GETTING TO KNOW NANCY ST. SAUVER: “Nothing Happens Without Prayer”

No small effort goes unnoticed in the eyes of God. Giving to His Church sometimes means assisting with tasks that may not be at the forefront of the congregation, but are no less important to building His Kingdom. Nancy St. Sauver has been a parishioner at St. Andrew for 38 years and extends her service to the parish in several hidden ways. She first got involved when Fr. Moran asked her to be a lector and she agreed.

“Susan VanHoof always performed the Word and Communion service at the Nursing Home,” Nancy says. “She was moving out of the area and needed someone to take over for her and I did. Then Connie Bremmer moved out of the area and needed someone to launder the Mass linens. So I picked up that need.”

Nancy serves as a weekday sacristan, as well as a sacristan for the Nursing Home Mass. She set up the Seven Sisters Apostolate in Granite Falls, and she put together a procedure manual that provides guidelines for setting up different Masses, from Baptisms to funerals, to weekday Masses and weekend Masses.

Beyond these tasks, Nancy also takes care of laundry for the Mass linens and she is on the Prayer Chain list. During Lent, Nancy arranges the Stations of the Cross with some of the other parishioners, and recently she began counting the weekly collection. She has also used her talents in providing some materials for the Holy Family Area parishes.

“I like to sew, so I made up some finger towels that were needed,” she says. “I made amices for all three parishes. I made bean bags — a first for me — for the religious education program along with costumes for the Christmas pageant.”

When she took over the Word and Communion services at the nursing home, Nancy remembers spending more time with Scripture. This is one of the ways in which she has grown spiritually as a result of her membership in the parish.

“I continue to spend time with the Bible and learning more and more since then,” she says. “It also gives me a chance to provide service to God and the Church.”

Most important in Nancy’s walk with Christ is her dedication to prayer, which is a regular part of her daily life.

“I need the graces of Jesus every single day,” she says. “Nothing happens without prayer.”

Nancy begins her day with two short prayers as soon as she wakes, and she prays the Rosary and Divine Mercy chaplets during the day. Winding down the day, she says bedtime prayers, as well. Nancy attends adoration every week and she dedicates time to praying for the souls in purgatory.

Prayer, for Nancy, is an essential part of her life. And she especially believes in the power of intercessory prayer. “There are so many needs and troubles in this world,” she says. “I can’t fix everything but I can pray for the needs.”

Nancy (holding procedure book) with Kristy Rasmusson and Joe Fagnano

The Granite Falls Care Center Mass setup