Days gone by

75 years ago — February 1949 

The diocese launched a marriage preparation course for engaged couples. The 15-lesson course would feature instruction from priests, physicians, and attorneys, and covered subjects such as love and happiness in marriage, physical and psychological elements, and civil and church marriage laws. The Priests’ Cure of Ars sodality of Duluth made headlines in the Vatican newspaper for being the first priests’ sodality in the United States. The idea was initiated and promoted by Father Joseph Hughes and Bishop Thomas A. Welch approved the project and canonically erected the sodality. Also, 150 men and women were received into the Institute for Benedictine Oblates by the Rev. Oswald Johannes, O.S.B., at Our Lady Queen of Peace, College of St. Scholastica. 

50 years ago — February 1974 

Father Paul Fruth was ordained to the priesthood. Father Fruth was a former school principal, college professor, and choir master. He was ordained by Bishop Paul Anderson and assigned to serve at St. James Parish, Duluth. The diocese also mourned the death of Father Edward O’Reilly, a priest of the Duluth diocese for almost 51 years. 

25 years ago — February 1999 

1999 was deemed the Year of Charity by Pope John Paul II. The Year of Charity was part of the countdown to Jubilee Year 2000. The Holy Father dedicated each of the three years leading up to the Jubilee Year 2000 to a specific person of the Trinity and one of the theological virtues. 1999, the final year of preparations, called into focus God the Father and the virtue of charity. Also, the diocese celebrated the recent ordinations of two transitional deacons and two permanent deacons. Then seminarians, now Fathers William Skarich and Joel Hastings, were ordained transitional deacons, and Deacons Mark Skala and Terry Twomey were ordained permanent deacons. 

10 years ago — February 2014 

At the third annual “Together For Life” banquet, the Rev. Jim Tuttle, director of Pro-Life Ministries of Duluth, received the Father Crossman Culture of Life Award from Guiding Star Duluth in recognition of contributions to the pro-life cause. The award was named in honor of Father James Crossman, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth and a long-time pro-life activist. The Office of Marriage and Family Life drew a large response to a papal survey from Pope Francis to gather information for an upcoming synod of bishops centered on family. At least 421 people in the diocese took the survey, with results given to the bishop for use at the synod and used to help develop a strategic plan for the Office of Marriage and Family Life. Also, the diocese mourned the loss of Father Steven White. Father White served in the Diocese of Duluth from 1998 through 2005.