Easter greetings to the families of our diocesan Catholic schools!
COVID UPDATE
As the number of COVID cases once again is on the rise across the state, I want to express a special word of thanks to our schools and families who continue to go above and beyond with their mitigation strategies. Though our diocesan Catholic schools have remained largely in session, we are seeing an increased number of cases. Families, we ask for your extra efforts at home to follow state guidance and exercise caution during these last six weeks of school. We are on the home stretch and so grateful that we have been able to have students and staff in the classrooms.
AN EASTER MESSAGE
Those who know me well will tell you that I wear my heart on my sleeve. It’s not unusual for me to shed tears over a feel-good movie, a sweet message, or the powerful words of a song. On Easter Sunday, a whole new experience prevented me from singing the opening song at Mass—pure joy. I was in the choir loft and, from my vantage point, could see a FULL church (with social distancing)! After last year’s rather lonely Mass in our living room, the feeling of community completely overwhelmed me.
Perhaps you have experienced a similar realization. We pride ourselves in Catholic schools on the experience of community and family that are a core element of our identity. I often tell the story of when we enrolled our first child at the School of St. Philip in Litchfield. We were from out of town and didn’t know a soul. The school offered an invitation to a family night event, and the introvert in me wanted to toss it aside. But as I thought about it, I realized and said to my husband, “We’ve got to go. Anna is going to be friends with these people, and she’ll be going to their houses. We’ve got to get to know them.” So we went, reached out, and spent the next ten years enjoying the company of Anna’s, and our, new friends.
That experience of community was and is powerful, but it dulls in comparison to the community that God intended when we gather as a community of believers. During these weeks following the celebration of Easter and Pentecost, the daily readings from the Acts of the Apostles detail the founding of the Early Church. The disciples of Jesus continued His ministry, preaching and teaching, healing and sharing. But even more important than that, they came together to break bread and remember, just as Jesus instructed them to do. This celebration of Eucharist was the source of life for the community, sustaining them through the challenges they would inevitably face.
It’s not different for us today. We are still coming together to receive Jesus and His grace in the Eucharist, to remember His sacrifice and love. And it is His grace that forms, and even transforms, our community. While I thought we would find friends at St. Philip’s for Anna, we instead found a family of faith. Our school communities and the community that comes together each Sunday are more than just a group of friends. This community is united by God’s grace and is built on a foundation of shared faith. It is strong. It is life-giving. It is on a mission to do great things in the name of Jesus Christ.
It is easy to see the turbulence of our Church these days, but we remain a people of hope. We are “a community,” not lone rangers. And not only do we go forward together, we take God and His grace with us. My challenge for myself is to always consider where I am needed in the Church and be open to the call. I invite you to consider that as well.
If you have always been involved and will continue to eternity, perhaps you’re ready to take someone along with you. Have you ever considered stepping into a leadership role? How is God calling you to take the next step?
If you are a “Sundays” or “School Only” participant, how can you grow your involvement? My suggestion is to begin with Sunday Mass – and take your children with you. This is an opportunity for your children to see your faith move you to action.
In our varied journeys, we are called to walk together toward our heavenly home. We can do so with hope because we have others who support, encourage, and even challenge us. My prayer is that we need never experience the separation from the Eucharist and the community that we experienced in 2020. May our faith communities in our churches and Catholic schools remain a source of joy and hope.
In Him,
Dr. Michelle Kramer
Office of Schools
Diocese of New Ulm