A row of about 30 colorful tractors lined the parking lot April 21 at St. Stephen Parish in St. Stephen as the parish hosted its annual tractor and seed blessing after the 10 a.m. Mass.
Deacon Joe Kresky, who serves the parishes of the One in Christ Area Catholic Community, which includes St. Stephen, Sartell, Sauk Rapids and Mayhew Lake, assisted with the blessing.
“People get really excited about the event. Everyone went outside right away after Mass,” Kresky said. “This parish has really hung onto their tradition and their culture. It is pretty cool that they have emphasized this blessing. It helps unite them.”
During the blessing, Deacon Kresky encouraged people to “be grateful for the gifts God has given us — the gift of the seeds and the tractors” and prayed for an abundant harvest and for the safety of all farmers.
Elizabeth Fiedler, a parishioner of St. Francis Xavier in Sartell, lives just down the road from the church on her farm, Sunny Mary Meadow. She attended the blessing with her family for the first time.
“There was a great sense of community. I’m a flower farmer, so I just had a little tractor and my neighbor brought the tractor he uses for planting grass. We were impressed to see some really big tractors, too,” she said.
“Having grown up on a farm, I understand the impact of farmers on our lives,” she added. “Less than two percent of the American population are farmers, but it’s something that impacts everyone directly. We want the people who grow our food and flowers to be safe and have a bountiful harvest.”