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. ALEXIUS PARISHIONER PROFILE:
Wendy Drobny
Serving and Preserving Her Faith
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or St. Alexius parishioner Wendy Drobny, attending Mass and being involved in the parish is just part of life — it’s how she was raised, and it’s who she is today. “I guess I just grew up that way,” Wendy says. “As a girl I always helped my grandmother clean the church. Growing up in Padua, everyone just sort of jumps in and helps. My other grandmother was also very involved here at St. Alexius, especially with the Sausage Supper. My parents were also really faithfilled and my dad was a Mass server at St. Alexius when he was a young boy.” So, when Wendy later married her husband, Scott, and began her own family, she knew that she wanted to ensure a similar upbringing for her two children. Initially, they started out at St. Paul’s where the couple was married. But they later made the move to St. Alexius — the church where Wendy had been baptized. The Drobnys were attracted to the parish’s intimate, home-like feel. “I was baptized there and St. Alexius is a small parish, much like my home church in Padua was,” Wendy says. “It seems like everyone is friendly. It just has this great family feel. You truly feel like you’re welcomed there.” Though times aren’t quite as simple as they were when she was growing up, Wendy is anxious to involve her children in the faith whenever possible. This desire has led her to become involved with Children’s
Faith Formation, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, and Vacation Bible School. Not only has this been a way for her to serve, but Wendy says it’s also brought her family closer together. “The things my children were involved in, I felt, it was important for me to get involved in, too,” Wendy says. “As a working mom, helping at church and being involved in what they are involved in is also a way to spend time with them.”
SE P T E M BE R
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
Building The Domestic Church
Living Stewardship in Our Family as Pandemic Continues
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s the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the question of how to strengthen our family faith and continue to live Stewardship as a Way of Life while separated from the sacraments and parish life is being put to the test.. Our priests and parish leaders already have found new ways to minister to our parish family from a distance. Now, it is our own time to shine within our own homes. It is our time to seize this opportunity and continue to build our own Domestic Church. What is the domestic Church? Simply put, it is our family — the smallest body of gathered believers in Christ. The early Church fathers understood the home was fertile ground for discipleship, sanctification, and holiness. And the Domestic Church plays a key role in this as the primary place where we practice coming to intimately love others. Even before the pandemic, in recent years, our Holy Father Pope Francis placed great emphasis on the family, asking us as Catholics to explore the meaning and the theology of the Domestic Church. During his address at the World Meeting of Families during his 2015 apostolic visit to the United States, Pope Francis told us, “Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to grow in faith.” Now, as the pandemic continues to distance us from our parish and affects the way we live our faith and prac-
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tice stewardship, it is now more important than ever to discern the unique role God has in mind for our lives, and the lives of our family members. If your family truly is committed to answering the call to live as intentional disciples of Christ, our response to this call starts in the home through stewardship. As Catholics, we often associate stewardship with sharing our time, talents and resources with our parish. We see it as volunteering and helping to build our parish community. Rarely, do we recognize the need for stewardship in our own homes. But what can you do to live out stewardship as a Domestic Church? You can set aside time each day for personal and family prayer. If you are still unable to attend Mass, you and your family can participate in the Sunday liturgy and daily Masses in your home via livestream. Read and reflect each day on the daily Mass readings, which are available online at www.usccb.org/bible. Do some online faith formation together. Other ideas include simply being kind to each other, doing something extra for your spouse or children, avoiding criticism, or working on being more patient with a family member who sometimes can be challenging to be around. Help a family member financially during these challenging times. Pray for our family members and each of their unique needs. Spend extra time with a child and our spouse — make that a priority worked into each week. The possibilities for living stewardship within our Domestic Churches are endless. How we treat each other in our homes is as important as praying together when living out stewardship. In a nutshell, live in your home with your faith-filled family celebrating your Catholic identity! Stewardship is not just something we do within the confines of our parish walls. It is meant to be lived 24/7, to be practiced anywhere and everywhere. And it begins with our Domestic Church — our families. By focusing on new ways to share our Time, Talent and Treasure together within our own homes — both during the pandemic and after the storm passes — we can make faith the source and center of our family lives and fulfill our mission as the Domestic Church.
A Letter From Our Pastor
“Coincidental” Stewardship My Dear Friends in Christ,
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he famous author G.K. Chesterton once said, “Coincidences are God’s way of staying anonymous.” Since fully embracing the stewardship way of life, coincidences have become cherished experiences for which I thank God — and rightly so! While God stays anonymous, coincidences are His way of interacting with the world He created. Importantly, as we have been continually impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with many of our circumstances changing day to day, we can be grateful for His “coincidental” intervention. As I continue to witness the grace-filled effects of the stewardship way of life on our parish, and in my own life, it is definitely God’s hand at work in our lives of faith. If some identify a coincidence as a “surprise blessing” that lifts the spirits and draws one closer to gratefulness to God, we cannot deny that in those circumstances that God is giving us the grace to live and celebrate our faith. So, let’s celebrate the coincidences! Celebrate the coincidence that Chesterton himself converted to Catholicism late in his life, yet wrote book after book affirming and defending the Catholic faith long before his conversion. Four years after Chesterton joined the Catholic Church, he wrote a phenomenal book called The Catholic Church and Conversion. It is one of the best works on conversion to Catholicism, as well as a wonderful description of conversion to the stewardship way of life. The same experiences, or “coincidences,” apply when we find ourselves drawn into the understanding, practice and expression of discipleship, known to us as “stewardship.” Chesterton describes conversion in three steps. “The convert takes his first step rather unwittingly
when he decides he’s going to be fair to the Catholic Church,” he wrote. The convert to stewardship must also dispel the “myths of stewardship” and give it a chance. This first step of conversion then leads to a long and enjoyable second step, which is the utter fascination of learning what the Catholic Church really does teach. Chesterton says, “It is like discovering a new continent full of strange flowers and fantastic animals, which is at once wild and hospitable.” For the stewardship convert, it is recognizing that stewardship is a practical way of living the Gospel. It makes sense, and others are doing it with joy and passion. What they have, the convert also wants. Then, the convert to Catholicism suddenly realizes with a shock that he can no longer be detached and impartial about the Catholic Church. The convert to the stewardship way of life realizes this is the way he or she wants to live — and makes the commitment to do so. If this were not true of what Christ has called us to be, I would not be writing this today. If this were not true of our commitment to stewardship, you may not be reading this today. And, if this were not true of a stewardship parish such as ours, we would not be the faithful stewards we are today. Wouldn’t you also agree it is a “coincidence” to thank God for each day of our lives? In our Father’s hands,
Fr. Greg Paffel Pastor
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
Sauk Centre Welcomes B O
Fr. Jeremy Theis celebrating Mass at the altar where St. John Paul II celebrated his first Mass
ver the last few months, you have likely seen a familiar smiling face here at our Sauk Centre parishes. We are thrilled to welcome Fr. Jeremy Theis back to the area as our new Associate Pastor! Fr. Theis has been assigned to our area before, serving us from 2014 to 2016. His return marks a happy homecoming to our three cluster parishes, as well as an exciting new welcome to the other three parishes in our Area Catholic Community. Fr. Theis and his seven siblings were raised in a small town by devoutly Catholic parents. The family prayed a Rosary together each night after dinner, and Fr. Theis still remembers the prayer group meetings his parents attended weekly. He joined the Army at age 17 and later went to college to become a teacher. After teaching junior high geography and world cultures in Willmar for six years, Fr. Theis became Dean of Students. He remained in that role until his call to the seminary four years later. Reflecting on his path to the priesthood, Fr. Theis marvels at how quickly he discerned his vocation in the Church. It all began when he was dating an evangelical Christian who called his Catholic faith into question, inspiring Fr. Theis to learn as much as he could about the faith in order to better defend it. Not long after, in November 2007, Fr. Theis experienced a truly revelatory moment. “There was a ‘light switch moment’ when I went from wanting to marry a nice Catholic girl to knowing I was called to seminary,” he says. “It was something that my grandmother had said to me, and in that moment, it was an instant feeling of peace. I had never even thought
“I love to preach and teach. Just like anybody who teaches knows, the big picture is when you’re watching those ‘ah-ha’ moments where it clicks for people, where the faith makes sense and it becomes a real thing in their lives. It’s usually a Holy Spirit moment that someone has through a confession or an adoration-related event. That especially happens with kids.” — Fr. Jeremy Theis 4
Back Fr. Jeremy Theis of [a vocation to the priesthood] before then. That was on a Sunday, and by Tuesday I was meeting with the vocations director!” Fr. Theis attended St. Paul Seminary and then went on to complete his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He was ordained on June 21, 2014. Fr. Theis loves serving the Church as a priest in many ways. As a former educator, he has a particular fondness for teaching the faith. “I love to preach and teach,” he says. “Just like anybody who teaches knows, the big picture is when you’re watching those ‘ah-ha’ moments where it clicks for people, where the faith makes sense and it becomes a real thing in their lives. It’s usually a Holy Spirit moment that someone has through a confession or an adorationrelated event. That especially happens with kids.” Following his first priestly assignment here in Sauk Centre, Fr. Theis served as the pastor of St. Mary in Upsala, St. Edward in Elmdale, and St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis. He is both thankful for the years he spent in that welcoming faith community and for this new opportunity to serve the people of Sauk Centre once again, this time including parishioners from St. Paul, St. Alexius, Our Lady of the Angels, St. Francis de Sales, St. Donatus, and Sts. Peter and Paul. Working alongside Fr. Greg and visiting the school are two of the things Fr. Theis is most looking forward to during his time with us. “Fr. Greg is a really, really good Pastor, so I hope to continue to pick up his leadership techniques and vision,” he says. “I’m also super excited about the school — that’s my wheelhouse. I like to go and play with the students on the playground, talk to kids about individual issues or concerns, and go into the classrooms.” Just as in teaching, Fr. Theis realizes that many times as a priest, he may not realize the extent of the impact he is having on the lives of his parishioners right away. His prayer is that God is able to use him to plant the seeds of holiness, even if the fruit is not evident for some time. When asked for advice on growing in faith, Fr. Theis has
a simple, yet compelling, answer. “Go to confession,” he says. “That’s always first and foremost because it is not only the forgiveness of our sins, but it can really change the way we live our lives and treat others. We can show others mercy when we know His mercy for us. I would also encourage parishioners to pray for their priests and pray for their bishops. If we are happy and holy, that affects the people.” The faithful of our Area Catholic Community are certainly blessed to have Fr. Theis return to our parishes, and we extend to him a warm and enthusiastic “welcome back!”
Fr. Jeremy Theis
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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S
Meet Sara and Eric Miller
Everyday Stewards Serving the St. Paul Community
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efore books, before scrolls, even before the written word, there were stories. For all of human history, people have listened to and passed on the stories of their families — the excitement, the challenges and the narrative of a culture. For Christians, a significant part of this is recognizing the role that God has played in our stories, and the way in which He is inviting us to take part in His narrative. For some parishioners, one way to serve the parish is by telling their story and inviting others to share theirs. “I did some speaking with the kids because of life’s lessons I’ve learned,” says parishioner Sara Miller, who has shared her story with our youth ministry teens. “When you’re vulnerable and you give them ideas of what your faith has done, it’s pretty cool. [They appreciate] when somebody tells the truth and says, ‘It’s not easy to believe all the time.’” Sara and her husband, Eric, both grew up in Sauk Centre, and have attended St. Paul’s their entire lives. High school sweethearts who recently celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary, the couple has a 19-year-old son, Brady, and 17-yearold daughter, Paige. The Millers serve in a number of ways in our parish. Sara is a lector, and is involved with Handmaids of the Lord and the intercessory prayer group. The whole family has served as ushers, been involved in youth ministry, and often works together to clean the Adoration Chapel. They have found that the more they serve, the more connected they feel to the parish community.
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Eric and Sara Miller and their children love being involved in service at St. Paul’s.
“It’s always been our church, but it really feels like our church when we help clean it and are more a part of it,” Eric says. “You can go to that church, but when you do those things, you actually feel like it’s your Church,” Sara adds. “You take pride in it a bit more.” Throughout their lives, the Millers have grown closer to God by making Him the center of their lives and family, and inviting Him into the struggles. “Everything we’ve gone through has brought us closer to Christ,” Sara says. “I’m so proud to have a husband who can pray with me. You can’t fail if you’re keeping God at the center. We have grown a lot together and being part of the Church has
brought us closer to God, too. If you have God at the center, He will help you get through those storms.” Prayer — whether memorized or spontaneous, on the way to school in the morning or at home in the evening — is something they’ve worked hard to integrate in to their everyday lives, and pass on to their children. “We have taught our children to pray,” Eric says. “We taught them how to have a personal relationship with Christ.” “Say you had a best friend, and after a long time you got busy, and kept pushing them off to the side, never really called or talked to them, or let them know how your life was going — how long would that friend stay there?” Sara says. “God wants to be part of your every day, every continued on page 7
Meet Sara and Eric Miller
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“Say you had a best friend, and after a long time you got busy, and kept pushing them off to the side, never really called or talked to them, or let them know how your life was going — how long would that friend stay there? God wants to be part of your every day, every minute, every second of everything you do. Involve God and God will never turn His back on you.” — Sara Miller minute, every second of everything you do. Involve God and God will never turn His back on you.” In their careers, both Sara, a beautician, and Eric, an account manager at a bank, find that they have opportunities to share their stories and give a witness of faith to the people they encounter. “God has given me such a great platform, being a beautician,” Sara says. “With people in the salon, people may be having issues and I just ask the Holy Spirit, ‘Say the right words.’ I hope that being vulnerable makes them feel like, ‘She’s dealt with these same things and made it through it, maybe there’s something on the other side.’ I don’t have it all together, but when you’re bro-
ken, that’s when God is doing the best fixing.” “We pray that God uses us to be good role models and mentors,” Eric adds. “I like to tell people that we go to church and we pray, because I think people are shy to say it. It’s okay to go to church — it’s okay to pray and have a personal relationship with God.” The couple encourages other families in the parish to consider becoming involved in service. “The more you give, the more you get back,” Eric says. “It feels good to help out and do our part.” “We need to change our mindset and think, ‘We get to do this,’ not ‘We have to do it,’” Sara adds. “The gift of service is that it actually makes us happy.”
If you would like more information on how you can use your gifts to serve, please contact the parish office at 320-352-2196.
UPCOMING EVENTS First Saturday Devotions on Sept. 5 Location — Our Lady of the Angels 7:45 a.m. — Confessions 8 a.m. — Adoration 8:30 a.m. — Rosary 9 a.m. — Mass Baptism instructional class on Sunday, Sept. 13 6 p.m. Location — St. Paul’s Meeting Room
Grief Support: Loss of Spouse Session Tuesday Sept. 1 from 6-8 p.m. Location — Centre for Christ For more information, please contact Deb at 320-429-0913. Grief Support Group Tuesdays from Sept. 15 to Dec. 8 6-8 p.m. Location — Centre for Christ For more information, please contact Deb at 320-429-0913 or Jeanine at 651-285-5720, or email griefshare@centreforchrist.org.
Alpha Eleven Monday evenings starting Sept. 14 6 p.m. — FREE Meal 7 p.m. — Short Video 7:30-8:30 p.m. — Small-group discussion Location — Centre for Christ
Alpha is designed for anyone to explore Christianity in a safe, non-threatening environment, to reflect upon the bigger questions in life. Our hope is that people will come to their own conclusions and begin to develop a relationship with Jesus! Contact Kristi Whitcomb at 320-298-6778 or Mike Karasch at 651-226-1436.
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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
Meet Wendy Drobny
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Though Wendy is meant to be the instructor in each of these ministries, she says that she often learns just as much, if not more than the children. It’s beautiful to see the faith through their eyes — to embrace a simpler, yet perhaps more accurate understanding of God and the faith. “It brings you closer to God and I love spending time with my children, teaching them about the Lord,” Wendy says. “You almost get just as much out of it.” Wendy also enjoys helping out each year with the Sausage Supper — her grandmother Elizabeth
Marthaler’s legacy — and generally pitching in whenever possible. In these ways, Wendy hopes to preserve the faith and her family’s heritage in her own children, and to help maintain a piece of the past amidst all the change and activity of our present time. “This is a huge part of who I am and I hope to pass that on to my own children,” Wendy says. “I feel it’s important to show the children — the future generation — that they are wanted, you need to help the Church.”
“This is a huge part of who I am and I hope to pass that on to my own children. I feel it’s important to show the children — the future generation — that they are wanted, you need to help the Church.” — Wendy Drobny