Get to Know Sts. Peter and Paul Parishioner
MARCIA BAYER
Grateful to Walk the Path with Our Lord
Before her feet touch the floor in the morning, Marcia Bayer thanks Jesus for giving her another chance at life for the day. Having recently had complications during a knee surgery that nearly took her life, 79-year-old Marcia knows she’s been blessed with more years to serve God and her neighbors.
“The doctors were so afraid they’d lose me on the table,” Marcia says. “They said, ‘You’re not done yet, Jesus is going to keep you going for a while.’”
Marcia has served our parish community in many different ways over the years. For over 20 years, she brought Communion to shut-ins several times a week, driving into the country regardless of the distance.
“You can’t imagine how your heart feels when you do something like this,” Marcia says. “Every house I left, seeing these grandpas and grandmas, I was probably the only one they’d see that week. Some of them, I would drive out of the driveway and I’d have to sit there awhile and the tears just flowed down my cheeks. All I could say was, ‘Thank You, Jesus, for this opportunity to bring You to them.’ They were so thankful, so appreciative of that.”
Marcia took the time to be with each person she visited. Some liked to play cards, so she’d ask for a deck and play with them. Others would talk with her and ask to read the parish bulletin together.
“I would stay and pray with them,” she says. “I just took my time. I miss it so much now.”
Because her knee is not yet in full recovery, Marcia is unable to serve in this capacity. But, inspired by her service, Marcia’s granddaughter recently began and asked Marcia to accompany her to the people she visits.
While unable to deliver Communion to many homes at this time, Marcia still
ST. DONATUS
ST. ALEXIUS
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
STS. PETER & PAUL
ST.
OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS
PAUL’S
DECEMBER | 2022 continued on page 2
Marcia Bayer has served our parish community in many different ways over the years.
Get to Know Sts. Peter and Paul Parishioner
Marcia Bayer continued from front cover
takes the time to serve our community in other ways. When she goes out to get her mail, Marcia drives out to the cemetery and says her Rosary.
“I drive around and divide the cemetery into four, sit there and pray for all those souls that are out there,” she says. “Most of my shut-ins, that’s where they are now. I still make it a point to go out and visit them there now, not every day, but some days twice a day, I just go to sit and pray.”
For many years, Marcia also taught catechism and Confirmation classes. She has also served as a lector, sacristan, and has helped with altar linens, candles, funeral meals, and more.
“The list goes on and on for what I did for the church,” says Marcia, who is eager for her knee to heal for her to be able to continue serving in many ways for some years to come. She regularly asks Mary to ask Jesus to heal her knee. But Marcia is nonetheless grateful that she can still help her husband with mowing the lawn around the cemetery and school.
“I could be in a wheelchair — it could be worse,” she says. “I can walk and I can get around. I can get around and outside I can still be on my lawn mower. God, forgive me for feeling sorry for myself today — You’re with me, You’re walking this path with me and together we will make it.”
Upcoming Events
SUGAR COOKIE CUTOUT EVENT
The St. Alexius Youth Group will be hosting and baking for our annual Sugar Cookie Cutout event. We look forward to this fun community service project! We will be baking cookies for the homebound and seniors of the parish on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the St. Alexius Church basement. For students in fourth through 12th grades — please bring a friend. All are welcome! Help bake and decorate cookies and be sure to take some home for your family too! Beverages and snacks will be served and Christmas music will be played. Join us for the entire time, or part of the time. Adult volunteers are welcome and needed. If you have any questions or would like to sign up, please text/call Christina at 320-980-0475.
FAMILY FUN DAY AT THE THEATRE!
All families from St. Paul’s, Our Lady of the Angels and Centre for Christ are invited to meet at the Mainstreet Theatre on Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. for Sing 2! Invite your family and friends for a fun time!
HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL
Dec. 13 — Christmas Pageant Dec. 23 — Christmas Break begins Dec. 25 — Christmas Community Dinner will be hosted at Holy Family School from 11-1. Delivery and take-outs will be available
SEARCHING SOULS
Searching Souls is back! Join other searching souls the first and third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Centre for Christ. Videos are presented followed by smallgroup discussions with different topics each week to grow together in our Catholic faith. Watch for occasional book studies at the end of the month if you would like to attend more often. Join and “Like” the Searching Souls ministries Facebook group to see what is happening!
Dec. 5 — Discernment
Dec. 19 — The Holy family
Dear Parishioners,
S tewardship
UNWRAPPING THE GIFT OF
Most people associate stewardship with giving. Some think it is a desperate plea for money. Some think of it as giving of their time, talent, and treasure to a worthy cause. Still, others think of stewardship as a single, noble gesture of generosity so common this time of year.
But I have come to understand stewardship as a way of life rather than a singular act, donation, or the answer to a plea for resources. It is a lifestyle that focuses on giving back a portion of the gifts I have received from God, which brings abundant joy and blessings in return.
At Christmas, when gift-giving and receiving is so common, couldn’t it also be the time when stewardship as a way of life is unwrapped in each of our lives and shared with others? After all, the gift of the first Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son, whom He shared with all of humanity with love and joy.
A stewardship conversion changes our mindset. The more time, talent, and treasure I can give, the more content and joyful I am. When is the last time you unwrapped a gift that gave you so much peace of mind and heart? Maybe you have never been aware of receiving such a gift, or maybe God is just waiting for you to unwrap what He has always wanted you to have. Perhaps it is the gift God
wants you to have this year for Christmas. The catalyst for stewardship is gratitude. As we recognize that all we have is a gift from God, it lights up our gratitude, as if it were a giant Christmas tree with too many lights to count. All we can do is look at it with wonder and awe and be grateful for what we see, what we have, and the opportunity to give back something in gratitude. It is more than just a “holiday stewardship,” which seems so common at this time of year. It is at the core of this way of life, and once that gift is unwrapped our conversion takes hold, and our lives transform into faithful stewardship intended by our God.
My hope and prayer for you and your family are that each and all of you be blessed this season of God’s grace, unwrapping the gift of stewardship in your lives, and finding the joy and peace of His gift during this season of grace and all year long.
In our Father’s hands, Fr. Greg
Paffel Pastor
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A Letter From Our Pastor
FAITH COMMUNITY EXTENDS WARM WELCOME TO FR. MARK BOTZET
“Jesus Is Very Close to My Heart”
Fr. Mark Botzet moved to Sauk Centre to start at our parishes this past summer — taking him just 26 miles from his home parish, St. Nicholas in Belle River, and to familiar landscapes as he was raised on a farm near Carlos.
Fr. Botzet has enjoyed his time here so far. He previously served the Little Falls Catholic Community and was ordained on June 15, 2019. With all three priests focusing on specific parishes, Fr. Botzet is currently serving primarily at St. Francis de Sales, Sts. Peter and Paul, and St. Donatus.
At age 5, Fr. Botzet was already excited about his faith — he remembers playing priest around the house. But, as he got older, he had other plans and took an interest in accounting. He graduated from Alexandria Technical & Community College with an accounting degree and had several jobs. Fr. Ralph Zimmerman asked Fr. Botzet if he would consider the priesthood.
Fr. Botzet has enjoyed his time in our faith community since moving here this past summer.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Then, he attended Saint Paul Seminary.
“I am not an academic by any means,” Fr. Botzet says. “But God equips you to do what you need to do. School wasn’t easy, but there was always a pathway.”
Fr. Botzet loves to spend his free time with family on the farm. He’s a big lover of John Deere and enjoys spending time on the side-by-side or snowmobile. He used to do some bowling and also enjoys travel. Fr. Botzet has one older brother who lives in Carlos.
A fun fact about Fr. Botzet is that he has traveled to the Holy Land and Rome. His class had a photo taken with Pope Francis, and he was four feet away from the pope.
“Getting to see and meet him, I will tell you he is very grandfatherly,” Fr. Botzet says. “You can experience that something is moving there.”
“That brought me back to my days playing church around the house,” Fr. Botzet says.
What initially held Fr. Botzet back a bit was the fear of dealing with death and dying. He was able to be in the emergency room after his niece, Kortni, tragically passed away on May 2, 2010. He realized maybe he could handle difficult situations. Around that time, he had several dreams where he was doing the consecration at Mass.
“That’s why when I elevate the host, I smile,” he says. “Jesus becomes present to me and is very close to my heart. I feel at that moment I am filling my vocational call to the priesthood. That’s why I smile. It’s such a special moment.”
Fr. Botzet talked to Fr. Gregory Mastey and was accepted at Saint John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas.
This Advent season, Fr. Botzet has some practical advice for making the most of the season, quoting Isaiah 40:3 — “A voice proclaims: In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!”
“I love that imagery,” he says. “We need to be ready to receive our Lord when He comes on Christmas.”
In addition, Fr. Botzet recommends taking extra time this season to be with family. We should also examine our conscience.
“Make straight those places we have deviated from what we are called to do,” he says. “Follow God’s commandments. We want a straight path to our Lord in our lives.”
Spend time with your family or friends doing simple things.
“In the darkest days of the year, the light of Christ comes,” Fr. Botzet says. “We should be together, too.”
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“When I elevate the host, I smile. Jesus becomes present to me and is very close to my heart. I feel at that moment I am filling my vocational call to the priesthood. That’s why I smile. It’s such a special moment.”
— Fr. Mark Botzet
ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION:
Wednesday, Dec. 7 (Vigil Mass)
7:30 p.m. — Sts. Peter & Paul
7:30 p.m. — St. Alexius
Thursday, Dec. 8
7 a.m. — St. Francis de Sales
8:30 a.m. — St. Paul’s Noon — St. Donatus Noon — Our Lady of the Angels 5:15 p.m. — St. Paul’s
PENANCE SERVICES:
Dec. 11 — 1 p.m., St. Donatus, Brooten (three priests)
Dec. 11 — 4 p.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre (four priests)
Dec. 11 — 7 p.m., St. Alexius, West Union (three priests)
Dec. 18 — 1 p.m., St. Francis de Sales, Belgrade (three priests)
Dec. 18 — 4 p.m., Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa (three priests)
Dec. 18 — 7 p.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre (six priests)
INDIVIDUAL CONFESSIONS:
Wednesday, Dec. 21
11 a.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre
Noon, Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa 1 p.m., St. Alexius, West Union 5 p.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre 6 p.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre 7 p.m., St. Francis, Belgrade
Thursday, Dec. 22 11 a.m., St. Donatus, Brooten Noon, St. Paul, Sauk Centre 1 p.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre 4 p.m., St. Paul, Sauk Centre
5 p.m., St. Paul, Sauk Centre 6 p.m., Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa 7 p.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre
Friday, Dec. 23
11 a.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre 12 Noon, St. Paul, Sauk Centre 1 p.m., St. Francis, Belgrade 5 p.m., St. Donatus, Brooten 6 p.m., St. Alexius, West Union 7 p.m., St. Paul, Sauk Centre
CHRISTMAS:
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 4 p.m., Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa — Fr. Botzet 4 p.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre — Fr. Theis 4 p.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre — Fr. Greg 7:30 p.m., St. Alexius, West Union — Fr. Theis 8 p.m., St. Francis de Sales, Belgrade — Fr. Botzet 8 p.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre — Fr. Greg
Christmas Morning, Dec. 25 8 a.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre — Fr. Greg 8:30 a.m., St. Alexius, West Union — Fr. Theis 9 a.m., St. Donatus, Brooten — Fr. Botzet 10 a.m., St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre — Fr. Greg 10:30 a.m., Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre — Fr. Theis
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CREATING FAITHFUL ADVENT TRADITIONS
As the Christmas season approaches, it is easy to get swept up in the commercialism that tells us Christmas begins on Black Friday. But Advent-centered traditions are a simple way to differentiate between the two seasons. Traditions can help us embrace what this season truly means and allow us to consider ways to enter into careful preparation for the birth of the Christ Child with our families.
While hanging stockings, consider hanging one for Jesus so family members can place “gifts” in the stocking for Him. These can be commitments made on a notecard offering to give up desserts during the week or promising to do one extra chore for another family member. Advent can be as much of a time for fasting and almsgiving as the season of Lent — after all, both seasons prepare our hearts for a great feast of the Church.
Need more ideas? Create a manger bed for Jesus. For every good deed that a member of your family performs, place some straw in a small manger displayed somewhere
prominently in your home. By Christmas, there will be a fitting bed in which the Christ Child can be placed. Or consider participating in a gift outreach and make the shopping experience for that gift a family outing. By focusing on the person who will receive the gift, you will help make the act of shopping more meaningful.
While there are many activities to help prepare our hearts for the Christmas celebration, nothing centers us more securely in this season of Advent than participating in the liturgy. Try to attend our penance services or take part in service opportunities organized by our ministries. As a family, spend time with the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration, reminding your children that the Christ Who dwells there in the monstrance is the same Christ Who came to this world as a baby — for it will be there in the presence of Christ that we can truly sing, with hearts ready to receive Him, “Oh come let us adore Him, oh come let us adore Him.”
Need more ideas? Create a manger bed for Jesus. For every good deed that a member of your family performs, place some straw in a small manger displayed somewhere prominently in your home. By Christmas, there will be a fitting bed in which the Christ Child can be placed.
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MEET KAREN JOBE, OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS PARISHIONER
“A Bit of Friendliness Can Go a Long Way”
We all have so many responsibilities and pursuits that make demands on our time, but as Karen Jobe describes, Christ is always waiting for us.
“Over the years, worldly pursuits have probably been my priority, but I was always aware that God was there for me, and He never gave up on me!” Karen says. “Jesus and Our Blessed Mother have become my sweetest priorities as I have changed my outlook.”
Karen joined Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) back in 2013 when she returned to the area from Wisconsin following a divorce. She grew up on a farm near Grey Eagle, and her immediate family all live in the area.
“I chose OLA because it was right in my backyard and because my parents were married there in 1961,” Karen says. “My maiden name was Sunderman, and my mother was a Borgerding.”
In recent years, Karen has enjoyed frequently attending Mass, participating in adoration, and spending quiet moments in prayer at church.
“We are blessed to be invited to the
Supper of the Lamb, and I don’t want to miss that celebration,” Karen says. “I especially love First Saturdays. At first, it may feel like a huge sacrifice to give up most of a Saturday morning, but the graces you receive make it a good investment of time.”
Karen also enjoys adoration and visits to the church to spend time with Mary and Jesus in prayer. She even finds little moments for prayer as she tends her garden.
“I enjoy being alone with Our Blessed Mother and Jesus in the church, and it feels very intimate,” Karen says. “I had heard from a mystic that Jesus feels like He is in a ‘prison’ in the tabernacle and wishes for us to visit Him there. I pray and speak to Him as I go about my day. Nothing like thanking God for all the blessings found in nature as I garden. What a gift!”
A year ago, two women from Searching Souls approached Karen before the Corpus Christi procession and invited her to join that group. Then they encouraged her to help with various
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“This is such a beautiful faith-filled community! Even the children are so well-formed that it is humbling to see their mature faith. A bit of friendliness can go a long way to encourage someone new to feel like they are welcome and belong.”
— Karen JobeKaren Jobe, Our Lady of the Angels Parishioner continued on back cover
Parish Office: 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 (320) 352-2196 parishesontheprairie.org
WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULES
Saturday
4:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre
5:00 p.m. - Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa
5:00 p.m. - Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre
8:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre
Sunday
8:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre
8:15 a.m. - St. Francis de Sales, Belgrade
8:30 a.m. - St. Alexius, West Union
10:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre
10:15 a.m. - St. Donatus, Brooten 10:30 a.m. - Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre
See our website for a full listing of daily Mass & Confession times
MEET KAREN JOBE
continued from page 7
ministries and activities, and as she got to know more about parish life, Karen become involved in other ways too.
“I felt I was on the St. Thérèse method of the ‘little way’ and was just dipping my toes in a bit at a time,” Karen says. “I have since then progressed into taking more active roles in helping with the upkeep of the new Rosary Garden, praying for our priests in the Seven Sisters Apostolate, decorating for the Searching Souls events, and I have most recently become a Youth Group leader.”
Karen is so thankful to the many people who have reached out to her with gestures of hospitality and welcomed her into the parish.
“This is such a beautiful faith-filled community!” Karen says. “Even the children are so well-formed that it is humbling to see their mature faith. A bit of friendliness can go a long way to encourage someone new to feel like they are welcome and belong.”
Karen Jobe with the youth group helping deliver supplies for a funeral luncheon