By TIFFANY STANLEY

U.S. Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to make official a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender patients at Catholic hospitals. The step formalizes a yearslong process for the U.S. church to address transgender health care.

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From a Baltimore hotel ballroom, the bishops overwhelmingly approved revisions to their ethical and religious directives that guide the nation’s thousands of Catholic health care institutions and providers.

More than one in seven patients in the U.S. are treated each day at Catholic hospitals, according to the Catholic Health Association. Catholic hospitals are the only medical center in some communities.

Major medical groups and health organizations support gender-affirming care for transgender patients.

Most Catholic health care institutions have taken a conservative approach and not offered gender-affirming care, which may involve hormonal, psychological and surgical treatments. The new directives will formalize that mandate. Bishops will have autonomy in making the directives into law for their dioceses.

“With regard to the gender ideology, I think it’s very important the church makes a strong statement here,” said Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota’s Winona-Rochester diocese during the public discussion of the revised directives.

The Catholic Health Association thanked the bishops for incorporating much of the organization’s feedback into the directives. It said in a statement, “Catholic providers will continue to welcome those who seek medical care from us and identify as transgender. We will continue to treat these individuals with dignity and respect, which is consistent with Catholic social teaching and our moral obligation to serve everyone, particularly those who are marginalized.”

The new guidelines incorporate earlier documents on gender identity from the Vatican in 2024 and the U.S. bishops in 2023.

In the 2023 doctrinal note, titled “Moral Limits to the Technological Manipulation of the Human Body,” the bishops specified: “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex, or take part in the development of such procedures.”

Progressive religious voices respond

The Catholic Church is not monolithic when it comes to transgender rights. Some parishes and priests welcome trans Catholics into the fold, while others are not as accepting.

“Catholic teaching upholds the invaluable dignity of every human life, and for many trans people, gender-affirming care is what makes life livable,” said Michael Sennett, a trans man who is active in his Massachusetts parish.

Sennett serves on the board of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church. In 2024, the group arranged a meeting with Pope Francis to discuss the need for gender-affirming care.

New Ways Ministry’s executive director, Francis DeBernardo, said that for many transgender Catholics he knows, “the transition process was not just a biological necessity, but a spiritual imperative. That if they were going to be living as authentic people in the way that they believe God made them, then transition becomes a necessary thing.”

On the same day that U.S. Catholic bishops were discussing gender identity, the heads of several major progressive religious denominations issued a statement in support of transgender, intersex and nonbinary people, at a time when many state legislatures and the Trump administration are curtailing their rights.

The 10 signers included the heads of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Episcopal Church, the Union for Reform Judaism and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

“During a time when our country is placing their lives under increasingly serious threat, there is a disgraceful misconception that all people of faith do not affirm the full spectrum of gender – a great many of us do. Let it be known instead that our beloveds are created in the image of God – Holy and whole,” the religious leaders said in a statement.

U.S. bishops united in their concern for immigrants

The Catholic bishops, wrapping up their conference in Baltimore, overwhelmingly approved a “special message” on immigration Wednesday. Such pastoral statements are rare; the last was in 2013 in response to the Obama administration’s mandate for insurers to provide contraception coverage.

Catholic leaders individually have criticized the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Fear of immigration enforcement has suppressed Mass attendance at some parishes. Local clerics are fighting to administer sacraments to detained immigrants.

“We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” the bishops’ statement reads. “We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”

In a show of unity, multiple bishops stood up to speak in favor of the statement during the final afternoon discussion, including Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the newly elected president of the conference.

“I’m strongly in support of it for the good of our immigrant brothers and sisters, but also to find a nice balance,” Coakley said, noting that they call “upon our lawmakers and our administration to offer us a meaningful path of reform of our immigration system.”

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich walked to the microphone to recommend stronger language around mass deportation. “That seems to be the central issue we are facing with our people at this time,” he said.

His brother bishops agreed. The updated text now states that U.S. Catholic bishops “oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A longtime Mounds View High School teacher was charged Wednesday with criminal sexual conduct of a 16-year-old female student.

Ted Matthew Bennett (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Ted Matthew Bennett, 58, of Minneapolis, has been a teacher at Mounds View High in Arden Hills for 27 years, according to the criminal complaint charging him with one count each of third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Bennett was arrested Tuesday and remains jailed ahead of a first appearance on the charges scheduled for Thursday.

An attorney for Bennett is not listed in the court file.

Bennett was put on administrative leave Monday. In a Wednesday email to parents, principal Rob Reetz said, “We are deeply disturbed by this news, and our foremost concern is for all who may be affected by this distressing situation. We stand with all survivors of sexual assault and abuse, and our school unequivocally condemns any actions that harms or exploits students.”

The complaint said authorities believe there may be other victims and that the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office would be opening a tip line for others to come forward.

According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement responded to the high school Monday on a report of an “inappropriate relationship” between Bennett and the student.

An investigation showed Bennett was involved in a sexual relationship with the girl, and that he provided her with alcohol and narcotics, the charges say.

The teen told law enforcement that they communicated through their personal phones and email since the end of 2024-2025 school year. She described having a “light” conversation with Bennett over the summer and that it continued into the current school year.

The teen said she had been going through some hard times and had no one else to talk to, and that Bennett listened and understood her problems. She initially denied that they engaged in sexual activity and said she didn’t want to get him in trouble and blamed herself.

A forensic search of her phone revealed a “significant amount” of evidence that Bennett had sexual contact with the teen on multiple occasions, the complaint said.

The phone exam also revealed evidence of Bennett providing the teen with alcohol and narcotics. On Nov. 2, she asked Bennett in a text if he would give her Adderall and he replied back, “Maybe…Add on some more illegal behaviors to the list,” the complaint reads.

Four days later, Bennett gave her Adderall and alcohol in the school parking lot. Afterward, he messaged her, “I’m a little high, a little juiced up from add (Adderall), as (sic) maybe a bit tipsy from Jungle Juice and still a bit high from car activities,” the complaint reads.

Bennett again gave the teen alcohol two days later, and they discussed using cocaine, the complaint alleges.

In a follow-up interview Nov. 11, the teen told law enforcement that Bennett had been her English teacher throughout the 2024-2025 school year and that they began communicating through phone and email in spring 2025.

She said throughout her 10th-grade year, Bennett commented on her looks, telling her she was “hot” and commenting on her body. She said texts between them became more sexual as time went on and sexual contact began last month, the complaint said.

She said she and Bennett met in each other’s vehicles to engage in sexual acts. Another incident occurred during the school day in a back room of the theater, she told law enforcement.

She said Bennett also sent her “porn clips” electronically and talked about them recreating what was in the video.

Cellphone evidence showed that on Nov. 10, during a conversation, Bennett told the teen he had just been put on administrative leave and said, “I was fired, lie to them and delete everything,” according to the complaint.

Reetz, the high school’s principal, provided law enforcement with an initial report he received on Nov. 7 from the teen’s friend and her boyfriend who reported concerns to school staff about Bennett’s relationship with the teen.

School officials located a video of Bennett and the teen walking together in school hallways and going into a storage closet together, the complaint said. Officials also located email contact between Bennett and the teen using their school e-mail addresses.

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Law enforcement arrested Bennett at his home, where they executed a search warrant of the residence. Electronic devices were seized along with other items, including handwritten notes to Bennett from the teen. Police are still analyzing all the evidence seized.

Bennett declined an interview with law enforcement.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi called the case “a parent’s worst nightmare.”

“A teacher using drugs, alcohol and authority to exploit a vulnerable student is abhorrent,” he said in a statement. “Schools must be a safe place for students, and we will not tolerate abuse of power or the sexual exploitation of our youth.”

When the Colorado blue spruce that Bill and Deanna Ellingson planted almost 30 years ago in their front yard in Roseville stretched too tall for them to easily string holiday lights around it, they came up with a clever solution:

The future 2025 Union Depot Holiday Tree is currently in the front yard of Bill and Deanna Ellingson of Roseville. (Courtesy of Deanna Ellingson)

“I got a couple of projectors and projected lights up on the tree and the neighbors seemed to really like that,” Bill says.

The neighbors are in for a bigger light show this year for the approximately 40- to 45-foot evergreen: The tree has been chosen as the 2025 Union Depot Holiday Tree.

The neighbors — and everyone else — are invited to attend the annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Movie Night at Union Depot in Lowertown on Saturday, Dec. 6. For those who can’t wait for their holiday cheer, the annual Salvation Army “Tree of Lights” — a digital tree — is being installed in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul ahead of a tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday.

A star is born

The Ellingsons first answered Union Depot’s call for trees in 2024 after reading about it in the Pioneer Press.

That year, their tree was a finalist for the chance to sparkle with thousands of energy-efficient LED lights.

“We didn’t know until they came to look at the tree,” Bill said. “We came in second place.”

This year, they didn’t submit their tree for consideration, but that didn’t matter.

“We came home one day in October and there were a couple of gals walking around the tree again,” Bill said.

The tree fit the required qualifications: It’s an evergreen tree located in Ramsey County, it looks good, it’s tall enough, it’s not going to be too difficult to remove and there is a reason for its removal (besides looking good).

Bill and Deanna Ellingson pose with their daughter, Kelli, and their dog, Cinnamon (Cinny), in 2005 by the Colorado blue spruce in their front yard in Roseville that they are now donating to become the 2025 Union Depot Holiday Tree. (Courtesy of Bill Ellingson)

“They asked us if we still wanted to donate it and we said, ‘Sure, we’re ready,’” Bill said.

While the tree is considered a donation, the Ellingsons will not have to pay for the associated costs of removing it and grinding its stump down (a $5,000+ value).

The tree is scheduled to be cut down on Saturday morning, after which it will be taken directly to the North Plaza of the Union Depot to be installed. Watch for updates on the Union Depot’s social media, including Facebook and Instagram.

Rice Park and red kettles

The installation of the Salvation Army “Tree of Lights” is a much different process, since it’s a digital tree.

After the finishing touches are put in place on Thursday, the 40-foot artificial tree that resembles a Fraser fir will be ready to switch on its thousands of lights for its fourth annual appearance in Rice Park at 109 W. Fourth St. in downtown St. Paul. This year’s tree installation, the Salvation Army says, will again feature a dynamic light program that is synchronized with holiday music and will be updated weekly.

The tree lighting celebration, which will also mark the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kick-off, is set for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter and the award-winning vocal group VocalEssence.

Before the tree lighting, popular local DJ Ray Mills, the official DJ of the Minnesota Vikings, will provide music starting at 3:30 p.m. There will also be visits from the St. Paul Police Band drumline and Santa and Mrs. Claus. Free cookies and hot chocolate will be served by The Salvation Army’s disaster services canteens during the event.

If you can’t make it to this free event, there’s plenty of time to catch the sparkle: The tree will remain standing through Jan. 7, which includes the full run of the World Junior Hockey tournament in St. Paul (scheduled from Dec. 26-Jan. 5).

More info at salvationarmyusa.org/usa-central-territory/northern.

This Red Kettle season

The red kettles, part of a familiar fundraising drive at store entrances and street corners around the metro during the holidays, are especially in need of donations this year.

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The need goes beyond the climbing prices for food, gas, utilities and other essentials.

“The annual Red Kettle season is critically important this year,” said Lt. Colonel Randall Polsley, Salvation Army Northern Division commander, in a statement. “Recent reductions in Minnesota assistance programs have flooded our centers with new requests for help. More families are seeking food, rent and utility assistance as a result.”

Funds raised during the Christmas season support food and housing programs throughout the year, the Salvation Army says.

Bell ringers are still needed. Sign up at RegisterToRing.com.

Hub for the Holidays

Deanna and Bill Ellingson, bottom and top right, pose with their daughter and son-in-law, Kelli and Chad Hofmeister, and their grandson, Wesley Hofmeister, in 2022. (Courtesy of Bill Ellingson)

While the mayor will lead the dignitaries at Saturday’s tree lighting, the Ellingsons have a different wish for the Dec. 6 celebration at Union Depot.

“We have a 9-year-old grandson, Wesley, and if it’s at all possible, he would like to turn the tree lights on at Union Depot,” Bill says.

Wesley, we heard this might happen.

The whole family will be in attendance for the tree lighting, including Wesley’s mom and dad, Kelli and Chad. Kelli was in the sixth grade when she and her parents moved into their townhome and planted the tree that grew up right along with her.

Unlike Kelli though, the tree has been starting to cause issues, such as encroaching on the sidewalk.

“It’s a good time to see it go,” Bill says, “but we will miss it. We’ve watched it grow since it was about 5½ feet tall.”

Still, Deanna is looking forward to what’s next.

“It’ll be kind of exciting, watching them cut it down,” she says. Also: “I love fireworks,” she adds.

Yes, the tree-lighting ceremony will include a flourish of fireworks — and more things to do during the Hub for the Holidays at Union Depot, including the return of the European Christmas Market, the North Pole Express, the CPKC Holiday Train and a holiday bake sale.

On Dec. 6, the fun begins inside the Waiting Room at Union Depot, located at 214 E. Fourth St., at 5 p.m. with the reveal of the 2026 St. Paul Winter Carnival Button. There will also be a holiday musical performance by The Mistletones, free hot chocolate, photo ops, craft stations and a lightup giveaway for kids.

At 7 p.m., guests will move outside for the tree lighting ceremony, which includes a sing-a-long and fireworks.

After the tree is lit, the movie night, featuring “Elf,” begins indoors at 7:30 p.m.

Get details on seasonal events at uniondepot.org/holiday.

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While the Union Depot tree will sparkle through the new year, the search for the next and future Union Depot holiday trees is ongoing. This year, the tree was chosen from between 25 and 50 submissions, but Union Depot officials would like more contenders.

“If people have a tree in mind that they think could qualify,” says Amy Struve, Union Depot’s marketing manager, “we would love to hear from them.”

To be considered, email your address and a photo of the tree to info@uniondepot.org or call 651-202-2700. A tree can also be submitted for consideration through Union Depot’s website at uniondepot.org/holiday/holiday-tree/.

To prepare for the opening of the new Lake Elmo and Bayport elementary schools next fall, Stillwater Area Public Schools officials say they plan to change attendance boundaries “to balance enrollment across the district’s southern schools and make room for future growth.”

The district is considering three scenarios. One would affect 135 students, and the other two would affect 39 students each, said Carissa Keister, the district’s chief of staff and director of communications.

To the extent possible, each elementary school will have a minimum enrollment of 400 students, Keister said. “It’s just better programmatically when we have at least 400,” she said. “We can have full-time staff for our specialists, and three sections of each grade level. It’s just more efficient.”

Much of the district’s growth will be in Lake Elmo, so district officials are purposely building the new 150,000-square-foot elementary school at 10928 10th St. N., “intentionally large,” Keister said.

“We’re actually trying to keep room there knowing that we don’t have growth for next year, but we will have growth in five, six, seven years from now,” she said. “We don’t want to overcrowd it now when we know that the growth is coming.”

An open house on the plan will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Oak-Land Middle School. Families are invited to come learn about the options and share feedback. District leaders and members of the boundary committee will be in attendance.

Parents and family members also can provide feedback online prior to Dec. 2 at: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/132099563/welcome.

The school board plans to hold a study session on the proposed changes at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Oak Park Learning Center, 6355 Osman Ave. N., in Stillwater.  A final decision is expected Dec. 16.

District officials have put the current Lake Elmo Elementary School up for sale; the asking price is $5 million.

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District officials plan to move into the current Andersen Elementary School building in downtown Bayport next year when the new 98,000-square-foot school – which will be called Bayport Elementary – opens at 1003 Fifth Ave. N., in Bayport.

District officials are currently split between the Oak Park Learning Center and the Central Services Building on Greeley Street; the Central Services Building will be put up for sale, Keister said.

“That would allow all of our central services staff to be together,” she said. “We’re kind of divided up between two buildings right now.”

The Oak Park Learning Center will continue to be used for the district’s Alternative Learning Center, the district’s Transition program, professional development and other meetings. In the future, it could be used for some daytime community-education programming, Keister said.