AUGUST 31, 2025

As you know, this is Labor Day weekend. In this coming article in the Redwood Gazette, I will explain a little history and the

purpose of Labor Day . However, for this weekend, I like to share the greatest example of someone who labored - our Lord on the

cross.

As we heard this weekend in the 1st reading from the Book of Sirach, “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will

find favor with God” (3:18), what better example of someone who (is the greatest) humbled Himself and indeed found favor with

God. Jesus, who is the Son of God, humbled Himself and not only took the form of a slave (taking on our human likeness) but also

took that likeness to the cross and died for us (see Philippians 2).

 And now we are blessed to enter into and celebrate and receive this mystery of our faith. Like the writer to the Hebrews from our

2nd reading, “[we] have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in

festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made

perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel (12:22-

24a).” And this all happens around the altar. It is there that we experience the humility and love of our Lord. It is there that we are

fed by our Lord and transformed so that we can be our Lord for one another.

 And not only are we blessed to receive our Lord, but we are also blessed to share our Lord in Holy Communion. Now with that

being said, we are in need of ministers of Holy Communion, not only during Mass but to also bring our Lord in Holy Communion to

the hospital, the nursing homes, and the homebound. Therefore, I encourage you to pray on it, and ask if God is calling to

participate in the Lord’s humility by sharing Him with others. And if you do, please let me know and I will submit your names to the

Bishop to be commissioned for this ministry . The only requirement is that you are in good standing with the Church and are 18 and

older (seniors, prayerfully consider this ministry as well).

 May we be fed by our Lord, transformed by our Lord, so we can share and labor with love by being our Lord!!!

AUGUST 24, 2025

 It is hard to believe that another school year is beginning. I know there is great excitement in the area of education with us at St

Catherine with a new elementary school and with us at St Anne with new staff. But with a lot of new things, there are always some

adjustments that are needed as well. My encouragement is that we are patient with new things.

 For some of us, change is hard. For others, change comes easier. But remember, God’s love and faithfulness always remain

constant. Again, we need to rely on our Lord to get us through those difficult times. We need His grace to accept change, to

navigate it with faith, and to help us to see things as others see them, and through prayer and discernment as God sees them - with

mercy, compassion, and love. We need to seek God’s guidance through prayer and scripture, and trusting in His plan, even when

faced with uncertainty. Embrace the opportunity for growth, find comfort in God’s presence, and remember that change can lead to

a deeper relationship with Him.

 Remember, God is in control and that change, even when difficult, is part of His plan. Pray for guidance and wisdom to understand

how God wants you to respond to the change. Even in challenging circumstances, God can use change to shape us and bring

about positive outcomes, appreciating the good things in our lives. Find comfort and encouragement in Bible verses about change,

such as Romans 8:28, which reminds us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. We can share our

experiences and feelings with trusted friends and family members, mentors, or with us church leaders who can offer support and

encouragement – knowing that God is with us, and we have a community of believers who can support us through challenging

times.

 And if we let God into those moments of change, we can be instruments of His grace for others. We can use our experiences with

change to encourage and support others. Maybe we can offer prayers for those who are also experiencing change while asking for

prayers ourselves. Sharing our resources with others can shift our focus from our own situation to the needs of others.

Although change can be difficult at times, remember, we are not alone. Not only do we have God and our faith community

supporting us, but we can also use these moments to be transformed as positive opportunities to share God’s grace with others.

God bless our students, faculty, staff, administration, and families, as we begin another school year.

AUGUST 17, 2025

 Have you ever wondered why we can celebrate Mass on Saturday evening to fulfill our Sunday obligation or Vigil Masses on the eve of Holy Days (for example, we celebrated Mass this last Thursday in anticipation of Friday’s Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother)? It has to do with the lunar calendar.

 On most lunar calendars, the day begins at sunset. This is because lunar calendars are often tied to the cycles of the moon, and the lunar day is defined by the rising and setting of the moon. Specifically, for many lunar calendars, the day begins at sunset, which is when the moon (or, more accurately, the lunar phase marking the start of the new month) becomes visible.

 Unlike a 24-hour solar day, a lunar day is the time it takes for the moon to rotate once relative to a fixed star, which is about 24 hours and 50 minutes. This is due to the Earth's rotation and the moon's orbit around the Earth. In many lunar calendars, the day is considered to begin with the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, signifying the start of the lunar cycle and the new day. While sunset is a common starting point, some lunisolar calendars, like the Chinese calendar, may start their day at a different time, such as 11 PM. Starting the day at sunset helps synchronize the calendar with the phases of the moon, which is crucial for tracking religious observances and agricultural cycles in many cultures.

 The Islamic (Hijri) calendar and the Jewish calendar are examples of lunar calendars where the day begins at sunset. And because we come from Jewish roots so-to-speak, the Church follows the Lunar Calendar when it comes to the anticipatory Masses (the Vigil Masses). However, on the day of the solemnity (i.e., the Assumption on the 15th) we then follow the Solar Calendar and celebrate the solemnity until 11:59PM that evening. Which is why we incorporate both the Lunar Calendars beginning the solemnities and the Solar

Calendars concluding them. In other words, we can never get enough of our solemnities.

 If you ever have questions on any of this, please do not hesitate to ask. I pray that you all had a blessed solemnity and may Our Lady enfold you under the mantel of her love and protect you by the veil of her grace.

AUGUST 10, 2025

 A couple of weeks ago, our staff for our AFC met and discussed working with LPi for processing and printing our bulletins. We already have them helping with our website and some parishioners are using them for their electronic contributions. Please check out the website if you have not done so (www.lowafc.org). After doing some research, using LPi (Liturgical Publications Inc.) for our bulletin offers several potential advantages:

 • Professional design and content: LPi provides access to professionally-designed templates, graphics, and articles to create attractive and engaging bulletins. They also offer custom design services to create a unique and tailored look for your bulletin.

 • Time-saving resources: LPi's WeCreate platform provides a digital library of content and graphics, saving time in sourcing and creating bulletin content, according to an LPi church communications expert. This includes features like weekly Gospel illustrations, saint biographies, and Catholic trivia.

 • Advertising support: LPi helps secure local business advertising to offset bulletin printing costs, potentially making the bulletin free for your organization (if you do not get notified and would like your business advertised in the bulletin, please let us know).

 • Digital presence: LPi offers options for online bulletin hosting and email delivery, expanding your reach beyond print copies. They also offer an online directory, ParishesOnline.com, for increased visibility within the community.

 • Customer service and support: LPi provides dedicated customer support, design assistance, and resources to help with bulletin production and distribution.

 • Consistent branding: LPi helps parishes discover and refine their visual identity, ensuring a consistent and effective message is conveyed through the bulletin and other communications.

 In essence, LPi aims to streamline the bulletin creation process, enhance its visual appeal, reduce costs through advertising, and extend its reach through digital platforms, helping organizations better connect with their communities. The only downside is that we will have to get the info into the parishes’ offices at the beginning of the week in order to get the bulletins shipped back to us at the end. Take for example, I am writing this on Thursday for the following week’s bulletin (trying to get in the habit of getting my blurb in earlier, and I will be going next week to a workshop at Mundelein Seminary, IL). Although this is going to take some adjustment (trust me, I have had the luxury of working on it still Friday), I believe it will benefit our AFC in the long run. We hope to get up and running in several weeks. As we get closer to the date, we will let you know when the deadline is for the bulletin. Thanks Rita and Mariah for helping with this, and for all of the staff and parishioners for making the adjustment!

 Please join us this Wednesday (August 13th) to come and celebrate Mass with us at St. Mathias Cemetery (corner of 180th Street and Knox Ave – SE of Wanda). If you have questions or need clarifications, please call the parish offices. The Mass is at 6pm followed by a reception in the church basement. All of the proceeds of the reception will be used to support the cemetery. Please come and pray for our deceased loved ones while being fed spiritually and physically. It also is an opportunity to help financially support our cemetery in the process. As we take care of the Church on earth, may our loved ones be welcomed into the Church in heaven! FYI: There will be no Mass Wednesday morning.

AUGUST 3, 2025

 Although I have read the readings for this weekend, I still do not know what I am going to preach. Because I am trying to get my bulletin blurb done earlier in the week so I am ready when we have a LPI doing our bulletin publications starting in a few weeks (I’ll explain more in next week’s blurb), I am writing it on Wednesday night. However, I just want to give you the heads up that I may preach on this similar message this weekend. But yet, there is nothing wrong with preaching the message of stewardship. Similarly, I recall my former pastor telling me that when he heard someone ask why he kept on preaching on forgiveness, he responded, “Until you start doing it.” In other words, I should never be tired of preaching on “stewardship”, and you should never be tired of hearing it. Face it, we all need to hear and preach the message of stewardship – being generous with God’s blessings He gave us.

 If you noticed that the readings this weekend also speak about thinking less of ourselves and being more generous with others. Take for example, in our 1st reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes (“Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” (Eccl 1:20)), we heard about how vanity (being prideful and self-important) causes us to only think about ourselves. Then our 2nd reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the of the Colossians, “Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry” (3:5). Finally in our Gospel from St. Luke, we hear Jesus’s warning, “Take care to

guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” (12:15).

 Although money and possessions are nice to have, they should never control us. But instead, we need to follow the advice from our Responsorial Psalm refrain, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Psalm 90). Every gift we have been given is a gift from God and should return to God. And over the last couple of years, our parishes have been blessed with some tremendous monetary gifts. We have received a few estates to St. Catherine for caring for the parish expenses, building and maintenance projects, and kitchen upkeep to the tune of $3.5 million. Then, in regard to St. Anne, we have been blessed with some wonderful gifts to support the

Fr. Diehl Endowment ($3.9 million) and to support the New Building Project (collecting so far $11.8 million). However, not only do I encourage that we go above and being the goal of $12.2 million for unexpected expenses and for us to be able to get decent classroom sizes, storage space, and making sure we have enough rooms to cover our needs as a parish and a school, but we also need to contribute to our churches and school because it is in scripture, and ultimately, it is what we are called to do. It is what God is expecting us. God does not want our hearts to be hardened. He wants us to love through them and with our wallets/purses.

 Please be generous as God has been generous to us!!!

 Donations to St Catherine – Building Maintenance & Kitchen donations

 Donations to St. Anne School – New Building & Endowment

JULY 27, 2025

This past week I visited with a parishioner and then our conversation was re-enforced that evening at our Evangelization & Catechesis meeting. At both times, we were discussing the need for helpers. We were sharing how we need people to help with chairing our Fall Festivals and getting involved with being catechists for our Faith Formation. This made me think about Stewardship. As I reflect on our society, many people want to help, but they do not want to commit themselves – just in case something better comes up. However, if the day comes, and they are free, sure they will help. However, that does not help us plan events. It is hard to plan events when we don’t know if anyone will come. And to “Build it and they will come” does not always work.

Again, I know we are all busy, but sadly this word busy is becoming a swear word. As our retreat director at our priests’ retreat last Spring said, “BUSY” is an acronym for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. Basically, what he is saying is that we are busy doing different things pulling ourselves away from our Lord, becoming more like Martha, rather than being more like Mary and doing the better part? Are we “Busy” doing other things, rather than what God wants? Where is God and His Church on our list of priorities? As I shared several weeks ago in my homily, we know what our priorities are by looking at our calendars and schedule books. Is God anywhere on them?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty, I just want us to be faithful. Going to sporting events (or being involved in sporting events), vacations, sleeping in, yardwork, etc. are all wonderful events (trust me I enjoy them as well), but they should never push our faith (and living out our faith) to take a backseat.

Instead of being a Martha and worrying about many things, let us be like Mary and choose the better part. I encourage all of us to prayerfully discern how we can be active in our faith. Instead of turning down an invitation to be involved, please pray that God will help you respond appropriately to His will. Because if we do, and get more involved with our talents, spending more time with our Lord in prayer, and sharing our treasures, we will not only be great stewards, but we will always choose the better part!

JULY 20, 2025

As some of you know, I was gone a couple of weeks ago with my family. Again, as I have said before, I hope you too are taking time for some R&R this summer. However, that does not mean we take R&R from our Lord. Please make sure that you are celebrating your faith and love in our Lord no matter where you go or what you do. Speaking of doing, our St. Anne School has been doing a lot this summer. Besides doing the usual cleaning and getting the rooms ready for next year and trying to raise a little over $400,000 (and hopefully even more) for our building project, we also have been blessed with new staff. This past year, Jane Baune and Candy Sobocinski

retired from their secretarial duties at the school and parish (respectively). Since then, we have been blessed to hire Mariah Zeug as our new parish/school secretary. She is working part-time and will go full-time when school begins (I’ll mention times in a few moments). Also, Vickie Daub retired from teaching, and we hired Belinda Klann as the 1st Grade teacher. Emily Captain, with support from her husband Matthew, decided to be a stay-at-home mom. We hired Alexi Frericks to replace her and teach 2nd grade. In other words, not only have we been blessed all these years with Jane’s, Candy’s, Vickie’s, and Emily’s ministries, but now we look forward to Mariah’s, Belinda’s, and Alexi’s as well. We are also blessed to have Erica Pope as our new music minister at St. Anne School, and she is now the AFC Worship Director as well. We have been blessed to have her as the Worship Director at St. Catherine and now (to keep

moving and working together as an AFC) she is also St. Anne’s as well. Please keep all of our staff, at both of our parishes, in your prayers. In regards also to doing and times, our new office hours at St. Anne for the next few weeks is Tues-Thurs from 9am-noon. Sure, we could have more office hours, but by using the chancery, St. Mary’s Parish in Willmar, Methodist’s Church across from St. Catherine, and other parishes throughout the diocese (who have less weekday office hours), we want to be good stewards of our time and resources that support us. Although it would be nice to have someone working from morning to evening behind the desk, if we do not have many people coming in, why pay for staff members to sit and wait for someone to come in? And yes, it is nice to have people come in to visit with our friendly staff (and we certainly are blessed to have them), I want to make sure that we are using your contributions wisely and making sure that they are being productive while they are working. Speaking of going on vacations and office hours, the week of August 18-22, the office will only be open Tues (Aug 19), Thurs (Aug 21), and Tues (Aug 26) from 9am-1pm at St Catherine. Don’t worry, we will remind you when we get closer. In other words, I am taking Bishop’s example with his staff by encouraging my staff to take time off as well. Thanks for being understanding, keeping us all in prayer, and know of our continued prayers and desire to serve you.

JULY 13, 2025

The OCIA, or Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, is the Church's process for welcoming new members into the faith. It's a journey of conversion and formation for adults who are either unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholics who haven't completed their initiation. The process involves prayer, study, fellowship, and participation in the life of the parish community. The purpose of OCIA is to guide individuals in their relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Church, to provide a space for those seeking to explore the Catholic faith, and to prepare individuals for the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist (Holy Communion). As I shared a couple of weeks ago, we have four young ladies who are baptized in another Christian tradition who are inquiring into the Catholic church in our AFC (Sara Bailey, Chloe Kahley, Hailey Mohr, and Kayla Rohlik). Please keep them in your prayers, because the OCIA process (particularly the "Call to Continuing Conversion" rite that they are involved in) involves: 1. Period of Inquiry: This initial stage involves exploring the Catholic faith without any obligation to continue. It's a time for questions, reflection, and discernment about a life of faith in Christ and the Catholic Church. (This beginning process involves people, who like to learn more about the Catholic faith, ask questions and find out how do they can “sign-up?”) 2. Rite of Welcoming and Acceptance: For baptized Christians, this rite acknowledges them as members of the Faithful and welcomes them as candidates for Confirmation and Eucharist. (We will be doing this on Sunday at St. Anne’s Mass – it will be livestreamed) 3. Period of the Catechumenate: Although they are not Catechumens themselves (this involves the unbaptized), this period involves deeper learning about Catholic beliefs, life, liturgy, and apostolic work. It's a time for nurturing and growth in faith and conversion. 4. Rite of Sending: Candidates, with their sponsors, are brought before the faith community, who offer blessings and prayers as they are sent to the Bishop for the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion. (Because we started later, we were unable to celebrate this in our AFC) 5. Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion: This rite marks a significant point in the journey for both catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates (baptized). Parish representatives present the candidates to the bishop. The candidates' sponsors attest to their readiness, growth in faith and love, and deepening appreciation of their baptism. The assembly acknowledges their support, and the bishop formally recognizes the candidates' desire to receive the sacraments, calling them to "Continuing Conversion". (We were unable to celebrate this as well – see #4) 6. Period of Purification and Enlightenment: This focuses on intense spiritual preparation, reflection, and formal instruction. Candidates are invited to join the Church in practices like charity and fasting. 7. Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation: At the Easter Vigil (or in our case, we will be celebrating this when the candidates are ready), candidates are received into full communion with the Catholic Church by celebrating the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. (We will be celebrating this at St. Catherine) 8. Period of Mystagogy: This final stage, from Easter to Pentecost, involves reflecting on the sacraments received and integrating into the Church community. It's a reminder that initiation is a starting point, not an end, and calls for a lifelong commitment to conversion. (This process will continue for a short period of time afterwards) Essentially, for those already baptized, the OCIA process, guides them towards a deepening of their existing faith, a fuller understanding and appreciation of their baptism, and the reception of the sacraments that will bring them into full communion with the Catholic Church. It's a journey of ongoing spiritual growth and commitment to living a life rooted in the Catholic tradition. The reason I share all this is because this weekend we will be celebrating the Rite of Welcoming and Acceptance of our 4 candidates at Sunday’s 8am Mass at St. Anne. Again, please pray for these candidates and their discernment that they may be open to the fullness of God’s grace in the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist that we look forward to celebrating soon.