January 2023

MONTHLY DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER

LINKS

January 2023 Serra Calendar (PDF)

**REVISED 2023 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.


 

January 1 ♦ Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God


January 2 ♦ Diocesan offices will be closed for the New Year holiday.


January 14 ♦ ACC Formation Day – The next ACC Pastoral Council Formation Day will be Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Saint John’s University. The topics for the day will include: demographics of each ACC, diocesan synod report, how does discernment play a role in decisions at the ACC level? This is open to all ACC pastoral council members and other interested individuals. Visit https://forms.gle/yu4dsfUUENPwoZpP6 to register for the day.



January 15 ♦ Vespers For Life – This event will be held at St. Francis Xavier, 219 2nd St N, Sartell. Rosary at 3:30 p.m. and Vespers at 4:00 p.m. with Bishop Donald Kettler presiding. The service includes music, prayer, Scripture and reflection for the millions of children who have been aborted since 1973. Monetary donations accepted to Mother Mary’s Fund to assist crisis pregnancy centers in the Diocese of St. Cloud.


January 16 – CliftonStrengths workshop for Catholic school principals – Catholic Education Ministries is pleased to support workshop and retreat opportunities for Catholic educators, grounded in the CliftonStrengths framework. The first of these is an introduction to individual strengths at the Church of Saint Mary, Alexandria. A further opportunity for those who have completed the introduction will take place this Spring, with details yet to be finalized. If you are interested in learning more about CliftonStrengths, please contact David Fremo at dfremo@gw.stcdio.org or Brenda Kresky at bkresky@gw.stcdio.org


January 22 ♦ March For Life – The Diocese of St. Cloud is coordinating buses to St. Paul. Registration required for all buses. Details are posted on our website https://stcdio.org/event/march-for-life-in-st-paul-2023/. Registration link exclusively for the St. Cloud bus is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RLBus2023. 




NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL


BREAD Talks

 

Beginning this month, the diocese’s Eucharistic Revival initiative is hosting “BREAD Talks” in each of the diocese’s five deaneries, each at a different brewery. At each of the events, which are modeled after the popular Ted Talks, local speakers will stand up and give brief testimonies, or “Eucharistic love stories.” Following their sharing, a main speaker will give a longer talk, about 20-30 minutes, on a Eucharistic theme. These are in-person events only.

 

Here is the schedule:

 

• Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m., at The Main Gate, Little Falls, with Father Scott Pogatchnik and special guests

 

Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m., at Sunken Ship Brewing, Princeton, with Matt Kehrer and special guests Joe Molitor and Leah Weinhold 

 

Thursday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m., at Back Shed Brewing, Waite Park, with Laura Kelly Fanucci and special guests Philip Shefveland and Jason Prigge

 

• Sunday, April 16 at 2 p.m., at Thousand Lakes Brewery, Parkers Prairie, with George Jay and special guests (to be announced)

 

• Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m., at Bad Habit Brewing Company, St. Joseph, with Melaine Myklebust and special guests Danny Kremers and Deacon Dan Dullinger

 

For more information about the local efforts of the Eucharistic Revival, visit www.stcdio.org/eucharistic-revival



NOTES FROM THE DIOCESAN OFFICES

David Fremo ♦ (320) 251-0111

 

Catholic School Updates – The new year is marked with renewal in Catholic education. The highlight of this is Catholic Schools Week, January 29 to February 4. Our school communities will celebrate, pray and share their ministry with others. And there is much to celebrate! Our Catholic schools remain strong in enrollment and continued commitment of faith-filled teachers, staff and administrators. How can you support our Catholic schools? Here are three simple ways:

  1. THANK our educators
  2. PRAY for our educational ministry
  3. JOIN our work in any way that you can

Our schools welcome your time and treasure, positive testimonies, prayer requests and more. For more information about Catholic Schools Week, resources are available at https://www.ncea.org/csw/.  


From Christine Pinto, associate director for faith formation – Parish Visits – As of the end of the year, I have made visits to 46 of the parishes in the diocese. If I have not met with your parish staff yet, please call or email me at cpinto@gw.stcdio.org to set up a time for me to come to your parish! I look forward to meeting with each parish before the end of the fiscal year June 30.


January 7 and February 11 – Diocesan Confirmation Retreats – There are two confirmation retreat opportunities remaining for the 2022-2023 year. Both will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Sauk Rapids. Each retreat can host between 40-50 people and there are multiple openings for both so sign up early at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d4caca729a2f49-septemberThis link is for confirmation coordinators. Please do not share with parents or students. Each parish is requested to bring at least 1 adult leader per 8 students. Cost for the retreat is $40.00 per student and $15.00 per adult. If your parish would like to host a diocesanled confirmation retreat, please contact Kent Schmitz Kschmitz@gw.stcdio.org to schedule. 


January 19 – Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Leader Gathering – The Well DATE CHANGE We will be meeting from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart in Sauk Rapids. (Please note the change of date from January 12.) The evening’s topic is Accompanying Young People and Their Parents/Family. Please register https://forms.gle/NZZFomw6jsubQouq7 so we can prepare. The evening will be led by Scott Frieler and Melissa Fox.


January 28-29 – The Annual Middle School Youth Rally is being transformed into a Middle School Lock-in. The lock-in is called, “Winter Spectacular,” and is scheduled for Saturday beginning at 7:00 p.m. through Sunday at 6:00 a.m. in St. Cloud. The lock-in includes: Mass, swimming, climbing wall, Ga-Ga Ball, game shows, prayer opportunities, silent disco, great food and much more. More details, promotional and registration materials can be found here: https://stcdio.org/event/middle-school-lock-in/. We need parish leaders to help in specific areas during the lock-in. We will be meeting on Monday, January 9, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sartell - right after the Castaway leader meeting to finalize all the details. I hope you can join us. Feel free to contact Kent at Kschmitz@gw.stcdio.org with any questions.  


March 24-26 – Castaway “Made for More” Retreat – Castaway is an annual 3-day retreat for high school students. “Made for More” is this year’s theme. Our first large group planning meeting for parish leaders is on Monday, January 9 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sartell. Be sure to save the dates and follow this link to register your parishes: https://forms.gle/tiwFh2CpbD8WgRsd9. Watch the event on the diocesan website for more information at https://stcdio.org/event/castaway-2023/.


 

Joe Towalski ♦ (320) 258-7624


Bishop-elect Patrick Neary – For information and educational resources about Bishop-elect Neary and the latest updates regarding his episcopal ordination Mass Feb. 14 and vespers the night before (including livestream links when available), visit www.stcdio.org/our-bishops/new-bishop. The page includes a recording of his Dec. 15 press conference. Updates also will be provided in the magazine’s February issue and in the Monday Morning Update e-newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, visit https://bit.ly/3A56hQA


2023 Bishop’s Annual Appeal – Due to Bishop-elect Neary’s ordination Feb. 14, the announcement and commitment weekends of the 2023 Bishop’s Annual Appeal are being moved from mid-February to later dates. The new dates are:

 

  • Feb. 25-26 (announcement weekend)
  • March 4-5 (commitment weekend)

 

You will receive more information soon. If you have any questions, please contact Anna Kampa (akampa@gw.stcdio.org; 320-258-7654) or Joe Towalski (jtowalski@gw.stcdio.org; 320-258-7624). 


2022 Bishop's Annual Appeal – As of December 19, the Appeal for 2022 has raised total cash and pledges of $1,375,161 toward our goal of $1,400,000 (98.23%). This was made possible through the generous donations of 7,851 people throughout the 16 counties of our diocese. Thank you for your support of diocesan ministries!



Deacon Richard Scheierl ♦ (320) 203-0554


Institution of Reader – The Institution of Reader will be held on Tuesday, January 24 at the Cathedral of St. Mary at 7 p.m. The following candidates will receive this institution Julio Tena, Kenton Yoder, and Luke Walkman. Please keep these men in your prayers. All are welcome to attend.

 

Diaconate Discernment – If you know of any men, or if you are one, interested in learning more about the permanent diaconate, please contact Deacon Richard Scheierl at richard.scheierl@gw.stcdio.org or (320) 203-0554. 

 

2023 Diaconate Events:

  • Permanent Diaconate Ordination: Saturday, June 10 at the Cathedral of St. Mary at 10:30 a.m.


Bethany Tollefsen ♦ (320) 251-2700 Ext. 51637


January 13 – Mental Health First Aid for Faith Communities Virtual Class – This class will be held from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The following is a link to the flier: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16UiHce2QkmGo5IUThZIAUhaP8oAu2Rhj/view?usp=share_link 


LEARN HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS…


Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You’ll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support.


After the course, you will be able to:

  • Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges.
  • Recognize common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.
  • Understand how to interact with a person in crisis.
  • Know how to connect a person with help.
  • Use self-care tools and techniques.


Contact: bethany.tollefson@centracare.com to register.



Bailey Ziegler ♦ (320) 258-7655


New Minnesota Minimum Wage for 2023 – Minnesota's minimum-wage rates will be adjusted for inflation Jan. 1, 2023, to $10.59 an hour for large employers and $8.63 an hour for other state minimum wages. For more information please visit: https://www.dli.mn.gov/minwage


Workplace Posters – Please be sure to update your labor employment posters. You can order them from a variety of vendors (who I’m sure have solicited their business to you,) or print for free from:



Patrick Flynn ♦ (320) 251-4721


Natural Family Planning Instruction for January & February 2023

A First Instruction in the Billings Ovulation Method will be offered in:

• Alexandria: Monday, January 16 & February 20 at 6:30 p.m.

• Little Falls: Tuesday, January 3 & February 7 at 7:30 p.m.

• Long Prairie: Monday, January 23 & February 27 at 7:00 p.m. 

• Rice: Monday, January 2 & February 6 at 6:30 p.m.

• Sauk Centre: Thursday, January 19 & February 16 at 6:30 p.m.

• St. Cloud: Monday, January 23 & February 20 at 6:30 p.m.

• St. Michael: Tuesday, January 3 & February 7 at 6:00 p.m.

• Wadena: Friday, January 27 & February 24 at 5:30 p.m.

For additional sites, information or to register, visit www.stcdio.org/omf/nfp or contact Sheila Reineke sreineke@gw.stcdio.org at (320) 252-4721 ext. 308.


January 7 – Engaged Couples Retreat, Saturday – This event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. For more information, visit the website at https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/ or call the Office of Marriage and Family with questions at (320) 258-7615. 


January 28 & April 22 – Sponsor Couple Training – This event will be held at the Pastoral Center in St. Cloud from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please register couples by January 13 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCTraining2023

If you have any questions, please contact Jan Zylla at jzylla@gw.stcdio.org or (320) 258-7615. Your parish will be billed $125 per couple for the cost of training (which includes Fully Engaged supplies).


February 3-5 – Retrouvaille weekend This event will be held in the Twin Cities area. Retrouvaille Marriage Help: Thinking about Separation or Divorce? Hurting? Angry? Feel helpless? Retrouvaille is a lifeline for troubled marriages. Couples learn the tools to rediscover each other and heal their marriage. 100% confidential. Contact TCRRegistration@tcr-mn.org with questions. Find out more information and register at http://www.helpourmarriage.org


February 11 – Engaged Couples Retreat – This event will be held at Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Rockville. For more information, visit the website at https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/ or call the Office of Marriage and Family with questions at (320) 258-7615. 


Feb 22 - April 2 – 40 Days For Life-St Cloud –The prayer vigil takes place on the public sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood at 451 East St Germain in St. Cloud daily on Mon.-Fri. from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. The Opening Rally begins on Sat., Feb. 25 from 10 a.m.-noon and the Ending Rally is on Sat., April 1 from 10 a.m.-noon. Both rallies will start on the Planned Parenthood sidewalk and proceed to St.Augustine’s for a program, pizza & sharing..


February 25 – Honoring Latino Marriage Day – This event will be held at Our Lady of Angels in Sauk Centre at 1:00 p.m. This event is for all Latino couples who have received the sacrament of marriage. Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C. will celebrate Mass with the couples and their guests and offer a blessing to the couples. Invitations are being distributed to parishes. RSVPs requested by February 1 to Mayuli Bales at mbales@gw.stcdio.org or at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LatinoHonrandoMatrimonios.

 

March 18 – Spanish-Speaking Marriage Course – This event will be held in St. Cloud at the Pastoral Center from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Couples should register at least two weeks before the course and include the $110 registration fee per couple. For more information, contact Patrick at pflynn@gw.stcdio.org or (320) 258-7619 or register at https://stcdio.org/engaged-couple-marriage-preparation/.


March 24-26 – Beginning Experience of Central MN – This event will be held at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria. This is a weekend program for divorced, widowed, or separated adults designed to facilitate the grief resolution process for adults thereby freeing people to live and love themselves, others and God. Individuals attending the weekend should be beyond the initial feelings of anger and despair. For further information or to receive an application, please call (320) 319-8863. Visit http://www.beginningexperiencemn.com.

 

March 25 – Second Marriage Course – This event will be 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/.) 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/.


April 12 – Made for More: A Vision of the Promised Land – This event will be held at the Sauk Centre High School Auditorium from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sponsored by Our Lady of Angels/St. Paul Catholic churches. Ninth graders and older are invited to attend. Cost is $25/person. Where do we come from and where are we going? These questions are DECISIVE for understanding what it means to be human and how to orient our lives and our actions toward authentic fulfillment. Join Christopher West and Mike Mangione as they creatively weave together dynamic presentations with live music, movie clips, YouTube videos, and sacred art for an evening of beauty and reflection on the meaning of life, love, and human destiny. You will come away with a faith-filled vision of hope that will instill in you the sheer wonder and joy of being alive. Get more details and purchase tickets at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/made-for-more-sauk-centre-mn-tickets-449811938617?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete&_gl=1*nfiqs0*_up*MQ..&gclid=999cd99293f9127d0a88ba02653ef188&gclsrc=3p.ds


May 6 – Honoring Marriage Day – This event will be held at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud at 1:00 p.m. for couples celebrating their 5th, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th or 60-plus anniversaries in 2023.  

Parishes are asked to send names and addresses of parishioners celebrating these milestone anniversaries via mail to the Office of Marriage & Family, 305 7th Avenue North, Suite 100, Saint Cloud, MN  56303 or email to Jan at jzylla@gw.stcdio.org or fax (320) 258-7658 or online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HMD2023 by February 1. Invitations will be sent to the celebrating couples.



Elizabeth Neville Brown ♦ (320) 251-1100


Thank you to all who visited the Mission Office during December for our Advent and Christmas Fair Trade sale. We greatly appreciate you shopping small business and fair trade for your family and friends!


Please remember to send in your funds from the World Mission Sunday collection last October. We need to report and send in the collection to the the national office by the end of January.



Brenda Kresky ♦ (320) 251-2340


Mass counts There are still a few parishes that have not submitted October Mass counts. Here is the link to submit them: https://forms.gle/yxmpnLGSV3sjvDTj8. We use these numbers to update parish profiles every year, and they help our planning for the future.

 

ACC Care Teams Teams will be visiting ACC pastoral councils in the next few months. If you know who comprises your Diocesan Care Team, please send them an invite to an upcoming meeting. 



Linda Kaiser ♦ (320) 251-2340


January is the beginning of a new year. Please take a little time to look over the volunteers in your parish and schools to make sure they are still volunteering and up to date on training and background checks. Remember to make sure your parish or school is completing safe environment training for children and adults. Have a blessed New Year.


Kateri Mancini ♦ (320) 229-6020


Food and Farm Worker Relief Grants – Our Catholic Charities has been chosen as one of the sub-grantee organizations around the country that will help Catholic Charities USA distribute Covid relief dollars specified for food and farm workers who were impacted by their need to work on-site throughout the pandemic; these dollars are specifically for “hired workers in farming activities, meatpacking or grocery store work; beneficiaries across these worker types [are expected to be] frontline workers, and not those working in management positions.”  We are finalizing the application process for workers in our diocese to request these funds, and anticipate being able to start taking applications in early 2023. If you know of workers that you believe qualify, please encourage them to reach out to our community organizer: Laurie.Robles@ccstcloud.org.


Poverty Awareness Month – January is Poverty Awareness Month. Learn more about poverty and our Catholic call to combat it at the USCCB website: https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-campaign-human-development/poverty-awareness-month or check out www.povertyusa.org. Contact Social Concerns if you would like a speaker or resources as you and your faith community are exploring poverty and the social teachings in January.  


Catholic Social Ministry Gathering – The annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering will take place Saturday, January 28 - Tuesday, January 31. This year’s conference is back to in-person in Washington, DC. Due to the Eucharistic Congress in 2024, there will not be a CSMG next year; so if you are interested in participating in this fantastic conference that combines networking and formation with others from dioceses across the country, as well as hands-on advocacy at the nation’s capital with your fellow Minnesota delegates, now is the time or you won’t get to for another two years! To learn more, including the conference speakers and schedule, or to register, visit: https://web.cvent.com/event/698bf8ff-edc5-4c0d-b14a-4817a0277116/summary.



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:


  • The documents required are the same for each annulment process and are:
  1. baptismal certificates for both principals;
  2. marriage certificate
  3. 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 vhelmin@gw.stcdio.orgtwyburn@gw.stcdio.orgmcrane@gw.stcdio.org or kmollner@gw.stcdio.org.


Fr. Doug Liebsch ♦ (320) 251-5001



Totus Tuus – The 2023 Totus Tuus Summer Catechetical Youth Program has one more spot open for another ACC/parish. The open dates are July 23 through August 4. If interested in having Totus Tuus in your area, please contact the Vocation Office at (320) 251-5001 or email jjacobs@gw.stcdio.org for more information. 

 

Totus Tuus Leaders Needed – We are looking for college students who are ready to take their faith to the next level. How about inviting them to apply to be a Totus Tuus team member? Totus Tuus offers them an intense summer of growing in their faith and sharing it with the younger generation. Application deadline is March 15. There’s more information at https://stcdio.org/vocations/totus-tuus/leaders/.

 

February 9 – Andrew Dinner – The next Andrew Dinner will be held at the Marmion House. Do you have young men in your parish grades 9-12 who have potential for a priestly calling? Fr. Doug would love to hear from you! This simple and powerful evening consists of evening prayer and dinner with the bishop while priests share their vocation story. Young men find it very meaningful and special to have a night with the bishop and priests! Pastors are encouraged to join their young men. Fr. Doug can be reached at dougliebsch@gmail.com or (320) 533-0291.

 

Seminary Visits – Our next “Vianney Visit” to Saint John Vianney Seminary will be February 16-18. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary is March 18-20. Do you have men seriously thinking about priesthood? Men ages 16 and up are invited to join these impactful days with seminarians to engage in daily Mass, adoration, discernment talks, visits to a classroom, listening to seminarians, open gym, and a night out with the seminarians of St. Cloud! When men meet real seminarians all the stereotypes break down! It is a game-changer for their ongoing discernment. Please contact Fr. Doug at the Vocation Office at (320) 251-5001.


2023 Vocation Events:

  • April 30 – Shepherd is Calling in Burtrum

Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023ShepherdisCalling

  • June 20–22 Vocation Camp in Avon

Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023VocationCamp

  • August 19 – Paschal Challenge in Sauk Centre

Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023PaschalChallenge



Sr. Jeanne Wiest, O.P. ♦ (320) 255-9068


TV Mass Musicians and Presiders Needed – The new TV Mass taping schedule and sign-up is available on the TV Mass website at https://www.stcdio.org/worship/tv-mass/. Please review the dates and sign up for any that work for your schedule. Contact Jeanne in the Worship Office if you have questions: (320) 251-9068.


February 26 – Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion – All catechumens, as a part of their faith journey to the Easter sacraments at the Easter Vigil in 2023, must be present at the Rite of Election on Sunday, February 26. The Church has gifted us with this wonderful rite, and we are called to celebrate it to its fullest. If for a serious pastoral reason, a catechumen is unable to participate in this liturgy, you must contact the Office of Worship to discuss the options available. Candidates already one with us in baptism, are strongly encouraged to participate in this liturgy. Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/riteofelection. Please complete the registration by February 17.


Upcoming Dates

  • Feb. 26 – RCIA: Rite of Election
  • March 30 – Chrism Mass



Happy Birthday to our Retired Priests


Reverend William Vos will celebrate his 85th birthday on January 5.

1664 Payton Court NE

Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

Telephone: (320) 217-2910

Email: wavos@charter.net


Reverend Geno Doyle will celebrate his 73rd birthday on January 7.

6205 19th Street N.

St. Cloud, MN 55303

Telephone: (320) 493-1012

Email: eoghand@aol.com


Reverend Gerald Mischke will celebrate his 85th birthday on January 8.

308 Third Street S., Apt. 106

Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

Telephone: (320) 232-0794

Email: frmischke38@gmail.com




Diocese of Saint Cloud Chancery and Pastoral Center

(320) 251-2340 • (320) 258-7600

www.stcdio.org

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