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parish life Parishioners attend last Sunday Mass at St. Brendan, Green Isle

by Katie Ballalatak Prairie Catholic correspondent Easily described as the “crown jewel” of Green Isle, the Church of St. Brendan held its last Sunday Mass at 8 a.m. on May 30 after 158 years since the first church was built. The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Eugene Lozinski, the parish parochial administrator and concelebrated by Fr. John Berger, a Green Isle native and retired diocesan priest. Assisting with the Mass was Deacon Tim Dolan. The liturgy was followed by a breakfast reception in the basement hall.

Located on the eastern edge of the Diocese of New Ulm, St. Brendan’s closure is similar to that of other rural churches that have closed in recent years –the shortage of priests and the decreasing size of parish membership played a part in the decision.

Diana Kroells, a longtime member of St. Brendan’s, shares that they had always hoped the Green Isle community would grow as more people moved west from the Twin Cities, but the population remains under 600. “It's disappointing,” said Kroells, but she confesses that the closure doesn’t come as a shock. “We’ve known for quite some time that we were in one of these plans, and it’s because our parish is so small.” With a membership of 125 people as of 2020, the Church of St. Brendan stands as one of the smallest parishes in the diocese.

A brief history In the late 1850s and early 1860s missionary priests occasionally visited the settlers of Green Isle, offering Mass in different homes. In 1863 the original church was constructed under the guidance of Fr. Theodore Venn. It was built approximately 100 feet east of the present church and was also the first building in Green Isle. As the town grew, so did the need for a larger church. The construction for the new church began in 1881, and the first Mass was offered on Christmas Day in 1882. The building could hold up to 450 people and cost $25,000 to build.

Over the years, the church’s original structure has remained intact, although a few aspects have undergone renovations, including, most recently, the interior paint job and décor. A new steeple was erected in 1996 after a windstorm toppled the original and the stained-glass windows were restored in 2013.

St. Brendan’s is the only church in Minnesota dedicated to St. Brendan, a 5th-century Irish abbot. The choice made sense for the parish of Irish immigrants, as St. Brendan was known for his legendary voyage to the Isle of the Blessed.

A complete history of the Church of St. Brendan was published in 1966 by Fr. Berger. “A History of St. Brendan’s Parish, The Village of Green Isle and Minnesota’s First Irish Settlement” can be purchased from the Sibley County Historical Society. A welcoming parish community When Kroells joined St. Brendan’s in 1974, it was mostly for its proximity to the Green Isle school across the street, which allowed its students to run over to the church during the day for religion class. However, it was the community and kindness of the parishioners that made her feel at home: “When I first started going to church there, I had these three little kids, and the people were always so nice,” Kroells said. “They always gravitated toward my little boys and made me feel so welcome there.”

Mike Vos, a life-long Green Isle native, can’t remember a time he wasn’t involved at St. Brendan’s. He was baptized there as an infant and served as an altar boy through high school. He continues to live in Green Isle with his wife, Sue and serves the church by being a lector and Eucharistic minister while also helping with restoration and maintenance projects. He particularly remembers helping the church make the necessary changes after Vatican II, including remodeling the confessional to allow for face-to-face reconciliation. “I’ve always taken pride in the building,” said Vos.

“The whole beauty of the church, the mysteriousness of it, the old style and so on. As kids, we were always infatuated with the bell tower and the steeple. And not that we were supposed to go up there but there’ve been many a people that have snuck up into the bell tower and carved their names up there. There’s a lot of history up there,” Vos said.

In years to come, many people in the community will fondly remember St. Brendan's primary annual fundraiser, the St. Patrick's Day Bingo Party, complete with food, live music, and of course, bingo. “That was the highlight of the year,” exclaims Vos. “It used to be so big; they’d host two sessions to make room for everyone.” In his last Sunday Mass homily, Msgr. Lozinski spoke of the inspiring history and strength of the parish and its congregation: “We move forward with a hole in our hearts but a largeness of spirit, with gratitude to God for having given us the opportunity for over 150 years to incarnate, implant his love in the hearts of

The last Sunday Mass at St. Brendan’s in Green Isle was held on May 30. Pictured, altar servers Matthew and Thomas Ziegler lead the opening procession to the altar followed by Deacon Tim Dolan, Fr. John Berger, and Monsignor Eugene Lozinski. (Photo by Christine Clancy)

Mary Ann and James (Jim) Kreger of Green Isle, respectfully age 89 and 91, are the longest-lived members of the parish family. (Photo by Christine Clancy) Following the Mass, Fr. John Berger greets former St. Brendan parishioners (l-r) Sharon (Vos) Hartung of Chaska and her sister, Cathy (Vos) Smith of Victoria. Fr. Berger is a native son of the parish graduating from Arlington-Green Isle High School before entering the seminary. (Photo by Kurt Menk)

The faithful were invited to a breakfast reception in the church basement hall after Mass. With a membership of 125, the parish is considered one of the smallest in the diocese. (Photo by Kurt Menk)

the men and women who lived in this area. You have never shirked your responsibility; you sacrificed and gave your all. This is a reason to be proud and hold your heads high.”

Moving forward, parishioners for now will be able to attend weekday Mass offered by Fr. Berger, who lives in the parish rectory. However, the parishioners are still faced with the hard decision of choosing which parish to join next while also mourning the loss of their spiritual home.

“I’m sad, but I understand,” admits Vos. “We’re really feeling like lost sheep right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen . . . but I know it will be okay. It’s going to take a while to adjust to something different.”

Holy occasion: New Ulm trio ordained deacons June 5 at cathedral

by Christine Clancy The Prairie Catholic

NEW ULM – They lined up near the altar, fervent to take the next step in committing their lives to serving the Church. Applause broke out inside the cathedral after the men presented themselves to the bishop to be ordained a deacon.

On Saturday, June 5, seminarians Joshua Bot and Tanner Thooft, both native sons of St. Edward parish in Minneota, and Nathan Hansen, a native son of St. John parish in Darwin, moved one step closer to becoming priests for the Diocese of New Ulm when they were ordained transitional deacons by Bishop Emeritus John M. LeVoir (2008-2020) at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm. Concelebrating the liturgy with Bishop LeVoir were approximately 45 priests.

“It has been a journey for you through the seminary, and now you are here, presenting yourself for the ordinate of the diaconate,” Bishop LeVoir said. “. . . It has been my privilege to walk with you during these seven years.”

The bishop expressed his appreciation for those who have played a part in the formation of the new deacons – the seminaries, the diocesan vocation directors, the parents and families of the men, and the lay people of the diocese.

His homily talked about the importance of prayer in the lives of the new deacons. “The personal relationship with Jesus Christ is so critical,” he told the men. “Unless we spend time in prayer, that relationship will wither and fade.”

The bishop continued, “We should never be satisfied with our relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said. “We should always strive, with the help of God’s Grace, to strengthen that bond that we have with Our Lord. It’s critical . . . Nothing good is going to happen without prayer.”

The bishop addressed the ministry that the men will carry

Promise of respect and obedience

Candidate Nathan Hansen kneels before Bishop Emeritus John M. LeVoir during the Promise of the Elect. Assisting is Fr. Aaron Johanneck, director of the Office of Worship. (Photo(s) by Jeanine McMahon Photography)

Litany of Supplication

All three ordinands lie prostrate in front of the altar as a sign of their unworthiness and need for divine assistance while a cantor leads the assembly in the Litany of Saints.

out as a deacon - proclaiming the Gospel, delivering Holy Communion, presiding over baptisms and marriages, visiting the sick, and presiding at funerals. “Let the Holy Spirit work in you and let your way of life touch the people,” the bishop advised. “Take every opportunity you can to teach and preach the Gospel.”

In his closing remarks, the bishop said, “Today is a great day, a day in which the Lord blesses you in a special way. He comes to meet you – it’s a personal meeting with Jesus Christ. Jesus is leading you today, and he is saying your name and is giving you the Holy Spirit to develop the gifts and the talents that God has given you – don’t be afraid. God always takes care of you, the Blessed Mother always takes care of you, they are always watching over you.”

After the homily, the ordinands approached the bishop one at a time, knelt, and promised to respect and obey the bishop and his successors. Next, the men laid face down in front of the altar as a cantor led the assembly in the Litany of Saints. This act of prostration is an ancient posture showing both the donation by the candidate of their life to God and his Church, as well as supplication, which is asking God for the grace to live his life for God and his Church. The men then individually came forward for the most sacred part of the ceremony, where the bishop imposed his hands on each man and recited the prayer of ordination.

After being vested with a stole and dalmatic, each deacon individually approached the bishop to receive the Book of the Gospels. “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach,” the bishop instructed.

Fr. Garrett Ahlers, the diocese’s Office of Vocations director, first came to know the three new deacons when they all were in seminary formation together. “It is exciting to see how they have grown –not only in maturity with age but in their spiritual awareness and their fatherly hearts,” he said.

“There is no man who comes out of the seminary “perfect,” we all have our own flaws and limitations,” Fr. Ahlers said. “But these three ordinandi [candidates for ordination] are truly remarkable young men: they are rooted in prayer; they are sincere in their interactions with others;

(Continued on page 7.)

Transitional diaconate vs. permanent diaconate: What’s the difference?

In the Catholic Church, the diaconate is the first of three ranks of ordained ministry. From the fifth century until the Second Vatican Council the term “deacon”was used in the Latin rite almost exclusively to describe the final stage in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. The council decreed that the diaconate also could be restored as a permanent and separate rank in the Latin rite and that married men may be ordained to this rank. Pope Paul VI restored the permanent diaconate in 1967.

Those in the final stage of formation for the priesthood are “transitional” deacons. Those not planning to be ordained priests are called “permanent” deacons.

Since not all permanent deacons are married, married deacons is not a synonym for permanent deacons.

The role of the transitional deacon includes assisting priests in proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, baptizing, assisting at and blessing marriages, presiding at funerals, administering to parishes, and dedicating themselves to any of a variety of ministries of charity.

Laying on of Hands

Tanner Thooft receives the strength of the Holy Spirit as the bishop silently imposes his hands upon him and prays the Prayer of Ordination.

Handing on the Book of Gospels

Vested as a deacon, Joshua Bot kneels before the bishop as he places the Book of Gospels in Bot’s hands and recites “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”

Fraternal Kiss

Bishop LeVoir and newly ordained Deacon Tanner Thooft are all smiles as they embrace prior to the preparation of the liturgy of the Eucharist. (Photo by Christine Clancy)

Gathering for a group photo on the front steps of the cathedral in New Ulm after the ordination are: front, l-r, Rev. Mr. Nathan Hansen, Rev. Mr. Joshua Bot, and Rev. Mr. Tanner Thooft. Back row, Fr. Garrett Ahlers, diocesan director of Vocations, Fr. Joseph Taphorn, rector at the Saint Paul Seminary, Bishop LeVoir, Fr. Michael Skluzacek, director of Spiritual Formation at the Saint Paul Seminary, and Monsignor Douglas Grams, diocesan administrator.

Deacon Bruce Bot gives his newly ordained son Joshua a hug during the ordination liturgy. Deacon Bot is a permanent deacon serving the Good Teacher Area Faith Community (Ghent and Minneota). Deacon Nathan Hansen’s father, John Hansen is also a permanent deacon serving in the All Souls Area Faith Community (Darwin, Litchfield, Manannah, and the merged parish of St. Gertrude, Forest City). (Photo by Christine Clancy)

Diaconate ordination

(Continued from page 6.)

they are honest and humble; they are incredibly eager to enter into service of our local Church by their ministry. I am already excited for their priestly ordination next summer!”

Prayer and preparation Each candidate had two weeks to prepare for their diaconate ordination. Deacon Thooft used this opportunity to spend part of the time with family, helping out on the farm. “I thought it was important to spend some time getting back to the roots of who I am and where God first began his work in my life and my formation to serve Him,” he said. The remaining four days he spent at the seminary for a time of rest and prayer with the Lord. “The seminary is a special place of formation where the Lord has done so much work,” Thooft said. “I found it important to return for a time to thank the Lord for the work he has done and the confidence I have in him moving forward.”

Following their summer parish assignments, the deacons will continue their final year of studies at the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul in the fall. The men will be ordained to the priesthood tentatively set for 2022.

Editor’s note: A recording of the June 5 diaconate ordination can be viewed at www.dnu.org/live-stream.

Official appointments

Monsignor Douglas Grams, administrator for the Diocese of New Ulm, has made the following assignments of the newly ordained transitional deacons for the summer of 2021.

Effective June 7 through August 18.

Rev. Mr. Joshua Bot is assigned to the St. John Paul II Area Faith Community which includes the parishes in Glencoe, Winsted, and Silver Lake. Rev. Mr. Nathan Hansen is assigned to the Apostles Peter and Paul Area Faith Community which includes the parishes in St. Peter and Nicollet. Rev. Mr. Tanner Thooft is assigned to the Light of the World Area Faith Community which includes the parishes in Redwood Falls and Wabasso.

by Fr. Mark Steffl, STL, JCL

To the first question, “What is required to receive Holy Communion?” the Code of Canon Law states:

Can. 919 §1 Whoever is to receive the blessed Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before Holy Communion from all food and drink, with the sole exception of water and medicine.

There may be some who remember more rigorous fasting requirements prior to the current one, in force since 1973. Before that, there was an expectation of a three-hour fast, and before that, for many centuries, the fast required was from midnight until the time of reception of Holy Communion.

Important to this is understanding the “why” of this requirement. We are asked to abstain from food or drink as a reminder of what, or more properly, Who it is that we are receiving. As I like to mention to the students each

education Ask a Canon Lawyer

This month’s question:

What are the requirements for fasting before receiving Holy Communion? Why does the Church no longer require us to not eat meat on Fridays outside of Lent?

year who are preparing for their First Holy Communion, fasting reminds us that we are getting ready to do something unlike anything else in preparing to receive Holy Communion. Just as we might prepare to exercise by stretching or playing an instrument by “warming up,” our preparation for receiving Holy Communion includes a spiritual preparation and a physical preparation in abstaining from food and drink. The specific exceptions of water and medicine are mentioned to benefit those who might require something to maintain their health, as preparation for Holy Communion should not endanger our health. Examples might be a diabetic needing something to maintain a consistent sugar level or medicine that needs to be taken at a specific time each day. One question that is sometimes posed is, “does chewing gum break the required fast?” The answer, I believe, is yes. Even though we might not intend to swallow a piece of gum, naturally, some of the chewing gum will be absorbed or ingested. The answer to the second question, on abstaining from meat on Fridays, is found in Canon Law in the section titled “Days of Penance.”

Can. 1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons. Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. First, it is important to note that the Church is commending to us penitential practices, not only in Lent but throughout the year. Particularly important as a day to do penance each week is Friday, the day that the Lord Jesus suffered and died for us. Canon 1251 notes that all Fridays should be observed with abstaining from meat unless determined otherwise by a particular country’s conference of bishops. (Fridays during Lent are still required to be meatless by Catholics everywhere in the world.) This provision was offered in the late 1960s by Pope Paul VI, prior to which it was a universal requirement that all Catholics do not eat meat on all Fridays, and not only Lent. The bishops of the United States opted to permit all Catholics to choose to continue to abstain from meat every Friday of the year or, outside of Lent, to choose another penance in place of not eating meat. Unfortunately, many people heard the message that they no longer were required to abstain from meat without hearing the obligation of some other penitential act being required on Fridays outside of Lent. So in practice, it seemingly just got dropped. But many people have continued the meatless Fridays throughout the year as well. In some places in the world, especially predominantly Catholic countries, the practice never changed, so they continue to maintain meatless Fridays. In 2011, the bishops in England and Wales reversed themselves after allowing Catholics in those places to choose a Friday penance instead of asking all Catholics to once again observe meatless Fridays as a shared penance and witness to the greater society. Next issue: Should Catholics

use a specific translation of the Bible? How do changes to the words of the Mass come about?

Fr. Mark Steffl serves as judicial vicar of the Office of the Tribunal for the Diocese of New Ulm and is a canon lawyer, msteffl@dnu. org, (507) 233-5316.

Financial grants help those struggling to meet rent or mortgage payments

Editor’s note: The Diocese of New Ulm received a $10,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) in January, 2021. The sole purpose of this grant was to help people avoid homelessness.

by Deacon Tim Dolan

NEW ULM – During this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic year and all the rules and sequestration it has brought with it, I have reminisced about challenging times in my life and life in general; in particular when I was living in another country as a Peace Corps volunteer. Our training had several components. The one I remember most was cross-cultural enrichment. In that segment, we talked about things we would experience differently from the culture we would soon encounter. There were several discussions around poverty, social programs, and begging. For me, this was no easy discussion. I had not experienced this sort of thing in small-town Minnesota. Soon enough, my time came to meet a person begging for a small sum to buy something to eat. Over the years there, I remember being with religious groups of people when this would happen. Some would never give anything; others would give them the shirt off their back. I budgeted for these encounters and when the till was empty, it meant waiting until next month. Throughout the pandemic, many have faced an empty till long before the end of the month. In early January, the Diocese of New Ulm was the recipient of a Catholic Charities USA grant. This grant money was to be used from mid-January to mid-April and was designated specifically for those who rented or owned their home and were facing eviction or foreclosure. All parishes throughout the diocese were invited to make referrals. The grant money was used up in a flash! Although there is currently a federal government eviction moratorium in place, that will soon end and many will face homelessness. These are the families the grant money sought to help. I had the privilege to interview each family, which averaged five people per household. Most of the children in the families were of school age. A very large percentage were renting either a house or apartment, and each family’s story was unique. One family talked about how the main breadwinner was sick for weeks with the coronavirus, while another family told me about how they had to find other work because their employer’s company closed due to the pandemic and may or may not reopen. In another family, the main breadwinner was injured and needed time off to recuperate. Fr. Steve Verhelst, pastor of the Church of St. Mary in Willmar, commented that the families he referred to the diocese for grant money were very grateful to have this opportunity. “The families were very deserving, and most had either had COVID-19 or one of their family members had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and they needed to quarantine.” Over the years, I have come to understand that love grows when we share. Each day God gives us is an opportunity to do as Jesus has commanded us. And, perhaps there is no better time than now to remember the words Jesus once spoke: “This I command you: love one another.” As the federal government’s moratorium on evictions nears the end, anyone facing eviction can get help through Rent Help MN, a program created to help Minnesotans who have fallen behind on their rent or fear that could happen. If you find yourself in this position, visit www. renthelpmn.org to determine if you qualify. Deacon Tim Dolan is director for the Office of Social Concerns for the Diocese of New Ulm, tdolan@ dnu.org, (507) 233-5326.

Catholic Charities

Hutchinson, Marshall, New Ulm, and Willmar

Providing: Individual, Marriage, and Family Counseling; Pregnancy Counseling, Adoption, Project Rachel, and Respect Life Resources; Parish and Community Response; Transition and Grief Services. Referred Services include: Immigration, Financial Counseling, and Guardianship Resources. (866) 670-5163 | pkral@dnu.org