mission_update_2020.pub
Parish Mission Statement | Promulgated October 7, 2019 Nativity of
our Lord is a vibrant Catholic community committed to helping each
person answer the call of Jesus Christ to serve as his disciple
by…
Nurturing a rich sacramental and spiritual life; Supporting strong
Catholic education and faith formation; Fostering fellowship and
community; And providing abundant opportunities to participate in
the parish’s long
tradition of Christian witness.
C A T H O L I C C H U R C H A N N U A L M I S S I O N U P D A T E 2
0 2 0
Nat i v i t y of Our L or d
* 2020 numbers are through 9/30/2020; **Expected numbers (Courtesy
of Katie Schaitberger, Director of Faith Formation)
Year Baptisms First Communions Confirmations Marriages
Funerals
1925 107 37 75 23 17 1930 142 97 101 30 31 2001 148 98 108 49 43
2005 132 98 101 34 43 2010 83 108 117 25 37 2015 73 111 106 23 27
2017 76 82 100 19 39 2019 84 93 113 20 26 2020* 40 68 101** 18**
25
New Web Address https://nativitystpaul.org/news/
introducing-nativitystpauldotorg As part of a new technology
upgrade, Nativity of Our Lord has a new home on the internet:
nativitystpaul.org! You’ll now contact Nativity staff and teachers
at both the parish office and the school at their new addresses
(@nativitystpaul.org). You can also now access the parish website
via https://nativitystpaul.org/. Each username of our staff and
teachers will remain the same. For instance,
[email protected]
is now
[email protected]. Please update your records
From the Pews (Shared with permission) To Nativity Parish Staff,
Thank so much for all you have done to make our parish a safe space
during this unusual time. As a parishioner and a nurse who
frequently cares for COVID patients, I really appreciate the care
and attention to detail my parish has taken to protect each and
everyone. I fully understand how dangerous this virus can be and
I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable returning to Mass if I
didn’t think you were taking it seriously. It was such a joy to
return to Sunday Mass for the first time since March this past
week. Thank you for all that you do. Sincerely, Elaine
In Memoriam Each November, the Church commemorates in a particular
way those who have passed from this life. We wish to remember all
parishioners who have died in the past year. The following names
are those whose funerals were celebrated at Nativity in the past
year (or others by request), and who were remembered at the annual
Memorial Mass on Monday, November 2, 2020. Please remember in your
prayers: Lois Patricia Anderson Jane Berry Peter Mott Butler Eugene
Daugherty Frances Louise Dolan Francis J. “Steve” Dolan Mark Allan
Fonfara John Gondek Michele Flynn Haigh Lois Dorothy Hagemeyer
Gretchen H. Healy Mike Heffron Lambert Louis Hoffman Marilyn Jean
Judd David Hestness Moorman Gail Marie Knutson Kathy Larson William
George Mangan Patrick George McGill III Robert J. McGinnis Therese
Murray Robert P. Nelson, Jr. William Henry Patt Annie Kathy (Daly)
Pruszinske Eugene Valentine Sitzmann, Sr. Joseph B. Steigauf Carol
V. Utoft Robert Christian Welle Helen Marie Young Lucille Esther
Ziebol May their souls and those of all the faithfully departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace, amen!
One Nativity 2035 https://nativitystpaul.org/news/one-
nativity-2035-fth-update One Nativity 2035 launched in July of last
year to identify and recommend ways to better communicate, bolster,
and sustain our parish mission in service of this vibrant Catholic
community — today and well into the future. In April, One Nativity
2035 synthesized its work and identified three key areas of
opportunity for increased growth and progress at Nativity of Our
Lord: faith, leadership, and volunteers. Development, Data, and
Technology https://nativitystpaul.org/news/
data-verification-and-update The first tangible result of One
Nativity 2035 is our new Development, Data, and Technology
(DD&T) team which is launching an all-inclusive digital hub,
utilizing state-of-the-art tools to help us be more efficient and
effective in serving the real wants and needs of our parishioners.
Live-Streamed Liturgies and Events
https://nativitystpaul.org/online-liturgies Beginning with the
Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19, we began live- streaming
liturgies on our parish Facebook page and on Good Friday directly
from our website, thanks in large part to generous contributions of
time, talent, and resources from our parishioners. We have since
installed two permanent, state-of-the-art HD cameras in the church
along with a workstation in the sacristy and continue
live-streaming nine Masses per week, plus special events.
Pandemic Finances and Gifts https://nativitystpaul.org/news/
financial-update-and-thank-you Our COVID-19 response has required a
great deal of financial planning and collaboration on the part of
the clergy, staff, lay leadership councils, and parishioners at
large. While we are by no means out of the woods, our outlook is
brighter thanks to the generous donations of our parishioners, both
in continuing stewardship pledges as well as offering emergency
gifts — totaling $$80,488 from 114 parishioners as of October 26.
Again, thank you! PPP Loan In the spring, we applied for and
received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to assist
primarily with payroll- related expenses for an eight-week period
defined by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
(CARES). This allowed us to absorb the closures of the NELC and
other after- school care programs amidst unpredictable Sunday
collections and consequently avoid laying off more than 30
employees parish-wide. We anticipate this loan will largely be
forgivable. DMI Survey https://nativitystpaul.org/ news/dmi-update
Nativity of Our Lord utilized the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) Survey
back in February “for listening to the People of God.” Here at
Nativity we generated over 1,100 responses, the highest response
rate in the Archdiocese. Thank you for your great
responsiveness!
Welcome New Parishioners! (Joined 11/1/2019 - 10/29/2020) Robert
and Pamela Keller Amy and George Petruck III David and Erika Kidd
Alexander and Amanda Miller Robert and Jaime Rooney Dillon and
Lauren Donovan Nicholas Kelsey Marie Fallon Joe and Julie Schaefer
Anne Spoden Grant and Lindsay Fitzgerald Nick and Jessica Schleder
Michael and Katherine Hutchinson Mary Dienhart and Daniel Olson
Kathryn Splan and Tonnis ter Veldhuis Beth and Matt Duffy Laura
Patrick Nathan and Corinne Reinhardt Scott Nair and Moria McGinley
Bentley and Nicole Jackson Robert and Elena Ames Brendan and Laura
Rylander Lucas Tucker Brandon Green and Angela Maurer-Green Jason
and Sarah Brand Ariel Rose Dorsey Dr. Anna Venn Carlson Ellason and
Dr. Eric Jon Nelson Ellason Geoffrey Fasen and Michelle Hollis
Fasen Heidi Brenner Gillen and Brent Gillen Kevin and Emily
Donnelly Charles III and Sara Michel Mary Rita Reichardt Mary Ann
Davis Robert F. II and Linda Moeller Joseph and April Freddoso Alex
Johnson and Anissa Hannis Johnson Anne Marie and Joseph Keenan Abi
and Tony McGibbon Alex and Kelsey Spanton Ann Margaret Tracy Robin
and Marco Antonio Guerrero William and Kelly Melcher Paul and
Catherine Antonio Daniel Ficker Catherine and Andy Larson Hannah
Fordahl Claire Rachac Michael and Merry Lynn DeCourcy Amy and
Timothy Toonen Ryan and Gillian Wiser Kaitlin and Michael Casper
Erick and Luisa Maria Peterson Kelsey Warner
Faith Formation https://nativitystpaul.org/faith- formation
Opportunities to grow in our Catholic Faith are abundant at
Nativity even in the middle of the pandemic! Thank you to all our
eager participants and those that have volunteered to make it all
possible. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd 3 Classes per week 20
Students 4 Adult Volunteers 1 Paid Coordinator (new!) Faith
Formation for Grades 1-8 59 Students enrolled in the
Wednesday Evening Program, including six joining via Zoom
9 Students enrolled in our new At Home Faith Formation
Program
11 Adult Volunteers 8 Seminarians volunteering from Saint John
Vianney (sophomores) RCIA 2 Participants “Being an RCIA sponsor
this year was such a great experience. Every parishioner should
consider being a sponsor/mentor. You get to witness others soaking
in the wonderfully rich teachings of our faith and you get to
review and grow and let the Holy Spirit show you new lessons and
levels our relationship with God thru our church.”
– RCIA Parish Leader
Nativity County Fair https://nativitystpaul.org/news/2020-
county-fair-reflections-and-thanks The first-ever Nativity County
Fair Virtual Event was a huge success! Our incredibly generous
community of Nativity school families, parishioners, alumni,
grandparents, and friends joined together as One Nativity in
support of our beloved parish and school. Together we rallied and
raised over $350,000! The dedication and generosity of the Nativity
Community continues to inspire.
Tuckpointing Building Repair Water intrusions in our buildings
required a construction project of tuckpointing mortar joints and
otherwise reinforcing external walls, begun this past spring. While
a few corollary projects remain, all of the external work for
tuckpointing is complete. The budget did expand slightly when
additional problems were identified in May, but work was
subsequently completed within this adjusted budget. Required
internal work will commence after a time to ensure the external
work is waterproof and otherwise sound, likely early January of
2022.
Nat i v i t y of Our L or d C A T H O L I C S C H O O L
Nativity School https://school.nativity-mn.org/ We are proud of the
hard work of our students this year as they grew as learners,
thinkers, and explorers. Our students, parents and teachers faced a
significant challenge as the world faced a pandemic which forced us
to move into distance learning in just three days. We are
incredibly proud of the commitment by all to adjust to this new way
of learning. Together, we explored and grew proficient in many
digital tools to support the learning process from home. Teachers
created videos and YouTube channels to deliver lessons to their
students, and classes met over Zoom in real time to help our
students meet their educational goals. Everyone did their part, and
we ended the year ready to advance to the next year of
learning.
We are incredibly blessed to have committed teachers, parents, and
parishioners, generously sharing their gifts, talents, and
expertise to help us build a plan to safely reopen our school this
fall. After three months of planning, we safely opened our doors to
welcome back over 90% of our students for in- person learning and
engaged with 49 students through our distance learning model. New
health and social distancing protocols were implemented as guided
by recommendations from the MN Department of Health. Teachers found
creative ways to utilize our facilities, indoors and outdoors, to
support the learning process. Art was taught under the tent in the
parking lot, music was taught on stools in various locations
outdoors including the church steps, and some band lessons were
even taught outdoors! Our students adapted beautifully to the new
protocols and hardly missed a beat as they transitioned back to
campus for the new school year. We are incredibly grateful to be
able to offer in-person learning for our students. The mantra heard
over and over by students, parents and teachers is...
Successes and Highlights from the 2019-2020 academic year include:
Nativity School entered into a partnership with Groves Academy,
sponsored by CSCOE. This new literacy initiative focuses on the
gold standard of phonics instruction. In this first year, all
students in PreK- 2nd received daily instruction in phonics to
support them with the reading process. This year, the program
expands to third grade to complete the complex delivery of phonics
instruction and fluency and shift full attention to comprehension
strategies that support all content areas. We are thrilled with the
results and appreciate the support our teachers have been given by
an instructional coach to make this program such a success for our
younger students. This year’s professional development of our
teaching staff continued to focus on an in-depth review of student
performance in math. Teachers in grades 2-5 used student data from
the fall MAP testing to adjust their instruction to help more
students reach their growth projections. Unfortunately, due to
COVID-19, the students were unable to complete the spring MAP
testing to see if those intentional adjustments helped the students
achieve their goals. Testing done this fall compared to last fall
reflected projected learning growth for an overwhelming majority of
our students.
We are pleased to announce that nine eighth grade graduates from
the Class of 2020 received merit scholarships from their high
schools of choice based on their performance on their entrance
exams. Fourteen graduating eighth graders also received merit
awards at several high schools in recognition of their demonstrated
leadership, service, and character while at Nativity School –
Congratulations! Last year’s theme was “At Nativity, all are SEEN,
HEARD, and VALUED.” This theme provided us with the framework to
have engaged discussions with our students and it raised the
mindfulness of all to recognize and embrace the gift that each
person is to our community. As the students returned to the
learning process this fall, they did so with hearts filled with
gratitude and appreciation for being here. Their joyful presence is
a gift beyond measure and we are grateful!