St. Matthew in St. Paul will celebrate with its pastor, Father Stephen Adrian, his 44 years of full-time ministry and his upcoming retirement, with a 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, June 23, and a picnic at Cherokee Park in St. Paul. In case of inclement weather, the Mass and picnic will be at St. Matthew. The celebration will continue with a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24, in St. Matthew’s social hall.
“Father Steve has been a tremendous advocate for education,” said Carol Mike, parish secretary and parishioner at St. Matthew. He served on the board at Archbishop Brady High School and St. Matthew and has been working on the establishment of the new Community of Saints Catholic School, Mike said. “He has supported the St. Mary’s Clinic, which operates out of our parish building during the week, and the Loaves and Fishes Program,” she added.
A long-time advocate of affordable housing, Father Adrian was one of the founders of the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Congregations and the Neighborhood Development Alliance, which both provide help with housing for the poor and homeless. He was presented the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Local Legend award by the General Mills Foundation in 2004.
DeLaSalle High School names principal to post as president
Barry Lieske was named president of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis on June 11. Lieske, who has worked at the school since 1979, has served as principal for 19 years. He has served as interim president since January, following the illness and death of his predecessor, Brother Michael Collins. Lieske and his wife, Barbara, and three daughters are members of Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis.
First girl to earn Marian Award attends Nativity, Bloomington
Julia Baier, a member of Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, was the only girl among 50 youth to receive religious scouting awards at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis recently.
Baier earned the Mary the First Disciple Award, also called the Marian Award, through American Heritage Girl, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country. She is the first AHG member to earn the award in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Father Peter Laird, archdiocesan vicar general, celebrated the Mass during which 29 Boy Scouts also received Ad Altare Dei awards and 17 high-school-aged Boy Scouts received Pope Pius XII awards.
Last chance to double your Catholic Charities contribution
Time is running out to double the impact of your contribution to Catholic Charities. An anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 to match every dollar sent to Catholic Charities during May and June. Donate at cctwincities.org/donate and select “Spring Challenge Gift,” or send a check with “Challenge” on the memo line to Catholic Charities, 1200 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55403.
Basilica choir sings in Europe with concert at Notre Dame
The Basilica of St. Mary’s Cathedral Choir is singing in Europe June 15-24. The choir will sing in the Belgian cathedrals of Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Tielt and will end its tour in Paris with a concert and Mass at Notre Dame. Johan van Parys, the Basilica’s director of liturgy and sacred arts, said few choirs are chosen for the honor of singing at Notre Dame.
Chaska’s SayHey5k supports city, Guardian Angels Church
Some 75 percent of the funds from the SayHey5k are earmarked to support downtown Chaska storefront restoration and 25 percent for restoration of Guardian Angels, a Chaska landmark for more than 150 years.
The race is set for Saturday, June 30, in downtown Chaska. Registration includes race shirt, pre-race meal, post-race meal, live music, race, local discounts and more.
Registration starts at just $15 (early child registration).
Registrations are accepted in person at local businesses, by mail (print forms from http://www.sayhey5k.com/register), or register online at http://www.sayhey5k.com/store.
