Northland Catholic

Bringing witness – New Life pastoral vision calls for parish planning in an apostolic age
By Katrina Genereux

Guided by the pastoral letter, New Life: Through the Tender Compassion of Our God, the Diocese of Crookston is moving forward with parish planning to focus on evangelization in an apostolic age.
“The goals of parish planning are to organize the resources of the diocese to better accomplish the evangelistic mission the Lord has given us,” said Jim Remer.

He became Director of Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards a few years ago after a 30-year career in law enforcement. Remer has served as chair of Sacred Heart School’s advisory council and spent 13 years on East Grand Forks Sacred Heart’s Pastoral Council. This summer, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens invited him to add the role of Director of Parish Planning.

“Bishop Cozzens and I believed Jim to be the right person for the job because of his extensive experience in many venues from parish life to leadership and management in law enforcement. Jim is a dedicated and capable leader who can move consultation and processes forward,” said Janelle Gergen, Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer for the diocese. “Most importantly, we know Jim to be a man of deep faith and prayer who believes in the mission of the Church. We are confident he will be able to listen well and help move our diocesan planning efforts forward.”

The parish planning process includes a wide variety of consultation with priests, deacons and lay people. It falls under the pastoral letter, which has three pillars: revive, plan and evangelize. The strategies under the planning pillar include focusing diocesan communications on evangelization, beginning discussions about parish planning, increasing efficiency in the use of resources at parish and diocesan levels and building stewardship.

“The purpose of parish planning is to facilitate a process that ultimately equips clergy and parish leaders for living as a missionary Church in what we often refer to as ‘apostolic times’ — or in other words, living in a culture that does not embrace Christianity as it once did,” Gergen said. “We cannot sit back and carry on ‘business as usual.’ We must go out to people within the culture and bring them into an encounter with the Lord and a life of faith. This is not unlike the work of the Apostles following Christ’s death and resurrection.”

The parish planning process will examine available resources and needs in order to move parishes from maintenance to mission. Some categories being looked at are clergy resources, staffing and volunteers, time and financial resources, and physical buildings and other assets.

“Recognizing and using what we have available to us, while imagining what is possible often requires a shift in mindset; parish planning is the process of doing all of that on the way to evangelization,” Gergen said. “Parishes becoming mission-centric is the outcome of parish planning. Mission-centric parishes are those with a strong liturgical and sacramental life, have evangelizing catechesis, are schools of prayer and are robustly living life in Christ.”

Remer explained being centers of mission means parishes enable people to live out their charisms focused toward evangelizing.

“We want to ensure that not just our diocesan structures but also our parish structures are organized in a way that is supportive of us evangelizing in the world today,” he said. 

Remer added that being mission centered involves parishes equipping the laity to be evangelizers in addition to providing sacraments and catechesis.

“I think that’s probably not something a lot of Catholics, especially Catholics of a certain age, are used to. I think that while that has been spoken about in the Church for many years, that’s getting a new flavor and emphasis now in our Church,” Remer said. “We want to make sure people are able to have an encounter with Jesus and then make sure they can go deeper into that relationship with Jesus and to talk with others about that. That can be hard for people.”

Practically speaking, Remer explained that some of what this involves is good sacramental preparation, offering opportunities to study scripture and Church teaching, encouraging small faith-sharing groups to build people’s prayer lives, reverent participation in Eucharist, availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and helping people learn to pray and discern the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

“I think that looks different for different age groups, depending on what they are comfortable with. Small groups can be intimidating for some people, especially if that includes a faith sharing aspect,” he said. “It would be meeting people where they are but then also moving parishes toward this missionary outlook.”

This movement is rooted in the strategic visioning process that began in 2023, which identified the need to examine and address parish planning.

“This was seen as important to make sure we are using our resources most efficiently for mission,” Gergen said. “Bishop Cozzens knew this would be an in-depth discernment process involving many groups in the diocese with a lot of consultation needed to ensure we are able to plan in a way that serves the needs of our Church today, especially evangelization.”

Remer explained the process of gathering information from priests and the laity is underway.

“That’s why we are going out and meeting with different groups and meeting with different people, getting their input, then taking ideas that are working in one area of the diocese and seeing if that can work in another,” he said. “We can’t take the cookie cutter approach, but if there are things working in one area, maybe a different parish grouping can make use of that also.”

Bishop Cozzens, Remer and Gergen have met with priests by age group.

“Priests in their 20s, 30s and 40s have a different perspective to offer than priests in their 50s, 60s and 70s, and we wanted to honor that diversity of experience by consulting them initially in smaller groups,” Gergen said.

She said all of the priests gathered with Bishop Cozzens and diocesan leadership in October to discuss what the planning process could and should look like over the next several years. Similar meetings with diocesan deacons took place in January. 

Gergen said the Diocesan Pastoral Council and Priests Council are discerning with Bishop Cozzens about what the next six to 12 months could look like as this process moves forward. Through late winter and early spring, Remer and Deacon Mark Krejci, the Director of Evangelization Ministries, will meet with pastors and parish leadership and school councils throughout the diocese to help them pray and learn more about planning and being centers of mission.

“Reviewing models of collaboration and organization have been part of these discussions and prayer,” Gergen said.

Collaboration, whether within parish groupings, deaneries, or with the diocese, is being considered. One example Remer highlighted is Shared Accounting Services.

“That is one way. As we go forward as a diocese we are asking, where can we work collaboratively rather than each parish trying to do things on their own?” he said.

He also explained the diocese is working to make scripture and prayer study materials available to parish small groups to go through together.

There are several ways for people of the diocese to be involved in the parish planning process.

“First and foremost, it is important to pray for Bishop Cozzens, our priests and deacons, and diocesan leadership,” Gergen said. “Bishop Cozzens’ pastoral vision is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, so asking for her favor and intercession would be very helpful.”

She also encourages people to sign up for diocesan communications via Flocknote at crookston.org. A weekly email provides diocesan news and ways to stay involved with the planning process and other initiatives.

“When your pastor or Bishop Cozzens invite you more formally into consultation about parish planning, please consider taking part,” Gergen added. “This invitation may be for intentional prayer, a gathering at your parish, or maybe even a survey.”

Catholic CREED — Transforming parish religious education in northeast Minnesota
By Jess Foss, Religious Education Coordinator, Blessed Sacrament, Greenbush

Like many parishes in our diocese, we have found the need to find creative ways to use our limited human and financial resources. CREED is our tri-parishes’ religious education program, serving the families of Blessed Sacrament, Greenbush; St. Edward, Karlstad; and St. Joseph, Middle River. We also have families that join us from other parishes.

A few years ago, our religious education program was run by a paid part-time DRE/youth minister. For a few reasons, it was decided to move to a committee-based program run by parish volunteers from all three parishes under our shared priest. We still have a DRE/youth minister (volunteer) who helps coordinate the program, but the entire committee works together to discuss curriculum, schedules, special projects, activities for the youth like Vacation Bible School, coordinating with the diocese for diocesan and national youth events, etc. Many of our CREED committee members are also catechists or help in the program in other ways. 

Because we have a diverse group of people in our committee, each person has unique strengths to bring to the program and the workload is easily shared. Everyone understands that we all have many responsibilities outside the CREED program, so we all step up to do what we can to help share the load. 

We decided at the beginning of our program that community and fellowship are crucial to what we wanted to create. While our elementary and high school kids used to meet at different times, now everyone gathers every Wednesday at the same time. We start with daily Mass at 5:30 p.m., everyone has supper at 6:00 p.m., and then class time is 6:30-7:30 p.m. Some of our high school kids are not able to make it to Mass because of activities, but it sure is nice to have a hot meal ready for them before class starts. It can be very loud in our fellowship hall with all those kids and families at supper, but we love that all the ages are together. The little kids get to see the big kids and their example, and the big kids hopefully realize the impact they have on those little eyes watching their every move. 

We ask that all families help in some way, serving and cleaning up suppers, chaperoning youth trips, being a catechist or substitute catechist, or prayer warrior. We also host a few fundraisers each year to help cover costs and our families are all very generous with their time, talent and treasures to support the program. 

As mentioned, CREED was started for our tri-parish grouping, but we have other neighboring parishes that are small and don’t have enough kids to have their own program, so we have invited these families to join us so their kids can grow in their faith alongside kids their own ages. Having friends who share the Catholic faith is very important at all ages, but when you’re a kid, it’s that much more special to be able to learn and grow with peers. 

Our hope is that CREED is just one example of how our Catholic faith reaches beyond the walls of our individual church buildings. We are not members of just our parish, but rather the whole universal Catholic Church, and we can all support each other in our faith and journey with Jesus. 

A life transformed – Two groups in deacon formation for the Diocese of Crookston 

On Saturday, Dec. 14, three men who are current Holy Orders candidates for the permanent diaconate received the Rite of Lector. The current candidates include Howard Fulks (St. Joseph, Moorhead), John Hajostek (St. Joseph, Moorhead) and Rich Veit (St. Francis Xavier, Lake Park).

These men are currently in their fourth year of formation and, for those who will be called to Holy Orders, their ordination is expected to take place in the spring or summer of 2026.  In addition, these three candidates are joined in their formation by a parishioner from the diocese who received formation from St. John University’s formation program in Spanish. He will complete further formation before being accepted as a deacon candidate.  

Formation for deacon candidates includes monthly weekend gatherings at the Pastoral Center from September to May. The men, and their wives if they are interested, participate in a Friday night Spiritual Formation course, a Saturday morning course that focuses on various aspects of diaconal ministry, and a Sunday morning course that covers  a variety of topics.

On Saturday afternoon, the men are joined by the wives of the married deacons for a Human Formation course that, this year, is focused on how to form helping relationships with others. In addition to the weekend formation sessions, the men take on-line theology courses offered by the Pontifical University Josephinum Diaconate Institute.

The entire deacon formation program lasts five years. The first two years are called “aspirancy years” during which the men are called to grow in prayer and their understanding of the diaconate as reflecting Christ the Servant.

They also begin their theological study. After they complete aspirancy, the men are accepted as deacon candidates through the Rite of Candidacy at the beginning of their third formation year.  

A new aspirancy class began this past September. Comprised of 14 men from parishes throughout the Diocese of Crookston, this group represents one of the larger cohorts entering formation. Their formation consisted of evening Zoom sessions in the fall and continued in January with monthly Saturday formation sessions. The names of these men are not published by the Diocese until they become deacon candidates.

The Diocese of Crookston has 20 men in active ministry as permanent deacons in 14 parishes.  Some of these deacons also have a diocesan ministry such as serving as the spiritual director for the Cursillo apostolate, representing the diocese on the Minnesota Catholic Conference Bishop’s Advisory Committee, assisting with diocesan retreats or serving on diocesan councils or committees.

The Diocese has been served by eight men who are now retired, with some of these deacons doing limited ministry in retirement. Finally, one deacon incardinated in the Diocese of Crookston is serving in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Deacon Mark Krejci ([email protected]) serves as the Director of Deacon Formation and Personnel and may be contacted with any questions about the diaconate, or to explore applying for the next deacon formation group. 


In photo, from left to right: Richard Veit, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Howard Fulks, John Hajostek

Growing in love — Receiving, investing and multiplying God’s gifts

By Joe Lichty, Executive Director, Northland Catholic Community Foundation

In Bishop Cozzens’ pastoral letter, New Life: Through the Tender Compassion of our God, he describes building sustainable stewardship:

Stewardship and the use of our financial resources is not an addition to discipleship but is right at the heart of what we do. As we grow in discipleship, we become more generous with our time, talent and treasure. We want to help parishes develop their mission advancement and     stewardship capacities as we seek to build sustainable funding through charitable estate planning and good stewardship. This will include growing our Catholic Community Foundation so it can help parishes in their long-term stewardship needs.

The NCCF shares the belief with you that the parishes and non-profits that advance Catholic faith, values and service to the community should have funding forever. The NCCF offers best-in-class long-term investment strategies that follow Catholic values and donor intent.

As an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the NCCF manages endowment and donor designated assets to generate perpetual income and provides financial stability for parishes, the diocese and non-profits. Our promise is to ensure that you grow deeper in love with Christ and the Church and the organizations you designate funds to have future income so they may fulfill their mission in perpetuum, or forever.

We partner with you – in perpetuum – by offering best practices in parish stewardship and fundraising; presenting to finance and pastoral councils; and setting up church endowments, custodial funds, individual endowments, donor advised funds or family funds. 

How to set up an endowment, donor advised fund or family fund in six easy steps

The NCCF’s six easy steps help individuals or families (donor) create a sustainable financial base that provides ongoing support for their favorite missions, ministries and non-profits.

1. Define criteria with your values
Funds offer a structured and disciplined approach to charitable giving. NCCF works with you to define specific criteria and guidelines for fund disbursement. This ensures that financial resources are directed toward causes that resonate with your deeply held values and beliefs. You can choose various options and tools to fund your favorite charities today and/or forever.  

2. Select beneficiaries
Once the purpose of the fund is established, the donor selects the annual beneficiaries. Beneficiaries may be Catholic or non-profits not in conflict with Catholic teaching. Often, beneficiaries are parishes, the diocese or local or national non-profits. 

3. Choose funding amount and source
Together we add up annual gift amounts for all beneficiaries to find the total needed in the fund to sustain your giving each year. Donors can start funds with appreciated securities, IRA distributions, inherited IRAs, cash, crops and even cryptocurrency.

4. Prepare gift agreement
NCCF works with you and your advisors to put together an agreement that outlines the family’s intention for your charitable fund.

5. Add and grow the fund
You, family members or anyone may add additional gifts to the fund at any time. Often, individuals include the funds in their will or as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or an investment account. Many include the fund in their obituary as a memorial request.

6. Distribute gifts annually
Each year, NCCF sends the annual gifts (distributions) to each of the designated beneficiary organizations. This process starts today while family members are living and continues after they pass away. 

On behalf of the NCCF board of directors, we are grateful for your generosity and to accompany you as you steward all of God’s gifts today and forever! 

A Joyful Discovery – Marissa found Jesus in the Catholic Church
By Katrina Genereux

On April 15, 2017, Marissa Reimer stood frozen in awe at the front of Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks, during the Easter Vigil.

“I just felt so thrilled that I had finally come to this moment and also amazed that I would get to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus,” she said. “I had been going to church for two and a half years and I had just been longing to be able to receive Holy Communion.”

This moment was unimaginable before a series of encounters led her to the Catholic Church.
Marissa and her husband Caleb live in rural Thompson, North Dakota, with their sons Patrick, 3, and Micah, 9 months. She is a social worker at Sacred Heart School and he works at American Crystal Sugar in Crookston.

They met at University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks 10 years ago. Marissa quickly noticed his family’s closeness. Each Sunday he went to Mass and spent time with his family.

Marissa grew up in Elbow Lake with a Lutheran background. Her family sometimes went to church services. As she grew up, Marissa joined friends at various church youth groups. She desired closeness with God but kept hitting roadblocks.

A few weeks after meeting Caleb, she hoped he would invite her to church. Marissa began attending Mass with the Reimers almost every weekend. A few months later, in February 2015, Marissa told Caleb she was interested in becoming Catholic.

Key encounters
“We had not been seeing each other very long, but every time we went to church, I was learning how Catholic Mass works and I would ask him questions,” Marissa said. She never felt like an outsider even though she did not kneel and followed the responses in a children’s missal.
“I could not believe how strongly I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit almost every single time I went to Mass,” Marissa said.

She met with Msgr. Mike Foltz, the pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Francis of Assisi, Fisher, at the time. Because Marissa planned to study abroad the following spring, her entry into RCIA was delayed.

Msgr. Foltz encouraged her to continue attending Mass and discerning. 

“When I moved back home for the summer, I went to church by myself because none of my family is Catholic. I came back to UND in the fall and kept going to church with Caleb’s family,” she said.

While studying abroad in the spring of 2016, Marissa attended Mass almost every Sunday. Some Masses were in English, but most were not.
“I couldn’t understand what they were saying but at this point I had been going to Mass for a year and a half so I understood where we were in the Mass,” she said. 

Marissa continued asking questions about Catholics’ beliefs and how the faith is lived.

After returning, she began RCIA led by Deacon Steve Thomas.  “I remember every time I saw him he was so glad I was there,” she said. She appreciated his warmth and willingness to help her understand Church teachings.

“He played a really big role in my feeling comfortable and excited about becoming Catholic,” she said.
More recently, Marissa’s spiritual director, Ruth LeTexier, has taught her a lot about prayer. 

“I started meeting with her about a year ago and she reminds me every time we meet how merciful God is and how eternal his love is,” Marissa said. “She has prayed for me during really tough times and reminds me that when I have doubt or fear, God is right with me so all I have to do is turn to see his face.”

Christ in the Sacraments
In addition to being strengthened in faith by people she has met, encounters with Christ in prayer, the Eucharist and sacraments have drawn her deeper.

Marissa’s first encounter with the Eucharist happened before she was Catholic. She and Caleb were discussing the Eucharist. She struggled to accept that it was truly Christ’s Body and Blood. A short time later at St. Philip, Bemidji, Marissa stared up at the crucifix during Mass.
“We sat on the side, pretty close to the altar. I felt like I was also close to the crucifix where his head was turned, kind of looking toward us. Everyone was kneeling and I was sitting in the pew,” she said. “I was staring up at Jesus, looking at the marks where he was pierced, in my head asking him, ‘is this real? … is this really your body, is that really what is happening?’”

Marissa felt the Holy Spirit on her shoulders. “He was saying, ‘Yes, just trust me. Yes, it is real, just trust.’ From that point on, I believed that the Eucharist is his Blood and his Body,” she said.

Eucharistic adoration has been important to her since the beginning.

“Caleb and I would go to adoration in college and that’s always the place where I felt I could freely talk to God,” Marissa said. Any time she had difficulties, it helped her feel close to Christ.

During RCIA, Marissa said Deacon Thomas, while explaining adoration, told them he pictured Jesus sitting in the church with him.
One time at adoration, Marissa did not feel the connection she usually did.

“I remembered what Deacon Steve had said and I was praying for God to show himself and then I saw Jesus sitting in front of the altar in front of the monstrance, sitting there … smiling like ‘I am right here’,” she said. 

That moment of grace continues to extend into her life now. Whenever prayer is hard, she remembers Jesus’ presence in that moment and sees him again. 

The Sacrament of Confession was new to Marissa as she prepared to join the Church, and it is a place where she continues encountering Christ.

“I was excited and nervous the first time I went, mostly just nervous I wasn’t going to remember everything,” she said. Now she usually looks forward to the experience.

“I know other Catholics who try to avoid going to confession. That hurts my heart because I know how forgiving God is and he is just waiting there for us to come to him,” Marissa said.

“Caleb is very good about helping and reminding me or asking, ‘Hey, do you think we should go to confession this weekend? It has been a month’,” she said. 

Encounters in prayer
Being adamant and intentional about encountering Christ in prayer has been a point of growth for her and for their marriage.
“My prayer life with Caleb is super important,” she said. “That’s something we started right away. At first for me it was strange because at least in my church growing up, praying out loud wasn’t something we did.”

With effort, her prayer life continues to deepen.

“I pray differently now. Before it was mostly asking God for what I wanted,” she said. “I started praying, ‘God I want this, but if it's not your will, help me be at peace in that.’ I think that has made a huge difference in my prayer life.” 

She also frequently uses simple prayers, such as “come Holy Spirit” or “God I need you.” 

This summer Marissa experienced healing through prayer during the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. On July 19, she attended a healing prayer service led by Father Mathias Thelen.

“He said ‘first you need to forgive. Ask God who you need to forgive, and if you can offer sincere forgiveness and give that to God, then he will be able to heal you.’ I had never heard of it, but tried it out,” Marissa said.

She has been lactose intolerant for most of her life, so when Father Thelen invited them to pray for healing in an area, she chose that.
“After he was done praying and we sat down and he said ‘go out and act in faith, do something you couldn’t do before,’” she said. “I waited until I got home because I didn’t want to be sick on the charter bus. I got home and had some leftover pizza that was in the fridge and didn’t feel anything … Before when I ate dairy, I would have all the symptoms of lactose intolerance.”
Marissa has been able to consume other dairy products without any issues.

Sharing with others
Marissa said it is important to listen without judgment and allow people to ask questions and then share what the Catholic Church teaches.
“We have the truth and whether they accept it or not, you’re sharing that and offering that to them and God will help work that into their life,” Marissa said.

She believes it is also important to pray for and invite people. Caleb frequently invites his coworkers and Marissa’s family members to come to Mass.

“We pray for them and thank God for bringing them into our lives and ask how we can teach them more about the Catholic faith, and ask through his love, how can we be his hands and feet. It is not a fast process at all,” she said.

“I just want to shine the light of Jesus and bring people closer to God, encouraging their frequent prayer with God, receiving him in Holy Communion and attending confession as often as they can and going to adoration,” said Marissa. “All things that strengthen and deepen our relationship with him; it always leads me to desiring God even more.”

Diocesan Pastoral Council brings Bishop Andrew Cozzens’ pastoral vision to life

The Diocesan Pastoral Council has been reestablished within the Diocese of Crookston and has begun the important work bringing Bishop Andrew Cozzens’ Pastoral Vision, New Life in the Tender Compassion of Our God to life. Born out of the 2023-2024 diocesan Strategic Visioning process, the pastoral council consists of Christian faithful who are in full communion with the Catholic Church, clerics and especially lay persons.
The pastoral council is a diverse collection of people from around the diocese so that the people of God are truly reflected, regardless of age, gender, profession or social status. There are four purposes of the council.
A.    To act as the authentic representative voice of the whole People of God — lay persons, religious and clergy — to the Bishop.
B.    To serve as a forum for open communication throughout the diocese.
C.    To review issues at the request of the Bishop, and to submit to him recommendations that substantially affect diocesan goals and priorities.
D.    To assist the Bishop in the preparation of a diocesan synod when warranted (Canon 461.1) by selecting lay members (Canon 463.1-5) to be called to the synod, and by assisting the Bishop in implementing synodal statutes, policies and recommendations. 

As we continue to pray through and live the pastoral plan, New Life within the Diocese of Crookston, the Diocesan Pastoral Council will play an integral role in bringing that vision to life. 

Fifty Thousand Sent to Walk with One
By Deacon Mark Krejci

The Catholic Church in the United States continues our Eucharistic Revival as we move into the “Mission Year” of the revival. Having prepared as a diocese for revival in the first year and now having completed the “Parish Year,” we begin the “Mission Year.” Renewed in devotion to Christ in the Eucharist, it is time for Catholics to be renewed in our mission. 

During this past summer’s National Eucharistic Congress, the evening sessions concluded with an exhortation to Walk with One — to walk with one other person so that they grow closer to our Lord. Bishop Robert Barron, in his Saturday address at the Congress, asked all to consider what it would be like if the 50,000 people in attendance would each walk with one other person over the course of this next year.
The 50,000 at the Congress would reach 50,000 more with the truth, goodness and beauty of the gospel. Bishop Barron then had us imagine what it would be like if every Catholic in the country would do the same — it would change our country in a magnificent way.

For the sake of this article, let us shift our focus to the Diocese of Crookston. Imagine if the approximately 30,000 registered parishioners across the Diocese would Walk with One — 30,000 more would be drawn to the Lord. Okay, I can hear the skeptics think, We do not even have all registered Catholics coming to Sunday Mass. Well, then let us start there. We have about 10,000 Catholics coming to Sunday Mass across the diocese. Our Holy Mother Church is calling on these 10,000 people, in this the Mission Year of the Eucharistic Revival, to Walk with One other person this year.  
 

The organizers of the National Eucharistic Revival, chaired by our Bishop Cozzens, have described what this ministry would look like. The Walk with One ministry begins with each of us being called to identify someone in a spirit of humility. Prayerfully begin to discern whom God is calling you to accompany.

This ministry begins in prayer, which is meant to open us to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Who are we to accompany — to journey with them deeper into the heart of Jesus?  Even if someone immediately comes to mind — pray about this person before you act.  

In fact, once you have decided who the person should be, pray about and for this person.  The Walk with One ministry guide calls us to intercede for that person in communion in the Holy Spirit. Pray for the grace to be able to accompany the person whom the Lord has laid on your heart.

We are to enter into prayer for their struggles, their concerns, their joys, and their sorrows. It is suggested we offer a Mass for their intentions, pray before the Blessed Sacrament for them, and to pray for yourself so that you approach them guided by the Holy Spirit. All ministry is rooted in prayer, and, thus, Walk with One guides us to start with prayer.

The third step of Walk with One is to connect in Eucharistic friendship. Look for ways to accompany the person you have prayed for, to build a deeper relationship, and to practice the art of empathic listening. This is the step when you reach out in friendship. The connection is likely not a one-time encounter. Walk with One calls on you to sustain your friendship with them.

When spiritual matters come up, be sure to listen. It could be that your person does not know God or maybe has drifted away from the Church. When such matters arise, do not pressure yourself to “convince them” about the truth of the Gospel, but simply share the love of Jesus as you humbly begin to learn about their spiritual life.  

As the relationship deepens, and as matters of faith arise, the Walk with One ministry directs us to invite that person on a path most suitable for him or her. Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit to invite him or her to a concrete next step in fostering a personal relationship with Jesus and the Church.

A word of caution here: it is likely that they will not be ready to be invited to Sunday Mass. For many people raised in a secular world, and even for Catholics who have drifted away, the Mass is not likely the first step to take. You could offer to pray with them, perhaps watch a religious movie or invite them to some parish social function. The two of you could read a spiritual book or article and talk about it. 

Your parish likely offers some way for people to learn about Christianity and so invite them to this experience. If the person asks to come to Mass, invite them to Sunday Mass and then talk about their experience over coffee or a meal afterwards.  

As part of the third year of the Eucharistic Revival, every Catholic is invited to engage in Walk with One to help someone grow closer to Jesus and His Church. Just think what it would be like if the 10,000 Catholics who come to Mass on Sunday in the Diocese of Crookston would each do this.

Trusting in the Holy Spirit, there would soon be up to 20,000 people showing up on Sundays over the course of the year.  
The Eucharistic Revival is not meant to merely help us grow closer to Jesus. As Bishop Barron said during the National Eucharistic Congress, we are each meant to bring the light of Christ out to the secular world, and, thereby, we will transform the northwest corner of Minnesota.

Supporting youth ministry — Accompaniment Project reimagines how to help young people encounter Christ

By Misty Mehrkens

In November 2023, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) announced it had invited 43 parishes to participate in five cohorts for its grant-funded initiative, the Accompaniment Project. One of the cohorts in the initiative includes parishes from the Diocese of Crookston: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Barnesville; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston; Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes; St. Ann, Wauban; St. Bernard, Thief River Falls; St. Joseph, Moorhead; St. Mary, Warroad; and St. Peter, Park Rapids.

The Accompaniment Project seeks to guide parishes through reimagining how to accompany all young people encountering Christ and growing in discipleship. Each cohort of parishes will work with an NFCYM-appointed coach to train an Accompaniment Steering Committee that will lead the work of the project for a period of three years.

In this effort, these parishes will test a new model of ministering to young people, which focuses on developing a community of faith companions for the youth. 

Although still in the beginning phase of the project, many parishes within the Diocesan cohort have begun identifying changes needed to be made to better accompany youth in their faith. In some parishes, reflection and assessment surveys were sent to parents and youth asking what is on the minds and hearts of young people today in our community.

The survey, which included questions about the youth, ministry programs, parents and faith companions, and members of the parish community, identified how opportunities can be built within all aspects of ministries to youth.   

The hope is that through the Accompaniment Project, parishes can determine where they need to enhance particular areas to reach out to the youth as well as discontinue other programs or ministries to allow for such innovations. 

As the parishes determine this new framework for ministry, resources through the NFCYM grant are provided to help equip and support parents and faith companions in their community. Training sessions and regular gathering of parish leaders within the Accompaniment Project Steering Committees for each parish allows for mutual learning as committee members share their insights and discoveries of new effective ministry practices and strategies for engaging youth. 

Tammi Moes and her Accompaniment Project Steering Committee from St. Mary's, Warroad, conducted the assessment survey to their youth and parents. She was pleased with the response. They met in person and their youth committee members led the discussion using questions created by the Accompaniment Project coach who was assigned by the Diocesan cohort.  A follow-up meeting with the coach is scheduled soon to go over the biggest take-aways from their conversations.

“Not much fruit yet, but we’re excited we had a great turn out for the in-person discussion,” Tammi said. Moving forward, training, resources and discussions will continue to be held as parish committees and a diocesan cohort to help empower adults and develop structure for ongoing support for faith companions who accompany youth.