About a thousand people gathered at the Amanda and Randy Hartung Family Farm in St. Anthony Aug. 18 for the annual Diocesan Rural life Celebration. Bishop Donald Kettler celebrated the outdoor Mass and presented certificates to 35 families being honored by Catholic Charities for owning Century Farms. These families have farmed the same land for 100 years or more. The event also included lunch, live music by The Slew Foot Family Band, a petting zoo, farm tours and a tractor display. A second collection taken during the Mass will benefit the Rural Life Fund, a program of Catholic Charities in collaboration with the Diocese of St. Cloud that offers small emergency funds for rural individuals and families facing financial hardship.
