“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
Today, July 31, we remember St. Ignatius of Loyola. A.M.D.G. stands for “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”—“For the greater glory of God”—the motto of the Society of Jesus, which he founded in 1541. The motto is usually included with the monogram “IHS” and the Cross, both referring to Jesus.
St. Ignatius and his companions sought to serve the Church for the greater glory of God. Besides the service of the great Jesuit missionaries, Jesuits were renowned for their excellence in education. The Ratio Studiorum (Plan of Studies) was a masterpiece of classical education and has formed students for centuries in Jesuit and non-Jesuit schools alike. There is great wisdom in that tradition of learning, and any elements we can echo are a boon for our students.
The late Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to become Pope, and we remember him and his years of service “for the greater glory of God.” Happy feast day today to all who follow the path of St. Ignatius.
We also invoke their founder’s prayers for all who serve in Catholic schools. St. Ignatius of Loyola: “Pray for us.”
It's About Time
The Value of Reading
The conversion of St. Ignatius Loyola
In recent months, it seems one could compose a thick tome with just the headlines about the decline or death of reading.
Recall cryptocurrency guy Sam Bankman-Fried’s prescient proverb around the time of his fall in 2023: “I would never read a book.”
St. Ignatius Loyola’s story reminds us otherwise.
The brash military man with dreams of personal glory was injured by a cannonball in battle. During his lengthy recovery in the hospital, he read the books at hand on the life of Christ and the saints. That experience of reading and prayer led to a profound spiritual conversion and a new resolve, which eventually led to the founding of the Society of Jesus and the Jesuits’ bold mission for the greater glory of God, changing the course of history.
Because of books. (As a means of God’s Grace).
Read a book.
Responsive Classroom
JPII Catholic Schools teachers earlier this week in Woodbury, Minnesota
Summer provides many opportunities for training and continuing education for our staff members. Pictured above is one such group of teachers. They were among several groups that participated in three-day workshops for the “Responsive Classroom” approach to classroom management for both elementary and secondary teachers.
Its website describes the program as “an evidence-based approach to teaching and discipline for teachers that creates safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities.”
An increasing number of our teachers have been trained in this approach, and we have seen its good fruits.
Thank you, teachers, for your commitment to excellence.
144th Anniversary
Venerable Nano Nagle, Foundress of the Presentation Sisters
Last Sunday, July 26, marked the 144th anniversary of the opening of the first Catholic school in Fargo.
Two sisters—Presentation Sisters from Ireland as well as blood sisters—arrived in frontier Fargo by train just four days earlier on July 22, 1882.
Mother M. St. John Hughes and Mother M. Agnes Hughes organized and opened “St. Joseph’s Academy” at St. Mary’s Church at the request of Dakota Territory Bishop Martin Marty on behalf of Fargo’s Catholic families.
As Sr. Mary Margaret Mooney wrote in “A Centennial History” of the Fargo Presentation Sisters, “They had a few personal belongings, $150.00, and unbounded trust in Providence.”
I marvel at their courage, conviction, faith, hope, and charity!
Within three months there were 31 students enrolled.
As Fargo grew and expanded, so did the mission of Presentation Sisters, teaching generations of students in the Catholic schools. We owe so much to them, trusting as they did in the Providence of God.
Thanks be to God for the Presentation Sisters and their work and witness.
President’s Proverb
“For the greater glory of God.”
– Motto of the Society of Jesus
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 24:22b
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
- Lectionary Readings: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 15-18
- Responsorial Refrain: “The hand of the Lord feeds us; He answers all our needs.” (Ps 145:16)
- Chris Brunelle’s YouTube Recording: R&A Psalm 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026, Psalm 145
A song of praise and thanksgiving attributed to David, Psalm 145 is one of nine acrostic Psalms, each verse beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in succession.
In this Sunday’s portion of Psalm 145, David praises the gracious, merciful, and kind God as his compassionate King. The Lord’s creation is good, and He oversees and cares for “all His works.”
We also hear David’s witness to the Lord’s care in feeding His people: “You give them their food in due season; You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Ps 145:15-16).
Today’s portion of Psalm 145 perfectly sets the table for fulfillment in St. Matthew’s account of Jesus’s miraculous feeding of the multitudes with “five loaves and two fish.”
As we sing this refrain throughout the week, let us kindle our desire to be fed by the One Who satisfies our just desires: “The hand of the Lord feeds us; He answers all our needs.”
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.
