Story By Amber Walling
This year’s theme for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal is “Behold who you are, become what you receive.” This quote, attributed to St. Augustine, is especially stirring as Catholics across the nation participate in the National Eucharistic Revival and renew their love for Jesus in the Eucharist.
“In all the noise and stress of our lives, it’s easy to feel lost and forget that we’re unique, cherished and loved just as we are,” said Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C.
“Behold who you are. Remember that you are a child of Christ. He stretches out his new life to you. With open hearts and hands, you can receive him, just as we receive his Body and Blood in the Eucharist every Sunday,” he said.
The ministries that the Annual Appeal funds help Catholics become Eucharist to one another. Across the following pages are stories of new ministries the appeal supports.
“Today, I encourage you to become what you receive,” Bishop Neary said, become alive and active, to give of your time, talent and treasure so that others may also know Christ.”
Respect Life: Leading with Love
“I can identify with bookends of life, from conception to natural death,” said Janet Dusek, associate director of Respect Life Ministries for the St. Cloud Diocese. “I have a new granddaughter and an elderly mother.”
Respect Life, a ministry of the Office of Marriage and Family, will work within these bookends.
“The Catholic Church supports the dignity of human life. We needed to shine more light on this area so we could grow the ministry,” she continued.
Growing the ministry will include creating a network of pro- life ministers, coordinating events to support pro-life efforts, supporting the 14 pregnancy resource centers in the diocese, providing training for pro-life and respect life coordinators and, where needed, additional programming.
“I will be taking inventory of what parishes are already doing. My goal is to accompany them on their work. I want to walk alongside them,” Dusek said.
“I hope to get materials regarding these resources in the hands of each priest in the diocese. Financial support from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal helps us do this work,” Dusek said. “I recently worked with Father Tom Knoblach on presentations for creating a health care directive.”
In addition to collaborating with parishes and pregnancy resource centers, Respect Life will also partner with Catholic adoption agencies, Red Bird ministries, Project Rachel, organizations that support changes in legislation which focus on respect for and quality of life and a new initiative called “Walking with Moms in Need,” a nationwide, parish-based initiative to increase support for pregnant and parenting mothers in need.
Her work includes sometimes challenging and heavy topics such as assisted suicide, euthanasia, miscarriage, child loss and abortion.
“I have a joyful heart that approaches these topics with a glass half full, and a compassionate heart that recognizes and embraces the weight of each one,” she said.
“We are not here to judge. We need to listen and let people know God loves them. I am realizing that people suffer silently, and it is my job to determine how the diocese can help.”
Mental Health Ministry: A vital need in restoring hope and dignity and removing stigma
“There are countless people struggling in a myriad of ways with a mental health challenge or diagnosis. These struggles go across generations, society and cultures and play out in different ways,” said JoAnn Braegelman, western region rural life coordinator for Catholic Charities’ Social Concerns Office.
This is exactly why she stepped forward to form the diocesan mental health ministry team.
“We have members from various diocesan offices including social concerns, education ministries, parish nursing, marriage and family, the diocesan chancellor, multicultural ministries as well as a community leader of mental health and a hospital chaplain,” Braegelman said.
The group first met in August 2022 and began creating awareness of their team which included establishing a website, developing a mission and vision statement, conducting meetings with clergy and holding a Mass of Remembrance and Healing for Survivors of Suicide.
“The role of a mental health ministry team is to provide spiritual companionship, to listen and enter relationships, provide spiritual and practical support and resources and provide educational opportunities for mental health awareness to the parishes.”
She continued, “It’s important to note that mental health ministry is not therapy, counseling or solving someone’s problems. Rather, it is listening and accompanying individuals on their journey and reaffirming that they are a beloved child of God.”
Braegelman recognizes there is a lot of work to be done.
“Many times, I have become overwhelmed at the enormity of the need for our ministry. Our next priority is to provide training for clergy and diocesan staff. We want to support our clergy in the work they do and support their own mental well- being,” Braegelman said.
“I continue to be reminded that this is God’s work and I have to trust his timing. The most promising part of this ministry is the potential to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and restore hope and dignity to individuals who struggle with it. I want all to truly know that God loves them for who they are.”
Leadership Formation: Investing in the disciples of our diocese
It takes many hands to do the work of Christ. The recently formed Leadership Formation Office recognizes this. The new office consists of Bailey Ziegler, director of human resources, and Kristi Bivens, director of lay leadership formation.
“We want to make sure people who are working in parishes, both paid staff and volunteers, have what they need to do their ministry well,” Ziegler said.
“Without the support of parishes, we could not do the work,” she added, “therefore, we are exploring how parish leaders are being formed for ministry.”
Ziegler and Bivens have already begun their work by creating partnerships with other members of the diocesan staff, which will help them with their next steps — working with the parishes and ACC’s.
“We will be visiting with clergy and lay leaders to discover their needs for formation,” Ziegler stated.
After these conversations, a thoughtful strategic plan will be created.
Work by the Leadership Formation office will be ongoing and widespread.
“The size of our diocese can be a challenge, so we will continue to use technology to our benefit to provide access to more people,” Ziegler said.
“We will also continue to provide in-person formation opportunities,” Bivens added.
Ziegler continued, “The financial support from parishes, through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, allows us to do our work. A return on that investment is seen through our work, walking with parish ministers and leaders.”
Bivens and Ziegler share their excitement to encourage those being served by the new office — people who have a passion and love for their ministry — and hope they feel supported, especially in their desire for ongoing formation.
“Ultimately, I hope that the work that we do will lead individuals closer to Christ and Christ’s Church,” Bivens said. “I believe that formation opportunities will help individuals understand more deeply the role that the laity play in the Church; that through our baptism, we are called to be co-responsible with the clergy for the mission of the Church: to make disciples.”
FEBRUARY 22 AT 6:30 PM—MENTAL HEALTH MINISTRY WEBINAR
Everyone is invited to join in a webinar with Deacon Ed Shoener, the director of the Association for Catholic Mental Health Ministry. Deacon Ed will be sharing general information about mental illness, some of the misconceptions around it and how our faith speaks to everyone’s mental health journey, along with some practical ways that we can all help eliminate the stigma and better support family, friends and community who are experiencing mental health challenges. Watch for more details and registration information on the diocese’s Mental Health Ministry website at https://www.stcdio.org/mental-health-ministry/.
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Photography by Dianne Towalski.