MEET NATHAN KOSBAU: Sharing Talents and Bridging the Faith from Generation to Generation

The love that Nathan Kosbau has for our parish runs deep, and the stories he has to share remind us of what it truly means to be Catholic.

“I am a seventh-generation member of Holy Family Parish,” he says. “My great-grandfather helped to build our church building. He and others used an oxcart to travel to St. Cloud to pick up lumber to build our parish. The walls in our parish are made of field rock and in some places, they are three feet thick. It is amazing to think of the ingenuity that was needed to build our church. They didn’t have the modern conveniences that we have today.”

Nathan has also been inspired by his mother’s dedication to our parish family and to the Catholic faith.

“Throughout her adult life, my mom, Judi, has been very active in our parish, such as serving on the Liturgy Committee and the Funeral Committee, and doing volunteer work,” he says. “She set a firm foundation for me. She showed me that it is important to be involved in the Catholic community and not just talk about your faith, but also live it.”

From a young age, Nathan began to follow the same Lord that his elders did and serve Him in remarkable ways, particularly through the gift of music.

“I absolutely loved music as a child,” he says. “I was involved in a children’s choir in the early 90s, and I have been playing the piano for the church since 1998. For the last 10 to 15 years, I have been in our Parish Choir, and for the last year and a half, I have been directing it. I also play piano for Mass. I even like to play for daily Masses even though they don’t typically have music there, just so I can help enhance the congregation’s experience of the Mass.”

Over the years, Nathan Kosbau has found music to be a tremendous blessing and source of encouragement.

Over the years, Nathan has found music to be a tremendous blessing and source of encouragement.

“Music brings me closer to God,” Nathan says. “Someone told me once that it says in the Bible that music is the highest form of prayer, and I do believe that. When I play, I focus on bringing people into the Mass and bringing their hearts closer to God through the music.”

Furthermore, he also believes that it awakens the soul to higher things and the sacred presence of Christ.

“It is so important to bring the liturgy to life through music,” Nathan says. “I believe that people need to experience awe-inspiring moments and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit while they are in church. This helps them walk with Christ in their daily lives. Music can help them get more involved. Without music at Mass, it feels like empty prayer to me and it is I think it is hard for people to connect with God.”

He has also found that being a Catholic musician enables him to live out the stewardship vision in a way he sincerely enjoys.

“It is my God-given talent and I am so thankful I have it,” he says. “I try to help out wherever I am needed. To give our time and talent to God — that is our mission in life!”

For Nathan, one of the most wonderful aspects of belonging to Holy Family Parish is being part of such a longstanding, faithful community.

“I like that we are a close-knit community in a small country church,” Nathan says. “It is so fun! A lot of our parishioners come from a close family farm background and there is a lot of history that goes with our parish.”