In October 2025, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston officially opened the cause for canonization of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB. Because she was both born and died within the Diocese of Crookston, her cause falls under the competency of his diocese.

When eight-year-old Romeo Mosser began beating his small, digital drum set at the closing ceremony of the first local spring 40 Days for Life event on March 29, Bonnie Spies, sidewalk coordinator, couldn’t stop smiling.

Sister Mary Andrea Arendt, PBVM, passed away on Holy Saturday, April 4 after a courageous fight with Parkinson’s Disease. A Mass of Christian burial was held at St. Joseph’s Chapel at Riverplace in Fargo April 10 with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery North in Fargo.

Deacon James Allyson Hunt of Hankinson passed away at his home surrounded by family March 25. Deacon Hunt was born Sept. 13, 1947 in Hallock, Minn., to Verne and Sarah (Baldwin) Hunt. He attended school in Humboldt, Minn. and Hallock, Minn., graduating in 1965.

This year our country celebrates its 250th anniversary which began with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. We are rightly proud of our country’s founding principles, storied heritage, and monumental achievements, while at the same time we feel shame about its moral failures, social injustices, and historical dark spots.

Throughout my life I have been blessed with tremendous examples of holy, joyful and faithful priests. My parish priests always instilled in my mind that the priesthood is a happy and fulfilling life. Furthermore, my parents explained the great gift priests are for our faith lives. My dad always calls priests “real-life superheroes” because they bring us Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the other sacraments.

Pastors and parish leaders are always encouraged when they find out that their parish has been named in a will or other estate transfer documents. Even to know that a person intends to include their parish can be very uplifting.

The Fargo Caritas Award Luncheon held March 17 was a joyful and inspiring celebration, one filled with gratitude, faith, and the quiet power of service lived out each day. This year, we were honored to recognize Deb Black as the 2026 Fargo Caritas Award recipient, a woman whose life beautifully reflects the heart of Catholic Charities North Dakota’s mission.

At the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of St. Mary on Feb. 22, 156 prospective Catholics, in the presence of their sponsors and their families, took one step closer to entering the Catholic Church. Their numbers included 37 catechumens, who have not been baptized, and 119 candidates, who have been baptized but have not received the sacraments of Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.

A book review on the book "Til We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis

Recently, our area pro-life efforts made history, but to truly appreciate it all, let’s go back a ways. Ever since the first murmurings of plans for a pregnancy-resource center just south of the Moorhead abortion facility, on a plot of land overrun by weeds and a sagging building, we began envisioning how drastically this addition could aid our outreach.

Fr. Vincent Pham, Associate pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Fargo, shares about the Lunar New Year Festival at St. Anthony's.

Paul Braun, Editor of New Earth, shares about a recent Men's retreat, the Into the Desert retreat focused especially on the time that Jesus spent in the desert and what Catholic men can learn from Jesus’ experiences.

Paul Braun, Editor of New Earth, shares about the Good Friday collection and the history behind it.

Rev. Kyle Metzger – Diocese of Fargo Vocations Director shares abut discernment and taking action while discerning your vocation to the priesthood.

Sister Elaine Lange, Assistant Sector Leader, Sisters of Mary of the Presentation, shares about her life of prayer.

Matthew Samson, Theology I, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., reflects on his time serving as the

Rev. Steven Wirth, Pastor of St. Augustine, Fessenden; St. Boniface, Esmond; and St. William, Maddock shares insight on how to encourage your children to participate during Mass.

When I was a young boy, I was fascinated by the folktale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. Like every good folktale, it contains important lessons, and in this case warns about the power of peer pressure and social contagion to convince people to deny even reality itself.

Brent Hermans was the Music Director at Nativity Parish in Fargo when he died unexpectedly in April 2024. Before he died, Brent submitted an original composition entitled "Encountering Jesus Christ" to Oregon Catholic Press. Now, nearly two years after his death, his composition “Encountering Jesus Christ,” has been arranged and published by OCP.