Reaching 50 years of marriage isn’t the only milestone for Steve and Connie Richter this year. After decades of commitment to the Perham community, the Richters will move into retirement through the closure of their business, Richter’s Men’s Wear.
For the last 44 of the 57 years of Richter’s Men’s Wear, the couple built their business on the foundation of their Catholic faith and worked together serving their community both inside and outside the business’s doors.
Fellow parishioner Abbey Moenkedick and Breanna Adams, Richter’s daughter, nominated the couple for this year’s Catholic Rural Business Award given annually in the Diocese of St. Cloud.
“[Steve and Connie’s] Catholic faith has guided every decision they have made, both personally and professionally,” the nomination reads. “They have built lasting relationships through honesty, compassion, generosity and humility and their lives remind us that evangelization often happens not through words alone, but through consistent acts of kindness and faithful service.”
Each year, winners for the award are selected based on the ways they bear witness to their Catholic faith and show commitment to their rural community, both within their faith community and beyond the Church, through involvement in practices of stewardship, advocacy and support for rural life.
“We are looking for business owners who reflect the model we have in St. Joseph the Worker, and the Richters certainly do that. We are excited to honor them as they complete decades as a pillar of their community,” said Kateri Mancini, diocesan director of social concerns.
Businesses must also uphold the dignity of their employees and clients through workplace practices that promote the common good and human flourishing.
This year, Steve and Connie will be recognized during the 2026 Rural Life Celebration hosted at the Moenkedick Family Farm in Perham on August 16.
For Steve and Connie, incorporating their faith values into their business is crucial.
“It’s not about the money. We are fair with everybody, no matter what walk of life
or their beliefs. We’re here
to serve the people,” Steve said. “It’s not always about taking from the community. You need to give back and leave seeds for the community to grow.”
Deacon Richard Quistorff, who serves the Northern Cross ACC which includes St. Henry in Perham, St. Lawrence in Rush Lake, Holy Cross in Butler and Sacred Heart in Dent where the Richters are parishioners, knows he can count on
Steve and Connie’s steady presence both in their business and in the ACC.
“When I stop at the store, I see them working side by side. It’s a team effort,” Deacon Quistorff said. “And, when I see them on the schedule for ministries at Mass, I can count on them showing up ready to serve.”
He continued, “Having Catholic business owners like the Richters as part of the community is important. They provide a daily display of faith in our community. Everybody knows they are Catholic. They don’t hide their faith and that’s important.”
The couple is honored to receive the Catholic Rural Business Award, but Steve and Connie prefer to “fly under the radar” because they’ve already received so much.
“This is what we’ve done to make a living,” Steve said, “but the real gifts are the friends you make along the way.”