ST. JA M E S
ST. ANDRE W
ST. J OS E PH
Holy Family Area CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
MEET THE SCHWEGEL FAMILY:
Livin g th e Fa i th Da i l y a n d Tru s t i n g i n G o d To ge th er
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s St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Do small things with great love.” It’s a simple but profound idea — none of us needs to do anything huge, unique, or life-changing. We just need to do all things, even the small ones, with love. Preston and Teresa Schwegel try to model this for their children through prayer. While it may not be possible to pray multiple rosaries each day or attend daily Mass, we can lovingly give our Lord moments throughout our days. For a busy family like the Schwegels, this is a great plan. Teresa and Preston try to spend time during their busy days praying with their five children — whether it’s on the drive to work, during childcare and school, around the dinner table, or in a few moments before bed. They believe modeling this for the past 10-plus years is having an impact. “Our kids see the need for prayers with loved ones who are struggling with cancer or the lonely and those that have asked for extra prayers,” Teresa says. “This reminds them how blessed we are.” Preston and Teresa have a busy home as they raise Carver, 11; Drake, 9; Jax, 7; Breeze, 5; and Bexlee, 3. Preston is a physical education teacher, coach, and bus driver, and Teresa is in Office Operations at the Dawson Co-Op Credit Union. Teresa loves the Morning Offering Prayer and has
Teresa and Preston Schwegel are parents to Carver, 11; Drake, 9; Jax, 7; Breeze, 5; and Bexlee, 3.
tried to make praying it a habit. “Our life can be chaotic,” she says. “A lot of times, we are in a hurry, rushing to get out the door. We have about a 10-minute drive to town. This is a great time to say the prayer out loud together. “ Teresa and Preston love to spend time outside as a family. They have four hunting dogs, and the kids love to
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HOW CAN WE MODEL THE FAITH FOR OUR CHILDREN?
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he Church has made it clear that parents are primarily responsible for the spiritual and cognitive development of their children in matters of the faith. As the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Lumen Gentium, states, “Husbands and wives find their proper vocation in being witnesses of the faith and love of Christ to one another and to their children” (Chapter 4, Section 35). The Catechism of the Catholic Church further emphasizes this vocation, by pointing out that the moral education and spiritual formation of children is not only the right, but the responsibility, of their parents: “The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable... Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” (CCC 2221, 2223). But how can we as parents create an environment in the home conducive to spiritual and moral development? As busy adults, how are we to disseminate the knowledge and understanding of the tenets of the faith to our children in the way that a trained and experienced catechist can? How do we pass on our Catholic Faith to our kids in a way that will stick? The answer to all of these questions is stewardship. Indeed, it is important that we reinforce the lessons that our children learn in Faith Formation classes by talking to them about the faith, reading Sacred Scripture with them, and spending time in family prayer. And there are several authoritative resources online that can help parents in this task, including Catholic Parents Online at www.catholicparents.org. This website links parents to numerous other websites and documents that can help them in talking to their children about the faith. But the best way that we can teach our children is by serving as a living example to them of how to live as disciples of Christ. If we want our children to grow up as strong Catholics and to display a lifelong commitment to their faith, then it is important that we ourselves live a committed faith life. This includes an ongoing commitment to our own faith formation as adults and active participation in the sacraments. It also includes the giving back of our time, talent, and treasure in service of our community in thanksgiving
for the gifts that God has given us. Parenting can be a tough vocation, and children deal with many influences in their lives that exist in stark contrast to the values that their parents often hope to instill within them. Fortunately for parents, the stewardship way of life provides a simple and effective model for teaching our children in matters of the faith. By living as stewards of God’s gifts and reaping the spiritual rewards that accompany this lifestyle, we are tangibly showing our children that sharing of our gifts and talents leads to a life of happiness and spiritual fulfillment. In doing this, we give them a good opportunity to follow in our footsteps and make their faith a top priority for the rest of their lives.
A Letter From Our Pastor
THE WORD OF GOD:
How Do We Hear It? And How Do We Respond to It? My Dear Friends in Christ,
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few short weeks ago, we completed our Christmas season. We are now in what we call Ordinary Time — but before long, we will begin Lent. This is one of those rare years when Ash Wednesday is in March — so, Lent does not, of course, begin in February this year. The Gospel of John begins with the statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We speak often of the Word in the Church. As most of you are aware, the first part of our Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. What does that mean to us? Basically, there are four parts of our celebration of Mass: Introductory Rites; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist; and Concluding Rites. My focus in this reflection is that second part — the Liturgy of the Word. The main parts of that are a First Reading, a Responsorial Psalm, a Second Reading, the Gospel, and a Homily. We draw on Holy Scripture from the Bible for the readings. As Catholics, we do not consider that these readings are primarily about God, or about the Church, or about our faith, or a history lesson, or a nice story from long ago. We consider them to be God speaking directly to us. Thus, our attentiveness to what is being proclaimed is important. Are we listening? Do we hear? And then, how do we respond in our daily lives? All of those should be facets of how we approach the Word of God.
For us, the Word of God is the living Word. God is speaking to us as a community, and He asks us to be faithful to His Word. If we pay attention and truly listen, God can nourish our spirit, and Christ can be more real and present to us. The Homily, the Profession of Faith, and the Intercessions develop the Word further and complete it. The Profession of Faith is our acceptance of God’s Word. However, the question for us is, how do we respond to the Word? Does it change our lives? Does it bring us to the conversion necessary to live lives of stewardship and service? It is not easy, I know. Being able to listen, to hear, and then to act requires time, practice, commitment, and a desire to fulfill all of this. That is one of my prayers for us — that we can hear the Word, and that we can bring it to life in our own lives and in the lives of others. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Paul Timmerman, Pastor
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Sister Cecilia:
EMBRACING THE TREMENDOUS
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hen Sister Cecilia was growing up, God had His loving, caring hand on her, making sure her heart and soul were prepared for the great mission He had destined for her life. “The seeds of the faith were planted in my heart, especially through my family,” Sr. Cecilia says. “I grew up on a farm, and the peace and quiet of living there allowed a contemplative spirit to develop in me from a young age. My parents were very beautiful witnesses of Christian virtue and love, as well. We went to St. Joseph’s Parish, and they faithfully brought us to Mass each Sunday.” Amazingly, the saints held her in their hearts as well, especially St. Cecilia. “I started singing in the choir for Mass in eighth grade, which really helped me to recognize my love for
music and my desire to praise the Lord in a deeper way,” she says. “St. Cecilia was my Confirmation saint. It is so beautiful to see that she chose me way back then, and now her name is my religious name. I since have grown in my friendship with her and come to appreciate her purity of heart and love for the Lord.” By embracing the sacramental graces God had in store for her, she was able to discern God’s will for her life in all of its fullness. “When I was preparing to be confirmed, I studied on my own and learned a lot about the Catholic faith and various Church teachings,” she says. “This propelled me to continue to seek out my faith, especially when I was attending the University of Minnesota. There, I was involved with St. Paul’s Outreach, and I lived in a household with other Catholic
Sr. Cecilia In 2018, Sr. Cecilia took a courageous leap of faith and entered the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in New Ulm.
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For further information about this beautiful religious order, please visit handmaidsoftheheartofjesus.org/.
JOY OF FOLLOWING OUR LORD women and missionaries. It was a very formative time for me. Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus would come occasionally to the University of Minnesota for different events and even come to our house to give us spiritual direction.” In 2018, Sr. Cecilia took a courageous leap of faith and entered the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in New Ulm. “Our religious order is Marian, diocesan, Eucharistic and contemplative,” Sr. Cecilia says. “Our life is centered around prayer, especially two daily Eucharistic Holy Hours. The center of our missionary activity is the parish, where we serve as spiritual mothers in order to help it to be a true family of faith. We serve each parish according to its particular needs — primarily in its catechetical, liturgical and familial life.”
Thanks to God’s grace, Sr. Cecilia made her first religious vows this past August. Looking back, she can’t help but marvel at His providence and tender mercy. “Being a nun has been such a great gift!” she says. “It has been wonderful to see how the Lord knows me better than I know myself. He also understands my desires even more than I do, and He has been fulfilling them in the convent. For example, He gave the desire of having a family to my heart. Although it has been a big sacrifice to give it up, it is amazing how the Lord has provided for me one-hundred fold, by allowing me to see my sisters and the Church as my family, with priests being our spiritual fathers and the parishioners as my spiritual children. It has been wonderful to pour out my heart for them and to love them.”
For further information about this beautiful religious order, please visit handmaidsoftheheartofjesus.org/. For vocations inquiries, please email handmaidvocation@gmail.com or call 507-766-4570.
Don’t Forget to Return Your Commitment Card! Please remember to turn in your commitment cards to the parish as soon as possible. We appreciate your willingness to participate in this year’s Stewardship Renewal. The more we grow to embrace and understand the stewardship way of life, the more our parish will flourish and grow! 5 5
VALENTINE’S DAY
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The Feast of a Christian Mart yr
andy, flowers, romantic dinners, and excuses for wooing are the common traditions we associate with the once-pagan holiday known as Valentine’s Day. Dangling cupids, candy “message” hearts, and faux long-stemmed roses clutter every card store, waiting for that last-minute purchase. The question is — how did this over-commercialized holiday really begin?
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There are a few stories surrounding the history of Feb. 14 and St. Valentine himself, all dating back to the Roman Empire. The 14th day of February was a day set aside to honor the goddess Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. The following day, Feb. 15, began the feast of Lupercalia — a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. As part of the festival traditions, there was a name drawing among the young people. The names of young Roman women were written on slips of paper and placed into a jar. Each young man would draw a young woman’s name from the jar, and the two would be partners for the duration of the festival. Sometimes the pairing lasted an entire year, and often, the couple would fall in love and later marry. At the time, Emperor Claudius II was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns, and he was having a difficult time recruiting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that soldiers were reluctant to join because they did not want to leave their loves or families. With this in mind, Claudius decreed all marriages and engagements canceled in Rome. During this time, St. Valentine was a priest in Rome, and he and St. Marius secretly married young couples. For this, St. Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who sentenced him to be beaten and then executed by beheading. He suffered this martyrdom on Feb. 14, around the year 270 AD. Before his death, it is said that St. Valentine left a note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.” Although the truth behind the St. Valentine’s legend is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. It is no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. Over time, Feb. 14 became a time for lovers to exchange sweet messages, making St. Valentine the patron saint of lovers. The date was often commemorated with the sending of poems and simple gifts. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that Feb. 14 was the beginning of the avian mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine’s Day — should be a day for romance.
M E E T PA R I S H I O N E R S
BOB AND DONNA GEIER
Supporting One Another, Sharing a Life of Faith and Ser vice
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hat were you doing on Nov. 3, 1962? Many of us likely were not born yet! But for St. Andrew parishioners Bob and Donna Geier, it was one of the most exciting days of their lives — their wedding day. “We’ve been married for over 59 years — Nov. 3 was our anniversary,” Donna says. “Our relationship began by attending Tuesday evenings at the church to pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Bob showed up one night and kept coming, and that was the beginning of our relationship.” Each marriage is different, filled with various joys and tribulations. For Bob and Donna, the birth of their three children — Christine, Donald, and Steven, now grown — rank among some of the happiest days of their lives. One of the greatest hardships the couple has overcome in their relationship is addiction. “I am an alcoholic,” Bob says. “I’ve been sober for 27 years. Through the experience of going to AA, I met some really great people, but it was prayer that got me through.” Donna says that prayer and community were what brought her through the lows of Bob’s alcoholism. She encourages anyone dealing with a similar situation to reach out for help — there are support groups for loved ones of people in Alcoholics Anonymous. Even through these trials, the Geiers made communication a priority in their marriage. They also consult each other before any major financial decision out of respect. “We know that line of communication is always open so we can discuss things before we jump into it,” Donna says. “The first argument couples have is normally about finances — it’s important to have serious conversations about money and how you will spend it as a couple before you get married.” Although their volunteering days might look different now because of COVID-19, Bob and Donna
Bob and Donna Geier have been married for over 59 years.
have taken on many volunteering and leadership roles within the St. Andrew community. Over the years, they sang in the choir, ushered, participated in the Council of Catholic Women, and served as a Third Degree Knight of Columbus. These two make it a priority to volunteer whenever possible, serving neighbors and the greater St. Andrew community as a whole. “In retirement, we try to make the time to volunteer as we are able,” Donna says. “This winter, Bob helped a neighbor with clearing her driveway and I had the opportunity to go Christmas caroling at a senior center. These moments of service may seem small and insignificant, but it’s such a blessing to still have your health at this age, so we want to do something good with it.”
“In retirement, we try to make the time to volunteer as we are able. This winter, Bob helped a neighbor with clearing her driveway and I had the opportunity to go Christmas caroling at a senior center. These moments of service may seem small and insignificant, but it’s such a blessing to still have your health at this age, so we want to do something good with it.” — DONNA GEIER
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512 Black Oak Ave. Montevideo, MN 56265
www.holyfamilyarea.org
MASS TIMES: Sunday 8:30 a.m. — St. James, Dawson 10:30 a.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo Tuesday 5 p.m. - St. Andrew, Granite Falls Wednesday 5 p.m. — St. James, Dawson
Thursday 5:30 p.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo Friday 10 a.m. — St. Andrew, Granite Falls
Saturday 5 p.m. — St. Andrew, Granite Falls 7:00 p.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo in Spanish
CONFESSION TIMES: 30 minutes before daily Mass Sunday 8 a.m. — St. James, Dawson
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Saturday 9:30 - 10 a.m. — St. Joseph, Montevideo 4:15 - 4:50 p.m. — St. Andrew, Granite Falls
MEET THE SCHWEGEL FAMILY continued from front cover climb trees and build forts. Preston also coaches various sports for each of the boys. “We find such a spiritual benefit in being outdoors, in the boat or the deer stand,” Teresa says. “There are a lot of benefits to being outside.” Teresa grew up near Mayville, N.D., where her father serves as a deacon, and Preston grew up in Backus. Both were raised Catholic, and it brings them so much joy to be raising their children in the Catholic Church. “It’s so rewarding to show our children the truths of the Church,” Teresa says. “It made us proud when the two oldest recently asked to go to Confession. It’s meaningful that they know God can help them through things.” Teresa helps with Vacation Bible School and previously taught adult faith formation classes on Theology of the Body. She knows life can be challenging, especially for today’s youth. There are so many pressures and temptations in the world. So, it’s important for Teresa and Preston to teach that faith is an antidote to those pressures. “Anxieties are so high, but we tell the kids we need to offer them to God,” Teresa says. “Let Him be in control. When you get stressed out, offer it to God.”
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