“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
Our Patron Saint, Pope St. John Paul II, labored diligently, thought deeply, and wrote wisely. That legacy includes profound reflections about human work. His 1981 encyclical, Laborem Exercens, for example, challenged us to understand labor in its broader and more proper context as a true vocation: an exercise in holiness and human flourishing in response to God’s call and plan.
Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981)
Monday, September 7 is our annual observance of Labor Day in the United States. Thanks be to God for the dignity of using the gifts and talents He has bestowed on us and of co-creating through our daily work.
Happy Labor Day to one and all. Additional best wishes to all the workers in our St. John Paul II Catholic Schools system.
A Labor Mass Collect Prayer:
“O God, Who through human labor never cease to perfect and govern the vast work of creation, listen to the supplications of Your people and grant that all men and women may find work that befits their dignity, joins them more closely to one another and enables them to serve their neighbor. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.”
It's About Time
SAC BBQ & Social
Sunday evening the Shanley Athletic Club (SAC) held its annual Barbeque and Social. SAC’s motto is “Taking Deacon Athletics to a higher level,” and the support of this parent group has been an invaluable part of our Deacon tradition of excellence.
Kevin Bucholz, long time former member and treasurer, was inducted into the SAC Hall of Fame for his dedicated service.
Coaches of Fall sports also gave updates on their seasons thus far, and the rest of the coaches and athletes also introduced themselves.
Our Deacons are ready to rumble. Go Deacons!
Happy Birthday Shanley High School
Next Tuesday, September 8, is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her birth was the “dawn of our salvation,” so we give thanks and are glad.
It is also the birthday of Sacred Heart Academy, which opened on that day in 1897. Bishop John Shanley joined the students and the Presentation Sisters for the opening day and offered the first Mass at the new school.
Sacred Heart Academy was the forerunner of Shanley High School, which was named in honor of the first Bishop of the Fargo Diocese. The first class to graduate from “Shanely High School” was the Class of 1951.
Happy Birthday to Shanley High School, established 1897!
God and Man in America at 250
Another event next Tuesday, September 8, will be a public talk by Ryan T. Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, who will invite us to read the Declaration of Independence alongside the opening chapters of Genesis and to consider the vision of the human person the two hold in common.
Dr. Anderson’s “Two Wings” approach promises to be insightful and informative. For more information, go here:
President’s Proverb
“Awareness that man’s work is a participation in God’s activity ought to permeate, as the [Second Vatican] council teaches, even ‘the most ordinary everyday activities.’”
– 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
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
- Lectionary Readings: Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
- Responsorial Refrain: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Ps 95:8)
- Chris Brunelle’s YouTube Recording: R&A Psalm 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026, Psalm 95
Psalm 95 is one of the few Psalms we hear annually in the three-year Sunday Lectionary cycle. In Year A (our current year), it is even heard twice—the Third Sunday of Lent and today. That is no surprise, for in both the Jewish and Christian tradition, it is a pre-eminent Psalm, chanted as the Jewish Sabbath observance begins and as one of the first Psalms of the day in the Christian Liturgy of the Hours.
That pre-eminence teaches us a lesson about one of the fundamental lessons of Salvation History, namely, to end our rebellion and to embrace the will of God just as the Lord commands the Prophet Ezekiel “to dissuade the wicked from his way” (Ezekiel 33:8).
As we begin our days this week, let us remember to listen to the Lord’s voice and to have receptive hearts as we sing, “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
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.
