IN THIS ISSUE ...

Visitor Stories:

• Dent soldier who died in Iraq laid to rest

• Diocese welcomes coordinator of Hispanic ministry

• EDITORIAL: Lessons learned, and not learned, from 9/11/2001

• St. Cloud Visitor readers share apple recipes

FAITH ALIVE

Fr. Jose Bracamonte

About the Cover . . .

This week’s cover features two Minnesota apple varieties — Spartan and Sweet Sixteen. The tempting lattice-topped apple pies were baked by Paula Lange, a member of St. Anthony Parish in St. Cloud and owner of Paula’s Cafe and Ice Cream in Sartell. The new business, which opened last February, specializes in homemade breads, caramel and cinnamon rolls, Polish or German type coffeecakes and ice cream treats. Many of the recipes come from Lange’s mother, aunts and grandmother.

Todd Beumer, who owns Collegeville Orchards near St. Joseph, picks fruit from one of the orchard’s 1,200 apple trees.

Dent soldier who died in Iraq laid to rest

Diocese welcomes coordinator of Hispanic ministry

by Sue Schulzetenberg
Visitor Staff Writer

WAITE PARK — The chancellor plays a very important role in running a diocese. Father Robert Rolfes plays that role in the St. Cloud Diocese. Father Jose Bracamonte used to play that role in the Diocese of Maracay, Venezuela. But now he is playing a new role in the St. Cloud Diocese — coordinator of Hispanic ministry.

The dioceses of Maracay and St. Cloud have had a partnership since 1965, and this is just the latest example of how the relationship has been mutually beneficial. St. Cloud Bishop John Kinney, with the blessing of Maracay Bishop Reinaldo Del Prette, made the appointment, effective Aug. 1.

Although he has been in the St. Cloud Diocese since 2005, his ministry will now expand. He will coordinate Hispanic ministry throughout the entire diocese. The priest from Maracay has been serving in the central Minnesota diocese since May 2005. Along with his new position, he will continue to work at the Hispanic center at St. Joseph Parish in Waite Park.

As coordinator of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of St. Cloud, Father Bracamonte plans to prepare leaders and encourage vocations in the Hispanic community. He also plans to wear off some tire rubber and shoe leather, visiting people, healthy and sick, and talking and praying with them.

Another of his objectives will be inviting others to learn more about Christ and study the Bible. Father Bracamonte also plans to help Hispanics with “Why Catholic?” the Catechism-based faith-formation program that more than half of the parishes of the diocese will begin in the coming year.

EDITORIAL: Lessons learned, and not learned,
from 9/11/2001

Sept. 11, 2001 was not a teachable moment. It was a momentous tragedy. In the five years following the nightmarish events of that day, however, people of the United States have reflected, lashed out, prayed, examined consciences, become fearful, and become frustrated. And we have learned some lessons. But we have ignored more lessons.

9/11 changed us as a nation, just as, generations ago, our national psyche and world view were jarred by the Revolutionary and Civil wars, the Holocaust and “un-heiling” of Hitler, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War and, in a positive way, the moon landing. 9/11 was the collective national equivalent of losing a father or mother or child.

And we are still grieving. And learning. And ignoring.

We have learned that the nation can be incredibly unified when we have a common cause or foe. In the month following 9/11, which led up to the October invasion of Afghanistan by the U.S. and its allies, relatively few voices of protest where heard. (Reminiscent of that unity was the universal celebratory outpouring of honor and respect for Pope John Paul II after his death in 2005.)

St. Cloud Visitor readers share apple recipes

Photos by Sue Schulzetenberg
Design by Rose Kruger-Fuchs

Apples have a long history. In fact, their story begins many hundreds of years before humankind began to record the events and details of life on earth. There is fossil evidence that the same crab apples growing in Europe today also grew there in prehistoric times. It’s a long story, of course, but the modern apple tree was a reality by the time that recorded history began. Humans got involved and learned how to propagate and improve the varieties of apples that grew throughout Europe. As time passed by, they learned how to store them and how to cook with them and how to make cider.

Making cider was a top priority of the North American colonists, as well — not the sweet drink we think of today but a fermented one, hard cider. The colonists brought with them a notion that drinking water was associated with contracting disease (a connection which was true regarding much of the contaminated water in Europe at that time) and so drank as little of it as possible. The colonists, young and old alike, drank hard cider at all types of family and church occasions.

Not only was hard cider a popular beverage for the early settlers, but it played a major culinary role for them as well. Cider could easily be converted into cider vinegar which was used in pickling, an important method of preserving vegetables and fruits for winter before hermetically sealed canning methods were invented. Apple cider could also be distilled into applejack, a type of brandy, which in turn could be used to preserve other fruits such as peaches, plums and cherries. And, apple spirits were also among the many distilled alcoholic liquids used in early medicine as antiseptics, anesthetics for surgery, sedatives or stimulants, depending upon the dosage.
Damaged or early ripening apples were frequently dried and later reconstituted by soaking in water before being utilized. The peels and cores were often dried separately for later use in brewing a kind of beer. Not only was the beer drunk as a beverage, but the froth that rose to the surface of the beer barrel as it fermented was rich with yeast that was employed in baking bread. Before the introduction of commercially prepared yeasts, it was necessary for every household to maintain its own yeast supply.

Apples were food for livestock which were allowed to graze in orchards, and naturally, as food for the colonists themselves. Apple dishes of one kind or another could be found at almost every colonial meal, especially in New England. They used apples in pies, puddings, fritters, brown bettys, slumps and grunts. They were consumed in soups, or as applesauce or apple butter. Early American cooks used their imagination to create a host of apple dishes far beyond the concepts they brought with them from Great Britain.

Apples continue to be a favorite with today’s cooks, as well. These days we still love them in pies but also savor them in cakes, cookies, crisps and countless other desserts. They are nutritious, versatile, and available year-round.

One of the best attributes apples possess, however, is that they need no other ingredients or special preparation to be enjoyed. A red, yellow or green pome fruit — God’s original packaging concept — can bring gastronomic satisfaction just the way they come, straight from the tree.

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