Sleeves rolled up for ministry

by Jill Underdahl, CSJ

Father Marius Nepper, a French priest who helped the Sisters of St. Joseph reclaim their founding charism and history in France after Vatican II, used these images to describe a Daughter of St. Joseph. And, there are no better images than these to describe Agatha and Marie Grossman, CSJs. These two Sisters of St. Joseph, who share both family and community life, live and divide the city of Gaylord, MN. With a population of about 2,000, Gaylord is the county seat of Sibley County. Like many towns in southern Minnesota, Gaylord’s Hispanic community is growing, About 10 percent of its population is Hispanic.

Five years ago Agatha and Marie moved to Gaylord after each of them left their many years of respective ministries. Agatha, a nurse, had ministered for many years in health care settings. She served missions in Minnesota, North Dakota, Peru and Jonestown, Mississippi. Marie, a teacher for 28 years, also did parish ministry in Lamberton, Minnesota. After leaving these ministries and returning to St. Paul, Marie remembers saying to Agatha, "We’re in good health. What more can we do?"

Having lived in southwestern Minnesota, Marie knew about the perils of the migrant worker Hispanic population, but not knowing exactly what they could or would do or where, Agatha and Marie set out to seek ministry again. They visited towns and listened to people’s needs and observed available services. When they went to Gaylord, Agatha worked as a caregiver in a care facility for Alzheimer’s patients. They met people in the parish and local businesses and listened to the needs of the town.

Eventually they organized a group, which continues to meet every week, to reflect on the Sunday scriptures. And they began to teach English to Hispanics. Like traveling sales representatives, they would go to people’s homes in the Hispanic community and teach three to four people seated at a kitchen table.

In these five years, they have worked with the Gaylord civic community to establish classrooms adjacent to the town’s library and acquire curriculum, resources, and computers. They are also expanding their ministry to include volunteers; consequently, Agatha not only teaches English to the Spanish-speaking, but also Spanish to the English-speaking-all in effort to build alliances among the different cultures and races. They offer classes from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., all year.

Beyond this ministry, Agatha and Marie both belong to civic committees. Marie belongs to a commission to reduce rural violence. Agatha is on the board of the Alliance of Friendship: Alianza de Amistad, a nonprofit organization that fosters friendship between the Hispanic and Anglo community in Gaylord and Sibley county.

Undoubtedly, Agatha and Marie continue to live the spirit of the first Sisters in LePuy, France. Attentively they listen to people’s needs, and eagerly they roll up their sleeves to work with individuals and a town.