Little Falls Catholic Community Newsletter — May 2021

Little Falls

Catholic Community

Haven of Mercy Catholic Community Moving Forward Together as the

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fter a Lenten season spent somewhat apart, the parishes that constitute our new six-parish Area Catholic Community came together for the first time to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday.

“Divine Mercy Sunday brought us together, and considering the fact that our name is Haven of Mercy, this was the perfect day for it,” says Fr. Ben Kociemba. “We were able to celebrate at St. James in Randall and also had confessions, adoration and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.”

In recent months, our faith community has taken several steps towards the creation of a new Area Catholic Community including the development of a new logo.

“We’re in that process of coming together, and we’re looking forward to working with three more parishes,” Fr. Ben says. “We had over 40 submissions of different logos, and it was difficult to decide upon one. Now it is on our weekly bulletin.”

Between July and this coming fall, there are also several action steps on which we’ll be moving

Celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday as the Haven of Mercy Catholic Community

forward, ranging from considering a unified curriculum and approach, to religious education, to a shared website and consolidated bulletin.

“The focus is on becoming more organized and efficient together so that we can better serve people’s needs,” Fr. Ben says. continued on page 5

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

FORMATION Transformed Through Christ “Jesus not only calls people to him but also forms them and sends them out in his service.” FROM STEWARDSHIP: A DISCIPLE’S RESPONSE

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his month, we are emphasizing the third pillar of parish stewardship — formation. Formation is the process of studying Christ’s teachings and incorporating them deeply into our lives. It is a lifelong effort by which we “put on Christ” (Rom 13:14) and are “transformed by the renewal of our minds” (Rom 12:2).

Above all, our formation should include studying Scripture and Church teaching.

It should also include discussion with other Catholics and honest self-assessment. Its goal is to “discern the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2).

Because formation helps us understand God’s will, it therefore leads naturally to good stewardship. When our minds are transformed through Christ, we become like Him — as Christ 2

gave His life for us, so we give our lives to others.

Formation is not just an individual task. Instead, it is a communal responsibility that, when applied, will further help us to grow as stewardship parishes. Each one of us has an inherent need to give — to move from “selfishness to selflessness,” as the Diocese of Wichita’s document The Pillars of Parish Stewardship aptly states. Formation is a process of spiritual growth, and it leads to a deeper understanding of loving others as God loves us.

Naturally, then, our Catholic formation should not end upon celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation, or turning 18 years old.

Formation is a formidable task that we as Catholics should participate in for the duration of our lives. It involves

“education of the mind and conversion of the heart” (The Pillars of Parish Stewardship), and helps us to lead the stewardship way of life rather than just understand it.

Start off by reading 10 minutes of Sacred Scripture a day, or by studying a chapter of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on a daily basis. Read a biography of your favorite saint for an example of an individual who lived as a disciple of Christ, and use this person as a role model when tending to your daily tasks.

Keep an eye on weekly parish bulletin for faith formation opportunities in our faith community. Before long, your commitment to formation will lead you to naturally live the Catholic faith and understand stewardship in ways that you never imagined before.

A Letter From Our Pastor

PENTECOST:

The “Birth” of Stewardship My Dear Friends in Christ,

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s we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost on May 23, which is one of the most significant events in the life of the Church, I can’t help but relate the outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples as “the birth of stewardship.”

As a stewardship parish, we have come to understand it in our personal lives and our parish life as the work of the Holy Spirit, active and inspiring us to be the disciples Jesus called us to be, just as He did those very first disciples. It just makes sense to once again realize and acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in our decisions to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

As every parent knows, birth brings new life to every family, and the “birth of stewardship” here in our parishes has brought new life to us, personally and communally, and continues to do so. We had a “Pentecost event” when the message of stewardship was first brought to our community, and it hasn’t been the same since. Many curious people in our faith community and from around the country ask the question, “How did all of this begin?” The only answer is, “moved by conversion, we knew stewardship was going to be the ‘plan’ for our future as disciples and as a parish.” It makes sense.

For some, like me, it took a conversion of sorts to move us from unbelievers to believers, and from fear or suspicion to courage and confidence in the values and ideals of stewardship. Reading the accounts of the Acts of the Apostles, it wasn’t much different for them. Their experience is our experience and continues to encourage us to be open to the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. That “Spirit” renews the “Pentecost event” in each of us, as we practice discipleship as we know it through the stewardship way of life.

Also, as with each new birth, the life that begins needs to be nourished, nurtured and

loved. Through our understanding of the four pillars of parish stewardship — hospitality, prayer, formation and service — we each are called to nourish, nurture and love our parish family with the gifts we bring to each other. And without ever really knowing how much of an impact we have on each other’s spiritual lives, we trust the Holy Spirit to continue the “good work of faithful stewardship” in each of us and to those around us. Isn’t that what the first Pentecost event started, and isn’t that what you see in our parishes, especially since our own “birth of stewardship”?

God has blessed our parish family and continues to do so, as the Holy Spirit continues to pour out gifts upon us and send us forth to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. As we grow and mature in our stewardship efforts, how fortunate we are that the stewardship way of life has become our way of life. May we always give thanks to God for the Holy Spirit’s gift to each of us — for, when we do, it seems only natural to be inspired to live discipleship as it was intended to be lived in the first disciples and in each of us.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Ben Kociemba, Pastor

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

THE DOUCETTE FAMILY:

The Doucette family at Thanksgiving

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hen Kevin Doucette was growing up, his mother, Dorothy, set an inspiring example for him by using her talents for the glory of God. “My mother-in-law, Dorothy, was a lifelong member of Holy Family Parish, and she was very involved, especially by helping with the flowers,” Carol Doucette says. “That was her gift to the church!”

Given that the treasure chest of faith can be passed down from generation to generation, one could say that the “riches” of Dorothy’s faith have been given to Kevin, who in turn has shared them with Carol, along with their four children and 11 grandchildren.

Kevin and Carol joined Holy Family in 1976, and have been faithful parishioners ever since.

Throughout the years, Kevin and Carol have savored a profound love for the Catholic faith, as well as for our parish family, and it shows.

“Our four children all received First Communion and were confirmed at our parish, 4

and three of them were married here as well,” Carol says. “We have a lot of history with Holy Family Parish, and have made many great memories. I cherish the priests we have had in our tri-parish community over the years. We have been so blessed to have such faith-filled men who live out the Gospel message. I also appreciate the many good parishioners that have inspired me to grow spiritually.”

Soon after she and Kevin were married, Carol started teaching Religious Education, and worked as the Religious Education Coordinator for about five years, as well.

As their children were growing up, Kevin and Carol made it a priority to teach them how to care about others and show them God’s love. Along with their children, they visited nursing homes, prepared meals for families in need through Oasis Share a Meal ministry, and helped out with Vacation Bible School.

“Our children went to Vacation Bible School

Sharing Talents for the Glory of God and Kevin loved helping out at it, as well, by giving hay rides,” Carol says. “Then, as our children grew up, they began volunteering for VBS, too. They also served at Mass. Our goal as parents was to teach the children to help out, so that as they grew older they would be involved and feel the need to give of themselves and share their gifts and talents.”

Furthermore, Kevin and Carol have truly enjoyed being involved in various faith-sharing groups.

“I have really grown in my faith through the various formation opportunities the parish has offered,” Carol says. “I have learned to pray and read the Bible more, as well as deepen my relationship with Jesus. The other people at our parish have inspired me to nurture

my faith. I really appreciate the support we have for one another and how well we work together as a parish, as well as in a tri-parish community. We have developed a lot of strong relationships at our parish.”

Presently, Carol serves as a sacristan and a money counter. Kevin takes care of the sound system at Holy Family Parish.

He also plays music for all three of the triparishes, along with their daughter, Trish.

Their granddaughter, Valerie, sometimes plays music with Kevin for church, and their other grandchildren volunteer for various activities as well. Both Carol and Trish help with the Alpha Program, which is a video series that includes faith formation and fellowship.

Moving Forward Together Regarding religious education, we hope to have more opportunities for young people and for families to share food and fellowship, and to be active in their faith lives.

“We’re looking to move even more toward a family-based model for religious education that really involves the whole family,” Fr. Ben says. “We’d like to get the youth involved with liturgy, ministries, Totus Tuus, mission trips and the Steubenville conferences.”

Fr. Ben and Fr. Jimmy Joseph, the Pastor of the other tri-parish area Catholic community, have already begun celebrating Mass at their different parishes, and in the future, they’ll consider what it would look like to have a plan of worship for weekends and weekdays as a six-parish community.

“We’re looking at the possibilities of working together on our worship plan,” Fr. Ben says.

“Similarly, we’ll try to find a way to bring our Parish Council together.”

continued from front cover

With the coming developments regarding religious education and business, the community will ultimately consider having a full-time youth minister and business manager.

“Having a business manager to handle the business items would be invaluable,” Fr. Ben says. “As far as business work, we’re looking at having the same phone systems, software systems, website, event calendar and bulletins. We also need to decide how to share the costs of shared programs.”

As we move forward in prayer together, Fr. Ben would like to thank everyone from the faith community for their ongoing support and stewardship.

“Thank you for your openness to what God has in plan for us!” says Fr. Ben. “This really is our openness to doing God’s will as directed by the bishop, and it’s important that we be about the mission of God’s work.”

If you would like more information about Haven of Mercy and upcoming developments, please reach out to Fr. Ben Kociemba at lfpastortriparish@gmail.com or 320-247-8878.

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

Drawing From the Traditions of Spirituality in Our Catholic Church

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f you knew that the person who loves you most in the world was longing to spend some time with you, would you want to meet with them?

What if this person was also the only one capable of saving your soul for all eternity, not to mention blessing you abundantly on earth?

It would seem ridiculous to say “no” to getting to know them just a little better, right?

That being said, you may wonder how you can best go about getting to know this particular person. To do just that, as Catholics, it is important that we seek out and read things from our Catholic Christian tradition — immersing ourselves in the spiritual works of those who have found Christ in a very deep way in accordance with the Church. Indeed, there are many great saints who have flowered out of the community of believers, and we can turn to them to get to know God better.

Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has been profoundly touched, enriched and enlightened by spiritual masters whose works are powerful enough to convert souls. It is also important to recognize that the spiritual traditions in the Church express many of the same ideas but in different ways, bearing witness to the ineffable, mosaic-like beauty of Catholicism.

St. Benedict began the first formal monastic tradition in the western Catholic Church, basing it on the Rule of St. Benedict. To this day, Benedictine spirituality is centered around the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, simplicity and the appreciation of the Holy Eucharist.

The Franciscan spiritual tradition began with St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. These saints brought about the Counter-Reformation that still marks the Church with splendor today. St. Francis is widely known for his Gospel-centered living, love of poverty, devotion to Christ Crucified,

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and mercy for all men and creatures. The Life of St. Francis of Assisi by St. Bonaventure, as well as The Little Flowers of St. Francis both help one to learn more about this magnificent saint.

Similar to St. Francis, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila also sparked a critical reformation within the Carmelite Order, which later influenced the entire Church in a positive way. Carmelite spirituality is a desert spirituality, which bases itself on silence, deep contemplative prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, outstanding penance, and various traditional Catholic devotions. The Story of a Soul, which is the autobiography of renowned Carmelite St. Therese of Lisieux, the Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, and the works of St. John of the Cross all capture the essence of Carmelite spirituality.

Furthermore, Salesian spirituality stems from the great life and work of St. Francis de Sales. The Introduction to the Devout Life is a fantastic primer for those desiring to enter more profoundly into a life of union with Christ.

Ignatian spirituality is known for educating people on the discernment of spirits. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, as well as The Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy Gallagher are excellent resources for learning more about this powerful spiritual tradition.

Last but not least, The Fulfillment of All Desire

by Ralph Martin is modern-day spiritual work that can help those who are seeking Christ, to find Him. The rich variety of spiritual traditions we have in the Catholic Church are an indication of how diverse our Church is. There are so many different ways of following Christ and praying — and to do so, we can draw from the spiritual “greats.” But of course, we must always pray in the way that God is leading us, in a way that we can truly encounter God in conversation.

The Our Lady of Lourdes Rosary Group:

A Community of Prayer Growing in Christ Together

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hen we look around our community, country and world, there are always people in need of prayers. And, we know one of the most powerful Catholic prayers is the Rosary. In fact, Mary has asked of us that the Rosary be prayed.

Recognizing the power and importance of the Rosary, Jacki Retka and Tina Dolan talked about starting a Rosary group when they crossed paths between Eucharistic Adoration hours. What started a small group of three or four people has grown to a group of 15 to 20, with many more people joining via the livestreaming on the triparish Facebook page — Little Falls Catholic. Thanks to Tina and Jacki, the Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) Rosary Group was formed.

The group meets at Our Lady of Lourdes each Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

The group had to take a break in spring 2020, as churches were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during this time that Jacki realized what a gift the OLOL Rosary Group has truly

Parishioners from all three of our parishes gather to pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet on Thursdays at 5:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes.

been. She also missed attending Mass and being with other parishioners.

“It was like a hole in your heart, it was just devastating,” Jacki says. “I felt so lost. The

livestream Mass helped, but it was just not the same as being in your church.”

Jacki is glad to be back with her church and OLOL Rosary Group family. continued on back cover

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Jesus says, ‘Where two or three are gathered, there I am among them.’ It’s important to have your personal relationship with Jesus and Mary, and it’s important to pray as a community. You get your strength from other people, as well.

Jacki Retka 7

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

The Our Lady of Lourdes Rosary Group continued from page 7

“Jesus says, ‘Where two or three are gathered, there I am among them,’” Jacki says. “It’s important to have your personal relationship with Jesus and Mary, and it’s important to pray as a community. You get your strength from other people, as well.”

The group kneels in front of the statue of Mary during the Rosary.

They also pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the St. Michael Prayer and Hail Holy Queen.

This ministry is not only for Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners — anyone is invited. The OLOL Rosary Group serves all three parishes and the broader community, because they also take prayer requests.

They use the beginning of the time to list the requests.

Jacki appreciates that she has had the opportunity to make new friends through the OLOL Rosary Group. After all the isolation of the past year, this ministry has offered a valuable way to join with others in prayer. Jacki has also grown in faith and devotion to the Rosary.

“It’s been amazing,” Jacki says. “We started it to be as a community and to help pray for others. It’s helping me, too.”

If you would like to get involved in the OLOL Rosary Group, please come to Our Lady of Lourdes at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Please call Jacki Retka for prayer intentions at 320-630-2103.

This ministry is not only for Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners — anyone is invited.

The OLOL Rosary Group serves all three parishes and the broader community.