As a bishop in the United States, I am a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Like most large organizations, the full membership doesn’t try to deal with every specific issue, and it delegates specific work to a number of standing committees and subcommittees. One of those is the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs, which I am now serving as chair.
For centuries, the Church has reserved the month of May to honor the Blessed Virgin. From crownings of statues of Mary with flowers, to altars and grottos dedicated to Our Lady, daily rosary recitations and special feasts, the Church has long set aside the entire month to honor Mary.
In last month’s column we laid the groundwork for understanding the relationship between freedom and the law. By looking at the structured worlds of sports, music, and traffic safety, we discovered a counterintuitive truth: rules do not exist to suppress our freedom and flourishing, but to protect it.
by Matt Komprood, Parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, Grand Forks
Bishop Robert Barron has emerged in the last decade as one of the best communicators of the Catholic Faith in the English-speaking world, demonstrating a knack for making the Faith seem both reasonable and accessible. The collection of essays found in Vibrant Paradoxes is no exception.
How is the Holy Spirit working in me today as a consecrated woman in retirement? Perhaps I could say it is the same today as it was in my youth since I pray to the Holy Spirit daily to guide and strengthen me. Personal prayer time, reflection, spiritual reading and daily exercise keep me balanced and ready for each day.
by Amanda Zurface, JCL. Diocesan Postulator for the Cause of Sister Annella Zervas
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.
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.
by David Tamisiea, J.D., Ph.D. | Executive Director, North Dakota Catholic Conference
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.
by Deacon Taylor Ternes | Theology IV, Mount St. Mary Seminary
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.
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.
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.