Bridge Builders

Bridge Building Starts with Relationships

Building the vitality of an Area Catholic Community requires teams of leaders who together have oversight for liturgical, catechetical, community care, and justice ministries. Our parishes are collaborators, bridge builders that ensure the mission of the Church. Building relational bridges within an Area Catholic Community is much like building physical ones - it requires innovation, investment, and an eye toward structures that will stand the test of time. We listen to the needs of ACCs and empower people to test their 'Big Ideas'.

There are four qualities essential to this relational building:

1. respect

2. cultural humility

3. trustworthiness

4. love

Partners

Introducing the Bridge Building Collaborators

The Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission initiative is made possible by collaboration between individuals, communities, and institutions who care passionate about co-responsibility, the mission of the Gospel, and building bridges in and an ever-changing church and world. These are some of the core partners.

Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission Began in Partnership

In 2020 Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary received a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. to partner with the Center for Latino Ministries at Saint John's Abbey and the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission initiative helps those who are passionate about co-responsibility for the mission of the Gospel grow as bridge builders in an ever-changing church and world. This involves connecting with other innovators, funding for ministry experiments, introducing Benedictine spiritual practices, training and retreats for pastoral leaders, and one-on-one coaching to leverage resources—human and financial—to strengthen our thriving mission in Central Minnesota.

Diocese of St. Cloud

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud encompasses 12,251 square miles in 16 central Minnesota counties, with an estimated total population of 555,400. The diocese stretches more than 175 miles from east to west, including some of Minnesota’s most rural areas along the North and South Dakota borders. It also includes one of the nation’s fastest-growing suburban corridors extending from Minneapolis northwest to St. Cloud. The diocese currently comprises of 29 Area Catholic Communities, representing 131 parishes with a combined Catholic population of over 133,000. Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C. was appointed the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud December 15, 2022. He was formally ordained and installed February 14, 2023. https://stcdio.org/

School of Theology and Seminary

Rooted in the Roman Catholic and Benedictine traditions and the ecumenical and liturgical heritage of Saint John's Abbey, Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary fosters study and prayer in a community of learners. The SOT/Sem commits to academic, spiritual, pastoral, and professional formation in order to equip lay and ordained leaders for ministry in the church and transformation of the world. https://www.csbsju.edu/sot/

Center for Latino Ministries at Saint John's Abbey

Mindful of their initial mission at the Abbey’s founding in 1856 to the German immigrants and seeing similarities in today’s local Latino community, the monks of Saint John’s feel called to continue this 165-year-old mission to serve immigrants of central Minnesota, some of whom have been in the USA for years if not decades. In addition to offering the pastoral assistance of monks to cover the spiritual and sacramental needs of these Latino immigrants, the Latino community and Saint John’s Abbey together will continue the labor of building up the Church—the Body of Christ—in central Minnesota. https://saintjohnsabbey.org/latino-ministry

The Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation based in Indianapolis. The Endowment was created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons – Eli and J.K. Jr. – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company.

In keeping with our founders’ wishes, The Lilly Endowment Inc supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission represents a grant initiative under "Thriving Congregations." https://lillyendowment.org/

Emmaus Institute

The Emmaus Institute is a four-year intellectual and ministerial formation program for lay leadership ministry and potential Latino/Hispanic diaconal candidates from the Diocese of Saint Cloud, in partnership with Saint John School of Theology and Seminary. Its purpose is to create well-formed ministers who will serve the mission of the Gospel in their families, parishes, and wider communities throughout the diocese. https://stcdio.org/emmaus-institute/emmaus-institute-for-ministry-formation/

Deacon Jim Schulzetenberg Grateful for Bishop Neary's Pastoral Visits

As of 2023 Area Catholic Communities are preparing for their pastoral visits with Bishop Neary. This will bean opportunity for each ACCs to tell their story - stories embodied with hope and challenges. Stories that are transforming of how to encounter others, navigate change and to be a people of hope. Upon hearing the vision and hopes of these pastoral visits, Deacon Jim Schulzetenberg was caught on video responding. Listen here: