Little Falls Catholic Community Newsletter — February 2022

Little Falls

Catholic Community

The Called and Gifted Retreat

Discerning Our Spiritual Gifts to Do God’s Will

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iscerning our spiritual gifts helps us to understand God’s plan for us. While some gifts may be obvious, others take more time and effort to discover. Laurie Gold learned during her Called and Gifted interview that she has a charism of teaching, which she has used as a facilitator for Bible studies for women of the parish. She also began taking classes on spirituality, which led to her becoming a spiritual director.

“I have learned more about myself in the process than I could in any other way in my life,” Laurie says.

Laurie and her husband, Mike, spearheaded the earlier retreat that hosted 180 attendees. On Feb. 26, 2022, the Stewardship Committee of the Tri-Parish will offer the Called and Gifted Retreat 2022 at Holy Family Parish Hall.

The Called and Gifted retreat comes from the Catherine of Siena Institute. Participants are given the opportunity to take the “Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory,” wherein they answer

Laurie and Mike Gold are the organizers for the upcoming Called and Gifted Retreat.

questions about themselves to ultimately learn what charisms they have. Then, they are invited to partake in an interview process to discern where they might practice these new gifts, whether in their parish ministries or beyond. The idea of continued on page 5

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family

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? Furthermore, how do we strike a balance between teaching our children in the home and not interfering with the faith formation and sacramental preparation they are currently receiving through their parish school or religious education program?

The answer to all of these questions is stewardship.

Indeed, it is important that we reinforce the lessons that our children learn in school and at religious education classes by talking to them 2

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 site links parents to numerous 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 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, do we respond in our 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 Responsorial Psalm, 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. Ben Kociemba, Pastor

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family

The New Welcom Warmly Extending Hospita A A December reception was held to welcome new parishioners.

Treats were served in December as a way to welcome new parishioners.

New and current parishioners gathered for a reception in December through the Welcoming Committee.

fter nearly two years of being separated from one another and facing interruptions due to the pandemic, it’s so wonderful to be welcoming more and more people back to Mass. More than ever before, we want people to feel welcome in our parishes.

We want to “roll out the red carpet,” so to speak, so that all new members know they are welcome here.

Thanks to a group of three retired schoolteachers and Little Falls Catholic Community members — Darlene Brand, St. Mary’s; Sally Greene, Our Lady of Lourdes; and Karen Holmberg, Holy Family — each new member of our parishes will get a phone call and a welcome basket a few weeks after they join. In addition, the group held a reception after Mass in December to welcome new members. Every parishioner, new and current, was invited.

The group plans to hold receptions a few times a year, alternating between parishes.

Although it’s been a while —

35 years, to be exact — since Darlene was a new member at St. Mary’s, she wants to be sure everyone feels welcome.

This ministry is a great way to do that. But there are simple ways that all of us can extend the hand of hospitality.

“Don’t be afraid to walk up to people you see at Mass and ask if they are new or visiting,” Darlene says. “It’s another way to make people feel welcome. It can even be as easy as smiling at people.”

Darlene’s husband, Greg, is on the Parish Council, through which the idea for the Welcoming Committee was born. When Greg asked Darlene if she would join, she didn’t hesitate.

“There are families who are joining who I knew when they were kids,” Darlene says. “Now, they have kids of their own, and I just want them to feel welcome.”

Darlene made nine calls to new families to catch up for 2021, and people were very appreciative of the welcome. Fr. Ben Kociemba continued on page 5

“Don’t be afraid to walk up to people you see at Mass and ask if they are new or visiting. It’s another way to make people feel welcome. It can even be as easy as smiling at people.”

— Darlene Brand 4

ming Committee: ality to All in Our Parishes had recently visited one new member, who told Darlene that she had been in a community for 45 years, and the priest had never come to her home to visit.

Darlene enjoys the opportunity to share her time by providing hospitality to those who are new to our community and says it’s a fantastic way to share Christ’s love. Now retired, Darlene spends her time substitute teaching at the school and helping set up whenever the parish hosts a large funeral. In addition to his service on the Parish Council, Greg is very active in music ministries, playing acoustic and bass guitar at various churches.

Staring in 20, each new indvual or family wil reciv a basket with various religous items, a few past newsltr and informat about Mary of Lourdes Schol.

Please reach out to your parish office if you are new and/or ned to regist.

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The Called and Gifted Retreat the retreat is to learn about our God-given gifts, in an effort to discover how we might serve God and His Church. There are 24 gifts, or charisms, including teaching, writing, hospitality, music, and leadership.

“The ultimate goal is to engage our parish to use their spiritual gifts to do God’s will,” Mike says.

There is a distinction, however, between charisms and talents. Where a talent is something you can develop on your own, a charism requires the graces given at Baptism, something God gives to us. This may be why you could discover a gift you didn’t know you had.

“It is a gift we receive but can only be used to be given away,” Mike says. “It is something that passes through us.”

After the one-day workshop, participants

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are encouraged to meet with an interviewer to discern where they might “try on” their newly discovered charisms. This might mean trying out different ministries and roles within the parish. Laurie says this can take some effort but ultimately leads to the discernment of where one is meant to be.

“It’s amazing the clarity that can come with trying something and not having it work, and then understanding it’s not what God’s plan is for you and His Kingdom,” she says.

Both Laurie and Mike are excited about what this may bring to our faith community. The hope is that participants find themselves inspired and ready to bring their charisms to their individual parishes, thereby strengthening and growing our parish ministry efforts and beyond.

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family

Valentine’s Day

The Feast of a Christian Martyr

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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 overcommercialized holiday really begin?

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 cancelled 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, 6

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.

Catholic Schools Week 2022

Celebrating the Many Blessings of Catholic Education

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s we celebrate Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, let’s take a look at the impact Mary of Lourdes Catholic School has had on one of our families.

Catholic education has always been important to the Houdek family. Jared and Angela are the proud parents of three daughters — twins Mara and Emma, 10; and Ruby, 5.

All three girls attend Mary of Lourdes Catholic School and continue on the family legacy.

“Although the Mary of Lourdes community wasn’t all that new to us, being that Jared is an alum and my mother taught kindergarten there for 23 years, the experience of The Houdek family sending our own children there was,” Angela says. “We felt very welcomed and at ease from the start.”

All three girls began attending Mary of Lourdes in preschool, and all appreciate being a part of the school community. Mara and Emma are in fifth grade and love going to a Catholic school because of their friends and being able to learn about God. Ruby, the youngest, is in her second year of preschool. Her favorite part of school is the monkey bars!

“When deciding on a school for our children, we felt it was very important to choose Catholic education because of our faith and values,” Angela says. “As parents, we have many favorite parts of Catholic education. Some of our top ones are that the teachings of our faith in the classroom are just as important as the academic subjects being taught, the dedication of the teachers and staff and their deep The Houdek girls — twins Mara continued on back cover

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and Emma, 10; and Ruby, 5

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St. Mary’s • Our Lady Of Lourdes • Holy Family Parish Office: 208 West Broadway Little Falls, MN 56345 (320) 632-8243 www.littlefallscatholic.org

Catholic Schools Week 2022 commitment to the students and their families, and the small class sizes.”

As our Catholic Schools Week celebrations get underway, we want to share an invitation to anyone interested in choosing a Catholic education for their family to reach out to the school.

Although oftentimes a sacrifice, Catholic education is a true gift to our children and the community. Consider how the school community could impact your faith and your family!

“We feel very blessed and fortunate that our girls are a part of such a warm and loving school as Mary of Lourdes,” Angela says.

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“When deciding on a school for our children, we felt it was very important to choose Catholic education because of our faith and values. As parents, we have many favorite parts of Catholic education.

Some of our top ones are that the teachings of our faith in the classroom are just as important as the academic subjects being taught, the dedication of the teachers and staff and their deep commitment to the students and their families, and the small class sizes.” — Angela Houdek