ST. JA M E S
ST. ANDRE W
ST. J OS E PH
Holy Family Area CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
OUR ALTAR SERVERS:
Engaged in the Faith like Never Before
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t. James parishioner Mikey Kvaal first began altar serving as a middle schooler. At the time, Mikey says he joined simply because it was what his older brother had done before him and was something that would make his mother happy. He had no idea the way altar serving would impact his life, transforming his Mass experience and shaping his understanding of the faith. “I feel like sitting in a pew just doesn’t feel the same as being up there on the altar,” Mikey says. “I feel so much more engaged being up there, listening to the homily, and being a more active part of the Mass. I feel, too, that I take away a little more each week from the Mass, which I then try to apply to my life during the week.” Now a freshman at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Mikey continues to serve on the altar whenever possible. He says the ministry has completely changed his understanding of the Mass and the faith in general. Whereas before Mass was something he went to strictly out of obligation, Mikey has now come to appreciate what a great gift the Catholic liturgy and priesthood is. “Through altar serving, I’ve come to see how much of a gift it is to go church,” Mikey says. “I really felt that during the pandemic when I couldn’t serve or attend Mass at all. continued on back cover
St. James parishioner Mikey Kvaal says he loves altar serving because it enables him to perform a more active part in the sacred liturgy.
SEPTEMBER 2020
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BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
Living Stewardship in Our Family as Pandemic Continues
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s the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the question of how to strengthen our family faith and continue to live Stewardship as a Way of Life while separated from the sacraments and parish life is being put to the test. Our priests and parish leaders already have found new ways to minister to our parish family from a distance. Now, it is our own time to shine within our own homes. It is our time to seize this opportunity and continue to build our own Domestic Church. What is the domestic Church? Simply put, it is our family — the smallest body of gathered believers in Christ. The early Church fathers understood the home was fertile ground for discipleship, sanctification, and holiness. And the Domestic Church plays a key role in this as the primary place where we practice coming to intimately love others. Even before the pandemic, in recent years, our Holy Father Pope Francis placed great emphasis on the family, asking us as Catholics to explore the meaning and the theology of the Domestic Church. During his address at the World Meeting of Families during his 2015 apostolic visit to the United States, Pope Francis told us, “Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to grow in faith.” Now, as the pandemic continues to distance us from our parish and affects the way we live our faith and
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practice stewardship, it is now more important than ever to discern the unique role God has in mind for our lives, and the lives of our family members. If your family truly is committed to answering the call to live as intentional disciples of Christ, our response to this call starts in the home through stewardship. As Catholics, we often associate stewardship with sharing our time, talents and resources with our parish. We see it as volunteering and helping to build our parish community. Rarely, do we recognize the need for stewardship in our own homes. But what can you do to live out stewardship as a Domestic Church? You can set aside time each day for personal and family prayer. If you are still unable to attend Mass, you and your family can participate in the Sunday liturgy and daily Masses in your home via livestream. Read and reflect each day on the daily Mass readings, which are available online at www.usccb.org/bible. Do some online faith formation together. Other ideas include simply being kind to each other, doing something extra for your spouse or children, avoiding criticism, or working on being more patient with a family member who sometimes can be challenging to be around. Help a family member financially during these challenging times. Pray for our family members and each of their unique needs. Spend extra time with a child and our spouse — make that a priority worked into each week. The possibilities for living stewardship within our Domestic Churches are endless. How we treat each other in our homes is as important as praying together when living out stewardship. In a nutshell, live in your home with your faith-filled family celebrating your Catholic identity! Stewardship is not just something we do within the confines of our church walls. It is meant to be lived 24/7, to be practiced anywhere and everywhere. And it begins with our Domestic Church — our families. By focusing on new ways to share our Time, Talent and Treasure together within our own homes — both during the pandemic and after the storm passes — we can make faith the source and center of our family lives and fulfill our mission as the Domestic Church.
A Letter From Our Pastor
“COINCIDENTAL” STEWARDSHIP My Dear Friends in Christ,
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he famous author G.K. Chesterton once said, “Coincidences are God’s way of staying anonymous.” Since fully embracing the stewardship way of life, coincidences have become cherished experiences for which I thank God — and rightly so! While God stays anonymous, coincidences are His way of interacting with the world He created. Importantly, as we have been continually impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with many of our circumstances changing day to day, we can be grateful for His “coincidental” intervention. As I continue to witness the grace-filled effects of the stewardship way of life on our parish, and in my own life, it is definitely God’s hand at work in our lives of faith. If some identify a coincidence as a “surprise blessing” that lifts the spirits and draws one closer to gratefulness to God, we cannot deny that in those circumstances that God is giving us the grace to live and celebrate our faith. So, let’s celebrate the coincidences! Celebrate the coincidence that Chesterton himself converted to Catholicism late in his life, yet wrote book after book affirming and defending the Catholic faith long before his conversion. Four years after Chesterton joined the Catholic Church, he wrote a phenomenal book called The Catholic Church and Conversion. It is one of the best works on conversion to Catholicism, as well as a wonderful description of conversion to the stewardship way of life. The same experiences, or “coincidences,” apply when we find ourselves drawn into the understanding, practice and expression of discipleship, known to us as “stewardship.” Chesterton describes conversion in three steps. “The convert takes his first step rather unwittingly
when he decides he’s going to be fair to the Catholic Church,” he wrote. The convert to stewardship must also dispel the “myths of stewardship” and give it a chance. This first step of conversion then leads to a long and enjoyable second step, which is the utter fascination of learning what the Catholic Church really does teach. Chesterton says, “It is like discovering a new continent full of strange flowers and fantastic animals, which is at once wild and hospitable.” For the stewardship convert, it is recognizing that stewardship is a practical way of living the Gospel. It makes sense, and others are doing it with joy and passion. What they have, the convert also wants. Then, the convert to Catholicism suddenly realizes with a shock that he can no longer be detached and impartial about the Catholic Church. The convert to the stewardship way of life realizes this is the way he or she wants to live — and makes the commitment to do so. If this were not true of what Christ has called us to be, I would not be writing this today. If this were not true of our commitment to stewardship, you may not be reading this today. And, if this were not true of a stewardship parish such as ours, we would not be the faithful stewards we are today. Wouldn’t you also agree it is a “coincidence” to thank God for each day of our lives? Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Paul Timmerman, Pastor
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VOTIVE CANDLES
A Comfortin
OFFER SIMPLE, BUT
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The votive candle stand has been placed at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Members of St. Andrew visit the stand often, lighting candles as they offer prayer.
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he act of lighting a votive candle and saying a prayer is a simple, but powerful way to engage in our faith. And, thanks to the efforts of several St. Andrew parishioners, we now have this means of prayerful devotion after they took the steps to make it possible. For Kathi Gill and Connie Bremmer, their efforts began in 2011 when they realized they missed having votive candles in St. Andrew. “We started to talk to Father about it and we got his permission [to pursue it],” Kathi says. “We went before the Council of Catholic Women and Connie did a presentation.” There was some caution expressed at first, with questions of security for the donation box and the cleaning of the glass votive cups. But the council agreed to purchase the candle stand, votive glasses and candles. “There was concern about the work to keep the votive glasses clean, so I volunteered to do it,” Kathi says. “I did it for about five years, and I gathered the money from the donation box and turned it over to the church secretary.” After a time, however, the task became even larger, so the Council of Catholic Women have members taking care of the candle stand in rotation. Until the pandemic closed many things down, Kathi and her husband were driving to St. Paul to purchase the candles to save on shipping. Now, however, the candles are ordered by mail. Having the votive candles in our church means a great deal to Kathi. “It draws me to the church,” she says. “I find it a very comforting devotion. I’ve read that the light is to remind us of the Light of Christ in the world. It has special meaning, and it provides a way of offering prayers up. When you have friends or family asking for your prayers, a lot of people will say ‘I’ll light a candle for you.’ It’s consoling, as well. It has seemed to be popular [at St. Andrew] from the start.”
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ng Devotion:
WERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR PRAYER Lighting candles during prayer has been a lifelong practice for Kathi. “I grew up with votives in my home parish,” she says. “I went to Catholic school and my mother used candles for special intentions. The nuns taught us about it. It was something I missed here when there weren’t candles.” Prayer, of course, has figured strongly in Kathi’s life, as well. “This goes back to my childhood,” she says. “I was raised in a Catholic home with a strong emphasis on praying. The one thing I heard a great amount was the little phrase, ‘Pray without ceasing’ from First Thessalonians. It became our family motto. If we had a problem, my mother would say
‘pray without ceasing.’ We carried that on. My sister found a large plaque [with that saying] and gave it to her. All three of us had it in our home, and we’re teaching this to our own children.” The Council of Catholic Women have truly taken on the work to maintain the votives. Nancy St. Sauver takes care of cleaning the glass votive cups when they are empty and making sure the stand is filled with candles. Kim Rupp, the CCW treasurer, empties the donation box. “It’s quite a group effort to start, and maintaining it is a big effort,” Kathi says. All women of St. Andrew’s are automatically members of the Council of Catholic Women.
“It draws me to the church. I find it a very comforting devotion. I’ve read that the light is to remind us of the Light of Christ in the world. It has special meaning, and it provides a way of offering prayers up. When you have friends or family asking for your prayers, a lot of people will say ‘I’ll light a candle for you.’” — KATHI GILL
A simple prayer around the lighting of a votive candle has been placed at the votive candle stand, beneath the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The votive candles have been added to St. Andrew Church through the efforts of several parishioners.
Anyone who would like to donate toward votive stand upkeep may call the Area Office at 320-269-5954.
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DRAWING FROM THE TRADITIONS OF SPIRITUALITY IN OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH
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f you knew that the person who loves you most in the world was longing to spend some time with you, would you want to meet with them? What if this person was also the only one capable of saving your soul for all eternity, not to mention blessing you abundantly on earth? It would seem ridiculous to say “no” to getting to know them just a little better, right? That being said, you may wonder how you can best go about getting to know this particular person. To do just that, as Catholics, it is important that we seek out and read things from our Catholic Christian tradition — immersing ourselves in the spiritual works of those who have found Christ in a very deep way in accordance with the Church. Indeed, there are many great saints who have flowered out of the community of believers, and we can turn to them to get to know God better. Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has been profoundly touched, enriched and enlightened by spiritual masters whose works are powerful enough to convert souls. It is also important to recognize that the spiritual traditions in the Church express many of the same ideas but in different ways, bearing witness to the ineffable, mosaic-like beauty of Catholicism. St. Benedict began the first formal monastic tradition in the western Catholic Church, basing it on the Rule of St. Benedict. To this day, Benedictine spirituality is centered around the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, simplicity and the appreciation of the Holy Eucharist. The Franciscan spiritual tradition began with St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. These saints brought about a renewal and revitalization that still marks the Church with splendor today. St. Francis is widely known for his Gospel-centered living, love of poverty, devotion to Christ Crucified, and mercy for all men and creatures.
The Life of St. Francis of Assisi by St. Bonaventure, as well as The Little Flowers of St. Francis both help one to learn more about this magnificent saint. Similar to St. Francis, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila also sparked a critical reformation within the Carmelite Order, which later influenced the entire Church in a positive way. Carmelite spirituality is a desert spirituality, which bases itself on silence, deep contemplative prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, outstanding penance, and various traditional Catholic devotions. The Story of a Soul, which is the autobiography of renowned Carmelite St. Therese of Lisieux, the Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, and the works of St. John of the Cross all capture the essence of Carmelite spirituality. Furthermore, Salesian spirituality stems from the great life and work of St. Francis de Sales. The Introduction to the Devout Life is a fantastic primer for those desiring to enter more profoundly into a life of union with Christ. Ignatian spirituality is known for educating people on the discernment of spirits. The Examen Prayer, as well as The Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy Gallagher are excellent resources for learning more about this powerful spiritual tradition. Last but not least, The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin is modern-day spiritual work that can help those who are seeking Christ, to find Him. The rich variety of spiritual traditions we have in the Catholic Church are an indication of how diverse our Church is. There are so many different ways of following Christ and praying — and to do so, we can draw from the spiritual “greats.” But of course, we must always pray in the way that God is leading us, in a way that we can truly encounter God in conversation.
FAITH FORMATION MEALS:
Ser ving Our Kids and Building Communit y
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here’s a lot of love and caring served up when our Faith Formation students gather for dinner before their Wednesday classes at St. Joseph’s. Alicia Roelike coordinates the meals and St. Joseph Parish families contribute the food and time to make it all happen. When Alicia receives the dates for the classes from Ann Voller, our Coordinator of Faith Formation, she calls the families who have signed up to help with the meals. In addition, Alicia makes use of the online SurveyMonkey app that enables families to sign up to provide meals and choose the date that suits them. “We serve about 40 kids and the catechists each Wednesday,” Alicia says. “Usually on the first Wednesday of each month our Knights of Columbus help us with pizza. It’s been great!” Alicia has served as a catechist while caring for her three children. She also works in education, so she appreciates what it means to the catechists to have a meal prepared before going into the classroom.
“It’s a way to serve the church and stay in contact with the kids,” she says. “This is my third year being the meal coordinator, and I love it. I see the kids in a different environment. It’s a blessing!” During the first year of the Faith Formation meals, there were about 10 to 12 students. Now, there are at least 40. “It’s been a huge success, I think,” Alicia says. The classes begin at 6:45 p.m. so the meals are served at 6:15 p.m. “This definitely builds community in the parish,” she says. “We can watch the kids grow. Some of them don’t come for the meal, but they come just for visiting the others. The catechists will come early and visit. They have this time to connect. Sometimes Fr. Paul will stop in and this gives us a sense of connection.” Volunteers are always welcome to help serve the meals, bring good, or make cash donations. “It’s very fulling to know that people want to serve and help out,” she says. “It makes it good for the kids.”
Anyone who would like more information about the Faith Formation Wednesday meals at St. Joseph may contact Alicia Roelike at aaroelike@msn.com; at St. Andrew’s contact Christina Wangen at sacoordinator@holyfamilyarea.org or 507-920-0122.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE ST. JOSEPH’S 2020 FALL FESTIVAL!
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Sunday, Sept . 20
ll are invited to participate in the fun and festivities at the Fall Festival, held at St. Joseph in Montevideo! Join us for the 10 a.m. Mass, which is followed by the festival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We are happy to offer the Grilled Porkchop Dinner for $10, which includes baked potato, coleslaw, green beans, and a Special K bar. However, there will be no dine-in — this is available for curbside pickup or delivery — for
delivery, please call 269-5954 before noon on Sunday. There will be a Sweepstakes Drawing at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday — with cash prizes. Festival activities also include the Online Silent Auction, which runs from Wednesday, Sept. 16 to Wednesday, Sept. 23. You may view and bid on items at www.32auctions.com/fallfest. Tickets are available from St. Joseph parishioners or by calling the Church Office at 320-269-5954.
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512 Black Oak Ave. Montevideo, MN 56265
www.holyfamilyarea.org
MASS TIMES (After Labor Day): Sunday 8:30 a.m. — St. James, Dawson 10:30 a.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo Tuesday 5 p.m. - St. Andrew, Granite Falls Wednesday 5:30 p.m. — St. James, Dawson
Thursday 12:00 p.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo Friday 10 a.m. — St. Andrew, Granite Falls
Saturday 5 p.m. — St. Andrew, Granite Falls 7 p.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo in Spanish
CONFESSION TIMES: 30 minutes before daily Mass Sunday 8 a.m. — St. James, Dawson
Saturday 4:15 p.m. —St. Andrew, Granite Falls
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OUR ALTAR SERVERS continued from front cover
There was so much that I missed from going to church — seeing everybody and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. I would say, too, that altar serving has definitely opened me up to the possibility of the priesthood and just ministry in general.” Mikey points out that many young people today struggle with the Mass, not understanding the meaning behind the rituals and actions. He says altar serving is a great way to combat this problem because it helps youth understand the “why” behind our actions and beliefs as Catholics. “Knowing why you are doing something really gives it a whole new meaning,” Mikey says. “You’re not just a kind of zombie, doing what everyone else is doing. You are able to do things more intentionally.”
Altar serving is open to any middle or high school youth interested in taking a more active part in the sacred liturgy. If you would like more information about trainings and ministry requirements, please contact the Area Office at 320-269-5954 or secretary@holyfamilyarea.org.
SEPTEMBER 2020