s page.

Pastor in Savage to receive national award

Father Michael Tix, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Savage, has been selected to receive the National Catholic Educational Association’s Distinguished Pastor Award at the organization’s national convention April 7 in Orlando, Fla. He is one of 12 pastors to be honored nationally.

Father Tix has been pastor of the parish and its 500-student St. John the Baptist School for 11 years. “He strongly believes healthy parish, healthy school; healthy school, healthy parish. He does not separate that at all,” said Cheri Gardner, the school’s director of education. “He’s visible, he attends activities, he leads the community in all the faith aspects.”

“He’s a big supporter of Catholic education,” added Principal Mike Smalley.

DeLaSalle teacher named distinguished educator

DeLaSalle High School teacher Emily Beckman, 33, received the 2014 Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award Nov. 22 in Chicago at the Huether Lasallian Conference, an annual gathering of Lasallian educators. A parishioner of St. Joseph in Rosemount, Beckman said being a Lasallian educator means sharing one’s heart with others and “to really reach out and try to make an impact on everyone’s life.”

Beckman, an IT specialist who teaches classes on yearbook design and broadcast journalism at the Minneapolis school, was one of two awardees from the organization’s Midwest district. The award is sponsored by the Christian Brothers Conference.

Former archdiocese auxiliary bishop marks 25 years of ordination

Bishop Emeritus Joseph Charron of Des Moines celebrated the silver anniversary of his ordination as bishop Jan. 25 at St. Ambrose Cathedral. A priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Bishop Charron was ordained an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1990 and named the eighth bishop of Des Moines in 1994. He retired in 2007. He was succeeded by Bishop Richard E. Pates, also a former auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.