Little Falls Catholic Community Newsletter — October 2020

Little Falls

Catholic Community

Meet

Charlene Jelinski

Longtime Parishioner Grateful for God's Many Blessings

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here is one thing Holy Family It’s a “large undertaking” to run the parishioner Charlene Jelinski can’t store, says Charlene. say enough, and it’s that she has been “It seems like when anything is going truly blessed — with a loving husband on in church involving a few people, I get and beautiful children, as well as the a call to help with food,” Charlene says. power of the Lord’s healing.

“I am very happy to help.”

A few other things about Charlene Even when she’s not at church, — she loves popcorn, and she has a real Charlene can be found in her home knack for cooking and preparing food. kitchen canning, baking or cooking.

Charlene uses that gift of culinary She even brought her talent and love for expertise to help our parish priests by cooking to the kitchens at the Little Falls providing a meal for special events, schools for 23 years, where she worked Charlene Jelinski diocesan meetings, and more. She also as a cook. helps with meals for funerals. While Charlene has faced several health Holy Family was being remodeled, she organized and struggles, having dealt with inherited polycystic joined other volunteers in cooking meals for those kidney disease her whole life. In turn, her kidney working on the project. medication put her at a higher risk of cancer, and she “Making food is a way I can contribute,” she says. has battled skin cancer twice, and breast cancer.

“I really enjoy cooking.”

“I always say if they can figure out what I’ve Charlene and her sister, Cheryl, also manage the got and take care of what I’ve got, I am OK with it,” Country Store at the Holy Family Heritage Festival.

Charlene says. continued on page 3

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family

A Letter From Our Pastor

HOW CAN I

My Dear Friends in Christ,

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n these times, it is helpful to begin the day with the question, “How can I give today?”

As we continue to do our best to live stewardship during these difficult times, I have been thinking of ways for us all to share our Time, Talent and Treasure with our family, our parish, our community, and even ourselves. So, I would like to share with you my list of 10 ways to be a giver in these days that challenge us to be upbeat, or even to remain on an even keel. And, as we give effectively, we will spread and experience joy.

1. Give encouragement. Many folks are struggling as they adjust to a new normal, which keeps changing — but they are moving along, trying to do what is right and good. Encouragement helps us all to keep making good decisions and to give and find zest.

2. Give gratitude. Be grateful to God, to family and friends, and to professionals who are helping us through the pandemic.

Find a way to express gratitude — maybe send a hand-written note.

3. Forgive others. We are all victims in one way or another. People who have hurt us are usually victims themselves. Holding on to the hurt or harboring resentment does no one any good. Start forgiving by praying for the one who has hurt you or a loved one. This is a good time to mend fences by expressing care and the desire to see beyond the rift.

4. Forgive yourself. During these days, many people report that memories of their own mean, foolish and hurtful actions are flooding them with a vengeance. If others have forgiven us, if God and the Church

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have forgiven us, if we would forgive someone who did to us what we cannot forgive ourselves for, well then, what good reason is there to withhold forgiving ourselves?

5. Give the gift of volunteer time.

There are many needs out there for folks to share their time and talents in one way or another. We know this in our Church, our neighborhood, our places of work. In our bulletin, we regularly invite folks to volunteer, to make another person’s life healthier and safer. Seldom do we volunteer as a solitary person — we can make great friends among our fellow volunteers.

6. Give financial support. These, of course, are uncertain times. Many charitable organizations are offering assistance to those in need. Our Church and parish face the challenge of managing our budget while there are less people attending Mass and giving less of their treasure. There is a joy and a sense of peace when we give, when we trust God to provide enough for our well-being, and when we can see the good our generosity and sacrifices are accomplishing.

7. Give the gift of self-care. Balance exercise, healthy meals, rest, staying in touch with family and friends, intellectual stimulation, finding ways to enjoy life with virtual assistance, staying safe and keeping

GIVE TODAY? others safe. Find ways to enjoy nature.

Self-care is important so we can be our best selves in our relationships with others and as we encounter life’s challenges.

8. Give time to listen to God. Trust that God has words of encouragement, direction, clarification and peace for us. We pray speaking to God from our hearts, but also by listening to the Divine Message which penetrates our hearts.

9. Give the gift of petitionary prayer.

Petitionary prayer works — the result is not always that our will is done, but petitionary prayer leads us to look for God, to trust in God, and to compassionately put those for whom we pray in the hands of God. Petitionary prayer unites us with those for whom we are praying and those who are also praying. We give a great gift when

we pray for someone — we have the joy of bringing our hopes to God and feeling the Divine Presence.

10. Give the gift of the desire to give. If we start every day with the desire and the question “How can I give today?” we will have a spirit of dedication and build on the joy of giving day by day as we gradually work our way through this pandemic and all the fears, issues and problems which have surfaced.

Let us trust the joy of giving as we move forward.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Ben Kociemba, Pastor

Meet Charlene Jelinski She credits the medical community for its research into polycystic kidney disease. In 2003, Charlene received a kidney transplant.

“It was like the Lord put His hands on me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, you will come through this just fine — this is going to be okay,’” she says And, it was okay. With a lot of time for healing, Charlene made it through.

“Every morning I wake up and I say, ‘Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Mary,” she says.

While Charlene recalls just how nervous she was ahead of the transplant, she says that the support from her husband, Jerry, and their three children and eight grandchildren made all the difference.

“I would not have gotten through all my health issues without my husband,” she says. “He has been by my side through thick and thin. He’s an angel. The support that I have gotten has been

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unbelievable, from my husband and kids, and their spouses.”

And about Charlene’s love for popcorn — her sister, Cheryl, has provided support by getting popcorn for Charlene whenever she has needed it.

“You can’t do it by yourself,” Charlene says.

“You need lots of support, lots of prayers and lots of hugs.”

Another passion Charlene and Jerry share is to travel with Gary Block Tours in Little Falls.

“We have gone east, to west, and everywhere in between!” she says.

Reflecting on her life of sharing faith, friendship, and food, Charlene is so thankful and says she always strives to give back to the Lord and her parish.

“The Lord has been very, very good to me,” she says.

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family

AN UPDATE ON MARY OF

Academic Ye

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o matter what curveballs are being thrown our way due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary of Lourdes School is still hard at work in the game, and our faculty and staff definitely won’t be giving up any time soon.

“We are not sure what to expect this school year, but we are doing our best to handle things day by day and stay on top of addressing people’s concerns,” says principal Jodi Vanderheiden. “We are available to respond to any questions that parents may have, such as if their child should come to school with a little sore throat, etc. My goal for this year is to help everyone stay healthy. It is new territory for all

of us. It will take a lot of communication and openness to get through all of this, but we can do it.”

With much patience, diligence, and flexibility, the school continues to help its staff, students, and families reach their “home base” of heaven. Despite ongoing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school is staying true to its mission to be “Christ-centered and dedicated to excellence in education by developing the whole person, integrating our Catholic faith with daily life.”

From daily religion class to all-school Masses, Our Lord is being honored within the

Our Mary of Lourdes School faculty and staff has been developing and trying out innovative ways to maintain a parish school family atmosphere, despite the challenges they are facing.

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F LOURDES SCHOOL

ear Begins with Openness and Diligence walls of Mary of Lourdes School — even though it may look a little different this school year than it has in recent years.

“Although we are not certain which faithbased events we can offer this year, the Catholic faith is nonetheless woven into every aspect of our day,” Mrs. Vanderheiden says. “It is ingrained in everything we do as a school, and that isn’t going to change because of the pandemic.”

Furthermore, the school purchased a new social-emotional learning curriculum that should come in quite handy this upcoming school year.

“This new curriculum will help us get through this time,” Mrs. Vanderheiden says.

“The effects of the closing of school, the anxiety that COVID-19 has caused, and the possibilities we are facing, are all new things people are dealing with. Hopefully, it will give us strategies to help us deal with these things in a way that is spiritual and faith-filled, not just medical.”

Mary of Lourdes School’s faculty and staff has also been trying out innovative ways to maintain a parish school family atmosphere despite the challenges they are facing.

“We had a virtual kindergarten picnic which was attended by about 21 of our 30 school families,” Mrs. Vanderheiden says. “The children shared what they like to do with their families, and the families all got to know each other better. It is very possible that we may have more of these virtual kinds of gatherings in the near future. We have to be creative.”

Moving forward, Mrs. Vanderheiden

From daily religion class to all-school Masses, Our Lord is being honored at Mary of Lourdes School — even though it may look a little different this school year than it has in recent years.

expresses her gratitude for the works of Divine Providence ahead of time.

“We are so grateful that our school building is large enough to accommodate our students in case we have to transition to a hybrid model,” she says.

And she is also thankful for how strong our parish and school family is.

“Our theme is ‘together in spirit,’ and I can’t think of a better theme for us to have right now,” she says. “A big part of who we are is relationship and community.”

If you would like further information about the school, or in order to register your child, please contact Mrs. Jodi Vanderheiden at jvanderheiden@molschool.org or 320-632-6742.

New enrollments can be accepted at any time throughout the school year.

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family

Good Stewardship of Our

Social Media

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hen talking about stewardship and how we care for the gifts we have been given, it is not often we stop to think about how we are using the gift of social media to positively spread Gospel values. However, this is an appropriate topic to consider when talking about the many young people, as well as adults, who gather online. Therefore, it is important to consider how we are using the amazing gifts of technology.

If you are frequently online — especially on Pinterest — there is a popular acronym that you may have already come across. While it is used in many different contexts, it seems very appropriate to follow as we find ourselves posting statuses and pictures on various social media sites. The acronym is THINK, and it invites us to consider what we are saying and sharing, and whether or not it should be said!

Is what we are posting:

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rue? Are we sharing factual information or a rumor that we heard, and if we think our information is factual, what is our source? Is it trustworthy? elpful? Is the information we are sharing something that can be useful to another person?

We don’t need to over-examine all of our content to consider its “educational factor,” but is the content we are posting going to help someone learn about us, learn about a place or an activity, think about the world, reflect on life, engage us in laughter, and so forth? nspirational? There is certainly no requirement to be a poet or an artist, but social media has become a wonderful outlet for positive self-expression. “Positive” is the key word — are we posting to inspire others about the good in our world, or are we posting to cut someone down or to simply rant? ice? Have we considered the feelings of others when we include them in a status or post a picture of them? Will they be embarrassed? Are we using social media to humiliate and intimidate others, or are we using it to try to better the world and the lives of others? ind? What a great tool to compliment, show gratitude, and build the self-esteem of those you care about!

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N K

People often speak of social media in a negative way because of the content they see posted. THINK is a great way for us to remind ourselves that we can be good stewards of our own social media use. A major part of living out the Gospel has to do with the positive way we approach this life and bring God’s light and love to others — and we can do just that by sharing an uplifting status on Facebook, a tweet of gratitude to a friend, or a beautiful image of God’s inspiring creation on Instagram. What a great way to build the Kingdom of God!

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GETTING TO KNOW

THE KNOPIK FAMILY

Helping Wherever They Can at Our Lady of Lourdes

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he Little Falls faith community is blessed with many wonderful examples of stewardship in action. For Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners Lance and Dawn Knopik, that active stewardship takes place in several ways.

“Stewardship, for us, is simply seeing a need, knowing we could help in that area, and getting the job done, whether that be with our time, talent or treasure,” Dawn says.

Lance and Dawn can be seen helping out wherever they can at Our Lady of Lourdes and Mary of Lourdes School — whether it’s Lance helping around the building and grounds and serving on the Parish Council, or Dawn scheduling servers and serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

The couple has taught Confirmation classes for the last 8 years. Dawn teaches art and religion at Mary of Lourdes, and has served on the school board and the Parent and School Association in the past.

“With my teaching background, I have been drawn to helping out the school as much as I can,” Dawn says. “In teaching the students about the faith, I also grow in mine!”

Over the last 30 years, Lance has lent his time and talents to help with the youth group.

“I enjoy sharing my expertise in helping our parish family and taking on small maintenance projects around the Church, as well as helping

The Knopik family on a recent trip to the Grand Canyon

our young people grow in their faith,” Lance says.

The Knopiks have six children — Kerstin, Thomas, Ben, Peter, Luke and Nicole. Between family obligations and all of their activities, it might seem easy to let faith take a back seat. continued on back cover

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Our Lady of Lourdes is where our friends are. It’s where we feel part of a community. It’s where we want to spend our time and teach our kids that being a member of the Church is not just going to Mass on the weekend, but it is about community, working for a common good and making our faith central in our lives.

Dawn Knopik

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family Parish Office: 208 West Broadway Little Falls, MN 56345 (320) 632-8243 www.littlefallscatholic.org

The Knopik Family But Lance and Dawn don’t let work and other activities get in the way of fully living out their faith.

“We have raised our kids to know our faith is our priority,” Dawn says. “Our primary goal is to get to heaven and to help our children get there.”

Lance and Dawn both have a true love for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, calling it home.

“Having grown up in this parish and now having our children grow in their

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faith here, is a humbling experience,” Lance says. “I love the people, the vibrancy and the family atmosphere.”

The Knopik family enjoys camping, kayaking and watching movies. They also enjoy being involved with sports and music, and, most importantly, being involved at Our Lady of Lourdes.

“Our Lady of Lourdes is where our friends are,” Dawn says. “It’s where we feel part of a community. It’s where we want to spend our time

and teach our kids that being a member of the Church is not just going to Mass on the weekend, but it is about community, working for a common good and making our faith central in our lives.”

Lance and Dawn believe that in giving, they receive.

They feel very blessed by the parish community and are honored to be involved in any way they can. They encourage others to find their place in their parish and give of their time, talent and treasure.