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JANUARY 5, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Father Bernard Reiser was visionary, spiritual father to thousands from full-time ministry. The church complex also has several outdoor shrines, a cemetery, a perpetual adoration chapel, religious gift shop, library, meeting rooms, office space and a preschool and extended day program on its 72 acres. Today, Father Dennis Zehren, pastor, oversees 5,000 families (20,000 parishioners), 600 students in the K-8 school, 1,000 students in faith formation, and many ministries started by his predecessors, Father Patrick Kennedy and Father Reiser.
The Catholic Spirit About 400 people lined up Dec. 30 at Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids for the beginning of the 11 a.m. reviewal and 24-hour vigil of Father Bernard Reiser, 86, the founding pastor of the parish who served there from 1964 to 2001. He died Dec. 27, just two days shy Read more of his 87th birthday. about Father The vigil was a precursor to the packed church for the Dec. 31 funeral Reiser on Mass with Archbishop John Nienstpages 10, 16 edt as the main presider and Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, as homilist, which he later said in a telephone interview was “a tremendous honor.” After Father Snyder was ordained in 1988 for this archdiocese, he spent two years serving with Father Reiser. “When I first got to Epiphany, his advice to me was, ‘Whatever you do, don’t try to keep up with me.’ It was the most compassionate advice he could have given me, because I never could have — nobody could keep up with Father Reiser,” Father Snyder said. While at Epiphany, Father Reiser pushed the young associate to play the newly installed pipe organ, so Father Snyder was surprised when the pastor asked him to be the homilist for the funeral, rather than play the organ. In the homily, Father Snyder said the Father Reiser was “a man of great devotion” to Mary and the saints; a “man of great faith” who believed that his job was to “get people to heaven” whatever their church affiliation; and “a man of vision.” Father Reiser’s vision for Epiphany parish was to create
Charity in his heart, hands
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
In this file photo from 2001, Father Bernard Reiser poses on the grounds at Epiphany in Coon Rapids, where he served as pastor from 1964 to 2001.
a spiritual campus that served people from birth to death. During his pastorate, the parish built an elementary school, a convent for 20 sisters, a church that seats 1,900 and is connected to an assisted living facility and senior apartments, where Father Reiser lived after his retirement
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Father Reiser was the author of “Reiser’s Ramblings,” which helps support the charity he founded — Reiser Relief Inc. — to serve the people of Haiti, just one of several outreach missions that Epiphany supports. Deb Pafko, whose son, Matthew, spent the last days of his 16 years helping to raise money for Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis, said that “everyone loved Father Reiser,” especially the Pafko family. “He came to our house every week, Thursday at 4:15, for two years, through every weather, through every holiday. He came down to the hospital for Matthew,” who died July 20, 2009, from spine and brain cancer, Pafko said. Just weeks before his death, Father Reiser also had surgery to address a rapidly growing cancer in his brain, which Pafko said was another connection between her son and the former pastor. Mary Jo Copeland said that Father Reiser always supported Sharing and Caring Hands — the charity she founded in 1985 to serve homeless people — by inviting her to speak at Epiphany, by regularly visiting the PLEASE TURN TO HOMILIST ON PAGE 6
Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly. People who generally feel they can hear, but cannot understand words clearly are encouraged to come in for the test, which uses the latest electronic equipment. Everyone, especially those over age 55 should have an electronic hearing test once
a year. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be programmed using a computer to your particular needs — on the spot — after the tests. See (and HEAR) for yourself if newlydeveloped methods of correction will help you understand words better. Tests will be performed at one of 20 convenient Greater Twin Cities Avada Hearing Care locations.
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New Year’s Resolutions — Time for a Change Walking Toward Eternity: Making Choices for Today The focus of this study is to prayerfully and actively apply Scripture to our lives with small changes in areas such as forgiveness, faithfulness, and thankfulness. Through Jeff’s teachings, small group discussion and prayer before the Tabernacle, you will journey toward a closer walk with Christ.
Jeff Cavins will be presenting a new life-changing study “Live” at three locations. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Savage
Transfiguration Catholic Church, Oakdale
Cathedral of Saint Paul St. Paul, MN
10 AM-Noon, Tuesdays Starting January 24, 2012 10 week study Registration and information available on line at: http://www.stjohns-savage.org Contact: Brenda Schroll at bschroll@stjohns-savage.org Call (952) 890-9434, ext. 254
7-9 PM Tuesdays Study begins January 24, 2012 10 week study Registration and information available on line at: www.transfigurationmn.org Questions? 651-501-2233 Email: WTE@transfigurationmn.org
Wednesday Evening 7 to 9 PM Begins February 29, 2012 Runs 5 consecutive weeks Registration and information available on line at: www.cathedralsaintpaul.org Contact Person: Mark Croteau 651.228.1766
Taught live at 3 convenient locations by Jeff Cavins, Catholic bible teacher and author All registration forms can be found at www.jeffcavins.com under “Live Twin Cities Studies” tab.