Janette Shippy, Colome, charts ideas from the group. (Photo by Teresa Spiess)

   (Editor’s note: The Spirituality Initiative (SI) weekends introduced in the November and December issues of the West River Catholic continue to be held during the winter months. As previously reported, parish leaders and pastors gather to discuss revitalizing parishes – the heart of the Catholic Church. Pastors attending the latest weekend included Msgr. Michael Woster, Winner; Father Godfrey Muwanga, Gregory; and Father Ed Witt, Mission.
    The West River Catholic contacted some of the participants for feedback on the SI process.)

    A group of 30 people met at Terra Sancta, Rapid City, December 4-6. This group represented churches in the southeast corner of the Diocese of Rapid City. Along with their meetings, attendees toured the newly acquired facility which was formerly a Benedictine Monastery and school.

   Kathy Hranbanek is from St. Isidore Parish in Colome. She said she enjoyed hearing from other parishes, “We found that we share some of the same concerns and were able to discuss ideas to address them or possibly overcome them.” When she returned to her parish she hoped parishioners would do more evangelizing to inspire people to fill the pews. “It is important to get those non-active Catholics to become active again for themselves and for the sake of our parish community,” she said.
    One of the agenda items discussed was the challenge pastors with multiple parishes face. “Our pastor (Msgr. Woster) lives in Winner and we don’t always have the opportunity to sit and visit with him in such a relaxed environment as the one provided at the Spirituality Initiative. I hope he felt he had the chance to get to know us better as well,” said Hranbanek.
   “The Terra Sancta facility was very impressive and I look for it to be a great asset for the parishes in the western half of the state. It would be a beautiful retreat center for priests as well as fellow Catholics. The facility radiates great faith and peacefulness, and is very comfortable and relaxing,” she said, adding she hoped the peacefulness and holiness of the facility can be sustained as the surrounding area develops.

Parish leaders from the southeast corner of the diocese meet with their pastors to brainstorm ideas for reinvigorating parish life. On the back wall  ideas are posted for discussion. (Photo by Teresa Spiess)

Tim Pravecek attended from Immaculate Conception Church, Winner. At his parish he would like to help the church council with religious education and bringing fallen-away Catholics back to church. He chose these challenges “mostly because I see the age of our parishioners skewed towards middle age and older folks.” He thought the Terra Sancta facility offered many opportunities for the diocese to use and expand, including retreat space and possible rental space for family reunions.

Sandy Kranz attended from St. Immaculate Conception Church, Winner. She said she enjoyed learning other parishes share common problems and desires.
    At her parish she would like to see an increased friendliness and better education of youth in their faith. Kranz said, “Without education our youth don’t find out the uniqueness of our Catholic faith. Our sacramental gifts separate us from other Christians.” She added, “Educating them in the faith isn’t sufficient unless they feel welcomed in their parish home.”
    Reflecting on the Terra Sancta facility, she said, “I think it is a very nice facility and that it would be a shame to lose it. I could see it as an area for retreats and family vacations.”

   G.W. Ekroth attended the Spirituality Initiative from St. Joseph Church, Gregory. He enjoyed the “awesome meals” and was impressed by the new sense of community that developed between the different parishes within Gregory County. Ekroth said, “We have an excellent faith formation program in our parish, and I would love to see even more people get involved in these studies. We have also started work on an outreach program that we hope will spark a renewed interest in all Catholics to be more involved with the church. As a Christian family we are all called to care for and tend to the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters, and I think this weekend helped encourage that mission.”
    Further commenting on the weekend, he discussed the Terra Sancta buildings. “It was impossible not to see the potential of the facility. The walk through was almost overwhelming, because of the sheer size of it, and the location is amazing. It seems ideal for retreats of all kinds, and basically a home away from home for Catholics. I’m sure the diocese can use it for different kinds of meetings, family reunions, youth gatherings, renewals, and missions.”

   Sue Vogt came from Immaculate Conception Church, Bonesteel. She said, “I enjoyed the fellowship with other parishioners in the area, as well as the networking and brainstorming on ways to make our churches more vibrant. It was helpful when we worked together in small groups, then added the groups together. It was also interesting when we mixed the parishes from different areas. I got some good ideas to use in Altar Society, youth groups, and in general to make some exciting changes and to reinforce the good things that are already happening.”
    Vogt has personal memories of the former Benedictine Monastery, “Terra Sancta has always been a special place to me as I had two aunts who were in the monastery there. It’s very exciting to see the plans the diocese has for the facility, hopefully for the betterment of the whole diocese, including those of us on the eastern edge.”

   Larry Lucas came from St. Thomas Church in Mission. He said, “I enjoyed brainstorming for ideas to improve or renew spirituality in our individual parishes.” At his home parish he would like to see more collaboration with community groups to help families be more self sufficient and functional. Following the tour of the Terra Sancta he said, “I was very impressed with the chapel and the excellent condition of all the buildings.”

   Carol Johnson attended from Sacred Heart Church in Burke. “I thought the whole weekend was wonderful. Hopefully working together we can make our church stronger and bring back some of the fallen away Catholics.
“I feel that there could be a domino effect here. If we could bring fallen away Catholics and others into our parish, we could have many new doors opened. More people with new ideas bring more people with a whole new set of areas to be covered. It also would help out in the monetary end of things. Once again, the more cash flow, the more doors are opened,” she said.
“Father Godfrey has been with us less than a year, but he is very easy to get to know,” said Johnson. “Since the weekend in Rapid City, I have found that he is met with challenges that I never even thought of. Looking ahead and seeing the obstacles that face our parish, I feel he has some very good ideas.”
    She added, “Oh, my goodness! Terra Sancta is a beautiful, wonderful facility! The bishop would have been crazy to have passed up the offer (to buy it). Yes, it is a lot of money, but I think the ideas for the renovations that were presented to us are excellent ones. In time, it will more than pay for itself in the many usages that are planned. One of the things our group thought would be very good for our youth is to have a week long summer camp. We need to focus on our youth, our future, and instill in them the desire to continue and to grow in the Catholic faith.”