by Father James Gross | Pastor of St. Mary’s, Grand Forks
The people of St. Mary’s Church in Grand Forks have finished the restoration of their sanctuary. The project was a long time coming. Father Dan Mrnarevic, a beloved former pastor, arranged for a consultant to provide a rudimentary plan nearly ten years ago. Here is where they are today.
"One gray, dreary afternoon during the 40 Days for Life vigil, I witnessed evil meeting purity and light. Arriving at the sidewalk of our area’s abortion facility alone, I was struck by the sight of the escorts gathered like vultures waiting for their next victim, and relieved to see my friend Chris show up in his pickup a few minutes later, with more fortification quickly following. Despite the warmth among us, bleakness pervaded."
by Mary Hanbury | Director of Catechesis for the Diocese of Fargo
The last stop on our pilgrimage to Rome is the Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge, the Angels Bridge. This is not just an ordinary bridge, but in times past it was the only bridge across the Tiber River by which pilgrims would reach their destination of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Newman Living, in partnership with St. Paul’s Newman Center (SPNC), proudly announces the acquisition of The View on University Apartments and the adjoining SPNC townhomes in Fargo.
by Josh and Jackie Gow, Valley City & Heather and Jacob Hanson, Hankinson
The journey covered over 580 miles, beginning in the valley and prairie of North Dakota, ending at the heights. The trip was over thirteen hours of driving, with countless stops for bathroom breaks, snack distributions, and seating rearrangements to stymie sibling squabbles.
by Pat Springer | Fargo Forum (reprinted with permission)
It was one of the busiest and most celebrated weekends of the year for the devout members of St. Mary’s Church. The parish east of Dazey in rural Barnes County has a tradition more than a century old of observing the Feast of Corpus Christi, which celebrates the Eucharist as being composed of the body and blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. German immigrant families brought the tradition of celebrating the feast with them when they started homesteading the land in the rolling hills rising from the Sheyenne River in the 1880s.
by David Tamisiea, JD, PhD | Executive director of the ND Catholic Conference
During the 2023 legislative session, the North Dakota Legislature passed a law making it a crime for a health care provider to give any drug or to perform certain surgeries for the purpose of changing a minor’s sex to match the child’s internal sense of gender (the “ban”). The ban prohibits the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, gender-reassignment surgeries, and the like, on minors seeking to alter their biological sex. The ban, however, excludes interventions meant to alleviate medically verifiable genetic disorders of sexual development, such as sex chromosomal abnormalities. The ban was signed by Governor Doug Burgum in April 2023 and became the law of North Dakota.
by Quincy Marchand | Pre-Theology I; Mount St. Mary Seminary; Emmitsburg, Md.
“Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the rock who saves us!” These are the opening words to the invitatory psalm, which is prayed every morning all across the earth in the Roman Catholic Church. As seminarians, we often sing hymns, whether in the liturgies, or throughout the day!
As we look toward Christmas, I realize that 2025 is quickly coming to an end, and so is the Jubilee Year of Hope. What will be our take-aways from this special time of grace?
Dear friends, soon we will celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas. In these last days of Advent, we are filled with anticipation at the coming celebration, knowing that the birth of Jesus nearly two thousand years ago was the beginning of God’s redeeming work among his people. This is a time of joy and expectation, and in my opinion, these are some of the most beautiful days in the life of the Church.
by Father Dale Kinzler | Retired priest of the Diocese of Fargo
Our magisterium, the Church’s official teaching body, has kept a watchful eye on the developments of contemporary society, especially since the beginning of the Industrial Age. Catholic social teaching emphasizes the principles of common good and human dignity, as well as subsidiarity and solidarity.
by Fariba Roughead | Parishioner of Holy Cross in West Fargo
As a convert from Islam to Catholicism, I am often asked to share my conversion story. I welcome the invitation as it causes me to pause from the mind-numbing hyperactivity, and to examine and notice God’s activity in my life. I trust that sharing my story serves others.