The first reader was Jo Youngren(right), reading “Growing up Catholic: A Personal Labyrinth”. Jo’s story told of a labyrinth of her life as a child with Granny in Kentucky. She described Saint Anthony entering their lives and how he influenced her growing up. Maybe he is still in her life as she lives in St Anthony Village.

Ellen Boroughf read, “Mother’s Three Sisters, My Role Models”. Ellen told of three very unique aunts whose influence changed her life. Eleanor was “Miss Perfect”, she was way too good, always praying. Another aunt was Irene “The Dumb One”, actually a popular, party girl. And her third aunt was Winifred “A Caricature”, whose way was the only way, and maybe it was the right way. Marie Goblirsch read “Corporal Works of Mercy”. Marie told a story of how she came to St. Joan’s through Our Lady of Grace in Eden Prairie. Filled with funny stories about the rich mingling with the poor, it centered on OLG joining in with St. Stevens when it first started its program for the homeless.

Darleen Wheeler read an account of “Peace from Portugal, Two Months after 9/11”. Darleen traveled to Portugal, in November after 9/11 to visit her son. This was at a time when peace was not what people were feeling. On her last day, outside, the sky filled with dark rainy clouds and she and her son prayed for peace. Suddenly the clouds parted to form a circle and through the hole the sun shone down on them, also causing a rainbow. Maybe peace is possible!

Pat Green(right) the organizer/leader of the group read “The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth”. Pat told of her change from a meek little girl in a blue uniform to a silver haired curmudgeon in tennis shoes that likes to straighten out people’s thinking.

Alberta Johnson, read “A Latter-day Catholicism”. To get a better education in the south, Alberta’s Baptist father sent his children to Catholic school. Through this turn of events she did become a Catholic.

“I am Heartily Sorry” read by Kay Samuelson. As a seven year old child, Kay had learned to pray the "Act of Contrition", a prayer when said would forgive your sins. A nun taught her about the "PERFECT” “Act of Contrition", using a horrific example of a child falling to her death from a tight rope in the circus, all the while saying the Act of Contrition. To Kay this meant a dead child was the best child.

Gerry Sell(right) read “Daddy and Thanksgiving”. Gerry’s story was about living when churches force you to attend in your geographic area. She remembers having to pay a dime to get in the doors of that church and give a quarter when they passed the basket.

Don Hall read a chapter from his newly completed book, “A Man Lives”. Chapter 2 in his book, called “Of Life”, describes himself and his brother as very young children with Mom caring for their every need and how it ended with them caring for Mom’s every need.

All of these stories may sound serious by my reporting, but many were not. Much of the evening was spent laughing, laughing hysterically. Several members were out of town or not reading this evening. These were Geri Burns, Robbie Collins, Jean Heberle, and Kate Winzenburg.

Ellen Boroughf

This group meets every Friday morning at the Parish Center from late May into July, writing and reading their stories to each other. They welcome all newcomers. Several years ago I joined them for a few sessions and I have never laughed so much. The truth is that as we leave this earth our children and grandchildren will never know what life was like pre Vatican II. Putting it to paper will let them know what the church was like in another time. We look back at the church customs when we were children and now wonder what all the fuss was about. There have been all sorts of changes that were hyped as potentially ruinous to our souls, and look at where we are now. This is why it is important to give this information to our heirs.