Many years ago, my pastor Father Gregory Mastey found himself wondering across a sleepless night how he could best build community in his parishes. A mingling of his creativity and the Holy Spirt led him to inhabit an epiphany: he would begin to have outdoor Masses in good weather that could rotate once a week with the help of parishioners who would volunteer to act as hosts at their farms and homes, and “On the Road Mass” was born! Of course, when the world changed in early 2020, this was paused, but this summer the tradition has burst into bloom again in the Holdingford cluster, and we were excited to have one at our place in western Collegeville this past June 13.
The method is simple. Any interested family or couple fills out a form, and a note apprising everyone goes into the bulletins at Holdingford, St. Anna, and St. Wendel. Tuesday is the usual evening, and minimal signage leads the faithful who arrive with lawn chairs, bug spray and goodwill. Father Gregory begins each evening by asking the hosting couple (or individual) to introduce themselves, and shy or no, they narrate the story of the property and buildings, report on the children raised there, and they also must reveal their occupations and hobbies. Most importantly, they get to proclaim as many intentions as they want for the Mass, and family is mentioned every single time. Mass concludes after a wonderful lull of silent prayer with all of us singing twice the first lines of the old Gospel song, Holy Ground, and then Father solemnly orders all of us to seek out someone that they don’t know for Minnesota-style visiting. Sometimes there is ice water, or lemonade; sometimes food; sometimes there is beer.
In the years, this is the third time my wife Jessie and I have done this. She always gets nervous because keeping up with 20 acres is not for the faint of heart, and every third thing seems to be broken, but looming far above this in importance is that June 13 was obviously the 106th anniversary of the second apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, and promoting her prayers, messages and warnings to anyone who will listen is a big deal to us. When the moment came to call out our intentions, I tried to show restraint, but I of course mentioned our marriage and family, our desire to have our lake home and land reconsecrated to the Holy Family and my big intention was for all the souls of Central Minnesota Catholics who are in most need. In a fast preamble, I reminded attendees that at the Cova for the second apparition in 1917, the children were told of the importance of devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Astonishingly, they had to get their little kid brains around the idea that Jacinta and Francisco would be taken to heaven soon, but Lucia would need to “stay a little while,” and become literate so she could promote the events to the entire world. Also, the seers were taught several prayers by both the Angel of Peace, as well as the Blessed Mother, and this is the very day she taught them to pray, Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, and lead all souls to Heaven who are in most need.
If you attend one of these Masses, you can glimpse the past and possibly the future at once. In Ancient Rome our distant brothers and sisters gathered in catacombs, private homes, wherever necessity dictated to get to Mass depending on who was emperor. In our strange period of history, churches have been closed world-wide, and it is not impossible this could happen again. We all dearly love our churches and sacred spaces, and not without justification, but we must remember buildings are temporal things of the world; it is the Holy Mass, our greatest prayer as Catholics that has infinite value, and I can’t overstate how astonishing it is to have the Eucharist blessed at your home. Come what may, as long as we have courageous priests like Father Gregory, we will have access to this sacrament – the center of the universe – s well as Our Lady of Fatima who is leading us towards the Cross of her Son on a path strewn with stars, to the end of all desires.
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Jeff Johnson teaches English at Central Lakes College, and directs Verse Like Water, the visiting poet program of Central Lakes College. He lives in Collegeville with his wife, Jessie, and is a member of Two Rivers Catholic Community.
Pictured above: Father Gregory Mastey celebrates the “On the Road Mass” on the Johnson’s property June 13. (Photos by Dianne Towalski / The Central Minnesota Catholic)