News & Updates

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Minnesota’s Catholic Bishops will begin the search for a new executive director to build on the strengths and successes of the past ten years.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, will seek a new executive director to assist the bishops of Minnesota in their social ministry and their advocacy on behalf of human life and dignity.  Jason Adkins, who has led the conference through eleven legislative session years, is stepping down on July 31.

“I leave this role with a heart full of gratitude for the unique opportunity to serve our local Church,” said Adkins, who has been MCC executive director and general counsel since March 2011.  As MCC’s executive director, Adkins has advised the bishops on legislative matters and public affairs, while working with MCC staff to execute the bishops’ strategic goals and priorities through lobbying, communications, and public engagement.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a painful time of separation that necessitated, for a short while, suspension of public Masses and the dispensation from the Sunday obligation to attend Mass. Nonetheless, since May 2020, Minnesota’s bishops have made available the public celebration of Mass to those who wished to attend. Parishes have done an amazing job creating safe spaces for worship and the sacraments during the past year.

Now, as the pandemic subsides, and public gathering restrictions and safety protocols are lifted, it is time to gather as the Body of Christ once again.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Catholic Bishops of Minnesota, along with many people of faith, were disappointed in Governor Walz’s May 13 announcement that he would end the Stay-at-Home order to allow more commerce but prohibit religious gatherings of more than ten people. We have attempted to work collaboratively with the Walz Administration up to this time, seeking the guidance of the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Health to help us strengthen our specific safety protocols based on the statewide plan. Along with some Lutheran colleagues, we submitted a plan to the Governor on May 8 that detailed the sanitation measures we would take and proposed a cap on occupancy limited to 33 percent of building capacity. Our proposed protocols are based on the work undertaken by a group of national medical experts and theologians, the Thomistic Institute, and they are consistent with the practices that have already been put in place in many dioceses throughout the United States. We continue our willingness to make any necessary adjustments to our safety protocols upon review.

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The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd last Spring, has reopened questions throughout Minnesota about the impact of racism in our society and culture. As leaders of the Catholic dioceses of our State—pastors of multi-racial, multi-cultural flocks from all walks of life—we acutely feel the anxieties in our communities, along with a thirst for justice and a longing for a path to a more peaceful life together as sons and daughters of God.

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“In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 13)

Early voting has begun in Minnesota. Voting is an important component of representative government. Those chosen for elected office are entrusted to make decisions that should protect the life and dignity of the human person from conception to natural death and advance the common good for all. To that end, we want to offer you clarity on the role of the Church during election cycles.

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The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence: we are all linked to each other, for better or for worse. Therefore, to come out of this crisis better than before, we have to do so together, all of us, in solidarity. –Pope Francis, General Audience, September 2, 2020

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The “Guiding Principles for Catholic Schools and Religious Education Concerning Human Sexuality and Sexual Identity” were enumerated to provide a measure of clarity on questions of sexual identity that are emerging in Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries, as well as in the wider society.

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Statement from Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) Executive Director Jason Adkins in Response to Misleading Article Appearing at ChurchMilitant.com

December 2, 2019

We were disappointed to read Church Militant’s misleading and agenda-driven posting about our educational resource, “Minnesota, Our Common Home.” Unfortunately, the post seeks to scandalize and cause division, needlessly attacking the bishops of Minnesota. Instead of informing readers about what the initiative seeks to accomplish, which has been well documented in numerous outlets (Crux, Catholic Ecology, Catholic News Agency), it merely spreads disinformation.

Church Militant did not reach out to MCC staff for comment, nor is it clear that they read fully the materials.

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