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
DivorceCare Ministry Offers Support and Healing
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oing through a divorce can be a lonely and sad time. The DivorceCare Ministry in our parish community offers support, answers, and practical tools to help manage the many stresses of separation and divorce, and to find healing. The ministry is for anyone currently separated or divorced, whether recently or in the past, and is designed to help those who are not at peace with their circumstances, or with themselves. The DivorceCare experience involves three main components — videos, group discussion, and participant workbooks — with once-a-week meetings held over 13 weeks. The group meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Centre for Christ in Sauk Centre. DivorceCare is the No. 1 Christian support group for those going through a separation or divorce in the United States for more than 25 years. “The support group is a place to come where you can feel safe, all discussions are confidential, and we have all experienced the pain and isolation from a divorce or even a separation,” says Deb Himsl, who facilitates this ministry along with her husband, Amor. “The main objective is to help those impacted by separation and divorce heal, to give them a sense that they are not alone, and assure them that they will heal and find peace again, through Scripture,” Deb says. continued on page 2
Deb Himsl and her husband, Amor (Buford), in the church garden
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
DivorceCare Ministry Each day, there is a 15 to 20-minute Scripture lesson in the participant’s book to read and reflect on how it is working within their lives. Deb and Amor say the goal of the program is to help the participants obtain the tools needed to become comfortable talking to their families, whether it is their children, other family members, friends, or ex-spouses, about what they are experiencing. “It is hard to explain to someone who has not gone through it how your life is impacted,” Deb says. “This ministry helps with that.” For Deb and Amor, serving as ministry facilitators means a great deal to them as both have had personal experiences with divorce. The couple was approached by Fr. Greg Paffel about spearheading this ministry at the parish, as the pastor knew both had been divorced. “We have been married now for 31 years, so our divorces were 35 years ago,” Deb says about how their personal experiences have helped them effectively lead this important ministry. “We both contact interested participants and share our experiences and make ourselves available for participants between sessions if they have any questions, concerns or just need to talk. By working so closely together in this ministry, we have felt God working to bring us closer as a married couple as well.” DivorceCare recently started its second 13-week session, so the ministry is still in its infancy in Sauk Centre. However, Deb and Amor say they are already seeing the fruits of this caring group.
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“We could see with the participants from the first session form bonds that they didn’t have before as they could relate to each other and knew what their fellow participants were going through,” Deb says. “They are helping each other through the group discussions.” Deb and Amor also know firsthand how people going through a separation and divorce can feel isolated and, at times, even shunned, because God does not approve (of divorce). But through DivorceCare support, the Himsls say participants are reminded of Christ’s love no matter the circumstances. “He does not approve of the divorce, but He loves us, and when we begin to understand that no matter the circumstances, we start to grow closer to Him,” Deb says. “When we are close to God in our faith, we know that we can find peace and comfort during these challenging times. Remember you do not need to go through it alone.”
For more information on DivorceCare, please visit divorcecare.org. Interested persons can sign up for DivorceCare sessions online at divorcecare.org/findagroup. You may also contact Amor Himsl at 320-333-1648 or Deb Himsl at 320-429-0913, or email the Himsls at dhimsl@live.com. Interested participants may sign up at any time during any of the 13-week sessions and are welcome to come to a meeting and join the group on the spot.
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A Letter From Our Pastor
October: Helping to Feed Spiritual Hunger My Dear Friends in Christ,
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ave you ever been hungry — really hungry? When asked that question, most of us probably think of a time when we had pangs of hunger because we were fasting, we were on a diet to lose weight, we had saved up for a big dinner, or we just decided not to indulge in what we wanted. However, there are people right here in our own community who go to bed at night with real hunger. And that hunger is not without real pain. If we expand that to our diocese, our country, and the world, untold numbers of people go to bed hungry every night. Yet, while Jesus instructed us to “feed the hungry,” He did not want us to stop at satiating simply physical hunger. All around us, there is spiritual hunger. We all know people who have plenty to fill their stomachs but are not sure exactly what they want in life, living unsatisfied. Some of these people are our siblings, our children, our parents, or even our spouses. Although so many are spiritually hungry, it may not be as apparent to us as physical hunger, because the spirit is within us and we are weakened more slowly. Life goes on when we are spiritually hungry — but truly addressing that need is just as impor-
tant for us as a Church as physically feeding the hungry. Spiritual malnourishment can be just as devastating as physical famine. While we are aware of the reality that we, as a faith community, cannot completely eradicate physical hunger, we must do what we can to feed those around us. Both physically and spiritually, we have opportunities every day to reach out to those in need. Sometimes, it may be as simple as praying for someone. Or it may mean giving of our time, talent or treasure to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Yet, we always have an opportunity to share the greatest gift with others that alone can satiate the human heart — the love of Christ. There is no time better than today to begin. Will you reach out in love to those in need by sharing the love Christ has poured into you? 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 Parishione
Building and Sharin
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Kate and Michael McAndrews with their children, Mary and Luke — by giving of their time and talents to various ministries at St. Paul’s, their family has continued to grow in fellowship and faith in wonderful ways.
ccasionally, you can catch Kate McAndrews and her two children, Mary, 7, and Luke, 6, cruising down the road accompanied by beautiful music that has touched their lives in wondrous ways. A few years ago, Kate began serving as a crew leader for our week-long summer Vacation Bible School program, and the blessings she has experienced from it are boundless. “I have really taken a liking to the music we sing at Vacation Bible School (VBS),” Kate says. “It is wonderful to see the children sensing God’s presence and praising Him through music. Every year, our
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Vacation Bible School program produces a CD of the music we have sung that summer. I really enjoy listening to the CDs along with my children, both during VBS and after it is over.” Amazingly, you might catch some of her family friends doing just the same thing, as well! “I have bought about half a dozen extra CDs to give to my sister in New York and other family friends,” she says. “There are difficult things that people go through in their lives and this kind of music can really help them get through it all.” Since Kate joined our parish community in 2008
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ng Faith with Family upon moving to the area, she has been an integral part of our parish family, along with her husband, Michael. By giving of their time and talents to various ministries at St. Paul’s, they have continued to grow in fellowship and faith in wonderful ways. “Neither of us is from Sauk Centre, so we have really appreciated how much the people of St. Paul’s care about our family,” Kate says. “They have been very open to us. We have found so many parishioners that we want to share our lives with. The parish has really grown on me over the years! Thirteen years ago, I wasn’t involved in the parish, but after I started helping out with one thing, it led to another thing, and I finally found my path.” Every summer for about two weeks, the McAndrews have enjoyed helping out with the Gardening and Landscaping Ministry. Together, they pitch in to make our parish grounds a lovely place by weeding, watering, and picking up trash. “Both my husband and I worked for summer landscaping companies when we were growing up, so this was something we have enjoyed doing together,” Kate says. “We are also dairy farmers, so it comes naturally to us to want to care for God’s earth. We also want to show our children that it is very, very important to do things for your parish in addition to just going to Mass. We try to teach them to respect the church and treat it as their second home.”
Furthermore, Kate has helped to coordinate our parish weddings for the last few years, helping to ensure that the “big day” goes as well as possible. “Weddings are such an important part of people’s lives, as is the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony,” Kate says. “I began helping as a wedding coordinator because I wanted to be there for them at this special time in their lives.” By giving generously to this ministry, she finds that she has been richly blessed in return. “Coordinating weddings has helped me come to fully understand the meaning behind the wedding ceremony,” Kate says. “It has also helped me reflect on what it means to be a wife and see that I am here to help my husband get to heaven! This is such a powerful thought. Listening to each wedding homily has really made me stronger as well.” Most importantly, Kate has found that living out the stewardship vision in God’s house helps her to live it out in her own home and with her own family all the more. “By having children, I have grown stronger in my faith, and by having faith, I have become a better mother,” she says. “My faith helps me reflect on my motherhood. Ever since I became a mother, I have felt God’s love in a different way. I have really enjoyed learning God’s ways alongside my children, as well.”
“By having children, I have grown stronger in my faith, and by having faith, I have become a better mother. My faith helps me reflect on my motherhood. Ever since I became a mother, I have felt God’s love in a different way. I have really enjoyed learning God’s ways alongside my children, as well.” — KATE MCANDREWS
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
UPCOMING EVENTS
in Our Faith Community
First Saturday Devotions at Our Lady of the Angels: Saturday, Oct. 2 7:45 a.m. — Confessions 8 a.m. — Adoration 8:30 a.m. — Rosary 9 a.m. — Mass Clergy Conference the week of Oct. 4 Limited Mass times this week — please be attentive to Church bulletin. Harvest Graces (Anointing Mass) at Our Lady of the Angels Tuesday, Oct. 12 Time: 10:30 a.m. Knights of Columbus Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 12 Rosary at 6:30 p.m. Meeting at 7 p.m. Location: St. Paul’s Church Basement St. Theresa Mission Group Meeting St. Paul’s Church Basement Thursday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. Chow Mein Supper at Our Lady of the Angels Thursday, Oct. 21 Mass at St. Alexius Cemetery Sunday, October 31, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Outdoor Mass, weather permitting. 6
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 Our Lady of the Angels Church basement in Sauk Centre for videos and small-group discussions with a different topic each week! Please text or call 320-298-6778 for more information or with questions! Join our Searching Souls Ministries Facebook page for more information! OCTOBER TOPICS: OCT. 4 — 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration OCT. 11 — CONSECRATION DAY: 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration OCT. 18 — Seven Sorrows of Mary Devotion/Rosary AND Seven Graces OCT. 25 — Indulgences Please Keep Us Updated! Please share your most current information — phone number, mailing address and email address — with the appropriate parish office. We want to keep you informed and in touch with your parish family. Contact your parish office by telephone or email: West Office — 320-352-2563 (stalexiuschurch@gmail.com) South Office — 320-254-8218 (francisdesales@mediacombb.net) North Office — 352-2196 (stpaulschurch@mainstreetcom.com)
S T. A L E X I U S YO U T H PA R I S H I O N E R P R O F I L E :
Julia Marthaler
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Striving to Live the Faith, Each and Every Day
ith so many pressures and temptations in the world, it doesn’t always seem so easy to live our faith in daily life. Living out the faith every day as a high school student can be especially challenging. But St. Alexius parishioner Julia Marthaler finds ways to practice and live her faith as a senior at Sauk Centre High School. Julia has spent a lot of her junior high and high school years attending youth group activities. This past summer, parish staff member Rachel Bosl led a group to the Steubenville Youth Conference in Rochester, Minn. When Julia was invited to attend, she didn’t hesitate. Steubenville Youth Conferences, which are held all over the United States, are an opportunity for our high schoolers to encounter Jesus in a personal way during a dynamic weekend of music, speakers, Mass, and adoration. The theme for this year ’s conference was “Restored,” which was based on Psalm 80:4, “O God, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.” “The time we spent in adoration was the most powerful part of the trip,” Julia says. “I also enjoyed listening to the messages of the speakers. “We had a good group of kids who were open to experiencing what the Lord had for them,” Rachel adds. “The praise and worship, along with adoration and a Eucharistic Procession, meant Jesus was not only on the stage but came up real close to each person, allowing an intimate moment between Him and them.” Julia has also attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in continued on back cover
Julia (right) and her sister Savanna Marthaler
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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
Julia Marthaler
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2019. She says attending a Steubenville Youth Conference is a good way to see if NCYC might be a good fit for you. As for her role models in the faith, Julia cites her grandparents, Darlene Marthaler and Kathleen Dueker. They have always lived out their faith, no matter how tough life was. Julia invites all teens of our parishes to get more involved in their faith by attending Youth Group or a future conference. “Youth group is a fun way to connect with God and meet other people in the parish,” Julia says. This year, Julia is taking post-secondary studies through Ridgewater College. Next year, she plans to attend North Dakota State University to study crop and weed science. Julia also plays on the tennis team. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and reading.
“We had a good group of kids (at the Steubenville Youth Conference) who were open to experiencing what the Lord had for them. The praise and worship, along with adoration and a Eucharistic Procession, meant Jesus was not only on the stage but came up real close to each person, allowing an intimate moment between Him and them.” — RACHEL BOSL