A priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for 56 years, Father Walter Sochacki, died Feb. 8 at St. Therese Care Center in New Hope. He was 81.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. … I know mine and mine know me ... My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (Jn 10:11, 14, 27).
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk 2:10). The announcement of the birth of a Savior was a “great joy” to a people who had long awaited this “good news.”
When I made my first confession, I clutched an index card with sweaty palms. On one side, I'd copied the act of contrition, dutifully memorized -- but what if I tripped up in the heat of the moment? On the reverse was a detailed list of my sins, anxiously scribbled lest I miss one.
Behind the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, visitors will find a small courtyard with a bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It’s a place to pray and reflect — or earn “gear” for Pokémon Go, the mobile app that launched July 6 and has quickly surpassed other popular apps, including Twitter, Netflix and Spotify.
Good Shepherd Sunday is the annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This custom began in 1963. It is a day set aside to pray for vocations to the priesthood and the permanent diaconate, as well as to the consecrated life, the vocation of priest, brother, or sister within a religious order that observes the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
