September 2021 Monthly Diocesan Newsletter

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LINKS

2021 Special Collections (PDF)

2022 Special Collections (PDF)

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Please feel free to put the Sunday TV Mass

in your parish bulletins at www.stcdio.org/tvmass.

September 9 ♦ Regional Ministry Gathering – This is the final All-Diocese Virtual

Gathering. This free gathering is for all members of the Diocese of Saint Cloud interested in learning more about their faith through the lens of "One Body: Gathered, Nourished, Sent." This event will be held online at 6:30 p.m. The speaker is Deacon Steve Pareja. Topic: "Going forth: How do I bring the Gospel into the world, beyond my home and parish?” For more information and to register, visit https://stcdio.org/event/regional-ministry-gathering-sent-large-group-how-do-i-bring-the-gospel-into-the-world-beyond-my-home-and-parish/.

September 11 ♦ Mass to Honor First Responders & 9/11 20th Anniversary Day of Remembrance – Bishop Kettler will celebrate a Mass for first responders and commemorate the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001. This Mass will take place at St. Boniface in Cold Spring at 4:00 p.m. Those who are first responders and all people of the diocese are invited to participate in this Mass. For more information, contact Aaron Carpenter in the diocesan Office of Worship at [email protected] or (320) 255-9068.

September 22 to October 31 – 40 Days For Life Fall Campaign – View the St. Cloud 40 Days for Life website for details - https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/st.cloud.

September 21 ♦ Regional Ministry Gathering – This is the 5th of six Virtual Leadership Gatherings. These free gatherings are are for all parish staff, pastors, deacons, volunteers and council members. This event will be held online at 1:30 p.m. The speaker is Father Efrain Rosado, OSB. Topic: "All are welcome, but are we really welcoming all?" For more information and to register, visit https://stcdio.org/event/regional-ministry-gathering-one-body-sent-leadership-track-5.

Note: This same leadership gathering will be offered in Spanish from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 23. For more information and to register, visit https://stcdio.org/event/encuentros-del-ministerio-regional-2021-enviados.

September 25 ♦ Parish Social Ministry Gathering – This year's event will be held at Christ Our Light Parish in Princeton/Zimmerman. The gathering will offer a retreat-like day of talks, prayer and reflection around “Journeying towards Hope and Healing.” This event will be particularly useful for pastoral staff, parish social ministry group members, parish nurses and others interested in service or social justice ministries. Join us for keynote presenter Geralyn Nathe-Evans and interactive session with Social Concerns staff and other diocesan parishioners; lunch will be provided. Registration materials, including schedule, are available through the Social Concerns website: https://www.ccstcloud.org/services/social-concerns or by contacting Kateri at [email protected] or (320) 229-6020.

2021 Diocesan Ministry Day (DMD)

October 23 ♦ DMD 2021 will be held on Saturday, October 23 at Saint John's Abbey and University. The day will gather the people from across the Diocese of Saint Cloud to celebrate who we are as a diocese and to share with one another the gifts each of our Area Catholic Communities offers. We will be joining together for a presenter, rally and Mass with the Bishop.

Please consider publishing this bulletin announcement:

SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 23 – Diocesan Ministry Day 2021– One Body: Gathered, Nourished, Sent

We’ve got Spirit! Yes, we do! We’ve got Spirit. How about you? This year, Diocesan Ministry Day will be a rousing celebration of all that we are as a diocese. This rally-themed day, to be held at Saint John’s Abbey and University, will honor the gifts of each of our parishes and ACCs. Save the date to come and cheer on the whole diocese and be filled with the love of community and the spiritual gifts of our faith. All are welcome to attend this bilingual event. The day also will include Mass, lunch and a presentation by Cindy Liliana Gonzalez, who teaches through the Emmaus Institute in Collegeville. For more information or to register, visit https://stcdio.org/2021-diocesan-ministry-day.

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Regional Ministry Gatherings 2021

Regional Ministry Gatherings are scheduled from now through the fall under the theme “One Body: Gathered, Nourished, Sent.” Upcoming gatherings in September are centered on "Sent," and are listed in the "Calendar at a Glance" above. All-Diocese gatherings are for those interested in learning more about their faith and Leadership Gatherings are geared toward parish ministry leaders. They focus on relevant issues facing our Church and Area Catholic Communities. These events are offered virtually online in the lead-up to Diocesan Ministry Day on Saturday, October 23.

To watch the video recordings of the previous Regional Ministry Gatherings, visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn3h-ZDTpt4xkP05THTO2u_b9wUWp4Qng.

Find more information about upcoming Regional Ministry Gatherings at www.stcdio.org/RMG2021.

NOTES FROM THE CHANCERY

Father Erik Lundgren, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will be serving as parochial vicar for a time in the Holy Saints Area Catholic Community (St. Anne, Kimball; St. Wendelin, Luxemburg; Holy Cross, Pearl Lake; St. Mary Help of Christians, St. Augusta; and St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas) in between assignments in the archdiocese.

Office of the Chancellor ♦ Jane Marrin ♦ (320) 251-2340

Just a reminder regarding the Official Catholic Directory.

In the next month or two, you will be receiving an email notice from them with a request to update the information for your parishes, schools and/or organizations. It will no doubt come from an address such as, [email protected]. This is official and safe for you to open. It will go to the person who was listed as the contact person in the report last year.

If you have moved from your previous assignment, you might want to alert staff about this information coming to the previous pastor so you are certain to get the information and make the necessary changes. All changes are now done online and completed by the individual parishes, schools, etc. As the Chancellor of the Diocese of Saint Cloud, I must approve each entry but can only do so electronically. It is an immense help to me if you take the time to complete and submit your information, so I thank you in advance for taking the time to do so!!

Blessings, Jane

NOTES FROM THE DIOCESAN OFFICES

David Fremo ♦ (320) 251-0111

Catholic School Updates – Catholic schools are looking forward to the return of students for the 2021-2022 school year! They are committed to journeying with young minds, hearts and souls in the way of the Gospel, our guiding light.

Among the new faces in our schools are school leaders. We especially welcome:

Michelle Litke, Administrator at Holy Trinity School, Pierz
William Liedl, Principal at Sacred Heart Area School, Staples
Peggy Stowe, Principal at Saint Agnes School, Osakis
Mary Sowada, Principal at Holy Family School, Albany
Sara Michaelson, Principal at Saint Joseph Catholic School, Saint Joseph
Erin Hatlestad, Principal at Cathedral Middle School, Saint Cloud
Maria Heymans-Becker, Principal at Saint Katharine Drexel School, Saint Cloud
Karl Terhaar, Interim Principal at All Saints Academy, Saint Cloud
Heidi Schloe, Principal at Saint Francis Xavier School, Sartell

Please pray for our students, their families, our teachers, staff and principals as we begin!

Emmaus Institute – The third year of Emmaus Institute will be starting September 10. There are three cohorts again this year. Cohort 1 will be completing their formation in November. We look forward to having 16 women and men receive a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry from the diocese. Five men will continue their study through May for the diaconate. Are you or someone you know interested in learning more about their faith or ministry? We would love to have you come check us out! Contact Kristi Bivens at 320-251-0111 or [email protected] for more information or to attend a class.

Diocesan Youth Council (DYC) – The Diocesan Youth Council is comprised of youth in grades 9-12 from parishes across the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Youth council members meet during the year to plan and prepare for diocesan youth events such as the Middle School Youth Rally, Senior High Youth Conference and Castaway Retreats. We are still in need of youth to serve on the council. Please consider inviting youth from your parish to serve in this way. Applications may be downloaded from: https://stcdio.org/cem/youthministry/leadershiptraining/. Feel free to contact Kent Schmitz at CEM with any questions at (320) 251-0111 Ext. 4 or [email protected].

September 2 – New Catechetical Leader Day – If you are a new faith formation or youth ministry leader in your parish(es) or ACC or know of someone who is new since before Covid-19, we invite you to come to the Diocesan Pastoral Center in St. Cloud from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. This orientation day is meant to help those new to their position become familiar with the events, meetings, expectations, procedures, and staff that are unique to the Saint Cloud Diocese. To RSVP, call or email Kristi at [email protected] or Kent at [email protected].

Joe Towalski ♦ (320) 258-7624

Calling all communications staff and volunteers! — The office is working to compile a list of staff and/or volunteers responsible for coordinating communications in their parishes as well as Area Catholic Communities. This includes websites, social media and bulletins/newsletters. The purpose is to share pertinent information directly with these individuals, foster networking, and share best practices and learning opportunities geared specifically to communications personnel. If you haven't already, please send names and contact information to Joe Towalski at [email protected].

Bishop’s Annual Appeal Update – As of Aug. 23, the Bishop’s Annual Appeal for 2021 has raised total cash and pledges of $1,132,657 toward our goal of $1,400,000 (80.90%). This was made possible through the generous donations of 7,497 people throughout the 16 counties of our diocese.

Patrick Flynn ♦ (320) 252-4721

September 11 – Engaged Couples Retreat – Location: Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. See our website for more details or call the office with questions at (320) 252-4721. https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/

September 18 – Sponsor Couple Training – Held at the Pastoral Center in St. Cloud from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration for couples (names, address, phone number, parish and email address) should be made at least two weeks (September 3) before training. Call Janet at (320) 258-7616 or email [email protected] to register. The parish will be billed $110 per couple for the cost of training (which includes Fully Engaged supplies).

Natural Family Planning Instruction for September & October 2021

Instruction will be by personal appointment following COVID precautions or virtual by Zoom or Google Meetings. A First Instruction in the Billings Ovulation Method will be offered in:

Little Falls: Tuesday, September 7 & October 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Long Prairie: Monday, September 27 & October 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Rice: Monday, September 13 & October 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Sauk Centre: Monday, September 20 & October 18 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Cloud: Monday, September 20 & Thursday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Michael: Tuesday, September 7 & October 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Wadena: Friday, September 24 & October 22 at 5:30 p.m.

For additional sites, information or to register, visit www.stcdio.org/natural-family-planning/ or contact Sheila Reineke at [email protected] or (320) 258-7609

October 2 – Honoring Marriage Day, Saturday – Held at St. Mary’s in Melrose. This event is for couples celebrating their 5th, 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th and 60-plus anniversaries in 2021. Invitations have been mailed.

October 3 – Respect Life Sunday – A link to Respect Life Month materials is currently available on our website at https://stcdio.org/respect-life/. If you have any questions, please contact Patrick Flynn at (320) 258-7619.

October 8-10 – World Wide Marriage Encounter – Held in Buffalo, MN at Christ the King Retreat Center. Looking for a way to increase the love and romance in your marriage? Do you need time just for the two of you? A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend Experience may be the answer! Instead of simply listening to lectures about how to improve your marriage, you will actually learn a practical communication technique and have an opportunity to rediscover your hopes and dreams for your marriage. Find more information at www.wwme.org or call Brent & Tracy Chessen at (612) 756-8720.

October 9 – 2nd Marriage Course, Saturday – Held in St. Cloud at the Pastoral Center from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Second Marriage Preparation Course is for couples preparing to marry after the death of a spouse or an annulment (https://stcdio.org/tribunal/annulments/annulment.) Marriage preparation must be completed at least three months before the date of the wedding celebration. It is recommended you complete the course well in advance (six months or more). Many couples take the course one year before their wedding. For more information, visit https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/.

October 15-17 – World Wide Marriage Encounter – Held in Owatonna, MN. Even when a marriage is going smoothly, there are always opportunities to make it work better. The Marriage Encounter experience is a heart haven that helps you listen, share and connect more deeply. There is no group discussion. It is just about the two of you learning to be the best, most loving and thriving couple you can be. Find more information at www.wwme.org or call Miki Schultz at (507) 227-8229.

October 30 – Engaged Couples Retreat, Saturday – Location: Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Rockville, MN from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Visit our website for more details or call the office with questions at (320) 252-4721. For more information, visit https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/.

November 13 – Spanish Speaking Engaged Couples Retreat, Saturday – Held in St. Cloud at the Pastoral Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Couples should register at least two weeks before the course (October 31) and include the $110 registration fee per couple. For more information, contact the Office of Marriage & Family at (320) 252-4721 or visit https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/.

December 4 – Engaged Couples Retreat, Saturday – Location: Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Rockville, MN from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. See our website for more details or call the office with questions at (320) 252-4721. For more information, visit https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/.

Elizabeth Neville Brown ♦ (320) 251-1100

We are excited to come and visit you in your parishes, schools, faith formation and youth ministry programs this year if you would please have us! Let us come and share mission experiences, mission connections, mission stories, Catholic social teachings with you and your community/ies. Please contact us at the Mission Office at (320) 251-1100 or [email protected] and [email protected].

World Mission Sunday will be celebrated throughout the month of October as we promote the ministry of all of our missioners, our mission relationships and your call to missionary discipleship. Please watch for your WMS promotional and educational packets coming in the mail as well as in email in the next couple of weeks.

Brenda Kresky ♦ (320) 251-2340

Reminder: July Mass counts are due. October is another Mass count month. These counts are crucial for complete parish profiles and noticing trends. We are especially keeping track and comparing these numbers to 2019. We will share percentages later in the year.

Linda Kaiser ♦ (320) 251-2340

September marks the beginning of a new school year and a new faith formation year. September also marks the beginning of fall and the changes in the color of the trees. This year the color changes have happened earlier than usual. Changes also are happening in parishes and schools. That being said, I have discovered my lofty dreams don’t always work. I have been working diligently to try to get each school and each faith formation program access to the new safe environment curriculum this year. Changes in personnel in the parishes and schools makes updating the database really important. We want to make sure the right people receive the right information.

Please bear with me as I work to have curriculum to each parish and school soon. The same goes for training of site administrators. Thank you to all the parishes and schools that have sent in the information I have requested.

May the start of the new catechetical year be filled with rich blessings!

Kateri Mancini ♦ (320) 229-6020

September 18/19 – Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Collection – Just a reminder that the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development will take place in our diocese the weekend of September 18/19. CCHD is the anti-poverty initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and has been supporting organizations working to end cycles of poverty and support leadership development among low-income and marginalized community members of dioceses across the country, including the St. Cloud Diocese, for the last 50 years! Envelopes should be included in parish packets. Additional resources, including bulletin announcements and social media materials, can be found online at: https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-campaign-human-development/2021-catholic-campaign-human-development-collection Below is a sample announcement to share in parishes prior to and on the collection weekend. Thank you in advance for helping us encourage the faithful of the diocese to support their neighbors living in poverty through this important campaign! I am also excited to invite all our priests and deacons to a special 50th Anniversary reception in gratitude for your support of CCHD over the years, to take place during the Clergy Conference at Arrowood in October; watch your mail for more info to come!

Please share the following information in your parises the weeks leading up to the CCHD collection on September 18/19:

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the anti-poverty arm of the U.S. Catholic Church. Did you know that the U.S. has the fourth highest poverty rate, despite being the largest economy in the world? Our diocese will take up a special collection the weekend of September 18/19 to support the bishops’ important work of fighting against poverty and helping our nearly 40 million U.S. neighbors living below the poverty line. Twenty-five percent of funds collected are used for local grants to groups working with those in poverty directly here in our diocese, and all funds collected support further grant possibilities and efforts for our low-income and marginalized neighbors near and far. Please prayerfully consider how you can support the CCHD collection on September 18/19. Note: Please also indicate in the announcement for your parish where parishioners can find their special collection envelopes (ie. in envelope packets, with bulletins, in the back of church, in the pews, or donate directly to the parish office or Chancery)

September 25 – Parish Social Ministry Gathering – Please share the following information in your parishes prior to the September 25 event:

It’s time to mark your calendars and register now for the annual Parish Social Ministry Gathering on Saturday, September 25 at Christ Our Light Parish in Princeton/Zimmerman. This year’s gathering will offer a retreat-like day of talks, prayer and reflection around “Journeying towards Hope and Healing.” This event will be particularly useful for pastoral staff, parish social ministry group members, parish nurses and others interested in service or social justice ministries. Join us for keynote presenter Geralyn Nathe-Evans and interactive session with Social Concerns staff and other diocesan parishioners; lunch will be provided. Registration materials, including schedule, are available through the Social Concerns website: https://www.ccstcloud.org/services/social-concerns or by contacting Kateri at [email protected] or (320) 229-6020.

Fr. Virgil Helmin ♦ (320) 251-6557

The work of the Tribunal has continued throughout these months – but with the inability to meet in person with clients we have made several adjustments to meet the needs of the people. In this process the staff has chosen to make some adjustments to the annulment process.

The adjustments are as follows:

A petitioner can fill out the necessary forms found on our diocesan website under the Tribunal office at www.stcdio.org/tribunal/annulments/annulment-forms/.

The documents required are the same for each annulment process and are:

baptismal certificates for both principals;
marriage certificate
divorce decree.

For the formal annulment process, the petitioner can submit the completed form (Formal Petition (PDF) or Formal Petition (DOC)) and a narrative –or– participate in a telephone interview –or– appear in person at the Tribunal Office for a scheduled appointment.

In the formal process, hearing the witnesses will not have to be in person at the Tribunal. The witnesses will be contacted by phone and the petitioner will assure the availability of the witnesses for a phone interview at a time designated by the Tribunal.

If you are uncertain about the annulment process or any have other questions, you can contact the Tribunal Office at (320) 251-6557 or email [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].

Fr. Doug Liebsch ♦ (320) 251-5001

Totus Tuus – The Totus Tuus, Summer Catechetical Youth Program, ended July 24. This is the fifth summer Totus Tuus was held in our diocese. Thank you for your participation is this awesome program! We look forward to taking reservations beginning in October for the 2022 summer program.

New Seminarians – Please welcome three new seminarians, Nicholas Daubner from St. Louis Bertrand, Foreston; Paul Guertin from St. Andrew, Elk River; and Jack Massmann from St. Mary Help of Christians, St. Augusta. Jack will begin at Saint John Vianney, in St. Paul, and Nicholas and Paul will be in College 1 at Immaculate Heart of Mary, in Winona. Please pray for all seminarians as they start seminary studies this fall.

Andrew Dinner – The next Andrew Dinner with Bishop Kettler will be Thursday, September 30. Do you have young men in your parish grades 8-12 who have potential for a priestly calling? Fr. Doug would love to hear from you! This simple and powerful night consists of evening prayer and dinner with Bishop Kettler while priests share their vocation story. Young men find it very meaningful and special to have a night with the bishop and priests!

November 7-13 – National Vocation Awareness Week – Pastors and parochial vicars please make a special effort for vocations during National Vocation Awareness Week. If we can help in any way, please contact the Vocation Office at (320) 251-5001.

You will be receiving an e-mail about a 2021 Parish Resource Packet. Please watch for this in the next couple of weeks.

Bethany Tollefson ♦ (320) 251-2700 Ext. 54621

Mark your calendars for some upcoming events that are sure to be engaging!

November 9 – Interactive Grief, Self-Compassion, and Self-Care Workshop

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Windfeldt Room - CentraCare Plaza

The Faith Community Nurses of Central MN Partnership and Health Ministries of Central MN are sponsoring this two-part workshop. The morning (8 am - noon) will be for those who have encountered grief and loss in complicated times such as those of a pandemic. With the disruption of communal gatherings, there has been a sense of loss and grief in many different areas of life ranging from grieving the loss of a loved one to grieving the loss of celebrating together (weddings/birth/etc.) and normalcy. The goal of this workshop is to talk about challenges related to grief and loss during complicated times, allow time to listen to experts on grief and loss, and create spaces to share with others who have experienced grief.

The afternoon session (1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) will focus on spiritual refreshment in the form of an interactive session on self-care and a fascinating presentation on self-compassion. Join for just the morning session or all day. Lunch will be provided.

Presenters: Roxann Storms - Clinical Grief Specialist

Lisa Bershok - St. Cloud Hospital Suicide Prevention Program Manager

Nicole Reuter and Chris Calderone - Hospice Chaplains

Joyce Simones, FCN and Betsy Clark, FCN - Self-Care

Dr. Paul Wenner PhD, LP - Self-Compassion

Cost: TBA

Registration Information: Email [email protected] for more information.

Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Virtual Course – Interested in becoming a Faith Community (Parish) Nurse or know someone who is? Save the dates for the November, 2021 course. Please do not hesitate to email Bethany ([email protected]) with any questions. Scholarships are available.

November 11: 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
November 12: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
November 18: 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
November 19: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Are you a nurse and want to find out more about Faith Community Nursing? Attend our Faith Community Nurse Partnership of Central MN Meeting on September 22 either in person (at the St. Cloud Hospital Conference Center) or online. Let Bethany know you are coming and she will get you additional details - [email protected] or (218) 289-2380.

September 22 – Home and Safety Fair - Whitney Senior Center

Time: 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

FCN Marjorie Henkemeyer is featured in the following article at https://thenewsleaders.com/home-and-safety-fair-at-whitney-oct-21/.