VOL. 69, NO. 18
WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG
OCTOBER 7, 2015
Couple from Holy Rosary honored at Marriage Day Maruskas, married 70 years, continue dedication to parish and Catholic education By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND DETROIT LAKES, MINN. — “We’re blessed to have had a long life together,” said George Maruska. He and his wife, Lillian, celebrated their 70th anniversary this July. The couple was selected as the honorary couple for this year’s Marriage Celebration Day, held Oct. 4. They were nominated by Msgr. Timothy McGee, their pastor at Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes. George and Lillian were presented with a Bishop’s Medal at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston, during the celebration. The Maruskas met in January of 1944 through a friend of Lillian’s. That meeting led to 70 years of marriage, eight children, 14 grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren. George was home on leave from the army when he met his future bride. When he returned to his base, the two began exchanging letters. George was granted a furlough in August and asked Lillian to marry him while driving with her to the Ogema area to meet her parents for the first time. “Of course I had to think about it for a while, and
then I finally said yes,” said Lillian. George had to wait until he returned to the area in January, nearly six months later, to hear her say “yes”. They bought their wedding rings before he returned to duty. Lillian said she did not want to jump into marriage, especially since they had not spent very much time together. “As somebody said … ‘maybe it was the writing, because you write more things than you would say.’ … I think that’s probably true,” said Lillian. The couple married in White Earth on July 24, 1945. “Most Catholics were married at 10 o’clock on Tuesday morning,” George said, so that is what the couple did. They had their wedding dinner at Lillian’s mother’s home, courtesy of the neighborhood ladies. He said there were eight people around the table. In the beginning of their marriage, they moved around quite George and Lillian Maruska of Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, were chosen as the
honorary couple for the Oct. 4 Marriage Celebration Day. (Photo credit: Katrina
MARRIAGE DAY: Continued on Page 11 Genereux/OND)
Catholics across the nation welcome Pope Francis to America Check out Pages 12 through 14 for coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S.
CNS Photo
INSIDE
VOL. 69, NO. 18:
St. Joseph’s School prays for pope, greets him through social media OND Staff Reports
On Sept. 23, just hours before Pope Francis’ plane touched down on U.S. soil, the students at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Moorhead, were praying for him in a special way. The first through eighth graders were part of an interactive rosary. They wore red shirts to represent the Hail Mary, blue shirts for the Our Father, and white shirts to represent the rest of the beads. Preschool and kindergarten students sang a song to honor Pope Francis. This event helped students connect with Pope Francis’ visit to our country. The school recorded the event and will send a short video of it to the pope through Twitter. They hope he will see their school’s warm and prayerful welcome. Turn to Page 12 to read about two locals who saw Pope Francis in Washington D.C.
Pg. 3 - Bishop’s Guild Tours Chancery Pg. 6 - St. Ann’s, Goodridge, Celebrates Centennial Pg. 12 - Two From Diocese see Pope in D.C.
Students of St. Joseph Catholic School in Moorhead prepare to pray the rosary for Pope Francis in the school gymnasium. The interactive rosary was recorded and clips will be sent to the Pope via Twitter. (Submitted photo)