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
Area Catholic Community Welcomes Adam Saltmarsh as Our New Business Steward “Here to Help Our Shepherds”
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ur three parishes are blessed to have people who remain committed to serving in whatever ways they can. Many of these devoted stewards are also leaders, showing people the way to Christ through their work on ministries, councils, and committees. One position was recently formed for our Area Catholic Community (ACC) — that of the Business Steward. We are excited to welcome Adam Saltmarsh to this role. “I am here to help our shepherds, so they have the time to be better shepherds,” Adam says. “This is a ministry, not a job. When God puts something like this in front of you, you have to go down the path He’s leading you to.” Adam started his work in his new position in early April. He looks forward to working with our three parishes, along with the rest of the Area Catholic Community. He and his wife, Shari, were married at St. Paul’s, and live just outside Osakis with their four children — Analise, 11; Karsten, 10; Kalim, 7 and Kamden, 5. Adam will work to be a good steward of all business aspects of our parishes, along with the rest of the parish staff. Having worked for the parishes for about two months, Adam is continually learning along the way — in fact, this is his first time working in a nonprofit capacity. He felt called to the position when he first heard it announced during Mass at St. Paul’s. He and his family were visiting for his mother-in-law’s birthday. He applied and after the first interview, was asked back
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The Saltmarsh family — Adam and Shari with their children, Analise (11), Karsten (10), Kalim (7), and Kamden (5)
to spend part of a day with Fr. Greg Paffel, visiting the parishes in the ACC. “Touring the parishes, it just really brought joy to my heart,” Adam says. Adam has worked in various capacities throughout his career. He enjoys leadership roles and being involved in the community. Up until early April 2020, he was working in the marketing department at Arvig and owned Log Cabin Pizza in Osakis. His position at Arvig was terminated toward the beginning of continued on page 5
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
Highlights of Our
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2021 Stewardship Renewal
Stewardship
STARTS AT HO ME 2021 STEWAR
DSHIP RENE
WAL
ur faith community leadership recently conducted the 2021 Stewardship Renewal. The Stewardship Renewal gave our parish community the opportunity to discern how we are using our gifts of time, talent and treasure in service to the parish and in return to God. This month, we are happy to share with you some of the highlights of the 2021 Stewardship Renewal. • There were 343 commitment cards received from 39 percent of active households. • There were 3,399 prayer commitments — the stewardship of time — from 90 percent of participating households. • There were 1,834 ministry commitments — the stewardship of talent — from 90 percent of participating households. Of these, 169 were new ministry commitments, while 1,665 were re-commitments to parish ministries. • There were 219 offertory commitments — the stewardship of treasure — from 64 percent of participating households. The average pledge was $2,131.
St. Alexius,
Our Lady of
the Angels an
d St. Paul’s
We thank all those who participated in our 2021 Stewardship Renewal. If you did not have the opportunity to fill out and return a commitment card, we invite you to consider the ways you may share your gifts of time, talent and treasure with God and the parish community!
UPCOMING EVENTS
HFS Endowment Golf Tournament — June 8 Registration begins 11:15 a.m. Scramble event begins at 12:30 p.m.
Totus Tuus — June 26-July 2 First through 12th grades This is a weeklong parish mission run by a group of four college-age students. It is dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, apologetics, Christian witness, the sacraments, Marian devotion and Eucharistic worship. Grades 1-6 meet in the morning, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and 7-12 grade meets in the evening 7-9 p.m. The cost is $25 for elementary age and $15 for Jr. & Sr. High age, with a family cap of $50 — discount available if you register by May 28. Volunteers are needed to help throughout the day, as
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well as families to host the team and provide some meals for them during the week. Forms are located in the entryway of Centre For Christ, online, or you may contact Rachel at rachel@centreforchrist.org. First Saturday Devotions at Our Lady of the Angels Saturday, June 5 7:45 a.m. — Confessions 8 a.m. — Adoration 8:30 a.m. — Rosary 9 a.m. — Mass Masses for Healing June 10 7 p.m. St. Francis de Sales
A Letter From Our Pastor
Redefining Love
THROUGH THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
My Dear Friends in Christ,
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ne of the great feasts of the Christian year will occur in June, but it is often overlooked. It doesn’t fall on a Sunday, and it isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation. I am referring to the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be on June 11 this year. This wonderful feast provides a great way to begin the summer. However, despite widespread devotion and many parish dedications to the Sacred Heart, many Catholics have only a vague idea of what it’s all about. So, let me try to briefly fill in the picture. Often, when we think of the heart, we think of it as the seat of our emotions and feelings. The heart is often contrasted with the mind, as though our God-given reason were somehow evil or, at best, second-rate. But feelings come and go — we can’t really depend on our emotions to be reliable, steady guides. However, when classical theology refers to the heart, it is considering an aspect of human life that goes beyond our feelings. It includes our will, where we make decisions. The heart can be considered the center of our personhood. In explaining Christian teaching about human nature, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The spiritual tradition of the Church also emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense of the depths of one’s being, where the person decides for or against God” (368). It is common to mistakenly label love as an emotion. Love often includes feelings, but true love is more than that. Real love is a settled attitude that wants the best for the person being loved. That’s why the Church’s teaching usually uses the term “charity” — to distinguish the Christian virtue from the more superficial popular concept of love. The Catechism tells us, “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By loving his own ‘to the end,’ he makes manifest the Father’s love
which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus which they themselves receive” (CCC, 1822-1823). This sort of love, this charity — demonstrated by Jesus Christ and commanded to His followers — is no lightweight passing emotion. Feelings alone do not bring one to offer oneself to an agonizing death for the sake of someone else. No, that sort of sacrifice can only come from a considered and deliberate decision. Although we sometimes forget that fact, Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine. So, His human heart was involved in His sacrifice on the Cross. Thus, simply put, devotion to the Sacred Heart reminds us of the basic fact that God loves us. It was a costly love, the ultimate act of charity, to give His life on our behalf. We know the kind of love Jesus has for us. What kind of loving response are you going to make? How will that affect your use of your time, talent and treasure? In our Father’s hands,
Fr. Greg Paffel Pastor
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
MEET ST. PAUL’S PARISHIONER
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DENISEEmbracing JENNIS
rom serving our parish family to praying devoutly for the souls in purgatory, Denise Jennissen finds her peace in life by embracing the mercy of God. Christ’s love for souls has become a profound love of her own as well, and it shows. “My favorite devotion is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and my favorite saint is St. Faustina,” she says. “It’s amazing how Jesus shared His story of mercy and love through her. I also pray the Mercy for the Souls in Purgatory prayer daily. I feel it is important to pray for the salvation of souls, and I like to share this prayer with everyone.” Coming to St. Faustina Chapel regularly to adore the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist has given her a beautiful way to deepen her friendship with Him, as well. “Coming to adoration has made me realize how important it is to pray, adore and love Our Lord,” she says. “I have been going for about five years, and for the last three years, I have gone mainly on Wednesday nights. I would encourage others to come to adoration, too, because it will help them cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus.” Further, Denise has found that by being an integral part of our parish family, she can help bring souls to Christ in meaningful ways. “After my family sold the family farm by Padua in 1979, we joined St. Paul’s Church where my grandparents attended,” she says. “Being involved in our parish over the years has given me a sense of purpose and fulfillment in my life.”
Denise Jennissen and family
Denise serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and participates in various faith formation events at our parish, as well. “I really enjoy the Searching Souls Ministry on Monday nights,” Denise says. “We also had a Bible study during Lent called No Greater Love. It really opened my eyes to what Jesus went through before His death on the cross. I enjoy having a community of devoted Catholics that I can relate to. It is so nice to relate to them on a personal level through faith and stewardship.” Desiring to bring the stewardship vision to life in the midst of our parish family, Denise recently joined the Stewardship Committee.
Mercy for the Souls in Purgatory A prayer which would release souls from Purgatory each time it is said. “Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my own family. AMEN.” 4
: SEN God’s Mercy for Souls “It is so nice to connect with the other committee members,” she says. “It is inspiring to see how everyone has a passion to share their time, treasure and talent through stewardship.” Denise also lives out stewardship in the midst of her family in a meaningful way by bringing her granddaughter, Ariana, with her to Mass regularly. “My daughter, Mariah, and Ariana visit me frequently on the weekend,” Denise says. “I believe that me going to church regularly and demonstrating how important the Lord is in my life helps Ariana to want to practice the same Christian faith as I do.” When asked how sharing her faith with her family has been a blessing to her, Denise offers a grateful reflection. “The Lord has blessed me in countless ways,” she says. “I love and cherish my family. The advice I would give to others is to tell your family often how much you love them, and make memories with them that will last a lifetime.”
“The Lord has blessed me in countless ways. I love and cherish my family. The advice I would give to others is to tell your family often how much you love them, and make memories with them that will last a lifetime.” — DENISE JENNISSEN
Area Catholic Community Welcomes Adam Saltmarsh continued from front cover
the COVID-19 pandemic, and he sold Log Cabin Pizza around the same time. “I had been going 300 miles per hour for the past 13 years,” Adam says. “When all of that happened, it gave me an opportunity to just reevaluate my life, understand my purpose and grow as a person. I prayed more than I have ever prayed in my whole life.” Everyone in the ACC has made Adam feel right at home, and he says he’s felt “blown away” by the hospitality. “I just want to thank everyone for the hospitality, for bringing me into this family, and for showing compassionate love for me,” Adam says. “I’ve never felt this welcome in my whole life.” Adam’s office is at St. Paul’s Parish, but he will go to
the southern parishes at least once per week. His position covers all six parishes. “I am here to serve the community, parishes, and parishioners,” he says. ”I am here to support our priests, so they can spend more time being shepherds and less time on administrative duties.” Adam entered into the Catholic faith in 2011. He and Shari had been members at Immaculate Conception in Osakis, but they’ve now joined St. Alexius. In his free time, Adam enjoys spending time with family, riding his bicycle, and traveling. He looks forward to getting to know more parishioners. “We are all here for each other — to be a steward to other people,” he says. “I am so honored and humbled to be doing this work.”
“I am here to help our shepherds, so they have the time to be better shepherds. This is a ministry, not a job. When God puts something like this in front of you, you have to go down the path He’s leading you to.”
ADAM SALTMARSH
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
The Church, a Universal Family
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The Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul
n June 29, Catholics celebrate the feast of two of our Lord’s principal Apostles, foundational human cornerstones of the Church of Rome. The first missal reading of this feast day tells us of the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison. This illustrates the concrete fact that despite persecutions, Christ and His chosen followers will be triumphant in this world, and in the world to come. The second is of Paul summarizing his own “pouring out” of his life as a libation. The way in which he poured it out is overwhelmingly significant — he gave his life as a missionary to gather all nations into God’s unified Kingdom. The Holy Gospel recounts Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah. After this confession, the “keys to the Kingdom” were conferred onto him. These “keys” became the fundamental building block supporting the ordained priesthood and episcopal government of the Church. In his homily on June 29, 2005, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI shared: “The Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul is at the same time a grateful memorial of the great witnesses of Jesus Christ and a solemn confession for the Church — one, holy, catholic and apostolic. It is first and foremost a feast of catholicity.” The celebration of our catholicity is a celebration of our unity in Christ. This unity endures unto the end, as our strength and fortress in the face of evil and the trials of earthly life. Sts. Peter and Paul remind us that our faith is founded on something much higher than ourselves, on an entity which raises horizons beyond our
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human frailties and imaginings. Our holy faith is founded upon the rock, Jesus Christ. Pope Emeritus Benedict described further: “When Peter and Paul came to Rome, the Lord on the Cross who had uttered the first line of that Psalm was risen; God’s victory now had to be proclaimed to all the nations...”
Let us embrace all of the graces which these beloved saints have won for us. Let us imitate their example, and so follow Christ with unwavering resolution. As did the Blessed Virgin, let us persevere in serving the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church in all that we say and do.
Dunn Family Embraces Opportunities
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for Stewardship and Fellowship at St. Alexius
arents are our first teachers as we encounter the world, and they are deeply involved in teaching us about our Catholic faith. Parents teach by example, and when a family lives wholly in stewardship with the Church, the children learn what it means to give freely of our talents and gifts to God. Roger Dunn, 11, son of Levi and Darla Dunn, is fortunate to be growing in just such an environment. When Levi sings in the St. Alexius Choir, Roger enjoys sitting nearby to hear his father sing. Roger also listens intently to the readings, especially when his mother is serving as lector that day. His favorite part of the Mass is listening to the homily after the readings, and hearing the explanations about the Gospel. Roger appreciates that his parents are sharing their love of God and their faith that they have shared with him, as they teach Faith Formation classes to third and fourth-graders. The Dunn family found that when they joined St. Alexius three years ago, they were becoming part of a larger family that offered them a warm welcome, as well as fellowship that was rooted in faith and stewardship. “When we joined St. Alexius, it was very welcoming, and we saw that a lot of the parishioners were involved in a small parish,” Levi says. “It takes everyone’s help to make it work. Previously, where we were before, with church, I was just going and not helping. There was always a different mindset of thinking about ‘what I’m getting continued on back cover
Levi and Darla Dunn and their son, Roger, joined St. Alexius Parish about three years ago and found they were warmly welcomed into a family of fellow parishioners. With this experience, they have been encouraged to assist in parish life while enabling Roger to grow in an atmosphere of stewardship.
“When we joined St. Alexius, it was very welcoming, and we saw that a lot of the parishioners were involved in a small parish. It takes everyone’s help to make it work. Previously, where we were before, with church, I was just going and not helping. There was always a different mindset of thinking about ‘what I’m getting out of church.’ Now, it’s changed to ‘what can I give to the Church.’ It’s made the whole experience better. Community is something Fr. Greg provides that made me take a second look at how it affects me.” — LEVI DUNN
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S Parish Office: 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 (320) 352-2196 www.catholic-sc.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
Dunn Family continued from page 7
out of church.’ Now, it’s changed to ‘what can I give to the Church.’ It’s made the whole experience better. Community is something Fr. Greg provides that made me take a second look at how it affects me.” The couple decided to become Faith Formation teachers after Roger went through his first year here at St. Alexius. Roger thoroughly enjoys having his parents taking part as teachers, knowing they are together in the same location.
“We decided we would help out,” Levi says. “We both felt more comfortable having the two of us there. We gave each other support to do it together.” Levi and Darla encourage anyone who might be hesitant about stepping forward to become more involved in parish life. “Go for it,” Levi says. “It opens you to meeting others in church and it makes you feel like you are part of Mass instead of listening to the Mass.”
Anyone who is interested in joining a parish ministry or helping out in any way may call the parish office at 320-352-2196.