Father Bernard Reiser received the Eleven Who Care award for his priestly contribution and support of Haiti projects through Reiser Relief Inc., a nonprofit organization he founded to help the poor people in Haiti (www.reiserrelief.org).
The founding pastor emeritus of Epiphany in Coon Rapids, Father Reiser was ordained in 1949 and has devoted his life to serving the needs of others in the parishes he has served and the poor in Haiti.
Reiser Relief Inc. supports two primary schools, Terre Promise and the Reiser Heights Primary. It also is in the process of building Grace Village in Haiti, which will include Maranatha Orphanage for deaf, handicapped, orphaned and abandoned children living in severe poverty. A separate facility will be constructed to care of for the elderly.
Father Reiser’s story aired during recent Kare 11 News programs.
Read more at http://www.kare11.com.
Baby blessing
The Woodbury Pregnancy Options Center held a blessing ceremony Jan. 24 for its new ultrasound machine, donated by members of the Minnesota Knights of Columbus. The Ultrasound machine was purchased with matching funds from the Knights of Columbus Culture of Life Fund. The machine was blessed and dedicated by Father Shane Campbell, associate pastor of St. Ambrose of Woodbury and one of more than 44,000 members in the Minnesota KCs.
The KCs reported that up to 90 percent of women considering an abortion choose to have their baby after seeing an ultrasound image. The Knights started the Ultrasound Initiative program in 2010. Matching funds are raised at a local level to supply the machines to qualified centers at no charge.
Plans are in the works to soon donate machines in St. Paul and Stillwater, with more to follow throughout the state.
If you are interested in helping the Knights of Columbus with this or any other project, call (320) 587-0747 or visit http://www.mnknights.org.
Religious educated
Women entering religious orders today are highly educated and active in parish ministries, according to a new national survey.
The results of “The Profession Class of 2010: Survey of Women Religious Professing Perpetual Vows” were released in advance of World Day for Consecrated Life Feb. 2.
It was conducted by the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.
Major superiors of women religious who participated in the survey reported a total of 79 women who professed perpetual vows in 2010. Of that number, 68 responded by Dec. 15, representing 52 religious congregations, provinces or monasteries, according to a news release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Eighty-four percent of the major superiors who responded to the survey reported they had no one professing perpetual vows last year. Read the complete story on the study HERE.
‘The Rite’ is No. 1
The movie “The Rite,” a fictionalized version of the exorcism training of Father Gary Thomas of the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., was number one at the box office last weekend, making over $15 million.
John Mulderig from Catholic News Service gave the movie — which is based on journalist Matt Baglio’s 2009 book, “The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist,” — a good review, saying, “though shaky on a few details, director Mikael Hafstrom’s conversion tale resoundingly affirms faith and the value of priestly ministry.” The review (click HERE to read) has been a popular story on TheCatholicSpirit.com.
