AFC Opportunities

JOIN US for our Emmaus gathering. As an area faith community family, we can grow together in our relationship with our Eucharistic Lord and draw others into His Eucharistic Heart. 

The structure of Emmaus is as follows: 3:00 P.M. Holy Hour in the Cathedral, 4:00 P.M. games in Leifeld Hall or Washington Park and 5:00 P.M. a free dinner. All are invited to attend! You can come and go as it works in your schedule. We hope that you are able to join us! 2024/2025 Dates: September 8, October 6, November 3, December 8, January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6 and May 4.  

Prayer shawls and lap robes have been made for centuries. They offer comfort, warmth, and embraces to those who receive them. Those who knit and receive shawls and robes are blessed.
The power of the prayer shawl is in its physical properties and source of warmth. It feels like a hug and serves as a reminder that people are praying for you and whatever your concern is. The gift of a prayer shawl enables the recipient to be surrounded by prayer, and is a tangible reminder of God’s care and love, encouragement, and inspiration.
People knit/crochet shawls and lap robes for many reasons. Most prayer shawl ministries knit/crochet shawls and robes to console those who are grieving, comfort those who are ill, and bring hope to those in despair. 
The shawl maker begins the shawl with prayers and blessings for the recipient. Upon completion, the priest blesses each shawl. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl or donating yarn to the ministry for a shawl for someone else in need. Thus, the blessing ripples from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling an unconditional embrace of a sheltering and comforting God!
The shawls are distributed through Outreach Ministry, or if you know of someone in need of a shawl, contact Outreach Ministry. If you would like to join the Prayer shawl ministry, the group meets  the second Monday of every month at 6:30 in the Cry Room at St. Mary.

The Holy Cross AFC choir is an ensemble combining voices from the Area Faith Community (including St. Gregory the Great). The group sings a balanced range of choral music, from classical and traditional composers to contemporary, including music in English and Latin. The choir generally sings twice a month for Sunday Masses and Solemnities and rotates between the four parishes. Rehearsals are at 7:00 PM on Thursday nights at the church of St. Mary. No prior experience is necessary to join, just a desire to glorify God with the gift of music and to work together as a group. Interested musicians may either show up to rehearsal on Thursday evenings or contact AFC Music Director Tom Andrews ([email protected]) for more details.
 

The Rosary walk is a form of public witness for participants to deepen their prayer life and their relationship with Jesus Christ. All men are welcome to participate in the Holy Rosary walk, the first Wednesday of the month.  Walkers meet in the Cathedral parking lot at 6:30 A.M.

All women of the AFC ages 65+ are invited to St. Ann's Women's Group, a time of friendship. coffee, and treats. The Handmaids will host this event on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 12:30-1:45PM in Leifeld Hall at Cathedral.

THAT MAN IS YOU! is an interactive men's program combining the best research from science with the teachings of the Catholic faith and the wisdom of the Saints to develop the vision of man fully alive by honestly addressing the pressures and temptations that men face in our modern culture.  That Man is You! seeks to form men who will be capable of transforming homes and society.   
Call Terry Knowles for more information at 507-276-3193.  

That Man is You meets regularly on Friday mornings at Leifeld Hall throughout the school year.
Click HERE for the national web page

Well-Read Mom accompanies women in the reading of great books and spiritual classics to encourage personal growth, friendship, and meaningful conversations in order to explore the human condition and reorient ourselves to what is good, beautiful, and true.

There are two group opportunities to read great books. Group leader Kate Sloot ([email protected]) leads a group at the Cathedral Fire Side Room on the second Saturday of the month. Group leader Beth Zabel ([email protected]) leads a group on the 3rd Saturday at 8:30AM at RealLife.
Click HERE for the National Well Read Mom Website