“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
The Georgia Martyrs
Just over a month after the beatification of Bl. Fulton Sheen in St. Louis, we will have another beatification in the United States as “The Georgia Martyrs” are beatified in Savannah, Georgia this Saturday morning, October 31.
The five Franciscan missionary friars were working among the native peoples around St. Augustine, Florida and were martyred in 1597 (Fathers Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón and Francisco de Veráscola and Brother Antonio de Badajoz).
The martyrdoms were sparked by the friars’ objections to a baptized Catholic native chief desiring to take a second wife (a teaching of the Church which has led to numerous martyrdoms through the centuries).
Bishop John Folda plans to attend the beatification just as he did Bl. Fulton Sheen’s last month.
In another connection to the Fargo Diocese, the cause for the Georgia Martyrs was opened in 1984 by then-Savannah Bishop Raymond Lessard. A Fargo Diocese native (Sacred Heart Church, Oakwood) and priest, he taught Religion and English at Shanley High School from 1957-1960. After that, he became Cardinal Aloysius Muench’s secretary in Rome and served in Vatican offices. H was appointed the twelfth Bishop of Savannah by Pope Paul VI in 1973.
Martyrs of Georgia: “Pray for us.”
It's About Time
Daylight Savings Time Ends
Early Sunday morning, we will “Fall back” an hour—another sign of the seasonal passage of time.
So set your clock back if it doesn’t automatically adjust and enjoy the “extra hour” that this transition brings.
Sunset and the darkness that follows will now be earlier here—with a corresponding earlier sunrise and morning light.
All Saints Day
Zervas Family Marker – St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Moorhead
I wrote the following for my staff newsletter column this week:
Some refer to these next few days as the unique “Autumn Triduum”—All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day—as we near the end of the liturgical year and wait for Advent.
The end of time reminds us that “Life holds one tragedy, ultimately: not to have been a saint,” in the memorable words of Charles Peguy, who puts everything in proper perspective—the perspective of ultimate reality: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell.
Not to be a saint, not to desire holiness or Heaven, not to be in union with Him now and forever—that is the ultimate tragedy.
Our schools are designed to cultivate and guide holy desires. Thank you, staff members, for leading our students to the source of all holiness and for witnessing the call to be a saint day by day.
Speaking of potential saints, there is an increasing devotion to a local candidate, Servant of God Sr. Annella Zervas, OSB. Crookston Bishop Andrew Cozzens opened her cause on October 9, 2025. She attended St. Joseph’s School in Moorhead through 8th grade and then was in our school, Sacred Heart Academy, for her freshmen year in 1914-15. She then entered the Benedictine convent in St. Joseph, Minnesota. After much suffering, she died at age 26 exactly a century ago.
This fall, we named and dedicated the “Sr. Annella Zervas Conference Room” on the second floor of Sacred Heart Middle School (a nice echo of history), and members of St. Joseph’s School staff and the Sr. Annella Guild visited the room last week.
They left books, pamphlets, and prayer cards for us, and your principal will have some to share at your school before All Saints Day.
As did Sr. Annella, may our students declare, “With the grace of God, I am determined to become a saint.”
For more information on the cause for Sr. Annella: Home – Sister Annella Guild
All Souls Day
The Fifty-Fourth Annual JPII Catholic Schools Memorial Mass will be held at 9:00 AM Monday, November 2—All Souls Day—at Sts. Anne & Joachim Church.
Family and friends of those remembered with a donation to our schools since the last Memorial Mass typically attend. For these faithful departed, we will light candles, read their names, and offer our prayers for them with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. AMEN. ALLELUIA.
President’s Proverb
“The Feast of All Saints calls upon us never to fall back only on ourselves, but to look to the Lord so as to be radiant (cf. Ps. 34:6).”
– St. John Paul II
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
Solemnity of All Saints (Year A)
- Lectionary Readings: Solemnity of All Saints | USCCB
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1b-4b, 5-6
- Responsorial Refrain: “Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.” (cf. 24:6)
- Chris Brunelle’s YouTube Recording: R&A Psalm All Saints 2026, Psalm 24
The second half of Psalm 24 describes a glorious procession and entry to Jerusalem, and today’s Solemnity of All Saints is a fitting occasion to recall the entry of the holy ones to the Heavenly Jerusalem.
The first portion of Psalm 24, which we hear today, describes the nature of the Saints: those with “clean hands” and “pure hearts,” who avoid idols and false gods. Such is the call to holiness.
This week, may we with God’s grace, eagerly seek our longed-for Heavenly homeland as we sing, “Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.”
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.
