As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to reflect his welcome, creating spaces of belonging, warmth and mercy — whether it’s in our homes, parishes, schools or workplaces.
Over the years as a teacher and administrator, Erin Hatlestad has learned a little about that call to hospitality and the importance of creating a culture of welcome for students, staff and visitors.
“It’s all about the relationships,” Hatlestad said. “It’s just who we are. You want to build those relationships. You want to have people feel welcome when they come into your building.”
As parishes change to accommodate the “All Things New” planning process, there will be many opportunities to welcome others, not just into our parishes, but into our parish organizations, confirmation and faith formation classes and even parish leadership.
“Focus on what you have in common,” Hatlestad advises. “It’s easy to focus on what’s different, but if you focus on what you have in common, you can overcome. Really make an effort, a very concerted effort, where you really work on bringing yourselves together for the common things, for the good things.”
In 2010, Hatlestad, who now serves as director of education for Catholic Community Schools, facilitated the merging of Sacred Heart School in Sauk Rapids with St. Augustine/St. Mary School in St. Cloud to form what is now St. Katharine Drexel School.
“I was named the principal over the two schools for a year, and that whole year we worked on building community and showing hospitality,” she said.
Their efforts made all the difference.
“I think having that hospitality, gathering around food, gathering around our children, having potlucks, having events based on more social activity instead of just academics was huge,” Hatlestad said.
“It’s great to do a lot of different activities,” she added. “But we made sure that we were being very intentional about finding the things that we could build on to make us better and stronger. It was really a loss for people when we merged, but we came out stronger.”
Intentional hospitality in a merger process creates a space where a new, combined identity can be formed, explained Brenda Kresky, director of planning for the diocese.
“Genuine hospitality goes beyond a simple ‘welcome’ at the door,” she said. “It means making intentional efforts to get to know new members, connect them with others, and weave them into the traditions that define us. Strangers become part of a shared family.”
Hatlestad explains that the beauty of Catholic schools lies in this very sense of belonging.
“One of the greatest benefits of being in a Catholic school is that you become part of a community, a family,” she said.
She recalled one of the most meaningful compliments received after the schools merged: “A teacher told me, ‘I didn’t know how we were going to bring our two staffs together — we were very different. Within six months, I couldn’t remember anymore who was from which campus because it just seemed like we’d been together forever.’”
Being welcomed and welcoming others are essential parts of nurturing new connections, she says. It’s all about building relationships, whether through an invitation to join a group, a friendly smile or a phone call.
“As we walk together through times of transition, we remember that we are the Church — a living community of faith, hope, and love.”
Hatlestad said that the kids getting to know one another was also key.
“Children are resilient. They love change. And so, they just really saw [the experience as making] new friends,” she said.
For years after that, she said, the kids were so used to everybody being a new friend that it was easy to welcome new students that enrolled at St. Katharine Drexel.
“Change is hard, but it can be a good thing,” Hatlestad said. “But through our faith, we are reminded that it’s not the building that defines us, but the people within it — the relationships, the shared prayers,and the love we extend to one another.”