“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know Himself— so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth and themselves.”
-St. John Paul II Preface to Fides et Ratio
Fides et Ratio Reflections
8th Grade Pilgrims last Friday
“Where might the human being seek the answer to dramatic questions such as pain, the suffering of the innocent and death, if not in the light streaming from the mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection?” (Fides et Ratio, No. 12)
St. John Paul II proposes that the Cross of Christ helps solve the “insoluble riddle” of human existence.
Last Friday was our annual 8th Grade Pilgrimage, a venerable middle school tradition of carrying the Cross, which was started by then Religion teacher, Mrs. Doreen Kennelly ‘70, and continued by the middle school Religion Department ever since.
This prayerful witness begins at Holy Spirit Church with Mass and then proceeds along a 10-mile route with stops at our other Fargo sponsoring parishes: St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Anthony’s, Nativity, and Sts. Anne & Joachim.
Thank you, 8th Graders, teachers, and parents, for your pilgrimage witness!
It's About Time
Our Lady of the Rosary
“Strictly speaking, the word ‘rosary’ really means a garden in which roses are grown, just as an orangery is a place where oranges are grown, and even as a fishery is a place where fish are grown.” –Kevin Orlin Johnson
Wednesday, October 7 was the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. When I re-introduced this great meditative prayer to my high school students, I typically began with Kevin Johnson’s etymological image. When we pray it, I said, we are entering a garden of delight, a garden where meditation and devotion grow, a garden of roses offered to Our Lady.
All the mysteries which we meditate upon—joyful, sorrowful, glorious, or luminous—lead us to Jesus through Mary in the memorable motto of St. Louis De Montfort, whose Marian teachings so greatly influenced St. John Paul II. The Holy Father later confided, “The Rosary is my favorite prayer.”
St. John Paul II’s papal coat of arms displayed two symbols: the Cross and the Letter “M” at the bottom, his reference to Mary at the foot of the Cross.
North Dakota March for Life
This morning, a contingent of 50-some Sacred Heart Middle School students and Shanley High School students and chaperones boarded buses, Bismarck-bound for the ND March for Life. The annual rally is held the first Friday after the first Sunday of October (“Respect Life Sunday” in “Respect Life Month”). These “Deacons for Life” members attended Mass with Bismarck Bishop David Kagan this morning followed by a rally at the Bismarck Event Center. They then marched to the state capital.
Organizers of the event proclaim its noble purpose: “The goal of the march is to raise awareness and proclaim solidarity in the mission to pray for and to protect life from the moment of conception until natural death.”
Let us continue to pray for an increase in respect for every human life.
End of Quarter
Next Wednesday, October 14 marks the end of the First Quarter of our school year (already!). In accordance, Elementary and middle school Parent-Teacher Conferences for student progress will be held Monday through Wednesday with conference schedules varying by school. (High school conferences were held last week.)
Quarter break—with no school—will be October 15-16. Quarter Two begins Monday, October 19 and ends on Friday, December 18.
Enjoy your quarter break students and staff!
President’s Proverb
“Can anyone imagine St. Francis of Assisi speaking of rights?”
– Simone Weil
Hagstrom’s Attempt at Humor (HAAH!)
Sunday Psalm Sampler
“Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
-Luke 24:44b
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
- Lectionary Readings: Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-6
- Responsorial Refrain: “I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” (Ps 23:6cd)
- Chris Brunelle’s YouTube Recording: R&A Psalm 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026, Psalm 23
Next Wednesday—October 14—we will remember St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr (d. 222). He organized the first Christian cemetery in Rome, and the extensive underground “Catacombs” are linked to his name. There are approximately 12 miles of tunnel-tombs with an estimated 500,000 bodies.
As 19th century archeologists discovered and explored this necropolis, they marveled at the relatively well-preserved artwork. Prominent themes were repeated: Jonah and the Whale (resurrection), vines (recall last week’s Psalm and other readings), and the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23 and John 10:1-16).
Psalm 23 was read by early Christians through the lens of the Sacraments of Initiation (think about it), and the Heavenly Banquet promised to the faithful.
This week, let us kindle our longing for the Lord, the Good Shepherd Who invites us to be with Him forever as we sing,“I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
Our President
Mike Hagstrom
Mike Hagstrom was named President of St. John Paul II Catholic Schools and Director of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Fargo on March 15, 2016, and officially assumed the role on July 1, 2016. In his application for the position, he described his leadership philosophy as one of stewardship, writing:
“My approach would be that of stewardship of the great gift of Catholic Schools. With the help of God’s grace and all our stakeholders, we can be good stewards together, ensuring that our schools not only survive, but thrive. They are designed for human flourishing, forming the whole person, each and every student made in God’s image and likeness, endowed with a transcendent dignity and destiny.”
Before stepping into diocesan leadership, Mike dedicated 31 years to Shanley High School, where he taught Religion and served in a variety of leadership roles. During his time there, he embodied the spirit of St. Bede’s words: “I have always found delight in learning, teaching, and writing.”
Mike earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He and his wife, Shawn, are the proud parents of two Shanley graduates, Therese (’08) and Joseph (’16), and grandparents to James and Oliver.
