Hello, St. Mary Star of the Sea and Cathedral parishioners! My name is Father Ben Hadrich and I’d like to share with you a little of my story, rooted in this scripture passage, “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us* and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God."           (Hebrews 12: 1-2). 

I grew up in McGregor, MN on Big Sandy Lake and attended the College of Saint Scholastica (CSS) where I received a degree in teaching high school math. During those years, I spent time at St. Mary Star of the Sea, my grandmother’s parish, attending daily mass, confession, and adoration. Praise God! It’s great to be back living at SMSS! After graduating from CSS, I discerned towards priesthood and attended St. John Vianney at the University of St. Thomas for 2 years. I continued my studies at St. Paul Seminary for 4 years, receiving a Master Degree in Divinity and Theology.

My priesthood was first blessed by serving at St. John the Evangelist with Father Rich Kunst for 2 years. In 2014, Bishop Paul Sirba (God rest his soul) assigned me to serve at St. Thomas Aquinas parish and school in International Falls and St. Columban in Little Fork- an area that suited my activities including reading, writing, daily runs, biking, fishing, and hunting; praying, praising God and being with Him in nature. Following one of many triathlons, Ironman competitions and marathons, on August 8, 2014, I experienced my first stroke after a triathlon. I was flown by helicopter, intended for Duluth but cut short by a tornado warning, forcing us to land in Cloquet. I was then transported by ambulance to St. Luke’s in Duluth where I underwent surgery for my brain bleed. I spent 12 days in St. Luke’s, 40 days in Miller Dwan, and continued my outpatient therapy at Miller Dwan. Following that, I had what can be characterized as a “mini-stroke” or even multiple mini-strokes. Yes, this has been a challenge and a burden, but I have been able to persevere and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and continue my journey.

This fall I had another stroke in International Falls following a short run. Once again, I earned a helicopter ride and was flown to St. Mary’s and later transported to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester where I underwent another surgery. Following my recovery in Rochester, I went to Courage Kenny for occupational, physical, and speech therapy. The most challenging part of the past several months was the separation from my brothers and sisters in Christ- all of you! Through my struggles and loneliness, I was grounded in my faith and relationship with God. I am grateful to each and every one of you who have kept me in your prayers, visited me and supported me spiritually. Know of my prayers for all of you and for the time we are able to be together again.  Thank you and may God bless you.

Stations of the Cross will be prayed Fridays during Lent at 5:30 PM at the Cathedral and after the noon Mass on Wednesdays at St. Mary Star of the Sea. 

Cathedral of Our Lady, Fridays at 5:30:

February 19 and 26

March 5, 12, 19 and 26

St. Mary Star of the Sea, Wednesdays at 12:40

February 24

March 3, 10, 17 and 24

The Cathedral Stations will be livestreamed.

The separation of our faith community during the initial phase of COVID weighed heavy on me. While I was grateful for livestreamed masses, I missed our Cathedral community, my college faith community and most importantly, I missed Christ in the Eucharist. Returning to Mass has been the best!

I am grateful for the support Fr. Tony has shown my college faith community at the Newman Center. By allowing Newman to gather at the Cathedral, our thriving college faith community can continue to stay engaged and connected. There is no other way for Newman to be able to do this. The Newman house does not have enough space for us to safely gather. At the Cathedral, we have been able to have our Masses and Adoration. I really can’t express enough how much being able to gather with both of my faith families, Cathedral and Newman, has meant to me. Thank you, Cathedral community, for working together for a safe return! I look forward to the time when we will all be back together again! God bless you!

The Diocese of Duluth Office of Marriage, Family and Life would like to encourage couples to take advantage of this free offering to strengthen your marriage.  You can find more information and sign up by going to https://marriageinchrist.com/.  In honor of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and as a Lenten resource, the Marriage in Christ At Home Seminar is free for couples who sign up by March 31, 2021. Once registered, access is free through May 31, 2021.  This free access is made possible by a grant from Communication Center, the nation's largest distributor of Catholic religious education materials.

Like and follow the Cathedral of Our Lady on Facebook @DLHCathedral.  Fr. Tony, Fr. Matt and Fr. Charlie will be posting reflections every day during Lent on various aspects of Lent and the faith.  Don't miss out!  

In Mark’s Gospel this week, we do not hear details about how Satan tempted Jesus, nor do we hear how Jesus succeeded in resisting temptation. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ battle with Satan continues throughout his life, to be concluded only at his death on the cross. In a similar way, our Lenten observances are only a beginning, a preparation for and a reinforcement of our ongoing struggle to resist the temptations we face in our lives, to recommit ourselves to this lifelong challenge and to help our children do the same.

Our younger children are just starting to develop the capacity to reflect upon temptation and sin. We can encourage this positive development in their lives by assuring them that God helps us.

Our young adult children continue to depend on others in important ways throughout their lives. Even as we assist their increasing independence, we can encourage them to remember that depending on God is a source of strength in their lives.

During Lent, we seek to strengthen our resolve to resist temptation. However, God does not expect us to do this on our own. At our Baptism we received the gift of the Holy Spirit, which strengthens us and helps us to resist temptations. During Lent, we remember our Baptism and ask God to help us because without his help, we are not strong enough to resist temptation.

As a family take some time for prayer and reflection. Ask your children to think about the following questions: What are some of the temptations that young people face? How will you try to resist those temptations? What help will you need to do this? Remember, no one succeeds in resisting temptation alone. God helps us!

During Lent, we look to renew our commitment to resist temptations, but our efforts during Lent are only the beginning. We pray that what we begin during each Lent will continue long after. Just as Jesus was ministered to by the angels, God also supports us in our struggle against sin and temptation. We succeed because Jesus conquered sin once and for all in his saving death on the cross.

Wednesday, February 24th is our Sacramental Prep classes with our First Communion Students and their parents meeting at St. Benedict Church from 6 PM - 7 PM and our Confirmation students meeting at the Cathedral from 7 PM - 8PM.

-Sonya Morris, Faith Formation Director 

Have you considered making the switch to Catholic education for your student? Our Catholic Liberal Arts curriculum ensures a strong Catholic foundation for our students, and a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio helps all of our students receive the attention they need to grow in their faith and excel in academics. Call us to speak about making the change for your student for the Fall 2021 school year. 

We are now enrolling PreK-8th grade. Visit us online at www.stellamaris.academy or call us to have your questions answered.

Holy Rosary Campus (218)-623-6253

St. James Campus (218) 624-1511

St. John’s Campus (218) 724-9392

New members are always welcome! You are invited to join us in the ministry of experiencing God in serving our neighbors living in poverty. Email svdpduluthmn@gmail.com for the meeting link, questions, or more details. St. Vincent de Paul Immaculate Conception Conference holds meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month via Zoom at 6 pm. For our neighbors in need of assistance, please call (218) 409-6887 to speak with one of our members.

Your decision to join the Knights
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Join us at KofC.org/JoinUs
Bob Spehar 218-349-5051

As covid-19 cases increase in our area, it is a good time to make sure we are all taking the precautions that are in our control.  

Face Masks: Wear a face mask when you are at church. If you are not able to wear a face mask, please obtain a face shield.

Hand Sanitizing Before Communion: When you come up to communion, you will notice there is hand sanitizer in the aisle. To make sure we are doing things safely, first pull down your mask, then sanitize your hands prior to receiving communion.    

Cleaning the Pews: After Mass, please sanitize the area in which you are sitting. Sanitizing wipes can be found in the side aisles. Thank you.

East Duluth Catholic Faith Formation is a collaborative effort that has created a combined Religious Education program. We are accepting applications for the Director of Faith Formation for 6^th – 12^th grade students. This is a full-time position with benefits. We are looking for someone who possesses a sincere and demonstrated ability to share their Catholic faith in the dynamic environment of a large-scale middle and high school religious education program and beyond. Please see the full job description. If you are interested in this position, please send a cover letter, resume and references to lauren.mccracken@duluthcatholic.org.