S T. A L E X I U S - O U R L A D Y O F T H E A N G E L S - S T. PA U L ’S
St. Paul’s Roman and Mary Kulzer
Faithfully Sharing the Message of Divine Mercy
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f you consider 40 years of doing something once per day — that’s 14,600 times! Roman and Mary Kulzer have faithfully prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at least once a day since St. Paul’s was dedicated to Divine Mercy on April 18, 1982. That’s 40 years of commitment and likely well over 20,000 chaplets prayed by Roman and Mary, as many days they pray it more than once. Since the onset of the pandemic, they’ve prayed at least three chaplets per day. “Our Lord made some amazing promises to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska — one being that those who recite it will receive great mercy at their hour of death,” Roman says. It was the promises that the Lord made to St. Faustina that initially drew Roman to learn more. In 1980, St. Paul’s hosted a speaker, Fr. Ohman, who shared the Divine Mercy devotion and message. The Divine Mercy message was received from our Lord by St. Faustina, a Polish nun. When Roman first heard the Divine Mercy message, he met with Vernon Botz, Paul Thiesen, and Lawrence Kaas — they decided they should get a Divine Mercy group started. All these years later, the group is 23 members strong. They still meet once per month, starting their meetings with Mass and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Mark Haskamp is the president,
Roman and Mary Kulzer
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
St. Paul’s Roman and Mary Kulzer and Monica Blaske is the vice president. “It’s just a really great group of people,” Roman says. Divine Mercy Sunday was requested by Jesus through St. Faustina and is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. This year, it is on Sunday, April 24, at St. Paul’s. The event begins at 1 p.m. and ends with 4 p.m. Mass. All are welcome. Roman and Mary also invite everyone to pray the Divine Mercy Novena, which starts on Good Friday. The Lord said to Sister Faustina, “My daughter, help Me to save a certain dying sinner. Say the chaplet that I have taught you for him.” “When I began to say the chaplet, I saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle. His Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was, as if it were, powerless against the enormity of the soul’s misery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul. But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as He is depicted in the image. The rays which issued from Jesus’ Heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic. The sick man peacefully breathed his last. When I came to myself, I understood how very important the chaplet was for the dying. It appeases the anger of God” (Diary,1565). As laypeople, we have the power to save dying people from hell by saying the chaplet as Sister Faustina did. A lot of people who die aren’t
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ready for death. This Chaplet of Mercy will bring Jesus to the dying man. Then-Bishop George Speltz was present at many Divine Mercy Sundays at St. Paul’s before his passing. He said that was his biggest accomplishment — the dedication of Divine Mercy in the diocese. Jesus said of the Divine Mercy image, “Where my image is, I am present.” “A few years ago, a member of the Alexandria Knights of Columbus identified an empty billboard near Sauk Centre and the Divine Mercy group helped secure it,” Roman says. “Travelers on Interstate 94 headed east now see the image of Jesus of Divine Mercy. Jesus asked that His image be displayed at the gate of a city and He would protect the city spiritually and physically. That’s happening right here in Sauk Centre. “All of the Divine Mercy promises are beyond our wildest imagination,” Roman adds. Roman and Mary who have two adult boys and seven grandchildren, feel blessed that they have had the opportunity to spread the Divine Mercy message far and wide. In addition to their devotion to Divine Mercy, Roman and Mary have been involved in many ministries over the years. Serving St. Paul’s has always been an essential part of their lives. In their free time, they enjoy attending their grandchildren’s events, gardening, walking, and being outside.
“As laypeople, we have the power to save people from hell. A lot of people who die aren’t ready for it. I believe that God will grant what we ask, provided it’s within His will.” — ROMAN KULZER
All are welcome to attend the Divine Mercy Sunday events on Sunday, April 24, at St. Paul’s. 2
A Letter From Our Pastor
All Things and All People Are Made New
My Dear Friends in Christ,
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e associate the Easter season with springtime — a time of new life and new beginnings — and Holy Scripture addresses this idea of newness many times. The Lord declares, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). This idea of being “new” is important to us as Catholics, and it is important to our parish. We need to strive to do this on a regular basis — even on a daily basis. Think of the fact that all was once new. Regardless of how you view the development of this earth and those of us who occupy it, all was once new. During this Easter season, we need to retain that idea of being “new.” And being “new” means conversion, and we have often pointed out that conversion is at the heart of a life of stewardship. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, “The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life” (654). In other words, Christ’s Resurrection is the source of our new life — our own future resurrection. St. Paul wrote about it to the Romans (Rom 6:5) — “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” Hope for a new life beginning now and extending on into heaven is the result of Jesus’ Resurrection. What greater grounds for thanksgiving can there be than this
Easter hope? We should sing with joy about God’s promise to us, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). St. Paul also wrote (Col 3:1-2), “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” Jesus’ Resurrection and His promise of a new life for us means that we need to live in conformity with our status as adopted children of God. How do we show our joy and our gratitude to God for this amazing gift He has given us? We join in worship and praise God by word and song. We share the Good News of Jesus’ victory over death with our family, friends, and neighbors. And we offer back to the Lord a portion of the time, talent, and treasure He has entrusted to us. Yes, the Easter message that we share in the benefits of Christ’s Resurrection indeed makes all things new — the ultimate foundation for all Christian stewardship. The Lord is risen, alleluia. In our Father’s hands,
Fr. Greg Paffel Pastor
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
TH E MIGORI C OM M I T TE E M Expressing Our Gratitude
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hen Pope St. John Paul II composed his apostolic letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, on the dignity and vocation of women, he emphasized the blessings of a mother ’s ultimate gift: “Motherhood implies from the beginning a special openness to the new person: and this is precisely the woman’s ‘part.’ In this openness, in conceiving and giving birth to a child, the woman ‘discovers herself through a sincere gift of self” (18). As a special gift in thanks for this gift of self that mothers give us, each Mother ’s Day weekend, the Migori Committee sells carnations for a free-will offering after each of the Masses. These sales take place at St. Paul’s and Our Lady of the Angels, offering both individual carnations and vases of carnations. Beginning in 2021, the committee started offering preorders of three roses in a vase with delivery within Sauk Centre. The cost is $15 and they are delivered on the Thursday and Friday before Mother ’s Day. The committee will either put a card together for the order, or a card may be dropped off to be delivered with the flowers. There is a limited number of about 30 vases of roses available for pre-order.
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OTH ER’ S DAY FLOW E R S A LE for the Selfless Gift of Life The money raised through the sale of these flowers for Mother ’s Day goes directly towards bringing delegates to the parish from the Migori sister parish in Kenya. These sales have been very successful thanks to the generosity of our parishioners. The first delegate came from the Diocese of Homa Bay in 2003. Between 2007 and 2017, we welcomed 10 delegates from four different delegations. Four more delegates were to have arrived in April of 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled that visit. The parishes have sent delegates to Migori from Sauk Centre, as well. Due to the continued complications of COVID-19, there will be no delegates coming this year either. We hope and pray to bring several to the parishes next spring.
To order roses to be delivered to a special mom in your life, please call Kathy at 320-351-5580 or email kathy@centreforchrist.org. As always, carnation sales will be available on Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 and 8, for a free will offering with a variety of vases and individual flowers.
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
Teaching By Example
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The Importance of Prayer in a Child’s Life
want to be just like Mom and Dad!” Perhaps nothing lifts a parent’s heart like hearing these words. While certainly affirming, such words also remind us of the great responsibility that comes with parenthood. Children often examine the lives of their parents when making decisions that will affect their own lives. For example, a young boy may dream of becoming a physician one day, just like his father. Or a young girl may hope to become a veterinarian, just like her mother. Could the same be said about their parents’ faith lives? Just as children learn traits and values from their parents, they should also learn the importance and great joy of developing a personal relationship with Christ. And the foundation of such a relationship is prayer — conversation with God. How should we go about teaching our children to pray? There are several methods, but none works as well as teaching by example. Begin teaching the importance of prayer by praying openly with your spouse. This teaches children that prayer is meaningful and important, and not just a ritual. Also, pray with your children — in the morning and in the evening. Show your sons and daughters the importance of beginning and ending each day in prayer. While a fortunate dilemma, it’s a dilemma nonetheless — Catholics face the challenge of discerning which prayers to use, considering the thousands available. A good rule of thumb is to start simple — maybe an Our Father or Hail Mary, and then move into something more complex — Hail, Holy Queen or Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, among others. Begin with prayers your children can pick up fairly quickly. Not only will this show them that praying can be fun and easy, but shorter prayers are also usually easier to understand. Teach your children the importance of spontaneous prayer, rather than just prescribed prayers. Spontaneous prayer is any prayer that is created at the same time it is offered. Another way to think of spontaneous prayer is “praying in your own words.” Structure spontaneous prayers according to the ACTS acronym — Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. In layman’s terms, this means beginning each prayer with words of adoration, such as “You are the Lord God Almighty. I love you.” Move into a period of contrition, asking God’s forgiveness for the sins you have committed. Then, give words of thanksgiving, thanking God for the gifts He has given. Finally, spend time sharing with God your heart’s desires. These intentions can be personal or on another’s behalf. Following this format ensures that spontaneous prayer “covers all the bases,” and doesn’t become just a mental wish list. While God wants to hear and grant our wishes, He also expects words of adoration, contrition and thankfulness. The best time to begin praying with your children is right now. The sooner they learn about prayer, the sooner they can begin cultivating their own relationship with Jesus. Many parents even pray with their children before birth, hoping their unborn son or daughter can hear their words in utero. Remember, there is no better way to teach one’s children about the value of prayer than by example.
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Meet Parishioner Myles Rick
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Serving in the Body of Christ
n his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of the importance of each member of the Body of Christ. Each of us has designated gifts and talents with which we have been entrusted, in order to build up the Kingdom of Heaven. We are blessed at Our Lady of the Angels in that our parishioners have an abundance of gifts to offer. Myles Rick is one of these parishioners. “I can see that He has made us all different and that is what makes us special to Him,” Myles says. “Without His ability to make us all different, we wouldn’t have all these special unique skills that we have. I like knowing that I have grown closer to Him throughout all the times I have helped teach about Him, as it keeps me wanting to show to others that just volunteering is enough to make God happy.” For Myles, being involved in the parish community means more than simply going to Mass on Sundays. Fond of our active parish community, Myles has been a parishioner of Our Lady of the Angels since his family moved here in 2007. “The main thing that I love about my community is how many people there are that are attending Mass and helping throughout various ways in the Mass or outside the Mass — that they want to be closer to God and are trying to build a relationship with Him,” Myles says. “It is a real honor to live in a community that is so loving of God and all His creations.” Myles currently volunteers at Our Lady of the Angels, as well as at Centre for Christ in Sauk Centre. He first came to serve at Vacation Bible School (VBS) when he was in seventh grade — his mom had asked for help making snacks for the program. “After that year, I helped in various ways throughout VBS and extended it to teaching it in the religion classes and helping at the (junior
Myles Rick with Kathy Knoblach, Director of Religious Education/ Youth Ministry at Our Lady of the Angels
high) youth group events,” Myles says. Serving God through our community is important to Myles. He enjoys telling others about God and encouraging other young people to learn more about the faith — something he used to think was just for older people. Instead, helping out with teaching religion classes and youth group events has helped him to grow spiritually. “It has allowed me to see that I am not alone when I struggle with any issue because I have God to help guide me through it,” Myles says.
“It is a real honor to live in a community that is so loving of God and all His creations.” — MYLES RICK 7
ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S Parish Office: 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 (320) 352-2196 parishesontheprairie.org Mass Schedule
Saturday 4:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Saturday 5:00 p.m. - Our Lady of the Angels Saturday 8:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Sunday 8:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s Sunday 8:30 a.m. - St. Alexius Sunday 10:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Our Lady of the Angels
Reconciliation Schedule
Thursday 4:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Saturday 3:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Saturday 4:00 p.m. - Our Lady of the Angels Sunday 8:00 a.m. - St. Alexius
Searching Souls
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join other searching souls every Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Centre for Christ for videos and small-group discussions with a different topic each week to grow in our Catholic faith together! Please call 320-761-3590 for more information. “Like” the Searching Souls Ministries Facebook Group! April 4 — Discernment April 11 — Vatican II: Sacrosanctum Councilium April 18 — Divine Mercy April 25 — The Mass
St. Alexius: Youth Group Saturday, April 9 from 1-5:30 p.m. for students in grades 4-12.
We will be baking for our bake sale on Sunday, April 10. All proceeds will benefit our trip to Valleyfair in May. Please bring a friend. All are welcome! Adults volunteers welcomed. Snacks and beverages provided. Please RSVP by text/calling Christina at 320-980-0475.
Divine Mercy Sunday on April 24
1 p.m. — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
2-3:45 p.m. — Sacrament of Reconciliation offered by 6-7 priests 3 p.m. — Chaplet and Consecration to Divine Mercy 3:45 p.m. — Benediction 4 p.m. — Holy Mass followed by a light lunch in the church basement
First Saturday Devotions on Saturday, April 2 7:45 a.m. — Confessions 8 a.m. — Adoration 8:30 a.m. — Rosary 9 a.m. — Mass
Mark your calendars!
Senior Mass for the class of 2022 will be Wednesday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. for St. Paul’s and Our Lady of the Angels graduates — location TBA.
Make plans for summer fun at Centre for Christ!
Vacation Bible School (VBS) — June 6-9, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for students going into grades 1-5. Totus Tuus — Sunday, July 17 to Thursday, July 21, from 7-9 p.m. for those going into
grades 7-12, and Monday, July 18 to Friday, July 22, from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for those going into first-sixth grade.
Holy Week Schedule Holy Thursday
7 p.m. Mass — SP 7:30 p.m. Mass — OL 8 p.m. Mass — SF
Good Friday
12 p.m. Service — OL 1 p.m. Service — SD 3 p.m. Service — SA 3 p.m. Service — SP
Easter Vigil
8 p.m. Mass — SP 8:30 p.m. Mass — SA 8:30 p.m. Mass — PP
Easter Sunday
8 a.m. Mass — SP 8:15 a.m. Mass — SF 8:30 a.m. Mass — SA 10 a.m. Mass — SP 10:15 a.m. Mass — SD