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
Meet Lector Steven Schreifels: Grateful and Blessed to Serve God at Mass
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e often see youth serving on the altar, or maybe carrying the gifts up with their families, but it’s a bit less common to see a young person serving as a lector. While serving as a lector may not be for everyone, Sauk Centre junior and St. Paul’s parishioner Steven Schreifels has known for a long time that it is for him. “I don’t get nervous in front of people when I have something to read,” he says. Steven has been an altar server for many years. A few years ago Steven’s dad, Kevin, completed a stewardship card for Steven and chose the Lector Ministry. Steven then received a call to sign up and he agreed. For about six months, he has been serving as a lector. “I really enjoy having the opportunity to do something to help during Mass,” Steven says. Steven takes time to go over each reading a few times and practice any tough words before he proclaims the reading aloud to the congregation. Practicing also helps him better understand the readings prior to weekend Mass. Throughout all of this preparation, he is also gaining a valuable understanding of the Bible. “When you are doing anything that isn’t just sitting in the pew, it does help with feeling part of the Mass,” Steven says. “It helps me to focus more on Mass, too.” While Steven has found it interesting to get involved as a lector, and he finds that he is blessed to continued on page 5
NO V E M BE R
Steven Schreifels enjoys serving as a lector at St. Paul’s.
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
The Back-to-School Blessing Tree Donate to our orphans in Migori, Kenya throughout the month of November! There will be a blessing tree in Our Lady of the Angels and St. Paul’s churches. Grab a tag off the tree to donate money towards items that will be purchased for our orphans. Items will include health insurance, backpacks, socks and shoes, education, and more. These donations greatly impact the lives of these young men and women!
Second-grader Albright Atieno
One of our students, Josephine Waithera, who graduated from a three-year program in “procurement and material supplying”
Ninth-grader Flavian Sagami
Celebrating Stewardship
IN THE PARISHES ON THE PR AIRIE AC C You are invited to join us for dinner on Nov. 18 at Padua Pub! 6 p.m. — Social Hour 6:30 p.m. — Dinner, followed by a short program Dinner is on us! Drinks are cash only.
Join us for a night of fellowship and fun as our Area Catholic Community comes together to celebrate! All ACC parishioners are invited to attend this community event, and we hope to see you there!
Please send us a photo of how you or someone in your parish lives the life of a steward. These photos will be shown during the event. Send your stewardship photo to: business@parishesontheprairie.org 2
Please RSVP by Nov. 10. Call 320-429-8473, leave a message with your name
and number of people attending the dinner.
A Letter From Our Pastor
Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Time My Dear Friends in Christ,
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he next several weeks are certainly a busy time for us as Catholics, good stewards, good citizens, and faithful members of the Church and our parishes. There are celebrations and commemorations both inside and outside the Church that are momentous in terms of faith, citizenship, and living as people of thanksgiving and gratitude. We celebrate Veterans Day to honor and thank all those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces in one capacity or another. Indicative of the importance of this day, every year at 11 a.m. Eastern, the President of the United States lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. We all understand that Americans celebrate a day of Thanksgiving on Nov. 25. What more can we say about this? It is a day that was based in faith from its very beginnings, and it is an indication of how much we have to thank God for in terms of the gifts we have received — our lives, our families, our Church, our Lord and Savior — everything we are and everything we have. No sooner are Thanksgiving Day celebrations concluded, than we begin that glorious season called Advent on Sunday, Nov. 28. This prepares us for and leads to Christmas. Indeed, this is both a busy and extraordinary time of year! There is, of course, much more on
which we could focus and about which we could think, meditate and pray, but that is more than enough for us to consider and absorb. From a stewardship perspective, I would like you to not only participate and focus on all the particular things that are about to happen but also on one of our special gifts — the gift of time. The gift of time, which we all receive from God in equal amount, is precious because it is a non-renewable resource. Although some of our time is committed because of family responsibilities, work responsibilities, or simply personal needs, we have an element of freewill with how we spend a certain amount of it. We need to spend some of that time in prayer, in thanksgiving, in worship, and in works of mercy and ministry. Our time is perhaps more precious than any material gifts we receive from the Lord. How are we recognizing, receiving and using the gift of time with gratefulness? In our Father’s hands,
Fr. Greg Paffel Pastor
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
The Prayer C OPENING THE
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Jeanette Miller’s great-granddaughter, Eleanor, was born prematurely at only five months, weighing only 14 oz. Even though her situation looked bleak, a number of the faithful joined in fervent prayer, and their prayers reached the heart of God in an amazing way. Now she is 2 years old, perfectly healthy, and can even say her ABCs!
few years ago, Jeanette Miller ’s greatgranddaughter, Eleanor, was born prematurely at only five months, weighing only 14 oz. Even though her situation looked bleak, a number of the faithful joined in fervent prayer, and their prayers reached the heart of God in an amazing way. “We put her on the Prayer Chain, and got as many people praying as we could,” Jeanette says. “Now she is 2 years old, perfectly healthy, and can even say her ABCs! Even those working in the hospital with her at the time said that they couldn’t take all the credit for her recovery, but they had to acknowledge that God must have been helping her along.” This beautiful little miracle bore testimony to the goodness of God and the extraordinary power of prayer. “It has made such a great impact on so many people,” Jeanette says. “I show Eleanor ’s picture to as many people as I can. They know her story and they love to see what a healthy, pretty little girl she is now. When I saw her this summer, she wasn’t even shy of me!” And it also showed the important role that the Prayer Chain Ministry has in our parish family and beyond. Currently, the chain is coordinated by Emily Backowski and consists of several faithful volunteers who receive prayer requests through text messages or phone calls. Upon receiving a request, the volunteers can pray however they wish for the intention.
“When I was growing up, my parents taught us children the importance of prayer. I am 89 years old now, but I still remember spending a lot of time kneeling by the chair to pray. That is how we lived — if there was any struggle that came up, we just prayed about it. This has been an easy tradition to carry over into my own family.” — JEANETTE MILLER 4
Chain Ministry: HEART OF GOD
“Having the Prayer Chain makes our parish feel like a family and a community,” Jeanette says. Jeanette joined the Prayer Chain about 15 years ago when it was first initiated, and has been a faithful member ever since. “Prayer has always been a very important part of my life, so I put my name down for this ministry,” Jeanette says. “When it first started, we had about five groups of prayer volunteers, and one of us was in charge of each group. We did it all through the phone, and I sure made a lot of calls!” Ultimately, those who give their time and talent
to the Prayer Chain are able to experience the beauty of prayer in a profound way. “When I was growing up, my parents taught us children the importance of prayer,” Jeanette says. “I am 89 years old now, but I still remember spending a lot of time kneeling by the chair to pray. That is how we lived — if there was any struggle that came up, we just prayed about it. This has been an easy tradition to carry over into my own family. I still pray the Rosary every day, and I love watching Mass on EWTN and praying out of my prayer books. I know all of my kids believe in prayer to this day as well.”
To sign up for this beautiful ministry of prayer, contact Emily Backowski at 320-266-1909.
Meet Lector Steven
Schreifels
have learned even more about the Mass than he knew from being an altar server. “This has helped me grow closer to God,” Steven says. “It’s important to have Him to look up to and to have something to look forward to after death.” Having attended many youth group events through junior high and high school, Steven truly enjoys being with other people who share his faith. This month, he is attending the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. with the Sauk Centre
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youth group. He also attended the conference in 2019. “You get to meet a lot of people there,” Steven says. “You also get to see a lot of cool speakers. One thing I remember from when I was there the first time was how cool it was to see hundreds of priests come up for Mass.” In his free time, Steven enjoys coding, playing online games with friends, and being involved with the Sauk Centre Robotics Club.
For more information about serving as a lector, please contact Jessica Minette (St. Alexius) at 320-266-6069 or stalexiuschurch@gmail.com; Audrey Roering (Our Lady of the Angels) at 320-266-6441 or Audrey.roering102@gmail.com; or Kate Uphus (St. Paul’s) at 320-352-0141, 320-266-4094 (cell) or kate.uphus1@gmail.com. 5
ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
UPCOMING EVENTS
in Our Faith Community
St. Alexius Youth Group Saturday, Nov. 20
Monday, Nov. 22 — Baptism Instructional Class Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: St. Paul’s Meeting Room If you are expecting your first child and/or it has been over three years since you have taken the class, please call the parish office at 352-2196 to sign up.
Bowling and Bible Trivia for students in fourth through 12th grades. Meet at St. Alexius parking lot at 1:30 for prayer and departure to the Bowling Barn in Osakis. We will bowl from 2-4. Please pick up your students at St. Alexius parking lot at 4:30. Snacks, beverages and prizes provided. Bring a friend — all are welcome! Adult Thanksgiving Mass — Thursday, Nov. 25 chaperones and drivers needed. Questions, 8:30 p.m. St. Paul’s Church please text or call Christina at 320-980-0475.
Knights of Columbus Memorial Mass Nov. 11, Our Lady of the Angels, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 — All Saints Day Mass Times 7 a.m., OLA 12 noon, OLA 5:15 p.m., SP 7:30 p.m., SPP Nov. 2 — Memorial Mass 7 p.m., Our Lady of the Angels
Nov. 6 — First Saturday Devotions Our Lady of the Angels 7:45 a.m., Confessions 8 a.m., Adoration 8:30 a.m., Rosary 9 a.m., Mass
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Thank You Banquet — Nov. 18
ATTENTION ALL SEARCHING SOULS! Are you seeking to find answers and wanting to grow in your Catholic faith? Join other searching souls every Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Centre for Christ in Sauk Centre for videos and small-group discussions with a different topic each week! Text or call 320-298-6778 for more information or with questions! Join our Searching Souls Ministries Facebook page for more information! NOVEMBER TOPICS NOV. 1 — Nine Choirs of Angels NOV. 8 — Fasting and prayer NOV. 15 — Defending the Catholic Faith NOV. 22 — Lectio Divina NOV. 29 — Purgatory and the Last Four Things DEC. 6 — Jesse Tree craft night DEC. 13 — Catholic Symbols Nov. 22 is the registration deadline for 12/6/21 “Jesse Tree” craft! Limit 25. $10 registration fee. Please call or text 320-761-3590 to register.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
Loving God More Deeply at Mass
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hen young people see a person that intrigues them, that attraction becomes the topic of conversation at every opportunity. This attraction alters behavior so that we become enthralled with the other and desire to share our enthusiasm. Imagine if we were more enthralled with the presence of Christ in our lives. Imagine if we fully recognized that Christ is truly present to us in His precious Body and Blood, and present as well in the proclamation of His Word and in the gathering of our community, praying and singing (see Sacrosanctum Concilium [Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy], para. 14). Recognizing the living Christ in all these ways would awaken in us the desire to be with the One who is the object of our most fundamental, pure, and holy attraction to our merciful, loving, and gracious Savior. If we were to recognize the presence of Christ in these beautiful ways, wouldn’t our desire to be more completely in His presence increase? Surely our desire to be better stewards of our time with the Lord would grow. Our attention to the readings and other prayers of the Mass would bring about within us deeper communion with the One who suffered and died for us. If I recognized that God is the answer to all my pangs of hunger, that Christ is my way to the
Father, and that the Holy Spirit works to convert my heart and soul every day, would I not seek to fill that hunger at the banquet of the Lamb? While active participation in Sunday Mass is an obligation for Catholics, we also will do well to see the lovely, motherly care the Church shows us in establishing that requirement. The Code of Canon Law states clearly in paragraph 1247, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” Sometimes, we might hear that as an overbearing rule. But it might more correctly be understood as our Mother, the Church, helping us learn what is best for us. At Mass, we hear the living Word of God proclaimed. He speaks to us. We receive as hungry, needy sinners, the precious Body and Blood of Christ. We encounter Christ’s living presence in our brothers and sisters worshiping God with us. If we truly understood that amazing truth, then how might it affect our lives? How might it affect our relationships? How might it impact our decision to bring our children along to Mass? How might it awaken within us a deeper attraction, fascination, desire for the Lord? Generally, when we find ourselves fascinated with someone, we do not decide to spend as little time as possible with them. We do not ration our time continued on back cover
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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 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
The Importance of Loving God More Deeply at Mass continued from page 7
with them. We want to spend time with them, to see them, to listen to them, to get to know them, to develop a healthy, loving relationship with them. Considering our reliance on the Lord of life and love, our fascination with His mercy, His goodness, His willingness to call us to Himself, maybe we should ask ourselves about what happens in us at Mass. As I prepare to come to Church, do I find my mind turning to a receptive welcome of the Lord, just as I’ll be welcomed at the door of Church? Have I dressed for the important weekly (or daily) moment of meeting my King? Do I expect some profound wisdom from God in the readings? Am I open to correction, to challenge, to affirmation in the readings of God’s Word? Do I intently pray along with the priest presider throughout the Mass? Do I make an offering of my life, along with the bread and wine? Do I genuinely hunger for the Body and Blood of
Christ? And do I long for that blessing that sends me on my way with the mission to build the Kingdom? Instead of worrying about what “counts” when it comes to Sunday Mass, maybe we should work hard at fostering our love for the Eucharist, our desire for eternal life, our attraction to the Master who calls us into a life of active discipleship. Instead of a merely heavy-handed requirement, maybe we can see more clearly that being at Mass together helps nourish us for a whole week of building God’s Kingdom. Coming with those expectations, desires, and hopes, leaving early when unnecessary would disappear as a temptation instantly. Coming late because other things have taken priority would not typically happen, other obligations notwithstanding. Christ desires our company at Mass, from beginning to end. Let’s draw near to Him.