What would you like to know about St. Joan of Arc? Do you have a story about our parish or of general interest that you think others would like to hear? For story ideas, contact Jeff Rholl, jeff@stjoan.com.

Some people hobble into retirement and are happy for a time – “I can sleep in the morning” – only to feel tired, forlorn and useless when the hard reality of an inactive life takes hold. Others stride into the years after work, every bit as busy as before, going about their lives as if the change to retirement was no more diminishing than the change from adolescence to adulthood. St Joan’s has a churchful of the latter kind of retirees. If their activities have changed in nature, they seem not to have slowed down in pursuing them, leading lives that are just as interesting, eventful and certainly spiritual as they ever did. One might even suppose that their lives are richer for the accumulated years.

Indeed, interviewing the people in this article made me poignantly aware of what it is to be no less alive for being 60, 70 or beyond than for being 30 or 40. True enough, in this society even to make the point is to focus the issue in a somewhat patronizing way. But spirituality throws the subject of age into a whole new light. In that light, truly it does not matter. Yes, the interviewees are saying, our bio-engines have slowed – But what of that? Christ, among the many distinctions He did not make, did not distinguish on the basis of age, either.

I found these subjects to be remarkably easy to interview. Partly this was their obvious love for St Joan’s. Perhaps it should be noted no taint of elitism is meant here. One retiree now belongs to another parish, which she, apparently, loves no less. Others’ children attend other parishes. A single question would suffice: Tell us what St Joan’s means to you? Asking that is to get hit with a palpable dose of spiritual energy, such that one sometimes steers hard to get information on the parish activities they help with. Such energy may be common to whipper-snappers too, but these people I found, for all their accumulated years, brought a certain gravitas to the interviews. Besides, I wonder if interviewing young people would be quite so inspiring, or such fun?

Herein follows brief profiles of people who can serve for a representative sample of the retirees of St Joan’s.

Dorothy Kalinowsky

Dorothy, whose history with the parish goes back 30 years, has been helping with the Masses since there were just two on Sunday. “I can’t not be involved,” she says, “so I started taking jobs.” She began by securing the host and wine servers at all Sunday Masses – now she does it for just the 9:00 Mass. Currently, too, she helps with record keeping in the office (baptisms, marriages, etc.) and whatever else needs to be done. Interestingly, the Masses once were taped for distribution. She was sending out 15-40 tapes a week for years until there availability now on this website.

Dorothy’s memories of the early years remain precious and vivid. “At daily Mass, we sat in a semi-circle with Father (Egan) and talked and hugged and prayed. It was the joy of my life, a totally loving experience, bringing me closer to God. Now, it happens on a larger scale.” Her husband has joined her at St Joan’s, and together with some of the other old-timers, they get together for Bible study on a regular basis.

Sam Kent

A few years after joining St Joan’s, back in the early ‘70s, Sam (along with Herb Gibbs, a little later) became the resident projectionist (“flasher,” he calls it). The history of this function is interesting. Let him tell it: “When we first started, we sat on a bench by our-selves near the south door. The screen was above the bench and we used a slide projector. We held the control, which was on a cord, to the projector in our hands, timing the slides to the songs. The clarity of the slides was not like today.”

Now they use a PC running SongScreen. JoAnn Potts and Anna Vagle provide the scripts. “You still have to time it just right,” Sam notes, “getting the slide up just before the verse is sung.”

Sam’s spiritual interpretation of St Joan’s is encompassing. Again, in his words, “I like the idea, going back to Harvey Egan, of a marketplace spirituality. I have always found it intriguing to think that I can take the spiritual experience of St Joan’s out into my life – live it all week long. It is a journey, but it’s your journey. How far you go with it is up to you.”

Marguerite Charlton

Some of the retirees are among the founding members of St Joan’s. Fifty-seven years ago, when the buildings of St Joan’s were being erected (first the church, then the school) – the land was “a low field” -- Marguerite, along with her husband Dennis, joined the parish. “We joined when my husband got out of the Navy,” Marguerite says. This was just after World War II. The pastor was Fr. Farrell.

Marguerite and her husband first worked at church events of all kinds, helping the fledgling parish get on its feet financially. Then, when their children reached school age, they helped in the parish grade-school, as well. Theirs is a commendable record: Almost 40 years of heavy involvement in parish activities, including the last 15 years. This includes serving at funeral dinners, dinners for new parishioners and the thrice-yearly senior’s dinner.

“It is our spiritual home,” Marguerite says, “and our place to be.”

Dorothy Lawson

Every parish has a few people that everyone knows on sight, even if not personally. Dorothy is one of those. She and her husband joined St Joan’s 45 years ago. For many years, the two of them served Communion at Sunday, then Saturday evening Masses. When her husband passed away three years ago, Dorothy continued the practice. The first Saturday of the month is hers – But “if somebody’s not there, I’ll take their place… Wherever I’m needed…” In addition, she helps to set up the dinners and refreshments for funerals.

“Four of my kids graduated from St Joan’s,” Dorothy says, “and two from Regina, which used to be on the corner. My son was an altar boy, and now one great grandchild has made his First Communion at St Joan’s.” One cannot express the pride in her voice. Truly, if one would know a parish, know these long-time members.

Dorothy, like all of us, expresses her spirituality in a unique way. “St Joan’s is like a big family to me. Everyone is so kind and affectionate…just like a loving family… The priests (Frs. Wertin and Cassidy) are so nice and friendly. They treat everyone the same. When my husband died, and then my son passed away, they gave me 100%.”

Jean Jachman

For some of the retirees, the extent of their involvement in the parish is best encompassed in a list. Jean, who has been a member for 33 years, has done the following: Two incidents Jean relayed might serve as a measure of devotion (or something): “When I got out of the hospital – I had a back problem, where I had to sit up, head on a prop, and slipped (herniated) three disks in the process” (been there – last August – one disk – screamed a lot), “coming back to St Joan’s, I wanted to go to Mass, so I lay on a bench in the entry way, where I could see the Mass in progress.” Do you get the impression that Mass at St Joan’s is important to these people? And, when Jean worked in refugee camps on the Thai-Cambodian border (three tours of three to six months duration – “You would not believe,” she says, “the things that people are capable of doing when they live under those conditions”), not to miss anything, she taped three or four Masses to take with her overseas.

“I love my association with St Joan’s,” she says simply. “It is a remarkable place, with remarkable people.” Consider her credible.

Val Zwak

Val, the senior member of the retirees in the article, stated most directly the importance of parish involvement. In a forceful interview, she asserted, in substance: What good is one’s faith if one does not live it, does not carry it – carry Christ – from Sunday Mass into one’s life?

“My journey in faith had become stagnant,” she says. “Spiritually, I was dying. Then, in seventy-eight, I came to St Joan’s, and came alive again in my faith. My husband joined me soon thereafter, and we’ve been members ever since. – Every Sunday at Mass I receive a message that I live by through the week… It’s strange…things that have been going on in my life, I find to be addressed in the Sunday Mass that follows…” Moments of involvement come to Val’s mind: “Since I’m the mother of 12, on Mother’s Day in eighty-six, Father Egan asked me to give a talk…. He wanted to see it first, so I prepared something to say…” She spoke of this as if it had happened last Sunday.

Val has been working in the nursery since joining the parish. One Sunday a month, she handles the infants. “Involvement is so important,” she says again. “Being a member of a parish should be more than dropping en envelope in the basket… I feel I have to give something back…something of myself.” The need to give back, one senses, is a reflection of that which was received. Val mentions several specific receipts: “My mother died at our house. The following Sunday, the Mass at St Joan’s was such a comfort…and a professor at the University, as it happened, spoke on grief and dying… – All the years in the nursery… I remember Maggie Vagle as a toddler, running off to the kitchen play-things as soon as she came into the room. I told Anna (her mother) she must have taught her about the kitchen at home… now Maggie’s in college… – I sense the warmth in George and Jim” (the priests)… “They’re so nice…” And so on.

'The Money Ladies'- (L-R) Blanche Wolfe, Mikki Lindsay, Joan Rudd
The Collection Counters -- Blanche Wolfe, Mikki Lindsay, Joan Rudd

Along with Charlene Katt (who is not a retiree and so will have to wait for a later article), these three women count the Sunday collections. This job is not a minor matter – it takes considerable time for any Sunday collection, and, as Joan says, “sometimes a lot longer – for the biggies – Christmas, Thanksgiving and whatnot.” One wonders how the parish would get along without them. A few words about each:

Bob Bonde
A parishioner for over 20 years at St Joan’s, Bob is – truth be told - short of full retirement. At 62 the youngest of the “retirees” in the article, he still works 20 hours a week. We include him for two reasons: 1) Close enough counts here, and 2) His story is interesting.

Bob and his wife came to St Joan’s for no other reason at first than that they moved to south Minneapolis. But, Bob says, “I liked the service in the gym right away. The atmosphere in the Masses is wonderful and the speakers get you to thinking. If I don’t always agree with what they say 100% of the time, I always find them engaging. The musicians are great, too.”

As a grandfather with six grandchildren, all in the area, Bob had the necessary training and mental preparation for work in the nursery – which he has been doing for five years during the Sunday 9:00 Mass. Interesting how these things come about: “My wife had signed up for that job,” Bob explains, “but she became sick on the scheduled day, so the job fell to me. Now she’s never done it, and I’ve been there ever since, handling the kids from just past infancy to toddlers. – I have patience,” he asserts.

Bob also works in a prison ministry for Hennepin County. Though not a St Joan’s parish program, many parishioners of St Joan’s help out in it. One Sunday a month, they conduct an inspirational program for the inmates. The program includes recognized speakers – Ernie Larson, other community leaders (for example, the leader of a halfway house for abused women) and talks by members of the parish. “I’ll be a greeter,” Bob says, “or give a talk, or even, if Norma Schuh, the woman who runs the program, is not there, I’ll run it. Whatever needs to be done, I’ll do.” It is a sentiment common to the parishioners of St Joan’s.

Nancy Wright

A mother of nine, Nancy has been a parishioner at St Joan’s for 17 years. For many of those years, she has been volunteering for cup and host ministries at the 11:00 Mass on Sunday. Her account of coming to St Joan’s echoes the sentiments of many others. In her words: “Though no particular incident drew me on, I was in search of spiritual growth and felt somewhat cramped in a more traditional parish. Having heard of St Joan’s, I came and was impressed right away with the homilies and, in particular, with the empowerment of women” (this was 17 years ago). “At first,” she goes on, “I didn’t participate, except Mass, but then (wanting to do more), I took on the host and cup ministries. Currently, I’m involved in a Bible study program.”

The latter point led to some discussion – beyond this article – of the role of women in the synoptic Gospels. To make one point: Nancy says, “I am most impressed with the story of the woman at the well. I would even want that included in my funeral service.” She was referring to her discussion of Christ’s non-prejudicial treatment of the Samaritan woman. We agreed – readily enough – that it is a theme of the Gospels that age, like gender, is irrelevant.

Gloria Bandy

Over the millennia, music, of course for the Catholic and every other Theology, has been an indispensable part of the services – prayer that is sung, prayer with rhythm and harmony, prayer that can touch the soul more deeply, bringing one’s thoughts ever closer to the Lord. Music at the Masses of St Joan’s does not just happen, it requires talented musicians, but also practice and preparation. Gloria Bandy contributes to the preparation of the music liturgy.

She tells her role: “One day a week – it takes a whole day – I help prepare the music for the Sunday Masses. JoAnn (Potts) puts the songs on the computer” (so the lyrics can be displayed – by Sam Kent – for the congregation), “while I prepare the packets for the musicians. Dan, Fred, Anna and the others need the packets so as to have the music in front of them.” I love the St Joan’s music.” A lot of people do. It may be no stretch to say that the music brings many people (this writer included) into Mass on Sundays.

Gloria also helps decorate the church for the Cabaret celebration, and as she like many others says, “I help where necessary. If Anna (Vagle) is overburdened, I step in…”

Gloria has been attending St Joan’s on and off since 1968 and religiously (so to speak) since 1975. “My husband,” she says, “joined me two years later. Of our seven children, five were brought up at St Joan’s… I love the way the liturgy is done there…” And, especially the music.

Mary and Hank Mallander

Many people have an on-going and long-term commitment to St Joan’s, providing on a voluntary basis, many necessary services which the rest of us take for granted. Mary and Hank ensure that the congregation gets the bulletin.

“We’ve been doing the bulletins every week for 15 years,” Mary says. “There are 1800 of them now, but it is easily done. It’s not a big job at all.” Really? – this takes them three hours every Thursday of the year. Nancy Becker provides the original and “we just put them through the printer,” Mary says. “Summer is easier, because the bulletin is smaller and not folded,” which requires a separate machine.

One keeps hearing from the retirees the “Message of St Joan’s”: “The parish means so much to us,” Mary says. “There is so much involvement of the people here… Here our Faith is relevant to our lives… We take our Faith from the Masses on Sunday out into the world…”

Norine and Bart Larson

The Larsons’ roots at St Joan’s grow deep. They joined the parish in 1989 – not among the Founders – but their daughter and her husband both taught at St Joan’s. In addition, their involvement is extensive: “I was director of religious education at other parishes,” Norine says, “now I do it all as a volunteer.” Not surprisingly, then, Bart helps out in a lot of Norine’s parish work.

Norine gave a cogent, impromptu statement of what it means to her to be an active member of St Joan’s: “I love the challenge of this parish – to grow, to become more understanding, more accepting of diversity, more loving…to find in oneself greater depths of spirituality… God is a God of love and acceptance… We don’t leave our Faith in church on Sunday, we bring it home and to the work place… More than a weekly encounter with God, our Faith is a way of life that is focused on God…” The same words could well be applied to any person of faith.

Pat O'Regan is a technical and business writer. He has been attending Mass at St Joan's for the past year and a half, finding a renewed and burgeoning commitment to his faith in the loving company of the St Joan's congregation. Pat hails from a small Minnesota farming community -- Montgomery -- and is a graduate of St Thomas University and the University of Minnesota. Pat can be reached at Patxtra@aol.com.
In the end, I have found the interviews to be inspiring almost to the point of fatigue. And you, the reader, may be both energized and exhausted by the ministries of SJA’s retirees.
Rita Nohner, Amie Rankin, Avis Von Eschen and Rick Spaulding

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