Catholic Trends
September Catholic Trends

New Ulm, MN - The 2001 Diocesan Festival was held at the beautiful Redwood Falls Community Center, in Redwood Falls, MN, August 19, 2001. Nearly 1,400 participated in the "Big Party." Coordinators of the event focused on the "party" idea encouraging people of all ages to come together and celebrate the beginning of a new millennium and the spirit of renewal. A special emphasis by presenters during the event was on renewing our baptismal call as disciples of Jesus.

Presenters included speaker, Father Dick Rice and musician, Sister Rosemarie Whitehead who reflected on the theme of baptism through word and song. Father Rice also brought to the festival participants a blessing from Bishop Lucker, who is dying of cancer. His message, "Be open to the spirit," was a fitting beginning to the activities of the day.

John Buscemi, who designed the diocesan cross, shared his thoughts about the meaning of the images of the cross as a "coming together of opposites." His design allows this crossing point of opposites to remain open space where he suggests we symbolically pass through in a process of conversion. "This cross is a symbol of conversion, a conversion from death to everlasting life."

There were age appropriate activities for young children coordinated by a team of professional religious women who are actively involved in theatrical production for adults and children. Sister Pam Donelan was assisted by Sister Deb Nelson, Sister Vicki Larson, and Nikki Julian a recent graduate of Presentation College. They were also assisted by Bob Gebhard and Patti Cogley.

There was a special track for the Spanish speaking participants who enjoyed the presentations of musician/composers, Jaime Cortez and Donna Peña. Marty Haugen, also a musician/composer joined Peña and Cortez in leading the festival music along with musicians and choir members from all around the diocese. Haugen was commissioned by the diocese in 1998 to compose the diocesan jubilee theme song, Beneath the Tree of Life.

Witness talks were also part of the celebration. Tom Hobt, a New Ulm business man, Randy Krzmarzick, a farmer from rural Sleepy Eye, and student Clare Larson of Morgan, spoke to the audience about their unique experiences of living out their baptismal call in daily life.

Bishop John C. Nienstedt, newly installed Bishop of the diocese, presided at the liturgy and offered words of gratitude and admiration for festival participants. In his homily he emphasized that the diocesan program for prayer and fasting for vocations is a part of a larger movement - the work of re-imaging ourselves in a new millennium. He tells of two images that frame the Holy Father’s letter on New Evangelization, "Put out into the deep" and the second is "showing the face of Christ to the world."

Bishop said, "We must cast off from the shores of our personal and collective comfort and plunge into the deep waters of our secular culture in order to speak God’s Word to a world yearning for a sense of purpose in life."

"The celebration of the great Jubilee does not end with this diocesan festival," he said. "Rather, we have just begun. Our diocesan RENEW program, though entering its fifth and final season, should not be seen as the completion of our growth in faith. The race is still being run."

The day of song, prayer, and renewal concluded with a huge picnic.