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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