Tri-parish potluck supper honors Father Scepaniak
Catholics from the Mountain Lake area who are part of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church parish in Windom, joined with other parishes in the tri-parish – Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Brewster – to hold a farewell potluck supper for “Father Russ” – Father Russell Scepaniak – in John Daly Hall in the Windom church on Sunday evening, June 21.
Father Russ Scepaniak came to the Windom, Heron Lake and Brewster tri-parish in February 2010 after serving congregations in Chatfield, Preston and Lanesboro.
The new priest coming to serve St. Francis Xavier and the two Sacred Heart parishes – Father Patrick Arens – is following in the footsteps of Father Russ – coming from that same Chatfield, Preston and Lanesboro tri-parish. Prior to that post, Father Arens served the congregations of St. Ann Catholic Church in Slayton, St. Columba Catholic Church in Iona and St. Mary Catholic Church in Lake Wilson from February 2005 to July 2010.
Father Russ’ new duties, which will begin Wednesday, July 1, will be to St. Theodore’s Catholic Church in Albert Lea and St. James Catholic Church in Twin Lakes, along with administrative duties with St. Theodore’s K-8 Catholic school.
Part of Father Russ’ focus will be on the large Hispanic community in the area. Father Russ has ministered to and grown the Hispanic Catholic community at St. Francis. To better serve in that capacity, Father Russ attended a one-month Spanish immersion in Texas several years ago, and added a Sunday Spanish mass at the Windom church.
For the month of July, the three local Catholic churches will be served by area retired priests.
