Minnesotans rebuild houses and hopes

by Sue Schulzetenberg
Visitor Staff Writer

ST. CLOUD — Jennifer Busse, a senior at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, plans to graduate this May 12, but not with a degree in roofing. She is has a double major in economics and accounting.

But during a Feb. 24-March 3 trip to Hattiesburg, Miss., she received a “crash course” in the art of roofing. And, in the process, she gave hope to Mississippians still recovering from having their world come crashing down upon them during the late-summer hurricanes of 2005.

So, when Busse returned to St. Joseph, it was with loads of experience, not only in putting roofs over people’s heads but also in putting life’s priorities into perspective.
“I loved it,” she said of the experience.

Busse was a member of the fourth “wave” of about 20 volunteers each that have traveled south for a week to help rebuild Hattiesburg, central Minnesota’s “partnership city.” The seventh group of volunteers is currently in Mississippi, from April 7-14. The eighth group, scheduled to hit Hattiesburg April 21-28, will probably be the last group for a time, until perhaps more money is raised and the trips can continue again in the fall, said Greg Vandal, facilitator for the Hattiesburg Community partnership.

	Dale Hanka, Elaine Coughlin, Carolyn Haupert, Carolyn Hanka and Amanda Doll recently traveled to Mississippi to rebuild roofs and the hopes of those under them. They are among scores of people from the St. Cloud area, including many from parishes in the St. Cloud Diocese, who have travelled to Hattiesburg, Miss. to help rebuild homes damaged by 2005 hurricanes. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Busse)

Diocese marks 25 years of Divine Mercy devotion

by Sue Schulzetenberg
Visitor Staff Writer

ST. CLOUD DIOCESE — Every Mass is a special celebration of God’s great mercy. But this year in the St. Cloud Diocese, the feast day of the Divine Mercy, on the second Sunday of Easter, will generate extra excitement.

It was exactly 25 years ago that Bishop George Speltz dedicated the St. Cloud Diocese to the Divine Mercy devotion. To celebrate the anniversary, St. Paul Parish in Sauk Centre, the first parish in the diocese to foster the devotion, will host a pilgrimage with exposition and adoration of the Eucharist, confessions, mercy hour reflection and a Mass on April 15, the date of this year’s feast. Several other parishes in the diocese will host similar special devotions.

	A Divine Mercy wood carving by Deacon Lawrence Kaas adorns St. Paul Church in Sauk Centre. Divine Mercy Sunday is April 15 this year. (SCV photo by Sue Schulzetenberg)

“It’s a very important day,” said Deacon Lawrence Kaas who serves St. Paul and Our Lady of the Angels parishes in Sauk Centre and St. Alexius Parish in West Union. “It’s a celebration of God’s mercy and how can you improve on that?” asked the deacon who is a charter member of the Sauk Centre Chapter of the Divine Mercy Devotion group, or “Mercy Gang,” as they are affectionately known.
The Divine Mercy devotion is based on messages from the diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish Mercy Sister who died in 1938. According to diary entries, Christ appeared to her and imparted a message of mercy — asking for mercy, being merciful and completely trusting in Jesus, according to the Web site www.thedivinemercy.org.

SCSU students from Christ Church Newman Center ‘hammer home’ their faith while spending spring break serving those in Appalachia and on Skid Row


ST. CLOUD — It was the best of intentions. It was the worst of circumstances, or at least it seemed that way.

This is the tale of service trips to two cities — Los Angeles in California and Mount Vernon in eastern Kentucky. Those who served on these trips were St. Cloud State University students who are members of the Christ Church Newman Center Parish. They spent their spring breaks circumscribing a pair of human “circles of service” around communities that may be poor in possessions but are rich in spirit.

The Kentucky trip, which the parish has also sponsored on past spring breaks, was led by Ben Caduff, the parish’s campus minister and social concerns coordinator from March 2 to 10. The Los Angeles trip, a first for the parish, was led by Kathy Langer, pastoral associate at Christ Church Newman Center from March 5 to 10.

As in past years’ service trips, students discovered that the experience served to give them insight into their blessings and gifts, their faith and, most important, into themselves.

Jessica Bjerk (center) works with other college students from across the country nailing plywood into place to repair a home which is part of the Christian Appalachian Project in Mount Vernon, Kentucky.	Susan Kimman (right) hammers along with other volunteers pounding planks on a frame to reconstruct a porch.

A Tale of Los Angeles
“I learned how much I have and how little others have. It makes a person feel bad, sometimes even selfish,” said Ruth Knowles, 20, a second year student majoring in criminal justice who serves part-time at the Newman Center as a peer minister.

“There are people all over the world living on the streets,” she said, “and I have never gone a day without a warm bed, clothes on my back, and food to eat. It made me feel even more grateful for the things that I have.”

Those on the service trip to Los Angeles went to “Skid Row” where they worked in soup kitchens, toured homeless shelters, taught children at a battered women’s shelter, and visited social justice programs such as the Hotel Dieu (House of God) and Homeboy Industries, which intervenes with youths involved in gangs.

Ruth Knowles (left) and Sara Hinnenkamp take on a bit of “cleaning duty” during their service in Los Angeles.	A Michigan State University student (right) hammers alongside SCSU’s Susan Kimman as they work to repair a porch as a part of the Appalachian Project’s Workfest in March.

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